Rain cancels school and how I think we are geniuses...

It rained this week in Abu Dhabi… which meant school closed. Not a lot of rain at all, but way more than it usually rains (which is never) and the roads flooded a little and people panicked, so school was closed early. It was like a snow day at home and now I keep checking the weather forecast to see if more will come and school will be canceled on Sunday too! (It’s not looking promising)

Also I agree with your stance on the need for more new fresh ideas (which is why we like things like Buffy and HIMYM… they were once fresh, new ideas.) It sounds like you’re also pointing out the need to know when to STOP and allow a wonderful concept to slowly fade away- die with dignity. Although reused ideas and reboots can be highly entertaining…

I had originally planned to tell you about how I love Castle- but have been feeling lately that there has been some missing on-going drama that always adds to crime shows. Then I watched this week’s episode this morning. And I’m not sure if you have watched it yet so I won’t give anything away… but it was exactly what I felt had been missing. Just like how you were saying about HIMYM and you wished there was more with the mom and more bringing old things “back around” and then BAM! it happened.  We are either just as smart as writers and producers and really should work in television OR we just watch too much television. I’m going with the smart thing.

DOCTOR WHO 50^th anniversary special this weekend (well for me actually next week). It’s coming very soon- even Google is excited. I’m not sure if I emotionally ready for it…. We will have to discuss as soon as I see it.

Still haven’t started Newsroom… which is still a goal… still making my way through Game of Thrones book 2… but have managed to watch 2 more episodes of Breaking Bad. It's good to have goals. 

Sarah: Resumes her quest in D&D and she has an encounter with a tree elf. He offers her a cookie that he says will give her the ability to fly. Instead when she eats it, it only gives her desire to have another. 

Kacey…new blog look.. and a re-introduction.

We are two sisters living on opposite sides of the globe attempting to converse about  television viewing, movie going, sports teams playing, pop culture following, and general global well-being. And we make no excuses for excess interest or time spent in any of these areas.

Jamie and I are known for sitting around and beginning our conversation about something simple like a book we’ve been reading, a news story, or even the weather… and end up analyzing a character from Doctor Who or discussing in depth the parallels between Jane Austen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We actually drive our family members quite mad with our chit chat as many people don’t often know what we are talking about (nor do they find us nearly as interesting as we find ourselves). So when I moved away to Abu Dhabi and left Jamie in Seattle a year ago the conversations became Skype chats and very random emails and text messages. Now we’ve decided to provide each other with a weekly insight to all random thoughts in blog form.

Kacey....Abu Dhabi

Important facts to know:

I live in Abu Dhabi where I teach 1^st grade at an international school.

I am the younger sister.

I am actually the middle sister as Jamie and I have a younger sister Sarah.

I enjoy sparkly things and I have a problem with purchasing accessories.

I miss watching American Football.

I hang around international types a lot here in the desert so I have to specify “American” Football otherwise people think I mean soccer.

I take credit for watching Doctor Who before Jamie and getting her hooked… however most things I am hooked on are because of Jamie… and I don’t mean drugs I mean television shows or book series mostly.

I like animals… more than Jamie…a lot more…that is important.

I watch The Avengers, Harry Potter, or BBC Sherlock when I just need something to fall asleep to at night.

My exciting news right now: My friends and I have started weekly movie night and they want to watch all the Harry Potter movies. I had to contain my excitement (to put it mildly)… then we’re having a Christmas movie palooza for the first part of December until we all leave for the Holiday break!

Also our sister Sarah is a plethora of thoughts, information and news…. But she often disappears into the night before she can actually record these things (yay- she’s kind of like a superhero).

However she is the only of us to play D&D where she worships a glitter god. We'll provide updates on that situation often.

Kacey Misses the USA...sort of.

2 posts in Jan! Wohoo!! Well done Jamie. We’ve both been slacking quite a bit… so here’s a brief life update…

Jamie bought a house and still counts all the money, I still live in Abu Dhabi teaching children and after all her travels Sarah is attempting to perfect teleportation.

So I have been here in Abu Dhabi for 6 months now… and according to my countdown app on my iPad I have 140 days until school is done and I get to go home for the summer. (But who’s counting?) It’s not that I don’t like it here and can’t wait to leave… because I do intend to return a second year pending a lottery win…but there are many things I do miss about home. AND some things I don’t miss so much.

 

What I miss:

Obviously my friends and family, because no matter how many Skype conversations we have it’s just not the same. And you begin to realize how much time you spend saying “I can’t see/hear you” or “You froze.”

What I don’t miss:

The questions and continuous conversations about my career path and having no answers.

What I miss:

American television- the predictability of the programing, no edits for content, and watching it on a big screen TV.

