Having completed almost a year in the UAE it feels time to put the 'happy' hat on and talk about many of the good things that are part and parcel of living in this desert. Sometimes we can find ourselves too caught up in the mire of everyday life and work, and sometimes we can just be too ready to put on those 'rose-tinted' glasses of Aotearoa to appreciate some of the really good aspects of our life here.
So, in an effort to provide some balance to this adventure, I want to document that there's just nothing better than...
1. ...spending a school year beginning at 7.45am and finishing at 3pm (2.30pm if we have 9th period free). The school day here is over and you've still got a good part of the day to do stuff. On top of that, we've had a couple of 3-day Eid breaks, National day, Religious holidays, 3 weeks at Xmas, 2 weeks at Spring break, 6 weeks for Summer break and a significant period of time at the beginning and end of each term when students decide not to turn up!
2. ...almost every afternoon spending a relaxing time, in the sun, lazing at Greenlands Pool. Oftentimes we have friends join us and the kids have the best of times playing. We can do this even in the considerable 50 degree heat of summer!
3. ...watching your kids playing with new friends from all walks of life, from all over the world. Our kids are learning so much, and having fun at the same time. Lily especially asks me 'is that the American way to say it?' when she confronts words like, 'trash', 'closet' and 'flip flops'. They have an influence on their friends in the same way, and the grown-ups are also learning from these interactions.
4. ...being able to buy a monster of a car to compete with the madmen on the roads, and at the same time be able to pay only $50NZ a week for petrol.
5. ...being given French perfume by students as end of year gifts and on the last day of school being given a huge gift which boasts perfume and other sweet smelling products by the school admin. Of course, there could be a subtle message in all of that...!
6. ...your children being able to live in a community where they can go outside and ride or scooter around (during the cooler months) with their friends, visit neighbours' houses, and do chalking on the pavements. We can't do this at our house in NZ; it is something we're so pleased that our kids will experience; albeit for a short time in their lives.
7. ...sitting on our balcony during the cooler months, having a very cheap (but nice) tipple and relaxing. The pace of life is slower here, and with perfect night temperatures, it makes for the perfect evening. Even better is when the neighbourhood friends get together for a BBQ and drinks and singing late into the night. The kids love it, we love it...and (not)surprisingly it is usually the Kiwis who are the last to leave!
8. ...being able to take weekends away to water parks, hotels, aquariums; being able to go up the tallest building in the world; being able to go to fun-parks and Ferrari World; being able to ride camels, have henna done and experience Arabic life. All of these things make for a rich tapestry of experience and adventure; one that we could only get living here.
9. ...having friends that you know will remain life-long ones. Our Al Ain whanau are so important to us. They keep us grounded and settled and add the fun to life that is essential when living so far away from home. We have become close so quickly, and we can't imagine life without them.
10. ...being afforded the opportunity to see the world! That's why we are here. Not to pay a mortgage, not to save money nor make our millions (huh!). We are here because it is a short trip to places we have only previously dreamed about. We have now travelled around the UAE and to Oman, Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. We've got great plans for the next holidays and beyond. We couldn't have done this back in NZ and it is what makes being here so worthwhile.
Life in this desert isn't easy. It can swamp you at times and you can end up feeling like you're sinking deeper into the sand. But when you counter this with the things that are good about being here, you can easily see why it is such an enormous undertaking and exciting adventure. What exciting life-long memories we are creating for our kids and ourselves. We'll not have this opportunity again...and we're lucky that we're having it. There's so much more we want to do before we head home.
And I'm determined we will do it all!
So, in an effort to provide some balance to this adventure, I want to document that there's just nothing better than...
1. ...spending a school year beginning at 7.45am and finishing at 3pm (2.30pm if we have 9th period free). The school day here is over and you've still got a good part of the day to do stuff. On top of that, we've had a couple of 3-day Eid breaks, National day, Religious holidays, 3 weeks at Xmas, 2 weeks at Spring break, 6 weeks for Summer break and a significant period of time at the beginning and end of each term when students decide not to turn up! 2. ...almost every afternoon spending a relaxing time, in the sun, lazing at Greenlands Pool. Oftentimes we have friends join us and the kids have the best of times playing. We can do this even in the considerable 50 degree heat of summer!
3. ...watching your kids playing with new friends from all walks of life, from all over the world. Our kids are learning so much, and having fun at the same time. Lily especially asks me 'is that the American way to say it?' when she confronts words like, 'trash', 'closet' and 'flip flops'. They have an influence on their friends in the same way, and the grown-ups are also learning from these interactions.4. ...being able to buy a monster of a car to compete with the madmen on the roads, and at the same time be able to pay only $50NZ a week for petrol.
5. ...being given French perfume by students as end of year gifts and on the last day of school being given a huge gift which boasts perfume and other sweet smelling products by the school admin. Of course, there could be a subtle message in all of that...!6. ...your children being able to live in a community where they can go outside and ride or scooter around (during the cooler months) with their friends, visit neighbours' houses, and do chalking on the pavements. We can't do this at our house in NZ; it is something we're so pleased that our kids will experience; albeit for a short time in their lives.
7. ...sitting on our balcony during the cooler months, having a very cheap (but nice) tipple and relaxing. The pace of life is slower here, and with perfect night temperatures, it makes for the perfect evening. Even better is when the neighbourhood friends get together for a BBQ and drinks and singing late into the night. The kids love it, we love it...and (not)surprisingly it is usually the Kiwis who are the last to leave!
9. ...having friends that you know will remain life-long ones. Our Al Ain whanau are so important to us. They keep us grounded and settled and add the fun to life that is essential when living so far away from home. We have become close so quickly, and we can't imagine life without them.
10. ...being afforded the opportunity to see the world! That's why we are here. Not to pay a mortgage, not to save money nor make our millions (huh!). We are here because it is a short trip to places we have only previously dreamed about. We have now travelled around the UAE and to Oman, Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. We've got great plans for the next holidays and beyond. We couldn't have done this back in NZ and it is what makes being here so worthwhile. Life in this desert isn't easy. It can swamp you at times and you can end up feeling like you're sinking deeper into the sand. But when you counter this with the things that are good about being here, you can easily see why it is such an enormous undertaking and exciting adventure. What exciting life-long memories we are creating for our kids and ourselves. We'll not have this opportunity again...and we're lucky that we're having it. There's so much more we want to do before we head home.
And I'm determined we will do it all!
An accurate reflection of my own thoughts and experiences. Keep up the great writing!
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