Waking Up to the Tigers

There are some things that I am working on getting used to, the first is that the Tigers are playing the Red Sox in playoffs and here I am at 7 am watching the end of the game.  But the beauty of it is at  least I get to see part of the game!  But now its the bottom of the 7th and the Tigers are in Boston and up 1-0....but I digress.

This week B and I, as well as all of Group 5 were moved from the Fairmont (our hotel with the large pool, beach and wonderful staff) to the Grand Millenium (downtown Abu Dhabi and literally next door to the Al Whahda Mall).  Now location wise this hotel cannot be beat but there is something about being spoiled and still waiting to move on to our next location that makes this a bit difficult.  We have been able to walk and shop which has been helpful but since I am part of the group headed to Al Ain there is no working going on until we get moved there.  In addition this week is Eid - it is a holiday in the UAE and therefore school is out for the week.

Although we are waiting to move to the next hotel B and I have been busy shopping!  Yesterday we went to Ikea and picked up some stuff for our new house as well as got some ideas on what we want to put into it.  Although it's out on Yas Island it was well worth the trip as we spent a good 4 hours including lunch enjoying the thoughts and shopping experience!

I never realized everything one needed to fully furnish a home when you start with nothing.  It can be a bit overwhelming but at the same time exciting!  Yet there are the little things - towels, spoons, peelers, can openers that you may not normally think about until you make a list of everyday needs in a normal efficient household...but it will come together just as B's schooling will and each and every aspect of life here!  In this thought though I must share the friends I have been fortunate enough to gather and will be able to call my UAE family in the time we are here.

There is nothing more difficult in life than death and the death of a child is incredibly difficult for all involved.  On Friday a family that I have grown to care for remembered their son who had died 1 year previously.  In that memory our Group 5 family came together to help them remember the good of this young man.  Although the rest of us had never met him, we shared this loss with them.  We met on the 31st floor of the hotel - the pool area so we could release balloons and hold a memorial for this young man and his family.  It was an amazing experience and one that B was a part of.  I can say that I was incredibly proud of this child as she was greatly concerned for her friend, an 11 year old who was working through her own feelings of having lost a brother.  Even the next morning B woke up asking if she was ok and what we should do for her.  And didn't feel any better until she saw her at breakfast and asked how she was.  This is the family we have now adopted and will continue to look for for guidance and help throughout our time here and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do that.

The game is over - Tigers have taken game 1 and now B is up...time to start another day ;-)