We are starting week 3 soon in Dubai and so far, so good. Honestly, I really enjoy it. I was so ready for a change. Even though I left part of my heart in Budapest, for several reasons (mostly just relating to the country and it's lack of advancements and improvements) we were ready to spread our wings and fly.
Luckily, we have a really adaptable family. We've always traveled frequently with our kids and since we are such a close family unit, we travel and settle well together.
Since we have been here, this is what we have done and what I have learned (in no particular order):
1. Arabic is written from right to left.
2. Arabic TV is boring (Curt always refers to it as Falcon hunting as this seems to be a popular sport televised on Arabic TV often).
3. The kids (and Curt and I, too) are loving fresh squeezed drinks and getting spoiled with them as they are offered everywhere.
4. I have not cooked much at all since we arrived as we are still in a temporary serviced apartment. However, it is still easy to get great fresh veggies, hummus, sushi, etc for healthy dinners and snacks. We have also had Papa Johns and Pizza Express pizza deliveries.
5. There are prayer rooms everywhere.
6. It has been over 40 degrees C every day since we've been here.
7. Driving here drives me crazy mostly because of the constant construction and lack of GPS capabilities.
8. It is incredibly diverse and international. I love hearing so many languages everywhere. The kids are tired of Curt and I constantly asking and / or trying to guess where people are from.
9. My three kids have all ended up with excellent teachers - all seem to fit their personalities really well. Terence has a young, male teacher and Mia and Ali both have very lovely, young female teachers.
10. The kids have already all made friends at school, which, I am sooo happy about.
11. I've signed all the kids up for activities but have only signed myself up for dragon boating. Still would like to find a good tennis league and resume golf again at some point. I have my tennis gear and golf shoes but the clubs are in our container (will arrive in about 2 more weeks or so).
12. I cannot find a proper Apple store but have found thousands of electronics stores selling Apple products.
13. I have only been in my bathing suit in the sun 1 day as we never have a spare moment! I thought I would have had a few lazy, poolside afternoons by now but will catch up on that when things start sliding into place.
14. We've changed our minds about neighborhoods 100 times. If we didn't have kids, I would so be living on the Palm. However, our kids wanted more of a community and now we are looking elsewhere. We hope to have signed on a rental property by the end of the week.
15. Curt shouts here just as much as he shouts in Budapest (it's usually customer service related).
16. Having a Friday, Saturday weekend is so confusing. I was on the phone with my US bank today and couldn't work out why they couldn't provide me with a normal business hour service. It was Sunday! A work day for me but not for others.
17. We bought a car today! A Toyota Sequoia so that is one step closer to settling in / down...
18. Our new car will have 2 built in cooler boxes - 1 in between the 2 front seats and 1 in between the middle seats. There is a 3rd row that seats 3.
19. Even though Curt may find certain things frustrating, he has been incredibly sociable in the pool, in the mall, everywhere. We are meeting so many people already and trying to increase the numbers of our upcoming house warming party! The list is growing!
20. We have been up to the top of the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world - on the night before school started for Terence and Mia. We had made a promise to Terence to go up before school began. The lift took us to floor 124 in 60 seconds. Our ears popped and my knees wobbled while up there...
21. The kids have take a pack lunch every day in a cooler box with a ice freeze thing (you put in the freezer overnight and stick it in with their lunch / drinks so it keeps cold).
22. Terence and Mia are taking their first golf lesson tomorrow.
23. Ali is obsessed with swimming and has swam probably every day (except for today) since we have been here.
24. Mia made a good friend at school today who takes ice skating lessons indoors at the Dubai Mall (largest mall in the world).
25. I have never seen so many fancy cars - Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, etc. Terence is learning them and pointing them out to me as I cannot tell the different usually.
26. I cannot get used to so many people (in the office, in stores) calling me Madame.
27. The kids said they are boring as they only speak 3 languages and most of their classmates in Dubai speak more than 3 languages!
28. We found a French tutor already. His first evening was today and it went better than I expected.
29. I drink more coffee here but from familiar chains like Starbucks and Costa Coffee.
30. The other day a Costa coffee attendant came up to my car while we were pumping our fuel. I was so excited to be able to multitask: fill up car and get an iced latte!
31. I'm really enjoying the longer opening hours of so many stores.
32. Mia went down the Leap of Faith - killer water slide - at the Atlantis' hotel's Aquaventure Park. I'm so impressed with my very brave 7 year old!
33. I miss our dogs (and cat) so much!
I promise to post the kids' back to school photos shortly....
Warmest Regards, the Clements Family in Dubai x o x o
