Home for the holidays

Have this tune in my head right now.  I think it's akin to some little kid tune.  The words to that tune in my head are "I'm coming ho-ome for Christmas." ("home" having two syllabus in this little ditty.)

Technically, I should have to be on the job a bit longer to take vacation days. But when I negotiated my contract, I said that I needed to be able to take off the last two weeks in December.  They said yes. Really would have been a dealbreaker for me.

I love Christmas, and wanted to be home for that if possible. But most importantly, next week is Tim and my 25th wedding anniversary, and we absolutely were determined that we spend it together.

Tim and I had talked about doing something significant for such a big-number-year. Rent a cabin in the mountains for a few days and invite friends along was one idea. A trip somewhere was another idea.  We have sort of made staying at the Mission Inn in Riverside for our anniversary a tradition these past few years, and thought about renting several rooms and inviting friends and family to experience the place with us. (If you haven't checked the Mission Inn out, at least check out their website to get an idea of just how many lights and decor they put up for Christmas. We recommend visiting during the week, as the weekend brings far more people out to see the place, whether it's a quick walk through or staying the night.)

As you can imagine, the big thing for this anniversary ended up being me coming home from Abu Dhabi.  Will be wonderful to see Tim again, and super to see the pups. The pups already get excited when someone comes home even after just a short trip out of the house (Taicho with his full body wiggle, and Suki wagging her tail like crazy with a stuffed animal hanging out of her mouth.) So we're guessing it should quite the reaction when they see me on Friday night.

I just ran to the closest Souk to grab a couple of additional gifts. Outside the main entrance where cars pull up for valet, they have placed a large Christmas tree, covered with lights and ornaments, and oversized packages at the bottom of the tree.  Smart of them -- Christmas is not a tradition to the country, but it is to the many of the Expats living here. Made me smile, and eager to be at home. Tim got a real tree and it's up, along with the garland on the outside of the house. Yay!

Now, please wish me well as I travel many many hours in coach tomorrow!

Time at the beach plus some Christmas shopping

In spite of the fact that the UAE is an Islamic country, you can find Christmas decor in many locations. With so many Expats living here, it really shouldn't be a surprise.  But somehow (at least to me) it is a pleasant surprise everytime I run into Christmas decor. (Not literally run into, which is a good thing ...)

Saturday the 8th I was determined to finish my Christmas shopping. Ever since I arrived here, I knew that I wanted to find gifts from the UAE for our families.  And since I'm on a plane to California on the 14th, this was my last weekend day to get that done.

But I also wanted mellow time as well.

So in the morning I headed down to the Corniche. Parked in a lot along the Corniche road, at 32nd street. (Friday and holiday parking is free, as Friday is a holy day here in the UAE; but even if you pay the meter as I did on Saturday, it is only 2 dirhams an hour ... that's just over 50 cents an hour. Cool.)

I had driven by the beaches, but had not gone on them yet. There are family beaches, where solo men are not allowed. (As a male, on the family beaches you have to be with your kids or with a woman, such as wife or sister or girlfriend, etc.)  There are beaches that men can go to if they are solo.

I made my way across the Corniche roadway, and to one of the family beaches. It's 10 dirhams ($2.72 USD) to gain access to the beach. There is a ticket seller and security guard.  The security guard business here is HUGE. If you want, you can use a lounge chair, large umbrella and small side table for 25 dirhams ($6.80 USD); you pay an employee after you pick out your chair, and he opens up the umbrella and situates the chair depending on if you want sun or shade. I opted for shade.

The beach has beautiful sand, and lies along a protected waterway.  Swimming occurs within the buoys. Outside the buoys, a common site is water skiing and jet skiing. The water was a bit cooler than the last beach I visited (I'll refer you to the blog post where we took Grover to a beach).  I enjoyed a blissful couple of hours, reading a book on my tablet. (I have a mix of serious and brain candy books going, as always.  For today at the beach, opted for brain candy.)

I'll have to find another beach and water area where I can take photos; not allowed on this particular beach. (Photography is a bit more restrictive here; lots of government owned property, and, a sensitivity to privacy ... at least that is my understanding.)

Then I was ready for some Christmas gift shopping. I have been wanting to find gifts that are made here in the UAE.  There are many stores that carry goods from India, Turkey, and some other countries, with lovely items for sale. But I really wanted something from here.  I had done some research, and learned of the Khalifa Fund, which helps women earn an income through their hand crafted goods.  I read that some of those goods were sold at the Central Souk ... so I went looking. I finally came upon this small canopy, akin to kiosks we find in malls, but smaller and more organic so to speak, and it was the place selling these hand crafted goods.  The women receive the money for the sale of what they have made, and there are beautiful woven items, some with camel leather as part of the design. Success in my shopping ... finding some beautiful and unique items, and supporting this wonderful government initiative that empowers the women who make the items.   The items even have tags that list the name of the person who made them, which is a lovely personal touch.

All in all, a nice way to spend the day.

Witnessing national pride in two different countries

The reason I was in D.C. was for a NASPA Board meeting.

(If you're not familiar, that's a national professional organization for folks who work in Student Services / Student Affairs in higher education).  I'm on the board, chairing the Community College Division.

It was great to see my NASPA colleagues. They are smart, energetic, fun, and so committed to making things better for fellow professionals and for students. 

At one point during one of our meeting days, some of us had an hour break. Three of us decided fresh air sounded good. The NASPA office is very close to Union Station, and close to the Capitol.  So we bundled up and took a walk, and ended up going all the way 'round the Capitol building. 

I have been to D.C. before, and walked around this same area. And I love it every time. 

As we walked around the parameter of the building, a large area was fenced off.  Coming around the side that faces the Washington Monument, I could see the reason it was fenced off was that they were setting up the stands and risers for the Inauguration.  It was simply so cool to see that. To picture the President taking the oath of office, and knowing that the Mall will be completely filled with people, well I found it exciting.

And now spending some time living outside of the United States, just like when I was able to vote here in Abu Dhabi in October, it just feels different, almost more special. To come back to the States, to walk in our nation's Capitol, to vote when you're across the Atlantic and then some, to stay connected becomes a need, it just feels necessary. (And for some reason using the words "need" and "necessary" in that sentence does not feel redundant.)

