In Other News:

Totally random, but since it's already October and it still feels like July, I'm afraid that time will pass by so quickly I won't realize when the year is actually over!

So some news, totally unrelated to living in Abu Dhabi:

I booked my flight to Tokyo yesterday!  My sister and I are going to visit our momma for Christmas!  It'll be 4 years to the day since we've seen her last, so it should be fun!  I tried to find the cheapest tickets possible, while also entertaining the possibility to not buying a return flight to the Dhabs, but instead going somewhere else for the remainder of my 2 week vacation.  

Well, I've come to believe that Tokyo must be the most expensive place to fly into or out of!  I was able to get a ticket from just under $1200 (that's just under 5000dhs) return.  Unfortunately, since Sister and I are arriving from different countries, I will be arrive in Tokyo at 7:30am on 21 December and Lesa will be there at 3:45pm!!!  Boo!!!  (I was wondering about booking an airport hotel room for a few hours!)

So, once I arrive back in Abu Dhabi, I will have a little over a week to do something fun for New Years ... Possibilities now include: Istanbul (not Constantinople, haha!), Cairo, Mumbai ... or maybe someplace like Bali?  Who knows!  All I know is that once I get back to the Middle East, flights get a little cheaper to these destinations.  

Then again ... maybe New Years in the UAE could be fun!

Same Ol' Same Ol'

I really wanted to keep a blog for a) friends and family to keep track of what I've been up to and b) for myself as a replacement for trying to just remember everything I do while I'm here.

So far, this hasn't happened too well.  I'll blame Etisalat...

But, in hopes of sharing a little bit about what I do from day-today, here goes a VERY boring post!

It's Sunday.  Start of a new week.  I guess this will be our "first official, all-the-kids-are-here, regular-working-hours" week of school since I've started working here.  6 teachers, 6 kids, 8-2pm, 5 days a week.  Plus, I also have class 2 nights a week (Sunday and Monday, 3-5:30ish).  We'll see how I feel on Thursday!

Let's backtrack a little to get a picture of what I do every single day:

Sunday: work 7:30 - 3pm.  Class 3 - 5:30pm.  Come home, eat, watch "House", go to bed.

Monday: work 7:30 - 3pm.  Class 3 - 5pm.  Come home, eat, watch "House", go to bed.

Tuesday: work: 7:30 - 3pm.  Home at 3:30; hear the adhan.  Eat an early dinner while watching "House".  Sit in my room and do homework.

Wednesday: repeat Tuesday's events

Thursday: Repeat

Sometimes I'll throw in a trip to the Sheraton for some lounging by the pool or go to Al Falah for some groceries.  We'll order the occasional delivery with the neighbors ... and watch "House".

Life is pretty much (as they say here) "same-same but different".  Once you're here, you realize that it applies to pretty much everything you do.

Friday: sleep in.  Make breakfast. Do some homework.  Walk to Al Wahda Mall and do some shopping.  Go back to the "flat" (as they call apartments here) and do more homework.  Then, I have to make the decision on whether or not to go to the pool or stay home and do homework.  (This week I stayed home.  Maybe next weekend?)

Saturday:  same as Friday; yesterday I went to Khaladiya Mall for breakfast at the Mugg & Bean with my roommate.  

And then on Sundays, it starts all over again!  

I think I had more fun during Ramadan!  Then again, I didn't have classes and presentations and annotated bibliographies and lectures and research and a thesis to worry about!!!

But, I'll make it!