ANZAC Day started with a 4am start so that we could attend our first dawn service. Its funny but when you are in a foreign country it feels even more important to keep the traditions from home alive. The kids coped surprisingly well with the early start and were great throughout the service. The Dawn service was held on the lawns of the Dubai International Marine club which was a beautiful setting looking out over the Marina. We estimate there were about 800 people there which was a great turnout. The service was simple but poignant, and I particularly liked the Consul General from Turkey reading the inscription from Ataturk which is at the memorial in Gallipoli. It was funny to be in the Middle East for ANZAC day thinking that back in 1915 Australians were fighting in the Dardenelles and other areas in the Middle East, and there we were at a beautiful resort looking out at the Persian Gulf. The service started with a bagpipe player, and finished with the last post and revelie by a bugle player.
The kids seemed to take in some of the significance of the day, with Grace asking many questions. It was also interesting trying to explain to our friends from other countries what ANZAC Day means to Australians. The Consul General of New Zealand summed it up very well when he said that it wasn't about the battle but that the New Zealand and Australian troops went away as British soldiers and came back as New Zealand and Australian soldiers cementing our national identity
The service was followed by a gunfire breakfast which only seemed to be different to a normal breakfast by the Bundy Rum that was being poured into cups of tea. We didn't have any though. The kids loved the Aussie lollies and Anzac biscuits that were readily available all morning.
After breakfast our lovely friends Melissa and Jeremy who came to the service with us, offered to mind the kids and
we went off for a game of golf at the Montogomerie Golf course par three course.
we went off for a game of golf at the Montogomerie Golf course par three course. We took the kids home just after lunch and the rest of the day was spent relaxing and catching up on the 4am start. It was nice that it was a Friday which is the weekend here.