Another factor might be the experience of witnessing another country celebrate their founding, and to do so with such pride and exuberance.

While I was in D.C., the UAE was celebrating its 41st National Day.  Seems ironic to me that my temporary residence is celebrating its founding at the same time I'm in a U.S. location that demonstrates our founding as a nation. 

The UAE completely embraces its forming as a nation. I've never seen bigger flags (of the country) draping houses and office buildings, more rope lights hung from buildings, more decor on cars and on bridges and inside buildings.  Red, white, black and green everywhere; pins and other depictions of the seven sheiks who came together; photos of the current president. It's something to behold. Schools -- I am sure every school -- does something special. To spread it out, celebrations happen throughout the week leading to National Day, and through the actual National Day. It is quite profound to witness such a collective passion and celebration.  I would say it is very much like our 4th of July. And to think that it's an even younger country than the U.S., it's heartwarming to understand how seven emirates came together such a short time ago and have done so much already to modernize and build infrastructure for the long term.

While I appreciate the UAE's celebration, it also makes me all the more enamored and proud of my own country, and hope that in spite of the time difference I'll be able to watch the inauguration. Am sure the CNN and MSNBC channels here will be showing it.

Weather is a relative thing

If you've spent time in Southern California, you know that there are really only a couple of seasons. Temperatures usually range from warm to cool (versus blazing hot and freezing cold). This past summer, we had a longer stretch of hot in August and September. And really cold to us is when the caytime temperature dips into the 50's in the winter months.

Here in Abu Dhabi, there is blazing hot and warm.  I've been told by so many people (including Emiratis that grew up here!) that summer is beyond belief. I understand that at one point last August it hit about 130 degrees. Add in the heat index (humidity because of the Gulf), and you're talking 150 degrees.  It is oppressive, by all descriptions.

Funny, for many years I swore (swore!) that I'd never move back to the heat and the desert. I grew up in Arizona, and I thought THAT was hot. So what do I do? Say yes to 15 months in Abu Dhabi. I am sure that come July and August I will be writing about the joys of air conditioning.  So when you have that extreme, and the temps get into the 60's at night (as they are now) with a breeze off the water, you start to see people in sweaters and jackets. Me, I'm sitting on the beach under an umbrella with cropped pants and a short sleeved shirt.

So imagine how bundled up I was in Washington D.C., when the weather was ranging from 40's and low 50's last week.  Was a fun change to me. Helped that it stayed sunny and we didn't have to deal with getting wet and soggy.

I had Tim bring me sweaters, gloves and my winter hat. From my sister Annie I borrowed scarves and fleece-lined jackets.  Unless I end up travelling to some place cold in Europe, there is just no need for me to be hauling heavy cold-weather clothing  8437 miles.

But after my trip home to California the last two weeks of December, I am bringing some work clothes that I thought would be too warm to wear here. Because my brother wasn't kidding when he talked about how cold some of the air conditioning can be.  And darned if it doesn't feel like there's a nip in the air here in the mornings and evenings.

It's all relative.

Come December 14th when I'm home for a bit, I'll probably be bundled up, and neighbors will wonder why I think it's so cold!  Natives will roll their eyes and think "tourist".

Day one in Washington D.C.

As I signed off in my previous post, it was so great to see Tim last weekend.

I had a NASPA board meeting in Washington D.C. (We have three in-person meetings every year, the rest are via conference call.  The November/December meeting is always in D.C. at the NASPA offices.)

Tim and I timed our flights so that we arrived almost the same time into Reagan Airport, as well as left about the same time.  (It's a smaller airport than Dulles, and about 5 miles from my sister's house, versus a ride of about 45 minutes to/from Dulles.)  Tim arrived right before me, and was waiting in the non-ticketed area.  Wonderful. Almost surreal after a two month separation.

I try to truly appreciate the instant communication we have these days.  With Skype, we can talk and see each other. And emails are wonderfully convenient. And not that hand written letters aren't a lovely thing (thanks Tina!), as there is something extraordinary these days about the care and time taken to put pen to paper and write down thoughts, and then get that note in the mail. But I shudder at the thought of my computer going haywire and losing that technology tether!

Somehow, I wasn't as wonky as I thought I would be with jet lag. And thank goodness for that. We arrived Tuesday evening, and Wednesday was my planned day for padding, in case my body clock was backwards.  Did wake up way too early on Wednesday, but managed the day without walking into any walls ;-)  Tim and I had visited National Cathedral before, but he wanted to take more photos.

I absolutely love gothic cathedrals. The builders' tribute to God, reaching toward the sky; the light that makes the interior absolutely glow and shimmer when the sun streams through the colored glass; the vaulted ceilings and the flying buttresses ... for whatever reason they take my breath away.  And bonus is when we visit a cathedral (anywhere) and music accompanies the visit.  This time, one of the organist talked about the pipe organ and then played three different pieces. I had to sit and bask in the glow of both the colors on display and the music filling the space.

I will snag some photos from Tim and share them in another blog post. (Why I didn't download some from him when his computer was right next to mine, is a minor mystery.)

On a funny note, and tied to my earlier comment about technology ... at one point Tim and I were both on our laptops in different rooms at my sister's house, taking care of whatever ... and I hear the now-familiar Skype tune that someone is calling in. It's Tim.  I cracked up, and so did my sister. Tim says it was a Pavlovian response -- that he saw I was online and went for the Skype icon. 

Abu Dhabi to the States / November 2012

It's Tuesday, November 27th and I'm on Etihad Airlines.

Making some notes while I am en route from Abu Dhabi to Chicago.  (In Chicago I will make a connection to Washington D.C.)

Was able to upgrade to Business Class.  So lovely to have room, be able to stretch out, get meals and extra service.  Little goodie bag awaits with a pillow, blanket for later when you want to have the seat lie flat, travel size amenities that include toothbrush, the smallest tube of toothpaste I’ve ever seen, lotion, and lip balm.  Oh, and socks and a face mask.

