DAY TWENTY SEVEN - Easing Back In

"It's gotten quite a bit cooler since you left", the airport guide cautioned me when I told her I'd been gone a month.

The automatic doors whooshed open, and I stepped out into the night. The air was indeed cooler, a lovely 73 degrees, and the humidity had thankfully dropped as well. Palm trees were silouetted in the airport lights.

I was glad the limo driver didn't want to talk. I was tired - exhausted in fact - and I wanted nothing more than to ride into the city in silence. The main road from the airport is always well lit, but now regularly interspersed along the median were sparkly decorations with Arabic lettering and large number 42's. The buildings lining the road were draped with lights in the colors of the U.A.E. flag.  I had read the "Gulf News" paper en route from Frankfurt and knew early next week is National Day, this country's version of our Fourth of July. The country was founded forty two years ago, the same year I graduated from high school, and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the U.A.E. is all decked out for the anniversary celebration.

These decorations are outside my door at Sama, but they are identical to the ones I saw along the highway on my way from the airport. The falcon imagery or symbol is everywhere, kind of like our American Bald Eagle.

The driver deposited me in front of Sama Tower, and I dug out my NYU ID card so I could pass by security. Once in the elevator I paused before punching level 23. What was my apartment number? I was only in Sama one week before leaving for the States, and now a solid month had passed and I was so, so tired. 

Thankfully Doug opened the door at my slightly hesitant knock, and I stepped into the place I would now call home for the next ten months or so. It was familiar, yet at the same time it was new to me again. Doug had gotten some snacks for me: grape leaves, fresh hummus and pita, and a variety of dates and little cakes, but I wasn't hungry. I was so woozy with fatigue that all I could think about was crawling into bed and falling into a deep sleep.

Why is it that sometimes when we are at our most tired, sleep eludes us? I lay in bed, and my mind wouldn't stop. As if my trip over were not long enough, I had to play it over again in my head. I thought about my dad in Maryland and my friends in Hoboken. As the sky lightened almost imperceptibly, I heard the morning Call to Worship. I looked at my bedside clock: 5:25 a.m. It wasn't till around 7:00 a.m. that I finally dozed off, and four hours later I was awake once more.

"You better get up now or else you'll be awake again tonight" I told myself. 

But I couldn't move. I lay in bed for several minutes before finally crawling out from under the duvet. I stumbled around the apartment, wandering randomly. There was the suitcase sitting open on the floor, my clothes spilling out of it. I pulled out some things and then walked to my closet and stared at the drawers, trying to remember where I'd put things. 

"What's the matter with me? Why can't I remember things? Why am I so foggy?" I chided myself.

As I moved slowly about the apartment my head began to clear. I looked out the windows which had been cleaned on the outside during my absence and observed that with the cooler, dryer air my view had expanded. Whereas before the Arabian Gulf and sky blurred together just beyond the skyline, now the Gulf extended far into the distance. The Emirates Palace, barely visible through the humid haze a month ago, seemed so close I could reach out and touch it. 

I heard the roar of an approaching jet, but it was immediately obvious this was not a commerical aircraft. It was too close and too loud. I scanned the sky and a lone fighter tore into view, executing deft rolls, smoke trailing behind it. Then it did several loops and climbed high in the sky only to plunge straight down to the earth before leveling off and doing yet more rolls. I love air shows, and here was one just for me! I guessed this was a practice run before next week's National Day celebrations.

As I began to feel better and calmer I could hear my friend Roger's voice in my head. "Be kind to yourself, Kathi". 

Yes, it's been a crazy few months. The abrupt move to Abu Dhabi and then back to the States only three weeks later to be followed by a month of non-stop work, moving my father from his house to a retirement community in Maryland. It's no wonder I felt exhausted and disoriented. 

"Stop. Sit. (Or Stand!) But stop. Pause and ground yourself. Cut yourself a break. Don't beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself."

