December 2, 2011 was the 40th anniversary of the formation of the UAE (United Arab Emirates). Things you need to know: this country is only 40 years old. It formed from seven tribal states into one super rich country sitting on loads of oil. The guy who united them all is very impressive (late UAE … Continue reading My first foreign National Day
Where to find sea turtles in the Arab Peninsula.
This is one of my favorite memories from our first month living in Abu Dhabi. We had a wonderful potluck this weekend with our neighbors, celebrating two weeks of living in our building. Everyone dragged chairs, food, and coolers into our building lobby. We ate chili and fry bread while the kids played soccer in … Continue reading Potluck Water Truck
As a child, we had a live in helper for our family (more about that here). Her various siblings and friends stayed with us as they established new jobs or housing situations. At one point, her brother and his best friend lived in our home. My memories of this time are of family dinners with … Continue reading Spaghetti
What is it like to have a baby in the NICU?
Throwing Rocks off a mountain
These are the actual steps we followed to get internet in our building. Approximate wait times in parenthesis: 1. Get an address ( 1.5 weeks from moving in) 2. Take passport, proof of employment, cash, and address to internet main office (there is only 1) and sign up (3-4 trips required to identify actual building … Continue reading How to get internet in the desert
Note: If you are someone who does not appreciate some over-sharing for the sake of comedy, this post is not for you. ---------------------------------------------------- Still with me? This is the story of the first time I pooped my pants as an adult. I was in college, on a road trip in my best friend's pristine Camaro … Continue reading The first time I p**ped my pants
Our airbnb guest went missing. Here's the story of what happened. Or What to do if you Airbnb guest goes missing.