Etihad Airlines (based in Abu Dhabi) lets you bid on an upgrade if there are available seats.  When you go to the site to bid, it gives you a minimum and a maximum Dirham range.  I offered the lowest amount, and got an upgrade!  Cool beans.  I could see why when I got on the plane … lots of empty seats in business class.

There’s a map to show our route, and where we are now.  The under-the-plane camera isn’t working; the one on the nose of the plane is. Not much to see with the latter.

 

I’m at a window.  Sun-side, so it’s a little warm right now, but loving the view too much to close the windows.

Oh, a little bumpy at times, like just now when I’m typing, but each time it was passed quickly. For those of you who know me best, it’s “look at me, no Xanax!”  I’m too tired and too ready for a visit to the States and to see Tim, that turbulence that would have stressed me out earlier isn’t bothering me.

Back to the window … lots of desert for awhile … we are going north, a little northwest, up and over to the southern tip of Greenland and then back down again.  Right now I look at the map we are flying over what looks to be eastern side of Turkey.  Map doesn’t show the names of these mountains, but I dug for my camera quickly when I saw them:

Can see some huge peaks way off in the distance to the west.  We have flown over Saudi Arabia, passing near Kuwait. Could see some tiny little fires on the ground, which I presume are flames at oil sites.  Then we started to come into an area that had more farmland, and that was near Baghdad … have to say it was a slightly odd feeling to look out and see that, after the years in the news and the war.  Now it’s green mountains, sometimes rugged, with areas of snow. Little hamlets dotting the mountains, with windy roads, rivers, a lake here and there. 

About to cross over the Black Sea.  What’s that you say? A photo would be nice? Here you go:

It's huge and goes on and on.

Such a difference after two months of only seeing desert and sand, no mountains and lots of beige. Not a complaint, mind you, just a drastic difference!

Postscript: Caught my connection in Chicago, and customs was a breeze. Quick flight (just short of two hours) to Washington D.C.) ... certainly felt quick after 14 hours from Abu Dhabi to Chicago.

SO great to see Tim !

For your viewing pleasure

When I went to my colleague’s apartment building for Thanksgiving, I took some photos.

These were taken at dusk, so they are a bit hazy, but thought they might be fun to see nonetheless.

I’ve mentioned the mangroves, and how they grow up from the water.  This is looking pretty much north, at the Abu Dhabi area called Eastern Mangroves.  The green area just past the houses is a preserve for mangroves, and you can kayak through there. On my list for one of these days … want to get a long sleeved uv-resistant shirt first!  The tall buildings are part of Abu Dhabi's city centre, near the Corniche.

 

This shot will show you that the city does have a grid system to streets … just doesn’t feel like it when you are driving around by car.  It also shows the mangroves preserve from another angle. The majority of buildings in this shot are apartment buildings and houses.  In the evening, the mosques have some uplighting on the towers, and green lights on the towers.  There are many many mosques. Most are small, at least in neighborhoods like these.

 

This photo shows a typical storefront, found all over the place. Small stores, businesses, and restaurants, with apartments above. Such a common site, throughout the UAE.

 

A little taste of Thanksgiving in Abu Dhabi

I have been traveling abroad before when a purely American holiday occurs.  The time that comes to mind is when Tim and I were in Scandanavia, and it was the 4th of July.  I remember that our tour guide made the effort of having some red, white and blue during our day, which was very sweet. But it also feels a little weird, because no one is (or no one seems to be) celebrating it.

It's an odd thing, being in another country when an American holiday hits the calendar.

Thursday November 22nd 2012 was just another working day for me ... that was a first.  And it was okay.

What was lovely was a colleague invited me to her home for a Thanksgiving potluck.  Because Thursday was a working day, the potluck was Friday evening. (I think that some Expats in the UAE take the day off, but couldn't tell you how many because there's just a handful of Americans in the Al Rowdah Academy and I haven't met but a handful people outside of work.) (That's not a complaint; I just haven't felt the desire to go out and be social and "make friends".)

Anyway, my only hesitation about going was that I knew the other 8 people that this couple invited all knew each other from the church they attend (the evangelical church here in Abu Dhabi), and I figured I'd be odd one out not knowing anyone else.  But I had a lovely evening. Everyone was so friendly, welcoming, easy to be around. Conversation was interesting ... talking about camping at the dunes near Liwa; jet skiing near the Corniche; using the four-day UAE National Day holiday weekend to pop over to Nepal on a package deal ... I do need to start taking advantage of what is here as well as places that are fairly short flights away that I wouldn't probably visit any other way.

And it was fun to have some turkey, potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and some other goodies. What did I bring? Oh, some darling little individual fruit tarts from the small market here at the compound. (It's called Spinney's, and there is a large version in the main city area of Abu Dhabi.)

The couple hosting live in a 21 story apartment building (large apartment it seemed), and they were on the 20th floor.  I am carrying my camera around with me everywhere I go, and I took some photos of the view.

Am going to tease you with that ... it's getting late and I have a plane to catch in the morning. I will post some photos next blog.

The plane ride? I have a NASPA Board meeting in D.C., so fly out on Tuesday the 27th and fly back out on Sunday, getting back to Abu Dhabi on Monday.  And cool beans, staying with my sister Annie ... AND ... Tim is flying out so that we get some time together.  Woo-hoo!

Keynote at a symposium

After I said "yes" to the contract here in Abu Dhabi, and before I headed over here, my boss asked if I would be the keynote at a Student Services Symposium for the Institute of Applied Technology.  Was very honored, and also happy to share experience and knowledge from a different perspective. The event was November 4, 2012.

Right now, the concept of student services (aka student affairs on many campuses) is beginning to develop. (I'm not as familiar with the four-year institutions here yet, and they might be doing more ... but my organization is so new.) Which is another exciting piece to be part of -- watching this aspect of higher education develop.  Some academic counseling and student development counseling is pretty much the scope right now. But conversations are occurring about training and professional development and growing this area.  Again, exciting!

