January 16, 2008
It's hard to believe that we've been here for two weeks. It really seems like months, mainly because we've been so busy transitioning our lives and adjusting to another culture. To be sure, there are many things that are different here, but we are surprised by the similarities - winter storms in both places create terrible traffic.
Anna has been off more days of school this week than on. First, Dubai had a George Bush holiday. He came for a visit and closed 6 major highways so no one could get to work or school. Then, it started to rain in this desert and it rained and rained and rained-- for days. The city has no infrastructure to handle the water so school was closed again. I guess it is a bit like a snow day back home. The streets and highways were/are flooded. The kids and I crossed our fingers leaving school the other day. I've never driven through puddles this deep. The rain stopped today so things should be better by the weekend.
This city is unlike any other. It is constantly being developed. There is construction everywhere. I have never seen so many cranes in one spot. Steve said that 80 percent of the world's cranes are in Dubai. I think it must be more. The roads are constantly being developed too. This makes our construction back home look minor. It is often loud and noisy, and the work is done literally 24/7. We sometimes wake up to see significant changes in a buidling overnight. The city is well taken care of if you could just look past all the construction. The modern architecture of all these tall buildings is amazing. We live in one of them.The mix of people here is also a facination to us. Anna commented that she's never heard so many different languages being spoken. We love to look at what people are wearing too. There is everything from traditional burkas to Indian saris and everything inbetween. There are many Europeans, Australians, and North Americans living here, so we feel we blend in.
For the two days Anna could attend school this week, she was loving it. She is attending the Dubai American Academy. It's a private school. She wears a uniform. The school day starts at 7:45am and ends at 2:45pm. It's a much longer day for her than back home (2 1/2 hours of kindergarten). Even though she is at school for seven hours here, she still isn't tired when she gets home. Her teacher is named Natalie. She is lovely younger woman from Lebanon. When I picked Anna up on the first day, she told me that it seemed like she'd been here since October! She participated in the large group discussion, talked to her teachers, made "too many friends," etc.
We have met a number of families from Anna's class. Two of them happen to be from Wisconsin! We went over to one of their houses last night to watch the Packer game. The kids ran around and the parents talked. It was a great time. We've also had a few play dates after school. The girls are enjoying making new friends and it keeps their minds off of those who they miss at home (and they do miss their pals back home)! We feel less homesick too- being somewhat connected to others. Oh, and we found a church here too.
Now that we have Anna settled into school, Kate and I are trying to decide what to do with ourselves. We are looking into Ballet lessons for Kate. Maybe some art classes too (since the mom can take a course at the same time!). Our whole family can use the Elementary and Secondary School library. We plan on making lots of trips for books and DVDs. I think I have also found some volunteer opportunities for us through a woman's expat group. I wish I could find a preschool for her, but most places have huge waiting lists. More to come on how we fill our days.
Steve says that he is enjoying his work and finds it challenging. He is learning about the way business is done here. Some things are the same; some things very different. --Maria
This city is unlike any other. It is constantly being developed. There is construction everywhere. I have never seen so many cranes in one spot. Steve said that 80 percent of the world's cranes are in Dubai. I think it must be more. The roads are constantly being developed too. This makes our construction back home look minor. It is often loud and noisy, and the work is done literally 24/7. We sometimes wake up to see significant changes in a buidling overnight. The city is well taken care of if you could just look past all the construction. The modern architecture of all these tall buildings is amazing. We live in one of them.The mix of people here is also a facination to us. Anna commented that she's never heard so many different languages being spoken. We love to look at what people are wearing too. There is everything from traditional burkas to Indian saris and everything inbetween. There are many Europeans, Australians, and North Americans living here, so we feel we blend in.
For the two days Anna could attend school this week, she was loving it. She is attending the Dubai American Academy. It's a private school. She wears a uniform. The school day starts at 7:45am and ends at 2:45pm. It's a much longer day for her than back home (2 1/2 hours of kindergarten). Even though she is at school for seven hours here, she still isn't tired when she gets home. Her teacher is named Natalie. She is lovely younger woman from Lebanon. When I picked Anna up on the first day, she told me that it seemed like she'd been here since October! She participated in the large group discussion, talked to her teachers, made "too many friends," etc.
We have met a number of families from Anna's class. Two of them happen to be from Wisconsin! We went over to one of their houses last night to watch the Packer game. The kids ran around and the parents talked. It was a great time. We've also had a few play dates after school. The girls are enjoying making new friends and it keeps their minds off of those who they miss at home (and they do miss their pals back home)! We feel less homesick too- being somewhat connected to others. Oh, and we found a church here too.
Now that we have Anna settled into school, Kate and I are trying to decide what to do with ourselves. We are looking into Ballet lessons for Kate. Maybe some art classes too (since the mom can take a course at the same time!). Our whole family can use the Elementary and Secondary School library. We plan on making lots of trips for books and DVDs. I think I have also found some volunteer opportunities for us through a woman's expat group. I wish I could find a preschool for her, but most places have huge waiting lists. More to come on how we fill our days.
Steve says that he is enjoying his work and finds it challenging. He is learning about the way business is done here. Some things are the same; some things very different. --Maria
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