So when I arrived in Los Angeles , I had reserved a car to drive around L.A and make life a little easier.

When I was at the car rental, the agents asks me if I would like to upgrade and drive a 2011 Mustang Convertable.. umm.. no hesitation there... ABSOLUTELY !!!

VROOOOMMMM !!! VROOOOMMMMM !!!

Ohhh it was amazing..

I get in the car, set the top down, tune into KLOS - Los Angeles Classic Rock and off I go to Santa Clarita.

The sad part is now being home, I can not tune into KLOS online because the stupid regulations the Canadian Government imposed.. heaven forbid I listen to a U.S based radio station !

Spending two days in Santa Clarita was awesome. I got to spend some time with my sister and brother in law, and got to spend an evening with my nephew and his family.

And by yesterday, it was time to pack it all in and get going. Back home.. to weather in the minuses.

Westjet back to Edmonton. Flying time 3 hrs 15min.

So I figured out the total miles I flew and drove. In total, it worked out to just over 22,000 miles of travelling.

Another 2906 miles and I would have gone around the world.. crazy when you think about it.

That's a lot of miles to travel.

Emirates Airlines is one of the best airlines when it comes to service as well.. if you ever do decide to fly to the UAE, take Emirates. A great airline.

So in a way, I have shared some stories on here of my adventure but if you have time, I would love to share my experience with you in person.. and hopefully soon I will post some photos on my online gallery for you to see.

back home ! Heavy sigh !

Been back in Los Angeles for about 12 hours now and left Dubai about 16 hours before that.

I left Dubai at 3:15am ( local time ) and arrived into Los Angeles at 8 am ( local time ).

This time our flight route was leaving Dubai , over Iraq, Russia, the  North Pole, head south to B.C, Washington State, Nevada ( Reno ) turning towards L.A.

A bit more facts of Dubai :

It is considered one of the fastest growing cities in the world. A population of just over 1 million people in the city ( of which 90 % are foreigns working and living in the city ).

* A concensus was done a few years ago, however they have not done one since so the numbers vary .

About 70% are males.

96% Muslim.

Literacy rates have improved over the past few years.. with the women at 81%, men are roughly around the 75% mark.

The education system only requires children go to school from the age of 6 to 12.

Speaking of schools, they do have driving schools but they serve very little purpose.. they drive where ever they feel.

Although the primary export is oil, the major concentration is now focused on tourism.

==============================================

Anyway its nice to be back ( in North America ) home and like I said, my experience has been nothing but amazing.

Only a few more days and I have to unfortunately leave Dubai and head back to Los Angeles, then back to Edmonton.

What an amazing time I have had here with Ray and Melanie. They have shown me everything there is to offer in Dubai and I have learned a lot as well as take a break from the cold winter back home.

Speaking of cold. Yes it does get quite cold here during the winter months as I caught myself with chills on a few occasions. There are times when a sweater / jacket is a must.. even if you are Canadian and can handle it, believe me when I say.. bring warm clothes because the chill is there.

Yesterday Ray and I went touring around and it was very windy at times and cold.

Plus 10 degrees here is not the same as it is back home. When you live in a city where summer temperatures reach the high 40's and sometimes the 50's, the winter months cool down quite a bit.

The city as well as the country are working hard to bring tourism to their little country, the people here have been nothing but hospitable and very welcoming.

From the two volunteers at the Cultural Center of Learning to the local merchants, Dubai is definately a welcoming city and are working hard to ensure tourism will grow.

It has been an amazing experience that was worth the trip and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it.

I would love to come back again another time of the year and see what it would be like in a hotter climate.

I look back with fond memories and can not wait to share some stories with everyone back home.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the funniest stories I have to tell you is a story one of the volunteers told us at the Cultural Center but please ask me to tell you in person because it sounds better in person.

He told us of his experience in Miami once where he and a friend went to McDonald's for lunch ( they love fast food here .. they are everywhere . From McDonald's to KFC and Burger King. ).

He ordered his food and asked as well for an " abble bie". " I'm sorry.. a what?"

" Abble bie"

" A what?"

" AP-PLE PIE "

The clerk still did not understand.. frustrated , he sees a picture of the apple pie and points to it, yelling " THAT !!!"

Ohhhh apple pie !!

=============================================

Everywhere you go in Dubai, the sweet smell of shisha hookas are common at restaurants and little merchant shops.

