It's feeling like I live here

My first 3 weeks in the UAE I lived at Trey and Jessie's house and then moved here to my current apartment. So, for 3 weeks I felt like I was on vacation. Not so much anymore. I feel like I live here now. Here are some normal things you do when you live somewhere and my status updates on them.

Making Friends:

It's easy to make friends but, it's hard to find people you just want to kick back and relax with. I think that's true anywhere you go in the world, this is why people live in the same place for a long time. I think this hopping around thing could be tough if I was doing it a lot. A little bit of everything contributes to the fact that it's tough to make friends. One friend blocking factor (FBF) is culture- here in the UAE local women must follow a few rules. One of which is not going out of your house alone or without permission from your parents. This weekend I had made plans with a new friend to go to the mall. I was dressed and ready for our adventure at 10am as planned. At about 11:15am I received a text explaining that she could not go because her mother would not allow her. She is 28 years old. Enough said.

Grocery Shopping:

You don't usually grocery shop on vacation. Here I am at LuLu Hypermarket .

Don't worry I don't buy the camel milk, this was just for the picture! They do have regular milk so I buy that. This week I decided to by some feta cheese for salads, I walked up to the counter and pointed to the feta and said "feta, just a little bit". The man who understands english just fine nods his head and grabs a container "half a kilo?" I get nervous remembering that this is not equivalent to a pound. I smile and hope he doesn't think dumb blonde "I'm not sure" I point again to a hunk of the cheese that is floating in the water, he throws it in the container and asks "is that enough?". "Yes, thanks" I am on my way now. One thing down.

I get home and make a salad and begin unwrapping the cheese and notice it smells and looks a little odd. I ask Trey "is this feta" and he points out that I bought Saudi Arabian Feta... who would have known that people in Saudi Arabia like to eat feta that smells like goat breath. It was not what I think feta cheese should be like.

Lesson learned.

Stylin'

I am realizing that this post will make it seem that all I do here is shop, but I work too! The truth is girls are the same all over the world and the ladies here love to shop!

I needed some nail polish remover the other night and I asked my friend Shiny to help me find

some. We walked across the street to "Gift City" yes, this is really the name of the store. I thought to myself " I don't need a gift I need nail polish remover", Shiny has lived here for about 25 years so I followed her in. There it was along with everything else you could ever want. Nail polish remover in the tiniest bottle for only 2.5 dirhams that's about 75 cents. Along with some of the tackiest purses ever. Check this one out, I don't think the photo does this justice.

The Dragon Mart

I went to Dubai on Friday with Trey and Jessie and some friends we have made here, 0r I should say I went to the Dragon Mart. This place is like all of China crammed into one mall. It's set up like the BigE, there are lots of tiny booths and they are all in their designated sections. For example all the shops that sell watches or wires or key chains, they clump in one area. It is indoors and it is air conditioned but, it was still quite warm and there were way too many people! I don't think I need to go there again. (Note: the fountain behind me and Amil in this photo has a huge dragon in the center)

But, I did get to ride in our friend's new FJ Cruiser this made for an exciting ride from Al Ain to Dubai.

The desert is really pretty, it almost looks fake when you are driving on the highway and all you can see on either side for about 40 minutes is sand dunes and sunshine.

After the Dragon Mart we made our way to Ikea and I bought a few things for my room at my apartment. So, on Saturday I moved out of Trey and Jessie's house and into my apartment. I was sad to leave the Hulsey Hotel but, my commute to work is now a total of 3 minutes. All of my things will arrive on Monday the 11th and you will see some photos of my room then!

Sort of like home but...just a little different

So, I have been doing a little shopping for my new apartment. I will buy a mattress today at Ikea and then move into my apartment tonight. But last week I bought towels, sheets, a duvet cover, hangers and a ton of other stuff you need for an apartment. I am hoping to get some lamps and other fun things today.

I had to show a few of you this picture though- I can't get it to turn the right way!

In Stop and Shop in Allston, MA Nikki and Annie always loved to use these little baskets and Desiree found some of these in Agawam, MA as well and thought they were just her size. Funny enough these were the only carts they had at this store for me to put all of these towels in.

Another thing that is sort of like home but, just not quite right is pizza here! It's the small things that remind me that I am in another country. Check out the Italian Pizza with the Arabic writing. I guess it's just as funny as us calling our pizza in America Italian but, let me assure you there are not Italians making this pizza.

Missin and Reminiscn

It feels like I have been gone for a while but, it really hasn't been too long at all! I mentioned in my first post that some really close friends flew in to say bye to me when I left Boston.

Thanks Nikki, Andi, Dani, Abby, Meg and Annie for coming my way to say bye! It was a great time with all of them and here are some of the fun times we had... you all should go visit these places they are some of my favorite in New England!

The North End in Boston with Andi, Kristen and Christine

Meg in Hampton, NH

Annie and Nikki at Singing Beach in Manchester By the Sea

I never took any pictures with Dani and Abby- but, I know someone has them so send them to me and I will add them on here!

Ladies Night

My sister-in-law Jessie plans the events for the hospital. My first Saturday night here she had a women's dinner for Oasis' 50th Anniversary. I had the opportunity to go and be a part of the evening. Here in the Emirates the government is run by a Sheik and the term Sheik or Sheika (for a woman) is used before any royalty's name. At the women's event one of the women from the ruling family, a sheika was the guest of honor. The founder of the UAE had one of his sons at Oasis Hospital and she was representing that family at the dinner.

Here in the UAE local women do not mix with men, this means that any event large or small men and women are in seperate rooms. At the dinner even all of the serving staff and security had to be women.

It is also uncommon to find local woman who are willing to be photographed but, this woman Ahalam who I work with and her mother were willing to stop for a picture.

Work it Out.

Yesterday I finished my first week of work. My official title at the hospital is Assistant Director of Business Development (looks good on paper) but, I mostly will be working in the Marketing Department. The departments is a one man show right now and I will be the 2nd person in the department! I will work with a man named Jomy who is from India but has lived most of his life here in the Emirates.

I also started Arabic lessons this week. My teacher's name is Latifah and she is actually from Oman. She lives just over the border so she commutes to and from Al Ain. Many of the translators at the hospital are from Oman. It's more like driving over a state border for them!