Cell Phones and Nowhereland

Mallori and I bought cell phones today. So far, we are both very confused with the system, and how it all works. Basically, phones here are a prepaid system, though there doesn't seem to be much logic on how the minutes work. In the US, there are contracts, but here it's very confusing...maybe if it was explained in English to us, we'd understand it. The phones we got themselves were the 'free' ones, so basically, they are cheap...It is interesting though to have a number keypad with both ours and Arabic numbers. I am starting to recognize symbols for the Arabic numbers...so that shows signs of learning the language. I'm glad we got these phones, because I learned today that my school placement is about as far as I can get from the city, without being in another emirate. We looked at Google Earth to see the location, and I counted about 20 buildings in the town. It's about half way from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, though in the middle is pretty much in uncivilized territory. Hopefully these assumptions will be wrong once I get out there. This leaves the whole scenario of living in a new light, as we now need to decide if we want to live here in Abu Dhabi, and I commute for a couple hours a day, or if we live just outside the city so I can avoid traffic, cutting my commute drastically. Decisions...Unfortunately, after going to my employer's office to confront them about our frustrating situation, We still will be living in the Hotel at least for another 4 days. If only we would have been staying at the Hilton like the other group...I'd have at least a few free stays earned by now. Anywho, I'll write more later. Gotta spend time with my amazing wife!!!
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Another room...again.

Life in Abu Dhabi has been an adventure, but more importantly, we are learning important lessons in life. Life is too short to rush through it, without stopping to enjoy. As we have learned, people here take their time with everything...except driving...and from our eyes, we view it as lazy, unprofessional, or even wasteful. However, it's more based on what their priorities are, such as faith and family. A business man here would be okay missing a meeting, if he had to spend more time with his kids, or more time in the mosque praying (which muslims do 5 times each day). At first, I looked at the phrase "In Sh'allah" as a cop-out, a way out if things don't get done..."God willing" is easy to say when you know that no budy will turn around and blame God. Now i'm looking at it as their way to not worry about things, but rather spend time focusing on life around them. Business comes after life...That's how it is.

In America, we are so indoctrinated with the fast food lifestyle...have it your way...and have it now. As a Christian, this shouldn't be our focus, but rather, trusting in Christ for our needs, and making sure we do it by the book...The bible that is...not the Qur'an. However, i'm learning to have a deep respect for Muslims. Many 'non-faithful' Muslims have a deeper faith in their beliefs than some people who boldly profess Christ. Most of those whom I've met have a higher respect for Jesus than many "Christians" even have...which is very scary. No wonder Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world...it's a real faith, even if their god may not be real. Imagine Christianity, where a believer would get up at 430 AM to pray, and at noon, stop everything, even if they are in traffic, get out of their and head to the nearest Mosque and pray. Imagine a Christian, who would fast daily, for a month, and better yet, not complain about it. Imagine a Christian, who would spend over a hundred dollars on a stranger, as one young lady did for Mallori, simply to act in faith that this deed would please her God. Just imagine how powerful we believers in Christ would be if we lived this dedicated to our Lord. That's real faith.

I didn't intend to spend time writing all of this on our blog, but it just came out. Today, Mallori and I were asked to move our room in the Hotel...again. It's still a beautiful room, only this time with a better view. We went from floor 8 to 11, and now we can see over the attached mall to the water on the other side. Gorgeous...But of course, our first reaction was to complain...We're tired of moving. Mallori has been living out of a suitcase for over a month, and I for a week less. However, we failed to see how blessed we are. We have been pushed aside by my employers, ignored when we've seeked information about our new home, and it's been pushing our flesh to the limits. Maybe God is using this Arabic phrase to teach us a lesson though. "In Sh' Allah" means "if Allah wills...or if god wills." We've been viewing it as a muslim saying, but just maybe we should lay back and trust God as they do...once again, referring to a different god. We are no longer in McDonalds World...although they and dozens of other American restaurants are within walking distance from us. Maybe we will learn from this experience (and maybe one of you will learn) how to simply enjoy our lives, viewing our relationship with God and Family as more important to the little tasks of the day. Things do get done over here...just not always when we want them to. Who knows...

