Emirati Valentine

In case you can't read the box he's holding, it says sniper rifle.

My husband found this when he was card shopping for me. It's nice to see Westerners aren't the only ones with a sense of humor.

One Little Question

I know I've talked about EXTREME customer service before, but I just have to share what happened to me today. I was at the Dalma Mall looking for the new Ace Hardware, which I found isn't open yet. Anyways, I was craving coffee...shocker, I know. As luck would have it we were out of coffee beans at home, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. I could get my afternoon coffee fix and I could buy a bag of beans for the house.

So, I stopped in at Caribou Coffee on my way out of the mall. Yes, I'm cheating on Starbucks, but they don't have a Starbucks at Dalma. Don't tell my son, he's a SBUX shareholder. As I was walking in, a display with bags of some special coffee caught my eye. I saw the words pumpkin pie spice, and my heart skipped a beat. Pumpkin flavored coffee of any kind is my favorite, but it doesn't exist here in Abu Dhabi...until now.

Of course, I grabbed a bag and proceeded to the counter to order my frozen Caramel Highrise. I asked the clerk ringing me up a simple question, "How long will you be selling this flavor?". It was a reasonable question, because most special flavor items here are only sold for a month. After she consulted with the guy making my drink, I got the answer of one month. I simply stated that I was just asking, because if I liked it I wanted to come back and stock up on more before they got rid of it. So, then the clerk pulls out a huge bag from behind the counter to show me a larger size I could buy if I ended up liking it.

Well, I guess my talking to the clerks caught the eye of the manager that was in the middle of a crew meeting in the corner of the store, so he walked over to ask me if he could help me. I stated very simply that I just wanted to know how long they would be selling the new flavor, because up until now I haven't been able to find it in the UAE. He gave me the same one month answer, and points out just like the clerk did that I could buy a huge bag like they keep behind the counter for store use.

Then, the owner of the store came out of the corner meeting to see if  he could help me. Again, I had to explain that I was just asking about how long they would be selling the bags of pumpkin pie spice coffee, and how the flavor is a favorite of mine. He, like the others, showed me that I could buy the special huge bag behind the counter. I told him just like I did the others, that I was going to try the regular sized bag that I had already paid for and if I liked it, I would come back and stock up.

So here's the funny part, the owner turns to the manager and the clerk making my Caramel Highrise and demands that they brew me a cup of the pumpkin coffee right then and give it to me to try for free. He begs me to go sit on a couch and "relax" while he has his employees prepare a coffee tasting for me. Really? If I hadn't already ordered a drink, then maybe I would have taken him up on his generous offer. I figured that much afternoon caffeine would have me up all night, so I thanked him and politely declined. Then he assured me he would reserve 2 of the large bags just for me, and he instructed his staff not to sell them to anyone else.

Wow, all that over one simple question.

Extreme Recycling

I'm all for recycling, but this is taking it to a whole new level. Pet recycling? Really? "I loved Fido so much, I made a pair of boots out of him when he died."

ZoomZoom..Pull Over!

Gee, guess who got her very first UAE speeding ticket today? Yep, you guessed it, the speed demon pictured above in the Lexus.

I was busted in a section of desert that separates our neighborhood from the one where the kids' school is located. It's a small stretch with just a few roundabouts that I travel several times daily. I confess, I usually go just under 120kph on this road. Today, I was reminded it has a speed limit of 80kph. Why 120kph? Because, there are no speed cameras on this stretch YET. I'll throw in that most people go well over 120kph on the same road.

Yes, it's a really bad habit to base your speed on where you know the cameras are, but it happens. I know people (my husband) that can tell you where all the cameras are on most of the roads around here. Even if you don't know, they aren't forward facing in Abu Dhabi like Dubai, so you can see them pretty easily and slow down before they zap you. I know speeding is bad, but here going too slow can get you killed. 120kph is like grandma speed in the land of Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari.

