It's important to let you know that while I am still keeping some odd hours in the middle of the night due to either jet lag or occasional insomnia (that 2 -3 a.m. waking up that many of us are familiar with) ... I am keeping my laptop on California time, as part of my time difference adjustment for myself. Helps with the clock math. For instance, the post that says 1:46 a.m. on October 6th, I really did at 12:26 p.m. October 6th in the UAE.
So, my first 24 hours. Well, part of it at least.
I arrived at the Mafraq Hotel, probably close to 9:30 p.m. (Honestly, didn't pay that close of attention at that point!) Nice hotel, seems fairly new, friendly service. I was provided 5 nights there by the Institute of Applied Technology, as it's just down the road from where my office is located. Mafraq is on the eastern end of the city of Abu Dhabi; a less developed area, near what is labeled as the Mafraq industrial area. I figure I'll clue into what the industry in that area is, over time.
I had the chance to Skype with Tim (yay!), and email folks that I made it there safe and sound. Thank goodness I knew to load Skype on my computer before I came to the UAE (restricted here from downloading), and thank goodness for Skype.
I was picked up at 9 a.m. (God bless them for not making it 8 a.m. that day) on Monday, October 1st. I was met by the Al Rowdah Academy operations manager, Amanda, who introduced me to two lovely Emirati gentlemen who work at The Al Rowdah Academy and the Institute of Applied Technology -- Faisel and Abdulaziz -- and they helped me through the day.
Your first day involves some complicated things that -- heaven help me -- some people have to on their own. This, I do not know how people do it all by themself. I am beyond appreciative for the hand-holding I was provided!
It's about a 30 minute drive from the Mafraq area to the main area of the city of Abu Dhabi. Throughout our driving that day, Faisel and Abdulaziz pointed out different points of interests, which helped me to get oriented a bit.
It would have been odd to stop and take photos and I probably couldn't have conveniently done so, but will give it a go on adequately describing these places.
The first stop was a business that types up your visa application. That's what they do -- type it up on the computer and print it up and hand it to you. I had a preliminary work visa that I had to bring with my passport at the airport. For about $100 USD you pay someone to type into the computer. The office is a store-front shop. There are strings of buildings with 5-7 shops (variety of services and goods) all along the Abu Dhabi streets. You step up over some high stone (lots of white marble in this place) steps and doorways. You enter the store, which is about 20 feet long and narrow. A couple of chairs for waiting, chairs at the counter, and not a lot of room behind those counters. So maybe 10 feet wide. (Really, I am not great about literally sizing up a space.) Other than the female Emirate who typed up my application, I was the only female in the place. And the only Expat. Not sure if it was cultural or what, but no engagement between me and the woman who helped me. I didn't feel unfriendly, necessarily; that is why I wonder if it was something cultural.
Next stop was a hospital. Turns out it is the hospital my brother is working at (he's in operations and finances). You walk in the door of this clinic-type area. Keep in mind this is an Arab country. It is more common than not that women and men are separated in many situations. With Faisel and Abdulaziz's guidance and without having to wait, I went with my paperwork to an area for women only. Curtained off for privacy. Men are in another room. An Emirate woman fingerprinted my fingertips, fingers, and palm on a computer scanner. (Similar to the live scanning we do in California for public institutions, but much more 'thorough' and lengthy.) Look into the camera, and have a photo taken.
Then out the door and around the left and into another door, to have my medical check up. You have have blood drawn, and an xray taken. It's my understanding that they are checking for things like syphillus and tb. You go up to the second floor and check in at a counter and get a number. I had to wait in a women's only room, so Faisel gave me his cell phone so that I could call him when I was done. Apparently there are days that have "VIP lines", but not that day. My number was 269. I found a seat in the room (that was lucky, to find a seat as the place is popular due to the mandatory nature of this process for your residency visa), and looked at what number they were on ... 165. SO glad I had the forethought to bring my tablet along; gave me two (yes, 2) hours to read a novel.
Once your number is called, you go up to a little counter (there are about 6 counters with a chair at each) and hand over your paperwork and passport. Not a lot of discussion. Was asked if I had any medical conditions. That is the correct answer, apparently. Look into a little camera and have another photo taken.
Then go into another smaller waiting room. Wait about 30 minutes, then go in a small room and get blood drawn. Not horrible, but I am absolutely spoiled by my doctor's office in Tustin, CA, where you don't feel the needle and no mark is left. Six days later the bruise is finally fading. Probably didn't help that I had not thought to bring a bottle of water with me that morning and was slightly dehydrated. Go back into the smaller waiting room. Another Emirate staff woman directs you at some point to a closet of a room to put on a gown for your xray; some waiting and maneuvering as other women are getting in and out of the changing closet and in and out of the xray room.
You are done. You get a slip of paper.
I go back to the 1st floor (called the Ground floor here and in Europe), call Faisel who thankfully is parked right outside, and we had off to Fatima School of Health Sciences where the Al Rowdah Academy staff are based. (There are 10 sites for the Academy, some in Abu Dhabi, others around the UAE ... I will be visiting those sites and meeting the staff at those sites over the next couple of weeks.)
I will continue details about the Al Rowdah Academy and my job and the staff in my next post.
If you go to google maps in the satellite view mode, and type in "Fatima School, Abu Dhabi", you can see the school where my office located. (More on the Al Rowdah Academy in a later post.) If you type in "Mafraq Hotel, Abu Dhabi," you can also see that on the map. If you type in "Mangrove Village, Abu Dhabi" you can see where I am living. More on the new digs in a later post.
A photo from the hotel room. This is on the ceiling. If I have my geographic orientation correct, the little arrow is pointing west, toward Mecca. It's about 6 or 8 inches in diameter. Keep in mind, there are 5 (6? ... I am learning ...) calls to prayer a day, via speaker systems at mosques that are on just about every street corner.
By the way, thanks for reading my blog, for your emails, for your comments. Helps with the homesickness!
No comments:
Post a Comment