Postscript:  I wrote this yesterday and am editing it now after an excellent night's sleep. I am already feeling SO much better. Abu Dhabi.... I am back!

DAY TWENTY FIVE - The adventure resumes

It was exactly 4 weeks ago today on October 27th that I left Abu Dhabi and flew back to Hoboken. The past four weeks were a blur as I finally settled my father-in-law's estate and then jumped right into moving my dad from his home of 50 years to an independent living community minutes from my sister and her family in Silver Spring, Maryland. I managed to fit in shopping for things to bring back to Abu Dhabi, and I spent some lovely time with friends. 

But dear heaven it was a stressful four weeks. Many times I woke up in the middle of the night and had a few moments of disorientation: "Where am I? Am I in Hoboken or in Clinton Corners in my childhood bedroom? Or at Lori's in Maryland? Or Abu Dhabi?" One night I remember waking up alone in bed and thinking, "Oh Doug is still doing email out in the living room. I need to go get him," only to realize in the next moment that he was half a world away. 

I am so grateful I was able to come home and get my dad settled. Now I can rest easy knowing he is in a safe and comfortable place with lots of neighbors and plenty of activities to occupy his time. My sister is thrilled that he is near so he can join their family for holiday meals and attend his grandchildren's school concerts and other activities. I feel such relief knowing Dad's house is completely cleared out and cleaned up so when it is finally sold (fingers crossed) there will be nothing to do other than deal with the paperwork. And I am so happy I was able to meet up with many of my friends. 

But I am very, very happy to be returning to Abu Dhabi. Before I left I was able to get our apartment set up, so when I arrive I can simply unpack and settle in. Now that I know I will be there for a good chunk of time I can begin exploring in earnest and find interesting activities or classes...... who knows? I can begin planning Jeff's Christmas visit, and then in January my friend Linda is flying in from San Francisco, and among other things we're going birding in the Dubai Creek area. My friend Mary Catherine wants to rendezvous in either India or Africa. I mean how cool is that? And I am hoping other friends will be able to come visit in Abu Dhabi or meet me somewhere in Europe. I can hardly believe I have these opportunities!

Mainly, however, I am looking forward to returning to Abu Dhabi so I can rejoin Doug. When we decided to go over with his NYU job it was with the idea that it would be an adventure we would share. The past few years have been challenging for us, and even though his position at NYUAD is intense and will require vast amounts of his time, we are committed to exploring and enjoying this time together. I can't wait!

Let the Arabian Adventure resume. 

I'm flying back on Lufthansa with a 7-hour (ugh!!!!) layover in Frankfurt. I've never flown a 747 before, so this is another "first" for me. 

DAY TWENTY FOUR - To be continued......

As I type this I am over the Atlantic approaching Greenland on my way to JFK. Doug and I left for Abu Dhabi so abruptly that there was business left undone in Hoboken. Loose ends that need tying up. There is also my dad.....

Dad is fiercely independent, but these past few years have been difficult for him. He lives in a house he built 50 years ago in the countryside outside of Rhinebeck, NY. But after years of declaring he could "hold out", he has decided that it is time for him to sell the house and move. My sister and brother and I were very relieved when he came to this decision because he's 88, and we worry about him.

This past Spring my sister, Lori, and I found a lovely place for him just minutes from Lori's home in Maryland. He toured it, loved it, and put his house on the market. Months passed. People came and looked, but there were no takers. Then three weeks ago as Doug and I were in a limo headed to JFK to fly to Abu Dhabi I got a text from the realtor. "Call me. There's been an offer on your dad's house". 

I flew to Abu Dhabi anyway because you know how these things go. I'd also planned to return in three weeks time in any case to take care of those loose ends I mentioned. So while I was setting up our apartment and shopping for appropriate clothing and exploring and meeting people and writing this blog, all that time real estate drama was underway.

Thank goodness for Lori. She talked Dad off the ledge more than once, and she and the realtor, George Whalen, dealt with a difficult potential buyer and their shrew of a realtor. One day I'd get an email and all was well. The next day Lori would write, "Call me. We have a problem." And so it went.

