3 Days of Mourning

I know it's been a long long time since we've posted anything.  Today marked one of those moments where I definitely learned a lot and appreciate some of the things folks do out here.  Jill and I have now been witness to two Royal deaths in the last couple of months and I wanted to just share with everyone how they do things out here.

Much like back home when a President or Senator dies, the body is transported and presented in a place where the public can come pay their respects.  Back home, it's usually the Capitol...Here it's the Grand Mosque right down the street from where we live.  People come from all different countries to visit the family and offer their condolences.

What's interesting to me is that they also do something else that we don't do back home.  They declare 3 days of mourning where no music is played on the radio except for classical, somber type music.  Also no major government functions or events are held.  This may not sound like it's a big deal, but lemme tell you...When you're driving around and all you hear for three days is sad, piano music or the orchestral version of "Bitter Sweet Memories", it really impacts you.  I found myself today driving home, past the Mosque while the funeral was letting out, listening to that music on the radio, and really thinking to myself that everyone dies at some point and this is really nice that they basically make everyone realize thsi for three days.  Sounds weird, I know.

I also asked an Emirati today what the significance of the three days is.  He said that it's a cultural thing where people back in the day would visit someone's camp for three days, offer condolences, help with the grieving process, and then after three days, people move on.  You don't ever offer condolences after the three days.

For those who don't know, Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who was 41 years old and the Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, dies this week after a glider crash in Morocco Story Here.  He was a younger brother of Sheikh Khalifa (President of the UAE) and one of 18 living sons of Sheikh Zayed (founder of the country).

So, Jill and I will be experiencing two more days of this.  Just thought we'd let you all in on something they do out here that caught my eye...

Tank is here!

Hello everyone,
We just wanted to let you all know that Tank has arrived in Abu Dhabi safe and sound.  He left Dulles International airport on Friday Feb. 12th.  From there he flew to Amsterdam where he spent the night and a doggie hotel.  On Sunday Feb 14th he left Amsterdam and arrived in Abu Dhabi at about 9 pm.  The American Vet Clinic took care of getting him through customs and delivered him to our house around 11 pm on Sunday.  Both Brian and I were so anxious and excited to see him after 5 weeks. 

Initially, he seemed a bit dazed and confused getting out of his crate, but it didn't take him long to start exploring the yard.  Even though it was late Brian thought it best to take him for a walk to stretch his legs and give him some feeling of normalcy after what we could only imagine was a pretty intense couple of days.  After our walk we let him check out his new home, which he really seems to love.  He's already picked out numerous napping spots and really likes to lay on the cold tile floor. 
Of course he started to get antsy and excited right before bed time (leave it to Tank).  Although we let him climb into bed with us, he didn't stay put for long and spent most of the night pacing around the bedroom.  We pretty much figured that he'd have some time adjustment issues, just like we do, but hopefully he'll be on track in a few days.  Needless to say last night was pretty sleepless for the three of us so we're hoping tonight goes a little better.

We introduced him to Pikey, Andre and Jess's dog, who lives down the street.  Jess, Pikey, Tank and myself went for a nice long walk today and they seemed to get along great!  Only a few of the workers in the community seemed wary of the two dogs and two women walking through the neighborhood (dogs as pets aren't a popular thing over here).

Overall he seems to have come through his traveling unharmed and is still the same Tank we all know and love.  His hair is already covering every surface of the house, yippee!  It feels great to have our family back together.  Now as soon we get the rest of our belongings we will be all set!

What we've been up to

Hey everyone!
Life has been moving along over here in Abu Dhabi.  Lately we've gotten into a lot and have met some great people along the way.  I enjoyed my 28th birthday here in Abu Dhabi.  Thanks again to everyone for all of the birthday wishes.  It was nice to be thought of even though we are so far away.  And thanks to Angie for my birthday cake!  Brian and I went to a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Mezzaluna in the Emirates Palace.  That whole place is just amazing!  We only walked around a small portion of it, so hopefully I'll get a chance to explore more in the future.  Inside they had a small exhibit that outlines the history of the UAE and gives an idea of where they are headed in the future.  Most of the exhibit was devoted to showing new construction and some of the big attractions that will be built such as the Guggenheim, Louvre and Performing arts center.  All of the buildings will be one of a kind.

