“That’s Original”

Today, I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy a few things for my upcoming trip to Europe. When I told the salesman, “I’m backpacking through Europe this summer,” he replied with a very cheeky, “Well that’s original” and laughed at me! I was not too pleased, but I quickly brushed his sarcastic comment off when I thought about what “original” really means. Dictionary.com offers the following definitions:

1. belonging or pertaining to the origin  or beginning of something, or to a thing at its beginning

2. new; fresh; inventive; novel

3. arising or proceeding independently of anything else

4. capable of or given to thinking or acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner

5. created, undertaken, or presented for the first time

No matter what others may have to say, based on the above definitions, my trip is most definitely original, even if just for me! Mackenzie and I are SUPER excited to see what I’ll discover, learn, and experience along the way.

For those that I have not told yet, our current travel itinerary is as follows:

Berlin, Germany – 2 days

Frankfurt, Germany – 3 days

Munich, Germany – 3 days

Italy – 7 days

Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia – 2 days

Vienna, Austria – 5 days

Bratislava, Slovakia – 1 day

Budapest, Hungary – 5 days

Krakow, Poland – 5 days

Prague, Czech Republic – 4 days

Berlin, Germany – 4 days

Coming Home

     I have to say, coming home is not so easy for me. While of course I enjoy spending time with family and friends, it is hard to have been gone for so long and then suddenly arrive back to a place that should be familiar but is not. Yes, the people and places at home are indeed familiar, but the everyday lives are not at all. I think I do a good job of keeping up with my friends and family, but to step off a plane and into a city or house that I have not lived in for at least a year is surprisingly foreign. I don't expect everyone's lives to stop because I'm not here, or even for them to pause when I arrive, but I have to be honest and say that it's hard to see how my friends' and family members' lives have continued, and I've missed the past year of it. From birthdays to new relationships, from new jobs to preparing for college, I was not here for these changes and developments. What I also find challenging is that my friends and family were not there when I traveled to Nepal and Uganda, when I visited the Grand Mosque, or when I took up salsa lessons. Yes, I've made new friends doing these things on my own, but I do wish I could share these experiences with people that I've known for years. I know I am blessed to have this blog, Facebook, Skype, etc to keep in touch with friends and family. I am also making sure to spend quality time with friends and family while I am here, but I also thought it necessary to reflect on and provide insight into this side of the "living abroad" coin.

I finally made it to the MLK Memorial. It's not as big as I thought it would be, but it's definitely massive.

I have the best friends ever; Nikki and Julie had Ashley, Kelly, and me over for dinner as soon as I arrived in DC. This was my first taste of pork as soon as I got to the States. There's nothing like real pork pepperoni!

With Mia and our grandma on Shaundra'sgraduation day!

My uncle Matthew and Baby Roy. Isn't Roy just the cutest?!

Baby Roy's first time playing at the beach. He did NOT like the sand...but he'll get used to it.

Madonna = Fabulous!!!!

About 2 years ago, I sat down and wrote a “Golden List.” Most might choose to think of this as a bucket list, but to me that implies a list of things you want to do before you die. I prefer to think of my list as experiences and opportunities to help me live my life like it’s golden. (Cue Jill Scott song now.) There are certain things that I want to experience that I feel will enrich my life. My list keeps me focused on life now, rather than death later.

In any event, one of the items I included on my list was to see Madonna live! "Why Madonna?" hyou might ask. Because she's Madonna! Well, about a week before I left Abu Dhabi, I checked that off my list! And it was a great show! Yes, she pushed the limits; I would not be surprised if she offended some members of the audience; and it was not too considerate that she did not begin performing until almost 10:30p.m. Either way, it was an amazing show. She did not just sing and dance around on stage; she performed and had a message. I did not necessarily agree with her message, but it did prompt deep conversation between my friends, coworkers, and I. In the end, it was Madonna and she is and will always be fabulous

Mackenzie and I waiting for the concert to start.

Such a Madonna move.

Look how teeny tiny she is!

Culture and Intellect in Abu Dhabi!!!

