The kids have beds, I have a full-sized couch, Lindsey has a desk (upstairs), & everyone has a spot at the eating table.... at the SAME time!
It's the little things...
I'm slowly hanging photos & art, but the larger pieces need a "wait-and-see" day as I've had a few things fall off the walls in the middle of the night. (Super scary, by the way, to hear a huge crash in the still of the night...) So I've perfected this setup to prevent scratches & dings:
The trick seems to be making sure the walls are extremely clean before using those Command Strips. So far, so good.
This past week also had me busy working at the school! I've been officially hired! Well, I'm an official sub, but hey, it's a paying job!! I even have a badge!
As if unpacking & starting a new job aren't enough, I also volunteered at the school for Anti-bullying week. Virgin Radio 104.4 (out of Dubai) came out to talk to the kids about the importance of NOT being a bully ... & wearing your seat belt. (Odd combo, I know.... But the lack of properly belted kids & adults on the roads, combined with the crazy driving, is a real issue in these parts!)
Brent Black (American), BIG Rossi (British), Kris Fade (Australian), & Priti Malik (Indian) were all on hand to speak with the kids, do a little karaoke with the teachers, & challenge the kids. Olivia's teacher, Mr. Macdonald, was chosen to sing "Let It Go". Olivia was yelling like crazy with her class.
As a reminder to be a friend to everyone & stand up against bullying, the kids (& the Virgin radio crew) took the "Pinky Pledge" & had their pinky nail painted blue.
Of course, October is also Breast Cancer awareness month, so the school also hosted a talk by a Gems parent & radiologist for the 10th, 11th, & 12th grade girls, their moms, grandmoms, female family members, & women of the community about breast cancer. The UAE has a higher than normal incidence of breast cancer among it's native population, apparently, so it's good to be proactive with information.
I brought a friend.... & actually learned a bit too. The speaker was fabulous & since it was women/girls only, there were some great questions from the students.
We've only just started the weekend, but Devin has already had his first ADYFC soccer game...
... They won. Yea!!! They played at the Yas Kicks facility which is literally an AstroTurf field dropped in the middle of the desert sand next to Ferrari World...
The girls spent more time playing in the sand than watching their brother's game.
(Sigh.)
We also found a really good Mexican food place. Seriously, it's on par with Chipotle or Chiloso's... It's that good. The owner, Jesus, is from Mexico & moved here to serve authentic food... God bless him!
Masdar City is Abu Dhabi's venture into living a "green" life. The buildings are all made from natural, renewable resources & powered by solar or wind energy. The development is still a long way from complete, but a few businesses & a university is currently located there. Watch the infomercial here:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FyghLnbp20U
A lot of what the video shows is already in place. I've walked the narrow streets & ridden in the pod cars. It really is pretty amazing...
Of course, most of Abu Dhabi still looks like this...
So it's not THAT much different than Texas. The stores are even putting out Christmas decorations already! (Gotta love ACE Hardware! LOL!)
Just be prepared to pay top dollar as these babies are all imported speciality veggies!
So, as I hear my washing machine spinning up to jet propulsion levels (last spin cycle), I'll end this note & attempt to pry myself off this nice long cushy couch. But I'm planning more quality time with this baby... Maybe a little AppleTV movie?
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