Highlights and lowlights of a weekend in Dubai

My husband's birthday was over the weekend, so several weeks ago I made reservations to go to the top of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. (Well, not really the top, but the 124th floor.) I'd been told that it fills up quickly, and it's true. I wanted to make sure that we could go while my mom was here, so I went ahead and booked it...not thinking about the fact that my husband was having surgery. So, less than a week after he went under the knife, he rode in the car for an extended period of time, walked more than he had all week, and then rode in the elevator to the top. Afterwards, we made our way to a toy store with our son so we could get his birthday present. It was all a little too much too soon. Although hubby wanted to have his birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse, his body was worn out and we headed home.

So, about the Burj Khalifa: it was awesome! Our appointment was at 3 and it was a perfect day for it. The sky was clear and we could see for miles. There is actually another tour that goes up 20 more floors, but it's significantly more expensive. I would highly recommend going though. One complaint: at the top there are lots of professional photographers who would love to take your picture...but the pictures are ridiculously expensive! So disappointing.
We also had a bit of a scare when my mom went to get her bag from the coat check guy. They couldn't find her bag...and it had her passport in it! After about 15 minutes they were able to locate it, thank God.

Yesterday, hubby was feeling like he needed to recover a bit from all the walking the day before, so he gave us his blessing to go back to Dubai because I wanted to take my mom to the souks and hubby has no desire to do that. I gave my four (almost five) year old the option of staying home with daddy, but he insisted on going. We piled in the car and headed to the big city. Since I've never been to these souks before, I wasn't sure where to go. I entered "Bur Dubai" in the GPS and thought she would take us where we needed to go. Well of course she didn't...we ended up at the Burj al Arab. Then I remembered a coworker telling me we could park by the Dubai Museum and take a boat over to the souks. I put my new destination in the GPS, but got sidetracked by a sandwich shop that I love at home (Which Wich) which I had seen just off the highway the last time we were in this area. We stopped for lunch and then got on our way again. Well wouldn't you know, traffic got bad and my stomach started hurting so badly. This is TMI, but it hurt so much I didn't think I was going to  make it to a bathroom. (It's not like America where there is a McDonald's or gas station on every corner and you can just run in really quickly.) Finally, I found the Dubai Museum and parked the car on the curb so I could run inside! Thank God the security guard was sweet and let me run in without paying.

I was so happy that I'd made it to the restroom in time and I asked a man if there were any other parking lots as this one was full, and he told me he'd move his car so I could park. As I went to get the kids out of the car I mentioned that we needed to find the boats and my son starts freaking out. He's crying "I don't want to ride the boats" over and over. I told him that he needed to at least see the boats before he could refuse to ride one. So we go find these boats and as soon as he sees them, he resumes his tantrum. He was so hysterical and I was so embarrassed. You could literally see the other side and it would take only a few minutes to cross...but he wasn't having it. I threatened him with everything I could think of: taking away his new Transformers, the iPad, Legos...even not going to Kidzania for his birthday. He wouldn't budge.

Truth be told: these boats looked dilapidated and like they could sink at any moment. But I wasn't going to admit that to him.

We made our way back to the car and I figured I would attempt to drive through the tunnel to the other side and find parking closer to the souks. Once again, traffic was really bad. The streets were crowded and the buildings were run down...and I had no idea where to go. I did find a parking deck, but after waiting in the line to enter it for over 10 minutes and not moving an inch, I gave up. I was crying because I was so upset that my son ruined my plans. I decided that I would go ahead and try to go to the other place I wanted to visit that day: Dragon Mart.

Several of my coworkers told me about this place and warned me that it's huge and busy and overwhelming. I finally found it and managed to find a parking space by the section labeled "Garments". Unfortunately, we had wasted so much time earlier in the day that I decided we would only stay a few minutes. I found a cute dress for my daughter for 15 dirhams (about $4) and matching mommy and me shoes (about $33 for both pairs). We also passed by a lady who was selling those splat balls (for lack of a better description) and of course my son wanted one. Well grandma told him since he didn't ride the boat, he couldn't have one.

