September 1st and 2nd COMBO POST!

Wednesday was looking like it was going to be another very routine day with a hardy breakfast. I have become good buddies with the chef at the breakfast buffet. He now makes me two omelets with out me even asking!!! I enter the breakfast buffet at the Hilton and fill a plate with fruits and banana bread and make eye contact with the chef. He starts making my turkey and cheese egg omelet. He is a very nice man from India and returns home a couple times a year to visit family. It is amazing how even here, even the richest city in the world has its segregated ranks by nationality. It is quite sad to be honest. It puts a lot in perspective.

As a lot of you know, I am very outgoing and just willing to start up a conversation with anyone I meet or see on the street. My colleagues are beginning to realize this when we are in a cab and I am trying to have a conversation with the driver who speaks very little English. This is a side of me that I never want to lose. This is a trait that my parents passed onto me through the years and I am so thankful that I have the mindset and personality to want to do that. I have met a lot of amazing individuals from all over the world within my school, but have also met some extraordinary people, with the most amazing stories outside of school.

At the gym today after a normal day at GSAB, I was working on some chest and triceps and was at the time using the bench press. The hotel trainer/health club supervisor came over to spot me. After assisting me I sat up to thank him and introduce myself. His name was Yellow and was from Cypress. He is 26 years old and has been living in Abu Dhabi for 3 years now. He is an extremely soft-spoken man who you can tell has a genuine heart. When I brought up the fact if he had family here or home, he lit up and wanted to talk more. He has a wife and a 3-month-old baby boy that he has yet to meet back home. He cannot wait to go home in three months. He is moving back because of the weight it is putting on his heart, being away from them. I cannot imagine being away from a wife and my only child like that.

After going to the gym, I made my way over to the Intercontinental Hotel where some colleagues are staying. I met up with them to go for a swim in the gulf and watch the sunset over the gulf and city. It is amazing, because of the heat and the humidity, you can look directly into the sun at night because of the haze over the sky. It really is gorgeous! I lay there in the gulf floating, because of how salty it is, and look out over the city and start to really think. It is beginning to sink in where I am. I am in Abu Dhabi, in the Middle East. I am here! WOW! God is so good and has given me the most amazing opportunity in the world at such an important time in my life and career.

After hanging out on the beach, we went back to our rooms and got cleaned up for a what was going to be a very cool dinner experience. A fellow colleague, Maya (from Lebanon), invited a few of us out to dinner with her and her friend to a local Lebanese Restaurant. I am making sure I take advantage of where I am and the people I around. I want to broaden my horizons and try as many new things as I can, NO REGRETS! The food was amaaaazing. The best thing of the night, was not only finally having a true hot meal, but the eggplant humus and flat bread! MMMMMMMGood!!! After a long day, I was as tired as can be and by the end of the night finally hit the hay at Midnight

6:30am on Thursday came way to fast, but was ready to begin my Friday and have a nice weekend. After making out way to the school, those of us who had out medical done abroad had to go get a final chest x-ray and get blood drawn for an HIV testing. Medical work is don’t much more efficiently here than back home. They multitask very well and get you in and out as fast as possible. After taking the shuttle bus back to the school, it was time to go see our Elementary building that has been built.

It is still getting some last minute things done to it as far as outside construction, but for the most part the entire inside is done with the exception of furniture and things needing to be put in place. It is a two-story building with a center rubber play area for the kids. It is all very colorful and happy! Each kindergarten room has a personal play area and personal bathroom for the kids to limit hallway time for the kidoes. Each classroom is equipped with a smart board and ceiling projector as well as a storage closet for the teacher. The building is truly top of the line stuff and I am very excited to be apart of it! As soon as I get in my classroom and it is completely finished I will post pictures of it. I will be going by Mr. Justin, here it is common to use first name but when Mr. is put in front of it, that is when the respect is comprehended.

After a nice day on campus, we made our way back to the hotels and I was back on the hunt for a place to live. I have received the respected papers for the studio I was interested in, but cannot turn them in until Sunday because of the weekend. I am going to use this weekend time to look elsewhere still and try to see if there is better. I have much more housing money available to me and want to see what I can get with it and if it is truly any better than the studio I like. I will be looking at a villa that is in the city center/downtown area. It is not in a high-rise like I wanted but it is brand new 1 bed/2 bath with open kitchen and includes brand new appliances. This would give me more money to pocket, as far as the furniture allowance is concerned. I am very anxious to see it and what is around it.

One of the 2^nd grade teachers and her husband coordinated a night out for whoever wanted to come last night and we all met up at “Cooper’s” and then made our way to “PJ’”, which are two Irish pubs in the area. It was very enjoyable and nice to hangout with the different teachers outside of the school setting. Although I am in the Middle East, the pub’ were packed with expatriates, and I had to remind myself, it is Ramadan and they are not American. It is amazing to walk around and hear all the different voices and nationalities in the room. America is so big so people do not tend to leave, where here, people jump from place to place because their home countries are so small and everything is so close. It is quite fascinating. After a full and fun night out with new friends, it was time for bed.

I have been busy but no one has been forgotten. I wish I had the flexibility and resources to be able to skype and talk to everyone, but at the moment don’t and am sorry. I had the chance to get on internet and post this and am sorry it is late. As soon as I get my own place and am in the classroom, I will have internet access to update people at the end of the day. God has truly taken control and I can’t thank Him enough for all He has done for me here. LUKE 12: 22-34!!!! I miss everyone still deeply, but do not worry for I am much better. God has a plan for me here and I am getting more and more exited by the day to meet my class and impact their lives in the best way I can. Thank you for everything and I will talk to you all soon! A&F

P.S. Go Beacons Volleyball! Cassie and her team are playing really well right now and are just coming off a good win @ Linfield and Cassie is KILLIN IT! She has a hurt elbow so be praying for that to get better soon. But if you get a chance to slip out and watch a home game for me, that would be awesome.

PICTURES: 1) The view from Marina Mall back on the city line/beach line, which they call the Coniche. 2) A view to the end of the Corniche from the beach where they are still building and looking to expand more skyscrapers down the Corniche. 3) A random sunset one night!