Excuses, excuses, excuses, I know. I couldn't even give any to the officers running the speed trap, because they couldn't speak English. They all acted like they didn't know what to do with me, because I was asking why I was pulled over. One was finally able to say "speed" and "camera", but they never told me how fast I was going. 

The funny part is I was the only female in a lot of about 8 offenders with more steadily being pulled over. Any guesses on the make up of the rest of the group? If you guessed local males, you win. This is even funnier, because I'm constantly complaining about how they drive and here I end up getting busted with them. Go figure!

After a few minutes of hoping and praying I would get a break, an officer came back to my car with a ticket. It was all in Arabic, and the only Arabic I can kind of read are the numbers. Still, without being able to read the words, I wasn't sure what was what. 

My landlord was kind enough to translate it for me when I got home. It seems I was going 113kph, just 12 over the buffer of 101kph that they allow. It's going to cost me about 300 dirhams thanks to a half off special on tickets they have going on right now. Should I be proud that I'm getting a coupon rate on my 600 dirham violation?

Seriously, I've learned a lesson. Gone are the days of just looking out for speed cameras. Now, I have to watch out for random cars on the side of the road that could be part of a potential sting operation. Seeing that random cars on the side of the road are common here, I guess I have to slow down.

House Hunting in Abu Dhabi

I'm not sure if it's the fact that I spent 16 years in the mortgage biz, but I love watching house hunting shows.  Prior to moving here I really enjoyed watching the HGTV show, House Hunters International, where new expats would set out to find a house in a foreign land. Watching the show, I would dream of how cool it would be to choose a house in another country with architecture different than what I was accustomed to in Virginia.

Well, I sort of got my wish when we moved to the UAE, but I never stepped foot in any of our potential homes. Instead, my husband, who is an expert at documenting everything, took pictures for me...LOTS OF PICTURES.  I did all of my hunting sitting at a computer 7500 miles away, while he met with agents and walked up countless flights of stairs touring villas.

For those of you that also like house hunting, here's a small taste of what houses look like in Abu Dhabi.  Take note, these are actually on the small side.  Oh, and in case you're wondering, my villa is not in any of these pics.  See if you can spot the oddball.

My Son, the Pickup Artist

Sorry to disappoint, but this has nothing to do with dating or attracting members of the opposite sex. I'm speaking of the good ol' fashion pick up game of ball.

Since my very first visit to the UAE, one of the things that stood out to me were the numerous make shift or impromptu sports pitches in the oddest of areas that you see around here. It is not unusual to see the grassy area of a freeway exit used as a "stadium", or the corner of a busy intersection. In our community that doesn't host a lot of traffic, games usually occur in the street or in vacant sandlots.
 

In our neighborhood the games of choice are usually football (soccer to the Americans and Aussies) and cricket. Unlike the games of my childhood, most of the players here are adults. Teams are usually comprised of laborers from construction sites in the area.

You see, the UAE has this thing about construction and road work security that I have yet to really understand. There is a "guard" for EVERYTHING being built or worked on here.  Most of them usually live in a make shift shack on the construction site, and I've seen some that guard the road work that have nothing but a chair.  The latter is the case for a Pakistani man that sits across from my house hour after hour, day after day, night after night.

At first the idea of a man sitting across from my house 24-7 creeped me out, but now I just feel bad for the poor guy.  His job is to watch an area of our street that is being repaired and a detour that's a result of the road work. Nothing happens quickly here, so he's been on the site for well over six months.  I've never seen him do any road work be it day or night, he just sits or stands there guarding the asphalt.  Occasionally, he'll cross the street to come get water from a spigot in the wall that surrounds our courtyard, or he'll chat with other guards, gardeners, and drivers on our street. Unlike some of the other workers in the area, I've never seen him take part in any of the neighborhood sporting events until recently....

Last week all of a sudden the man with nothing but a chair, suddenly had a green soccer ball and a new friend... my son.  My 16 year old loves just about any sport, but since moving here his affinity for soccer has seemed to double.  He's the goalie for his school's undefeated U16 team with only 2 goals scored on him the entire season. Sorry, I'm a mom. I have to brag on my boy.

