The first half of the month is spent sorting, clearing and packing. It is relentless and I wonder how on earth we have managed to accumulate so much ‘stuff’. I vow to become a total minimalist in our new lives, although this results in much hilarity from friends who possibly know me too well and realize that minimalism and children is an impossibility. Father of the Tribe returns for the final week and the days merge into one as rooms are emptied, shippers arrive to pack and ship, friends give furniture new homes (recycling at its best!), toys are sent to Naomi House, more to the Nursery, rather a horrifying amount goes to the Fete’s bric-a-brac stall and finally the storage company arrives to remove furniture. The Tribe are looked after during daylight hours by friends, whom I am eternally grateful to. One evening, the boy of the Tribe, arrives home clutching a rather impressive helmet and a grin that would put the Cheshire Cat’s to shame. He has spent the day quad biking and is cock-a-hoop with himself. My guilt at spending no time with the Tribe at all, is greatly assuaged.

Moving out day is suddenly upon us and surprise, surprise, we are still emptying the house. My hopes of being able to say farewell to friends and acquaintances in the village is rapidly disappearing. The professional cleaners arrives and I lock the cats in a room to await their ‘fate’. They too are joining us on our desert adventure, so along with everything else, I have been sorting export and import licences, getting rabies vaccinations, passports and ensuring our feline friends have a clean bill of health. Their taxi arrives and they are loaded in their IATA approved crates for a two day stay before flying with Emirates. As they leave I feel a little tearful. It all seems rather real. No time for tears however, we have to get out of the house. We finally arrive late at our friends down the road – they have taken the Tribe and their children out for supper. We (including the baby!) are exhausted and dirty – nothing a quick shower cant’ fix. When everyone returns, children are quickly put to bed (there are 8 in total including the baby!) and we are fed and watered. Their generosity is limitless.

Our last day in Abbotts Ann and the UK continues to be chaotic and I find myself in Andover A&E (for the second time in 3 days) with the 6 year old. It seems that nothing will run smoothly in this move and things are set to continue in the same vein for some time to come. 3 X-rays later and we leave the hospital clutching a dvd containing the X-ray that shows a broken collar bone and a letter for a hospital in Dubai. The day ends on a happier note at the Eagle for a last drink in Abbotts Ann for 2011. I wonder how long it will be before we are sitting so easily with friends. It is all so unknown.

I won’t go into the details – they are long and a little tedious – but our first few weeks have not been particularly smooth. We have stayed in hotels we never thought we’d need to and the cats have visited two catteries in Dubai. However, we have already learnt so much. We arrive during Ramadan – the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, marking the month when the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a 30 day period where fasting, prayer, charity work and spending time with family are considered paramount. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and serves to remind Muslims of the plight of the underprivileged. The word ‘Ramadan’ comes from the Arabic word for ‘parched thirst’ and ‘sun-baked ground’. Most restaurants are closed during daylight hours, but there is usually one restaurant kept open in most of the very large hotels, for non-Muslims to use, although we too are expected to respect the rules of not eating in public. Children are exempt from this, but the Tribe are keen to learn and decide that they too will not eat unless we are at a restaurant or in private. Before sunrise a small meal called suhoor is eaten and then at sunset, after hearing the call for the Maghrib prayer, the fast is broken, typically with water and one, three or five dates – just like the Prophet Muhammad.

Another larger meal, called Iftar is eaten with family and friends. Restaurants and hotels everywhere have special Iftar banquets and many even have extraordinary Ramadan tents built. Although Ramadan is supposed to be about restraint, as with other global holidays (such as Christmas), there is concern that it is becoming increasingly commercialised – one hotel this year had a 3 story glass structure built for the Iftar banquet. Ramadan is also a quiet, reflective time so there is no loud music. The end of the 30 day fasting period culminates in the holiday Eid Al-Fitr, a great celebration throughout the Muslim world – the same importance is given to this as we give to Christmas and the Nativity story.

Our first brush with Dubai’s natural world is not particularly pleasant. It involves a seething mass of large black ants that are discovered in our villa’s downstairs bathroom – fortunately we have not moved in at this point. The pest control van outside the villa is a bit of a giveaway as to what is going on inside before we walk in to check how work is ‘progressing’. They are destroyed by some ‘death to all living things on earth’ pesticide. Moving in is not an option for several days.

When we are eventually in our new home I am thrilled to see a Hoopoe on the terrace outside the living room. I call the Tribe to show them. I know that the Hoopoe has been seen in the UK, particularly in recent years, when they overshoot on their migration in the Spring from Africa to Europe and land on the south coast of the UK. They are common in Dubai, but still fabulously exotic. Their tail and wing feathers are black and white striped with a buff neck going up to an elegant long, thin, very slightly curved beak and a spectacular pale orange crest tipped with white and black stripes. The crest can lay flat or come upright into an impressive crown. They are often mentioned in traditional stories where they are described as a seer. We also see and hear parakeets as they fly above us, always in large numbers. Bizarrely we can also hear the soft cooing of collared doves. Now that takes me straight back to Abbotts Ann.

So, we are finally in the desert. I have felt like the mother of a nomadic tribe recently, but we are gradually settling into our new lives and we will soon start to put down some roots. School starts next month. Another challenging and exciting instalment in the adventure.