It's addictive.. but worth the experience.

Ohhh how I will miss that !

I learned a lot about many different things here.. one is how to not drink coffee when at someone's home or at a merchant stand.

No sugar, no cream. A small cup is given and before you sip it, you will be given a small dish with dates. A date will give you the sweetness to counter the bitterness of the coffee.

When I was at the Global Village , I bought a coffee and the guy almost freaked when I grabbed some sugar.. NO NO.. Have a date ! No sugar !

If you are someone's house and coffee is given and you really do not want any more.. simply shake the cup ( make sure it is completely empty ) . That tells the person you would not want any more .

Now Arabic coffee is not as strong as you think. Matter of fact it is quite weak.. good ! But weak !

The food here.. traditionally is rice with meat mixed in with a few vegetables. Not much on vegetables here thats for sure.

The food is good though... very tasty ( and if you know me well.. I can eat ! I do like trying different foods if it appeals ).

So today Melanie and I are heading out. She just came back from a 10 hr flight with a 2.5 hr delay and I wonder how she has the energy. Ray left this morning to Dakka ( Bangladesh )so I pretty much had this morning to myself.

Three days left ..

The Emirates Airline College is a very unique place to visit ( you can't just come in to see it unless you are with an employee ). I got a chance to see it today .

Every thing from cockpit simulators to cabin simulators for flight attendants , preparing meals and arranging the dishes to emergency procedures is all covered at the college.

I got to sit in the left seat ( Captain's ) on the A380 simulator and got to see how these huge monsters work.

From there it was off to the emergency procedure cabin simulator where three " aircrafts" are used to train staff in evacuations in water. It's an actual pool and all the trainees go " for a swim".

There is a lot more to being a cabin crew member . It's not simply grab a trolley and hand out food.

The amount of training involved goes beyond just preparing a tray of food and handing it out.

Everything from medical to applying the right make up and grooming to wearing the crew uniform is all covered.

There is even a self defense / restraining class where all cabin crew are taught in how to deal with unruly passengers and should the need to restrain a person ever arises, fear not my friends, the flight attendants all know how to deal with a person in restraining them .

Kinda scary to think they know how to kick ass should the need arise.

That would make a great headline:

FLIGHT ATTENDANT RESTRAINS UNRULY PASSENGER

=============================================

The Global Village is another place to see if you are ever in Dubai.The place is huge, and no wonder, considering its over 17 MILLION square feet of pavillions, entertainment and an amusement park.

Opened 15 years ago, the village has expanded with different countries joining in.

Yes you can haggle prices ( we walked around the Afghanistan pavillion where a guy tried to sell me a rug for 1000 Durhans ( about $278 ). I said no I was just looking and as I walked away he yells OK .. 200 Durhans ! )... so you see.. haggle. Don't think these are set prices but do NOT insult them by offering pennies to the dollar.

We continued to walk around and my eyes fixed on one small restaurant.. A DUTCH mini pancake shop.. so good !! 10 mini pancakes for just under $3.

Most of the pavillions are staffed by Phillipinos , but some are Arabic. The aroma of different incense, shisha hookas ( which by the way can become very addictive ) and foods.

Ohhh the foods . Foods from snacks to sandwiches to full meals and beverages. WOW ! Some of them so good..others not so good. One of them was this purple melon like fruit.. talk about sour !! Holy crap ! It was like it was doused in Vinegar for a week.

UGH !

A definate place to see.. but go on the right night.. not a Friday or Saturday .. its jammed packed with people.

At 10 Durhans ( less than $3 ) to go in, it is an experience to have.

Also it is only open in the winter months when it's a bit cooler during the day and at night.

================================================

Driving in Dubai is also a very unique experience. If you think we drive badly, you havent seen anything until you drive here. Some drive like a bat out of hell and you wonder why are they going so fast? what's the big rush?

Not only is the speed limit 120 km, drivers seem to change lanes without signalling, some honk to remind you are driving too slow, they can cut you off in the blink of an eye.

Another thing that is legal here is U turns.

I have not driven here but it would take a bit of time to really master the skill of driving here.

And so that was my day today. I look forward to seeing what is in store for me tomorrow.

There are many places to see and explore in Dubai and it is hard to decide where to start but what I would recommend is the Cultural Center of Learning. An open door, open mind policy, the Center gives you an idea of day to day life in the Arab world and why Muslims do certain things.

