Souvenir Shopping

After Ski Dubai we decided to try souvenir shopping one more time. There is a place called the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. On the way there it got really windy and was pretty much a sand storm. How crazy is snowboarding and being in a sand storm all in one day! Madinat Jumeirah is where we went to dinner when Daniel was in town. It's an indoor area that has kiosks, stores, restaurants, and bars. It is modeled after the old fashioned souks- like the one we went to on Friday, but it's air conditioned, much nicer quality, and the people don't harass you! I definitely prefer this one to the outside one.

We walked around for a few hours and bought a bunch of stuff. We had to stop at one point and get some ice cream of course. I was able to find an authentic outfit for myself as well as many other small souvenirs. Derek and I will get dressed up and take pictures so everyone can see our awesome outfits. I'll also get back to you on what their official names are. It turned out to be a great stop for us. We got almost everything we wanted to bring back, but it's a surprise so you can't know what we got yet! We each left with 2 or 3 bags- hopefully we can get it all home in one piece!! I don't know how much room I have in my suitcases tho!

At the end of the trip we saw a henna tattoo place and decided to get one (like the ones we got on the desert safari). They turned out really cool- I got flowers on my ankle and Derek got a cool Islamic symbol on his back. After a long day of skiing and shopping we decided to call it a night and head home to relax and watch the Olympics.

Ski Dubai

www.skidxb.com

For those of you that don't know- Dubai has an indoor ski park that actually has real snow! There is about 22,500 square meters of space covered in snow. The area is kept just below freezing year round. The have a few different runs that you can either ski or snowboard. There's a snow park for kids and adults can just play in the snow and also instruction/lessons for all skill levels. They require certain skill level to be able to ski the slope and offer lessons for those not ready for it. Since Derek's been skiing/snowboarding since he was little he had no problem just hopping on the slope. My inexperienced self decided to try out my first time in snow with a snowboarding lesson. To put a long story short I'm not a natural like I was expecting!! :)

I bought a lesson ticket earlier that week to make sure I had a spot. We got there about 30-45 minutes before my lesson and Derek bought a 2 hour slope pass. When you walk in you pick up your shoes/boots and clothing. After putting on the ski pants and jacket you go and pick up your snow board/skis. There were lockers in the beginning area where we stored our shoes and my purse. After we were all ready Derek left me to fend for myself in my snow board lesson and he went to enjoy the slope.

The lesson started with a few minute safety lesson and general get to know your board. The next thing we did was go to the mini hill/ lesson area. You can either lead with your left foot or your right foot; with your left is called regular and with your right is called goofy footed. For me both ways felt goofy!! lol I knew then this probably wasn't going to be easy. Next, we scooted around the snow a little bit; all with only one foot strapped to the board. Then, we went up the little hill about halfway and tried to slide down. Apparently I turn my hips too much and can't go straight. One time down I almost ran into the little kids next to us!! Our last time we went all the way to the top of the hill and strapped in both feet. We went down the hill facing forward (as opposed to sideways) and kinda scooted down on the back side of the board. Basically on our heels. Derek found me at this point and took a few embarrassing pictures! Pretty much the whole time I was afraid of falling down, which just makes you tense and makes you fall down! I didn't have any huge spills but I definitely look pretty doing it.

So my conclusion on the whole snowboarding thing is:
-I was born in the South for a reason, snow stuff really isn't for me :)
-If I ever try snowboarding again I'm probably going to have to do a private lesson so someone can hold my hand for the first little bit
-my knee was fine but my confidence with my athletic ability isn't where it should be for me to do something crazy like learn to snow board (especially because the number 1 cause of a torn ACL is skiing!)
-learning to ski/snow board would be more fun with someone because then yall could laugh at each other as opposed to looking like an idiot all by yourself

Friday- Gold Souk

After seeing much of the city and with only a week left we decided to go souvenir shopping. The have outside markets where you can bargain with the vendors and pick from any number of items. On Friday we decided to take a trip to the Gold Souk (where most of the stores specialize in jewelery). We got there around 2:30PM and most of the shops didn't open until 3:30. As soon as we walked up we stood out for sure. We were the lightest people there and I'm pretty sure I was the only woman. At the time there were a handful of stores open and these owners were on the streets trying to get everyone walking by to come to their store. Everywhere we walked somebody came up to us trying to get us to buy fake this and fake that. We went looking mostly for authentic Emirate outfits. Derek found his at this store that was no larger than the width of a door.

