"but shoot....u just got to abu dhabi"

The other day, I was talking to a friend about missing the comfortable. As I shared with her my thoughts and feelings about living abroad, my friend said, "but shoot....u just go to abu dhabi!" 

What I am not sure she or others realize is that living abroad, at least as I have experienced and observed so far, is not a case of leaving one's existence and prior experiences in one's home country and forging ahead with a new life in the new country. Actually, for me at least, being in a new place, with new people, a different culture, and having new experiences away from close friends and family, amplifies a need/desire for comfort. Some seek this comfort in pictures of friends and family, regular Skype conversations, Facebook-ing, finding familiar brands of food, a beloved stuff animal, etc. I seek this comfort by trying to recreate what was my place of comfort. I hope that as I find comfort here, be that through close friendships, teaching, traveling, spending more time with myself, etc., I will seek comfort in the past less.

But, notice the two words: "was" and "will"; past and future. My goal now is to appreciate my present; the "am" of now. I am, at times, uncomfortable. But that's ok, because, "shoot, I just got to Abu Dhabi."

Duke vs. UAE

On Friday night, I traveled to Dubai with some friends for the Duke-UAE game. Duke won (no surprise) 86-66.

Abu Dhabi Night

Here are a few of the sites you will see if you take an evening stroll in Abu Dhabi.

Car rentals are common, and as you can see, they have a nice selection of vehicles to choose from.

Stray cats are also common.

Lovely mosaic art work in an underpass to the Corniche.

Fountain, also along the underpass to the Corniche.

This is the Stuff

Yesterday was a bit of a tough day for me:
- my shower rod fell, so my bathroom was in disarray
- I didn't have time to eat breakfast or make lunch
- I also didn't have time to do my make-up
- I tried to call my sister, but my phone hung-up on her since I ran out of Etisalat (that's the phone company) funds
- I didn't want to walk across the street to get food because I'm tired of eating out, but I also don't want to cook because my stove is dirty
- my apartment was a mess because I am in the middle of decorating/organizing

What's funny is that all the things that I was upset about are normal things. I would be upset about them if I were in Abu Dhabi or at home in the States. And it's not just me. A friend of mine was also a little put-off because the metro was running behind, she didn't have time to make her lunch, her office was a little hectic, etc. It's just the little things of life that can sometimes get us down.

But I am reminded how small these "little messes" are when I remember what "big blessings" I have in close friends and family, whether here in Abu Dhabi or anywhere in the world! :-)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center

I went on a tour of Abu Dhabi today, including a guided tour at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center.  The center was founded by the late Sheikh Zayed in part as a place for all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, to come together and learn about the faith and traditions of Islam, as well as Abu Dhabi. The architectural design is indescribable and inspiring. All of the floral designs in the columns in and around the mosque are made of precious stones from around the world. All of the white that you see is marble and all of the gold on the interior is 24K.

 

All women entering the mosque were required to wear an abaya (traditional robe) and a shayla (headscarf) out of respect for this place of worship

Before entering the first prayer hall, my tour guide asked us to imagine what we think heaven looks like. She explained that the Qur'an (the Islamic holy book) describes heaven as a garden and that the architect designed the hall according to the Qur'an. I must admit that I was almost brought to tears thinking about how beautiful heaven must be.

I do believe Sheikh Zayed Mosque accomplishes its mission of educating all people about Islam. I plan to return to the mosque for Iftar (breaking of the daily fast during Ramadan) this week and possibly an Eid celebration (the end of Ramadan), as the mosque provides free food to over tens of thousands of people. Of course, pictures are to come!

I live here!

Yesterday, I went on a trip with my co-workers to the desert for a fun-filled evening of dune-bashing (crazy four-wheel driving through the desert sand dunes), sand-boarding (like snowboarding in the sand), camel riding, henna tattoos, she-sha (aka hookah), dressing up in traditional Arabian dress, and an Arabian dinner. I remember watching the scene from "Sex in the City 2" when the ladies are in the desert doing much of the same thing (of course on a more glamorous scale) and thinking "I want to do that." Well, I did! I wasn't watching a movie, looking at pictures, or daydreaming about his experience. I was actually experiencing it. While on my way to the desert, I had my first "I live here" moment. It hit me that I live in Abu Dhabi; contemporary, diverse, desert, Arab city.

Camel riding!

My roommate (Jamie) and I with one of the drivers

Sunset in the desert

But, in this moment I also reminded myself that I live here. I am not on an extended vacation or singular life adventure. This is my life. Sand-bashing is as much a part of my life as completing my Master's degree. I've heard that it's easy to fall into a vacation mentality here, and I hope to keep in mind that this is life, this is my normal.