In Case You’re Wondering: on Mommyhood, Blogging, and Motivation

I don’t remember the last time I wrote for this blog. Yes, part of it is simply being tired and busy: now that Little Turtle is on the constant move, the 3 combined hours of his naps are often the only time to get things done – or to get some rest. Mommyhood can be a bit exhausting, and it so happens that other things take prevalence over blogging. Or so I thought.

Then I realized that even though the number of my posts on my personal Russian-language blog (you’ll find the link on About page if you’re interested) has dropped considerably, I still keep writing for it. The reason is simple: I have a real audience there. Some 300 people follow my blog, and it’s  uncommon to write a post and receive no feedback. People comment and then come back to respond to your response to their comment. Every once in awhile, I find a private message from another blogger asking if everything’s alright, since they haven’t heard from me in a couple of weeks. We’ve met several of my blog friends in person (in Atlanta, Charlotte, Tallahassee, and Haague,) and are hoping to meet more. Gosh, the only 2 Christmas cards we received this year are from my blog buddies!

And then there’s this blog. Nearly 2,000 followers & hardly any comments. I get these notifications on my phone: “so-and-so started following your blog” or “so-and-so liked your post,” and I wonder, “Who are these people? What made them press the button?”

Obviously, this is not a for-profit blog or a popularity contest. Still, it’s not a diary either and it would be great to hear from our readers a bit more often. A smiley face is better than nothing.

Shon is pushing me to write more, saying that as a bilingual mother of an infant living in her 3rd country, traveling rather extensively, and pursuing photography after having had to quit interpreting, I have something to say to the world. My argument is: does the world actually care? My motivation to write evaporates when I think of the lack of communication with our supposed readers.

Who are you? Do you actually read us? Do you find this blog interesting/helpful/relatable? What would you like to see us write about? What do you want to see more of? In other words, do you care?

P.S. It is surprising when every now and then we meet someone in Al Ain, and they tell us they read our blog before coming here. It’s always so good to hear!

Winter Living

Last night I finally gave in.  I put a blanket on the bed.  Hitherto we’ve been comfortable enough with simply a top sheet and a bedspread.  But winter has settled in, and it’s in the 50’s Fahrenheit at night now.  Brrrr.

Yet, it’s not exactly chilly during the day.  Today I wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt, and then found myself too warm when I was outside in the sun for a little while.  I had to roll my sleeves up.

However, it’s been cloudy on and off over the last week, and there’s been a bit of drizzle now and then.  That means it’s been pretty nice and cool in general.

When it’s a clear day, which is still most of them, the sky is actually blue and the visibility is better than it is in spring, summer, and fall.  That makes it an excellent time of year to head to the dunes for photos, and Jenia’s had a number of shoots in the desert recently.

One day we made it to the city for a tour of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and were rewarded with nice, comfortable weather that was also good for pictures.  Most of the time skies are quite gray, which always makes for disappointing images.  Now, however, the heavens are pretty, and it’s a nice contrast against the white domes and minarets.

Right now the air is clean and, in Al Ain, crisp.  The humidity that hangs heavily in Abu Dhabi and Dubai is still present, but the temperatures are low enough that it’s no bother.

This is definitely the best time of the year in the UAE.

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