     On Earth Day, April 22nd, I went with a friend to see "The City Dark," a documentary about light pollution. Admittedly, it sounds pretty nerdy, but my friend and I thought it was a great subject and film to discuss and see on Earth Day and in general. The maker and narrator of the film asked a great question, "What do we lose when we lose the night sky?" He captured breathtaking shots of uninterrupted night skies, with more stars than I even knew one could see. But I didn't only ask what happens when we can't see the stars; the movie made me wonder, "What do we lose when we lose what God intended for us to experience?" When God created the Earth, I believe He intended for us to experience the stars, moon, sun, rain, clouds, fresh air, mountains, trees, and all nature's beauty. What do we lose if we can never experience those things, be it because of light pollution, limited resources to travel, or lack of knowledge that these various landscapes exist. What do we lose, and further, what do we gain, that we don't want?

Click to watch trailer for "The City Dark"

     A few weeks ago, I went to the "Treasures of the World's Cultures" exhibit at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi's cultural center. This exhibit holds ancient artifacts from Africa, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, Greece and Rome, Asia, Oceania, and Central and South America - all civilization that I've taught about for 3 years now. It was amazing to see, in person, stone tools, mummies, head dresses, carpets, sculptures, swords, paintings, and more from these cultures. I wonder what artifacts from our cultures will be be on exhibit in 1000 years. I hope I create something one day worth displaying as a treasure.

Click to go to webpage about "Treasures of the World's Cultures."

     The other night, my friends, Stacey, Dima, and I went to a Positive Thinking Seminar, also at Manarat Al Saadiyat. You know that I love love; well, I also love positivity, so this seminar was perfect for me. Dima's sister organized the event, and she did a great job bringing in such range of perspectives, experiences, and even presentation techniques. The speakers were all engaging and insightful. I learned a lot, but the talks also reinforced much of what I already believe and do. This is good though, because positivity is a trait that I try to keep as part of my core foundation, so I think I'm doing a fine job.

Click to see speakers' bios.

Click to watch Neil Pasricha's TED Talk on "The 3 As of Awesome."

Click to watch Shawn Achor's TED Talk on "The Happy Secret to Better Work."

     See, there are cultural and intellectual events in Abu Dhabi! You just have to be in the loop, which thankfully I am. It's also nice to have friends to enjoy these events with, which thankfully I do.

New Food and Recipes

     I know Ashley Williams, I’ve been really bad keeping you updated on my food adventures. This is partly due to the fact that I can’t show pictures of meals, since my camera has stopped working. But here are some new recipes I’ve tried with chicken:

1. Chicken Masala – Add “meat masala” mix (you buy the masala seasoning) and oil to uncooked, cubed, chicken. Sauté onion, ginger, yellow curry. Add tomatoes and sauté again. Add chicken. Mix well, then add water to taste. If you find this a little too spicy, you can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt. Yes, that’s right, yogurt. Trust me, it’s very good and can really tone down the spice.

2. Pesto, Tomato, and Feta Chicken – Season chicken with Italian herbs and spices, cook in olive oil. When almost cooked, cut into cubes. Add halved cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red pesto, and onion. Cook until done. Add feta cheese and black olives while still cooking or when served. You can serve with rice, pasta, or just with veggies on the side. I like it with green beans and bell peppers, or sautéed squash.

3. Gooseberry Chicken – Ok, here’s the really new food. Gooseberry. I was walking in the produce section, and saw the sign for this “berry.” I recalled that one of my students just finished a book “Gooseberry Girl,” so I thought it only fitting to find out for myself exactly what a gooseberry is. To me, it looks and somewhat tastes like a muscadine (if you’re from Georgia or Alabama, you should know what that is. If not, you’re missing out.) To eat it, I simply cut around the hard seed. But, I didn’t really like the taste fresh. I figured, I tried it with chicken. I “followed” this recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/ukrainian-roast-chicken-with-gooseberry-sauce-ru312753.html), but didn’t have celery, lemon zest, or the creams, and I substituted the honey with brown sugar and cooked it on the stove with chicken cubes. Try it for yourself, and I’m sure you’ll find it delicious!

