Serving Up Ramadam

Tea anyone? Abu Dhabi Health and Fitness Center

Lulu Grocery Store. Flickering, yes..flickering fire above the door.

Mushrif Mall

Khalidyah Mall

One week of Ramadan is over. Not that many of us count down the days over here. Actually, some things about Ramadan are nice.  Very, very quiet afternoons.  Very slow mornings.  Traffic is practically non existent between 4pm and Iftar which is at sunset, about 7pm. This is the time to break the fasting that began at sunrise.  Many Muslims who celebrate Ramadan sleep extra hours during the day and then visit family and friends until very late at night.  Including the kids.  This makes it difficult when Ramadan falls during the school year, but during the summer it is not so bad.   Naturally, a challenge at Ramadan is no eating during the day in public so restaurants are closed and remembering not to pull out that water bottle in public, even if it is 110 degrees. :)  Along with the quiet days, fasting, and Iftar meals,  come the great decorations. Here are a few from Ramadan 2012, Abu Dhabi.

Ramadam Kareem, Everybody.

Making Memories

Spent an afternoon at Summer In Abu Dhabi before  friends left for the summer. 

Atlantis Water Park is a good way to spend a hot summer day.

Burgers after the water park. Robert's friend Jack left the next day.

Tea with Mary and Huda before Mary left for the summer. 

Mike and his friends Mark and Peter at our last Church Out to Lunch.

Good-bye to 11th grade! Last day of school. 

In the last few days I have been composing a letter to my Mom.  Weird. She has been gone four years now, actually, a bit more.  With our move to Doha imminent, these questions keep popping in my head that I wish I could ask her.  What did you do first? How did you prepare?  What was the hardest thing for you?  Do you wish you had just stayed put?  How did you decide what to keep ? what to leave?  (and with no internet every place she moved was a big question mark...)  Sometimes I miss her more than others..  And Daddy, too.  What would he say about moving again?  I would love to sit with them and tell them our Adventures from Abu Dhabi and the challenges facing us with Doha. We'd probably go to Denny's and over a big steak and eggs breakfast we'd all talk it over.  So far, it is that feeling of loss that is the hardest.  As we run around getting things done, or popping into our favorite eating holes, I think..I will miss this. I will miss these friends.  But I know that Mom and Dad made amazing friends in their fifty something moves...and kept them.  And we will, too.

Last Friday School at church before the summer.

     

Friends and the Fourth

Sallie and Robert at the pool bar. 

I have decided that the thing I miss the most about not living in the US is celebrating US holidays. Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Thanksgiving! So, with Mike already in Doha, and a trip to the US far off, my friend Pattie and I took the kids to a hotel for the day and just relaxed!  Timing was good as Sallie was still recovering from her trip to Nepal(which was terrific) and I was missing our friends and family back in the US. I was afraid to write about the 4th of July as I didn't want to repeat any previous posts. ( Joke's on me. I haven't written about this holiday since we were in the US for it in 2008.)   We lounged by the pool, had dinner outside and then made our way back to the flat. Not very exciting but I think it was much needed and the day did go by quickly.

Robert and Sallie playing chess on the beach.

Mike is working hard to get to know Doha. Today marks one week over there. We talk by skype and text every day.  He has visited the church there, figured out that the taxis don't have any clue where anything is, and found the Doha Souk after much gnashing of teeth. BUT we think we have found a place to live and that is a big relief.

Abu Dhabi is quiet.  Our church attendance is down to about 1/3 of the regular level and the streets are rarely crowded. Makes for nice driving but also very quiet days. I will be glad when we are with Mike again.  We are trying to keep busy by cleaning closets, seeing movies and hanging out with the friends who are still in town.

  Ryan and his friend Austin. You can see Sallie in the back being held by our friend Mattie Pearce.

Happy belated 4th Everyone! Don't take those fireworks and pork rib barbecues for granted. :)

Dallas-Abu Dhabi-Doha

Today. July 1st. Five years ago, Mike got off a plane in Abu Dhabi and was pretty sure he had actually landed on Mars. There was sand blowing across the highway. Black clad women, eyes peering from behind veils.  White clad men, with long snowy scarves trailing down their backs. At least 10 times a day Mike asked himself if we were crazy. What were we doing? Sold our house hold goods, uprooted our three younger kids, left our oldest in Texas and landed in one really hot place, halfway around the world. He called us in Dallas...sure that we were making a huge mistake. But we pressed on, and one month later Robert, Ryan, Sallie and I said goodbye to our dear friends and family in the US. 24 hours later we landed in Abu Dhabi.  These 5 years have been amazing.  Laughter, tears, new friends, old friends, visitors, vacations, challenges, tests,  sadness and joy.  There were many days that it still felt like we had moved to another planet but slowly we adjusted and even learned to appreciate the amazing and sometimes difficult experiences.

AND NOW...

Today Mike began his new job in Doha, Qatar.  Next month, after our 6th Ramadan in Abu Dhabi, we will join him there.  Although we don't know what the future holds. We know Who holds it. And we are trusting in Him.

Details to come!  Hildebrands in Sandyland..Part II. :)