And the ADVENTURE continues......

 

 

October brings the beginning of several holidays in the UAE, from now until December.  This past week, our country celebrated Eid al-Adha. We got 10 days off!  Riley has decided she loves the UAE b/c holidays mean NO SCHOOL!!!!!!!!  :)

The Davidsons decided to try some of the places we have still yet to experience. 

One of the first places we visited was the Fish Market.  Pictured below, is the LAST time Riley smiled on this day! We do believe she has been scarred for life!  She announced: "Riley will NEVER eat fish again!"  (Her mother, who LOVES fish----came very close to removing all seafood from the Davidson meal plan as well after a day here!)

However......I decided I need to be mature about this and overcome.  So mature, in fact, that I tricked her into eating fish one night this week by telling her it was chicken  (yes, good parenting in action right there!) and another night, SHE asked for the fish option! :) So apparently, my clever parenting was successful! :)  

 

Below was one of the FIRST sights we saw entering the market.  Oh IF ONLY I could somehow record the sounds and the smells of this experience!!!  The pounding metal crunching the bones of sweet DORY and NEMO slightly tipped our little happy place of  Red Lobster enjoyment. 

 

I really just couldn't resist the nasty tongue sticking out at me!

 This man caught my attention and I spent a while just watching him. He had the sweetest, "old-man" kinda face marked with hard times and long years.  His outfit. His turban. Sandaled, worn feet.  All of it intrigued me. 

  I believe I was just having one of those moments of realizing just HOW different my "world" is than so many here and in other places of the world.  Sure, we may live in one of the wealthiest parts of the world, but here---it's not like that.  Some of these people have what I would put on the t.v. show-Dirtiest Jobs.  Some people, still function in Survival of the Fittest mode.  And SOME people aren't so spoiled that the "SUSHI" is served on the pretty platter---they were the ones who pulled it from the boat, drug it out of the truck, put it on ice, sliced it up (hopefully, WASHED it---didn't see much fish CLEANING that day---but I am choosing to not think about that right now!) and prepared it in the way that looks more appealing and "normal" to us "citified folk". 

Apparently, we came on the perfect day!  We were told that they don't normally get such a large shipment of SHARKS!! WOW!



 

 SHARKS ----SHARKS----and MORE sharks........

We did NOT go home with a SHARK purchase.  But we DID come home with some mahi-mahi and a quick stop at a "more American-type" store found us a buggy full of chips 'n salsa, sour cream, cheese, crab  meat, cream cheese, cocktail sauce and WHEAT THINS!! (we've only found Wheat Thins twice---at 18 U.S. dollars a box!!!  eeks--but well worth it for a moment of comfort food pleasure!)  Greg brought Schroeder's  and "Glaze holiday/ party appetizers" to the Yatim family and they brought us Indonesian delicacies! 

Over the holiday we also visited the Camel Market.  We saw "normal" camels, dark camels and the racing camels.   We even saw a 21 day old baby!   I snuck the above picture b/c I wanted a picture of the "shepherd" type people.  These guys SLEEP with the camels!  eeeewwww..... As we drive from Al Ain to Dubai we see tent after tent in the sand.  The tents are where the camel herders sleep.  I AM HIGHLY INTRIGUED!!! However, I am beyond thankful that this is NOT my lot in life! :)  Intrigued......yet disgusted!  Driving down the road we often see camel trucks packed with 3-5 big-ole- 1 or 2-humped creatures crammed in the back with their long necks and big nostrils peeking over the top.  Then you see a man or two sitting on the pile.  ewwww... Anyhow.....just wanted to share a little bit of our world with you. :)

getting a little too close for comfort..............please, little man, hurry and take this darn picture!!! 

Another glimpse into our world.  The "cooler" weather in the desert is bringing out the "picnic" life; or BBQ life as they call it.  We were told that we would see people on the side of the road, pulled over and gathering/eating as a family.  Right, they were.  This picture was taken up on Jabel Hafeet (the tallest mountain in the country).  We were also told how segregated these people are, thus the reason for the picture.  As you can see, the men are together,  and far away (in the black abaya's) are the women.  I don't think these two groups are related, I just wanted to create a picture in your mind of life as we see it here.  The malls are the best place to see the segregation.  Just so you know, STARBUCKS in the UAE is always full of MEN. 

A little different from America, eh?!

One more quick glimpse.  On the 2-laned road up the mountain we looked over to see these men praying on the side of the road.  This is not an uncommon sight, actually.  Traffic is INSANE here and we are amazed that there are not MORE accidents.  ESPECIALLY when you hear the call to prayer and the people put their car in PARK...... IN A LANE......ON  the "highway" (or in the middle of a roundabout) to jump out and run into the nearest mosque to pray.  We live right next to a mosque and many Fridays (Holy Day) our parking spots are blocked due to all of the Muslims coming to pray. 