After only being there for 20 minutes both of us were already tired and hungry. I personally don't like getting harassed while shopping especially in 110 degree weather! So we left shortly after Derek got his outfit, mostly because there were no stores open and we wanted to get something to eat. After driving around for 20 minutes and not finding a gas station we decided to give up on shopping for the day. We stopped at a grocery store on the way home and picked up some food for dinner that night and for our last week here.

Since we were going to take it easy that night and stay in and watch the Olympics we decided to try and cook something different. I remembered really enjoying Dad's feta stuffed chicken and thinking it would be simple to make. So that's what we decided to cook. Derek tried feta cheese for the first time while he was here and really liked it. (I'm glad I influenced him to try new things!!) We got all the ingredients we needed (chicken and feta- really complicated, I know) and picked up some hot, fresh bread and some stuff to make salad (Derek's also come to enjoy eating salad- thanks to my influence!)

The bread was absolutely fabulous- I'm really going to miss the fresh bread that only cost 3Dhs (<$1). The chicken also turned out great!! I was honestly surprised because I had no idea what I was doing and totally winged it! Derek was very impressed!! :) I guess I do have some domestic qualities. So we ate dinner, watched the Olympics, and rested up for our next day at Ski Dubai.

Olympics

I feel like I'm only writing about the weekends, but honestly we don't do much during the week. Our schedule goes- work, workout, watch the Olympics. The weekends are when we have time to do cool things and to explore Dubai and the UAE.

Unfortunately I missed the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I was really worried that I would find a channel that showed them. After a deeper look I found 3 or 4 channels but none of them were in English! The next day, thankfully, I found a channel that plays them in English. The English is the British version of English but at least I can understand and read what's going on. The announcers here are hilarious. Some of the things they say are so off the wall and totally random.

Usually after work I turn on the Olympics and can catch some of the days events or at least recaps. I've really enjoyed watching the women's volleyball matches I've caught. The swimming and Michael Phelps is absolutely crazy!! Track and diving are also favorites of mine. I'm actually Facebook friends with a guy that ran the 100M for Great Britain. He ran track for ATM a few years back. I don't really know why were friends because I don't think I've met him but it was kinda cool to see the pictures of the Olympics he put up. I've also found watching the USA guys basketball. The games are ridiculous!! the lat one I watched they won by 37 points against Spain who's last years (maybe this years? sometime recent, idk) World Champion. What's crazy to me is the whole team (besides Kobe, Kidd, and one other guy) is my age!!!!

I'm really hoping that the USA wins the medal race!! It kind of stinks that the Olympics end the day we head back because it means that I'll miss the closing ceremony too. Oh well!

GO USA!!!!

The Fairmont Hotel- Thursday Night

The Fairmont Hotel is located across the street from our apartment. In 110 degree weather I prefer to take a five minute taxi as opposed to walking- Derek thinks I'm crazy but I don't care, it is too darn hot for us to be walking anywhere!

One of the teams of people we've worked with invited us to a bar on the second floor of the Fairmont. It is Cin Cin and is known for its wine selection. I had one glass and it was pretty good! I'd recommend it if you ever came to Dubai. Three of the guys we worked with were there when we showed up at around 11PM. The ratio was as bad as it is everywhere here. In a crowded bar where there was barely any room to walk I could count the number of women on one hand! One of the girls standing by us lost an earring and was frantically trying to find it. Me, having grown up in the shop looking for the stuff dad has dropped, was the one to find it. She was so excited and wanted to become my best friend!! lol She and her friends bought me a drink because they were so happy.

We stayed upstairs at Cin Cin for about an hour or two and then decided to go dancing- it wasn't even my suggestion, it was the guy's idea. Man I love the nightlife here!! The club 400, which I've talked about before, is on the bottom floor of the Fairmont. Our group ratio wasn't very good either- just me and Derek (the Americans), "The Russian, The Indian, and The African" (we were adding to the eclectic crowd at the bar). When we got downstairs we had to camp out and find a group of girls that'd allow us to tag along so the boys could get in. Derek being the adventurous and outgoing Texan he is, got right on the task at hand. Within a few minutes there were two very nice Russian girls that helped us.

