First Week of School

One week of school down.

Everything went well.

By the end of the week, the kids didn't even want me walking them to the bus or being there to pick them up.  Heck, by Day 2 they were wondering why I was walking with them.  Glad to see their flame of independence is shining brightly.

They made new friends each day and Bella was excited to tell me about them.  Not only would they share names, but also the nationalities.  It's kinda funny considering they never did that before.  Bella never said, "I made friends with Maria and she's Mexican."  Alexander never said, "I made friends with Jacob and he's American.".  But, here in Abu Dhabi, there is something different/new/exciting to come home and tell me about their new friends from other parts of the world.

I'm also finding that I'm having a heck of time getting names straight so I just don't say them.   Sigh....

I've met a few people in the compound with unique (to me) names.  I couldn't even try to remember them here or come close to the proper spelling of them.   I've had them say their names more than once and it doesn't seem to stick either.  I think I'll ask for them to write down their names and the names of their children and then I can write down the number of their villa and hope to get it all straight.   I'm sure if someone from the States said, "Hi, my name is Jennifer." and you responded with "Hi, Lisa it's nice to meet you.".  They would look at you like you were crazy and wonder if you had a hearing problem.  I swear that's how off the names are probably sounding when I repeat them.  It's just that they are so different and sometimes they have sounds that aren't part of my English language.   I apologize but I don't want to say a name way wrong.  Sigh.   I'll get it, eventually.

The kids are learning new Arabic words every day.  Bella and her friend Ella (yes, Bella & Ella and they are 3 days apart in age) practice Arabic on the bus ride home.  She used to practice Spanish and would tell me that when she says Hello, how are you (in Spanish) that I would respond with I am fine, how are you (in English).  Way harder in Arabic.  In fact, I can't even say some of the words.  They use a sound from the back of their throat that we don't do and it's hard to master (let alone attempt properly).  Sigh....I'll get it, eventually.

Alexander had a swim party at school with the other 5th grade classes and had a blast.

He also learned that the 6th graders do an Archeological trip to Turkey.  He's a little excited (although hesitant to show too much excitement about anything here).  I'm a little excited and would love to chaperone.  Brian said that a lot of parents want to go and there is some kind of lottery.   As a typical sibling, Bella started counting what grades she would be here for (3rd - 4th - 5th) and looked dejected when she realized that she would miss the Turkey trip.

They do a trip to Malaysia in 8th grade.  I wonder if we'll be here then??

It's still very hot out and hard to walk around much.   Alexander tried kicking the soccer ball in the front yard yesterday (it's a tiny strip of area between the carports and not idea).  I warned him that he would hit a car and he countered with (not if I kick it up straight in the air - accompanied with a look of "duh").   The balls OBVIOUSLY comes down from the air (hello - gravity, duh) and almost hits a car every time.   I sent him to the tiny patch of dried grass that is our backyard and Brian told him not to kick it over the walls.  Two seconds later....he kicked it over the side wall.

I told him that he would now have to go to the neighbor's house and ask for his ball back.   He refused.  I reminded him that he did it all the time at our old house and he explained that he knew our neighbors back there so it was different.  I tried to explain that this was a GREAT way to finally meet our neighbors (even though we've been here a month I haven't even SEEN the people on either side).  This weather really keeps people indoors!

So, I went next door with two (suddenly very shy) kids in tow.   The woman was very nice and they have 4 kids (13, 11, 8 and 5) and her husband is a doctor (I feel a little safer now) and they used to be in Michigan and before that NY.  I didn't meet the husband, only the wife.  She had a thick accent, maybe East Indian???  I'm not good with the nationality differences.   The kids were nice and Bella ended up heading in to play with the 5 year old girl.  I stayed and chatted with the mom for a bit.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rings and it's Bella and a crew of kids.   Turns out there is another 8 year old girl who lives across the street (and her 11 year old sister).   They have lived in Abu Dhabi for at least 15 years (the parents).  Met the mom - very nice.  Bella ended up staying over for a movie night with the kids fora  couple hours.  Then, they came by and got Alexander and headed to the compound hang-out (kid play area that is indoors above the pool area).   They were there until 10:30 having fun.  When they got back, I asked Alexander if he had fun and if it felt like back home - hanging out with all the kids in the neighborhood.  He said, it's not the same - he knows them all better back home.  At least it was a good start.


Alexander also got signed up for Little League.  Yes, baseball in the Middle East - outside.  They play in Dubai once a week.  Practices start tomorrow morning at their school.

The kids are trying out for a soccer team next week and Bella is trying out for a swim team at school.

So - all in all.  A good first week.

Abu Dhabi - Day 4

We've acquired an unwanted pet gecko. Supposedly they don't bite and they catch spiders so I'm leaving it alone.