Anyways, we were getting out of the car one day when my son spotted the guard and our neighbor's driver kicking the ball around. In a flash, my child was in the street joining in on the action. He played for well over an hour till it got dark and the only players left were him and the Pakistani.

The next day, my husband and I were returning from lunch when we spotted my son's new friend kicking the ball around right in front of our house by himself. He reminded me of the little kid that would linger in front of your house hoping that your mom would let you come out and play if he stayed there long enough. Well, there was no telling my son to go play. All it took was me mentioning to him that his friend was out front with the ball and he was down the steps and out the door. Soon what began as just my son and the guard became a game of 8 or more, my son of course being the only non laborer and the only American.

Later that evening, our neighbor asked me what was up with our son playing with the Pakistanis, like it was a bad thing. I simply replied that he loves soccer and he has a knack for making friends with everyone. As a mother, I'm very proud of him and the fact that in a part of the world where nationality, color, or sex can dictate where you fit in, he is able to look past all of that and see just another player of the game.

The Abu Dhabi "Housewife"

While writing a post for today, that you will most likely read in the near future, my husband asked me if I had checked out the top story in today's National, our local newspaper. As I read the article, several parts felt as though I myself had been interviewed, because I had a lot of "me too" moments. Given that recently, I've been approached by several readers interested in making the jump of moving to the UAE, I think sharing today's insightful piece by Helena Frith Powell from the National is a better suited post.  Ms. Powell tackles the subject of the trailing spouse with six different expats that, like me, exchanged careers in their homeland for the title of housewife on their residency visa. You can click here for the story.

For the Horse Lover

Hmmmmm, I wonder what they bake at the Horse Bakery???????

To all my equine loving friends, I'm just kidding. This is just one example of some of the many funny business names here.

"A Week in the Life..." on Expat Arrivals

Ever wonder what my life is like? I mean, besides all the stuff I tell all of you in my posts. Well, here's an article I did for Expat Arrivals this week. http://www.expatarrivals.com/abu-dhabi/life-in-abu-dhabi

Fickle Forbes

Well, it seems Forbes has had a change of heart when it comes to the UAE.  Last week I published this post, in response to a Forbes online article that claimed the UAE was the most unfriendly place in the world for expats. It seems I wasn't the only one that took issue with this title, thousands of Emiratis and expats gave the powers that be at Forbes a piece of their mind.  So after further review, its seems the UAE now holds the more prestigious title of Third Most Friendly Country in the World for Expats.  You can check out the story about the recant here.

"I'm a Walkin' in the Rain"

My favorite outdoor cafe, Le Boulanger.  The  Breakwater location has a beautiful view of the Abu Dhabi  skyline.

 Tonight my husband and I enjoyed a night at one of my favorite places here in Abu Dhabi, Le Boulanger at Breakwater.  This little outdoor cafe has couches that you can sit on while you eat awesome food and enjoy a beautiful view of the city skyline and Emirates Palace across the water. To top off a perfect night, it actually RAINED here!  Instead of running for shelter, we took a nice little walk in the rain along the water.  I would have danced in it, but people probably already thought we were crazy...I didn't want to verify it for them. Below are some pics from our dinner and our little walk in the rain.

The terrace after the rain ran everyone inside.

 The View........

The Many Colors of Emirates
Palace..........

Emirates Palace view from Breakwater

Walkway around Breakwater

Emiratis vs Kiwis

                               



An online subsidiary of Forbes magazine recently gave the not so glamorous label of The Least Friendly Country in the World for Expats to...................The United Arab Emirates.  That's right, as much as I love it here and have felt welcomed,  my new home has been branded with a scarlet frowny face.
                                                                                                       
Despite what Forbes may say, the post you've read here over the past few months are not fiction.  The UAE is a great place for expats, actually it's the fact that the UAE is so friendly, that I think led to them getting the label of least friendly. Confusing I know, but stay with me and I'll explain.

