Just when Jackson started to own the hotel room, territorially regarding the bed and everything on it as his, we packed up and moved to the new apartment. I sat him down and explained everything to him before-hand -- I'd read in an animal psychic book that when you explain things it creates visuals in your mind, which animals can read, and I also did this before we left America -- but it made no difference. He was shocked and confused, and hated the big echo-y emptiness. He found the smallest darkest corner behind a drawer in the clothes cabinet to hide in and stayed there for 24 hours. This is the same cool cat that sat directly in front of the drums when John and the band practiced at full blast; that swiped a pit-bull in the nose; that hunted 6 scorpions in the spring of 2004. Maybe other animals can pick up the mental pictures; Jackson absolutely did not. Now I've tested the theory twice, and it failed both times. I probably won't stop explaining things to him though. It makes me feel less guilty for dictating the course of his life.

I've been in Abu Dhabi for three days, and sometimes I feel the same way, like crawling and hiding in a dark cool corner. I knew what was coming, but I drag my feet at transitions too. I left DC and California at their most beautiful, the graceful slide from spring into summer, and I know them so intimately, so Abu Dhabi starts with a handicap. On top of that, at 6.5 months pregnant, I'm as quick to tears as anger. The city doesn't feel human-scaled, and I get so disoriented. The city streets are like 3-lane highways, with cars reaching 60-70 mph between stop lights, and the buildings are enormous, and I can't distinguish them from each other. And then John is working so hard that I've been left to fend for myself during the days. It's funny that I was worried about hanging out with too many english speakers and not being able to practice my urdu--in these early days I've only met one person who spoke english, Kate, the woman who will teach the birthing class. Every single taxi driver speaks urdu, everyone in our neighborhood speaks urdu, and no one is too surprised that I do too. It is such a polyglot place. I had a driver yesterday from Wazirstan, oh, long story and my prepaid internet card is running out.

The only major thing I did was open a file at the Corniche maternity hospital. My first appointment with a midwife is May 29th. The birthing class starts June 4th. Our furniture should arrive around then as well. Until then, we are sleeping on a mattress on the floor, with no dishes and nothing to sit on... but it's nice and air-conditioned and we have a big balcony that is nice in the early morning.