What I don’t miss:

American television- specifically reality TV and all the commercials.

What I miss:
Living in a western country with lots of freedoms (especially for women), where I can wear tank tops without feeling over exposed, drink openly without the fear of deportation and having a frank open discussion about the policies of government and religion.

What I don’t miss:

Living in a self-centered overly divided country, where children fear guns at school, and people choose to stay ignorant about not only the rest of the world, but their own politics as well.  (Seriously people here know more about American politics than people at home)

What I miss:

Pork (and not having to go to a special back room at one certain store to buy it).

What I don’t miss:

Nothing counters Pork…I just miss it.

What I miss:

Football (American), college basketball and soon baseball.

What I don’t miss:

Stupid commentators (getting the information I am missing from my dad and Jamie is much better), athlete scandals that overshadow the sport and having near heart failure while watching a game (actually I do sort of miss that).

What I miss:

Rain, snow and any other form cold, wet weather.

What I don’t miss:

Living with grey skies for 9 months of the year; going to the beach in January is pretty nice.

What I miss:

Having a physical address and getting mail at home.

What I don’t miss:

Junk mail.

What I miss:

Snow covered mountains and tall green trees.

What I don’t miss:

Feeling like a slacker because I don’t ski down the mountains or hike in the trees every weekend.

What I miss:

Driving myself around and not putting my life in other people’s (sometimes not-so capable) hands in moving vehicles. Driving here can be quiet crazy at times.

What I don’t miss:

Having to take care of and pay for a car.

 

All-in-all it most things balance out (but certainly not all). I have become slightly more patriotic during my time abroad, although I find myself around lots of Canadians and gladly lump myself in with them rather than people from the USA… I love Canadians. (A love that does not completely spring from years of watching How I Met Your Mother, but it has helped.)

Coming Soon: In honor of Kacey’s birthday, which is also Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday, Sarah writes a poem about Kacey entitled “Kacey as President Would be Babe-raham  Lincoln”.

Kacey Watches Television Along Ways From Home...

I am in Abu Dhabi! Half way around the world from the Great Pacific Northwest of the USA. I have been teaching a classroom full of children for 3 weeks now in a well air conditioned classroom (because if it wasn’t I would melt into a puddle Wicked Witch of the West style).  I’ve been meeting people from all over the world (Lebanon, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, England, Australia, Egypt) and my kids all speak Arabic as a first language. I’m tired, but adjusting to the heat and a new education system.

Of course on of my top priorities once I got here was what to watch on television and how to do I get all my shows? There are plenty of huge movie theatres (even though the censorship is a little different here than in the states) so I’m not worried about seeing movies- but the TV line up here is a little…delayed to say the least. I have a TV in my room and without paying extra expenses I get about 27 channels- 7 of which are in English (most of the time). Much of what I have been watching is canceled television shows, newer shows about 2-3 seasons behind, and random movies.

Here’s a flavor of my viewing pleasure:

Canceled Shows Views:

Better Off Ted: Sitcom about an insensitive corporation that develops random products and the people who work there. Only 1 season I think.

Privileged: Drama about a tutor (played by the chick that was on Reba and played the girl next door on HIMYM) who works for spoiled twins and their grandmother and has like 3 men pursuing her. I don’t think there is even an entire season of this show.

The Defenders: Jerry O’Connell and Jim Belushi play defense lawyers in Las Vegas. Entertaining, but I like lawyer shows. Half season for this maybe?

Witched of Eastwick: I haven’t actually watched a full episodes of this, only caught parts of a few episodes. Not a fan and I can see why it didn’t last.

Shows currently airing in the States:

Rules of Engagement:  I think this show is still on in the states. Not a huge David Spade fan, but I am watching it more here than I did in the states and I am actually finding the rest of the cast quiet humorous.

Community: Did this make it? Is it still on? First time I’ve ever watched it and can see why people think it’s funny!

The Mentalist: I watched this on and off in the states and always enjoyed it, but I’m totally lost because I didn’t follow it enough to know what season is being played. Red John is maybe dead, but Jane knows he’s not…FBI thinks Jane is working with Red John…???

Pysch: Again- I only watched once and while in the states, but it makes me laugh.

Glee: I think this is about 2 seasons behind and I’ve actually only seen it on late at night and early in the morning (when I was still jet lagged).  But it’s a nice comfort of home.

30 Rock: Watching this more and more proves that I was not watching in enough at home…love Tina Fey.

Big Bang Theory: Never lost on this one, but the episodes are not new. However, BBT is on so much in the states that it feels like home to watch reruns.

2 Broke Girls: Only have seen one episode and it was the pilot. Guessing that it is just now starting.

Top Gear: This was one all the time on BBC America, but I never really got into it. It’s quiet international I guess.

