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!)

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 :)

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!

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....

Cars and light shows and malls, oh my!

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.)

A 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 :)

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....

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

time to make it cozy

A few of the details that will soon help our place feel like home . . .

Favorite pillows (l. from Anthro, r. purchased in Germany) atop our infamous kilim; birds that served as the cake topper at our wedding, along with a wooden heart the pastor gave us.

(Sorry, I didn't have a picture of the Xbox ;) )

our apartment - before // good news!

On Monday, I (Emy) got the keys to our BRAND NEW apartment in Abu Dhabi. It's in a good location, near to both the city center and airport. And by "brand new," I don't mean "new to us" - the entire building was literally just completed, about a week ago. Which is kind of nice, actually, as it lends to the whole clean slate/new married life vibe we've got going.

So please, come on in (and I apologize in advance for the generally sketchy quality of these photos. Guess you should just come see it in person! Erm, if we know you, that is ;) ) . . .

Small entryway, which is a total bonus - many places just open right into a long hallway.

Our rug from Istanbul is begging for a home in this space!

As you enter, there's a guest bathroom to the left...

...the kitchen to the right...

...and the living room straight ahead. (Love those doors!)

Ahh, much better light! In the living room, facing the entrance.

Nice crown molding - it's the little things, right?

Hall leading to master bath and bedrooms.

Inside the master bath - no storage (yet!) but hey, there's nice tilework.

Bedroom One (soon-to-be guest room/office/den) includes a small balcony.

The master bedroom doesn't have a balcony, but it's slightly bigger.

View from our apartment, looking slightly to the right - that's the "leaning tower of Abu Dhabi" in the distance.

Our appliances will be delivered tomorrow (including one monster stove, can't wait make good use of that thing!), as well as the sofa. (I managed to find used the exact same three-seater I'd been eyeing at Ikea, but as part of a set. So now we have a couch, loveseat, and chair, all for under 500 bucks, including delivery. Yeah, it was a proud moment.)

In the past two days I've tracked down all of the above (stove, fridge, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and sofa set), as well as a table/desk, extra chairs, microwave, blender, coffee grinder, bed and mattress (plus complete bedding), dishes, cookware, cutlery, a clothing rack, a lamp, and a side table. Oh, and candles (let's face it, I care about the essentials). All to be delivered before I move in on Saturday morning. And the very best part? The one I was saving for last? Andy arrives in just two short weeks :)

Happy Wednesday, everyone! xo, emy

mini adventure

We were hoping to take a tour here...

...but their hours had changed due to Ramadan. (In fact, as we attempted to enter, there were dozens of men streaming in around us, answering an evening call to prayer.)

So, with the help of a considerate Egyptian man, we made our way across the highway to this place:

Zayed Sports City features Olympic-sized everything. We mostly strolled around the hotel portion like we owned the place, marvelling at its scale and maze-like qualities, before stumbling upon an art exhibition in one of the upstairs halls. (Pictures weren't allowed; it mostly looked like some sort of Emirati appreciation/student work. But, hey, it was something to see.)

The streets at Sports City are lined with date palms:

We eventually had to cross some major highways and a very large bridge in order to get back to our own hotel...

...but with the help of a kind cab driver, we made it there safely. Tired and ready for approximately 1.5 liters of water, to be chugged as fast as possible, but still - safe. And, overall, satisfied.

xo, emy

landed

This is just a quick update to say I (Emy) have landed in Abu Dhabi (been here a week now actually....), and in between overcoming jet lag and exploring the city, I've found it really difficult to motivate myself to do anything blog-related! But it's coming - oh yes, the thoughts and stories abound. Not to mention we've already been assigned our housing (WHAT?! Near the Abu Dhabi city center in a BRAND NEW building...two bedrooms...we get to choose all the furniture and appliances...pinch me) and are supposedly getting a tour of the place next week (we can't move in until our residency visas have been fully processed). Meanwhile, I'm stuck in five-star luxury at the Yas Hotel (I know, life is so hard) while Andy wraps things up in the States before heading over in a month (ok, so it IS hard missing him!).

Here's a peek of the view from my balcony at the Yas:

The marina, plus a curve in the famous F1 racetrack, which runs around (and under!) the hotel.

The internet connection at the hotel is reallllly slow, so I think I may spend some time sizing photos before I share anything else. You know, in between lounging at the pool and going to Ferrari World ;)