What I learned about Christmas this year...

First off I love Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  So after hosting a Christmas Eve get together with friends B and I headed over - I even figured we'd get there early like 11 instead of 12.  OMG BIG MISTAKE!  There was standing room only in the courtyard of the church where mass was being held (come to find out) as well as standing room only in the church itself.  Fortunately the balcony has a children's room where we were able to sit and wait the hour until mass started.  At 1:30 we left church as they were just getting to the communion aspect and B had been asleep on and off since we left the house.  If that was an indication of what Easter mass will be like I may need to do some serious planning if I want to go to Easter Vigil!

The other important part I learned about Christmas in Al Ain this year was that it is impossible to find Peppermint flavoring as well as Chex cereal.  To me these two things are staples for Christmas but now that I am aware I will plan ahead for next year.  Not a big deal overall.

The biggest thing I learned was how wonderful it is to not be in a hurry.  In the US it's gotten to the point that there are a million holiday parties and shopping and cookie exchanges and people are working right up to the last minute.  Here that's not the case. The malls aren't any busier than normal - we've been out of school over a week so there was no rush.  There were a couple holiday parties but they organized themselves in a way that they didn't overlap so it wasn't a big deal.  To me this has been a great Christmas because it wasn't busy, we've been able to enjoy the time we have with everyone and not worry about the chaos that usually surrounds the holidays.

Oh the first experience in mailing a package...

It's a week before Christmas and of course some of the things I ordered here took 9 days instead of 3-4.  Which put me a bit behind in shipping my box.  Last night I wrapped as much as I could (take that as in what I should do but was also able to convince my sister to do for me LOL).  I then proceed to pack the box and wrap it in brown paper.  So it's all set to run to the post office in the morning - a week before Christmas.  I live in a Muslim country so this should be pretty simple from shipping here to the US...oh poor mistaken American that I am.

Come to find out you can only ship 2 kg to the US from the UAE.  So after repacking (aka having to buy their boxes and separate my stuff into 2 boxes to get it within weight).  And spending way more money than I was hoping it would be the packages are in the mail - with a 1-2 week time that they should be there....but we shall see.  So for my family reading this...it may or may not be there in time - sorry!

The good news is that B and I have been meeting new friends and enjoying the lovely weather here in the UAE (daily highs in high 70s and low 80s with nightly lows to 50s or 60s).  It has been amazing to see the Christmas spirit here as well.  Most of the hotels have tree lightings and caroling as well as finding Christmas stuff in all of the stores - there are 2 things I can't find when it comes to the Christmas season though - that would be peppermint flavoring and chocolate covered cherries.   Oh well, now I know what to add to my list this summer of things to bring back!

But speaking of Christmas Brennan was able to see Santa...after 2.5 hours.  I will honestly say that it was well worth the wait.  Santa Claus at the Wafi Mall in Dubai is amazing!  He's in a separate room from the line of children waiting and spends quality time with each child.  He got down on the floor with Brennan and talked to her and it was just an amazing experience.  Plus he gave her a doll and named her Jill so that she could take it with her!

Quick one

Ok so yesterday probably started out as my worst day here in the UAE.  I hadn't slept well and it was just a rough day at work - I think my co-teacher realized it as her husband brought us chocolate cake.  We were able to sit down and just talk - well as best as we are able to with the language barrier.  What an amazing experience.  I have found now that I am such an incredibly lucky individual to have this experience and to be able to share it with those around me.  Not only were we able to celebrate Thanksgiving with new friends and old but we continue to see the good around us and how fortunate we are to have the time and energy to stop, look and see what an amazing gift we're given by the people around us everyday.

Failing to Update

Let's see between moving to Al Ain, starting my new job and trying to get moved into an apartment things have been hectic.  So here's some pics until I can get some more time ;-)

Up at 3 am...

And the only thing I can think about is how I'm going to manage to get B to school next week.  I was able to find a school that didn't have a waiting list but it looks like it's a long ways out from my work.  So I'm waiting until we get there and then I'll try to find answers.  How did this all come up?  Well we went to KidsFest 2013 at Zayed City Sports Complex and there was a variety of activities there.  B played and played and had a blast.  I was able to find the tent with the school and was excited but then B found some new friends.  When they went to leave she started to cry - I realized it had been a long time since she had played with anyone her age and it was time to change that!

So goal number 1 when we get to Al Ain is to get her into school - any school at this point would be helpful but one that she can grow with would be even better.  She also is hoping to start ballet classes, swim lessons and equestrian lessons (I told her one set at a time was all that was going to happen!)  So we shall see...still waiting to head to Al Ain but it should be soon and then we will begin the next chapter of our lives.

And now we can add!

At this point we are celebrating Eid and not in our own house so B and I do things to keep ourselves occupied. Yesterday this included pool time - until it got WAY too busy and mommy almost lost it! Followed by lunch - cheese and crackers - I honestly don't know if I can eat them for another 2.5 weeks - just sayin it's gotten a little old ;-)  Then B and I laid down for a nap - I managed a 45 minute nap and she managed a 3 hour nap!  Obviously she was a bit tired but it was good for her!  Since it was Sunday we skyped with the fam - all the while B asking if she could have spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  Which leads us to dinner - since B wanted spaghetti and meatballs that's what we did.  She even managed to order 5 meatballs!

During dinner B decided to start adding and did it all herself - see video ;-)

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 ;-)