On Friday (the first day of our weekend) we spent the day in the desert.  We got to do some serious dune bashing in Jeeps and quads.  Brian was in absolute heaven!  I will admit, I had an awesome time as well. I got to go out three times; once on a quad with Brian and then twice in two different Jeeps.  We rode past a few camel farms and got to see an awesome sunset.  It was very neat to be able to stand on top of a sand dune and just look out to sand for miles and miles, it wasn't until then that I really felt like I was living in the desert.  We had so much fun on this day excursion that we've got a camping trip planned in two weeks!  And of course Brian is now contemplating a quad purchase, which I wouldn't be entirely opposed to :)

In even more exciting news, Tank will FINALLY arrive in Abu Dhabi tonight!  His flight from Dulles to Amsterdam was canceled three times!  He was originally supposed to arrive a week ago, but ended up spending a few extra days in the kennel until he was able to be re-booked.  The kennel manager was extremely accommodating in keeping us up to date on how he was doing and staying on top of all the cancellations and re-bookings.  He undoubtedly made the whole process much smoother than it could have been given the circumstances with the weather, so thanks a bunch Shady Spring Pet Relocation!  Tank spent last night in Amsterdam and will leave there this morning and arrive in Abu Dhabi around 7:30 pm our time tonight.  We both are so ecstatic to have him here.  Our landscaping was pretty much completed yesterday so Tank will have lots of grass to enjoy.

Also, our container shipment is also due to arrive near the end of this week/beginning of next week so I will be busy trying to put the finishing touches on our house.  It will be so nice to be done with the whole moving process!  Once we get all of our stuff, I will take some pictures of the house to share.  This also means that we should have a bed for my dad when he is here in three weeks.  Yay!

Almost a UAE resident

Its been a week since my last blog so I thought I'd write a quick update -

 I went to get my eye scan, blood test, and chest x-ray today.  These are all required to obtain my Residence Visa for the UAE.  The whole process of getting all of this done was relatively painless, but a bit overwhelming.  The closest thing I can equate it to would be someone from outside the US walking into a DMV in the States having no real clue about how things work - not impossible and it happens all the time, but can be a bit overwhelming I'm sure.  Luckily I was equipped with all the necessary information and materials, but still felt a little lost amongst the masses of women and children.  I have to admit that I was nervous about my paperwork changing hands quite a few times and getting thrown into the huge stack of all of the other women's papers, but there seemed to be a workable system of organization going on.  After my health certificate is awarded I will receive my passport with my Residence Visa and will then venture to the DMV over here to get my driver's license. 

We are also hoping to have Tank here very soon.  The poor guy hasn't had the easiest time getting ready to come over here.  Right before Christmas we discovered that he needed to get an updated Rabies vaccination and then a few days ago found out he also needs to have another distemper shot before he can begin the shipping process.  Thankfully Brian's mom will be able to take him to get his shot and then he will be ready to go!  We are so excited to have him here and to see what he thinks of the swimming pool.  Something tells me we will be investing in one of those doggie life vests :)

Some other interesting things about life here that I forgot to include in my last blog:
Lets hope this doesn't catch on in the US - our car is equipped with a "beeper" that goes off incessantly if you drive over 120 kph (approx. 73 mph).  This means that anytime you are driving down the highway and go above 120 you will here a ridiculous beeping that will not stop until your speed goes below 120...talk about annoying!!!  Everytime I see someone speeding I keep thinking, "Man how is that beeping not completely bugging the crap outta that person!"  Can you imagine going over 73 mph and having your car beep at you?!  Like I said, I hope cars in the US don't "gain" this feature.

This tidbit is more for any female considering visiting here....beware of the hair "crud".  Apparently there is something about the water here that causes your hair to collect this gross residue the first few times you take a shower.  It feels like someone sprayed half a bottle of hairspray onto the top of your head and then took a blow dryer to it.  Luckily some of the other women I've spoken with here have had similar experiences and assured me that it would go away after a while (which it has) and that its nothing that a good cleansing  or detoxifying shampoo won't cure.  Just a warning....

This weekend we will be heading to Al Ain, a city located within the Abu Dhabi Emirate for their annual air show. Its supposed to be an exciting event so we will hopefully have lots of pictures to post after the weekend. 

