Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Road Blocks!

By Lindsay

Every week, on our way home from church, we pass by as many mosques as you would see LDS meetinghouses in the suburbs of Utah county. Parking is still limited, but no matter... just park in the road. Across three lanes! Haha, so awesome!

A Day in the Life

We are feeling so settled in now with our daily routines that it is hard to think of things to blog about.  So we asked our family what to blog about, and they wanted to know more about our daily life.

Sunday-Thursday, Lindsay wakes up at 6 AM and gets ready for work.  She leaves at 6:45 and picks up three of her coworkers on the way in.  She works until 2:30 on Sundays and Mondays and 12:45 on Tuesdays-Thursdays.  It's a pretty sweet deal.

Matt's schedule is pretty much whatever he wants it to be.  Sometimes he has appointments to set up people's home networks or fix their various IT problems.  He recently bought some software that will allow him to restore lost data (saved Lindsay's broken thumb drive and that was a-MAZING).

Friday mornings Matt usually has branch presidency meetings for the Al Ain branch (of our church - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).  Church is from 9-12.  After church we have choir practice (Lindsay is the branch music chairwoman) and every third Friday we have a pot luck!  After church we usually sleep all afternoon.

Saturdays we just love to sleep in, hang out with our friends, play games, watch movies, clean, and go to local events.  On National Day, we went to an air show, today we went to the grand opening of the stadium down the street.

We bought a car in November (a 2006 Ford Focus) and it has been great!  We paid cash, so we don't have a monthly bill for rental or lease, and gas is cheaper than taking the bus!  It costs about $20 to fill an empty tank once a week.  Taking the bus was at least $10 a week and that just got Lindsay to and from work.

Here's a video tour of our apartment for you to enjoy!

Here's a video of one of our weekend getaways on a desert safari!  We went dune bashing, sand boarding, rode camels (in a circle, but still...), and had an amazing authentic dinner with belly dancing for entertainment!  Thanks, Jordan Niedrich, for making the video for us!  We love you!

Merry Christmas from the United Arab Emirates!

We are so grateful for all of the many blessings we have this Christmas. We thought it would be hard to feel the Christmas spirit this year because we are so far from family and snow, but it has been stronger than ever! We miss everyone, but we feel closer through phone calls, FaceTime/Skype, and Facebook.

What is it that makes us feel the spirit of Christmas so strongly?

Maybe it's the climate and region that the Savior was born and died in.
Maybe it's the charity and generosity of the people we are surrounded by.
Maybe it's all of the lights and decorations around town (from National Day) in red, green, and white.
Maybe it's the camels that remind us of the three wise men.
Maybe it's the sheep that remind us of the shepherds.
Maybe it's the Christmas music playing in department stores.
Whatever it is, we are feeling it and we are loving it!

We hope you are well, and have a wonderful Christmas!

Love,

Matt & Lindsay

Christmas card, 2013, front

Christmas card, 2013, back

Food!

by Lindsay

I've been meaning to blog about food for a while, so this blog post is going to be about some of the amazing exotic foods and the comfort "home" foods we have enjoyed so far in the UAE.

I'm not sure I blogged about camel milk before, but I tried it once at the Grand millennium (our hotel in Abu Dhabi city). It was interesting. Not completely gross, but it has a bit of a kick of an after taste.

This ice cream with fresh fruit was so refreshing, especially after a 20 minute walk in the heat! Our friends all had dinner, but we had just eaten and were only out for the company, so we shared this. Yum!

First date! Haha, I don't think this was really the first time I have had a date, but it was my first date in the UAE! ...and it was delicious! My friend was nice and had a cup of the less than tasty coffee. I am lucky to be able to say I can't have coffee, because for me it is "haram" (a sin).

I love the variety of spices available here, but I prefer to buy my spices in bulk from LuLu's, where they are behind glass and I am fairly certain fewer hands have touched them. Some of my friends have seen kids just playing in the rice and other bulk items.

Mangosteen (left) and rambutan (right)! I haven't seen good mangosteen here yet, but it is my favorite fruit in the entire world, and I am constantly on the lookout for it.

Digestives and Pocari Sweat were two things I loved in Hong Kong and haven't seen since I lived these. I was pretty stoked to find these! They sound gross, but names can be deceiving!

Matt and I laugh every time we see fried chicken labeled "broasted chicken." My friend said it probably just means it is chicken roasted by bros. Ha!

In case you are running late, here is a great ingredient to add to your meal!

Durian. In my book, this is officially the grossest fruit on the planet. A spiky, stinky fruit should be safe from being consumed, but alas, it is a popular fruit on this continent.

While we were living in the hotel, this was a typical meal... Bread, jar cheese (the best kind is Almari, and it really is good!), regular cheese, meats, and veggies. This would last us several meals and cost about $15.

Bread, Papa John's garlic butter, jar cheese, meats, flamin' hot Cheetos, more cheese... Don't tell my mom!

At the Spinney's in Dubai, we visited our first pork shop...

15 oz. of bacon for $8.71!

90 g (3.17 oz.) of pepperoni for $4.22!

More items in the Non-Muslim section... Jiffy cornbread mix? Pop-tarts?! Really?!

