This is my dad, age about 18

Yesterday I learned ...

 ... that I can be referred to as "Abu Zoe" and Norma can be referred to as "Umm Zoe".

"Abu" means "father of", and "Umm" means "mother of", and are honorifics that are used by people who are friends and familiar with your family. 

Zoe can be called "Zoe bint Russ" or Zoe bint Norma" ("bint" means "daughter of", as opposed to "ibn" which means "son of"). But this usage would generally only be used to distinguish her from other Zoes. If you had two friends named Zoe, you might say "Zoe bint Norma" to distinguish which one you are talking about.

Similarly, Norma is "Norma zoujat Russ" (Norma wife of Russ) and I am "Russ zouj Norma" (Russ husband of Norma).

Just thought all that was interesting. I will be honored for anybody to call me Abu Zoe!

With Faisal Al Birdisi, one of my young co-workers, a recent grad of the University of Colorado

A wide selection of delicious olives (I got some!)

Saudi girls in science at the Innovation Expo, Riyadh

I went to a youth-oriented science expo this week. It included exhibits by young scientists including this nice young lady (photo with her permission of course). She's a high school senior and her invention is an apparatus to extract energy from the status electricity generated by cars. She had an actual working model. Saudi girls have to wear the veil but they are increasingly well educated and ambitious.

With my friend Mohammed Al Moussaka on the observation deck of the Kingdom Tower (98th floor)