Meltdown #2 commenced. I'm talking all out throwing himself on the floor, kicking, crying...I dragged him, spanked him, and then gave up and walked off. I was so embarrassed! And you know what happened? The lady gave him a splat ball. I was so pissed. I wanted to take it and throw it away. But I didn't.

I did not let him play with the iPad on the way home.We had a long discussion about the events of the day. At one point as we rode in silence, he said "mommy, I'm sorry I ruined your day."

And I realized that it's not the end of the world. I said so many times that day "this was a total waste", but I shouldn't ever feel like it's a waste. We are alive and blessed and we spent time together, even if it was mostly in the car.

Suck it up

The other day my husband had surgery (!) to repair a hernia. My mom stayed home with our kids and I stayed at the hospital with him all day. A few things were great: a legit Starbucks in the lobby, free wifi, and a good book to read. However, I had a very interesting experience as well.

Waiting rooms here are separated by males and females. At this hospital, they were right beside each other and just separated by a partition. So, I sat waiting on the female side.

There was a big rug on the floor and a tray with tea/coffee urns and cups, a bowl of dates, and a bowl of water.

I sat on a chair engrossed in my book ("What Alice Forgot" if you're wondering) as a local woman sat on the rug. Suddenly I heard snapping fingers and some words I didn't understand and I looked over at her. She was motioning at the tray and I assumed asking me if I wanted some. I read somewhere before I came here that it's a really big deal to oblige and partake in whatever is offered to you. Well first let me say this:

I HATE COFFEE

So I got up and walked over to the woman and she poured me a cup of coffee and another of tea. I smiled and said thank you (in Arabic!) and went back to my seat. I sipped the tea (which is actually quite good but smells funny) and then drank the coffee like a shot of vodka. Thank GOD that cup was tiny. Their coffee is super strong and I felt buzzed almost immediately. Luckily I had a tiny bit more tea to wash it down with.

Anyhoo, I felt proud of myself for overcoming the challenge and I stuck my nose back in my book.

Well about 20 minutes later, another local woman came and sat on the rug. A man came over and brought them a big rectangular plate with something on it that did NOT look appetizing. Suddenly I heard the snapping and Arabic words again. I looked over and they were motioning for me to come. They showed me the plate and obviously wanted me to eat. I didn't see any utensils so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to stick my fingers in it or what. I motioned like I was eating with a spoon and they motioned over to the other waiting room...so I got up and went over there and somehow the men figured out what I wanted and handed me a bunch of spoons.

I reluctantly scooped some of it up and licked the spoon and OMG it was so disgusting I wanted to vomit. But those ladies looked so happy that I had eaten it that I forced myself to have three more spoonfuls. Then I smiled and said I needed to check on my husband and got my stuff and quickly moved to another area.

I am super proud of myself for putting aside my disgust and showing these ladies that I appreciated their culture.

Lack of planning

I used to have a sign on my office that said "Lack of planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on my part". I loved that sign.

The funny thing is that people don't really plan or schedule anything here. For example, our school calendar is not set in stone. Yea...you might want to read that sentence again.

Back in October we had a holiday called Eid. On the calendar we only got two days off, but there was much speculation (and hope) that they would give us the rest of the week off. (They didn't.)

Next week we will be celebrating National Day (more about that in another post). Originally we were only given off two days, but last week we were notified that we will have another day off which will give us a 5 day break. Very exciting, but frustrating that we didn't know from the very beginning when we could have planned a mini vacation and got cheaper airfare.

Even more frustrating is our winter break. The calendar said students would have 3 weeks off, but teachers would only have 2 because we would have a week of professional development. Now there are rumors that teachers will have 3 weeks and students will have 4. It sure would be nice to know for sure! We don't know for sure about spring break either.

Many things are told to us at the last minute on a daily basis. Often times I hear an announcement in Arabic and then I'm scrambling around trying to get someone to tell me what it said. Usually it has nothing to do with me, but one time no one told me that the boys were being released at noon instead of 1. I've heard of teachers who didn't know there was a field trip until they showed up to school!