The first criteria used to determine the world's most expat friendly country, which is New Zealand by the way, was the ability to befriend locals.  Do you know how hard it can be to meet locals, and fall into the same circles as them when they account for less than 20% of the country's population.  That's right, they are way outnumbered by expats that have come here seeking to prosper from the sheikdom and it's oil wealth.  I laugh when I see articles from the US about people complaining about immigration, and it cracks me up even more when Americans try to say things that suggest a group that is less than 20% of their population is taking over the country.  Gee, what must the poor Emiratis feel like, and now they have been branded as the most inhospitable country on top of being a minute part of their own country's demographics.  I will say they do have a "we were here first" way about them, but again they are the minority in their own country. They have been known to, as one Emirati called it, "pull the Emirati card" and cut people in lines.  I myself, have only seen them do this, but I personally have never had an Emirati push in front of me at a register.  My son will tell you it's the blonde hair that gives me such immunity.  My treatment here based on my hair color and the fact I'm a female is a running joke among my husband and children.

The second item the study looked at was the success in learning the local language.  The Emiratis have been so welcoming of other nationalities that they have made it unnecessary to learn Arabic.  Almost every sign here is in English and Arabic.  A lot of locals were Western educated, so they speak English just as well as I do.  They all seem to have a bit of a British dialect when they speak English though.  I would love to hear one sound like an American one day, that would be interesting.  Oh if I haven't mentioned this in any of my past posts, people outside of the North American realm think we Americans sound funny.  They even had a call in on the radio one day when people were trying to imitate us.  I should clarify that the DJ is an Aussie, I don't want to give any merit to the Forbes title.

Ok, moving on.  The next thing they looked at was the capacity to integrate into the community.  Really?  This one boggles my mind.  With all the different groups and ways to meet people here, how can you not fit in?  You play tennis?  There's a tennis group.  You cook?  There's a cooking group.  You like watching movies? There's a Movie Mavens group.  I could go on and on, but one could over schedule themselves here with all of the different community groups you can join. Also, how can you not feel like part of the community when stores and restaurants here cater to multiple nationalities and religions.  This is a Muslim country that decorates it's malls with Christmas trees and even has a Santa Clause for the kids to take their list of demands to.  Oh, I should also mention that starting in the early spring it seems that Mother's Day cards just stay on the shelves. There's always a new sign claiming it is Mother's Day, each with a different date, because they cater to all the dates of the different countries for Mother's Day.  I tried using this to my advantage last year, and told my kids I expected gifts for UK, UAE, and US Mother's Day.  I figured I was cutting them a break with just celebrating 3 when there are actually 27 different days that mothers are celebrated around the world.

The last thing listed was the ease in which the expats are able to fit into the new culture.  Let's be real here, this is not going to be easy for any Westerner or other non-Arab expat.  The decision to move here isn't like deciding to pack up your bags and move to France....forgive me whilst I day dream for a moment of a life spent sipping café au lait with a view of Le Tour D'Eiffel and Édith Piaf playing in the background.  Back to reality, this isn't the Champs-Élysées.  THIS is a sandy street in Abu Dhabi with a view of the Aldar (circle building you always see on the engineering marvels shows), the tall buildings of downtown in the distance, and the control tower at Abu Dhabi International with it's steady stream of Etihad planes landing and taking off.  Here, parts of the culture can be based largely on their Islamic beliefs.  Just like many expats, I am not a Muslim, so I don't expect to fit in to that part of the culture.  I do however, respect the culture here and try to learn about it, understand it, and try, try, try not to disrespect it.

I'm not saying the United Arab Emirates should have knocked out the Kiwis as #1. I have never been to New Zealand, and I have nothing against them.  I do think the questions asked could have been crafted a little differently to take into account the unique living situation here in the UAE.  Emiratis take pride in their hospitality, and it upsets me that they were given a bum wrap on this one.