Had the last post been uploaded, you would already know about the changes in weather here. But, since I apparently walked away before ensuring the post went live (and now find it to be stale) I feel the need to explain the changes again. The weather right now in Abu Dhabi is a BAZILLION times better than it was when I arrived in July. Seriously. And Bonus! It is getting better daily. On the downhill side, the city is significantly more crowded. Apparently a huge contingent of people simply leave town and travel for a substantial amount of time between mid-June and mid-September. 
That makes total sense in light of the weather, and is something we will keep in mind moving forward. As a result of this phenomena there are MANY more clubs and classes available now than there were in the summer. These public classes include just about every type of exercise, cooking, dancing, language, writing, and every type of art or craft you can imagine. The clubs are for those who enjoy movies, books, gaming, eating, wine tasting etc. These types of classes and clubs are typically found just about any place, but it certainly feels as though there are a LOT more offerings here. Maybe I am seeing so many because I have the opportunity to participate in whatever I want to. It could be I am looking a bit harder! Whatever the reason, I am thrilled to know I can develop quite an interesting and varied weekly schedule for myself. Had I come back a couple of weeks earlier I would now be taking both conversational Arabic and writing classes. Good news – both of these are offered again after the first of the year! I will definitely be taking part.
Along with the great weather and increase in people, also comes a plethora of outdoor festivals and entertainment opportunities. Most of these are offered in one of the many outdoor parks here in AD. To date each of the parks I’ve seen here, much like all of the outdoor spaces, are beautifully designed and well maintained. There are usually multiple water fountains and other water features, meticulously maintained landscaping, and multiple covered spaces of varying sizes for picnics or other gatherings.
One of the most pleasant surprises we have encountered we experienced just yesterday afternoon. The RIPE market. I first heard about it from the hair stylist at The Club, and learned more from the yoga instructor there. RIPE market is a farmer’s market featuring certified organic seasonal produce that is grown here in the UAE. So I made plans to go!
I think it is fair to use the word awesome here, because the RIPE market is a huge wow! There is a significant amou
nt more to the overall market than just the produce. Simply put, this is a weekly family event. There are food trucks, stalls for kids that feature everything from bubble machines to face painting, crafts booths, and just about every other things you can think of including an outdoor movie space. One booth had some great outdoor lights, another had really pretty handmade dresses, and another had locally made craft soaps. As usual I got stuck at that one and could not walk away without at least one bar of camel milk soap made with organic essential oils. Very cool!
The star of the show is definitely the produce. It was exactly as advertised… all certified organic and (almost) all local. This is a small country, so if it is grown here, it is at best hours and at worst only a couple of days off the tree/bush/vine. The produce portion of the market is about 75 yards 
long with a huge variety of offerings from Apples to Zucchini. It was a beautiful thing… and I was in heaven! The best news is that the market runs every Saturday for 7 whole months (first of October through the end of April.) Then the weather gets too warm, so they shut it down and do home delivery only during that 
time. (Really? Gee what a shame 
!) Please understand that ‘seasonal’ here is a weird term, at least as it applies to produce. There is not a real winter, so the growing season is most of the year. I imagine that the blistering heat of July and August may preclude some things from growing, but with very little effort and a whole lot of shade and water one can likely continue to grow whatever doesn’t require actual cold weather.
Thanks to this discovery, my superb spouse and I now have a great Saturday routine lined up for the next few months… swim some laps at the Club and have a late breakfast pool or seaside (depending on the crowd) while reading or catching up online. This is followed up by a trip to the RIPE market, and ends at the sushi bar across the street from our apartment. Life is good.
