Just Driving Around

Felt like driving around today....

One of the things that make driving crazy is there doesn't seem to be a right away. Everyone is fending for themselves and yielding for no one. Even pedestrians run across four lanes of traffic like frogger.




Here is the sign for the roundabout near our house. It has three lanes and no signage for what lane goes where so people shoot from the inner ring to exit. It makes for some pretty defensive driving.

Neat Bldg.

The Corniche. It is only 20 minutes from our house and has bike lanes and walkways running all along the water.

You can rent pedal cars there too.

More construction.

Downtown Abu Dhabi.

Lots of trees. Just different than the kind back home.

mcDonalds truck. Can you see the Arabic writing on it?

Some demo going on

Dunno what this is but looks like a golf ball up there.

These white bus things are everywhere and they carry guys from the work camps to the city.

Mosques are everywhere. I don't hear the call to prayer too often though but I think it happens five times a day.

Some buildings look like they shouldn't be habitable.

More downtown.

Random building.

Talk about public transportation.

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Mini Panic Attack

The day started out great. I hit the gym for a good Body Pump class and tried to submit my application for membership. However, I forgot the copy of my passport, visa and two passport sized photos. So, I submitted half a membership.

After class, I went home to find that no one had left their spot. Brian was still napping off a headache, Kids were all playing the Wii. It's as though they have become brainless slugs who can't find anything to do until Mom suggests something.

We headed off swimming for a bit and then home for lunch.

By now I was antsy and wanted to DO something. I had heard about a new spray park nearby and figured we would try that. I knew it was in a regular park and so Alexander decided to bring his soccer ball to kick around. Somehow he is acclimating to the heat better than me. I was thinking it would be like the little spray parks back home. They are free, in the middle of a park and shoot up water here and there.

This is Abu Dhabi, I should know better.

We got to the park and it was like a HUGE park with lots of different things to see and do in it. There were some fees:










I paid money for the four of us to enter the park, ride the train and see the museum.

We headed in with a big bottle of water in hand, floppy hat for me, soccer ball for Alexander and a stroller for Cameron.

It was over 100 degrees, humid and a little uncomfortable. I thought....this is new and there are things to see and the spray park will be great!

We walked the 1/8th of a mile(ish) to the spray park. I was sweaty and ready to keel over. How is nobody sweating around me?? I might buy an Abaya and just go naked underneath, is that the trick? Good Lord it's hot outside.

So, we get to the spray park and it is clearly not a simple sprinkler place and there is an additional fee:











There were also some rules about swim diapers and proper bathing attire. We were just in clothes that I figured they could run through some sprinklers in and they would dry before you know it. Clearly this wouldn't work.

It did look fun for another day though.
































I had trouble taking pics around the barrier. Clearly a place to eat, have fun and spend a bit of time.

We decided to walk around (what the hell was I thinking??) the park. Besides, I had tickets for a train and museum somewhere.

We walked by a place to rent pedal cars, two or three playground areas, a soccer field, vending machines and more.

Then, we decided to walk the 1/4 mile (?) back to the train stop. I am now sweating buckets, almost done with the water and trying to breathe slowly to enjoy this beautiful (hotter than hell day) outside.

The train ride should provide a nice breeze, right? I'll be fine.

We boarded the train for a trip around the gigantic park. The man asked for our tickets and I handed over all the little Arabic papers I got in the hopes he would take what he needed. He took a few of them and handed back the rest.

We passed lots of fun looking things:





















There were also small amusement park rides (they weren't open though).

The kids were mostly enjoying the ride.











Alexander was mad that I woudn't let him stop and play soccer.











Its a 1000 degrees and he has beads of sweat running down his face from SITTING, but wants to play soccer??

Then he got a little silly:












I started realizing that I was done. I wanted to go home now. I started breathing hard and was pretty sure I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion. Seriously, how is NO ONE bothered by the damn heat around me? Can't they feel their face melting off? I took off my light cover up and bared my shoulders, arms and as much of my chest as I could in an effort to cool down. Please, please let the parking lot be around the corner.

Then, the train stopped at a train stopping area. The driver had driven through the others, why is he stopping here? Any sign of my stroller? No. Any sign of the parking lot? No. I just need my air conditioned car, NOW.

Then, the polite, Arabic-Speaking worker walks over to our car, removes the chain and motions us out. I don't want to get off and I'm confused. He points to the building and to us. So, I ask him if this is the end. He looks at me like I'm speaking another language. I begin motioning like a crazy person..my car? (making turning steering wheel moves) He looks at me with a blank stare. The stroller? (making stroller pushing moves). Nothing. I'm now getting panicky. The end? Where we started? Did we go all around? (now making frantic giant circle motions). NOTHING is working.

Then I wonder if this is the museum and he maybe saw our tickets and was showing us where to go???

So, Alexander takes my hand and says it's fine. Let's just head over here.