Anyways, I'm sure you all want cool updates and pictures, so I'll get on with that. The other day, we were able to experience a terrific place: The Fish Market. Here in Abu Dhabi, one could buy seafood of all kinds, however this specific market is a local gem. It's located off the Al Mina peninsula of the city, where several souks and local markets are. A large group of us went and pitched in together to buy a 6kg Hammour, a large local fish with little 'fishy taste.' The market was a large open space with various vendors carrying a wide selection of fish caught in the nearby waters. We saw a variety ranging from Shark, Eel, various fishes i can't pronounce, to lobster and prawn that were the size of lobster. We negotiated the price, walked over to the 'cleaning station' and began to watch a worker mutilate these once beautiful creatures. After the scaling and a few quick cuts (these men do this amazingly fast by the way) I told Mal to turn away because she didn't want to see the next part. She was brave, but quickly squirmed when she saw the man pull the bones and guts right out. The smell of this place was unbelievably strong, as several anorexic cats were sneaking their way into the automatic doors. Around the corner, after having the fish cleaned and gutted, we took the fish to a person who seasoned and cooked the fish in a firey oven. Although it took another 20 minutes or so, we later realized it was worth the wait. Our final meal consisted of 3 kinds of fish, Hammour being the best, rice, salad, and more...Possibly the best seafood i've ever had...No fast food could ever compare to this.

Anyways, Keep us in your prayers. It is very hard to live out of a suitcase, not knowing when your 'move out date' will finally come. I'm not asking that you pray for us to find all of this out, but rather that God will strengthen our faith in this time of waiting, that we would come out stronger and more usable by Him. My hopes are that a Muslim could watch us, and be able to be encouraged by our faith, rather than the other way around. We miss all of you and will definately keep you updated. Tonight, we're going out for a bday of one of my co-workers. Mallori is actually with some ladies as I speak, in a belly-dancing class...Speaking of bellies, i'm off to fill mine. Thanks again, and God bless.

A few random pics

Alright, a few random pics:
Mal, first day of Ramadan in new room, back round is basically construction in Abu Dhabi...there is construction EVERYWHERE!


Hotel bathroom

Hotel bedroom

Exchanged our US $$ to Dirhams. It's still taking us time to figure out the money:)

View from our old hotel room, and again, mainly construction!

Ramadan Kareem

So its Ramadan here, and technically everywhere. But we've never experienced quite like this. Ramadan Kareem is like saying Happy Ramadan or something to that effect. Everyone says it but I'm not sure exactly what it means.

It is somewhat uncomfortable as Christians here during Ramadan. There are plenty of rules that we need to follow in reverence of Ramadan, which lasts about a month. The hijab that we mentioned earlier that was bought for me (Mal) is pictured to the left. I wore it the first day of Ramadan. I'm not required to wear it, but I wanted to out of respect.

We are not allowed to eat, drink, or chum gum in public during the daylight. All restaurants (near us at least) are closed during the day as well, which makes it a little more difficult for us, because we're still in a hotel, which in turn means we can't simply cook and eat in private like many non-Muslims here. So we're pretty much fasting in our own way as well. What surprises me most is that no one drinks any water during the day in this heat, and believe me - it's HOT. They still work, and live life as normal, but with such sacrifice. It's only day 3 and I have major respect for the Muslims here. They're dedication to their faith and their kindness to those who are not of like faith is worthy of respect.

I've quickly gotten use to the prayer calls. I'm not sure how often they are, but I know for sure there is one at 12pm, 4pm, and 7pm daily. I believe there are two more but I'm not sure when they are. You can hear it most anywhere. If we're eating in the mall, or sitting in our hotel room, we're bound to hear it. It sounds like a chant almost, in Arabic. We have no idea what is being said, but it's pretty cool. David and I try to pray whenever we hear it. However, it depends highly on where we are (location wise) at the time.

Well, more about Ramadan to come.