Today I woke at 6:15 a.m. to get ready for my 7:30 pickup and 10:30 a.m. flight to JFK. I rolled over in bed, picked up my iPad and read an email from Lori. The subject line read, "Deal's Off". 

So I am on my way home. I have those loose ends to deal with. I am looking forward to meeting up with my friends over coffee or lunch or dinner and catching up on things. But then there's dad...... What to do? 

My emotions are all over the place. I do very well when I have a Plan. I can deal with Plans. I make my flow charts and my lists. I cross things off and I get thngs done. But what to do? What's my plan now? 

It's another 5 hours before we land. I am trying to stay awake so that I can sleep tonight and hopefully get myself on Hoboken Time in sort order. That's a plan.  I remind myself that I am not in this alone - my sister, brother and I are a team, and Doug is 100% supportive. We'll work it out.

Challenges. Surprises. Questions. Emotional Roller-coasters. Oh my. 

In the meantime, it seems only appropriate to suspend my Arabian Notes until I am actually back in Abu Dhabi. It will be a few weeks at the very least I am sure. 

Till then.

DAY TWENTY THREE - Searching for some history

In my quest to learn about the history of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and this area in general, I have been reading guide books, Googling, and searching out historical sites. It is proving to be more challenging than I'd anticipated.

The U.A.E. is a relatively new country. In 1971 Great Britain withdrew from the Arabian Gulf, and the country was established under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi. He was clearly a visionary and ruled until his death in 2004. This man's picture is everywhere. As best I can describe it, he is the U.A.E.'s George Washington. He used the vast fortune brought in by the offshore oil to build the country, specifically the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai which were formerly small fishing and trading settlements. These cities with their sparkling and wildly imaginative buildings are the face the World sees in magazines and on tv shows, and it's very real.

The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is in the center of Dubai. Last weekend Doug and I went to the Dubai Mall, the world's largest mall, which sits at the base of the building, and just outside of both is a large plaze with the world's largest fountain. Do you see a theme here?

The Burj al-Arab in Dubai is designed to mimic the sail of a ship, the traditional wooden dhows of the region. It is built on a man-made island and has an underwater restaurant, gold fittings, dancing fountains, and rooms with your own private butler. It is ultra expensive.

The U.A.E. is constantly building malls, and each one is larger and more over-the-top than the next. I have learned that malls are not just places to go to shop. They are much more in this country. They are destinations. In a country where you simply cannot be outside in the heat of the Summer months, I suppose it makes sense to create these large, air conditioned complexes where you can shop, dine in places that range from regular food-court establishments to high-end restaurants, go skiing or skating or bowling, see movies or even live performances, and entertain your children at an indoor amusement park. 

This is the Ski Dubai complex. Yes, you can ski, snowboard and sled in the middle of the dessert.

If you don't want to actually experience the cold of Ski Dubai, you can just observe from the adjacent Mall of the Emirates which is part of the complex. I am told they have recently added penguins to the complex. 

The Emirates are also building resorts everywhere. I have never seen such a concentration of luxury hotels and resorts, and I am told they are all booked. High-end housing complexes are also under construction all along the coast, and on the many islands. Where there aren't convenient islands, they construct them.

The Palm Islands, Dubai. These islands are man-made and feature luxury homes with their own docks and beaches. Ka-ching!$!$!$!$

I must admit I find all these projects impressive. Not necessarily the style of some (a bit "much" for my tastes), but the scope of the projects, and the engineering required to build in this part of the world. If you have the time, an interesting YouTube video to watch is DUBAI: The Greatest City in the World .  Not exactly a modest title!

But what of the history of this region? Yesterday Doug and I decided to visit Heritage Village, which is listed in all my guide books, and indeed I had passed by it on my way to The Marina Mall. I figured this might be a good place to start.

