...this and that

I have a post about our visit to the Grand Mosque percolating, but in the meantime there are some random thoughts rolling around in my brain.  Here they are, in no particular order:

--I used to wake up each morning and wonder what the weather would be like that day.  Here, it's sunny.  Every day.  Oh, sure, some days are breezier than others so there might be a haze in the distance because of blowing sand, but everyday I open the curtains to SUN!

--The wind doesn't annoy me here like it did at home.  I'm not itching to get out on my bike, so the wind doesn't matter.  Blow on!

--The hotel has a gym that is open 24 hours and free.  I've put it to good use.  Who knew that at 52 I'd start to (almost) like running?  (Thanks, Nate, for your encouragement!) Mind you, it's not a love affair like I have with cycling, but it feels pretty good to get some miles in on the treadmill.  I hope there's a gym wherever I end up.

--Exercise is a good thing.  Now if I could just do something about my sweet tooth and my desire to try every yummy thing I see here!  (Baklava, anyone?)

--Yesterday was the last day of Ramadan.  Today is the first day of Eid.  The first difference I noticed was music.  There was mellow sax music playing at breakfast and hip hop in the gym.  (I was really ok with silence in the gym.) It will be a relief to be able to eat and drink in public again.

--Snail mail takes about two weeks to get from here to Oregon. 

--I think I'm going to buy an air mattress.  If I have to move out of here in a hurry, at least I'll have a bed.  And, it will come in handy when visitors come to see me later in the year.

...an excellent day

The bus from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain costs a whole 10 dirhams--less than $3 US.  A pretty cheap excursion!  The trip took about two hours. We didn't make it in time to wander through the museums (hours--or timings as they're called here--are different because of Ramadan), but the camel markets were open. The young men who showed off their camels brought out the most cantankerous fellow for us to pet.  He sounded like something out of Star Wars!  Katherine was the camel whisperer and called him "sweet face."

This was the closest that Jo would get to him.  One of the guys was our photographer, and took several shots with each of our cameras.  We all giggled when he put his scarf on Katherine's head.  When he switched to my camera he switched the scarf as well.  We laughed and laughed and had a great time.

After visiting the camels it was time for Iftar.  We hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast so we were hungry and dehydrated.  We walked to the mall and found a wonderful place to eat:  Coriander, an Indian restaurant.

This mint and cucumber drink was delicious and refreshing.

The food was heavenly.  Jo and I both ordered white rice to go with our curries, but we could have shared. We ate and ate and ate.  So good!

After our meal we sat and enjoyed the open air patio.  I ordered a pot of coffee and wanted to take the china home with me. As we were leaving the restaurant I thanked the waiter and told him that it was the best coffee I'd had since I'd arrived.  He grinned at me and said, "It was instant, madam!"  Too funny!

We wandered through the mall for a few minutes, but realized that we'd better make our way to the bus station and head for home.  Our taxi driver warned us that as soon as we opened the door to the cab we would be surrounded by men wanting to drive us to Abu Dhabi--at a much higher rate than 10 dirhams.  He was right, and we were glad for the warning. 

A friendly young woman from Sri Lanka sat next to me, and we visited all the way back.  She is here working as a secretary and plans on going back home soon.  She's getting older (under 30 I'd guess!) and it's time for her to get married.  Her mother has made the arrangements.  Maryam gave me her mobile number and told me to call any time if I need help with anything. 

We didn't get back to the hotel until after 1:00.  We said goodnight, agreed we probably wouldn't see each other at breakfast, and headed off to our rooms.  I swiped my card, swiped it again, turned it over and tried again, to no avail.  It seems we were all locked out--maybe this was how they were finding out who had moved to their apartments--so we had to go back down to the desk and get out cards unlocked.  I don't know about the other two, but I sure didn't make it down for breakfast.  I spent the day dozing and reading and dozing some more. 

Tomorrow we're off to the see the Grand Mosque--we still haven't been.  Another excellent day in store for us.

...being a hermit

What a difference a day makes.  I did not leave my room at all yesterday, and the only people I had contact with were the two pleasant young men who come to tidy my room and bring me bottled water.  I've tried having a conversation with them from time to time, but their English is minimal and context specific.  They know how to ask if I want fresh towels or the sheets changed, but beyond that...we just smile at each other a lot. At first I had the urge to speak in Spanish to them--at home if I could tell that someone didn't understand me I automatically switched to Spanish.  I don't think that will help much here.

I spent the day yesterday answering emails, skyping with Arlene, made a phone call to Katie (I hadn't heard her voice since being here--we've chatted but it's not the same), and snacked on flat bread, tabboulah, tuna, hummus, and garlic paste.  That combo makes a great sandwich!  I put in one of my napping movies (movies I have seen so many times that I can easily fall asleep to them) and rested.

