Kia Ora! I arrived at Abu Dhabi airport on Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 8am. The flight had been delayed in Melbourne for nearly 2 hours, so our flight was late into Abu Dhabi. I had a mixture of excitement and trepidation; a great juxtaposition of emotions! I was met by a woman from ADEC and a sign with my name on it - great relief! I met with another LT and her husband and we were quickly ushered through customs for an eye-scan. Following that we headed for a taxi and whisked off to Lou Lou Asfar Hotel Apartments in Abu Dhabi City.
My first impressions came as we flew over the city before landing. Despite being aware that Abu Dhabi is a desert, to actually see it is quite breathtaking. It is flat, with muted colouring and obviously sandy. The buildings are a mixture of old and new; with some of the newer buildings appearing aged due to the impact of the sand. This place is so totally different to New Zealand that it does take a while to cope with that difference.
As we headed from the airport the excitement built. When we arrived at our accommodation we were warmly welcomed. That's something that is significant about this place; those in servitude here are warm, friendly and so welcoming. We were welcomed to this place with a warm smile and friendly acceptance. And, this was not just for the welcome. The same level of respect and friendliness has become a feature of my interactions with the some of the other working 'visitors' to this land.
Almost immediately I was ushered into the hotel restaurant for a meal. I met up with other LTs including Emma who is a Kiwi teacher I have been chatting to prior to arrival in Abu Dhabi. We set off later to give the local mall a go (Mushrif Mall) and found ourselves walking 4 blocks in 42 degree heat. Crazy probably - there was no one else on the streets except of course the workers at various building sites.
So the malls here are amazing. Subsequent to our first mall adventure we have tackled three other malls (Abu Dhabi Mall, Marina Mall and Al Whada Mall). After all, what else is there for two girls to do? Each mall has its point of difference and to date my favourite would be Al Whada. All the malls are exciting places; and the shopping here is just amazing. With the exchange rate in our favour, it could be just too tempting to go on a spree; as yet I have been well contained.
In additon to the malls we have also had the fortune of being escorted by another NZ licenced teacher, Kat, to the Emirates Palace. Now that's an impressive sight! Gold everywhere. I decided to buy a hot chocolate and raspberry marble cheesecake - both laced with gold shavings. Talk about decadence! Following this we headed out to Saracen's rugby club. How ironic to see two rugby teams (with a mixture of youth and age) battling it out on the rugby 'field' in the desert! We enjoyed the barbeque that followed into the night and enjoyed the company of the ex-pat community.
So to date it would seem that very little 'work' has actually been done. That's the truth of it too. Everything here takes time. We operate now on 'desert time'. Nothing happens quickly and even when we attended our first orientation day the maximum achieved was the opening of a bank account and the handing in of our passport and visa. We have another orientation day tomorrow and there's nothing to suggest that our day will have an outcome dissimilar.
But you know, we're cool with that. We've waited so long to get here, it is great for overcoming jet-lag and culture shock to actually take our time settling in. The sleep hasn't become routine as yet, but it will get there. For now I'll just enjoy the food, the company, the gym and the pool. Even the heat seems not to be so important anymore.
So my husband and children will be coming soon. I miss them and can't wait until they come to join me. Then we can start to build a new sandcastle in our new country.
Until later...
My first impressions came as we flew over the city before landing. Despite being aware that Abu Dhabi is a desert, to actually see it is quite breathtaking. It is flat, with muted colouring and obviously sandy. The buildings are a mixture of old and new; with some of the newer buildings appearing aged due to the impact of the sand. This place is so totally different to New Zealand that it does take a while to cope with that difference.
As we headed from the airport the excitement built. When we arrived at our accommodation we were warmly welcomed. That's something that is significant about this place; those in servitude here are warm, friendly and so welcoming. We were welcomed to this place with a warm smile and friendly acceptance. And, this was not just for the welcome. The same level of respect and friendliness has become a feature of my interactions with the some of the other working 'visitors' to this land.
Almost immediately I was ushered into the hotel restaurant for a meal. I met up with other LTs including Emma who is a Kiwi teacher I have been chatting to prior to arrival in Abu Dhabi. We set off later to give the local mall a go (Mushrif Mall) and found ourselves walking 4 blocks in 42 degree heat. Crazy probably - there was no one else on the streets except of course the workers at various building sites.So the malls here are amazing. Subsequent to our first mall adventure we have tackled three other malls (Abu Dhabi Mall, Marina Mall and Al Whada Mall). After all, what else is there for two girls to do? Each mall has its point of difference and to date my favourite would be Al Whada. All the malls are exciting places; and the shopping here is just amazing. With the exchange rate in our favour, it could be just too tempting to go on a spree; as yet I have been well contained.
So to date it would seem that very little 'work' has actually been done. That's the truth of it too. Everything here takes time. We operate now on 'desert time'. Nothing happens quickly and even when we attended our first orientation day the maximum achieved was the opening of a bank account and the handing in of our passport and visa. We have another orientation day tomorrow and there's nothing to suggest that our day will have an outcome dissimilar.
But you know, we're cool with that. We've waited so long to get here, it is great for overcoming jet-lag and culture shock to actually take our time settling in. The sleep hasn't become routine as yet, but it will get there. For now I'll just enjoy the food, the company, the gym and the pool. Even the heat seems not to be so important anymore.
So my husband and children will be coming soon. I miss them and can't wait until they come to join me. Then we can start to build a new sandcastle in our new country.
Until later...
OMG you got a bank account opened on day one? I'd call that a major achievement! Looks like a bizarre mix of the exotic and familiar.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to start your adventure. Will look forward to your next installment of Sandcastles, take care, Love from us in Oz
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