Once inside it was exactly like it had been the last time. The music was great and everyone was dancing. We had a great time! Ranjith (our coworker) who's married was put on curfew and had to leave before the end of the night :) . At the end of the night I let Derek and our coworker, that lives in the same building as we do, convince me to walk home. That was big mistake! It was miserable outside as always!! Honestly it was only a 10 minute walk and we took a covered bridge over the road; but by the time we got home I was hot, sweaty, and my shoes were completely covered in sand. I need to add that to the things I won't miss- all this darn sand!! lol Overall, it was once again a good night!

Harley Davidson Dubai

On one trip to the mall we noticed that there was a Harley Dealership on the side of the road. Being my dad's daughter (that's kind of redundant!) I had to stop by and look before we left. To my inexperienced eyes every Harley Dealership looks pretty much the same. There were bikes and there were clothes. I did notice a few different things. For instance the Emirate head dress which is red and white. The Harley place had one embroidered with the Dubai/UAE owner's group. They also had some cool t-shirt designs that had camels and Arabic on them.

Next door to the Harley Dealership was an Exotic Cars store. We looked in and took a bunch of pictures. My favorites were the baby blue Lamborghini and the black Bently with red interior. I've never seen so many fancy cars in one place in my life! What's really amazing is that there are actually a lot of the luxury cars like that out on the road. There's a red Masarti that parks in the front of our apartment. Just yesterday when we were shopping a Lamborghini into the parking lot before us.

I can only dream right?? One day.... :)

Burj Al Arab

Burj in Arabic means tower, therefore the hotel’s name is the Arab Tower. We made reservations at the Skyview Bar for Friday the 8^th at 7 PM. Earlier that day we went to the mall so I could find a dress to wear and so Derek could find a shirt. After the mall we came back and ate dinner and got ready to go. A taxi picked us up at 6:30 and we headed to the hotel. About 15 minslater we arrive at the hotel. You have to have a reservation to even drive up to the hotel (they have a security guard and a list at the gated front entrance). You walk into the front lobby where everyone you walk by greets you- “Hi Sir/Madam, have a good evening.” There is some open space in front of a collection of water fountains. On either side are fish tanks the size of walls. An escalator takes you up to the second floor where there are elevators to the guest floors and the restaurant floors. The Skyview Bar is on the 27^th (top) floor of the hotel. We arrived just as the sun was setting, which made for a great view of the ocean. The express elevator to the bar was incredibly fast. It took less than 30 seconds to climb 27 floors!

Window seats were available first come first serve. We were among the first people to arrive at the bar that opened at 7 PM and were lucky enough to receive a window table. From the windows you could out for miles of the gulf. To the left was the Palm Jumeirah. It was really cool and totally looked like a palm tree! We were shown to our table and then were handed menus that I swear weighted 10lbs! They of course carry a large variety of drinks and offer a mixologist that will make a special drink to specific to your tastes. Since we were celebrating being in Dubai, Derek and I each started out with a glass of champagne. Of course it was delicious. During our first drink a waiter came by and gave us a complimentary sample of “snacks”. There were mini chicken burgers, mushroom tarts (they looked like keishes), and a humus type dip. For our next drink, I order a peach Bellini and Derek had a King Fisher beer. His drink contained rum, whisky, something fruity, and for an extra kick, some curry. Both once again were very good.

The next thing the waiter brought to us was a mixture of nuts. They used a 4-tier display type dish where each tier was something different. The top one was a water chestnut cracker type thing that had a spicy flavor. The next two tiers had cashews and the bottom tier had glazed roasted almonds. For our next round of drinks I ordered a glass of red wine called Billie Billie Shiraz and Derek had a King Fisher beer. We were going to go home after this but decided we’ll probably only do this once in our life we might as well stay for a little longer. The wine I had was so fantastic I just had to have another glass and Derek ordered another beer, but this time it was a German beer called Erdinger.

Next we headed home. The hotel has taxi’s that are available for all of their guests and diners. So we took a taxi home. This was no ordinary taxi- it was a Lexus! What I found most interesting was that the fair was very similar if not exact to that of a regular taxi. Our ride there cost 40 Dhs and the ride back in the awesome Lexus taxi was 50 Dhs (Derek told him the wrong exit for our apartment so we were driving a few minutes extra!) After drinks we came home and changed to go out with some people from work.