Heritage Village is run by the Heritage Club, and it is described as "a reconstruction of a traditional oasis village".

This stone hut has a thatched roof, and one has to step down about two steps to enter. I think this helps keep the place a little cooler. "Little" being a very relative term in this dessert country. I like the juxtaposition of this old-style hut with the modern city-scape in the background.

While I was peering in the doorway, a young arab couple came up to me with their iPhone and asked me to take their picture. This happens to me ALL the time in Hoboken because people love having their photo taken with Manhattan behind them. I guess asking a stranger to take your photo with a smart phone is universal now. Once I took a photo to their liking, I thought "why not?" and asked them to take one of me and Doug.

Lots of sand! 

There were some token animals on hand. Not many, and I kind of wish they had more. But.... they did have this one dromedary camel as well as a beautiful Arabian horse, a donkey, a cow, some goats, and a small flock of ducks which roamed freely and swam in the fountains. 

I think this must be a traditional fishing boat. The beach here was lovely, and you can see the skyline of Abu Dhabi across the way. 

I do love seafood, and this chart shows the fish found in the Arabian Gulf.  Fish are a big part of the diet in the U.A.E., and I look forward to sampling the different preparations over the next year.

I spied a small flock of these little birds just digging away in the sand, tossing it everywhere with great energy. I sent a photo to my "Birding Friend, Linda", as she is known to my Hoboken friends, and she identified them as English House Sparrows. Apparently they were taking a dust bath which helps to rid them of parasites. 

My take on this place? It was nice as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough. There was a little area that was supposed to be a traditional open-air souk, but less than half of the stalls were occupied, and they were selling only touristy stuff like cheap magnets and stuffed toy camels. I would have loved to have seen some real local crafts for sale.
There were some artisans on hand in another area, but it appeared that they were just doing demonstrations of weaving and metal work (making coffee pots). There were huts marked "glass" and "leather" and "women's crafts", but they were empty, which I found disappointing. 
There was a small museum which had simple displays of weapons like 19th-century guns, knives, and bows & arrows; currency; pages from a Koran; jewelry and clothing. The items were labeled but no descriptions or explanations were offered, so I didn't get as much out of this museum as I could have, which was disappointing.
I did not go to Heritage Village expecting to have a Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg experience. I had very modest expectations, but even those were not met. I think this small place has potential that is not being realized. As a visitor I have a hunger to learn about this country, its history and culture, and I would love to see more resources directed toward this small site and others like it. 
But..... I have not given up. I have just begun. If there are some real historical sites out there, not just recreations, I am going to find them. I am on a quest.
Stay tuned!

DAY NINETEEN - Where the sidewalk ends

The name of author/illustrator Shel Silverstein's book of poetry, Where the Sidewalk Ends, ehoes in my head each and every time I step out the door to take a walk or run an errand. It's not enough to say Abu Dhabi is not pedestrian-friendly. The city is pedestrian-hostile. Seriously.

Before I left Hoboken I bought several guide books to Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. One of the facts that jumped out at me was the high number of auto accidents, and most surprising was that most of the people injured or killed in these accidents were not the drivers or passengers. No, they were the pedestrians "walking alongside the roads". I assumed the reason for this was that the drivers must be reckless and crazy, veering off the road or jumping the curbs. I have since learned otherwise.

I am not saying the drivers here are wonderful. They are on par with the drivers one encounters in NYC and New Jersey, which is to say many (not all!) of them are heavy on the gas peddle, think signal lights are optional, round corners like they're on a racetrack, and jam on the brakes. But I don't think drivers are mowing down pedestrians because of their driving skills, or lack thereof. No, pedestrians are in danger because this city was not designed for them. I think the lack of sidewalks is the reason so many pedestrians are killed and injured here. 