When you enter, you must remove your shoes. You then enter a large room where food is placed on the floor and you find a comfortable cushion to sit on.

For about 2 hours, two volunteers of the Center explain the way of life and what Islam TRULY is.

One of the biggest misconceptions is head / face coverings ( hijab or burka ). The Hijab is NOT a religious requirement, it is NOT even mentioned in the Koran.

The purpose of covering is so that others may not distinguish between the rich and poor.

Unfortunately in today's world, people believe it to be part of the religion.. it's not !

A person really learns a lot in those few hours.

Highly recommended.

===================================================

Souks are markets. An open air market filled with merchants who all pretty much sell the same things.

As you walk down the road, you get bombarded with " Watch sir, Tshirt.. Watch Rolex, ".

It goes on and on.

The idea is to NOT look them in the eye. Once you do that, you will be led into the shop.

And no matter what price they give you , it's always a " SPECIAL PRICE!".. trust me when I say keep shopping.

Others will give you better prices unless you haggle with the first guy.

Most if not all, the merchants sell the same things. So shopping around is key.

===============================================

Another thing to definitely see is Camel racing. Although there is no gambling ( Islamic sin ), there is no admission and races are constantly going.

Up until a few years ago, camels used to be ridden with jockeys ( usually small kids ) but they would fall off all the time and get hurt so they removed them and replaced them with remote control jockeys ( a small battery operated device that have a rotating whip ).

Camels line up much like horse racing, and off they go. They run a 6km track. They run at about 40km per hour.

By the time they reach the finish line, many of the camels have drool just slobbering out of their mouths.

It is a fun thing to watch.

===================================================

Another really fun thing to do that is also very traditional is after dinner coffee and shisha hooka ( a water pipe ). It is very enjoyable and social.

After dinner last night, we walked over to a coffee / shisha bar and settled on a very strong coffee and some hooka.

There are several flavors available ( strawberry, grape, apple, rose etc ).. and it is very enjoyable.

As you sit with your coffee / tea and a hooka, you see many others all settling into chairs and sharing a hooka.

No worries about the tip either.. each person is given their own plastic sealed tip to use.

===================================================

One of the most amazing things here is how extremely friendly people are here.

You greet someone with a "Marhaba ( hello )", they reply back with a smile and you suddenly become a friend.

Everywhere we went , people have been very friendly and treat you with respect and are genuinely happy to see you.

( Note: If you ask someone a question and they walk away, they are not being rude, they just do not understand what you are saying )

At one small merchant shop, the owner struck up a conversation ( his English was amazing ), he offered a small cup of coffee to us and made us feel very welcome to his little shop.

Not all Arabs are born into a rich kingdom life. There are many rich Arabs but along with it , there are also many poor Arabs..someone has to do the other jobs to keep things going.

Not all Arabs have 4 wives ( as the volunteer at the Center said " I can't handle one wife, why would I want three more ?" )

Not all Arab women cover their faces.

The culture here is not like anything I have ever seen. One of the biggest thing they strive here is to be the best in Guest Services. It is very important to them to give people every thing at their disposal and no one should be treated any different than any one else.

I have 6 days left to see what I haven't yet .

I am having such a great time here in Dubai and it has been an experience beyond my imagination.

The city of Dubai has transformed itself into one of the greatest tourist spots in the world.

Although it is a Muslim Country and follow Muslim laws, the rules are relaxed in many ways.

No longer strict on the many ways of life, Dubai has opened its doors to visitors and made it more accessible for people to come explore this city in the desert.

What was once a baren land with nothing but a few buildings, a main road and an airport, Dubai has transformed into a metropolis.

One of the most amazing structures is the Burj Khalifa. The world's tallest building.

At a height of 2,723 feet, the total cost was around $1.5 BILLION and took a little over 5 yrs to build.

The Burj complex surrounds the Dubai Mall with outdoor restaurants and a man made lake with a water show every hour at night.

The entire complex cost was $20 BILLION.

Next on the list was the Burj Al Arab.. one of the few 7 star hotels in the world.

This exclusive hotel offers the most extreme luxuries and privacy to all guests. So much so that the only way to enter the hotel is to either have a reservation or a booking in one of their tea rooms. Having neither of those, well.. you will just have to admire the hotel from the outside.

