A Laugh for the Arabia Expat

My World Traveler

Last night, our 13 year old daughter flew to Thailand for 9 days with a group of classmates from her school for Spring Break. This is the first time she has ever flown without her father or I, and the first time she has ever been to another country without us. I confess to being slightly stressed about it yesterday, but one couldn't help but get caught up in her excitement about the trip.

My world traveler before heading to the airport.

Seeing her prepare and pack this week, I realize that my baby girl isn't a baby anymore. She's becoming quite a remarkable self sufficient young lady. Beyond that though, I see how being an expat teen is shaping the adult she will be one day. The experiences and opportunities she has now are far different than anything we would have been able to provide for her if we had stayed in the US.

In the next week my little international traveler will not only be a tourist, but also a humanitarian. As part of her school's International Baccalaureate curriculum, she has to perform community and service work each year. While she's in Thailand, she will be helping construct a water tower and a greenhouse for a village school along with pitching in on some other improvement projects. She'll also assist with teaching and playing with the children at the school.

Some last minute instructions from her guide aka her humanities teacher.

The trip isn't all about work though. She's looking forward to riding an elephant and holding a baby tiger cub, which for my animal lover will be an amazing experience I'm sure. She'll also be doing some kayaking, ziplining, and a host of other fun physical activities.

So, for the next week or so I'll be anxiously awaiting her return. I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures from her first of many adventures.

Camelicious

As if you couldn't tell by some of my past pictures, camels are pretty popular here. They are a mixture of what cattle and horses are in the US and other Western countries. Here you see them hanging out in the desert as you drive along highways outside of the city, loaded into the back of trucks riding down the road, running around race tracks at amazing speeds, giving rides along the beach, or at the camel market(a sketchy place indeed) waiting to be purchased.

"Make sure you get my good side, lady."

Camel's milk, like cow's milk in Western culture is very popular here. It lines the dairy aisle at the grocery store in flavors like date, banana, chocolate, and strawberry bearing labels like Camelicious. It's also used to make very fine chocolates that oddly enough you can buy in the shape of a camel. Today, I read it is also going to offered as ice cream, in flavors like chocolate, date, saffron, and caramel. Click here for more on that.

Got Milk?

Another not so nice place you see the humpbacked creature, is in the meat department. In a package for sale is one thing, but I have seen the rear portion of a camel hanging from a butcher's hook at Carrefour(like Walmart). It's not a good visual when you're trying to shop for food.

Despite our Western minds seeing camels as mostly a cute and quirky zoo animal, we have been a little adventurous with our palates. For me the extent of it is eating the camel's milk chocolate. I'm not exactly a culinary daredevil....SHOCKER!......NOT!

Even camels like to hang out on the beach.

My son on the other hand, I think he would have no problem surviving out in the wild. He has been open to any and every culinary experience that comes his way. Not sure if it's that he wants to get a taste of other cultures, or if he wants to feel like he's a contestant on Fear Factor completing a food challenge. Either way, if it veers from the Western norm, and it will gross his mom out, he'll try it.

The Al Ain Camel Market

As far as camel products go, he has had the chocolate, the milk, and the meat. That's right, he made me stand at that awful counter with the poor camel's hind parts hanging in the background, as he selected his camel steak. Then guess who had to grill it for him? That's right, your's truly. YUCK! GROSS!

I apologize on his behalf to any camel lovers out there.

Al Ain

Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I think it's only appropriate to tell you about the greenest place in the UAE. Most people that know anything at all about the emirates know only of Dubai, and in some cases Abu Dhabi, thanks to Carrie Bradshaw. Al Ain is the secret garden of the UAE. It is an oasis town that borders Oman within the emirate of Abu Dhabi that most people out of the UAE have never heard of, yet I believe it's a must see for all that visit.

To our family, it's the place my husband called home all the months our family spanned two continents. To Emiratis, it is the birthplace of the father of their country, the late Sheikh Zayed, and a popular place for vacation or summer homes.

Since moving here, Al Ain has become a road trip we take to visit friends that came to the UAE back in 2009 when my husband was a newbie here. It's also home to some of the best pizza in the UAE, and a must have every time we visit. Throw in lots of grass, hot springs, tons of flowers, breathtaking views, a new water adventure park, a great zoo, and those are just some of the reasons Al Ain is a must see.

Al Ain Paradise has been recognized twice by Guinness as being the World's Largest Garden.

Jebel Hafeet

 The front of this place looks questionable, but around back
where we park and go in looks even sketchier.

The first time we pulled up to this place with the kids, they refused to get out of the car. They thought we were joking about actually eating here.

Inside, our little pizza paradise isn't that bad. Just don't  plan
on having a crowd, it only has about 6 or 7 tables.

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque

I'm BACK! To my loyal followers that have wondered what in world has happened to me, I'm still here. I have  just been mega busy enjoying quality family time with my in-laws. They are back in the US now, so I'm back to blogging.

My in-laws took tons of pictures while they were here, and I told them I would be sharing them with my readers. So, here's a look at one of the first places I took my guests, and a must see if you ever visit Abu Dhabi.

