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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Looking Back...Moving Forward

Happy New Year!

Can't believe 2012 is already here. 2011 passed by so quickly to me.

Looking Back

This time last year, I was struggling financially, trying to figure out if I should keep subbing or not, and having to move out of my beloved town home after the lease was up. I remember asking God what the theme for 2011 should be and Him telling me "Change." He told me I'd be going through some changes in 2011; some I'd like and some I wouldn't, but He promised He'd be with me along the way. Boy have I gone through changes - the biggest change being my move to Abu Dhabi.

I would have NEVER thought I'd be living on the other side of the world, away from family, friends, and everything I know. NEVER. And yet, here I am, a resident of the UAE. This move was obviously a God thing cos I wouldn't have done it on my own. It's definitely a HUGE step out of my comfort zone. Waaayy out of my zone. Like I'm not even in the same vicinity of my comfort zone. It's quite scary, actually, which is why I'm so glad I'm not doing it alone. God is right here with me, just like He promised.

By moving to Abu Dhabi, I took a giant leap of faith. I chose to go where God led me to go and I do NOT regret my decision. I'm loving it. Abu Dhabi is a beautiful place. And I've met some wonderful new friends. And I'm in a position where I have to lean on God and not my family. I've gone on a desert safari, rode a camel,tried new food, stayed in a few 5-star hotels, gone to 2 awesome concerts, visited Dubai several times, went into the tallest building in the world, lost 20 pounds, etc. I'm learning Arabic, teaching active, yet precious 3-4 year olds, living in a high-rise apartment (rent free), making tax-free salary, etc.

This time last year, I was broke, no money in the bank. Now, I have money in, not one bank, but TWO.

2011 was a monumental year in my life. 2012...2012 is gonna be even more awesome.

Moving Forward

I have goals for 2012. Some have to do with my health; some have to do with my writing; some have to do with my relationship with Jesus. I won't list all my goals, but here are a few:

• Lose 50 more lbs
• FINALLY finish novel #2
• Revise novel #1; start search for agents
• Use my spiritual gifts to glorify God
• Finish business plan
• Blog consistently

I also plan to do something "big" each trimester of my 1st year in AD. Last trimester, I went to see both Janet Jackson & Sade in concert. This trimester, I'm going to Morocco (in March). I haven't figured out what I'm going to do the last trimester of this school year, yet.

I can't wait to see what God has planned for me in 2012. Whatever He has planned, as long as He's with me, I'm good.

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Busy Busy Busy - Part Uno

So, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Boy, have I been busy! So busy, in fact, that I'm splitting this post into two.

First things first...the desert safari. Two words: So. Fun. I definitely recommend it when and if you ever come to this side of the world. Before we got started on our adventure, the drivers had to let some of the air out of the tires and the engines had to cool off.

After about 10 minutes, we got back in our vehicles and went dune bashing, which is when you drive up and down the sand dunes. It may not sound like much fun, but you'd have to see the dunes...like tall hills made of sand. Our driver, Yusef, was pretty cool. The ride was like a roller coaster: up, down, big drops, twists and turns. There were even times when it felt like the car was going to flip on its side. And since I was in the very back of the truck, I felt every bump. Here's a video of our experience. It can get quite bumpy.

We stopped to take pics of camels. On the ground, we saw what looked like black rocks all over the ground. It took someone (not me, thank God) to step on them to find out that those pebble-like things on the ground were actually camel poop.

Yes, this is camel poop...not rocks.

Three camels sharing a meal of yummylicious sand and poop.

The gorgeous sun set.

We had to take a break cos one of the trucks ended up with a flat tire (guess he let out too much air). Yusef was nice enough to stop and help the other driver out.

About 10 minutes later, we continued dune bashing. I admit, my stomach got a little queasy toward the end, but nothing happened. After dune bashing, we arrived at the area we were to spend the next few hours. There was camel rides, sand surfing, riding on ATV vehicles and, later, a yummy dinner under the stars. And the stars definitely shone that night. Because of Ramadan (Muslim month of fasting), they didn't have belly dancing, which I SO want to learn. Anyway, the desert safari was by far the best part of my move so far.

The rest of the week was filled with orientation and preparing the teachers for school (the vision, what we should expect as new teachers, do's and dont's, etc) They showed us a video of what Abu Dhabi should look and be like by 2030. My mind is blown away by their vision and the fact that God has chosen ME to be a small, yet significant part of it.

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