Burj Weekend Thursday- 400

All of the tourist books and online sights mentioned a trendy place in the Fairmont Hotel called “The 400 Club.” Even people at work had mentioned going there; especially because the Fairmont is across the street from out apartment. A guy we met in Abu Dhabi at the island party lives in Dubai and we’ve kept in touch through Facebook. He mentioned that he would be at 400 on Thursday so we figured this would be as good a time as ever to try it out.

We took a cab to the Fairmont that cost us a total of $2- it was that short of a ride. If it wasn’t 110-115 we could have walked. We walked up to the front door and there were groups of people standing around out front having trouble getting in. We went up to the most official looking guy with “the list.” After telling him it was only me and Derek, he let us right in. Good thing Derek has me with him, because they don’t usually let only guys in.

Inside was totally crazy. It is what I imagine all the fancy bars/clubs look like in LA. There were “Reserved” tables around the entire outside. The inside was filled with dark reds and blacks. The walls in the hallway to the bathroom were black crushed velvet. The bathroom had an attendant there to help with anything you might need. Like every other club here everyone bounces around and dances the whole time! It’s so much fun- you don’t have to worry about someone looking at you and making fun of your dancing. The crowd is so eclectic; there are people from literally all over the world. We ended up never finding our friend. It turns out he had a change of plans and we didn’t get his message until the next day. We still had a good time and that’s what matters!

One Week to go!!

With only one week left I decided to make a list...

10 Things I’m Going to Miss About Dubai/UAE:
1. mango everything
2. the nightlife- everyone dances here!
3. “house” music and the Lebanese
4. daily fresh made bread
5. twice a week free maid service
6. the generous hospitality everywhere
7. all the different shopping areas
8. the big city buildings
9. the beach/the gulf
10. relaxing evenings after work aka. no homework!

10 Things I’m Looking Forward to at Home:
1. my Blackberry (it’s my best friend and I miss it! lol)
2. Friends/Family (of course- it’s going to be nice to see familiar faces)
3. No more humidity/hot weather(feeling like you’re drinking every time you take a breath is not something you get used to)
4. Good “Texas” food- wings, BBQ, I want a big fat juicy steak
5. Not buying bottled water- USA=Free water!
6. my CHI hair straightener (it doesn’t work here because of the plugs or something- I’m tired of wild and uncontrollable hair)
7. Ice in my drinks
8. my own bed- soft fluffy pillows and blankets
9. Washer/Dryer aka. having it only take an hour to do laundry
10. a dishwasher

Fujairah

Someone at work told us that the most beautiful of the Emirates is Fujairah and that if we had time the beaches there were great. Last weekend we drove the two hours east to the coast. The drive was beautiful. There are mountains all the way up to the beach. So when you are in the water facing land you see large mountains in the background. On the way there we drove through the Emirate Sharjah. So we've been to 4 of the 7 Emirates- not too shabby I must say!

The ride there was quite interesting. We haven't found a great reasonably priced road map of the UAE (I think that goes along with their horrible driving here). We turned around a number of times and were pretty much driving blind the rest of the time. We finally arrived at the Sandy Beach Hotel where they let us use their beach and facilities for 75 Dhs. It was a nice, sunny day; about 51 degrees celsius (which equals freaking HOT!!). The ocean was a nice refreshing temperature but the pool was like warm bath water. We played in the ocean for a little bit and then played the paddle game on the sand. The rest of the afternoon I laid in the sun reading my book. Derek took a kayak to a rock island that was fairly close to the beach. He rented goggles and fins so he could do some snorkeling and take pictures underwater with his new camera. The drive back was a lot better but it still wasn't a perfect straight shot. After a long day in the sun we made it home and went straight to bed. I'll tell you what- this super hot weather sure takes the energy out of ya!

Saturday

On Saturday we figured the best way to see the city was to head to the mall! After getting lost and actually seeing the city we finally ended up at the mall.  We spent most of the afternoon exploring the mall and picking up some things here or there. At the mall we ate lunch at Fuddruckers. We were starving at the time but the food was delicious! Sometime before dinner we headed back to Dubai and decided to go see the new Batman movie. 