A lovely colleague organized the day for the Institute of Applied Technology.  My keynote focused on the fact that everyone working at a college or university or academy plays the role of an educator, regardless of title or position. That in and out of the classroom we contribute to student learning; and I compiled a top 12 things to keep in mind (from listening to mentoring to making education the primary focus).  Following me were 10 minute presentations on different areas of helping students, and the afternoon had case studies of student situations based on the previous presentations, with small groups having dynamic conversations about how to handle a variety of student issues, ranging from eating disorders to student misbehavior.

I have permission to share the Word document summary, but cannot attach it; need to post it somewhere and link to an URL. So instead, here are two photos from the document.

My boss, Dr. Abdullatif Al Shamsi (google his name and you'll get better photos of him); he also has a video or two on youtube, from events where he has been a guest speaker on education.

Moi:

The feedback I received from attendees was very positive ... it feels really good if people walk away with new ideas and are excited about learning more about student services as a profession.

(I know the photos are not crystal clear, but thought it would be fun to share nonetheless.)

Being on the ground floor

Being on the ground floor.

That statement can have a few meanings.

Here in the UAE, as in many places in Europe, the "ground floor" is the same as the first floor in the U.S.

With that in mind, here the 1st floor is the same as the 2nd floor in the U.S.  And so on.  There are still moments when I forget this concept and difference, and in the three-story building my office is located, I end up going to the wrong floor because of my American frame of reference.  Security guys just smile and point me back in the right direction.

(Security guards are a common sight ... housing complexes, businesses, government agencies, malls, just about anywhere.  Not a scary or bad thing. Just part of living and working here.  Probably because so many organizations are government agencies; cannot fault someone for ensuring safety.)

At work not only am I literally on the ground floor (that's where my office is), but with the Al Rowdah Academy I am figuratively on the ground floor of a new concept and quickly growing educational institution here in the UAE.

On days that I feel a bit daunted, or have moments where I find myself thinking "what the heck did I get myself into" by the sheer magnitude of possibilities and subsequent work due to those possibilities, I turn it around in my head and remind myself that "wow, this is an incredibly unique opportunity" and then decide to focus on the fun of it all.  The work is challenging and I am never bored. I am learning so much, and simply strive to make a productive and positive contribution. Vast majority of the days I am just enjoying this new ride. 

Lunch with a view

It's Saturday, and we've had a three-day weekend. Thursday was the Islamic New Year.

Needed to baby my back a bit on Friday, so I hung around the house. Am doing another webinar on December 7th for Innovative Educators, this one is part 2 about student satisfaction surveys. So while I rotated ice and the stim machine for my back, finished up a draft powerpoint for that.  When I did part 1 in October, Val (Innovative Educators) and I were glad we were online early ... took us awhile to figure out how I could call in on the toll free number.  I hadn't made any long distance phone calls my work mobile, and for several minutes I was afraid Val or someone else would have to just go through my slides.

Back to the point of this blog (hence the title).  Today, after spending a couple of hours at my office simply to get a head start on the week, I treated myself to lunch at a Souk near the villa.  It's a modern building nestled next to a hotel, with a mix of traditional and modern stores. There are also several restaurants, all of which have outdoor seating for when it's cool enough outside.  And today was a pretty day.

Picked the Japanese restaurant, and sat outside in the shade. Had my tablet with me, so enjoyed the view, some good food, and a book. 

This was the view from my table (above).  I believe it's the Ritz Carlton in the foreground, which is being built and supposed to be one its biggest properties when it's done. You can see the Grand Mosque peaking up behind it on the left.  And a couple of little bitty boats docked next to the restaurants.  The waterway is popular with jet skis.

Another angle from the outside patio.

Zooming in a bit, you can see a couple of the bridges that lead you in to the city. Locally, you are on-island or off-island. Heading toward the west/northwest (I need a compass) leads you into the city area of Abu Dhabi, or on-island.  From this angle, you'd be driving to the left of where I am looking, to get in the city area of Abu Dhabi.  The taller of the two bridges is the newest, the Sheik Zayed bridge.

A little Q&A

Today is Thursday November 15th and I have the day off because it's the Islamic New Year.

 

And no matter where you are, gotta love a three-day weekend!

 

Had some questions from Kathleen in an email, and am copying and pasting my answers.  I figure if she is curious, others probably are too.

 

The weather ... the weather channel says we were 93 degrees today; probably close to correct. After today it looks like we move into the mid-80's, which for here is cool. Here, you expect it to be hot, so hot and cool are relative concepts! And you also have to be prepared for cold inside; some places are air conditioned to very chilly temps. I've been warned even by people born and raised here that the summers are stifling hot (and humid). You get as quickly as you can from one air conditioned thing to the next. So, am making sure I enjoy this "cooler" weather, knowing that come June or so it will be hotter than Hades!

 

Weekends ... I'm starting to get into the rhythm of Friday/Saturday weekends. I did go ahead and put "weekend" on my calendar, because you spend 50+ years of weekends being Saturday/Sunday, and mentally it's quite the paradigm shift. More than every I have to stop and think about what day of the week it is, and what the date is.

Shopping ... some of the malls are kind of normal in scope. Some are SCPlaza on steroids. Like the malls in Dubai. I've only been to one (Dubai Mall; the other one is Mall of the Emirates and that is the one with the indoor skiing), but it was quite overwhelming in size. "Malling" is a favorite past-time here; something to do inside where it's cool. But I think people simply enjoy shopping and wandering around. I went to a mall this afternoon to pick up a couple of things (I wanted a second and different pair of eyeglasses), and realized that that mall -- and some others -- have small amusement parks within them for the kids. I was picking out some glasses, and felt and heard this rumbling. If I was home in California I would pause and wonder if it was an earthquake. Nope, was a roller coaster! Not huge, but a roller coaster in a mall nonetheless. I'm doing a mental count ... I can think of at least 7 malls of various sizes in Abu Dhabi alone. If you've looked at a map, that's a lot of malls in a pretty small area.