My principal explained it to me this way: in the Muslim religion, they see every day as a gift from Allah and nothing is guaranteed. So, they live for today and not for the future. There's no need to schedule things in advanced because you are not guaranteed tomorrow or next week. I can see their point, but I would much rather know way in advance that something is happening. I have really had to learn to not stress and go with the flow.

Work hard, play harder

People who come work here who are single have it MADE, especially if they don't have any financial obligations at home. Our housing is free, so other than utilities (which are dirt cheap), phone, possibly a car, and cable if you want it...they are pocketing a lot of money. I think most single people travel a lot. I would love to do that, but we have debt at home we are trying to pay off and we have 4 mouths to feed. However, we are better off than we would be in the US! Even though work is extremely difficult, I try to focus on the positives.

Luckily, gas is super cheap and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain are all easily day trips from one another. I am constantly looking at UAE travel books and reading my favorite magazine, Time Out, to find things to do...and the cheaper the better!

Here are some of the inexpensive things we've found to do so far:

Beaches

• Saadiyat Island beach- outside Abu Dhabi, hands down my favorite so far because it's clean, the water is clear, and the sand is soft and white; you do have to pay to get in, but it's so cheap, who cares? (25 dirhams per adult, kids free, and free parking)
• Jumeirah Beach Residence- clean, has shops near by, free, but had to find/pay for parking; supposedly there are sometimes camels on the beach, but we didn't see any; kind of far from everywhere else in Dubai, but the new tram goes there; construction around it wasn't attractive
• Kite Beach- also in Dubai, found free parking, clean, but not a big fan of the sand
• The Corniche- Abu Dhabi, found free parking, it was night time, so I can't really judge it accurately
• Al Khan Beach- in Sharjah, free parking, dirty (numerous items floating in the water as well as trash on the beach), no bathrooms nearby, nice sand

Parks

• Creekside Park (Dubai)- we walked around half of it and weren't impressed. The playgrounds aren't anything spectacular, you can't swim in the "beach" area, and the cable cars weren't working. There is a Dolphinarium and a Children's City, but we didn't go in either one. There is a cheap entry fee to get in.
• Jahli Park (Al Ain)- FREE, very big with three playgrounds (one sand and the others with rubber bottoms), bike rentals, fountains, and a two story Starbucks right beside it (major bonus points!); side note: the park could use some cleaning...lots of trash around :(
• Hili Oasis (Al Ain)- FREE, walking trails winding through date farms, easy to get lost inside!
• Green Mubazzarah (Al Ain)- FREE, lots of green areas to have picnics, camel rides, hot springs (have not been in yet, so can't really comment), playgrounds are not well maintained, there are some chalets you can pay to stay overnight in, there is a KFC, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, and a local restaurant if you are hungry
• Jebel Hafeet (Al Ain)- FREE, very windy road...make sure you have plenty of gas in your tank before you go; there are several pull over areas to take pictures; the view at the top is nice; there's a hotel near the top also; please be careful because we saw a truck that had flipped over the guardrail and crashed into the side of the mountain

Tourist Attractions

• Al Ain Palace Museum (Al Ain)- FREE, very well maintained and interesting to walk around and take pictures
• Discovery Centre (Sharjah)- CHEAP, had quite a few interesting hands on activities for the kids, but some of them weren't working or needed updating
• Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi)- FREE, very beautiful building to look at and take pictures of; make sure you are fully covered when you go (including your head if you are a woman) or you will have to borrow an abaya
• Emirates Palace (Abu Dhabi)- FREE, gorgeous hotel to walk around and photograph
• Souk Madinat (Dubai)- FREE (unless you choose to buy something) indoor souk with nice shops; I don't think we saw the whole thing, so next time I want to explore more
• Jahili Fort (Al Ain)- FREE, really fun to walk around and there is a really nice photo exhibit 

I will definitely be adding to this list as we do more things :)

On the big screen

My husband and I haven't had alone time (without our kids) since we moved here 3 (!) months ago. Now that my mom is here (I just realized I haven't blogged about her arrival), we finally got a chance to go on a date. We decided to go see our first movie in the UAE..."Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1".

