Running Barefoot

10th February 2016

It is a rare sight indeed to see children running barefoot in Dubai. But it is a joy of my own childhood that makes me want Kingsley to experience the same. And so I strap him into his pram fully clothed, yet always shoeless (except when we attend church while in Sydney, or wandering about Greek neighborhoods ; my God aren’t the Greeks obsessed with ensuring toddler feet must not be exposed to the elements, or grass or beach or any other natural surface).

And so it comes to pass on this sunny winters day here at Burj fountains, that Kingsley gets to feel all sorts of sensations beneath his feet. His huge hooves today felt sand, soil, grass, pavers and got dunked in puddles. We lay on our backs looking skyward, then ate a picnic lunch, we chased one another round the raised garden bed, and when he spotted a crew of little people aged 2 to 5, he dumped his Mumaá, and joined their motley band. Barefoot.

image

Typical messy boy: spilling his crackers out from their container and eating them directly from the ground

image

Upside down: our view while laying on our back, looking up we see swaying palms, the gloriously Arabesque Palace, and imposing Burj Khalifa

Runner's high: every child's right to run barefoot every now and again.

Runner’s high: every child’s right to run barefoot every now and again while holding a cookie