by Mannahattamamma (UAE) | Feb 20, 2012 | Culture, Economy, UAE

This is a gold ATM machine: you can purchase gold in any amount. The machine is in the mall, near a Starbucks.
That’s been a question I’m asked a lot lately. It’s a question I was almost never asked when we lived in Manhattan, even though it’s home to god knows how many hedge-fund gazillionaires.
When we moved to Abu Dhabi in August, I prepared myself for all kinds of changes–food, customs, weather, schools, jobs–all the big stuff. But it never occurred to me that, of course, here in the land of Gulf petrodollars and expat tax-free paychecks, my kids would be exposed to the trappings of wealth in a way they’d never seen before.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like they were walking barefoot in the snow to some rat-infested public school in outer Bushwick where there weren’t enough math books to go around. Both boys went to public elementary schools, true, but one was in a lovely little neighborhood in Gramercy Park (a very affluent ‘hood) and the other went to a gifted-and-talented school that wasn’t very fancy on the outside but was delivering a kick-ass education inside (albeit in over-crowded classrooms with underpaid teachers).
We have friends with weekend houses and beach houses; friends who take great vacations and explore the world, but my kids don’t really see those things as signs of money—in part, I guess, because they’re still young and don’t quite understand what it takes to support two households, or truck a family of six to Egypt for the winter holidays.
I wasn’t prepared, myself, for the way that wealth is on display here: that the Porsche Cayenne is basically the Chrysler mini-van of the Gulf; (more…)
After twenty-plus years in Manhattan, Deborah Quinn and her family moved to Abu Dhabi (in the United Arab Emirates), where she spends a great deal of time driving her sons back and forth to soccer practice. She writes about travel, politics, feminism, education, and the absurdities of living in a place where temperatures regularly go above 110F.
Deborah can also be found on her blog, Mannahattamamma.
More Posts
Follow Me:

by World Moms Blog | Feb 19, 2012 | 2012, International, Motherhood, World Moms Blog Itinerary, World Motherhood

Start off the week with World Moms Blog in the Middle East! Deborah Quinn (Mannahattamamma) in the United Arab Emirates describes,
“I wasn’t prepared, myself, for the way that wealth is on display here: that the Porsche Cayenne is basically the Chrysler mini-van of the Gulf…”
Deborah tells us all about why she is often asked by her children, “Mommy, are we rich?”
On Tuesday, we hop on over to Saudi Arabia, where Mama B. gives us a follow-up to her previous article, The Choices We Make (For Them), about choosing the best school to meet her son’s needs. Can’t wait to hear what she decided! (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
More Posts
by World Moms Blog | Feb 18, 2012 | Babies, Family, Kids, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Tara B.
This week’s Saturday Sidebar Question comes from World Moms Blog writer Maggie Ellison. She asked,
“Where do babies come from, Mommy? Where are you with this question and how much have you explained?”
Check out what some of our World Moms had to say…
Mama B. of Saudi Arabia writes:
“I have actually never been asked before. I have been asked how the baby is coming out!
Some friends of mine have told their kids the doctor opens their tummy and take the baby out which may be true for some of them, but I have never had a c-section so I say there is an opening very low down my tummy that the baby comes out of. They did ask me if they could see it I said no and my daughter immediately said, “Cause it’s your private parts right?” I said, “Yes, exactly,” and that was it.
Not sure what I would say when I’m asked where the baby came from… at this point I’ll probably say from God.” (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
More Posts
by Wall Street Mama (USA) | Feb 17, 2012 | Breastfeeding, Motherhood, Working Mother, World Motherhood
Two years ago when I had my son, I was determined to make breastfeeding work. I heard about all of the great benefits through friends, baby books and doctors. I knew that my maternity leave would be fairly short and along with figuring out breastfeeding, I planned to pump as well. Well, both breastfeeding and pumping came with lots of surprises – some good and some bad!
I am pregnant again and due in June, and I am contemplating what will work best the second time around.
The question I keep asking myself – will my 12 weeks of maternity leave be sufficient for breastfeeding? Or will I resume the torture, headache and embarrassment that came with pumping in the workplace?! (more…)

Wall Street Mama was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to NJ when she was a teenager. She fell in love with New York City and set her mind to one thing after college – working on Wall Street. She has spent the last 16 years working on the trading floor at three major banks. As an Institutional Salesperson, she is responsible for helping large corporations and money funds invest their short term cash in the fixed income part of the market. She lives in the suburbs of central NJ with her husband of 11 years, their amazing 21 month old boy and their first baby – a very spoiled Maltese. She has baby #2 on the way and is expecting a little girl in June 2012. She is a full time working mother and struggles with “having it all” while wondering if that is even possible.
Wall Street Mama was married at the age of 25 but waited to have children because she felt she was too focused on her career which required a lot of traveling and entertaining. When she was finally ready, she thought she could plan the exact month she was ready to have a child, like everything else she planned in her life. She was shocked and frustrated when things did not go according to her plan. Fast forward four years later, after a miscarriage and several rounds of failed fertility injections, her little miracle was conceived naturally. She never thought in a million years, that she and her husband would be in their late 30’s by the time they had their first child.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, she has endured some of the most difficult years of her life. The stress of trying to conceive was combined with some of life’s biggest challenges. She and her husband, who is a trader, both lost their jobs on Wall Street the exact same month. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she ended up passing away while she was 6 months pregnant. At times it didn’t seem like things would ever get better, but she has learned that life is cyclical and what comes down must again go up.
Leaving her baby boy with a wonderful nanny each day is difficult, but at times it is easier than she would have expected. She still enjoys the seemingly addictive draw of working on Wall Street. The past few years have been dramatically different from the “good days” but she is focused on trying to achieve what she once had before. She is currently working on launching her own blog, Wall Street Mama, in an attempt to guide others who are focused on continuing their career, yet struggle with leaving their little ones at home. She is weathering the ups and downs of the market and motherhood, one day at a time.
More Posts
by Madpsychmum (Singapore) | Feb 16, 2012 | Child Care, Education, Motherhood, Parenting, Singapore, Working Mother, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview, World Motherhood
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I was born and bred in sunny Singapore.
What language(s) do you speak?
I speak English, Chinese and a little Cantonese
When did you first become a mother?
In July 2010
Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?
I used to be a stay-at-home mom for a while when my girl was young but now I’m working full-time.
Why do you blog/write?
Because I enjoy documenting my little girl’s growth and wanna share things I learned about breastfeeding, weaning, child development that I have learned over the course of my journey.
How would you say that you are different from other mothers?
I suppose I’m not any different from other mothers. I’m just as protective, just as crazy about my kid, just
(more…)
Madeline lives in Singapore, a tiny cosmopolitan island in Southeast Asia. She is a mother to a beautiful and intelligent little girl born in July 2010.
Madeline used to be a stay-at-home mother while she was completing her graduate studies in psychology at a local university. On completion of her studies, she has now joined the workforce and is working in the Ministry of Education (Singapore).
Madeline is passionate about children and education and hopes to make a difference in the lives of children living in Singapore. Also an avid traveller and hardcore advocate of breastfeeding, she regularly documents her overseas trips and nursing room reviews with incredible detail on her blog, MadPsychMum @ University of Motherhood.
More Posts