UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Interview with Deborah Quinn of Mannahattamamma

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Interview with Deborah Quinn of Mannahattamamma

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I live in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the UAE, but whenever anyone hears me say “Abu Dhabi,” the association is immediately Dubai, the “big city” to the north of us.  (Yes, Abu Dhabi is where the second “Sex in the City” movie was supposedly set…but it was filmed in Morocco!)

No, I’m not from here. I grew up in Illinois, went to college in Boston and lived there for a few years, and moved to Manhattan in 1988 to get my doctorate. I intended to live in New York only until I finished my degree…but I never left! So I think now I’m officially a “New Yorker” who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2011.  My husband and I teach at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus, which is a four-year college that just started last fall (2010), so it’s a brand-new project and very exciting.

What language(s) do you speak?

I speak English. And faux-French (which is to say French with such a bad accent and such poor grammar that my French brother-in-law almost winces every time I open my mouth).  My kids are learning Arabic (more…)

Mannahattamamma (UAE)

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.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of November 28th!


We start this week in South Korea with new writer Ms. V. Remember when you were able to get a full night’s sleep? Nope, neither can Ms. V! She takes us on her journey from sleep champion to sleep deprived.

On Tuesday, we travel back to the United States. We will be in Minnesota with Nicole at Third Eye Mom, who is doing a human rights post on censorship in China.

On Wednesday, we are off globe-trotting again. We will go to Japan, where Melanie Oda reflects on the upcoming New Year and what 2011 has held for her and her family. It has been an eventful year for sure.

On Thursday, we will be back in the United States, this time in Texas. Diana at Hormonal Imbalances talks about how she is introducing her young daughter to an activity that she herself loves – and how her daughter seems to be interested!

And on Friday, we will be in Washington with Tara B. You know how, as kids, our parents said things to us that we vowed we would never say to our kids? In this post, Tara tells us how that has worked out for her!

We have another new writer, from a new corner of the world! Come read about Deborah from United Arab Emirates in Tuesday’s writer interview!

On Saturday, check out the Saturday Sidebar with Eva Fannon, where the World Moms give their thoughts on an important topic, and chime in with your answers to the week’s question!

— World Moms Blog

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World Moms Blog

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.

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