So many kinds of Spam!

An interesting way to display bagels and pretzels...

Love love LOVE Ribena!

This was my typical breakfast at our hotel brunch. Probably a good thing I only got it on Fridays and Saturdays, when I was there at breakfast time. Other days, I got a box breakfast that also lasted me through lunch. I usually had a yogurt and a pastry for breakfast, a sandwich and juice and fruit for lunch. All from the breakfast box! The sandwiches got really old (piece of bread with mayo and a slice of deli meat), so I started putting jar cheese on them and bringing snap peas and carrots to add a bit of variety.

Matt found a little Mexican place when he took my abaya to the cleaner, and took me back that night for some amazing and much craved Happy Nachos with carne asada! The next time I had them, we had them delivered and they put real shredded cheddar on them. Yum!!!

They also included a side of rice and salsa. Que delicioso!!!

We bought a tea set so we can give our guests tea (peppermint) and dates when they visit. I have to say, peppermint tea and dates are an incredible combination and are even better with good company!

Our first guest for tea, my co-worker in the class next door, and fellow EMT.

Taco Tuesday with one of our favorite families! They have taken us in and made us feel like family. We love them!

Some of the most amazing pizza I have ever had, thanks to our friends Seth and Gayle Sinclair. They also made some amazingly cheesy garlic chicken pizza that was seriously incredible. If Seth wasn't such an awesome teacher, he would have to open up a restaurant.

The tap water here isn't good to drink all the time, so we get bottled water, and our water delivery company marked their territory on our doorbell! Haha, it is totally fine to use more than one company, but it is just funny to me that they wrote on our doorbell in permanent marker.

The Wheels on the Bus, or "Transportation"

contributed by Lindsay

A couple of weeks ago, after work, my co-teacher dropped me off at the Al Foah mall so I could catch a cab back to the hotel. After I did some shopping at the Daiso (a dollar store on crack... Amazing, and dangerous), and picked up some Papa John's pizza to surprise Matt with, I went outside to hail a cab. After 10 minutes of standing out in the hottest part of the day, I walked around the mall to try and find a cab stand, and there weren't any. I only saw one cab right before I walked outside, and hadn't seen one since. I realized I was going to have to figure something else out, and luckily I had water, so I started walking. I passed a bus stop, but the operating schedule said the bus ran from 7:30-2:00, so I was out of luck. A minute later, however, a bus drove by in the opposite direction. Since I was across the road and had no idea where it was going, I kept walking. The call to prayer was sounding in the mosque I was passing, and it was very apparent that I was in a foreign land.  I looked back every couple of steps to see if a cab was coming, and noticed that the bus had turned around and was at the bus stop I had passed a few minutes before. I turned around and started walking back. It was at least 200 meters back, but I wasn't about to run to catch the bus in the heat in a long skirt with a bag full of stuff and a box of pizza, salad, and sodas. I figured I could flag it down as it drove past. As I got closer, I did start to hurry, but made it with time to spare. I paid 2 dirhams (about 50 cents) and basked in the glorious air conditioning. I didn't even ask where it was heading. I figured I would stay on until I got to a place where taxi cabs were slightly more abundant. As we drove, I noted our route. The bus stopped right after the roundabout near my school, where two men stood next to a speed limit sign. I followed our route with the GPS on my iPad mini, and prayed that this bus would take me where I needed to go (there were no maps on the bus). Every roundabout we went through gave me a mini panic attack as I hoped it would take the exit I needed. Oh, and nearly every intersection is a roundabout here. About 30 excruciating minutes later, when we came to a stop at the Al Ain Souq, I realized that the bus could only turn left or right from there, and I needed it to turn left. I asked the bus driver which way he was going, and he said he was going right. I asked him if he would get any closer to my hotel and he said no. He told me I could take a cab from there, but someone overheard us and said that there was a bus coming that would take me straight to the hotel, so I waited for it, and it worked out perfectly. So instead of paying $10-15 for a cab, I paid $1 for the buses.

The next morning, I decided to try my luck at getting back to work on the buses. I left my hotel room at 5:41 AM, found the bus stop going back to the Al Ain Souq by 5:50, and the bus came at 5:53. When I got to the Souq, I got off, but realized (too late) that I had gotten off prematurely. I ran to try to catch the bus, but failed. I ran to the next bus stop and ran up just behind the bus. I didn't need to catch it, but I knew I hadn't at least missed the bus I needed. I sat on a bench and my bus came about 10 minutes later. When I got on, I told the bus driver to drop me off before the Al Khleef roundabout. A man came up and said he also works at the school and would let me know when to get off. I sat down, got out my breakfast, and enjoyed my 30 minute ride to work. When we got off, it was only a 5-10 minute walk to the school, and I arrived by 7:00. I had 30 minutes to spare! Normally the commute would be 30 minutes by car, but an hour by bus is ok with me, especially since I can read, eat breakfast, and not think or worry about driving.

