Saturday, March 17, 2012

we've been busy . . .

. . . And unfortunately it's this space that's taken a hit.

Emy has been writing quite a bit more on her personal blog, and last month she also started a school blog, so feel free to check those out if you need a fix.

While it's hard to imagine this blog will stay quiet forever, right now we're going to focus on actually living our adventure without any pressure to document it for the public. Hope you'll understand!

cheers (and bye for now), andy&emy


- - - - - -

UPDATE: Click on "our new home" above to read a little more about our current corner of the world. We're also gathering together a few of our favorite places and spaces around Abu Dhabi to add soon. (See? Told you we couldn't stay quiet!)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

oman, unedited

Last weekend we went to Oman . . . 

Looking out over Wadi Guhl, the "Grand Canyon of Arabia"

Staring into the sea from the top of a crumbling watchtower

Saturday morning sky

Mountain sunset

We were blown away by our next door neighbor. It was magical and magnificent and somehow felt so undiscovered. These photos above are completely untouched, straight from my camera to your computer screen. Just looking at them settles my soul. Andy and I are already rethinking our spring break plans, as we simply can't wait to go back to Oman!

More pictures (and stories!) to follow . . . xo

Monday, January 16, 2012

day job: week of jan. 7

Last week in Kindergarten* . . .

. . . we enjoyed the beautiful weather and went outside to explore foam shapes on the easel. (We dipped the shapes in water to make them stick.)

Someone made a lion with her shapes!

We practiced writing with markers on the whiteboards . . .

. . . and with our fingers in some colored sand.

Some of us drew portraits of our friends . . .

. . . while others played with playdough.

One person pretended to be the teacher . . . 

. . . while another pretended to be someone else :)

Our favorite game of the week was "In the Box," a Mrs. Emy original. (What else?)

Some of us liked getting ALL the way in!**

During math time we worked with partners to sort cubes into equal groups . . .

. . . then we turned our cubes into patterns!

And when we were finished with our work, we put everything back in its place.
Sometimes on our own . . .

. . . and sometimes with a little help.

So there you have it -- a few glimpses into our first post-break week. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of what we do all day.

xo, emy



*Kindergarten I (or KG1) is like preschool here. While the kids do come everyday, they're still just three and four years old. I try to incorporate as much play- and sensory-based learning as possible, though I'm also currently required to teach sight words and letter-of-the-week, do guided reading sessions, and issue worksheets as homework. Like anywhere, it's a balance between doing what I'm told and "doing my thing." So to speak.

**Lest you think this wasn't educational, here was the point: The children were practicing the short /i/ sound and a new sight word, "in", as well as learning positional language (in English). They needed to take turns, and they were cheering and laughing with their classmates. In fact, they were all having so much fun that every single student wanted a turn and actively participated the entire time.  In one lesson, we hit literacy, numeracy, social studies, and, of course, foreign language. A small miracle, if I do say so myself :)


Thursday, January 12, 2012

contrast


Andy hates soda (any carbonated beverage, really), and I rarely drink it, but there was something so appealing about Coke in glass bottles and the idea of drinking them with old fashioned paper straws.

I couldn't resist.

They ended up sitting in our fridge for months (like I said, we aren't exactly soda people), until I had a major craving after work today (I've been feeling homesick, so it was bound to hit). As I sat on the couch reading and watching the sun go down, I was struck by the juxtaposition of the Arabic script on the bottle and our Chicago map coasters. Abu Dhabi is a land of contrasts (sand/sea, tradition/modernity, luxury/poverty), and our apartment is no exception.


PS - If you haven't been able to tell (and, judging from the comments of family and friends, I'm sure you have) it's been mostly me, Emy, writing this blog. And I haven't been doing a very good job of it. But there isn't a whole lot of this adventure left -- 18 months is nothing! So we need to revamp/rethink a bit. The goal is to post here at least once a week from this point on, with some Andy-authored posts finally in the mix. (Yay! He's already been working on a "Top Five" Abu Dhabi about some of the main attractions.) I'd also like to share a bit more of actual daily life with you all, including that thing I do all day. We hope you'll stay tuned!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Happy Birthday, UAE

Photos, top to bottom: Putting the finishing touches on a giant 40th birthday cake; Andy can barely contain his excitement in front of this giant UAE-shaped flag made out of fruit and vegetables.

The Emirates turned the big 4-0 yesterday, and it was QUITE the party. 

In all honesty, silly string in our building's elevators was about the closest we got to the action. But we know you may want to see more, so here are a few gems from around the web....


The official site for the UAE's 40th.

A video showcasing National Day products (many of which have been hanging from every crack, corner, and crevice at Emy's workplace since mid-November. That prize ribbon featuring Sheik Khalifa's face? She wore it everyday for two weeks.)

solar powered wheelchair gets in on the action.

Past celebrations haven't skimped on the excitement.


Congratulations, UAE! May the next 40 be just as peace-filled and promising. cheers, andy&emy


PS - Someone else celebrated a birthday yesterday, too :)


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

So Far Timeline, Part Two: September

Well, here we are, already at the end of November, and we still haven't managed to recap our first few months together in the UAE! It's hard to go back when life insists on moving forward. (And also when you have an exhausting day job that saps your will to live....juuuuuusssst kidding! Sort of. Work/looking for work can be pretty draining. Unlimited Netflix streaming doesn't help, either.)