Jet Lag caught up with us today. Cam woke me up (from a cruddy sleep on a cruddy mattress) at 7:30 am to nurse (yes, he still nurses and no I don't mind and no I haven't tried to wean him with all the changes going on in our life).

We followed with breakfast and a nap.

I woke up again and started feeling antsy to get out of the house but the big kids were sleeping and did so until I woke them at 12:30 pm. We were all feeling sleepy and slow moving.

Decided to head out to check out the gym. There are only a few choices with childcare (they call them a "creche"). We went to the gigantic and all-encompassing Abu Dhabi Country Club.








Services offered:
Nail Salon
Men's haircuts
Pizza place
Fine dining
Kids sports club
Fitness Classes (4 separate rooms)
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Squash courts
Wind Tunnel (??)
Steam rooms
Sauna
Gym (co-Ed)
Separate women's only gym
Another restaurant
Creche

The basic gym price just for me isn't bad at $130-ish per month vs the entire family for almost $500. But, the childcare is another 10 dhs ($4) per hour. The nail salon prices are great at $13 for a basic pedicure and on up. You can get a day pass for fitness classes or to use the pool so we'll probably just get a Membership for me and bring the kids now and again for other stuff.

Then, we drove a few minutes across town to go bowling. It was huge with 40 lanes and totally empty because of Ramadan. It cost only 60 dhs ($15) for shoes for 5 people and one game.















It was at a huge facility called Zayed Sports City. It really was like a little city. It had a giant "football field" (soccer) and other smaller football fields, an ice skating rink, bowling alley, gym and more. Everything is so overwhelming and big and there's so much to look at when we drive around.

Then, we headed home for swimming, dinner and another movie night.

Here are a few pics of our complex too.







It looks like the entrance to an office complex.








No garage - just a carport with the rental car in it. A little nervous about where all our stuff is gonna go....








Here's the front of the clubhouse, three doors down from our place.








Clubhouse lobby.








Indoor play area upstairs in the clubhouse.








The pool and hot tub. Water temps vary everyday. Sometimes the pool is warmer than the hot tub and the hot tub jets shoot up rather than from the back. It was like an ice cold enema the first time I turned them on - surprise!








The kids being silly in a "triple bunk bed".

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Abu Dhabi - Day 1

I was up around 9 and enjoyed a typical breakfast of Fage yogurt before checking emails, making a to do list and planning the day.

Brian pointed out some of the security measures of the house and by the time the kids were up I was ready to go.







Brian made pancakes for them and we were out the door by 10:30.

We walked down the street a few steps to the compound's clubhouse. It has a pool, hot tub, gym area (like a hotel) and a fun play area with a couple indoor little tykes climb-on toys for Cameron. After a brief tour, it was time to head out.

First stop.....The US Embassy. It is about 10 minutes from the house and there are signs posted that it is against the law to take pictures anywhere in the embassy rd area.

The embassy is nice and there are several levels of security. We met a few people, found where I can pick up various bits of information, borrow movies or books and saw the gift shop (handmade AD magnets and jewelry, US candy and snacks and alcohol). I picked up some Cab-Sauvignon and a bottle of vodka.

I started the process for my AD license and ID and met Brian's boss' wife (who will get me the name of her housecleaner, will introduce me to a few SAHM with young kids and have our family out to dinner).

Brian drove us around a little to show us a few things And we headed to Mushrif Mall where a wonderful grocery store is located (LuLu's Hypermarket). It was a little overwhelming and I look forward to going on my own to take more time there. It was sorta like a Super Target. There are toys, clothes, household goods and TONS of food. Everything had Arabic and English writing on it. Lots and lots of new foods and some things I recognized with different names. I bought a few new things to try (date-flavored milk, quail, couple other things). It was overwhelming to think about the prices so I honestly just grabbed a few different items. Brian was there to help out, of course.

Here is what I bought for 446 dirhams or $121.50.....








We walked around the mall a bit too. It is really new and not aa lot is open, but it looks promising. I saw this in one area, but didn't look too close to see what it was. The signs around talk about the moon phases.







There is also a large Sparky's on the top floor, which looks like chuck e cheese.

Since it is Ramadan, we can't eat or drink or even chew gum in public before dusk. We headed home around 2:30 for lunch. After lunch, the kids decided to go for a swim. I took Alexander to the house of a kid he has been communicating with via email (his parents work at the embassy and his mom is going to be Brian's admin person in his office).

Brian, the kids and I all headed down to the pool and they are all swimming away while I finish up here.

Later we will head to another (Walmart-like) store and a place to get my cell phone plan set up.

I am hoping to stay up until 8-ish. I hear the best way to get used to the time difference is to wake up and go to sleep at the right times, not nap and spend time in the daylight. So far, so good.

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