One afternoon last week, I was waiting next to the speed limit sign bus stop and a man pulled up to offer me a ride. He worked for the Abu Dhabi transportation department, and at first I thought he was like a bus manager going from stop to stop picking people up because the bus wasn't running or something. I must have looked stranded standing out there. He said it was too hot for me to be standing outside and insisted that I get a ride. I told him I wanted to take the bus, and he said it didn't matter what I paid him. He just wanted to be nice. So, I got in. He took me all the way to my hotel and didn't expect to be paid a lot, but I felt so grateful (and also guilty that I make five times what he makes), so I gave him about what I would pay for a week of buses. He said he could come pick me up the next day, since he drives a school bus out near the Al Foah mall. I accepted, but didn't have the best feeling about it. He was too friendly for the culture here, and talked about going to America and being friends, and as I got out of the car, I heard him say, "I love you." Uh, not halal (it means "kosher"... The opposite, "haram," means "sin."). Later I texted him that I had my transportation worked out, and not to come. I promised my mom and my husband that I would never, ever take a ride from a man by myself unless he was an official taxi driver.

The next day, my bus came 5 minutes early, and I totally missed it. I sat on the bench and waited for the next bus, which should have come 30 minutes later, but it didn't. And who pulls up, but my "friend" from the day before. I had almost reached the point where I would take a ride, but literally 1 minute before he showed up, I recommitted myself to my promise. It took a lot of convincing that I wanted to take the bus, but he finally left with the promise that he would pick me up to come home at 2:30. Uh, so not happening. He probably did only have good intentions, but I didn't have my phone with me, and I wasn't about to risk it. I ended up hailing a cab and paid about a week's worth of bus fare to get to school, but we drove past the two men I usually get off the bus with, and I clocked in 2 minutes early.  After work, my coworker drove me home. I really missed the buses that day. I can get work done (cutting, planning, reflecting) on the bus home, and I can read and eat breakfast on the bus there. Even if we had a car, I would still take the bus.

I've learned my way around Al Ain through navigating the bus routes. I am pretty impressed with myself. Haha... None of the websites I could find have bus schedules, so I took pictures of some that were posted at a bus stop. I like teaching people how to ride the buses here, because it can save so much money. We have spent 1/2 the price we would have spent on a car and gas by just using the buses and taxis. We also get rides from friends, which we really have appreciated. However, I feel so much more independent if I take the bus or a taxi. And I don't feel like I'm putting people out.

The bus I take from the Al Ain Souq to Al Khleef, and back.

The bus I take from my hotel to the Al Ain Souq, and back.

Other bus schedules... Only a few of them. I need to find the others!

This would have been really helpful on my first bus ride.

Lindsay's new hobby! And Matt's too, maybe.

Contributed by Matt

Today was a great day. I spent 2 hours at breakfast, just enjoying the atmosphere and good buffet food. I also got to work out a couple of meetings for Wed. morning for possible job opportunities.

This evening, Lindsay came in, and she got a text message from Tara, a fellow church member asking if she wanted to go play rugby. We quickly agreed to go, and then ordered pizza to be delivered to our hotel. The delivery should have left us about ten minutes to eat before getting picked up. It turns out that the delivery person did not show up before Tara, so we left money and a message at the concierge desk, and left. We got a few calls from a very confused delivery driver, but eventually it all got figured out.

The Al Ain Rugby Club is amazing. It has some of the nicest and well maintained grass I have ever seen. The weight room and other facilities are top notch. The temperature was a perfect 85°F. No bugs. Flood lights lighting up the playing fields. I sat on the sidelines in the grass while Lindsay did warm-up exercises with all the other girls. They did some jogging, stretching, and then worked on ball handling skills by pitching and catching the ball. Halfway through the two hour practice they split into two groups - One group for playing touch rugby, and another group for playing full contact rugby. Lindsay decided to join the group with four others playing full contact rugby (about twenty five women were in the other group). They worked on techniques for tackling and how to get tackled.

This is the first time Lindsay has ever touched a rugby ball. She has never played, and never had interest in playing before tonight. She just wanted to exercise and be social. She had lots of fun, and we are now looking at joining the Al Ain Rugby Club just to play rugby.

After getting back to the hotel, we found our pizza and salad sitting on the counter in our room. It tasted delicious, even though the croutons were soggy and the pizza was cold. We look forward to ordering from them again and have our food being a bit more fresh.

Things I Love About My Job

contributed by Lindsay

I feel so blessed to be teaching here.  These are some things I love about my job (in no particular order):

• The children are so cute and smart and loving!
• I have 22 students, and the cap is 23.
• I have 6 Mohammed's, so names were not that hard to learn.
• My classroom is full of resources and supplies for crafts.
• We have reams of copy paper and laminating sheets to use.
• We have a SmartBoard, two computers, and a color printer in our classroom.
• I get to teach side by side with my friend almost the entire day.
• I learn Arabic from her!
• There are sweet maids that come in and clean our classroom throughout the day.
• I work with a group of very happy and supportive women.
• My hours are 7:30-2:30 Sunday and Monday, and 7:30-12:45 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  The kids are in school from 8:00-12:30 and they have 30 minutes each of music, art, and PE every week and Islamic for 30 minutes a day, giving me about 4 hours of prep time a week.  They also have lunch and recess for a half hour every day and library once a week, which I supervise with my co-teacher.