Welcome to the Jungle

The Guns N Roses jungle, that is. I (sorta) surprised Joe with tickets to the GNR show last weekend. He'd been hinting for months, so I was going to just let him show up from work and turn him back around to go to the concert. However, I had technical difficulties so he ended up buying the tickets. Go figure. The show was at Yas Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It's a pretty popular venue, hosting the likes of Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers, Bryan Adams just in the last month, and I think Kanye West will be here soon if he isn't already.

Guess what...the picture below is the fastest roller coaster in the world. (They aren't impressing me anymore). It's called Formula Rossa, is part of Ferrari World, and goes 240km/hr, or 149 miles per hour. You have to wear goggles.

Back to the show.... this is a picture of the outside of the Yas Arena.

And here is Joe with Pete's friend Ryan and his buddies Wesley and Chris. Each with two beers...hmmmmm...

Chris wanted to be in a picture with us.

The inside of the venue is sort of like Lakewood (HiFi Buys...whatever it's called now) Ampitheater but without the seats in the front. They have a VIP section, a Golden Circle, and then General Admission for us lowly expats.

There were a LOT of people at this show! Joe took this of crowd behind us once we got settled in.

While we were waiting for GNR to take the stage, they played "...standin' in line to see the show tonight and there's a light on...heavy glow..." by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And I had just taken this picture. Thought it was kinda neat :)

Here's Axl on the big screen:

True to tradition, their last song was "Paradise City." During the song they blew out TONS of red confetti which was awesome.

I think Joe liked his early Christmas gift :)

Brunch!

Friday brunches are a popular activity here in Dubai. (Remember, the weekends are Friday and Saturday here) Almost every restaurant offers a brunch of some sort, most with free-flowing champagne. These brunches are not cheap, but tend to be worth the money. Joe's been to three so far, and I've been to one.

In November, we joined Pete, Simone, one of Pete's friends from Abu Dhabi, and two of Simone's friends from the UK (fresh off the plane, literally) for a brunch at the Observatory. It's on the fifty-something-est floor of the Marriott in the Marina. The view was stunning. See the fronds from the Palm Jumeirah? I neglected to photograph the food (next time, for sure) but I can tell you it was incredibly delicious. I had my first taste of Yorkshire Pudding. Mmmm..

Here are the girls: Gayle and I are standing, Kate and Simone sitting. I had great fun with these ladies while they were in town.

Really looking forward to our next brunch....whenever we might be able to afford it!

P.S. I'm sorry for the late posting...about to post 3 more!!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...4 Months In

It's hard to believe Colin and I have only been here for 4 months. We started making ourselves at home right off the bat, so it seems like we've already made a home here.
Culture shock is a good way to describe my attempts to adapt here. Some things are easily accepted, others take awhile to get used to, and there are a few that will probably always annoy the pants off me. Hence the name of the blog: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. Disclaimer: most of these are generalizations, so there are exceptions in most cases. Just not convenient ones.

So here we go:

The Good


:: Being together as a family. I knew I married that guy for a reason :)


:: Familiar products, restaurants, and retail chains in Dubai.

:: Everyone speaks English, though in varying fluency and pronunciation.

:: Friday brunches.

:: Businesses will communicate with you by SMS (which they say instead of text).

:: Tax. Free. Income.

:: Car washers in the parking decks.

:: Fresh baked bread is cheap and plentiful. And they will slice it for you.

:: Spices are also cheap and plentiful.

:: Pull tabs on Coke :)

:: Living 3 blocks from the ocean (we should really go there soon).

:: Learning lots and lots about the Middle East, Islam, and lots of other cultures.

:: The pork section of the grocery store.

:: Slingbox. Best invention ever.

:: The metro! Convenient public transportation and no need for car seats.

:: While everyone at home is complaining about 20 degree weather and ice, it's 70 here and I'm wearing shorts.

:: Techonology that allows me to call, chat, and video chat with family 8,000 miles away.

:: Living above a 24-hour market.

The Bad

:: Living above a 24-hour market. (I know, but it's good & bad)

:: American imports, especially food, are expensive, and become a temptation.

:: No U-Haul.

:: Grass has been replaced with sand. I miss grass.

:: They don't sell chicken broth.

:: Chicken in the store is generally defrosted, so you can't re-freeze it for later.

:: Playgrounds with swings are a rarity.

:: Diet Coke tastes gross.

:: Disappointing lack of office and craft supplies.

:: Alcohol is generally only served in hotels.

:: Taxi drivers are likely to have no idea where they are going.

:: Medical insurance claims aren't generally filed by the facility, so you pay and file for reimbursement.

:: Stores are in perpetual state of restocking (most often right in front of something I need), but you will find an item one week, and won't see it again for a month.

:: Even in September, it was 110 degrees outside all day. Summers here give new definition to "sweltering".

:: Having marble floors is making me realize I didn't vacuum enough at home!

:: Sales on grocery items usually means the item is going to expire tomorrow.

:: Something in the water here makes your hair frizzy and brittle. Note to self: buy a filter.

:: No pork pepperoni on pizza...it's all beef pepperoni.

:: Windy day means a sandy day
The Ugly


:: The nanny = maid situation. I suppose it's cultural, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the quality of childcare in this country...even expat children.


:: Region-coded DVDs....this isn't specific to Dubai, it just annoys me a lot.