My (Jill's) first week in Abu Dhabi

Well, after almost a full week in Abu Dhabi and writing a ton of emails to friends and family telling them about my adventures so far, I figured I better give this whole blogging thing a try.  And in all honesty, its probably better that I waited until now to write, instead of a few days ago. 

I'm not sure if most people know this, but this move was my first trip anywhere out of the country (besides Canada and Jamaica).  So I knew that along with being the biggest move I've ever made, there would be a lot of "firsts" for me in Abu Dhabi.  Included among these firsts was my first time ever not receiving my bags upon landing at my final destination.  Go figure that of the 4 bags that Brian and I shipped (1 which had Brian's stuff and 3 that had mine) the 3 that had my stuff wouldn't arrive with us.  Hopefully Brian will never re-enact my crying episode from my 2nd night in Abu Dhabi.  Silly me for thinking that the airline would actually deliver my bags when they said they would.  Needless to say, after 3 days and one horrible nervous breakdown/crying fit I finally got my bags.  Better late than never is definitely applicable here though.  It sounds so silly, but as soon as I had my own stuff I instantly felt better about being here. 

Abu Dhabi is an incredible city and I feel very lucky to have the chance to experience it.  The house that we live in is entirely too big for the two of us, but has plenty of room for visitors so I am going to be pushing everyone to come out. :)  We're also lucky enough to have one of Brian's coworkers (Andre) and his wife (Jess), and their dog, Pikey, live right down the street.  Jess has been so helpful with chauffeuring me around, telling me about different places to go, and even agreeing to be a passenger when I drive in the city for the first time.  I owe her a ton, and would be close to losing my mind or driving Brian crazy if she wasn't here.  In fact, all of the coworkers and family members from Brian's company that I have met so far have been fantastic and I look forward to spending more time with them and getting to know them better. 

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but hope to get out and do so very soon.  Everyone has told me that the weather right now is paradise for Abu Dhabi so I really want to get out and see things and hopefully do some running.  Right now my focus has been on learning the layout of Abu Dhabi and attempting to make our house feel like home.  It'll be difficult since our stuff from Maryland won't be here for about 8 weeks, but we are moving along with things. 

Some interesting things I've learned, observed or been told about so far are...
1.  Driving - its not horrible but its definitely different that in the US.  People are inconsiderate in the US, but out here its more of the norm than the exception.  Honking is not considered "rude" but more expected in certain situations.  You also have to watch you "road rage" as the wrong gesture or shout can get you in big trouble.
2.  Grocery stores - have EVERYTHING.  I've only been to one kind of grocery store so far, but in that store you can buy fresh produce, luggage, clothing, cell phones, bicycles, and whatever else you can think of.  It's convenient, but overwhelming at first to say the least.  And you won't find too many stray grocery carts around because you have to pay 1 AED to get a cart, which you get back when you put the cart back in its place....something that Targets and Walmarts of the US should consider adopting.
3.  The people are very friendly - aside from the whole driving thing, people are very nice here.  In almost every store/restaurant I've been in there have been people more than willing to assist me if I need it and in most instances the language barrier isn't too bad.  Although Brian is teaching me that a polite sterness is needed in order to get people to do what you want (i.e. furniture deliveries, work on the house, etc.)
4.  I never want to live far away from Brian for a long period of time ever again - I forgot how wonderful it is to have him around to experience life with.  The past few weeks were so hectic with the holidays and the move that I forgot how wonderful he is and all the things he has done to create a wonderful life for us.  Being here with him has helped me realize that we can overcome anything as long as we stick together and support one another. 
5.  Malls are RIDICULOUSLY big!!  Seriously I thought Brian was exaggerating when he said how big they are, but its no lie.  You can't walk an entire mall in a whole day.  From what I've heard and seen, going to the mall and shopping in general are the thing to do here.  The malls are also incredibly clean, which is very nice.  Most parking lots have canopies covering parking spots outside so that cars don't get blisteringly hot; another thing that should be integrated in the US. 
6.  Dubai is a place worth checking out.  I haven't seen a lot of it but Jess brought up a good point while we were there.  We're sitting in a restaurant eating lunch and she points out that, "We are eating Asian food in the desert next to a ski slope" (We were sitting in a restaurant that overlooks the indoor ski slope in Dubai - incredible).  I will definitely be exploring it more and taking lots of pictures to share.
7.  Food is cheap - unless your buying American food, you can get some pretty sweet deals.  For instance, if you want to buy butter you can get "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter" for 21 AED (approx. $6-$7) or you can buy the "local" brand (still butter that tastes the same) for 8 AED (approx. $2).  This evening we went to a Lebanese restaurant and for the four of us to eat it was 164 AED (approx $11 per person) and it included appetizers, dinner, non-alcoholic drinks, coffee and hookah...Cheap...and delicious!