Abu Dhabi is an obstacle course. There is maybe a little sidewalk (as we know it) in front of a store or two, and then it simply ends. Next you find yourself walking across a parking lot, swiveling your head constantly, on the look-out for cars. There doesn't appear to be a right-of-way understanding for pedestrians either, so if a car comes, you better scurry out of the way or become one of those statistics in my guide book. After the parking lot you may find another bit of sidewalk, and then you step off onto a long patch of sand. Oddly enough, at most intersections there is a pedestrian cross-walk signal. Thus far this is the only concession to pedestrians that I've seen. 

Case in point, and you see this a lot - this is not a sidewalk as far as I am concerned, yet you either have to balance your way on this or choose to walk in the parking lot with cars zipping by. Just nuts!

I have been puzzling about this no-sidewalk situation. The city planners built this place up from scratch in recent decades, so surely they looked at other cities for inspiration? I think it must be cultural. That is my only conclusion. It's such a hot country, maybe going for walks or a stroll is simply not something people think to do.  I've also noticed that many people don't run errands - they have someone run their errands for them. On our first day here, Doug and I asked directions to a little grocery store. "Tell us what you want, and we'll go get it" our concierge answered matter-of-factly. She looked utterly baffled when we told her that oh no, we wanted to walk there. If someone wants to go somewhere, they take a taxi or drive themselves. The taxis here are very inexpensive, so people take taxis even for very short hops. "Walk? Why walk???" seems to be the attitude. 

The ubiquitous Abu Dhabi Silver Taxis

I love to walk. I've been discouraged here because of the heat and the pure confusion and anxiety I experience when trying to get somewhere on foot. But the weather is getting nicer with each passing day, and now I live much closer to The Corniche with its tantalizing white sands and turquoise waters. I had expected to be challenged by the heat and by learning to live in a conservative Muslim culture so different from my own. What I had not expected was that my greatest challenge to date would be going for a simple walk. 

DAY EIGHTEEN - Settling in to our new digs

In the Grand Scheme of Things two weeks really isn't all that long, but once I learned on my second day here that Visions Tower II was only our interim residence, I could not wait to move into our permanent apartment. After all the craziness of the past few weeks, I absolutely needed to settle in to a place that I knew I could make my own, make it Home.

Many years ago I learned what I consider to be a very valuable lesson. It was the early 80's and Doug and I were in our very first house in Baldwinsville, a few miles north of Syracuse, NY. When we built it, we told ourselves that we'd only be there 5 years at the most. It was a cloudy, snowy part of the country, and we could not imagine settling there for long. I had a short-timer's attitude - why do (fill in the blank) because we're only going to move in a few years? Why take the time and waste the money on (fill in the blank) when we're only going to be moving in a few years? So for those first years in Baldwinsville I kept a nice, neat home, but I didn't do too much to it by way of personalizing it.

A few years later a new family moved in across the street. Like the previous owners, the husband was in the Air Force working as a recruiter, and I knew his assignment would be 2 years. So you can imagine my amazement when I saw the wife bustling around that house, planting new flowers, painting the trim, and painting and wallpapering the interior. When I got to know her a bit, I asked why she went to all that effort knowing full well she'd be leaving in two years. She told me that when she first married her career Air Force husband she made the commitment that no matter where they went and for no matter how long, she would make that place a home, for herself, for her husband, and for her children. She would treat that house or apartment as if they were going to be there forever.

This had a huge impact on me, and from that moment onward I made her philosophy my own. It was a good thing too because we didn't stay in that first house for five years - we were there for thirteen! 

So here I am, two weeks after arriving in Abu Dhabi, finally in our apartment in Sama Tower. Yesterday I spent the entire day unpacking our suitcases and figuring out the best place to put things. I ironed tons of clothes and hung everything neatly away. I rearranged the living room furniture. The apartment is now set up and perfectly functional, but it is a bit sterile. My next task is to find some nice things to warm the place up - to personalize it. For me, that's the fun part!

Here is a little tour of our new home at Sama Tower as it looks now. I'll post more photos once I decorate and accessorize.