The Exes: This is a new show right? Good cast, not sure if I like the concept. Only show that I’ve watched so far that is happening at the same time as in the states (perhaps not a good sign for the show?)

Lettermen: It’s become my “morning show” because it’s on in the morning right before I leave for school.

Shows that have ended (not cancelled):

The Closer: Can always watch repeats- and since I didn’t watch it much in the states most episodes are new to me!

Gilmore Girls: Seen most episodes…good repeat show.

Smallville, Jag, Medium: I never watched any of these shows, and if I watched them here I only get confused…might be into watching Smallville if I could from the beginning.

 

There are also lots of movies on…I actually have 2 movies channels…plus other channels show movies often.  Some I know well and others I had never even heard of. All in all keeps me entertained.

Sampling of Movie Titles:

Eagle Eye, The Interpreter, Harry Potter (4 and 6), Star Trek, Love Happened, Invincible, Die Hard 4, Aurora Borealis, Mummy (3^rd one), Chronicles of Narnia (Prince Caspian), In the Name of the King, Ocean’s 12, 50 First  Dates, Titanic, Rambo, Beverly Hill Cop 1 and 2, Serenity, American Sweethearts, Run Away Bride, Changing Lanes, Kung Fu Hustle

I keep seeing advertisements for Revenge, maybe it will start showing from the beginning and then I can see what all the fuss is about. And NCIS is going to be on NEW (like brand new) soon!

 

That’s Abu Dhabi basic television in nutshell… there is probably more but I’d have to pay for that. I do have the internet...which helps. ;)

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a crash course in communicating when you don’t know the language and all you have is gestures. She will provide pictures!

Jamie's Very Late August Fave Five

Well, work has been crazy, which leaves me exhausted.  Plus my weekends have been packed, spending some quality time with Kacey before she left on her big adventure, and then my cousin’s wedding in Chelan.  So those are my excuses for the delay.  But since I know you can’t wait to see what I loved in August, here goes:

1)      Doctor Who – Pond Life, trailers, tumblr insanity, etc.  September 1^st saw the return of Doctor Who, both in the UK and here in the U.S.  This is very exciting.  Usually somebody has to wait (like we will for Downton Abbey) when a new season premieres, but not for series 7 of Doctor Who.  Leading up to the premiere were some incredibly exciting trailers for the new episode and the rest of the first series, plus the Pond Life mini-webisodes that gave us a glimpse at what we had been missing in the lives of the Doctor & the Ponds.  Ood on the loo. 

2)      Wikipedia’s Abu Dhabi & United Arab Emirates pages – As soon as Kacey first told me she may be headed for the other side of the world to teach for a couple years, I started my online research.  Of course, I am busy and kind of lazy so it was really just perusing the Wikipedia pages.  While they are filled with a variety of interesting tidbits, I can say that I am most intrigued by camel racing.  Because like my father, one of the first things I wanted to know about was the sports.

3)      HPA EqualityFTW – I really should have gotten this posted earlier, while this was actually happening.  The Harry Potter Alliance - an awesome organization that does a lot of work relating the themes of love and equality Harry Potter with real life issues – had a goal of raising $50,000 by September 8^th.  They are looking to expand their efforts (including to states like Maryland & Minnesota that have important marriage equality related ballot measures this November).  They had a variety of donor gifts with contributions from John & Hank Green, Maureen Johnson, Evanna Lynch, LeakyCon, & various members of Team Starkid.  When they closed they were just shy of $100,000, nearly double their goal.  Gotta love this amazing internet community coming together to do some good, again.  If you want to contribute I’m sure they are still taking donations on their website.

4)      Felixing – I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Felixing is the new Tebowing.  Only it’s about nine million times better.  It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August when Felix took the mound to throw the first perfect game in Seattle Mariner history.  As many noted, with him, it really felt like it would only be a matter of time. That day 27 Rays came to the plate, and all 27 went out, unable to do anything against King Felix.  The celebration included a little move from the King that took over twitter, facebook, and the rest of the internet with both hands and one knee in the air.  And then, in case that wasn’t enough, even Eddie Vedder did it.  Eddie Vedder.  Yeah, Felixing is WAY better than Tebowing.

 

5)      Sarah’s Blog – When she isn’t working on all of the posts for this blog, Sarah shares her various travel adventures here.  They are pretty much epic and awesome (and very well written), and if you’re not reading them, then you really aren’t living. 

 

Books read: 34 (I might be falling behind... anything from the Song of Fire & Ice should count as 2 books...)

Coming Soon: Sarah hears the new Doctor Who episode is called Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, starts watching, and writes up her preliminary thoughts.  Because how can you not want to watch something with dinosaurs on a freaking spaceship.