I'm sure there are so many more things that will pop into my head after I've finished writing, and I'll do my best to include things in future blogs.  Life here so far seems to be the same in many ways and also different.  Hopefully Brian and I will be able to adjust our lifestyle accordingly.  I feel pretty confident that we will.  I hope that all of our family and friends in the US are doing well and that reading this has given you a little glimpse to our new life here in Abu Dhabi.  We love and miss you all.

-Jill

This weekend

So, I found something cool to do this weekend.  I got a group of co-workers together and we are all going on a sea kayak tour through a bunch of the islands in Abu Dhabi to see the wildlife and scenery.  Should be a very cool trip.  It's a 3 hour paddle, with a half hour break in between to stop and swin at one of the remote islands.

In other news, hell week at work has finally ended and our schedules are back to normal.  Also, after countless calls, arguments, and complaints, the company who provides the only source of Internet out here finally decided to get off of their proverbial asses.  They told me this morning, "Someone will call you within the next couple of days to schedule an installation".  What I didn't know was that meant, "Someone will call you today when they drive to your house and ask why you aren't there."  My bad...

Anyway, they showed up and I was really excited.  Finally I can browse the web without having to hike across the street to my neighbor's house.  So, after about half an hour, they installed the fiber router, ran the cable, and plugged it in.  Then they said to me, "Someone will call you in the next few days to come out and turn it on" 

Huh?!?!?!?  You mean all you guys do is install the router and someone else has to turn the darn line on?  Wow...Efficiency at it's best. 

Anyway, that's about it.  I'm counting down the days till I get back and finally get Jill moved out here and done with this transient living.  Hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Fireworks FAIL

So, all week out here it's been nothing but a huge celebration of Eid and National Day.  National Day is similar to our Fourth of July in which everyone celebrates the now 38 years that the UAE has been a nation.  That's pretty cool in my mind and I was all about getting into the spirit.  People decorate their cars with stickers and pictures of Sheikh Zayed, lights are put up all over the city, flags are flying on every building, etc.  It's a neat experience to say the least.

To end the celebration yesterday, Abu Dhabi announced that they were going to put on the World's Largest Display of fireworks.  The fireworks were supposed to begin at 8:30 PM and last for 45 minutes.  They were to be launched from five different locations along the Corniche road, and were supposed to go more than 6000 feet in the air (that's more than a mile high). 

I was really excited to go see them and be a part of the National Day celebration, so I decided to meet a few co-workers at their apartment building, go up to the roof top (17 floors high), and watch the fireworks display in all of its glory.  Well, 8:30 rolls around and no fireworks.  8:45...9:00...9:15...Finally, at 9:30 (an hour late), we hear a boom, but can't figure out where it's coming from.  As everyone crowds to the edge of the roof to look and finally see this awesome display, I noticed we were all squinting trying to actually figure out where it was coming from.

Finally someone picked up on a flash of light and we all focused our attention to the only building in all of the city that was blocking our view.  Directly behind the building was where the fireworks were being launched from.  At first we were optimistic.  Since they were going to be shot more than a mile high we would have no problems seeing them once they got above this building.  Well, that didn't quite happen, and all we saw was an occasional flash behind the building.  As time went on, we were expecting other locations around the Corniche to be firing off more firewroks, but no such luck on that either.

Long story short, this was not the World's largest fireworks display but rather the World's largest FAIL.  What a waste of time!

Here's a link to the awesome video I was able to take to show the sheer awesomeness of these fireworks.

Awesome Fireworks! (careful it may take a while to download)