This is what a gooseberry looks like.

     I’ve also recently started eating snow peas (think fake edamame). It’s super easy; you just wash, sauté with olive oil and a little water, and season to taste with salt. Or you can add in feta cheese, since that’s pretty salty. It’s especially nice with my gooseberry chicken; kind of an Asian style meal, but not.

     A new favorite snack of mine is caramel rice cakes with peanut butter. Talk about good and healthy! But I’ve tricked myself into thinking that it’s so healthy I can eat 6 at a time. SMH. Well, at least it’s replaced my Ritz cracker, Nutella, and yogurt addiction.

Salsa Dancing

     You may not know this, but back in January, I started taking salsa-dancing lessons! They’re free.99 twice a week at a nearby bar. There’s always I good mix of people from all around the world, with very few Westerners, so that's a good change to seeing mostly Americans and Europeans at work and other places. I’ve made some great friends from going, and have even improved on my dancing skills (Ashley, I’ve finally got my turns down!)

     

     As a gift to myself, I went to the Abu Dhabi Salsa Festival the weekend after my birthday. I took 6 classes, including Spinning, Afro-Cuban Salsa (my favorite), Salsa Basic, Samba, Bachata Intermediate, and Hip-Hop Salsa. Later, a friend of mine and I went to the party, where we danced the night away. One thing I did realize was that I prefer to way people do Latin dance in the States, or at least in DC. It’s not about the steps per-se, but more about feeling the music and having fun. In any event, it was a great time and I look forward to showing off my new moves the next time I’m out dancing.

Click to see more info about the festival, 
since I don't have any pictures :-(

Sana hilwa ya gameel!

That's Arabic English for "Happy Birthday to you!"

     I wasn't sure how I would feel celebrating my birthday overseas. Some friends of mine who've done the same told me that it can be difficult reaching that new year away from family and close friends. But, when I walked into the "surprise" birthday party my students threw for me, and the birthday dessert party Jamie, my roommate, planned, I saw all the new friends that I've made because I took the risk of moving abroad. This was probably the best part of my birthday.
     My students were super sweet! A couple of the girls asked a bunch of students and teachers for "one word to describe Ms. Holmes" and presented it to me in the video. This was probably one of the best birthday gifts I have ever received.

     The girls also made me a card with "26 Reasons Why [I'm] the BEST TEACHER EVER!" Here are their reasons:
1. Smart!
2. Lovely
3. Soo sweet
4. Your sense of humor :-P
5. Your style!
6. Understanding =)
7. Funny!
8. Loveable
9. Soft =)
10. Helpful =)
11. You're awfally nice!
12. Extremely FUN!
13. Your smile makes us HAPPY
14. Great in teaching!
15. Very kind!
16. Neutral
17. Always have a smile on your face!
18. You listen to everyone's opinions!
19. Always happy! =)
20. Polite!
21. We love the way you call us 'sweaty' and 'sweetheart'
22-26. RAN Out OF WORDS/SPACE.
    
     My boys all signed a card for me, and brought in truffles and ice-cream cake! Several of my students hugged and told me "I love you!" I've never had students say that to me, and I was left speechless. In the States, teachers are so cautioned against hugging or expressing love for their students, at least in words, so it was positively overwhelming to share such a warm emotion with my kids

     My dessert birthday party was fantabulous as well! Jamie prepared cake, fruit salad, ice cream, brownies, candy, tea, wine for about 30 of my friends and co-workers. I didn't realize I had SO many great friends until I saw them all together in one room! I really appreciated that everyone came over to celebrate my day of birth. It really meant so much to me.

     These festivities are also in addition to the gifts, flowers, phone and Skype calls, Facebook posts, and emails that I received from friends and family back home. With such a wonderful day, I didn't even need candles to blow out and make a wish with.

Unfortunately, my camera stopped working while I was in Zanzibar, so I do not have many pictures to posts. I can't be too upset, though, because how many people can say, "My camera stopped working in ZANZIBAR"?! =)