Today I also visited the Central Souk.  It's a re-built wood building (I read somewhere that the original burned down), with lots of small shops, many with traditional items from the Middle East. Scarves, ceramics, hand crafted furniture, wooden boxes, lanterns, and the sort. Jewelery stores are popular, and perfume and incense stores, both in the Souk and in the mall.

In the malls there are stores unique to the Middle East, but many American and European brand stores as well. So there is a variety of affordable and crazy expensive.

The bigger grocery stores are mostly attached to malls as well, and have both food and other goods. Kind of like a Target is when it has a food section ... but not quite Target. Fruits and vegetables can be a bit more expensive, and they don't last as long because they aren't covered or full or preservatives; and a lot of the fruits and vegetables seem to be from Africa and Australia. There are familiar brands, like Crest. Things are labeled in both English and Arabic. Many items are a bit more expensive. Others, pretty cheap, like a bottle of water is about 28 cents (1 dirham), and gasoline. We can fill up one of the cars for about $30 dollars.

 

GPS ... not as helpful here. I haven't used it, and folks have told me that it's hit and miss here. So many streets that aren't really named, and that GPS voice probably has conniption fits. 

Most people speak English. All levels of English. The people you have to do the most simple English with are folks from Southeast Asia; not as fluent as the Emiratis. In the UAE, students learn both Arabic and English, throughout school. In some cases if I were to get lost, and if I was in a remote area, it might take awhile to find someone who could help me. But within the cities and along the roads at gas stations, it's easy to get by. I need to nail down a few key words (thank you, God willing, congratulations are common Arabic phrases); I need to just practice them. I've avoided trying them out on people because I don't want to inadvertently say the wrong thing, or, sound like an idiot! And I need to start back on the Rosetta Stone Arabic.

 

Let me know if you have more questions!

A small stream of consciousness

There are still some days when I am homesick.

Homesick for Tim, and the pups.

Homesick for the little things, like running errands with Tim on a Saturday morning and later listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me together in the back yard.

Homesick for Suki (our female Akita) greeting me at the door with a stuffed animal in her mouth, and Taicho (her brother) wagging his entire body in excitement that you are home.

Homesick for non-important but fun things like the dvr and catching up on favorite tv shows with Tina.  Phone calls to Diane and my mom on the way home from work, catching up with ease.

Homesick for things that are so familiar that you don't give them a second thought when available and near to you.  That makes you conscious of the fact that there is comfort not only in convenience, but in routine.

The feeling is not overwhelming like it was the first couple of weeks here. That's good.

And I know with all my heart I will miss Tim and home and the pups every day throughout my entire residence here.

But since I am here, and have committed to this 15 month contract, then I make the best of it.  And it's nice that some things are beginning to feel familiar, and that brings its own level of comfort.

My first couple of weeks, I could NOT imagine ever driving while I'm here. Am pretty sure I made a statement along the lines of "if I never drive I'll be perfectly okay with that".  Between some crazy driving the and challenge of finding things ... But the past couple of weeks I found myself pleased as punch with myself when I made it to and back from a couple of places all on my own in the car.  (I borrow one of Tom and Danielle's cars now and then; so far haven't needed to rent one.)  As I've driven around with them, and others from work, I've paid close attention.  As my brother described before I got here, you go by sights and landmarks, and the few streets that have obvious street signs. 

Without getting lost or having to call someone for directions, I successfully made it to our Al Rowdah campus in the city of Abu Dhabi (Al Jazirah).   I followed my brother to one of the Christian churches (Tom did this detour for me, as he was heading in the same general direction for something else; it would have taken me a long time to find it on my own), and found my way back to the villa.  Got to the Le Meridian in the Tourist Club area (not far from the Corniche ... google map clues) and back.  Made it to Khalifa University and back, again without getting lost (had been there once and literally took notes for finding it again). Made sure I drove in daylight to the Marina Mall (also near the Corniche) so I would recognize some landmarks when I left that mall after sunset.  None of this may sound like no big deal, but nonetheless, felt like a big deal!

Finding a substitute massage therapist has been nice (hence, the visits to the spa at Le Meridian) ... no match to Alba Tucker at Dr. Whitney Tanner's office, but definitely a good substitute while I'm here.

Other things help too, like developing a few routines such as swimming laps on weekends in the pool here at Mangrove Village; twice daily skype calls with Tim and random other skype calls with friends and family; becoming familiar with some malls and stores when I need to pick something up.  Even started long-distance cribbage with Helen (thanks Helen!).

And as frustrating as the internet connection and skype connection can be at times, I remain thankful for the internet and email and online calls with a video feed.  To receive a hand written letter is beyond lovely, but love that that option is balanced out with nearly instant communication from half way 'round the world.

Yet even with all of these points, just 15 days until I get to see Tim :-) 
End of November and beginning of December I'm in D.C. for a few days for a NASPA board meeting, and Tim's flying to D.C. just to grab a little time together.  This two months should be our longest time apart during my 15 months in Abu Dhabi. And a bonus with the D.C. trip and seeing NASPA colleagues is the chance to see my sister Annie who lives there.

And then just 32 days from now I am in California for our 25th wedding anniversary and Christmas.  Home for a couple of weeks!  I feel bad that there is no explaining my extended absence to the pups, and they'll be confused when I leave again and fly back to Abu Dhabi, but nevertheless I look forward to Suki greeting me with great enthusiasm with a stuffed toy in her mouth and the full body wagging from Taicho!

Hopefully you don't think this stream of consciousness wasn't actually a river !
As always, thanks for reading.

A brief visit to the Western Emirates

Wednesday's work excursion was to visit the area of Al Gharbia.  Also known as the Western Emirates.  Specifically, we visited one of our campuses in Baynounah.  (Map reference: we took E11 south.)

Now, google all you want, but finding Baynounah on a map or otherwise is not easy.  If you check out this map, know that it's near Madinat Zayed in the enormous Al Gharbia region.  BIG empty desert for the most part. Didn't know sand came in so many colors!

http://www.algharbia.ae/contents.php?pageid=91

The Liwa Oasis is a bit further south from Madinat Zayed, and I am told it is definitely worth a visit.  So, putting it on my "places to see / things to do" list while I'm here.

