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

the malls of dubai

Amazing.

So that exists. 

Welcome to the UAE.

miss us?

Why not tide yourself over, over here?

Until soon, folks!

cheers, 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 ;)

where in the world?

Emy's aunt recently passed along this addictive game, where you match the names of countries in the Middle East to their proper places on a map. Seeing as many of our future neighbors are also major newsmakers at the moment, we figured a little refresher couldn't hurt. Enjoy!

Cheers, andy&emy

oh, and we probably forgot to mention...

...that we have a (very small) wedding registry at wishpot.com. (Click the link to view it directly.)

busy hands

A little preview of one of the many projects underway...

Can't believe we're less than two weeks away. (Neither can my kitchen table, which has far too many in-progess items covering it to accept that we're this close. But nevermind, we'll get there. And I definitely think it'll be worth it.)

xo, emy