First Week in AD

The first week in Abu Dhabi (AD) was like a sweet blend of luxury vacation and summer camp. Staying at a 5-star hotel which hosted a massive breakfast feast every morning for a few hours where about 100 newly arrived teachers (many with young families) from around the world mingled eagerly, trading stories and building friendships. This same scene was concurrently happening at several other hotels around Abu Dhabi, although not with such large numbers.

Besides trying to get onto the opposite sleep pattern I was accustomed to, the others and I meandered around town, usually in pairs and small groups, in shuttles, taxis, and buses, exploring our new home and beginning to learn our way around. We had small tasks like exchanging money and getting sim cards, talking time, and data for our phones, but mostly we enjoyed the spacious and well-equipped gym, pool, beach, and various tourist activities. Waking up wide awake at 4:00 in the morning became less of a habit as the week went on.

In the many hours of breakfast and pool conversations with people from Georgia, Florida and many English speaking parts of the world, the words in my head became chameleon-like, sometimes reverting to my long ago southern days as well as picking up on the accents of the Brits and Irish. We were surprised to learn that taxi drivers and store workers all speak various degrees of English, but very few speak any Arabic! Taxi drivers have the most interesting stories which are well worth the typical 2-3 dirham tip. We also learned that if a Nepalese taxi driver asks a woman if she is married, she should ALWAYS answer, "Yes," or she will spend the entire ride being targeted as possible wife material!

Now for some photos & accompanying comments...

Back "home" at Intercontinental Hotel after an evening of errands and dinner with new friend, Tarra. Blue outlined buildings are the Etihad Towers (fancy apartments).

Me after an early morning, flat, 30 minute run - not pretty! Lesson: even sun that is just rising here in August packs a powerful punch!

Colorful money bills called dirhams and coins called fils. Now to figure out if a 25 dirham meal is expensive or cheap!

Inside Marina Mall, my first mall in Abu Dhabi...apparently there are many. Yes, that is really a tent for a ceiling!

The next sequence is me with fellow Oregonians Lori & Dan, touring the Shangri-La Hotel, its private boat canal, and a fancy souk that is along the canal.

Yeah, they have some serious gold over here!

One of the many chocolate delicacies that caught my eye!

(I know...wrong brand. Hehe - sorry Chuck & KTM)

Chicken shwarma (favorite snack/meal around here) at The Lebanese Flower (a well-known, inexpensive restaurant) Ingredients: chicken, tomato, cucumber, a few french fries, & some sort of creamy garlicy sauce between two pitas) 

Accompanied by falafel and hummus & moutabal to dip pieces of pita in.

No dust issues around here...NOT!

One of about 30 gold jewelry stores and the gold souk. Did I mention that they have a serious taste for gold around here?!

Broadening my culinary experiences...yep that's a frog...yep I ate it...yep it tasted like chicken!

On My Way!

My view the morning of Monday, August 19th...

My entertainment for the flight to Chicago and first couple hours of my flight to Abu Dhabi...

Due to a 90 minute delay in departing PDX and a long line at the Etihad check-in counter, a 3 hour lay-over in Chicago turned into a crazy rush to get to my flight. At least I wasn't the only one...the line to get on the plane was a quarter mile long when I got there...the "hurry up and wait" game. Luckily I sat on the aisle on the 13 hour flight to Abu Dhabi so I could stand up and stretch whenever I needed. I sat next to a sweet, toothless old lady from Pakistan and her son who was escorting her home from a visit to his home in the US. Despite the language barrier, we hit it off right away. She was camera shy though. 

Two of several friendly flight attendants on Etihad flight...and this is after a 13 hour flight! We were waiting to get off the plane in Abu Dhabi.

Home sweet home! After being efficiently herded (along with a hundred or more teachers and their families) through the eye scan, then customs, then onto buses, then through the hotel check-in line, we headed off to our luxurious room assignments! Now...to switch  my brain to a time zone 13 hours ahead of Oregon.

My view the morning of Wednesday, August 21st...yes I completely lost Tuesday in the trip!

Why?

People are taken aback when they hear that I am going to Abu Dhabi to teach. They ask, "Why?"
I've come up with some fairly standard responses to these questions, and they do explain my reasoning: "My kids are grown and doing their own thing now, I've been teaching 23 years and want to mix it up a bit so I don't become stale in my teaching, I'm not getting any younger and don't want to miss my opportunity..." These are all true, but the simplest and most honest response I could really give is, "Because I can and I want to." The more spiritual folk might say I'm just following my heart. I'm simply doing what feels right to me at this time...nothing more, nothing less.

Then they ask, "Why Abu Dhabi?"

I love sunshine and warm weather, and I really look forward to a winter without a bad case of "the grays." Also, Abu Dhabi is one of the few places that could offer me enough pay to make it reasonable for me. I am still helping my kids significantly with various expenses relating to school, and am not willing to stop doing that to go off and pursue my teaching adventures. So, I feel lucky to have found an opportunity that allows me to do both.

The next comment I usually get is, "Well, you must be getting excited!" or "Oh, I bet you're going to love it there!"

Hmmm... I do not know if I will love it there or not, but that really isn't why I'm going there. I suppose I am excited, but I'm not in a frenzy...at least not yet. I look forward to beginning the adventure, but I am also enjoying my last weeks here in Hood River with family and friends whom I will miss. Let's be real, this is work, not a vacation. I'm not really a dreamer, nor am I a skeptic. So, being the realist that I am, I try not get too many fantastical ideas about what this will or will not be. I just take each day at time and figure out what needs to be accomplished that day, so that I'm as well prepared as I can be when I get my magical e-Ticket that will whisk me away to the Middle East.

One little change...

I did do one little thing to prepare for the slightly warmer climate over there. And yes, it may have had something to do with that unruly gray hair that was taking over. I couldn't tame it, so I cut it off and let it go crazy!