Learning.

Appetizer:
The above picture is taken from the 43rd floor of a meeting I recently attended. It is the Palm. You know, the man-made island that looks like a palm tree off the coast of Dubai? Unbelievable what man is capable of.

Main Course:
Well, this week has been a good one. Ups. Downs. All arounds. The norm. Yourself?

I titled this blog "Learning" because:

Number 1 - I hope to be learning until the day I die (and you too)

Number 2 - Shoot, that's ALL I'm doing these days. Homegirl here don't know nothin' like she naively thought she did...so cute.

So, here's a cliffs-note overview...

The word "Dodgy" = odd, shady, weird, not right
(Ex: The way my 1999 Nokia phone holds charge is dodgy. OR What is that dodgy smell coming from that camel's backside?)

Beet root salad = the fat-free yogurt refrigerator staple of the 20 something U.K. gal. Who knew? This vinegar, blood red, root mixes apparently with anything! From topping your baked potato to mixing with oranges and raisins.

Yopleit is out, ladies. Beet root salad is in!

Juice = I'm talkin' fresh squeezed, expires in 2 days, NOT from concentrate kinda juice. WAY better than Diet Dr. Pepper and even other "juices" from grapes. Pink lemonade (pictured below) with lemons, rose syrup, and mint. Yes please. Who knew fruit served the way God intended is one of the best tasting things on this earth? Just give me one of these babies and a friend and heaven ain't too far off.

Sorry Doc.

Melanie. My sister and best friend. Sit down. Right now. As the picture below shows something of most surprise. Ok, are you sitting down? Mom and I found something. Go ahead and look.

Yes, WILD MOUSE is here in Dubai!

*Explanation to everyone: You see Wild Mouse has a special place in my sister and I's heart of hearts. When we were growing up, she and I would visit our mama and papa in Lubbock. They would most awesomely take us to the west Texas version of Six Flags...Joyland. And at this land of sheer joy, existed the Wild Mouse. We would ride, squeal, laugh, repeat. AND! This Fall at the State Fair of Texas to our utter amazement Wild Mouse was there!! (Picture below)


Do you see the sheer bliss on our faces? Oh nostalgia, we love you.

So, to continue with how Mom and I found this, we went to the $3 (10 dirham) entrance-fee-Global Village on mom's last night. (If you remember from a previous blog that mom has been traveling for business and ended here in Dubai. We spent 5 wonderful days together. She got to meet my new family and friends. The picture below is us with Alanda, my boss' wife. It was such a special and memorable time. Stating the obvious! I love you mama!)


Now, Global Village is basically the State Fair of Texas but Arabia style. You walk the park with different areas of the word represented. Native food, dancing, clothes, etc. Best way to travel if you don't like traveling :)






But the best part was this baby...I am now the proud owner of a Turkish lamp. A dream fulfilled.

Now to the sad part...

Good-byes are from the devil. I hate them. I will never get to used to them. We are not meant for them. They are a part of the fall. There is no "good" with a "bye" (ok, unless there is a dodgy person drinking juice that steps off of your elevator made of beet root salad). Tantrum over. That being said...here's my mama. Suitcases packed. Airport awaiting. My love inside that little bag she's holding.

Mama, I can't thank you enough for coming to see me and being apart of my new life. Tell everyone how great it is so they will come too!! :)

Ok, putting the tissue away again and apologizing to myself for reliving that sad, sad night...

Back to work....

And here is our new church administrator! Anita! She's from Scotland which automatically ='s cool.
This is my office these days...
But when I haven't been working, I've been trying to get out there and visit the local sights.

Dessert:
This week I went to the traveling zoo that came to town...as did thousands of others.
There were zebras...
And port-O-mosques...
And concessions...
And Tanner Vick! What, no that's not right. Just another baller in red pants swingin' lights out.
And, there was a Tiger.
Tiger Woods, ladies and gentlemen.

The Dubai Desert Classic was here this week, so Byrdie ventured out for her daddy (that amazing Christmas light guy, remember?) Well, I love him. What can I say? I'll say I go out to golf tournaments by myself from 10-4 just so I can tell him about something he loves so much...because I love him so much. It was fun! It was a "chamber of commerce" day (as he would say)...meaning it was absolutely gorgeous!