As always, we hope that this blog helps you join in on our great adventure.  I only wish we could share all the pictures and all of the stories that take place.  Hopefully, you can enjoy the journey as you learn a little about life here.  It's totally different than  our lives in Rome/Cartersville, GA and Lakeland, Florida.  We are truly beginning to embrace our world here and love sharing it with you. 

We covet your prayers as we try to be Light and Love here. 

 Our pastor's wife has made it her goal to "MAKE the women smile at her" as she passes by.  I laughed as they shared that b/c I've said the same thing in my head.  "I will MAKE her see me and I will MAKE her smile back!" It's not the SOUTH,  people.  :)   

Thank you for praying.  We love you all and pray for you and your great adventures as well! 

 

 

Here We Go....Year #2!

On your mark.....get set....GO!!!!

Well.....we didn't quite start back so energetically!  Jet lag KICKED OUR TAILS!!!!  We've been back for 3 weeks now, and it was only this last week that we are feeling back to normal and sleeping at the proper times. 

We are back in the UAE ready to begin year #2!  It's hard to believe we've already been here a year! 

So much has taken place:
       Greg and I survived our first year teaching internationally................  
              6 new countries stamped into our passports.......
                   Arabic doesn't sound QUITE so foreign, shocking or ANGRY to us anymore.....
                           Roundabouts and constant honking DO NOT cause panic attacks any longer....
                                  We don't think 90 degrees F is quite so hot anymore.......
                                         Amy has earned a Master's degree in CHARADES!!!.....
                                               Hayden claims to be part Indonesian........
                                                     Riley is on her way to China (or so she says)..........
         Amy has also learned the art of LOOKING like she understands what is going on while actually having NO CLUE what is actually happening :)
                   Hayden can also speak a bit of Indonesian.........
                          Riley is working on her Afrikaans.............
                               We have enjoyed regularly worshipping with people from all over the world and hearing the Lord's Prayer spoken in many different languages every Friday..............
                                         We now know that all major supermarkets "flip the store around" every night and are no longer thrown into a tizzy when we can't find what was on isle 24 yesterday is now on isle 13............
                             The radars on the side of the road catch you quicker than cops pulling you over (whoops).......
                                                                               
                                                 and much MUCH MORE.

We are excited to be much more prepared this time around!  After bringing 16 bags back with us.....Amy has quite a few more resources to use while teaching! 

Do you see it?!! Who can name my FAVORITE things in this picture? :)

 If you know me WELL, you know that a new box of crayons and fresh markers make me HAPPY HAPPY HAAAAPPPY!!!  Thank you Walmart RollBack prices for helping me bring color magic to the UAE!  I've been saying for a year "My boys would enjoy coloring and drawing if only they knew what REAL markers and crayons were like!!"
 Hip Hip Hooray! I just hope my 20 packs of fun last a year! :)

This year, I have the joy of teaching the same 2 sections of ALL BOYS!  I looped with my 3rd graders and will now teach them in grade 4!  I've never taught grade 4 before....but hey, when you're on an adventure....why not make it ALL a new adventure, right?!?!  My two sections, 4C and 4D are as different as night and day.  One section is very verbal and full of life and personality.  Most of them know all of their letters and numbers and can even write sentences in English.  At the end of last year, I was able to introduce the beginning concepts of Writing Workshop with 5 of them!  This year, I hope to challenge them at greater lengths, expanding their vocabulary and their writing, thinking and creating abilities.  Fun times are ahead!!! :) 

I am thankful that this year it will not take me 1.5 months to figure out their names.  I already know my 7 Zayed's and 5 Mohammeds.  :) I also know how to pronounce Helal correctly enough now that it's not going to take me until Term 3 to realize the reason he never LOOKED at me, much less responded to me was because I wasn't saying his name correctly!

My goal this year is to implement more Arabic into my classroom. My job is to teach English, Math and Science.  However, I learned rather quickly last year that if I want to know what is going on at this school each day---I better learn some Arabic. :) 
 My boys loved trying to teach me Arabic last year so I am going to try to teach them what a good student looks like by being one myself.  I have MUCH MORE sympathy for them when they whine "Miss Miss, English hard" ( poking out their lip and giving me sad puppy dog eyes with their big beautiful brown eyes and LONG eyelashes).  I did not get my feelings hurt when they laughed at my Arabic writing rather than praise my efforts!  :)  I am growing THICKER skin in this country (another valuable lesson I am learning while overseas)!  We DID however pause for a mini-character lesson at that point.  :)  "I don't make fun of you when you mess up your English. You don't make fun of me when I mess up my Arabic. Got it?! Hamdilya (Good). Shukran. (Thank You)"