There are several things that are different about going to the movies here:
1. You pick your seats. We were actually the first two people to buy tickets, so our choices were wide open. We chose seats smack dab in the middle. An usher actually shows you to your seat.
2. The concession stand is MUCH cheaper than in the US. I'm sure the food options differ from theater to theater, but this one had popcorn, full size bags of chips, candy, and nachos. We got a large popcorn, two large drinks, and 3 candies for 46 dirhams (less than $15).
3. Someone carries your food in for you on a tray. Kind of nice to not have to balance all of your purchases and possibly spill popcorn.
4. There are subtitles on the screen in Arabic and French. A little distracting. I kept trying to match the French word with what they were saying in English.

Some things are the same:
1. There are still commercials and a few previews before the movie.
2. Some people are rude and don't silence their phones.
3. It gets rather chilly...next time I will remember a sweater!
4. The seats are semi comfy and it was stadium seating.

One thing we have not figured out yet is whether some of the movie was cut out. We heard that the original movie is 2 hours and 3 minutes. Our show started at 8 and the next one started at 10...and there were probably 7-10 minutes of previews...so mathematically it couldn't have been the full movie. Since it's PG-13, I'm not sure what would have been cut out though.

Definitely an interesting experience!

The Runners

This job isn't for everyone, that's for sure. Before moving here, I did as much research as possible about living here, teaching here, raising kids here...but nothing really prepares you for it until you experience it yourself. I am not really at liberty to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about some aspects of this experience right now. There's no telling what could happen.

I found out over the weekend that one of my fellow teachers became a runner. Basically, she packed up her stuff, bought a one way ticket, and left this place, literally, in the dust. She had a son. She wasn't happy. She got an email from the US embassy that was a little alarming and she left.

As I was talking to the woman I carpool with this morning, I found out that two other teachers I knew "ran" too. Of course they each had their own reasons. There are probably lots of other people who have either already left or are planning on leaving. I'm sure it crosses everyone's mind at one time or another...I think people would be lying if they said it didn't. This is a HUGE change from wherever you came from. All the great shopping in the world can't make up for missing your family/friends back home, health issues you may be dealing with, and/or not being able to deal with cultural differences.

The best advice that I've gotten here is to stay focused on my goals and the positives. Even though it's hard sometimes, there are lots of positives to living here. If you just sit around and say "this sucks" and "that sucks"...well, it's going to suck. Instead, I try to counter the negatives with a positive. Or remind myself of something that sucked in the US.

The biggest thing is our goals. We left the US with a lot of debt...and I don't want to go back to that. I at least want to have our credit cards paid off to make this all "worth it".

False alarm?

Today I got a message from my SIL saying that my blog was gone. I wasn't at home, so I couldn't check, but less than an hour later a friend who is in the US messaged me on Facebook and said that she couldn't access my blog.

Weird.

We happened to be at the Dubai Mall (which has free wifi...yay!) and I tried to access it from my phone...to no avail. There was a message in Arabic. I began to panic. I asked them to put the message into Google translator. Basically it said that the address had been removed. I was so upset! So many things ran through my mind...was it that easy to delete someone's blog? Had I said something so offensive that they'd reported me to Blogger? Was it really that easy to delete someone's blog???

I am at home now, and I think I've figured out what happened, but I can't blog about it. So if you know me in "real life", I will tell you, but if not you'll just have to wonder ;)

I will continue to be careful what I say. Just in case.