And ok, ok...yes, I was a Tiger groupie. The poor guy that teed off at 10am had about 3 followers and I could have followed him...but come on. You would have chosen the 12pm tee time and 300 person crowd too! Right?

So, here's warming up.

Headin' out to dominate...
Amy waiting in the 18th grandstand to await the victory...
Being announced...
Que theme song to "Rocky"....NOW.
This is for 1st!

Err...ok...11th or 16th or something like that.
Or defeat.
But hey! What a cool experience! Come back and see us, Tiger.

Oh and real quick, Fraulein Maria made it out as well!
Peace. Love. And learning...

Tomorrow...

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow..." -Annie

Updating tomorrow folks. Trying to keep it consistent on Sundays, but this week it's gotta be Monday. Hopefully the paparazzi-worthy-photos will explain why :)

Until then!

Week of Firsts

First time since 2003, I've had to make brand new friends.

First time since 1993, I've had to listen to CDs in the car. (Evita soundtrack right now)

First time since I was picked up from the first day of kindergarten, I've relished seeing mom so much.

First time (since never), I'm not craving Chipotle (GASP!). What?...the local food here rocks.

First time I've ever drinken...drank...drunk?...HOT tea every single day. *Nose scrunch 1/2 smile* (Hey Texas, send me some of your ice, would ya?)

First time I've stared Dubai in the face and said, "Move over buster. I live here now too."

First time I've enjoyed crying because of how much I know God's love for me.

First time for Texan humor to fall flat in a crowd.

First time my feet have told me, "Heels and sand may not go hand in hand." (Jury is still out on this one)

First time since coming to Dubai, Fridays are sweeter than ice cream deep fried in sugar and sprinkled with sugar served alongside sugar. Time with Believers is priceless.

First time I've stood in front of a group of students and said, "Hello. I'm your new youth minister." Yikes.

First time encouragement cards (from you) have meant more for my soul than...a hot stone massage after seeing Wicked followed by some Chipotle with my sister before going to meet up with best friends for game night and Cretia's knowing the next day I'm going to the ranch for my GranGran's roast with mom and dad leaving for Stephenville and coming home to Daisy. Yep...

First time, I haven't posted pictures. Sorry.

First time I've lived under the same roof with people from Burma...a country I could never enter.

First time (in a long time) to remember I was not made for society, culture, family or myself. I was simply made for Him.

There's a first time for everything :)

Trial and Error

On a chilly, grey day a few years ago, I ventured out to the front yard to help (aka watch) my dad put up the Christmas lights. As I made my way through the strategically laid out candy canes, made out pvc pipes and crimson ribbon, strands of circled twinkle lights, I couldn't help but notice the well oiled machine that my dad had running. Everything had a place. There was even a "medical station" of tape, extra bulbs, replacement ribbon, etc. for the wear and tear from the previous year. I couldn't believe it. All these years in banking, my dad was a bonafide-certified-Christmas-lighter-engineer-extraordinaire. I finally get to the edge of the yard where he is beginning to hammer in the first candy cane. With a puzzled look on my face, I asked, "Dad, how did you learn to do all this?" He stops hammering, glances up and simply says, "Trial and error."

Trail and error indeed, daddy-o. This week has been just that. There is a saying here in Dubai. If you start your day wanting to accomplish 3 things and you get 1 of them accomplished, it is a great day. 2 things, throw a party. 3 things, make sure a group of disciples isn't behind you because you have achieved the impossible.

Like starting anywhere new, you gotta learn the ropes. Like my dad, at one point, had to go to the store and start purchasing Christmas lights and PVC pipe. Amy here, at one point, had to jump in and start meeting people and building relationships.

Woops... the internet stops working. I don't have the right papers for my visa process. This kid thinks I'm an idiot. That store closed one hour ago. The highway exit was 2 miles back and now you must go through the Indian Ocean to u-turn. Told an irrelevant, Texas joke...again. They told me their name 3 times already. Was there something in my teeth that whole time? Your blog underlines your sentences and you have no clue as to why.