For dinner we decided on the Hard Rock Café. The food was delicious and atmosphere was awesome. In the middle of dinner they played the cotton eyed joe! Derek wouldn’t get up and dance with me, but I did take a video of the waiters doing a line dance.  We made sure to do the obnoxious tourist thing and take lots of pictures. After dinner we went to another mall to see Batman. It was a great movie. Totally scarier than I was expecting but definitely good! I would recommend it. After the movie we uploaded all the pictures and made sure Daniel had all his stuff packed. Daniel left Sunday morning and Derek and I headed into work. Overall it was a great weekend. It was so nice to see someone I knew and for Derek and I to have the company of someone beside ourselves.

Friday

On Friday we took the hour drive to Abu Dhabi. We got there about 2:30 and met up with a friend of Daniel’s that he met at A&M. We took a boot about 15 minutes off the coast to this beautiful island. The island had a pool and a nice grassy area where they had a barbeque set up.  Our ticket included transportation to the island and all you can drink and all you can eat from 2-10pm. Good thing I brought my conservative bathing suit because I’m pretty sure the guys were wearing more scandalous bathing suits than I was!

There were people from all over the world there; America, Germany, Australia, England, and many more. The “Island Party” was much like the club we had been to the night before. Everyone was dancing and having a great time. I don’t know where they get the energy- they never stopped moving! The food was delicious as well. Of course nothing compares to Texas BBQ, but there was so much to choose from. After a long day in the sun we decided it would be best if we stayed in a hotel and had a chance to explore Abu Dhabi the next day. There were a handful of people in the pool that had waterproof cameras. I first saw one during Spring Break, but there were like 3 at the island party. We found out that only Olympus makes them and they range from $300-$500. The camera is shockproof, water proof, and freeze proof- it’s the coolest thing ever!

That night Daniel and I went to a place in the Embassy Palace called “Embassy.” Derek stayed in and went to bed (how lame I know!).  The inside was amazing, just like a palace should be. We met Daniel’s friend there and some of the new people we met on the island. Once again they played “bumping house” music and everyone was bouncing around. It was a great time! 

Thursday Night

Daniel got into town around dinnertime. He dropped off his bags and we met with Derek to decide on somewhere to go for dinner. Daniel knew of this area that is modeled after the old Arabian markets. Thankfully most of it was indoors. There were little shops selling a variety of items, as well as many restaurants. One of the girls we work with told us to go to this area because al the restaurants, shops and bars are all within walking distance.

After getting turned down at one restaurant because Derek was dressed in shorts (they had a dress code) and having to wait 45 minutes for another, we decided to eat at an American looking place called Brewster’s. The cool part about restaurants here is that if there is a list they take your cell (“mobile”) phone number and call you when your table is ready! I don’t know why they don’t do that in the US; it’s the smartest thing I’ve seen in a while. Dinner at Brewster’s was good. They had wings so we tried them as an appetizer; they were good but nowhere near as good as Texas. After dinner we headed home to get ready to go out for the night.

Daniel knew of this place called Elegante that played good music and should be entertaining. The nightlife here is a lot like that in Europe. They play “house” music and everywhere you look people are bouncing about (dancing). To me the techno songs they play sound the exact same. I do like that everyone here dances. As a whole it seems like the crowd is a lot more confident and carefree compared to the US. We met some interesting people- some from Egypt and from Lebanon.

Daniel's in Town!

I have a fraternity brother that has been living and working all over the world. He’s been living in Doha, Qatar for the last few months; which is about an hour flight from Dubai. He works for a UK company called Oxford Business Group that reports on the economies of emerging countries. It seems like one the most interesting jobs ever. He meets with Kings, CEO’s and all sorts of interesting people. He usually stays in a country for about six months and then moves on to another project. I think it’s the perfect thing for Derek to get into because he loves to travel and explore so much. Daniel came into town this weekend and acted as our tour guide. His first night in town we went to dinner and out to a club called Elegante.

Daniel’s company has a team set up in Abu Dhabi and friends that are currently working there. So on Friday we went to Abu Dhabi, which is another emirate in the UAE. It’s about an hour drive; if you take a left from our apartment and drive straight you’ll hit Abu Dhabi, it’s that easy! In Abu Dhabi we went to an Island Party from 2pm-10pm and then went to a club in the Embassy Palace called Embassy (so original!). We spent the night in a hotel and did tourist stuff on Saturday. We also explored the Abu Dhabi mall.