This morning I felt like myself again and went down to breakfast.  Jo, Katherine and I are going on an adventure in a few minutes.  We're going to get on a bus and head to Al Ain with hopes of going to a couple of museums and seeing the camel market.  (Maybe they'll get to meet Rochelle's second husband!  ha!)

I know that I will have dips in my energy and attitude like everyone else, and know what I need to do to take care of myself.  I do have a job, and eventually I will find out where.  Banking issues will be resolved, and I won't be living in this hotel forever.  I have family and friends who keep in touch, and new friends here to get lost with.  Stay tuned to see where we end up! 

...learning new things

When I got up this morning and saw that I had no internet access I was bummed. That's not so unusual--the connection comes and goes.  So while I waited around for the little yellow triangle to disappear I made some coffee and fixed breakfast. (I felt too lazy and antisocial today to go down to the dining room.) Still, no internet. Rats.  I puttered around, made a call to Katie (Hi Katie!), then checked again.  This time I clicked on the icon, and up popped a message from the hotel asking me to sign in once more.  Oh yeah, the internet is only good for a week at a time and today is the first day of my fourth week here.  Who knew one could get tired of living in a five star hotel? But, I'll have to continue to make the best of it, because this is going to be my home until September 4th, and possibly longer.  All government offices are now closed for the last week of Ramadan, and people are preparing for Eid, a very festive time.  The malls are decorated in a manner very similar to how we decorate for Christmas.  The stores are busy in the evenings with people shopping for gifts and new clothing.  I was in Carrefour last night, admiring some beautiful gift baskets filled with chocolates and dates, when an Emirate woman spoke to me. I was delighted--this was the first time that someone had initiated a conversation with me.  Her name was Amal, and she works for the official Tourism office.  She was so friendly, and graciously answered my questions about Ramadan and Eid.  She even gave me the phone number for her office and her personal mobile number. 

Because the offices are all closed, I still don't know where I will be living and teaching.  I can't even be sure that I'll be somewhere in Al Gharbia.  Jo was also told via email that she would be in the western region, but when she asked for more specific information she was given the name of a school here in Abu Dhabi.  She is disappointed because she would have preferred a more rural setting. Katherine knows that she will be clear out in Sila, close to Qatar, so I am the only one of our trio who has no idea.  I sent an email late Wednesday evening, hoping that I would get a reply before the end of the work day yesterday, but no such luck.  I knew ahead of time that patience and flexibility were the two most important attributes needed for living and working here.  I'm finding that I'm learning patience at a whole new level!  We have lots of free time coming up, but can't rent a car just yet.  I think Jo, Katherine and I are going to hop on a bus and do some exploring this week.  I need to do some research online to find out if the places we want to visit will be open.  Let's hope so! 

I've been here long enough now to have learned a few things.  Exact change is not always given, nor expected.  The coins, fils, are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50.  If the change is 15 fils or less, it usually isn't given.  Before I realized this, I asked the clerk for my change and got an exasperated look in return.  Then I did the math and understood that the smaller fils are almost worthless. It did makes me wonder though, if they have to balance their tills at the end of the day.  Maybe "close" is good enough. 

I learned the hard way that produce must be weighed and labeled before one leaves the produce area. There are no scales at the cash register.   Luckily, I made this mistake on my first night here, and the small grocery store was not busy.  A bagger ran back to the produce department to do it for me.

I've figured out that lining up and taking turns is not done quite the same way it is back home. Once I understood about having my produce weighed I would politely stand in line and wait my turn--only to have people come from all sides and go in front of me.  I've learned to ease my way toward the front and place my bags on the counter.  They will eventually be weighed and tagged and handed back to me. I do try to time it so the counter isn't too busy.

The grocery stores are so fascinating to me.  It's like walking through a giant Trader Joe's on each visit.  I want to look at everything and try new things.  One of my former students expressed concern about what I would find to eat here.  I need to write to her and let her know that I am in no danger of going hungry! (The opposite is true.  Good thing there's a gym in the hotel!)

I get overwhelmed at times by how difficult it is to do even the most basic things.  Getting a mobile phone, signing up for online banking (error--please contact the bank), and getting my US bank's swift number for transferring funds...the list goes on.  I look forward to the time when it all seems familiar and "life as usual."

My friends back home have been in their classrooms for the past couple of weeks, getting everything ready for students on Monday.  I am used to the feeling of urgency at this time of year--so much to do and so little time to do it in.  Did I say I'm learning patience? I wandered through the school supply section at Carrefour last night and was glad to see such a wide variety of supplies.  If my school doesn't have something I need, then I know where to go.