The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque is a site to behold regardless of what your religious affiliation may be. Its building was initiated by the late leader and founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and it is his final resting place. Sadly, he never saw it completed. Sheikh Zayed died November 2, 2004, and the mosque was opened in 2007. Three of his sons oversaw the completion of the mosque including the UAE's current leader, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The beauty around and within the mosque does justice to the great leader for which it is named. Sheikh Zayed is known as the "Father of the UAE", and his wisdom, forethought, and generosity has brought the UAE into modern civilization at lightening speed.

The mosque sits prominently between the Mussafah Bridge and the Maqta Bridge as you drive onto the island of Abu Dhabi, and it can be seen for miles. I pass it almost daily, and I'm still taken by it's beauty each time I drive by. At night it is lit in hues of purple, blue, or bright white depending on the phase the moon, with bright white being when the moon is full.

The mosque is open daily for visitors of all faiths from 9am-10pm except during Friday morning worship services. Guided tours are offered free, and without a reservation.

The Grandparents are Here!

Wow, the past 4 days have been crazy busy for us. For the first time since moving to Abu Dhabi, we have family members from the US here visiting. I must admit I've always been a little jealous of other expats that I've seen showing around visiting family members. It isn't uncommon for grandparents from European countries to make the trip to the UAE to visit with their kids and grandchildren, but for Americans it isn't as common.

When we made the decision to move, my parent-in-laws stated that since we were moving their grandkids 7500 miles away they would more than likely end up making the journey to see them(and us) at some point. Well, this past Thursday "Granny" and "PopPop" arrived in the UAE, and we have been on the go ever since.

Although this is the first family visit, we have had friends from the US visit us. One of the cool things about having visitors is we get to be tour guides, and we get to do some of the more touristy things here that we don't normally do all the time. So, their vacation becomes our vacation as well.

Luckily, my in-laws are here for longer than past guests, so we don't have to jam in the sites of both Abu Dhabi and Dubai in just a few days. We've also been able to just give them a taste of our daily life here, so they now have a better understanding of the differences we've had to adjust to in our new life abroad. For an expat, having someone back in your home country understand the changes you are dealing with and adjusting to is huge. I often find myself talking to other expats about how family and friends in our home countries just don't understand this unique place we now call home.

I actually started this blog as a way to try to relay my expat experience to friends and family in the US. I wanted people to understand the magnitude of the changes we've adapted to, both good and bad. Still, I think reading about it doesn't compare to experiencing this place first hand. As I suspected, our visitors have already made note of some of the things I have shared here on my blog, like the abundance of people that try to assist you while shopping here. My mother-in-law noted that there are so many people trying to help you in stores, it's like you're tripping over them. They've also been a witness to what a pain grocery shopping can be here, and a few of the things that make an American or western expat ask "Why?" or "What were they thinking?".

My father-in-law got a taste of one of the unique things here when he went into a bathroom at a local mall......or so he thought. Just like in the states, he looked for the symbol of a man on the door and went in. He was a little befuddled when an Arabic gentleman in the bathroom told him he had to take his shoes off before going in any further. It seems he stepped into a men's room, but this men's room was a men's PRAYER room. PRICELESS!  We all got a really good laugh out of that one.

So for the next couple of weeks, I may be sharing more of the tourist attractions of the UAE with you as opposed to the daily expat life. Perhaps it may convince more of our friends and family to make the journey to this side of the world.

America's My Hometown

Ok, I may get a little sappy here, so I'm just warning you guys. Today, I was making a quick run to the Bani Yas Grande when  this song by Uncle Kracker came on the radio. Maybe I'm a little late, or it's just the fact that most radio stations here are stuck in the 80's. Today was the first time I have ever heard this song.

Anyways, I got a little choked up over it. No, I didn't cry, but I did get that lump in your throat where you feel like you might. Before you start laughing at me or thinking I'm crazy, let me explain why the mention of America and her glory gets me all emotional.

I know I have readers from all over the world now, but I'm going to single out my American compatriots today.  After living in the UAE, I think every American should have to spend some time in a foreign land at some point in their life. Why? Living away from the US makes you love and appreciate it even more. I think there are a lot of Americans that don't understand what a wonderful thing it is to be an American. Sure, we get criticized by the rest of the world (trust me, do we ever). Despite the criticism, to many we still have a life they can only dream of having.

No, I'm not trying to knock my new home. It's just for me, nothing can take the place of America in my heart. I love America and its offer of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all that call it home. Even more now, I love the brave young men and women that sacrifice their lives daily to protect her and her citizens like me.

So, today I'm reminded again that I do miss you, America. I miss Virginia mountains and North Carolina beaches. I miss your green grass and trees. I miss your snow and rain. Most of all, I miss your people... my family and friends.

America's MY hometown.

A Visit from the Sandman

On a normal day you can see the gas station to the right clearly.

To the left of this photo is our neighborhood, but the sand is eclipsing  it.

This is all sand, not fog. Imagine being outside in it.

This is what the whole route looked like on our way to Dubai.

The view from my kitchen door. My counter tops are coated this morning.

This is at my front door. That rug is normally blue.

My front porch. The wind not only blew the sand in, it also knocked over plants.

My new sandbox.

My house is dusted daily, but I was able to write my name in sand on a  table  this morning.

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.