After leaving the mall, we headed back to Dubai. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Café and then went and saw Batman. This was by far the most fun weekend we’ve had since we’ve been here. It helps to see a friendly face and have someone else our age to interact with besides Derek!! (don’t worry he totally feels the same way about me). I'll do more blogs later with more details about each event.

Daniel- Thanks again for such a great weekend! I really did learn so much about the region (more than I ever could in a book!). Hope to see you again soon!

Desert Safari

Our trip to the dessert began around 4 in the afternoon. The tour company came and picked us up from our apartment. The car was a four door Toyota SUV. We stopped and picked up three other people on the way- so we had a car full.  The women with us were from Egypt and had a 7 month old baby with them. I was surprised by how well the baby was behaved- she didn’t cry once the whole time. She was about the age of lil’ Aubrey but was so much smaller. We picked them up from this area that looks like a destroyed city. Really it was a complex of about 50 high-rise buildings, all under construction. I asked the driver if they were office buildings. He said that every single building was apartment space. That sure is a lot of people. There were a few buildings that were half done and this is where they stayed.

We drove on a highway for about 30 minutes literally into the middle of nowhere. On the way we stopped at a gas station and the driver filled up the car. This is the first time we had been at a gas station (a “petro” station). I’m sure everyone is wondering what the price of gas is here. About $1.25/gallon!!  I’m pretty sure it’s been about 15 years since I’ve seen gas that cheap!! Before we hit the sand we stopped at strip of stores to use the “toilet” and let the air out of the tires. Apparently this makes the tires wider and helps them to not get stuck in the sand.

The next section of the tour was basically a roller coaster ride in a car. We drove up and down sand dunes for about an hour. Every once in a while we would stop and take pictures of the scenery- brown sand for miles. I understand now why so many people in the Bible found God in the dessert. The whole ride I was holding on for dear life!  There were many times when the car almost flipped over. I’ll tell you what- I would definitely consider buying a Toyota after this experience. That car could do anything!

In the middle of nowhere a camel farm suddenly appeared. I think they’re the funniest looking animals! They had ropes tied around two of their legs so they wouldn’t run away. The next part of the tour we left the very steep dune area and went up the road to a little flatter area where the camp was.  On the way we stopped and took pictures of the sunset. Apparently it was the first time in 15 days it was clear enough to see. The sky was actually blue out in the middle of the dessert. We saw our first clouds while we were there also. Next, we roll up to camp and there are two arches leading to a round stage covered with Persian rugs. Around the stage were low tables with pillows on the ground to use as chairs. Around the camp were different things you could do.

The first thing we did was go on a camel ride. They’re a lot taller than you would think they are and they’re definitely not the nicest animals. We were guided around the camp area and the whole time I felt like I was going to fall off this 10-foot beast! Also, before dinner Derek and I got Henna tattoos. Derek got a scorpion on his forearm and I got a flower on my calf. They put this brown liquid paste type stuff on that has to dry for an hour and then you scrape it off. It’s supposed to last about two weeks.

Next was the dinner buffet and the belly dancer. There was more food at the buffet then I ever could have eaten. All kinds of Indian food (I think!) There was chicken, lamb, beef, and some other kind of meat I couldn’t name. During dinner a belly dancer, dressed in sparkles came and put on a show. She tried to get the audience involved- key word being tried! When she got a group of guys to go up there and dance with her, I forced Derek to go up there. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!! No worries- I got a video! The last number of the night Derek and I both got up and acted like we knew what we were doing. Our driver of course came over and took pictures on my camera so we have this humiliating event on film! After dinner all of the regular guests were taken back home and the evening was over. Derek and I as usual were the only crazy ones to sign up for the overnight safari!!

After everyone left it was just me and Derek and about 5 guys that were working there. They made us a bed so we could go to sleep under the stars. It was all so romantic! (gag….) lol While watching the stars they set up a shisha for us.  Shisha also known as hookah is flavored tobacco you smoke out of this fancy contraption. They come in all shapes and sizes and flavors. Derek and I walked around in the dark for a little bit before we went to bed. While it had gotten cooler than it was during the day, it was still very warm. I probably slept a total of an hour the whole night. The whole night I tossed and turned; I was hot, scared of bugs, and miserable. I usually don’t mind sleeping/camping outside but I don’t think I’ll ever do it in the desert again! Give me a 7-Star hotel any day!! (We made reservations at the only 7-star hotel in the world that’s also the tallest hotel in the world for next weekend!)