It's a Different World

In a previous post about culture shock, I touched on some of the things that are different here...but here are some more things you may not have ever thought could be different. I will also tell you which way I prefer :)

• There are no light switches or electrical outlets inside the bathrooms. I definitely miss this! I have to blow dry my hair in another room which is super annoying and I have to remember to turn on the light before I go in.
• There is a switch on all of the electrical outlets so you can turn them off. I'm neutral on this. I guess it saves electricity if you have it completely off. And maybe it would stop someone from getting electrocuted if they stuck something metal in the hole while it was off. But it can be annoying to plug something in and think it doesn't work and then you realize you didn't flip the switch.
• The water heaters have on/off switches too. At home, our water heater was in the garage...and it took FOREVER for the water to get warm in our kitchen. Here, the water gets SUPER hot...if you remember to flip the switch. Let's say that I have taken more than several cold showers because I didn't flip the switch until right before I had to take a shower in the morning.
• There is food all from all over the world here at various prices. You want Velveeta shells and cheese? You got it...for 17 dirhams (almost $5!) a box. Or you can get a bag of local noodles for less than $1, milk for less than $2, and cheese for less than $4 (depending on the brand of course...Kraft shredded cheese in a bag is almost $10!) and make your own. I LOVE going to the produce section and seeing where the fruits and veggies are from. Usually it's super cheap. Our beef comes from Australia, New Zealand, or Brazil. They have products from England, the Philippines, the US...it's just crazy what choices we have. Don't get me wrong...there are tons of things we don't have...but I'm trying to enjoy what is available.
• You have to take your produce to a little weigh station and have them weigh and sticker it before you take it to the register. I'm glad I read this before I came here! It's actually nice because you know exactly how much you're paying and it makes check out quicker. (If you've ever been to a store where the cashier has no idea what code to put in, you will agree.)
• Prepaid phones are very common here. It's actually what we have. We purchased a SIM card here (for like $10) and then we buy a code to load credits onto our iPhones (which we brought from the US). We also pay for monthly unlimited Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp. Super cheap and super easy...no contract and it comes out to be way less than our bill was at home with Verizon. The only thing I would change is adding Instagram to the unlimited plan we have.
• There are no taxes here! It is so nice to go to the store and know how much it's going to cost. No trying to figure out the 2% tax for food plus 7% tax on non food items. If it says 7 dirhams, it's 7 dirhams.
• All the units of measurement are different than in the US. This is where the US needs to get on the same page as the rest of the world. Why do we use pounds when everyone else uses kilograms?! Or miles instead of kilometeres?! Or Fahrenheit instead of Celcius?! I mean we seriously look like fools when everyone else is talking about it being 27 degrees and we're like "uh, what's that in Fahrenheit?" Come on math and science teachers...this is the "Common Core" we need to be teaching! 21st Century Skills at their finest!
• The Muslim religion is a way of life here, but it is never forced on you. They are going to do their thing, and they allow you to do yours. There are mosques EVERYWHERE. Prayer rooms on every floor of the mall, in schools, in government buildings. Businesses close for several hours in the afternoon for prayer time. You see groups of men praying together in the middle of the park after a call to prayer. Speaking of...the call to prayer is broadcast through the whole city 5 times a day. (I usually don't even notice it any more).
• Customer service here is phenomenal. The workers will bend over backwards to help you. They will remember your kids' names and greet them. They will carry your bags. And the whole time they are smiling and saying "yes madam". Take note of two things: 1. They are NOT American and 2. They are NOT locals. I will be writing more about this later.
• Most people either rent cars or ride in taxis. Even though I've heard you can get better deals if you buy, I don't want to deal with the hassle. We pay 1600 dirhams a month ($436) for a Hyundai Accent...but that includes insurance and maintenance. It was time for an oil change and they actually drove out a loaner vehicle to our apartment, took the car overnight to do maintenance, and then switched them out the next day. My friend had a flat tire and the same thing happened. So convenient! *Side note: It REALLY sucks going from a Honda Pilot at home to a small sedan here*
• Gas is SO cheap. That is probably obvious to everyone considering where I live, but let me tell you exactly how much it is: about $20 to fill up my tank.
• Everyone here gets water delivery. I've heard that even though drinking the tap water won't hurt you, it might give you a stomach ache because you aren't used to it. And I'm weird about water even in the US. And water delivery is SO cheap. For a 5 gallon jug it's about $3 and they bring it right to our door. The dispenser was about $100 and gives you cold water instantly. I LOVE IT and plan on trying to do this when we move back.

Walking in a winter wonderland (?)

