Archives for October 2009

Still living in flux here in Abu Dhabi but two small successes to report:

1. Yesterday I received my health insurance card so I can get medical attention if needed. Considering I’ve come down with a cold, this is quite nice. (Of course I’ll need a roommate intervention to actually get me to the doctor.)

2. Today I received my medical exam! Wahoo! This means my residence visa is closer to being completed. I only got a little bit teary eyed and freaked out looking at someone else’s blood in a vial. Not bad.

xo, jill

She’s someone I wish all of you could meet. The Egyptian PE teacher at my school in her 50s who starts my day off right with old school calisthenics.

Today she gifted me this engagement/wedding style ring set.

I’m not even going to go there… you know.

xo, jill

I had no idea.

Last night was one of those nights that you just love. The kind that starts out so differently than it ends. The plan was to visit the Iranian souk and find Indian food on the way back to the hotel. We set out to grab a taxi to get out to the port (to the souk). We weren’t really thinking. Finding a cab on a Friday night is nearly impossible. After about 20 minutes, Aaron said, “I wouldn’t usually do this… but I really want someone to just offer us a ride right now.” (Offering people rides isn’t all that unusual here). Not 2 minutes later and man pulls up and rolls down his window… offering a ride.

We took it.

Turns out, our new friend and driver is an amazing character. He agreed to drive us down to the port to visit the souk where we were meeting a few more friends. Once at the souk, he offered to wait for us until we’re ready to go. Nice… there are no no no cabs in this area. We visit the souk and he heads out to look at the city lights while he waits.

Ok, this story is impossible to tell. Please realize that.

After awhile at the souk, which was basically a flea market type place with household goods and plants, we call our new friend. We explain that we have 6 now but that we are going to dinner and would love for him to join us. We suggest getting a cab for the extra people but our friend is determined that we all ride together. So we did. All seven of us.

The dinner was excellent and the conversation was lively and enthralling. Our new friend is from Jordan but has been living in Abu Dhabi for several years. He’s a civil engineer currently completing work on the new airport in town, as well as a few others in Oman and Sudan. Not to mention the property he’s developing in Jordan. He’s a published author as well. Of course, when the bill came… he paid it. For all of us. He was so grateful to have new friends to spend time with that he thanked us repeatedly for the dinner invitation.

After dinner he offered us a ride back to our hotel (still no apartments for us!) then requested just 10 more minutes. We pull up to the private yatch club in the marina and he takes us out on his boat (Dad, it’s a Galstron!) for a little night time view of the city. Amazing.

It was a crazy night that no one saw coming. We now have tentative plans for a day of boating, overnight island camping under a full moon, the Arabian horse club, and a trip to Dubai where he actually lives.

We call him, “Uncle Roy.”

It’s crazy the people you meet.

I knew this was coming.

It’s funny how quickly a person can adjust to a new situation. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the world goes beyond my immediate reality. Somehow through all my stress and the days turning over, it turned into October, my favorite month.

I’m desperate for the fall.

I’m finding that what I miss about home (in addition to the obvious friends and family) is the hominess of it. I want to be harvesting the last little bits out of the garden. I want to be heading to the pumpkin patch. I want a few days of chilly windy weather and weeks and weeks of gold and red leaves.

How are you spending my very favorite days of the year stateside?

xo, jill

I don’t do this on purpose. Seriously.

Last week we were exited from our deluxe rooms at the 5 star InterContinental hotel. We were transported across town to an area known as, Tourist Club. It’s a bit seedy. I wasn’t pleased with my room so much… but you know, it’s hard to take a step down in stars. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one feeling disgruntled.

I did take notice that the men in other parts of town, although they will stare at you, typically won’t speak to you. However… in this part of town I was getting little whispers and whistles as I walked by. Rumor had it that prostitutes like to frequent the general area of the hotel. I didn’t see any. But, it seems that this new hotel has a bit of a reputation.

Tuesday I came home from work to find a notice under my door stating that all of the female teachers were being moved to a new hotel across town. The reason: Apparently some people’s tolerance of prostitution is quite low. (Mine I guess, is pretty high, considering my record*). A few of the female teachers came together to complain about the living conditions. Other floors in the hotel were much busier than mine it seems… doors opening and closing all night, loud fights, crying and vomiting sounds, loud bass from the night club downstairs, and one teacher had a man slip her his number under her door. Gross.

And I was just annoyed at the incessant flute music.

*If you missed the story it could be summed up as: Peru, me, Shauna, hostel?, brothel!, porn.)

Here’s hotel #3:

xo, jill

I no longer cry when experiencing intense frustration. But it would be nice to snuggle a kitty. This stray looked so much like little Roo.

xo, jill