B is for...

B is for Beaches!


One of the things that sold me on moving to Abu Dhabi is the fact that it is an island, which means it's surrounded by water, which means...BEACHES! I am such a beach bum. I love the sound of the waves, the feel of sand under my feet. I love all things beachy (except the heat...can't stand the heat). I'm from Houston, where the closest beach is Galveston. Now, I love Galveston, but the water there leaves something to be desired. It's not the blue/green/turquoise color you see on pictures or movies. But here in Abu Dhabi? Here in Abu Dhabi, the water is gorgeous! Take a look for yourself...

Gorgeous, right? And the best thing is, Abu Dhabi is surrounded by beaches. I'm just minutes away from several beaches. Absolute paradise!

And now for more Arabic vocabulary...

B is for Bunee

Bunee (boo - nee) = brown

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A is for...

For this month's A to Z challenge, I've decided on the "ABC's of Abu Dhabi" theme. So, all this month, I will be blogging about Abu Dhabi, my experiences here, as well as Arabic words/phrases I've learned so far.

A is for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is not only the name of one of the seven emirates of the UAE (United Arab Emirates), it's also the name of the capital city of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The name means "Father of deer." It's kind of an oxymoron...a desert island. When you think of desert, you think of sand, sand dunes, cacti, camels, etc. Abu Dhabi has all that. BUT, it also has beaches, beautiful blue/green water, and greenery (trees, plants). The official religion is Muslim, but they practice freedom of religion, at least for expats. Locals must practice the Islamic faith. A cool fact about Abu Dhabi is only about 20% of the population are locals. Most of the people who live in Abu Dhabi are expats, or people who've moved here for employment reasons. The Sheikh of Abu Dhabi is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. The main language the locals speak is Arabic. The city of Abu Dhabi is only about an hour away from the emirate of Dubai, which is all kinds of awesome cos weekend trips are easy.

Abu Dhabi is a beautiful place. I love it here...not enough to make this my permanent home (even with all it's issues, America will always have my heart), but I do love it here. One thing I do not like is the weather from about April to October. It's HOT. Ugh! Not only can the weather get to be 100+ degrees, but it's also humid. Sometimes, the atmosphere literally takes your breath away.I never thought I'd be moving thousands of miles away from family, friends, and all that I know, but I'm glad I did. This has definitely been an experience of a lifetime so far! I look forward to whatever else God has in store for me during my Abu Dhabi experience!

And now for some Arabic vocabulary...

A is for Ana/Anta/Anti

Ana (ah-nah) = me
Anta (ahn-ta) = you (when talking to a male)
Anti (ahn-ti) = you (when talking to a female)

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Today Is My 6-Month Anniversary!

Yep, that's right! Six months ago, I set foot on Middle Eastern soil for the first time in my life. I felt so many emotions at that time: fear, excitement, disbelief, and homesickness were most prevalent. I had absolutely no idea what God had in store for me. I just knew He led me here and I had to follow.

I've experienced many ups and downs in my first six months, but I must say, I do not regret following God. Honestly, my ups outweigh my downs. Or maybe it's just the outlook I chose to take. I'd decided to focus on the positives and not dwell on the negatives. I won't whine or stress when I experience rough patches cos I know it's the patches that will mold me into a powerfully victorious woman of God.

God has truly brought me a looooong way since this time last year. I'm so grateful He chose me to go on this journey. I've swam in the gorgeous waters, stayed in 5-star hotels, gone to awesome concerts, moved to a high-rise apartment (rent-free), bought things I'd originally couldn't afford, gone to Dubai several times, visited the tallest building in the world, rode on a camel, made some wonderful new friends, learned a little Arabic...and that's only in my first six months! There's no telling what God has in store for me the next six months. Whatever it is, I'm right there with Him, letting Him guide me, going wherever He tells me to go!

Here's to six more months (and more) full of awesomeness!

 

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Friday Fragments: Episode #3

Friday Fragments is hosted by "Mrs. Fours" at Half Past Kissin Time. Wanna join in on the fun? Check it out here. Basically, you take bits and pieces of your week and list them on your blog. The bits and pieces would each be too small for a regular blog post, but put together, they make Friday Fragments.

Since I missed last Friday, I'm doubling up in this post.