Baynounah has a sister campus, Mirfa. That is on the map linked here,  and lies on the coast. They are about an hour drive apart. I'll visit Mirfa another day.  Both small and newer campus sites for Al Rowdah. 

Since Al Rowdah partners with ADVETI, and we fall under the leadership of IAT, we don't have our own facilities.  We go to where the students are on ADVETI and IAT campuses, and "borrow" offices and classrooms on an on-going basis. The possibility exists to expand and partner with additional UAE colleges and universities.  For now, the 9 separate campus sites keep us plenty busy!

This trip included me (obviously!), Shaikha (associate director, as you might recall) and Iain.  Cultural note: Emirati women do not ride in cars with male non-family members, unless it's a hired driver or staff driver. Since Shaikha and I had not had a chance to catch up and talk about Al Rowdah business, I rode with her (thankfully she drove; she grew up here and knows where she is going; but believe me -- I took notes on the roads and routes!), and Iain then drove separately.

One of the many benefits of this job is that I will be visiting several areas of the UAE on a regular basis ... some I might have visited even if my job kept me only in Abu Dhabi, but this way I am guaranteed to get to know a bit more of the country.

More camel sightings on this trip. My brother had described how camels are transported in the back of pickups. Yup. We passed a couple of pick up trucks with tall sides walls and back gates, with two camels lying flat, and stretching up their heads a bit. Maybe next time I can get my camera out in time to take a photo.

Squirrel !

Okay, if you have seen the movie "Up", then you are familiar with the funny dogs, and how distracted those characters get when it comes to squirrels.

Squirrel!

Monday, I took a bit of a road trip for work with Iain (he has the massive job of hands-on coordinating academics with our nine campuses).  I had not yet visited Ras Al Khaimah, which is at the northwest tip of the UAE, about 2.5 hours north of Abu Dhabi.  Referencing google maps again, we drove up E11 to E311.  You can take E11 all the way up, but for a variety of reasons E311 worked for us.

It is a bit of a wilderness on the way up to Ras al Khaimah, or RAK for short (pronounced "rock", if you are going for the shorter nickname). Development going on in the city area.  Lots of sand dunes along the way.  It could have been the lighting, but given that it was mid-day, I don't think that was a factor ... on the eastern side of the road the sand was a more traditional beige sand color.  On the western side of the road, the dunes were a much more vibrant orange. Quite beautiful. 

The fun of the wilderness for me was the number of camels we saw along the way to RAK.  Where I was cracking up, was how excited I got each time we saw camels.  The "squirrels" analogy is because we'd be driving along, talking about whatever, and we'd have these randoms interruptions to a thought or sentence, point, and say "camel!"  It started happening enough that it reminded me of the dogs in "Up" and cracked me up even more.

I need to see some camels up close and not from a car.  They are just fun.  Perhaps I can get myself to a camel race soon.

We didn't make to the coastal side of the city, which I hear is beautiful. And reportedly several lovely hotels, and just a great place to spend a weekend.  There are mountains nearby; they looked large from a distance, so I can only imagine how big they actually are.

Camel!

Camel!

Random observations

For today I have some random thoughts to share.  A bit of a "did you know?" for this post.

Even indoors, vending machines are air conditioned.

Cars (at least every car I've been in so far) makesa dinging sound or at minimum has a flashing light on the control panel near the speedometer, that activates when you go over 120 kilometers an hour.  In the taxis, their communication panel lights up red and a voice asks the driver to lower their speed.  Makes me wonder if the cars that go crazy fast on the roads just ignore the sound/light, have it disconnected, or perhaps just turn up their music to drown it out!

You can get a ticket for driving a dirty car.  Between sand and humidity, cars get dirty pretty fast, and some are so covered with dirt/sand that it becomes a safety hazard with covered windows.  (Saw a car pulled over yesterday ... oh so dirty.)

The dates of Islamic holidays are based on the moon.  For example, we knew that Eid Al Adha would fall somewhere around October 24th and 25th.  So, on a school calendar for example, you pretty much do placeholder dates.  Then, about 10 days prior the designated religious experts (yup, I need to look that one up so I can be more knowledgeable in what I'm sharing with you) eye ball the moon and what phase it's in.  Then we know exactly which two days Eid will fall on, and subsequently know for sure what days people have off for the holiday. There are some holiday dates that are set, but the religious ones (including Ramadan) are more fluid.

California drivers (and other States' drivers, to be fair) have nothing on the concept of riding another car's tail ... it can take your breath away just how close they will ride another car in an attempt to make the point of "get out of my way" or how close they will come to another car when changing lanes.  If you are a good defensive driver, you can survive these circumstances.  If not, I suggest a taxi :-)

Big cars and fancier cars "win" on the road.  There seems to be a correlation between the type and size of car you drive and how much respect you get on the road.  That' not to say that you don't see smaller and less fancy cars go very fast and zip around; I personally wouldn't risk that!

Like in the state of Oregon, you don't fill up your own car with gas.  (Actually, it's "petrol" here.)  Attendants do that for you. And people leave their cars running while getting gas, because you have to stay in your car and it gets so amazingly hot.

There are usually lines of cars waiting for petrol; there are gas/petrol stations, but it doesn't seem that the stations have kept pace with the amount of cars ... but they are building more of them.

Hmmm. Didn't mean to make this blog so much about cars, but ah well.

Take care my friends.

Vrooom ...

Well, yesterday's adventure was the practice runs for the premiere Formula 1 racing here in Abu Dhabi.  The track here is reportedly the best in the world.  Race weekend is a big event, with evening concerts each night.  Sunday, November 4th is the actual race, and Eminem is the concert that evening. We decided to not stay for Thursday's concert, Kylie Minogue (spelling?) ... nothing against her, just wasn't in the mood to stick around for it.

Here's the funny thing.  Thursday morning, while some of the Al Rowdah team was with me to do some placement testing of some potential UAE military students, we were chatting about weekend plans. (Remember, Thursday is the last day of our work week here.)  I was asked if I was going to Formula 1. My response was: "If I'm offered a ticket I'd go, sure. But otherwise, nope."