Since being back, SOMEONE special turned the big 12!!!!  This picture makes him look much older to me, something my heart is not prepared for!  He "graduated" to the Youth Group at our church and is excited about being older and more mature ( as he regularly informs us). ha!  After his 1st youth meeting event, he jumped in the car and announced that he learned that he is no longer a KID.  WHHHHAAAAT?!?!?! Maybe we should yank him out and put him back in the children's ministry for another year?!?!  lol 

Already, the Lord has answered some prayers of others as well as our own.  The day we took them back to Manor Hall to register them for this year we were told that the Lord brought us through that door at the perfect moment.  Manor Hall got a new Elementary Principal this year and his kids are struggling to adjust.  As the Lord would have it, Hayden and their son hit it off immediately and have been inseparable since!  It turns out, the family is from SC, loves baseball and football AND lives right down the street from us!  The cool thing is, Hayden was in need of a good guy friend to live close by since we moved away from his buddy at the old house.  The Lord is good to us and takes care of ALL of our needs! 

We now have a 6th grader and a 5th grader in our family!  Where has the time gone?  They are both excited about their new teachers and their classes.  Riley has a man teacher for the first time and is super excited about it now (after being a  bit nervous at first)!  HG is most excited about getting a locker and carrying the key on a lanyard (oh Berry college memories...flippin that thing around like we were important or something lol).  He is also excited about being in ADVANCED Arabic!  The kid amazes us as he reads the Arabic signs going down the road.  Oh how Greg and I wish we were young and could soak up a new language "just like that"! 

Greg and Hayden are anxiously awaiting baseball season to start again!  Greg's job this year will be coaching baseball and  instructing  private lessons.  Since Atlanta sent the largest number of teachers overseas to teach this year, we have already met a lot of baseball lovers and UGA fans!  Home doesn't seem quite so far away when you can walk through the world's largest mall and hear "Go Dawgs. Sic 'em"  Hopefully, the league will continue to grow and Greg will be able to recruit more and more players.  Dubai Little League offered us a sanity and familiarity that "saved us" last year.  Greg and Hayden are itching to get their feet on the mound and feel at home again. 

We say all that to say, our 2nd year is off to a fabulous start! 

Stay tuned for more adventures............ :)

 

God Bless the U.S.A.!

After a year of living in the Sandbox, we were finally able to go home to America for a rather quick visit.  It was a fast and furious kind of holiday, but it was well worth the many miles traveled across the South. 

We had quite the adventure trying to actually GET to the U.S., but finally, after 10 days of trying to get on a plane we did it! 



 

 We definitely enjoyed our fill of great American SOUTHERN foods!!!!

  

 As soon as we got home, we basically jumped into the car and drove clear across the South to the great state of Texas (which, by the way---over here, as soon as I open my mouth these people think I (Amy) am from Texas :)). Six people crammed into a car and a hotel room (2 of which being two little giggling girls who haven't seen each other in a VERY LONG time) for 5 days made for QUICK family bonding time!!! :)

beans 'n cornbread.......

True Southern Comfort food....

Praise the Lord for bacon and all things PORK!!!

 
 
 FUN TIMES WITH VERY MISSED COUSINS...FAMILY....and  FRIENDS!

.....of Course we had to hit up a BRAVES game!

 

 While in Florida, we were blessed to be able to be with Pappy for his deacon ordination service.  It was a very special night honoring such a godly man, a man who loves Jesus and serves Christ and others so selflessly!

Fun memories made with the Florida family!  HG made his very first trip around the lake on skis this year! 



It felt so good to be reunited with my sisters again!

 The summer was especially full of game nights, Phase 10 (yes, even in the car) and COLD diet Sunkists from gas stations!  You never realize what you took for granted until you don't have access to it anymore! 


 To someone's disappointment..... (that would be Belock's) two little "niece and nephew's" were as tall as her!!!!!  hahahah  We love our Aunt B!!!!! :




 




While the girls were in Texas, the boys reunited with the old team for a tournament. 

America, it was good to see you again! We were so blessed to see as many of you as we did.  We were in need of the hugs, laughs, encouragement and family/friend time!  Thank you for loving us, having us in your homes, and taking the time to hang out with us.  We also want to say thank you for continuing to follow us on our journey! 

Our time at home was necessary and good for the soul.  However, it made coming back harder on Hayden and Riley.  Halfway through our time in the U.S. it became apparent to us that we were going to have a tough few weeks/months ahead in regards to our kids being more homesick now than ever before.  Please continue to pray for us as we RE-adjust to living on the other side.  The new, the adrenaline rush, the excitement of a brand new adventure has worn off after a year.  This time they knew what they were coming back to and more than anything, they wanted to stay home.  :( 

We have been here for 3 weeks now and are getting back to normal.  :)  Please continue to pray for us and for them.  Thank you for loving us! 

We can't wait to see everyone again next year!  (HG already has the countdown going in case anyone needs to know!)