LAST WEEK

• Sometimes, less really is more. Last weekend, I visited the emirate of Al Gharbia, about 2.5 hours away from Abu Dhabi. We stayed at a beach resort surrounded by beach & mostly desert. There was absolutely nothing to do in Al Gharbia...and that was just what I needed. The beach was...it took my breath away. I stayed in the water for hours. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here ya go!

• On the way to Al Gharbia, my friend and I traveled on a bus full of men. There were only 4 women. Thank God for priority seating. The women sat up front near the bus driver. Could've been an uncomfortable situation.
• At some clubs, when they say they have a band, they really mean they have karaoke singers. They're not what we in the States would think a band is, but they are good.
• When they say one hour here in the UAE, they really mean, two, three, four hours. Time really isn't an issure here. Their favorite saying is "Inshallah" (Allah willing). Their attitude is "It will happen when it happens, Inshallah."
• Some of the men here are aggressive. Sometimes, not in a good way, but in a creepy, stalkerish kind of way.
• My Arabic partner was on bed rest for 2 days last week. This meant I was left in a classroom full of 3-4 year olds...alone. Did I mention they don't speak English? Cos they don't. They speak Arabic. Very interesting, I must say. But I survived.
• Speaking of school, I've learned that I LOVE fog days. When it's foggy here, the bus drivers won't drive. They wait until it lifts, then go pick up the kids. This means, school gets a late start. And we still get to end on time. Yeah, fog days are awesome.
• Saw a belly dancer perform last week. I thought she was ok, but I've never seen a performance before. Those who have weren't impressed with her. The men liked it tho, so she did her job. Watching her perform DID make me realize I really want to learn how to belly dance. Put that on my list of must do's while in the Middle East.

THIS WEEK

• Just cos we're a brand new school doesn't mean we won't have our share of difficulties. The ac didn't work in our classrooms this week, which is not good considering the fact that it's like a gazillion degrees here. We also don't have materials or resources nor do we have enough teachers. But we make do with what we have.
• Our apartment building won't have gas for another year or so. At least that's what we've been told. This sucks cos most of us bought gas stoves. Wish they'd have told us BEFORE we spent the money. Some people are having a hard time returning their stoves. Thankfully, the store I bought mine from is letting me return so I can buy an electric stove. God is good!
• Getting our UAE ID and drivers license has been...interesting. Thankfully, I'm almost done with the process. Then I'll really be official with my residence visa, ID, and DL.
• They have so many malls here! Seems like one on every corner. And these malls aren't little either. I'm talking about big elaborate malls. We're even getting a mall built RIGHT NEXT DOOR to our apartment building. Like I can seriously walk to the mall. Now that I think about it, that may not be such a good thing. Easier shopping access...more ways to spend money. Hmmm....
• Just like any other country, they have an issue with equal rights here. Classism is big. The Filipinos, who are considered the lowest class, are treated the worse. It's sad really, but it happens. Not just in the UAE, but everywhere. The more money you have, the more power you have. Sounds familar? They're really more "westernized" than they'd like to admit.
• Speaking of power and importance, the license plate tags reflect their statuses. The lower the number you have on your tags, the more power you have. The lowest number I've seen was 10. And the car was a niiiice Bentley. Must be nice.
• What about those Houston Texans!!!!! 3-1 record so far. I can't watch the football games, but I've been following what's been going on. Keep it up!
• So sad about Steve Jobs. RIP
• Last but certainly not least...I'M GOING TO SEE JANET JACKSON PERFORM IN FIVE DAYS!!!!! That's right. She'll be here in Abu Dhabi and I get to be there. In the fan pit. Close to the stage. I. Can't. Wait.

 

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Toto, I don't think we're in Houston anymore!

One week down...103 to go.

I am definitely NOT in Houston anymore! It's gonna take some time to get used to how different things are here. Houston and Abu Dhabi may be "twins" and there are similarities (the hot, humid climate and diversity to name a few), but the differences between my hometown and my new home are quite noticeable.

Before I go on, let me make a correction. In my last post, I said an emirate is a city and there were no states. That's wrong. An emirate is actually like a state. So, my new country is the United Arab Emirates (UAE), my new "state" or emirate is Abu Dhabi, and my new city is Abu Dhabi City.