Cinestar

Since we’ve been here Derek and I have seen 3 movies. Hancock, Wanted, and Batman. They have most Western movies here but they don’t usually come out at the exact same time as they do in the United States.  Wanted came out about two weeks later and Batman was one week later.  All three movies were great and I would definitely suggest seeing them.  I sure do miss $4 movies in College Station because tickets here are 30 AED, about $10. The coolest part about the theaters here are that the tickets are assigned seats. It’s really nice to not have to get there hours early. The only downside is that sometimes the movies are edited like I was talking about with the internet. If you notice we’ve seen nothing but action movies. I’ve tried to convince Derek to go see Mama Mia or something like that with me, but of course he says there’s no way. I think next time we go the movies I’m going to see one and he can go see another one.

Internet Access

Sorry about lack of blogs! We don’t have internet access in our rooms. We have to go downstairs to the lobby. Also the internet here is a little slower because everything has to go through “internet security” so bad content doesn’t come through. Movies and TV shows are edited for content before they are shown here. I’m going to try and get caught up this week since we have only 4 weeks left.

Arabic Lesson

This is the only lesson you’re going to get because I’ve researched the language a little bit and I totally don’t understand any of it! I only recognize the numbers because they are the buttons on the elevator (with the English next to it) and they are on the money (one side is English and the other side is Arabic).

٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧٨٩
0123456789

Laundry

Derek and I tried doing laundry the other night for the first time. We bought laundry soap when we went to the grocery store last week. Surprisingly Tide was the cheapest by far! The advertisement for the apartment says there's a washer and dryer. When you get into the apartment there is a laundry room just off the kitchen, but there is only one machine in there. I originally just assumed it was a washer and was horrified by the thought of having to air dry everything. After looking into it more it seemed like this one machine did both. So being the wimp that I am I let Derek go first. Good thing because after about 2 hours- it still wasn't done washing and we decided to go to sleep. I checked on it in the morning and sure enough the clothes were soaking wet! I tried another button or two and hoped they'd dry this time around. I left it on when we left for work- and sure enough when we got home they were still soaking wet. Derek finally decided to just take them out and air dry everything.

I wasn’t going to be beat by a machine so I changed a few buttons and tried washing my clothes. It took almost 3 hours but everything came out somewhat dry. I think if I added some more time next time they would come out completely dry. Derek was super jealous because he even had someone from the front desk come help and he couldn’t even figure it out either.

Wild Wadi Water Park!

I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to a water park. They’re always a lot of fun! So we decided we’d visit the park while we were here. It was fairly close, about the same distance as the mall and right on the coast. It’s right next to the seven star hotel, Burj Al Arab, on Jumeirah Beach. We went on a few rides/slides during our 3-4 hour visit. One like the one at Wet ‘n Wild or whatever it’s called, that goes up really high. They also had a lazy river that was super relaxing. We also played around in a wave pool that is surprisingly tiring. For it being 110 outside there sure were a lot of people there! As the afternoon wore on, it got more and more crowded and the lines got too long. Before we left Derek tried the fake wave thing where you could try to do some kind of surfing. I took a picture of Derek’s attempt- and by attempt I mean complete wipe out. He fell off so quickly that I didn’t even have enough time to take a picture of him on the board! Lol We ended the day with some awesome ice-cream!

In case you were wondering how people in a Muslim country would dress at a water park, they make swimsuits that look like their black dress. It’s an outfit that includes pants, long sleeves, and a covering for your neck and head (it kind of looks like a ski mask). I’m not sure how it works but I find it amusing that the guys that are with the women covered head to toe are in Speedos. I definitely saw more scandalous guy’s swimsuits then I did girls. The whole day I tried to convince Derek that he should get one of the itty bitty bathing suits, but he wasn’t having any of it! Haha hilarious mental picture!

After the water park we took our first trip to the “real” grocery store. It was a fantastic experience to find real food! There are some brand names that you find in the US but overall it’s a lot of local stuff. The best part was the bread that is hand made everyday. I’ve found that most things are about the same price as they would be in any big metropolitan city, but I do think that most of the food was a little more expensive. After the store we came home and went right to bed- being in the sun totally wears me out!