Here's something that made me laugh:

 "...a composition very similar to that of human body fluid..."

...a birthday wish

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy

birthday dear Leslie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to

youuuuuu! 

 (And many more!)

(Blogger is still giving me fits and I can't seem to comment on your blog. Atticus is a cutie--so glad you have a new friend! Oh--and your heat wave?  Psshh.  ha!)

...a desert romance

Yesterday morning my friends Clark and Rochelle and their three boys picked me up and took me back to their home in Al Ain, about 1 1/2 hours away.  We talked non-stop all day long while I did my laundry.  I now know what kind of drying rack I will buy when I am finally out of the hotel and in my own place. It took only 15 to 20 minutes for each load of my clothes to dry. 

In the late afternoon we decided to drive around Al Ain so they could show me where they lived last year.  I got to see the border with Oman (but couldn't cross it because I don't have my passport and visa back yet) and saw "mountains" in the distance. 

Rochelle wondered if the camel market would be open, so we decided to go see.  There wasn't much going on--it was close to sundown and time for iftar (breaking of the fast).  We finally spotted some camels and Clark pulled over so we could take a look.  We would have been happy with taking a few photos through the fence.  All of a sudden a little pickup roared up next to us.  I rolled down the window and the driver said, "Baby!  Baby!  Come!  Come!" 

So we got out of the car and followed the man into the enclosure.  He insisted that I take the rope and touch the camel.  The two youngest boys were not at all happy about being so close to the big animals, but Rochelle, Gabe and I got pet them. 

We had all thanked the man for letting us see his camels and were ready to go back to the car.  All of a sudden, he grabbed Rochelle's arm and took off across the yard, hollering back at us, "Come!  Come!"  He only let go of her arm when she said, "Hey!  I'm a married woman!"  (Clark was looking on, trying to calm the little ones and wondering, "What is that man doing with my wife?!" 

The handler took us into another pen with an old camel that was lying down.  "Sit! Sit!" he ordered, so we sat. Gabe wasn't so sure, but the man made him sit for the picture. 

Then he had Rochelle get in the picture.  I was so surprised to see him caress her cheek.  Rochelle was speechless. 

Then, to top it all off, he put his head scarf on her head.  Rochelle was about to lose it by this time.

We again thanked the man for the experience (!) and headed back to the car.  The man followed me, saying "Money, eat! Eat!"  I was willing to pay him because I had wanted to see the camels so gave him  a 5 dirham bill. He saw that I had more cash in my wallet so kept asking for more.  I gave him 10 more, but he still kept asking.  The price kept going up until Rochelle told him that 25 was enough and we wouldn't pay any more.  I didn't think that $8 was much at all.   But, I doubt that Rochelle will take me again any time soon!

...being like Gumby

I want to be like Gumby.  He could get all in a twist and still keep a smile on his face.  We've been in the hotel for over two weeks now, and still no word on where, exactly, I'll be living and teaching.  I sent off an email yesterday to (politely) inquire.  By the process of elimination I had deduced that, since my name wasn't on the list for Abu Dhabi city or Al Ain, I would be in Al Gharbia.  However, Al Gharbia (pronounced al garBEEa) is a huge region and I was curious to know in which city I would be placed.  The answer just came back:  "You will be placed in Al Gharbia."  Alrighty then.  I guess I'll just be patient and wait to hear more. 

We had three days of training this past week, which was very helpful.  On Wednesday they separated us by grade level so we could take a look at the curriculum.  I was glad to see that the standards are very similar to Oregon's.

While I was glad to have the training that was provided, it also heightened my anxiety about the task at hand.  I woke up Friday morning feeling a bit homesick and unsettled. It didn't last long--conversation at breakfast with my new friends, a run on the treadmill, and Skype with Arlene took care of it. 

My friends Clark and Rochelle are back in Al Ain.  They just flew in from Utah yesterday and are coming to get me on Monday.  It will be so good to catch up with them and pick their brains about...everything.  I also look forward to using their washing machine!  I have a cell phone (mobile, it's called here) again and have been texting with Clark.  Funny how something so small can make life feel more normal again.

Tonight Jo, Katherine and I are taking the shuttle to IKEA for dinner. (We laugh at ourselves for being delighted in such a small, silly thing. We've been in this hotel toooo long!) We also learned of an Australian place called "Jones the Grocer" that is open during the day (even during Ramadan!).  We're taking a field trip on Tuesday with the intent of finding a thrift store, getting our drivers licenses translated, visiting the Grand Mosque, and stopping for a bite to eat at Jones'.