Just catching up!

Been a while since a post so I'll try to catch up on what's going on here...of course once school started things have been getting busier, Will has had 2 projects already and we spend most nights doing homework:)

Getting adjusted is going pretty well. We don't have our car yet although we have purchased one...just waiting on the paperwork to get completed. You learn here (anywhere abroad, I think) that things get done much slower then US so you just accept it. Especially here, the saying is "Insha' Allah" which means God Willing. So, things get done if God is Willing:) Sometimes God is willing, sometimes I guess he is not.

Funny thing about our car- we ended up getting a Ford Edge from a guy that lived in Kansas City for 5 years. Small world...I'm a little nervous driving here but guess you just jump right in! One thing I've learned in my short life is that you can't let fear paralyze you:)

Yesterday I went for my Residence Visa so I can keep living here...they take blood to make sure you aren't HIV positive (they will deport you) and that I don't have TB and other diseases. They give you a chest xray and when you walk in the room you are asked if you are married or single; if you are married you get a form to state if you are pregnant or not. The assumption of course is that if you are single you don't need the form - because you could not be pregnant. Not sure the US would ever make that assumption:) So, I guess I can make my big announcement now - we are NOT having a baby!

Everything else is going well..we went to the Dubai Mall last weekend for some Lebanese food (best Hommos - that is how they spell hummus - I have EVER had) I've attached pictures of the dancing water fountain which is really cool and goes off every 30 minutes in the evenings. The Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world) is the backdrop. The boys loved it. It is so funny that every place we go to reminds us of Disney..

I also went to the Souks with some friends the other day. They would be like flea markets (the word souk means "market" in Arabic) in the US and sell everything from textiles and spices to gold. I'll attach some pics of those too. They are in Old Dubai so it isn't as clean but it is real life and very interesting. The boat ride to get there was ONE dirham which is equal to about 25 cents. I think probably because you might not make it across!

Hopefully I'll get better with writing...we have Halloween parties starting tomorrow and Chip and I are going with some friends to our first Brunch experience so I'll write soon about that. Brunch in Dubai is a big thing. Lots of restuarants have brunches on Friday from 12-5 and people just go eat and drink all day since the weekend starts on Thursday night....sounds fun to me.

Off to the pool....:)




If front of Burj Khalifa



The Souks

Funny name for diapers:)