Travel Stories | Expat Life
Since I already have plenty of digital photos of the mosque, I opted to bring my instant camera instead.
All that to say I have a guest post up at Inspiring Travellers today! It’s all about how to be a respectful visitor at the mosque. I wish I could make all those ladies wearing tank tops that I saw in the parking lot read it.
Please go check it out!
xo, jill
Too much baby kitty.
During our first year in Abu Dhabi, Molly and I became involved with Feline Friends, a group that aims to aid and reduce the stray cat population. Stray kitties are a major problem here. Not so much because they are bothersome to people, but because they are sick, starving, and suffering on the street.
We mainly volunteered by trapping female cats for sterilization. We called our efforts: “Operation Too Much Baby Kitty.” Did you know that by spaying one female cat you are preventing at least 27 kittens from being born? (or 45 at the most!)* To us, it felt like a very worthy cause.
We continued to trap cats during the beginning of our second year. Unfortunately, at a certain point our task shifted away from trapping for sterilization purposes and towards trapping to euthanize. It’s really really difficult to trap an injured and dying cat. It’s like they know what you are up to. After too many emotional outings laying on our bellies in dirty parking lots and trying to drag cats from under cars, we had to say enough. Shortly thereafter the trapping to sterilize procedures changed and we were no longer able to participate.
Volunteering with Feline Friends definitely provided Molly and I with some lasting memories. She can even give me directions based on “where we trapped that cat, that one time.”
If you’re having any cat related issues, please contact Feline Friends. Especially before you resort to dumping your kitty on the street.
If you’re curious about how cat trapping works, I wrote a blog post for FF a few years ago here.
xo, jill
*I asked a few vets and did the math myself. It’s more detailed in my FF post.
Thanks to Sarah for the photos.
“No go!”
It’s been one month since I left my classroom, and to be honest, I don’t miss it. I’m looking forward to job satisfaction in the future but right now I feel pretty content. This is probably the best time in my life (as well as the best conditions) to be unemployed, and I’m pretty happy to just enjoy it.
During my last few days of school my students began to shower me with notes and love. Common themes were “I love you.” “No go America.” and simply, “No go.”
Written backwards Arabic style: “I love you Ms. Jill no go I love you no go.”
They couldn’t change my mind, but it was still pretty sweet.
xo, jill
For giants.
Before I moved to Abu Dhabi I watched many video clips of the city. Over and over again I kept seeing the same giant statues. The coffee pot and canon stood out the most. I assumed that when I arrived in Abu Dhabi I’d recognize and regularly see these icons of the city. But nope. Not really.
For whatever reason, I’m rarely in the statues’ neighborhood. So, the other day on our way to Butt Sweet House, Mike and I popped into the park to check them out.
Covering for food / Incense burner
Perfume dropper / Dallah or coffee pot
Everyone’s favorite, the giant canon
I like to think that if Abu Dhabi had its own Monopoly game, these statues would be the pieces.
The park itself looked like it had seen better days. Many of the tiles were missing and there were only a few other visitors there with us. I think perhaps Abu Dhabi is turning to it’s newer and fancier icons, like Emirates Palace, the Grand Mosque, or the Formula One track.
xo, jill
2 bonus loans!
For my birthday I received two Kiva loans in the form of gift cards. I think Jenny and Mike both know me very well!
Yesterday I sat down to redeem the cards and choose loan recipients. It’s always so hard to choose when there are so many good projects to fund. This time I selected borrowers from El Salvador and the Philippines.
Carmen de Jesus (El Salvador) requested a loan to buy fresh produce for her produce stand. She believes this will help her keep up with the competition and says that her previous Kiva loan has made her life more stable.
Erlinda Cabbab (Philippines) requested a loan for farming equipment to improve the quality of her rice crop. She hopes to provide all of her children with an education. I also love this photo. You can tell she’s a busy woman with plenty of things to do.
Has anyone else received a Kiva gift card? Or given one?
xo, jill
Oh so sweet.
There’s one restaurant that every English speaking ex-pat who spends more than .2 seconds in central Abu Dhabi will notice: Butt Sweet House.
Butt Sweet has had me giggling since 2009. Recently Mike and I indulged in the pleasure of visiting it.
It’s primarily an Arabic sweet shop but we got potato samosa type things because really…I think Arabic sweets are kind of gross.
The samosa, however, was very good.
xo, jill
