Al Ain - The Oasis

It has been a long time since I last posted.  We arrived in Al Ain last Friday afternoon and by Sunday we had to start at our schools...and teaching.  So, there hasn't been much time for anything other than sleeping and teaching.




The views on the way to Al Ain from Abu Dhabi excited us.  Suddenly the sky opened and we saw clouds!  We had not seen this at all in Abu Dhabi.  In fact it was a day of firsts; first cloud, first sand-dune and first camel in the back of a truck!  We arrived at our destination about one and half hours after we set off.  It is called "City Seasons Hotel" and while it is nice, it just isn't as good as our previous accommodation.  It does not have a kitchen to cook in and does not have a washing-machine.  We've all decided that this is the biggest pain of living here - having to do your washing in the bathtub and having to eat noodles every other night (the other night is cereal or crackers and cheese or...eat out)!  We've become resourceful and crafty though, as we are provided with a free breakfast buffet and manage to swipe things each day for lunch or to supplement dinner.

The good news is, that this hotel does have a great gym (much bigger than the previous hotel), a good swimming pool on the roof (much bigger with lots of nice loungers) and OSN to be able to watch the rugby!  The only sad thing is, our week begins on a Sunday - and the RWC organisers did not consider us when they scheduled all of the AB games on a...Sunday.  Oh and on a Friday night there's always a bloody wedding or some function at the hotel which means you have to wear your ear plugs to get some sleep!

So on Monday I set off to my new school.   Well, the old school that we will soon move out of next week, replaced by the brand new school.  The 'old' school is called Al Manaseer and it is appalling.  It is old and falling down.  The next blog will talk about my school experiences to date.  My new school is called Al Jahili (pronounced Al Jaheel with a rasp in your voice).  The photos of the new school show that it will be a lovely place to work in.  Let's hope our general working environment will make our lives a lot easier.


So on our first night in Al Ain we decided to head off on a bus to Al Ain Mall.  Well what an experience. Unlike in Abu Dhabi the bus ride was scary!  There were a million people (obvious exaggeration) trying to ride the bus.  We were inundated with workers of all nationalities. The problem is, that the heat makes the average person perspire heaps.  When you get around 40 people or more crammed onto a bus and arms raised to hold on...well you get the idea.  We got off and felt relieved we had survived the trip.  Al Ain Mall is amazing...and is being added to.  The kids will adore the indoor skating rink at the front door! They will also love the play area which features a bungy chord jump like we have in the middle of Wellington.  It has a ferris wheel and side-show attractions.  There is a video game parlour, cars that drive around in circles, a mini-Junglerama for the little ones, and other mini-carnival rides for kids.  It is just ridiculous and tremendous all in one!

During the week we were picked up and taken to the LuLu Hypermarket which is amazing, the local rugby club (with heaps of Kiwi families), the local rugby club again for a proper dinner...and we've ventured out ourselves to Jimi Mall and Bawadi Mall (this is an awesome mall for shopping!) and to the local hot-spot for a Chinese meal.  I've spent a little time at the Education Zone with my new-found friends in ADEC (another long story) and some time with the housing man who is trying to put us in appropriate accommodation.  Tomorrow
we're heading out to have a look at some of the accommodation that other teachers have been offered.

I was offered a 3 bedroom place very close to my work.  It would have been ideal if the living room hadn't been the size of a small jail-cell!  You'll get the picture with some of the photos here.


So it has been a hugely busy, scary, amazing week in Al Ain.  I'm so pleased and grateful that this is the place we will be living for the next two years.  It is green and slower and calmer than Abu Dhabi City. We can see the moon and watch beautiful sunsets and see the clouds every day. There are trees and parks and flowers and rock-hills and a grand mountain that has lights all the way up it - we can see it from everywhere in Al Ain.  I've driven where there is the border to Oman and can see sand dunes.  Every roundabout features something different; horse roundabout, 4 tree roundabout, sunken garden roundabout, falcon roundabout, Christmas tree roundabout, big rock roundabout, small fern roundabout...I will take some photos at some stage and post them.  And,  two days ago it rained...yes, it truly rained!  Every road and path flooded because nothing is designed to cope with rain.  We even had a rainbow...let's hope there's something good to come at the end of it in the week to come...