Thursday afternoon, I got a call from a senior management office, asking if I would like to go to Formula 1 this weekend.  I of course said "yes" and "thank you", and then hung up the phone and laughed.  Really, I never dreamt that I'd make that off-hand remark and then actually end up going.

The tickets were for a day when the F1 drivers practice, going 90 minutes and getting used to the track.  While I am sure the actual race day is great fun with cheering crowds and the actual prize at stake, I have to say that it was fun to not be in the middle of the crowds.  I was given two tickets, and Tom went with me.  Here is one view of the track. We're sitting on the top level, which is the third level.

 

 

Behind us are "suites", where you can watch from inside and comfy seats and air conditioning. It wasn't a hot day (high 80's at this point, and for here that is much cooler), so pretty pleasant sitting outside. Trips inside for the complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.  There is also a fun area outside the building, with merchandise, go carts and other activities.

I had not been to a F1 race ... it is really really loud.  Fun to watch these skilled drivers maneuver at incredible speeds ... did I mention it was really really loud?  I ran downstairs to a vendor and bought ear plugs for the two of us, which kept us from having to plug up our ears with our fingers the whole time!

For your viewing and listening pleasure (you might turn your sound down a bit):

And here is a picture of moi, with another view of the race track.

For Diane who is tracking my stops on Google maps, the F1 trace track is on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. We were in the north grandstand, right next to Ferrari World. 

And a gorgeous shot of the view we faced. We are looking west.  In fact, we live just a a few miles to the left of the cluster of building you can see straight across.

Getting my feet wet

Something new for me this weekend was getting my feet wet in the Persian Gulf.

My sister-in-law Danielle arranged for a play date for Grover, a sweetheart of a dog that provides for me great substitute fur therapy.  We drove out to Yas Island (just north of the main city area of Abu Dhabi ... if you have looked up Ferrari World, you'll know of what I'm writing), and met up with a fun dog by the name of Archie, and his owners.

Once again, street names and numbers being a novelty in this area of the world, we followed the directions given ... something along the lines of "take Yas Island West, turn right at the roundabout, go past the villas on the left, turn left at the palace, and you'll see our white suv off the side of the road".  You then proceed to drive onto the sand and the beach.  (Not all beaches are drive-on, but in this less developed area, a smattering of cars on this long beach.)

In this video you will see Grover, who had a blast playing in the water and on the beach with his new friend Archie.  You'll also see the extent of the waves in this area of the Persian Gulf. Very mellow.

There are lovely beaches with sand, especially in the Corniche area of Abu Dhabi (that we will visit when it cools down just a bit more).  This beautiful beach was different -- it was more of a dense mud consistency. As you walk out, your feet (with or without flip flops) stick to the mud a bit.  Not bad or uncomfortable, just different. You get out to the water, and it is wonderfully warm. Quite soothing in temperature.  Light blue for many feet, as it is shallow for many yards. A little further out, a lovely dark turquoise color.  You can see islands in the distance, no doubt owned by sheiks or their families.  Small clusters of mangrove trees, and many many sea shells lying about.

(Thanks, Shana, for the sunscreen!)

Voting at the Embassy

Found out through my brother that on October 16, 2012, American expats could go to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and vote in the 2012 presidential election.

Conveniently, that day I was at the Najah (pronounced nah-JAH) education exhibition, and that was a short distance from the US Embassy. So in the afternoon, I hopped in a taxi and went the mile or two to the embassy.  I got there before the line was really long.  Passport in hand, they let a couple of people in at a time.

Phones off.
Bags through a screener (think TSA at airport).
Step through a metal detector.
Then spread your arms and have a wand trace you.
Bags are held at the security station.

You walk to the next building, and there you fill out write-in ballots.
If you have your absentee ballot, you can turn it in.
The Embassy mails all of them free of charge.

I didn't receive my absentee ballot before I left the U.S., so used the write-in ballot.

Many staff working were working in the lobby-type area, asking mine and many people's questions. Very patient, and quite friendly.

I'm so glad I took the time to go do this.
There was just something special about going to an Embassy and having the opportunity to vote from so far away. A connection to home, and different sort of patriotic feeling.

Yup, they hand out "I voted" stickers, just like at home.
Wore mine when I went back to the education exhibition ... got some odd looks, as most probably had no idea that Americans were voting at the embassy, and they therefore wondered what the heck I had voted for.

Have to share that I do not miss the gluttony of political ads during this time. Prefer the tv news and newspaper stories, where the mud slinging is edited out.

Now I wait along with other Americans to see what the final result will be.

Oktoberfest in the Middle East

So, you have to keep in mind that the UAE -- including Abu Dhabi -- has a majority population of Expats. People are from all over the world, coming to the UAE to work. Different businesses, including hospitals, colleges and universities, oil industry, construction, airlines, hotels, and more.

Which then helps to explain how I ended up an Oktoberfest party in Abu Dhabi.

A couple of weeks ago, colleagues of Tom's and Danielle's reserved a table at the Hiltonia's Oktoberfest party, and were kind enough to extend their invitation to me as well.  Nightly through October, the hotel (and several others, in fact) throw this party.  Complete with German food, German beer, a German band, a beer stein holding contest (try holding your arm straight out and hold a traditional-size stein of beer for any length of time), and a bit of German dancing and singing.

Some folks were dressed in traditional German outfits (the pinafore type dress for women and lederhosen for men) ... it was a warm and muggy night, so I didn't envy the wearing of lederhosen.

We attended this toward the end of my second week here. I ended up sitting and chatting for a couple of hours with some very lovely and interesting people.  One couple hails from Canada; he works in the oil industry; they have been in the UAE for about five years, and are about to move to Bangkok for a new and different contract of employment.  Another couple is from the States, and spent several years in Saudi Arabia and are now in Abu Dhabi.  This introduced me to people who have made it a way of life to live for a few years in one place, and then as opportunities arise, move onto another international city and live there for a few years. As they shared areas of the country they have explored while living here (camping on the dunes, camel beauty pageants, driving to Oman which is reportedly quite beautiful with mountains and shoreline), you could see that they love immersing themselves in the culture and discovering all kinds of treasures within a country.

