Khalifa Waterpark

I'm just catching up after a busy semester teaching and studying. So many adventures have gone unwritten about and so many amazing tales will never be told in this blog. Instead, I will write about the time about a month ago in which we went to Khalifa Park with some friends and went to the water park there.

The place isn't very big, but for the money, it's a great value. The park has a lot of shade and a lot of rides for the kids. Because it's small, parents can relax while easily keeping track of their kids.

There's a winding tube river the kids can play on.

There's a game inwhich kids dump water on each other's heads.

The kids can pretend to surf on a motorized surf board that moves around.

There's the usual assortment of slides.

They have free bumper boats for little kids.

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There's even a water balloon slingshot for the kids to launch water balloons at each other.

Overall, we had a pretty good time and I would recommend taking your kids to Khalifa park for the water park if you get the chance.

Emirati Mothers

In honor of the United Arab Emirates 40 year anniversary, the President, Sheikh Khalifa, made several decrees. Perhaps the most meaningful was that children born to an Emirati mother and non-Emirati father are entitled to Emirati citizenship. (Children of Emirati fathers were always entitled to citizenship regardless of the nationality of the mother.) Previously, these children were not entitled to the benefits of being Emirati such as free education and access to high paying public sector jobs.

While it may seem obvious to western countries that children of nationals should be granted citizenship regardless of the gender of the parent, this is actually a very progressive move on the part of Sheikh Khalifa. It has brought hope to women in other Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar who are waiting for similar rights. Hopefully, this decree can be the start of that.