This is Sama Tower which is located in the heart of downtown Abu Dhabi. It is the temporary home of NYU Abu Dhabi's adminstrative offices, the wellness center, some study and lecture space and housing for students, faculty and staff. There is also a large gym on the top level and a swimming pool open to the sky. Our apartment is on the 23rd floor. Once the new campus on Saadiyat Island is completed this Fall, everything and everybody will move there. 

This is the view as you walk in the front door. In this part of the world the floors are all tile. I like how the light-colored tiles, white walls and large window add to the very open feel of the apartment. The kitchen is out of frame to the left.

This is a close-up of the living room. I was very happy to find that an area rug was provided, and it is one that I can live with too, not something ugly. The furniture is pretty comfy, thank goodness. 

This view is taken from the kitchen looking over the counter. You can get a sense of the view that we have from our window. You can also see that we have a little desk and chair to the right, and we have a small dining room table.

I am standing with my back to the window looking toward the front door. The kitchen is about the same length but narrower than the one I have in Hoboken, but it feels larger because of the pass-through. The door to the right of the dining room table goes to a half bath. The second door mostly out-of-frame to the right opens to a hallway. 

This is the view from the living room looking down the hallway. Beyond the doorway to the left is a small master bath. Sadly it does not have a fabulous soaking tub like at the previous place (sigh). Straight ahead is a corner room, filled with light, that I am using for a guest room. To the right is the door to the master bedroom.

Neither of the bedrooms is very spacious, but they are plenty big enough for our purposes. There are no closets in the bedrooms, but there are large wardrobes in each, so we have plenty of hanging and drawer space. When we went shopping the other day I bought this duvet cover and shams at Zara Home. I am trying to keep things light and bright in the apartment, and the paisley print adds a little "Arabian vibe" I think.

As you can see from this angle (doorway), there is a lovely, large window in the master bedroom. I placed the bed so it faces the window because I love laying there at night and seeing all the city lights.

The night time view out our window. There aren't as many sky scrapers as in NYC, but the lights are still pretty.

We do have a guest room, and guests are most definitely welcome!!!!!

I do love all the light in the corner guest room.

So that's my tour! Now I just need a few plants, some family photos and some accessories, and this will be Home for the next year. It made me smile to read this recent email from my son, Jeff. He clearly gets me :-)

You've always been good at making an apartment into a home rather than just the place you sleep at, so with your gloves off I'm sure you'll have it feeling that way in no time.

DAY FOURTEEN - The Abu Dhabi Stone

"It's called the Abu Dhabi stone," my new British acquaintance, Patricia, cheerfully informed me over a lavish buffet lunch at the Abu Dhabi InterContinental. "It's the weight everyone puts on when they move here". 

"Well count me out," I said silently to myself, and then  "And just how many pounds is a stone anyway?" 

Brunch Buffet at The InterContinental

One of the things I dearly love to do when going to a new place, be it another city or state or country, is to sample the local cuisine. It's an absolutely essential part of the experience, as far as I am concerned. I want to see the sights, smell the smells (well, at least the good ones), take in the clothing styles, shop in the stores, listen to the music, and try the food. I cannot for the life of me understand why someone would travel halfway around the world only to seek out a Burger King. Or Pizza Hut. Or Chilis. All of which I have seen here, by the way.

One of my son's Ithaca friends, Joey Slattery, said it best as he encouraged Jeff (NOT an adventurous eater) to sample a new dish. "Try it, Jeff, you might be missing out on something really good".

So, friends, I am looking forward to trying out new foods here. I want to learn all about the cuisine of this region, and if there are any cooking classes offered, then I plan to sign up. If I come upon something delicious and I can get the recipe, I'll share it with you too. 

I'm already planning on an Arabian-themed party for when we return. You know how much I love parties ;-)

So yes, I will be sampling and enjoying food while I'm here, but I will be strategic about it. There are two (yes two!!!) gyms at Sama Tower and a swimming pool, and I will be taking full advantage of them, you can be sure.

And oh yes. One stone = 14 lb.