A little tape here. A bulb replacement there. A worship song here. The Lord's reassurance there.

He is everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. In all my frustrations, tears, defeats, victories, Dubai doesn't win, He does. He wins.

So bring on the lights, baby!


Saturday, enjoying a nice baseball game...should have worn sandals to show off the pedicure...dangit.
Here's a glimpse of driving...(a very non-trafficky, non-getting lost glimpse). I never know how to end these things, so apologies for the video awkwardness.




Peace and lots of love, ya'll!

Sometimes...

A girl just needs some maintenance.


Happy Sunday everyone!


It's been a beautiful one in Dubai...


Another week has passed and life continues to go well. I hope the same it true for you. The days are full and ever-changing...much like the stocks of Apple Inc.

My tastebuds are experiencing home as well as...uhh...not home.

Home.
NOT home.



BREAKING NEWS!! It's raining in the desert!

You don't understand. Puddles here are like cowboys at a Beyonce concert. You rarely, if ever, see it.

But look-cha hur folks...



AND LOOKIE HERE TOO WHAT I FOUND!
My momma :) She is traveling on business (layover this time and will be staying in Dubai for 5 days in two weeks after going to other ME countries) and I couldn't wait to hug her. I kept taking pictures of her as opposed to pinching myself.
We went to Dubai Mall and watched the dancing fountains at the base of Burj Khalifa. The area around the mall and Burj is west meets east. People from everywhere watching water boogy to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Cool, huh?



The same guy who did the fountains in Las Vegas (I've never seen them, but those who have know) coordinated these as well. They play every thirty minutes to a variety of songs. Arabic pop hits to Whitney's "I Will Always Love You."

After waking up the next day and feeling like seeing mom was all a dream, I ventured out of Dubai for the first time. Those who know me know I'm always on the go (God didn't name me Byrd for nothin') so going on a roadtrip was candy to this kid.

Al Ain. Much smaller town and felt like Arabia 40 years ago. Palm trees. Old forts. Three story building (as opposed to 103 story buildings). Arabic. Nice :)

Miss you all and wish you were here. Sending my love from Dubai xoxoxox

Sunday Edition: Dubai Beginnings

This is my new home. I still can't believe it. New, yes. Nerve-racking, yes. Missing family and friends, yes. But home? Yes. My luggage and I made it all intact and well rested...bringing some Texas with us of course.
My first few days were settling in to my new, beautiful home. I am living with a family that I knew from my internship in Doha two years ago. It is so nice to be apart of a family here! First day, we go shopping for all the hairspray I couldn't pack in my suitcases. Dubai and I are on the same page when it comes to hair care (picture below).
The following pictures are where I am living.

The green yard is fabuloso (name that movie...)
My summer time survival kit...

My room...
The "Welcome Amy" poster greeted me at the airport along with a dozen orange and yellow roses, and about 15 youth and parents. It was so nice and welcoming! :)
Vonderful cloo-sets...


This is me walking down the street where I live...


I forgot my camera for the following:

A trip to IKEA and Crate & Barrel (yes my friends, you read correctly). Saturday afternoon little league. Two Friday services. Dinners with new friends and families. Laughs. Prayers. Cries. But mostly laughs.

Disclaimer: All the photos capture the 80 degree, breezy weather. It gets down right chilly at night. Winters in Dubai = Early Spring weather feel...ya know, like when the bluebonnets start debuting.

Sunday Edition: Dubai Beginnings (Section B)

Burj Khalifa (the clouds here are so rare!!)
This is my dear Brigitte. She has been a mother, a sister, and a sweet friend. She's also teaching me everything she learned at finishing school :) I'm gunna be re-fined, ya'll!

I'm the one in black by the tree. *Squint*
Made it to the desert and went on a safari with a family that was visiting from Houston...I love
the desert. I love the desert. Did I mention I love the desert? I love the desert.





"You're new around here, aren't ya?"


And it all began like any normal Friday...