Photo courtesy of www.lonelyplanet.com

So, anyway, here's how my week went:

• Sunday. We opened our bank accounts first. They already had our cards and everything. We just had to fill out the information. Later on, we had our first orientation. We found out that we'd be getting an advance of 5,000 AED (about $1,360 USD). Of course, I was excited. This will definitely help since I came here with limited funds. We'll also get a 20,000 AED (about $5,400 USD) furniture allowance. Both will be deposited in my account soon. ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) hired teachers to teach and live in three cities in Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain, and Al Gharbia. After orientation, they put up some of the Abu Dhabi City placements. I was on the list! I got the key to my apartment that night! YAY!
• Monday. In the morning, we went to have our medical exams. They checked our weight, blood pressure, and skin (for skin diseases I assume). We also had a chest x-ray and blood taken (for diseases check). It went quicker than I thought it would. Very organized. Afterwards, while trying to figure out what to do, my new friend and I came across three people who were going to see their apartments, so we went with them. OMG, I live in a high rise! Like, seriously, I've always wanted to know what it felt like to live in a loft/high rise building and now I'll know. The apartments are brand new. They're not even finished yet, that's how new they are. Gorgeous view, health club (workout room, suana, jacuzzi, steam room, massage area, pool) on the roof, doorman...I'm in heaven!
• Tuesday. We had to go to the police station to have our pics taken and fingers printed. I was in group 3, which meant we went to the station at 10. At night. Before going, I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant with new friends. I decided to step even further out of my comfort zone and eat shish kabob (grilled lamb cubes). OMG! So. Good. I'm definitely a new lamb fan. The only thing is they cook it medium rare. I just can't get with eating it like that. I only ate the cubes that didn't have red in them. I must say, the pic they took of me at the police station was NOT flattering. He caught me by surprise. I sooooo hope they don't use that pic for anything. It looked like a mug shot...fitting since it was taken at a police station. Anyway, we didn't get back from the police station til about 1:30 am. Very interesting, this trip.
• Wednesday. We took a shuttle to Marina Mall. Saw some of the awesomeness that is Abu Dhabi City. This is truly a beautiful city, man. I'm thanking God every day for sending me here. We rode down the Corniche and saw the beach. OMG, how BEE-YOO-TI-FUL! Absolutely gorgeous! I've got to go one day. It's so hot, tho. But I may endure the heat just to go to that beach. We also saw the Emirates Palace hotel. Definitely a place I'm going to visit. I'm sure the price to stay there is crazy high, so clearly I won't be staying. The Marina Mall is like the Galleria Mall in Houston, only better. And it has a Carrefour (like Walmart) under it.
• Thursday. Didn't do much today. Just went back to my apartment to take more pics.
• Friday. Didn't do much today either. My morning started off rough. I overslept and missed breakfast as well as church (Fridays are their sabbath day). I'm thankful I'm in a place that practices freedom of religion. They have a few Christian churches here. We can't proudly display our Christianity, but we can practice it. This will definitely put the "let your light shine" thing to the test. I pray that God lets His light shine through me the whole time I'm here so that people, even the Muslims, will know there's something different about me. Anyway, I was having a hard time with this growth thing God is putting me through. This whole trip is about my growing in God and Him doing some reconstruction within me. Not an easy thing to endure, but it's necessary. I admit, I cried my eyes out Friday morning. But after talking to my mom, who knew what was going on even when I tried to hide it (awesome, right), and listening to my Jesus music and praying, I was fine. In fact, the day ended waaaay better than it started. My spirit was lifted. I went to a festival at the convention center. This is where vendors set up inside and sell, sell, sell. Kinda like a flew market. If you're a great bargainer (and I'm not), you can get awesome things for cheap. My first item, I didn't bargain. The second thing I wanted, I couldn't get them to change their minds. But afterwards, with the help of my new friend, who was awesome with bargaining, I got a dress and a comfy lounge around dress for way cheaper than regular price. I'm definintely gonna work on my bargaining skills! I also noticed how much they love Spongebob Squarepants. I mean, he was everywhere! Sheesh! We ended the night at a Lebonese restaurant where I ate lamb and chicken. I am absolutely LOVING lamb!
• Saturday. Today was just a chill day. Didn't do anything special. I'm trying to save the little money I do have cos I'm not sure when we're getting our advances.

So that's it. That's how my week went. Tomorrow, we go on a desert safari. Dune bashing, camel rides, sand boarding, eating an authentic meal, and watching the sun set in an Arabian desert. I SO can't wait! Enjoy my slideshow!

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