We rode the bus around the city the other day and on our way back we stopped at a random location to eat dinner, it happened to be the night before Ramadan officially started. The streets were packed and people were everywhere. I felt extremely awkward, like we were intruding their space at such a special time. Above is a picture of our first "real" u.a.e meal. I had Kabobs, it came with humus and salad. David had Mutton.

Both dishes were GREAT! The kabobs were spicy to begin with, and anyone who knows me, knows I can't handle spicy foods, but I didn't want to make a scene in the restaurant, so I kept eating and got use to it. David could barely finish half of his Mutton, it's like rice, with meat and some veggies - I'm not sure what it was seasoned with. We didn't really eat the salad...they didn't give us any dressing, we didn't want it dry. Nor did we eat the humus, but I did taste it:) We'll get bolder with our food choices in the weeks to come. We had plenty left over but it had to go to waste - another reason we're excited for our home!

Pampered Limbo

Being between two destinations is never really enjoyable...especially when one does not know the final destination. We have been spending the last week, relaxing in a beautiful 5 star hotel, eating a breakfast buffet made for royalty, and of course, having Agnello wait on us hand and foot...sounds rough right? However, when we travel across the world, expecting more than a vacation, we are still left hanging not knowing what comes next. David often compares this first step of our trip to a vacation, and though He said that these next couple years would be a second honeymoon, Mallori is very much interested in learning where our true home will be.

What has been difficult, is not knowing what is next. We are staying at the hotel now on a day to day basis, as we have learned that the Education Council is very much laid back. "In sh allah" is their favorite motto, or "God willing" and unfortunately, much of the business in this country is ran like this. Organization is rare and communication, even less. Mallori is an extremely detailed, highly visioned person and a class between forces is highly likely. David on the other hand, at first had no problems with this, but even now is starting to wonder if he'll ever have an address to call his own. It is very interesting though to see how stressed our lives must have been in the states, where time actually existed, deadlines were important, and meetings actually began on time...however, the lack of those things have a stressful effect on those who are used to them.

David and Mallori are in a special group of five people, who do not fall under the 'family' section of the larger group, yet are based in Abu Dhabi and are staying at the Rotana Beach Hotel. Most of the people here are going to be located in Al Ain, a smaller city about 90 KM away. The rest of them are people staying in Abu Dhabi, yet have kids, hence the Family title. One lady, who is single and another couple are staying with us here at the hotel, and each are placed in Abu Dhabi. Most of the people in our catagory, are staying at a "hotel apartment" which is around the corner, and is no where near as luxury as where we're at. Many people have mentioned their jealousy of what we have, and several wish they could 'trade' us...In a way, we envy each other, as we are eagerly hoping for a place to call home, one without Agnello knocking on the door each hour, one where we could save money and cook meals instead of paying cash to eat out....which is adding up by the way, both in cash and in poundage...however, Christ tells us in whatever state we are in to be content...And in all honesty, we would not really like to live in the hotel apartment, but rather a nicer place...God's will be done right...

So for now, we will sit here patiently, allowing Agnello to bring David apples and ice daily, fluffing Mallori's pillows in the afternoon, and perhaps change our socks in the evening (mr. deeds)...knowing that God will reward us for our faith in Him. I mean, we really have no right to complain...we have a roof over our heads (beautiful glass designs with crystal chandeliers) we have clothing on our backs (like the soft bath robe left in the bathroom for us, and the soft slippers they leave at our bed sides), and of course food for our bellies (David's been eating veal sausages and waffles, along with rice and fresh squeezed OJ...Mal has had omlettes, fruit pasteries, turkey bacon, and a wide selection of tea with honey)..God truly has been good...So we'll just wait on Him.

The Rotana

So we've been staying at the Rotana Beach Hotel here in Abu Dhabi. It's a beautiful hotel and the service has been excellent. However, we're at the point where we feel the need to lock our hotel room door with a deadbolt and the chain lock, along with our Do Not Disturb Sign! Our housekeeper are a little over-zealous in their work. At least 3 times a day, Angelo, our housekeeper, asks do we need anything. It's not common to us to have a male housekeeper, but either way he's been great. The first few days, we simply smiled and responded accordingly, "yes, 2 towels would be nice", "a few more water bottles", or "no, we're fine, thank you".