Shaped like a sail boat, this hotel offers no rooms. All 220 rooms are luxury suites with rates starting at $2000 a night ( breakfast not included ).

It even offers its own helicopter pad on the top of the hotel for complete privacy.

Want to go skiing in Dubai? The Emirates Mall can help. They have a "ski resort" right in the mall. With 5 different runs ranging from beginner to expert, the longest run being 400 meters.

Didn't bring your skis or pants? No problem there either.. it's all provided for you.

And in case you are wondering. Yes it is all real snow !

From shopping to attractions, Dubai is becoming the place to be in the Middle East.

=============================================

Well thats what I have seen and learned so far on this amazing trip.

Tomorrow is going to be another amazing day.

More on this amazing city in the days to come.

Here I am in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This has been an amazing week so far and one very long trip.

Woke up on Wednesday at 830 am to go to the airport for my first segment of my trip.

Checked in at WestJet.. all set to go . I was thinking this trip is going to be amazing. And it is so far.

Thanks to the guy in the wheel chair at the boarding gate who fell out of it while waiting for boarding . That was absolutely hillarious that you were in a wheel chair and yet you fell out of it..

So off we go to L.A.

I rented a car in L.A to get around and drove to my sister's place in Santa Clarita to spend a bit of time with them. It was a short visit but it was fun.

I helped a bit in their move to another house and got to spend the last few hours in their old house.

Then we went to dinner at this Japanese restaurant.. who knew they would serve the most amazing Quessadillas ever.. I mean they were damn good.

It was a short visit with my sister but as always , it was great seeing her and Rod.

So after that was the drive back to LAX to the hotel for a night's sleep before being back at the airport at 7:45am.

Damn alarm clock.. where am I?

Ohh yea... Los Angeles... shit !

Check out at the front desk.. why is the lady all bundled up. It's 15 degrees and she looks like she is ready to hit the ski slopes.

Seriously. It's not that cold out and she has on a thick wool jacket, a scarf and a wool cap.. really? it's not that cold out.

Next on the list... drop off the car and then head to the terminal at LAX.

Checked in and all set to go.

Damn.. that plane is massive... never see these in Edmonton!

Boarding time... I settle into my seat and prepare myself for the 16 hour flight.

Hmm.. a menu to choose what I would be feasting on.

First meal, I have a choice: Salmon in a peppercorn sauce.. or chicken in some sort of sauce I never heard of.. well to play it safe, i took the salmon and it was really good.

Movie time.. let's see. What do I want to watch? Holy crap ! over 1200 movies and shows to choose from? And you expect me to sleep? How can I sleep when there are that many choices?

Ok.. I chose something to watch.

Think I will sleep for a bit.

I wake up.. where am I?

I scroll the channels to find the map.

Somewhere over Rejavik.. where ever that is?

No wait.. we past that? Over Denmark? Say what?

Ahhh lunch time? Again?

This time I have a choice.. chicken or lamb? Lamb? Umm Ok. let's try it.. can't hurt ! No Baahhh ad !

Another 6.75 hrs to go.. are you kidding me?

Seems like forever to get here.

" Ladies and Gentlemen.. please return to your tray tables to the upright position and fasten your seatbelt in preparation for landing".

Made it !

Now where?

Follow everyone else I guess.

I get directed to Immigration first.

Two lines. One for men, the other for women.

As I stand in line , I can't help but feeling crushed as all these guys seem to push forward and are literally on top of me. I mean literally right on top.. some brushing up against me..

GET OFF ME !! DO NOT TOUCH ME !!

YIKES !! BACK THE EFF UP !

Holy crap ! Why are all these guys having to take every square inch of where I am standing.

I am going crazy and can just imagine a guy like Howie Mandel would literally go ballistic !

Finally I make it to the front, I am next. No wait !! Sorry. The East Indian guy beside me feels he is more important than I..

The Immigration Officer tells him to go back and points to me . I am next.

STAMP. STAMP ! Look in the camera please. Do not smile.

Next stop.. passport control.

Another line up. Been here an hour and havent even got close to my suitcase.

"Purpose of trip?" "What is your friend's address?"

Are you kidding? Her address? Not a clue !!

STAMP ! Welcome to Dubai.

I run over to the carousel.. where is my bag? Ohh there it is. It's also the last one on the carousel.

Keep walking.. wait ! There is Melanie and Ray!

I walk out the doors and into what feels like freedom..

