On Forgetting the Camera

So you may start to notice a pattern whereas I forget to bring my camera at important moments. Or I don't think I will need my camera and then wish I had brought it. Like last Saturday when I shook the First Lady of France's hand. Of course, me not having the camera evokes mixed emotions. The first is "Damn, I wish I had my camera." Then, ever the optimist, I think - well - I don't look so hot today - so better that I'm not having my picture taken.

So to get back to Bernadette (Chirac, Jaques Chirac's wife), she came to Dubai to inaugurate the new French Lycée which was just opened up in January. Since this entire blog entry is about me forgetting my camera - there will be lots of links. Click here to see the school that my children will not go to (having left Dubai before attaining High School age.) The note sent home with the kids invited all the school population - kids, parents, teachers etc... to come see Bernadette and they closed the school down for the occasion (Elementary and HS). Antoine was phsyched to go and I'd never been to a political, PR type event with a big name figure - so I decided to take them... and NOT my camera - I know what Bernadette looks like, I'm not a huge fan and I didn't think I'd get an opportunity to get up close.

Well, whaddya know. There I was, standing around minding my own business, and she literally came up to me and said "Bonjour" and shook my hand. I was under the impression that this was not supposed to be happening - I was expecting a security guy to come and shove me away (they HAD tolds everyone to move away from the area - but it was shady, so I didn't). So I tried to be as discreet as possible and get it over with ASAP. SO, even if I DID have my camera, I wouldn't have asked her to pose with the kids for a snapshot. And thank God a picture of this did not make the Gulf News, because I was really not dressed for the occasion.

Moving on, but to a moment where I did have my camera - Maxime's school play. Tibili, the little boy who didn't want to go to school. It was set in Africa and Maxime played a spider. He had the longest line of anybody and the teacher said he knew all the kids' parts by heart. A future Thespian?

And, last but not least, our weekend getaway to Ras Al Khaimah, emirate on the west coast, where I indeed forgot my Camera. We stayed at the Hilton, went to the Dreamland Water Park, and visited the Dhayah Fort. Now, who needs a camera? Insert images of my family in all those pics and there you have it.