Unfortunately, after a few days, his persistence has gotten a little uncomfortable. If we're leaving our hotel room, he often seems to be right there, at our door or very near, with the same questions, "can I do anything for you? do you need more towels, water bottles, ice, apples, etc". If we tell him we're fine, he wants to know when he can clean our room, what items have we used, what time can he get in and he won't take "we don't need anything" for a final answer. We absolutely need to need something...so we usually make up some random thing we can ask for, "yes, another face towel, or another shampoo". Even if we have the do not disturb sign on the door, it means nothing, he knocks, he even comes in. I mean, this is hospitality at its finest I guess.

It's so hard to get direct and say, "no Angelo, we don't need anything". Because he's so sweet, he's so patient and he's simply trying to make sure we're taken care of. It's just gotten to the point to where we rush to our room once we've gotten off the elevator, or look through the peep hole and both ways down the hall before we exit our hotel room. If he sees us walking in or out, we better have our request ready. Even if we have 10 water bottles just sitting on the desk, we can always use another. We use to just leave the chain lock on the door with our do not disturb sign on the door. We assumed it would be enough to get the message that we don't want to be disturbed. But the knocking persists. If he knows we're in there, then we better acknowledge his presence and answer the door.

It's become such a major joke with us, today we laughed so hard because if Mallori tells him we don't need anything, it only means, we don't need anything right now. So he'll come back and hope that David answers, and the same vice versa. Tonight, he came by again and Mallori tried to make it clear that our room was great, we had everything we needed. And he assured her that David NEEDED another face towel. So he gave us three. He tried to peak in and look around for what else we needed. Mallori told him again, that we're great. We have everything we need. He told her, "well, what time do you want me to come tomorrow?" LOL

I'm sure once we're in our "home" we'll miss Angelo!

First week in Abu Dhabi

Hi All!


Well we've arrived in Abu Dhabi! Safe, sound and hot:)

This is our new blog while we're here in Abu Dhabi (and wherever else life takes us).

First we'll start off with our flight on Etihad Airways:

We totally recommend this airline. The staff was GREAT. The plane was large and spacious. The food was surprisingly excellent (only for David, Mal didn't eat the entire 13 hour flight). We sat behind 1st class, so we had a choice for all of our meals. We had a variety of TV shows, movies, games, and other things to keep us busy on individualized screens. There was also a camera that projected our flight departure from in front of the plane. It was different but was a great experience, especially being able to view the mountains below while in flight. The flight was long as expected and we arrived right on time in Abu Dhabi.

Once we arrived at the airport, ADEC (David's employer) met us at the gate and directed us where to go from the plane, customs, baggage, then to our shuttle buses. We were taken to the Rotana Beach Hotel, where we've been since our arrival.

The first day we went to a popular mall here called the Marina Mall which is on an island. While we were at the mall we were looking for a hijab for Mallori to wear during Ramadan. It is not required but she thought it would be appropriate and respectful. We asked a few people where we could find one and didn't have much luck. Finally, Mal saw a few girls in line and they were all wearing hijabs. She asked them where she could find one and they were nice enough to actually walk us to the store. As we were walking they shared that they actually insisted on buying a hijab for Mallori. So to make a long story short, three very nice young ladies bought Mallori a beautiful 350 dirham hijab (about $105).

Our days have basically been filled with sleeping, anticipation, and exploring Abu Dhabi. The people are a mixture of Emirates, Asians, Pakistanis, Australians, Germans, Jordanians, Bengali's, Indians, and a few Americans and Canadians.

We are still waiting to find out where we're living and where David will be working. Tomorrow is David's first full day in orientation, so we're sure we'll have more information end of day tomorrow.

We'll share more thoughts this week. Our first individual impressions, our current thoughts about the city, the heat, the food, etc.

Internet is not as easy to come by for us right now. Our hotel is lovely, but expensive.

However, please follow our blog so you're up to date on what is new with us here in Abu Dhabi.


Peace and Love,

The Steele's