Dying of thirst...

What a specacular city.. wow !

A short drive to the apartment and voila.. here we are !

After dinner, we take a stroll over to the Burg Khalifa.. wow ! Look at all the people here? It's like Vegas.. only sober.

The water fountains are spectacular.. the mall is amazing .. so much to see and do but there are literally hundreds of people.

Then I noticed something.

I see a kid who casually walks up to his mom.. she is all dressed up in a burka and covered head to toe. I then wondered... how did that kid know that was HIS mom and not someone else?

Matter of fact.. how do the husbands know which wife is theirs when they are all covered up?

Strange.

We head back home and I am starting to get tired now... bed time. It's 9pm and I have been on a long journey.

Good night.

ARRGHH ! Who has the radio on? What song is that?

Ohh it's the call to prayer blasting on the P.A ..

It's about 3:30 am or so... wide awake.

Where am I?

So to recap.. Tuesday night I am in Edmonton, Wednesday night I was in L.A, Thursday night I was somewhere over Iceland, Friday night.. In Dubai.

It feels weird waking up and being in a completely different city. In three days, I slept in three different cities.

A world tour? Sure feels like it.

I get up and have a coffee with my host, Melanie.

Time to explore the city.

Is this day over yet? Nope ! Dammit !

I can not wait to the end of today's shift and I am on vacation... and I am not going to my usual destination ( Las Vegas ).

This time.. I am off to Dubai, UAE ( United Arab Emirates)... about 7000 miles away from here. I do not think I ever went this far away as an adult.

When I was 13, my parents and I visited people in Bangladesh, Delhi India and in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.. but I have limited memory of that !

My dad was telling me we did stop once in Abu Dhabi ( refueling ) before going to Jeddah but I don't remember.

Prior to January 2, 2011 , it was not required to have a VISA ( Not the credit card !) prior to entering the UAE. However in 2010, Transport Canada , along with the Federal Government denied the airline, Emirates, to have a few more landing rights in Canada.

Therefore, as a result, the UAE imposed a Visa for all Canadians who want to viist. The cost is $250* .

I hope to blog while I am there and tell you about this amazing place called Dubai.

Now.. about 20 yrs ago, Dubai was nothing more than a desert city with few buildings and maybe a road or two. Now it is a growing metropolis with hotels, attractions, shopping and luxuires beyond the imagination.

I leave for Los Angeles on Wednesday and spend one day there before my 16hr flight to Dubai from L.A.

I wont, sadly, be flying on the A380. It flies to Toronto but not L.A. I will be on a Boeing 777 ER .

Now some people have asked what the flight route is.. do I fly over the Pacific? or the Atlantic?

Answer : Neither.

Figured it out?

The route is : departing Los Angeles and fly North ..  California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana (US), north through Alberta/Saskatchewan, Nunavut (Canada), north above Arctic Ocean (just north of Greenland and just south of the North Pole), north above Spitsbergen (a Norwegian island), south over Barents Sea, south through Russia, south through Kazakhstan, south over eastern section of Caspian Sea, south through Iran, south over Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and into Dubai, located on southeastern tip of Arabian Peninsula.

So the next time I blog , I will either be in Los Angeles .. or somewhere over that route to Dubai.

I look forward to this trip and blogging about my adventures.
(*If you book your flight with Emirates, they will subsidize the Fee and you only pay $80 ).

Well another year has gone by and soon we ring in the new year 2012 !

What a year 2011 has been.

The year started out with some pretty interesting events that were happening in the Arab world.

In Jan , the Tunisian Government fell after protests turned violent. President flees the country after 23 yrs in power.

By Febuary, Egypt began seeing its people bring protests to the streets demanding a change in government as well. President Mubarek resigns .

In March , Libya became the third country to see protests begin demanding Col. Gadhafi ( numerous ways to spell the name )  step down or reform. All of Gadhafi's assets frozen and no place to hide, Col. Gadhafi vanishes.

During those protests, the Libyan army were ordered to shoot the protesters , causing the UN to begin sanctions against the troubled country. In October Col Gadhafi was captured , beaten to death and then shot ! ( kinda redundant to shoot someone who was already dead)

April 29, over 2 BILLION people tuned in to watch Prince William marry Kate Middleton. A Royal Wedding, the late Princess Diana would have been proud to have been there.