:: Setup fees, which I know are always a part of moving to a new place, but I still dislike them

:: Customer service here, um, stinks. Here's a hint: if they tell you they will call back in 5 minutes...they just want you off the phone. Don't fall for it.

:: Shortage of speech and occupational therapists = wait list.

:: Shipping costs...ugh.

:: Not sure if it’s the education level or it’s cultural, but people here don’t think outside of the box very often.

Some Other Observations

:: No drive-thru fast food. But, I've yet to find a place that won't deliver.

:: KFC is the McDonald's of this country.

:: Probably cultural, but there isn't a lot of friendly banter in lines (= queues) or when spotting another stroller (= pram) - pushing mom in the mall. Some cultures, namely the Eastern world, believe that eye contact is provocative. Among Western expats, I think it's partly snobbery and otherwise insecurity. The population here is quite fluid, as most employees are on a 2-year contract, so I often wonder if people are uncomfortable getting "too close" to someone who may be leaving. Just a speculation.


:: Many strollers have actual bassinets on top. Babies up to toddlerhood are often found sleeping through the malls. One day I'm going to ask one of them how they convince their children to sleep in public.

:: No car seat laws! Kids bounce around in the back seat of very expensive cars going wayyy over the speed limit. We only have one car, so I walk and take the metro anywhere possible, but in the case that I need a taxi, I actually have to sit Colin in my lap and strap the seatbelt over both of us. If anyone knows of a stroller that holds a toddler car seat, please, please tell me.


So I guess in conclusion, I'm hoping the next few months are better since a lot of the bad stuff is in regards to being a newbie.
Happy New Year!

When Daddy's Away....

Joe had an after-work party tonight for his CEO's Going Away, so Colin and I decided to have pancakes for dinner. Here's my little helper stirring the batter: And taste-testing the final product:

Then, it was bath time!

Where's your nose?

Where are your ears?

Where's your head?

Where's your mouth?

Where's your belly?!?

Give your turtle a kiss!

He puts his bath toys away by himself every night.

Time to get out :)

Time to brush your teeth!

And make faces in the mirror :)

After bath and diaper changes, he throws his dirty diaper in the pail. Tonight, he did it really fast!

Then we put on a clean diaper and he read his book. Love this little pose!

We played some peek-a-boo.

Cleaned up toys in the living room.

He turned out the lights.

Found his Buddy....

And then it was bedtime! Then he screamed bloody murder until I called Joe and let him talk to his Daddy before bed.

I love that sweet boy :)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Here's our sweet Christmas tree this year! It's a 6-foot artificial tree from Ikea, with red garland, red globe ornaments, and lots of old Christmas cards made into ornaments. I've yet to craft a tree topper, but it's on the list. We opted to put the tree on a table to make it seem less scrawny. My Mom sent the Christmas cards, which I trimmed and glittered, then hung with red yard. I think the next 3 "ornaments" are quite fitting for our overseas adventure.

I bought 3 cheap wreaths at Geant, pulled them apart, and added some garland on one to make a centerpiece for the table. I'd like to do the same for the other 2 and hang them above the stockings.

Our Lillian Vernon WELCOME sign lacks anything Christmasy, so I hung a stocking instead.

Since we don't have a fireplace, I decided to hang the stockings up over the opening to the kitchen. The gold bows came from the Geant wreaths. The stockings were only 11 dirhams each at Ikea. If I can find some embroidery thread in this country, I will embroider our names (or at least first initial!) on them.

I'm currently on the lookout for a Santa Claus photo-op for Colin. Fingers crossed....

ugly

UAE National Day

Joe had another 4 day weekend! He is normally off on Friday and Saturday, but this week, he's been home Thursday through Sunday. The United Arab Emirates is celebrating their 39th National Day, which is sort of the equivalent of our Independence Day on the 4th of July. Funny enough, both are to celebrate independence from Britian.

His company gave him the fancy scarf you see above, complete with pictures of the President and Vice President. These pictures are pasted on buildings all over the country.Above is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. He is the Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE, and the reigning ruler of Dubai. This guy is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The President and VP are elected by the Supreme Council, which is comprised of the leader of each of the seven emirates. The Prime Minister, or head of the Cabinet, is chosen by the President after "consultation with the Supreme Council." So, the UAE is not a democracy, but relies on the head of each emirate to serve as the voice. (UAE Interact) This is a display in the center of a roundabout in Al Ain. I'm guessing the pitcher symbolizes traditional Arabian coffee. They already had this "39" up when we went to the zoo, and I wondered what it meant. It's all making sense now :)

So, these Emiratis love to celebrate, especially when it comes to their country. The display of national flags on cars, buildings, and in the form of adorning scarves is not unlike the patriotism you'll see in the US on the 4th of July. The main difference I saw here was this: warnings to stay off the roads. This was purely word of mouth, but I hear that motorists will idle on Jumeirah Beach Road, revv their engines until they "explode," screech their tires until they burst, and even wreck their cars on purpose. The painted car windsheilds can't help the safety factor. And all of this is (supposedly) done by people who frown on the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

photo from gulfnews.com
Colin & I stayed in, but Joe did see some crazy tire squealing when he visited Pete & Simone who live just above the beach. Probably the most interesting thing I witnessed were cab drivers from surrounding countries proudly displaying UAE paraphenalia because they really do love the country they live and work in. Yep, I asked 'em.

photo from gulfnews.com

Happy 39th National Day!