Being Muslim, pork is not popular with the UAE nationals. But it is with Expats. When pork is served, it is separated from all other foods being served. At this Oktoberfest, there were nice walled canopies with potato salads, red cabbage, sauerkraut, desserts, and I forget what else.  And so many different kinds of pork -- but all pork products were isolated in one tent.  Same for grocery stores -- the pork is in a separate room.  Expats are just grateful you can buy pork ... think about all the different items that include pork in the States, and imagine not having that.

It was a fun evening.

A few photos

While we were out on our walk, I took a few other photos.

Here's another view of the villa compound where we live.

The wall you see surrounds a sheik's villa and compound. In the background, you see four white spires. Those are the spires of the Grand Mosque.  It's several miles away, just to give perspective. I want to go check that out very soon; it's striking from the outside, and supposed to be incredible on the inside.

This shot shows the sheik's villa (nope, don't know which sheik ... there are HUGE villas and compounds not far from here as well) ... Eric's bike is on the left, and you can see (if you squint, or if you can enlarge this photo), a couple of people just past the bike; well, the top of their heads. They are down next to the water, fishing for Hammour (a speciality around here and quite tasty).

And this is just an elongated shadow of me.
Artsy? Goofy?
At this point it's bed time and I'm punchy, so including it for kicks :-)

Perspectives

It's the end of our weekend here in Abu Dhabi (Sunday, October 20th).  I am starting to adjust to the whole 'Fridays and Saturdays are the weekend' concept. I have moments where I wonder, when I am back home after this contract, will the adjustment of going back to Saturday-Sunday weekends be easy?  Probably. But you still wonder.

A reflection on my work here ... back home, as a dean of student services, your direct contact with students is constant. That has been my world for 11 years (as a dean), and more than double that amount of time if you add up all my years in higher education. As a dean, that contact included/includes (if I'm on a leave of absence, just what is the correct tense for that verb?) both stellar student leaders, and students who made some really interesting choices that brought them to my attention, and not in a good way.

With that being said, here in Abu Dhabi I currently see students throughout the day, but I am not interacting with them directly. And I see students as I visit our campus sites, and as I walk through the college where our management offices are located.  I have to say, I miss the interaction with my (yes, "my") student leaders (that's a shout-out to ASOCC!) ... but I am not missing the crazy moments and dealing with really challenging students, at least not right now.

I kind of knew I needed a break from that part of the position. It's a mix of emotions when it comes to that part of the job. It's great to help a student see things differently and turn themselves around and succeed. It's frustrating when it's a wild battle with a student over their behavior and choices. So right now, when I overhear the students talking to one of our lead teachers or managers about a complaint or about their own behavior, while I have the inclination to respond and jump in that fray, I  have to say I am enjoying not having to do that on a regular basis.  The position I'm in is helping me let go and not get in the middle of that intensity, and instead support and empower the teachers, staff and managers to handle those moments. (And they handle those situations well.)

Speaking of perspectives, had a minor emotional meltdown Friday morning.   The good news is that it had been several days since I  had been weepy.  That's progress. Technology is great when it works. Sometimes the home internet connection is not as consistent as I'm used to, and skype calls are choppy, with 3-5 second delays in sentences.  You combine that with a Friday morning, and weekends being when I miss Tim and the pups and home the most, well, it's a bit of a perfect storm.  But as Tim reminded me, being able to skype a couple of times a day even if it isn't perfect, and being able to email, beats having to wait for weeks for a letter in the mail. (Not to knock hand written notes, but "yay" for instant communication when you are 8400 or so miles away from home!)

And, thanks to Tim generating some good ideas, I will start getting out more, see some sights, even if it's on my own.  I have fun running around doing errands with Tom and Danielle, as they purchase items for the villa, and sharing meals and hanging out. We all agree we need to add in some fun things to the necessary tasks.  This afternoon (about 5 p.m.), Tom and Eric and I and Grover (their pup) took a walk, just outside the villa compound. (I struggle with the word "compound", but that's what the complexes are called here.)  There is a separate gate for a sheik's villa (our villa, times 5) that's on the compound, but the security guys are lovely about letting us walk in and out of that gate, as it is really convenient.

Obviously, we are facing west (sunset and all !).  This is a waterway coming inland, that flows past our compound. What you see is a grove of mangrove trees; the government is protecting them, and encouraging their growth.  Funny things, mangroves; my brother explained to me that they grow in salt water, their roots grow up, and they are nourished by the dew.  Beyond the mangroves, is the Gulf.  I want to go hang out on the beaches along the Gulf sometime soon. (Lovely chairs and umbrellas you can rent.) Reportedly some beautiful beaches.  So, sharing my view ... my perspective on a Saturday afternoon here in Abu Dhabi.

and now a note from our sponsor(s)

Okay. Honesty. Right up front.
This post is not going to include much about me or Abu Dhabi.

It's about Tim and a big ol' favor we have for you.

If you could, take a couple of minutes and check out this website:
http://tmgtextures.com/

This is Tim's big new adventure.  After 17 years he is closing up Gothic Moon Productions, and he's going to focus on this.  For years he has wanted to use his vast collection of photographs and make them available to designers (and anyone else who is interested).  He, and our good friends Tina and Jon, have combined their energies and talents into a new endeavor.

And this is just the start; the photo collection will continually expand and evolve.

If you enjoy what you see (even if you'll never purchase any of the photos but just enjoy looking at the world through their eyes), or if you get the kick I do out of Amanda's blog (Tim's sister), then please consider signing up for an account. It's free. And if you do Facebook, "liking" it would be fantabulous (okay, I'm feeling punchy tonight).  There's nothing as effective as word of mouth and social media these days, and I want to help Tim get a kick start.

The title of this blog ... well, I wouldn't be here if not for the support of Tim, as well as Tina and Jon ... so in a way, yeah, my sponsors.

And hey, the sooner their site and business takes off, the more often Tim can come and visit and take a whole bunch of photos here in the Gulf Region! Woo-hoo!