Did I mention it was a billion degrees out? What if my train ticket only got me this far? What if I needed to buy more tickets and don't have enough money? What if I pass out from the heat right now? Would anyone do anything? What if this is the museum and it's closed and it's not Air conditioned and then we want to leave and the train isn't here for us and we have to walk on the boiling heat. I don't think the kids know our phone number or Brian's number and I don't think it is in my phone yet and I just want to go home.

I'm now freaking out and obviously starting (clearly in the middle of?) a panic attack. It is a million degrees, sweat is pooling in every crevice and passengers are looking at me funny (and a little concerned). I quickly move to the next family and asked (please God, please God) if they spoke English??

They did. I explained (doing my best to not cry not cry not cry) that I just wanted to get back to my car and it's hot and I want to go to the beginning where we started and I think he's trying to tell us this is the museum and I don't want to go today and I just want to get to my car.

They smiled and agreed it was hot and they were just riding it around too and they said a few words to the man. He nodded, looked at us and gestured back to the train.

I sighed and hoped the parking lot was coming up and I wouldn't pass out. I thanked the English/Arabic speaking family (several times) and took a seat. The train started moving and Alexander asked "If you're so hot, why didn't we just go into that building? It looks like there is food and water and it's probably air conditioned?"

Maybe another day. Now, let's just get home. Bella agreed and Cameron sat there happy as could be looking at all the fun stuff outside the train.

We made it to our car. I didn't pass out. We were 10 minutes from home and all was fine. We'll go back when the weather cools.

I got home and showered before heading out to dinner. We went to a place called Stars and Bars on Yas Island which is where Ferrari World is and an arena and yacht club and hotels and other fun things.











This is next door to the restaurant.










Some of the tables were plexiglass with neat racing stuff underneath and the chairs were like race car chairs.






















The big kids enjoyed foosball while we waited for our food.










The food was delicious. Didn't order drinks though.....CRAZY expensive.









Tried takin a few pics outside but the camera was wonky. Can you make out the giant yacht above though?











Cool building











Cam loved the fountains.

Would you believe I ran into somebody I know? I had a playdate with a gal a few days ago and she, her husband and son walked in as were finishing up. Brian got introduced to the hubby and they talked about getting together for golf. Go figure that in a city of 900K+ that I can run into someone I know two days in a row? It will be fine.

Then, we made a quick stop at Spinney's for some snacks before coming home to crash.











Perfect! Found one of my favorite desserts. Just what I needed.

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A little culture in Abu Dhabi

Decided to get a little culture so I had this brilliant idea of taking the kids out in blistering/crazy-humid heat to an OUTDOOR Heritage Village to walk around.

It was pretty cool and we'll go back when the weather cools. I'm pretty sure we either lost Cameron's new water bottle or it got stolen off the stroller. There one moment and gone the next!

It is an example of how Abu Dhabi was with tents or buildings for crafts, pottery, museum, clothing, agriculture, etc...






































I think Alexander was enjoying the air conditioning in one of the buildings.


















Brochure about it.


















Abu Dhabi was a big fishing area.



















Broken pottery makes up the design of this fountain base.





































Our first Abu Dhabi camel! You had to walk across hot-as-burning-hell red sand to get to it and I had sandals so looked from afar as the big kids ventured up.



















Alexander was of course fascinated by the poop and took a picture.


















lonely horse there too.


















There was a mosque and a separate Ladies mosque.


















A museum with mannequins wearing different coverings. This one has on a
Burqa (the face covering). Some women wear them here and they can be different. Some like this or the black cloth where all you see are the eyes or completely covered. It is up to them on what to wear.



















I had no idea there were this many dates.


















Or this many fish in Abu Dhabi.





































Not sure the animal. A cow or some kind or bull? All he had was a thin rope separating him from us. We walked by quickly.


















Outside the village is the Abu Dhabi Theater. It is open inside, like a covered stage kind of thing.


















On our way out of the city, I snapped a pic of some of the great architecture.


















Beautiful fountains at some of the intersections.

We then headed to ACS to pay for PE uniforms and then grocery shopping and home to the pool and dinner.



















Brian then got to head out for a Luxury Dhow Dinner Cruise for work. No spouses :(.

So this amazing non-stop array of seafood was wasted on him. He said there were plentiful seafood appetizers, non-stop lobsters and more.

Sigh.....maybe I'll take my mom when she visits!!



























































He complained that flash prevents him from getting a good picture. You can see the skyline of "The Corniche" in the background.



















While he enjoyed great food and company....I ventured out on my own with three kids to the convention center for another night of "football". The kids had a blast and they both played for 2 hours straight...barefoot and with a variety of cultures.

Man, these people can play! At one point, there was a circle of older guys (in their 20's??) doing fancy moves. It reminded me of breakdancing circles from "back in the day". One person does a move and then the next person tries to outdo them. There were guys balancing the balls on their head, neck, back, doing handstands with balls on their toes and flipping around without letting the ball touch the ground. Wish I took video.

We didn't get home until 12:00!



















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