She’s Baaack – Visitors in Abu Dhabi

Hi there! Sorry I have been out of this for so long. I/We got busy making the new boat a home, with repairs, changes, etc, and then I started a small business (more on that in a later entry).  Eventually I reached a point where I felt as though I really had nothing interesting to say, OR… it was just too hot for me to be functional.  It had gone on for so long that it was incredibly hard for me to do much of anything, seemingly forever. Then… thank God for the miracle of changing weather.  Gradually (oh so slowly) it got nicer and nicer until it is now beautiful. Along the way we finally had some guests.  And then we had more guests. But now… enough with the excuses. I’m baack!

First I want to talk about the weather. I very seriously do not recall it being THIS nice last year. It could be because I left and didn’t spend my entire first summer here. This year I did, and I believe that doing made me appreciate this amazing winter weather more. I should also give a nod to experiencing winter this year with open windows instead of in a high rise with little to no outside air circulation. Whichever it is, the weather right now is truly beautiful. Our highs are in the low to mid 70s, with lows in the low-mid 60s. Our new home has 30 windows/hatches/portholes that open. 22 of those have measurements of around a foot or less in each direction, but nevertheless we are able to catch the wind from whichever direction it blows. It comes right on through and is just incredibly comfortable. I cannot find the words to describe how much I love this.  I am an outdoor girl, and not a fan of a/c.  While I definitely understand the necessity of it (especially here) I am so very grateful to be able to experience this time of year with windows open and real air surrounding me. (Except for that time our relatives from Germany brought that foggy stuff with them. “I’m dreaming of a foggy, damp, Christmas” said nobody, ever. But we had one -Thanks Mike and Sheri! – Read all about that in the Christmas in Abu Dhabi entry coming next.)

So… As I said, we’ve had our first guests aboard our new home. In fact, we’ve had a “full house” now several times, with all 4 bedrooms occupied. We’ve loved it! The best part of having guests here is their surprise when they realize that the

UAE is not at all what they envisioned. The first guests we had were our sons, who are both in their 20s. Needless to say we had a busy couple of weeks. We took them to the Grand Mosque of course, and this time we went at sunset. This gave us a different perspective based on the light. It is surprising how the light changes the view at different times of the day. We also took the boys to The Club (several times). In fact, after asking questions trying to learn about the sport, my son was invited to play Cricket with some of the employees one morning. He came back smiling, said he had a wonderful time, but still did not have a full understanding of the game. I don’t either, but man is it ever

popular! We enjoyed several family activities, including a painting class and a trapeze yoga class.  You can see that my son really enjoyed that one!

We also did some things that we had not ever done before, like going to the newly

opened Abu Dhabi branch of The Louvre. What a treat! The building itself is spectacular, built on/in the water with the most interesting roof/ceiling I have ever seen. From the outside during the day it sort of looks like a spaceship

At night I think it looks as though it is covered in stars. But the inside! Wow. I am in love with the way the light moves, and the shadows play. I also enjoy wandering through the maze of galleries that offer a wide variety of works, from prehistoric to modern. I liked it so much that I became a member, and plan to visit frequently.  here is a link if you’d like to see/read more about The Louvre Abu Dhabi:

https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/about-us/our-story

 

On another day, we all went on a desert safari together. The high speed ride through the sand dunes was a blast! I posted several videos to FB that many of you might have seen and laughed at. Contrary to popular belief I am NOT the one screaming in those.  We enjoyed the company of a couple from Atlanta, here in Abu Dhabi for a couple of days.

They were great fun and really good sports. The safari through the dunes stopped several times along the way. Once to visit a camel farm,
once to take a breather in the dunes, and then finally for a traditional dinner in the desert.

We also took the boys to Dubai for a day.  We spent the first part of the day at the Old Souk, and had a blast.  The guys enjoyed learning to negotiate prices, and laughed and joked with the sellers throughout the shops.  We made a few purchases and then moved across to town to a place that neither Larry nor I had been to before.  It’s called Global Village. GV describes itself as “A Cultural Extravaganza” and features buildings designed to look like a typical or iconic area/building of the featured country.  Inside it’s building, the country displays and sells traditional wares, and gives periodic demonstrations and shows that teach us about life in that particular country.  Here is a link for you to follow if you want to find out more about it:

http://www.globalvillage.ae/en/

We found it fun, but I think a bit too touristy for me to make it a regular thing.  However, one defining moment there. I was walking along, chatting and laughing with the boys. Looking around, taking in the crowd, I stopped, and so did the boys. I asked them to look around them, and tell me how they felt. The responses were all smiles. They were happy and enjoying themselves, but they were puzzled about why I asked. I asked them to look around again, through eyes that were back in the US, and asked how they would feel if they were in this crowd back home. We were in a wonderful family oriented setting here in the UAE, surrounded by children running and laughing, men and women seated at cafes or strolling along talking and laughing just as we were. The only difference between us is the way we were dressed and the languages we were speaking.  We were in our jeans and t-shirts, they were mostly in what is referred to as ‘National Dress’ (abayas and dishdashas – respectively black or white with head coverings). I was pleased to see the look of surprise and understanding in both of our son’s eyes. They got it. I daresay this particular circumstance would not be possible back home. There is no fear here, no spewing of hatred. Just a peaceful coexistence, and everybody getting along with a common goal of enjoying a pleasant evening with family. This is the norm here, even in a community that is so multicultural it is hard to describe to anybody who hasn’t experienced it. We as Americans are a minority. Our hosts, the Emiratis, are also a minority. We are regularly surrounded by people who speak 6 different languages. Yet nowhere is there a riot, nowhere are people shooting each other, and nowhere are people teaching or preaching hatred.  Amazing.