Anyway, our apologies. And now, we bring you the start of our "autumn" in the Emirates.




Flags that accompanied plants we gave as housewarming gifts to new neighbors and friends in our building. Everyone moved in at once!

Andy lands in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, September 8th, just as Ramadan is ending and a few days before Emy is scheduled to begin work. (Little bit of irony: The first day of school here was Sunday, September 11th.) His arrival marks not only the start of life together, but also ushers us into the realm of "Mamser" (combination of "Ma'am" and "Sir"), the all-in-one greeting preferred by employees in shops, restaurants, and public spaces across the city.

"Good evening, Mamser!"
"Can I help you, Mamser?"
And occasionally: "How are you? Ma'am...sir?"

It's like there's some universal customer relations training manual instructing workers to address all married couples appearing in public together as one entity. (With some notable exceptions, which mostly involve people addressing Andy on matters related to Emy, even if Emy is standing right there. But more on that another day.)

The first activity of our newfound Mamser/married life existence?

Why, renting a car, of course!

After weeks of putting her life in the hands of the city's notoriously crazy cab drivers, Emy is more than ready for a little more safety/autonomy as far as transport is concerned. Andy is less than sold, seeing as he'd be the one driving, and in a completely foreign place. But after seeing the beauty the rental car company provides, it's all worth it:


Oh, wait, no, that's a photo from the Dubai Auto Show.

THIS is our car:



It's OK if you're still jealous.

Really, though, this little guy has carried us on plenty of carpools, border runs, day trips, etc, without any major issues. We're super grateful to have a car, and Andy has adjusted to the chaotic driving just fine ;)

Highlights: Setting up house and starting school, activities both requiring plenty of flexibility and patience. As with any transition, there's an adjustment period, and in Abu Dhabi, it's seems to be a rather lengthy one. In fact, there are some things we to which we'll probably never become fully accustomed. 

All the same, the end of the month found us settling nicely into our first home together. (OK, so we still don't have a working stove and our entire building runs on generators. Nevertheless, with each passing week, our apartment becomes a little bit comfier and a little more "ours.")

Here's a small peek of our place so far...






(We promise our bed doesn't always look like that! Often enough though, and we're trying to give at least a semi-realistic picture here ;) )

Excursions: Nothing you haven't heard before. Andy visited Ikea for the first time, and Emy decided she never wants to go to Ikea again. Other than that, our adventures were of the "everyday existence" variety: finding restaurants, exploring our neighborhood, taking care of paperwork, buying groceries...It's doing all that in a new context that makes for an adventure. Meaning there's plenty to come....Stay tuned....

Friday, November 4, 2011

we interrupt our regularly scheduled timeline

To bring you the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.

The kindergarten where Emy teaches staged their very own version, in conjunction with the real deal taking place this past week. It was a week-long event, from preparation to execution, and probably the most exciting school activity thus far.

Watching excitedly as the play area is transformed into Mount Arafat.

Learning about the Hajj through a video in the Computer Center.

Day of: Listening to a run down of instructions for the event.

Performing the tawaf (circling seven times in an anti-clockwise direction) on a replica of the Kaaba.

Waiting for the next rite. Boys and girls both wore traditional dress.

Praying together.

Getting water from the Zamzam well.

Handing out "stones" to the children (balled up tinfoil)...

...which are then used to "stone the devil" as Ibrahim is believed to have done.

It was a really beautiful day in many ways - if only we could show you the expressions of joy, excitement, and wonder on these little faces! (Andy's reaction to seeing the photos for the first time: "They're just so cute." It's true, they are.) Emy probably learned just as much as the children. After all, it was her first Hajj, too :)

Eid Mubarak, everyone! xo, andy&emy

Thursday, October 27, 2011

So Far Timeline Part One: August

Wow, so, with a very few exceptions, it's been a while. Given our severe lack of posting, it would seem a recap is in order. Knowing where to start is another story. But if you'll bear with us, we'd like to offer a bit of compensation: Enter the Andy-Emy Abu Dhabi Timeline, a smattering of the highs and lows thus far. Here goes....





Emy flies to Abu Dhabi just as the holy month of Ramadan is starting. This means no eating or drinking in public during daylight hours. Given that the temperature can climb as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit at this time, hydration becomes a major concern. Countless bottles of water (referred to as "the stuff") are chugged in bathroom stalls around the city, away from Big Brother's watchful eye.

Story of Note: While waiting for a bus in town one day, Emy witnesses a Muslim woman keel over but is clueless as to what to do with respect to cultural appropriateness. Luckily two Indian women come to the rescue, offering the victim sips of water (which she does not want to take) and placing her in a cab headed to the nearest hospital. Back at the hotel, Emy looks up the Abu Dhabi equivalent of "911" - just in case.

Excursions: Malls (naturally) and Ikea within the first week (Ramadan = limited options). At first, Abu Dhabi seems a lot like American suburbia. Well, almost:



Later, a desert safari and Iftar buffet kick things up a notch, as does an adventure to Zayed Sports City and an Egyptian film evening at NYU Abu Dhabi.


Next up: 

FEATURING KEY EVENTS SUCH AS
The End of Ramadan u Andy’s Arrival u The First Day of School

See you soon, friends! xo, andy&emy

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Saturday, October 1, 2011

miss us?


Why not tide yourself over, over here?

Until soon, folks!

cheers, andy&emy