Well technically it's not winter yet, is it? But guess what?

It's never going to be "winter" in the desert!

That's what I want to scream at the top of my lungs here. Because guess what?

There are winter clothes everywhere!

Yes, here in UAE. The desert. Land of the camels. Where it's still at least 90 degrees every day.

Pretty much every store has winter clothes on display. I'm talking puffy jackets, hoodies, turtlenecks (!), mittens, Applebottom jeans, boots with the fur...ok, maybe not the last two...but you get it. You would think it's going to go from the Middle East to the middle of Alaska in a few days.

And I'm kind of ok with it (well, not really...) but I'm upset that I missed the changing of the seasons sales. I don't even know if they have those here, but all my American friends know what I'm talking about. When Target and Osh Kosh and all my favorite stores mark down the summer stuff to ridiculously cheap prices because they are making room for the fall stuff. Maybe it's because even though I spend an abnormal amount of time in shopping malls but I don't really shop that I missed this event. Or maybe the event never happened. All I know is that I refuse to by my children anything long sleeved unless it drops below 70 more than 2 days in a row.

I'll keep you updated.

Halloween in UAE

I can't speak for all of UAE...but in the city I live in, there was very little fuss over Halloween. Our family isn't really a "Halloween family" (i.e. my husband hates it, my son loves it, and I just think it's cute to dress my kids up and watch them get excited). In the US, we put up a few decorations...mostly spider webs in the bushes, bats hanging from the trees, and lots of pumpkins (which aren't necessarily Halloweenie...they can be fall decorations). We did allow trick-or-treating and we definitely hit up as many fall festivals as possible.

Over here, the first time my son saw decorations, we were at Hallmark (which is actually very different from in the US...it consists of about 1/2 toys, 1/4 cards and 1/4 knick knacks) and he was so excited! And it made me happy, because I know moving 7,000 miles around the world was very difficult for me, so I can't imagine what it's like for him.

Well we had a bit of a house divided over it, but in the end I took the kids and daddy stayed home. We went to a group of villas that has lots of teachers living there and a lot of residents decorate their carports and hand out candy. It was a lot of fun! The crazy thing is that we live in a HUGE apartment complex...there are at least 700 residences here...and no one put together trick-or-treating here.

Get 'er done

Oh if only it was that easy...

It seems that everything here is more difficult than it should be...as you can probably tell from my past post about getting the entry visas/IDs/insurance cards. And guess what? We aren't even done! To truly be finished with the process, we need to get residence visas for my husband and kids. That requires more time and more money. My husband had to go get a "medical check" which consisted of a blood test and a chest xray. (Teachers get it done within the first few days of arriving. For females we had to take a pregnancy test too...and if you were pregnant without a spouse you would be sent back home). The ironic thing is that he's already been here for 2 months, so if he had an STD or something he could've already slept around and spread it. But that made them 250 more dirhams.
To get the residence visas I think it will cost us about 1200 more dirhams (like $340). I *think* it's refundable.
My current problem is that I'm not sure how long we have to get the residence visa done. I hope that it wasn't 14 days because otherwise their entry visas will be cancelled and we will have to start over.

**edit**
I actually started writing this several days ago and didn't get to finish. And now I can't continue on the path I was on because I stopped at ADEC today and turned in my paperwork and if I understood correctly, I will be able to pick up my family's residence visas in a week...without paying a dime. I guess all these other people have been "fast tracking" their documents for some reason and it costs them money. So, pray to God that I have done this correctly and it goes smoothly ;) We should have their Emirates IDs soon too.

I don't want you to think that this is easy at all...but I want to clarify that maybe it's not as hard as we think it is, mostly because our employer doesn't do a good job of laying it out in clear, easy steps to follow. Today I witnessed a British woman screaming at the sweet little typist guy for something that he had no control over. I understand being upset, but 1) it wasn't his fault and 2) screaming doesn't get you anywhere

So, I will definitely keep you updated about whether or not I understood the guy and have finished this crazy and confusing process. Because if I have, I might write a book about it and make millions ;)