May 1. President Obama makes an announcement that the world's number 1 terrorist, Osama Bin Laden has been killed in a U.S SEALS team operation. While raiding a potential residence of Bin Laden in Pakistan ( a country that denied to the world that they have no intel to suggest Bin Laden was indeed there ), a SEAL team member shot and killed the most wanted terrorist.. which was confirmed a few days later by the Taliban.

In July, we witnessed the end of an era as NASA completed the last flight of the Space Shuttle program. Atlantis was the last shuttle to be used and is now in the Smithsonian Institute.

There were so many other events that happened through the year but i have no time to write them all and I am sure you will know most of them anyway.

We also witnessed two major trials live on television. One of the biggest draws was the Casey Anthony trial. A verdict of NOT GUILTY shook the nation into disbelief. ( AGAIN: NO time of death, NO cause of death will automatically be a NOT GUILTY verdict ).

The other major trial was the Dr. Conrad Murray trial in the death of Michael Jackson. Although the charge was involuntary manslaughter, the doctor was found guilty and is now spending his 4 yrs sentence.

We also said good bye to some amazing actors and celebrities.. Harry Morgan ( Cl. Potter M*A*S*H ), "Smokin" Joe Frazier ( Lengendary Boxer ), Andy Rooney ( 60 minutes commentator.. his last aired segment was on Nov 2, and died on the 5th ), Dan Wheldon ( two time Indy Racing winner ), former Bassist of Wheezer Mikey Welsh ( strangely he predicted on his twitter account he dreamt  he would die of a heart attack in a Chicago hotel on a weekend..and he did ), Bubba Smith ( retired NFL football player and actor in the Police Academy series ), Steve Jobs ( creator and co founder of APPLE computers ), Amy Winehouse ( singer ), Betty Ford ( founder of the Betty Ford clinic ), Peter Falk ( TV Columbo ), Clarence "Sax Man" Clemons ( Saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen ), Wrestler Randy Savage .. and many more .

You may be gone but never forgotten.

=============================================

So here is the deal. As many of us prepare for tonight's festive parties and celebrations, please remember to not drink and drive home.

Be smart.. have a designated driver, get a cab or spend the night where ever you are.

Police are reporting they will be out in FULL force to get drunks off the road.

There have been too many reports of drunk drivers in the news. Please do not become one of the statistics !

Have a safe and great time tonight with friends, family where ever you are.

I wish you all the best for 2012!

=============================================

This is my last week of work before heading off to Dubai for three weeks.

I will be blogging from time to time during my travels and telling you what an amazing place Dubai is.

This is going to be an amazing adventure and I can not wait to go!

I leave on the 8th to Los Angeles for a day , then bright and early in the morning head back to LAX for the 16hr flight.

I am very excited and look forward to it.

So while I am gone , I hope it won't be too cold for everyone back home.

=============================================

Happy New Year everyone !

Merry Christmas everyone !

Have you noticed more and more this year we are hearing those two words more and more.

Most people have come to the realization that it is Christmas .. its not the gift giving season, the happy holidays or any other words.. it's Christmas !

The majority have spoken.. and it clearly says Christmas is not an offensive word and should not be treated as one.

Hooray !

Although not many stores have put up decorations as much as they used to, I did hear a lot of "Merry Christmas" being spoken to customers as well as sales reps.

Seems to me, this whole Political Correctness when it comes to Christmas is slowing trending away.

When polls indicate the majority of people are not offended by the term, then why are there people who insist on NOT saying it? Is it because they truly believe it ? or are they just those type of people who "follow" the latest trends and terminology?

Remember folks, followers just do that, they follow without thinking for themselves.

And if you truly are one of those people who are offended by the words Merry Christmas.. just ignore it and move on ! Why spark an argument because someone said it?

When someone becomes "offended" by our traditions and customs, it raises the question of respect.

How can someone respect others when others are disrespecting our values and traditions?

Do we really want these people to continue destroying the very values and traditions we have set .

How rude can someone be?

We accept them into this country and give them the very freedom they seek but then take away our OWN traditions to suit them.

This does not work in other countries and it should not work here either.

So regardless of that...

Merry Christmas everyone !

With the biggest celebration of the year coming up and plenty of parties and gatherings, please have a good time but don't drink and then drive.. have a designated driver, take a cab or a bus.. but whatever you do... do not sit behind the wheel. We want to spend time with you in 2012.. ok?

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !