Final Entry

So we haven't been as faithful to this blog as we hoped we would, so this is actually the final entry.
BUT - don't fret! We now have our own website up which makes blogging, updates, photos, and videos extremely easier for us to manage. Please refer to the website below from here on!

www.davidandmallori.com

Thank you so much for reading and following our Life in Abu Dhabi blog.

Love Wins,

David and Mallori

Singapore

I very much enjoyed my trip to Singapore, although 3 nights isn't much time to see any city. By far, this town is perhaps the most well kept city i've been in, which didn't surprise me when I heard that chewing gum was once illegal here. Along the streets there are recycling bins, something we're still trying to introduce in Abu Dhabi, and each street is lined with lush greenery and decorated with lights and cultural attire. Colonial influence is very much present, as with diversity and racial congeniality. The city began as and still is a major shipping port, as you can see several large container ships coming and going from the multiple ports around this city-state-country island. Shopping is also HUGE here, though negotiating lower prices isn't as common as both Thailand and Malaysia. It's a very nice place with plenty to see and so much to do in such a short time.

I managed to see a good bit of the city from an arial view, as I rode the worlds largest ferris wheel, extending about 550 feet into the air, taking 30 minutes to revolve. I'm not a fan of Heights, though I seem to have challenged my phobia quite a few times during this trip. One of the main streets, Orchard Street, was full of excitement, shopping, and lined with large architectually intreguing buildings. Even the sidewalks had bright colorful lights within them, making it a pretty street to stroll.

I definately recommend the Singapore Zoo, the largest 'rainforest zoo' in the world. They created this place with a wholistic mindset, hoping to give the feel of animal freedom throughout. Basically, they wanted the visitors to feel like they could get up close and actually experience the animals. One could walk through the kangaroo exibit, ride the large asian elephants (which I did), or take loads of photographs without glass or cages blurring their views. My favorite exhibit was the Orangutans. These animals were able to roam free within a giving area, allowing them close contact with visitors. Very Cool.

I do hope to make it back someday, as it was a nice city, with a very trendy feel...Many restaurant chains were open 24/7, and even the cafes offered free wireless. It is a bit pricey compared to the other places i've visited, and is ranked as one of the most expensive places to live in the world. You do however get a lot for your money, as food portions are large, and life quality is high. There also was plenty to do, as the Chinese new year was about to begin. I did view my first Chinese Tiger Dance, which was quite amazing. Different Cultures are soooo cool...it's hard to notice back in the states, because people are dominated by the "melting pot" ideology...so much is lost in cultures by combining into one. But here in Singapore, people still maintain their traditional values and experiences, offering a wide variety of excitement and adventure. I've always been adventurous...now i'm culturally adventurous.

David's Vacation to S.E. Asia

Where do I begin?

This past week has been a terrific time of relaxation, adventure, excitement, but also loneliness and sadness. I currently am traveling throughout the Malay Peninsula, visiting both Malaysia and Thailand, and now on my way to Singapore. This trip is for my spring break/30th birthday celebration. However, it's been hard and quite bitter-sweet, as my other half Mallori is back home helping take care of our nieces and newborn nephew, Josiah. So, needless to say, despite having an outstanding time so far, my mind isn't quite here, and my heart is definately in Minnesota. Maybe i'll write a song about it.

My co-worker Brian and I flew from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, where we explored the city, took in the delicious (but spicey) foods, and traveled up to one of the highest peaks via cable car. It was quite fun, though scary, as an old man who happend to be in the lift with us, who was also a regular, proceeded to tell us how there have been a few cases where the cars have dropped hundreds of meters to passengers' certain death. Let's just say we didn't like him much, and we also gasped regularly as it was quite a windy day and the workers decided to stop the car several times throughout the 20 minute ride to the top.
Islam is definately the religion of choice in this country, as we were reminded 5 times daily by the call to prayer at the mosque/masjid next to our hotel. I'm used to this though, living in Abu Dhabi. The men don't wear the same clothing, nor do they seem to wear anything that would point out that they are muslim. The ladies however wear colorful coverings, instead of the boring black we see in Abu Dhabi, and many people seem to get along, despite some religious tension that currently exists in this country. We did see several hindus around town, as we were there during the annual holiday which millions took part in by hiking up several hundreds of stairs, pulling things with hooks and piercings in their backs and other parts of their body in honor to their gods. We did not stay for this, as we found a last minute flight to Koh Samui, Thailand, a tropical island off the east coast of Southern Thailand. So I left my typical city-cruising adventure, and headed towards a more relaxing, 'paradise'-like destination.

Koh Samui - Beautiful, warm, friendly, and cheap!

One thing that I enjoy about these two destinations, is how the currency exchange makes one to feel rich, as I have hundreds of thousands available to me for my trip...of course, inflation doesn't mean much if the prices are jacked up as well, however in these countries one can eat very well for very cheap. My hotel room, in downtown Kuala Lumpur cost me about the price of a Motel 6 back home. I can't pay that little anywhere in the states for a downtown room. When I went to Koh Samui, I paid even less, for a nice room right on the beach. Taxis cost only a few bucks to go across town, I could have had silk suits made for only a couple hundred dollars, and my cell phone sim card...well, it was given to me for free. It's nice to know that not all of the world is out to take your money....however, this concept changes in the evening.

At night time, both places totally change. K.L, though in a Muslim city has quite the nightlife, with plenty of strange ladies walking around looking for 'fun.' Koh Samui is more like a tropical Las Vegas, as a man could easily get 'anything' he wanted. It's so sad that some of the most beautiful places i've ever been to can become so ugly as the sun goes down. The beautiful beach in K.S. even turns into a haven for hecklers and con-artists after dark. Kids who should be home in bed are out trying to sell you necklaces or play you a game (connect 4) for money. They walk around as if they are being pimped by someone and cannot come home until they've made their quotas. These kids are smooth too...especially the little girls, who say they'll cry if you don't buy their beads. Other people are walking around with monkeys, birds or lizards, placing them on your shoulder, trying to get a picture with you and the animal, then charging you for it. They didn't like when i tried taking my own pictures without paying...poor monkeys, they were too cute! Just like in Vegas, the city is fun and exciting, but a lot of trouble if you allow it to be...Which brings me to the best part of Koh Samui....

The other side of the Island!

It's fun to be around lots of people, but Koh Samui is much more beautiful when you go out and explore on your own, away from the tourist garbage. I rented a motor bike for 2 days and decided to drive around this small but colorful island. I was told that it is about 55 Km around the island and that it should only take about an hour to make it around. I knew that i would want to stop and take 'a few' pictures, but didn't truly plan my route as I wanted to be spontaneous. Six hours later, I found myself tired, sunburned, and cramped from being on the bike ride of my life. A few miles into my ride, I ventured onto some smaller roads, heading towards the south side of the island, where many of the locals still live undisturbed. I found a few beautiful muslim villages which are rare as buddhists dominate this island, and met a few buddhist monks as I visited several temples. I visited a small secluded school, met with the teacher and students and tried to understand why the curriculum involved puting up tents instead of teaching math or science. I spent time watching a local couple pick coconuts, and another man cuting them open with a huge sword-like knife. I passed several gorgeous beaches with terrific views of nearby islands...this part is the vacation I longed for.

Usually I am excellent with Maps and directions (Mallori will vouch for me), however, I made a few wrong turns half way into my trip. I planned to go up the mountain towards an Elephant park, then cut back down another smaller road towards the north side of the island...Somehow the roads kept getting smaller, and I found myself on dirt roads which became dirt paths, somewhere in the middle of the jungle. I kept going up, higher and higher, hoping that i'd run into the desired road, but no road existed...only more dirt paths. This part was easy, though when I noticed that my fuel was getting low, and I was quite far from where I began, nor did I know where a gas station was, I got a little nervous. Nervous turned to scared as I now needed to go down these same dirt paths and my tires on the bike were fairly bald with little traction. I spent most of my ride down, sliding, skidding, and nearly flying off steep cliffs, clutching to the brakes, praying that God will protect me. I wasn't as interested in taking pictures, as no photo is worth my life, though I still stopped once in a while to get a good valley shot. Now and then i'd pass some local person, who didn't know any English, and they'd point me in the right direction, though not able to tell me how far away I was. I also passed several birds which seemed to be laughing at me, waiting for me to give up so they could eat better. However, I managed to make it safely (by the grace of God) down the mountain with only a few bruises and scrapes. The Next Day I went with Brian, and we stayed on the main road...not quite as exciting, but at least I got the chance to make it all the way around this time.

So now, I find myself sitting in the beautiful outdoor airport, surrounded by flowers, beautiful birds, greenery, and an occasional noise of a plane taking off or a cash register opening in the duty free shop nearby. We are due in Singapore in just a few hours, where I hope to resume my city walking, photo-snapping, urban enjoying vacation. I will try to blog again when I have more pictures. Not sure yet where we'll go after Singapore, but i'm sure it'll be an adventure! Thanks again for reading all of this. Enjoy the Pictures!

D

My Haaj into the Desert

Today I desided to take an adventure, one that I believe will spark more excitement in my life. As I seem to have more time on my hands, since i'm alone in the UAE, and weekends are usually my time to spend with Mallori, I decided to venture off into the Al Gharbia region of Abu Dhabi. It's the western side of the country which borders Saudi Arabia, where life is scattered and one can spend true time alone with God. Overall, I spent about 10 hrs in the car or next to it, taking pictures; I drove around 600 Kilometers, and all on 2 tanks of gas (which cost me only about 27 bucks). There are many small towns out in this region, but I decided first to head towards Jebel Dhanna, home to the port that takes visitors out to Sir Bani Yas Island (which I was not allowed to get to, because I didn't have a room booked at the resort located there). Leaving this area, I was only able to head west, because there was no on ramp to lead me back towards Abu Dhabi. After driving for another 30Km in the wrong direction, I began to get a little nervous, knowing that the border between UAE and Saudi Arabia is "Undefined" and I am also aware that most expats are not allowed into the country without prior visa arrangements, yet alone welcomed there. However a "U-Turn" appeared and I took it heading back. I noticed a road that led south towards a town "Arada" which according to my map is the end of that road, and it too is close to the Saudi border. However, the road did connect with another road that eventually would lead me home. I also noticed that this part of the UAE is very barren, and it is close to the area known as "Rub al Khali" or "The Empty Quarter" where there are no inhabitants in a 1000 x 500 kilometer area or 250,000 square miles. Sounds like an adventure right?

Well, I didn't go too deep into it, and though I did do some off-roading in my little Toyota Yaris, I don't dare go far off the road in this part of the world. I did have one stretch of road where I didn't see a single human for about 100km...let's just say, I spent a good time talking with God, dealing with any fears I might have. Just as I felt like i was going insane with nervouseness, I had a terrific photo op as a herd of camels were meandering on my left. Camels are a weird animal, not very attractive (though UAE hosts camel beauty contests), and they smell very bad. I passed another group of them later in my trip and when I got too close, one large one decided to mark his ground by urinating, letting me know i'm just a visitor.

After going through this long stretch of sand dunes and more sand dunes, I came to the Liwa Oasis, a nicer area of the country, where greenery is plentious as well as the sand. I stopped for some soup at a local hotel, then quickly resumed my journey around the emirate of Abu Dhabi. One thing I learned is that as Christians, we are not alone...no matter how quiet, how afraid we become, or how sandy it may be, God is always with us, protecting us, guiding us, and comforting us. He is our refuge in the desert, he is our shield from the spitting camels. And after listening to the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir's "I'm Amazed" cd about 13 times today, I recommend that to the lonely traveler as well.

Although I wish i could have shared this first with my beautiful babygirl, Mallori, It was nice to be reminded that God is my first love, and today was time with him. Muslims are to take a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives as part of their faith, known as Haaj. And as I passed many people, stopping to pray on the sides of the road, I was thankful to know that God heard me as I kept driving, singing his praises, and worshipping him in spirit and in truth. I don't need a mosque. I am the temple. Today, I took my "Haaj," my journey to build closeness with God...and because he first came to me, I don't need to travel too far. Maybe tomorrow, i'll do Haaj from bed.

Catching up...

Well, I think it's funny how though we are continents apart, we seem to have the same great ideas...I was thinking today how it's been forever since we've posted anything, so i went out to buy another memory card reader (since mine broke) and post some of these pics i've had on my camera for a while...well, Mallori evidently beat me to it. First, I'll talk about our trip to the Al Ain Zoo, which was not too impressive being used to the amazing Columbus Zoo, home of Jack Hannah. The animals looked starved, the local kids were throwing trash to them (probably hoping to fatten them up) and overall, it wasn't a very eye appealing place...the snack bar and gift shop were kept up better. I think the female lion in the picture is actually dead...Next, we drove up Jebel Hafeet, the highest point in UAE, bordering Al Ain and Oman. It rises over 1000 meters, and at a pretty high slope. Our little Yaris did an excellent job making it to the top, though near the peak Mal begged me to turn back, as we did not know what was on the other side. It was adventurous either way. After an amazing new year, as documented by Mallori's recent post, we drove up to Dubai again for the opening of the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. I can only imagine how crazy New York must have been in the 30's when the Empire state building opened, but I doubt they would have charged 60 dollars to go the top (per person). I don't think they charge that today! We decided to avoid the crowds and save our money for another time...though I hear the price has gone up since:( It was nice though spending our time together just walking around a huge mall, before my lovely wife would leave the country for the next couple of months. Since then, we've been managing, though I am noticing how the little things are big when you miss them, like kisses goodbye, or arguing over who holds the remote (though Mal usually wins), or simply a warm hug as I arrive home from work...these things keep me going...however, We are going to push through this time apart, knowing that our love has taken us over mountains, and it will definately lead us through these valleys. God is our strength, and with him, nothing is impossible. So, enjoy the photos, and keep us both in your prayers.

D

First Entry for 2010

Officially 12:00am - 01/01/10!!!

They gave us these props, we didn't bring them - honest;)

New Years Eve

New Years Eve - Crowne Plaza Hotel Yas Island

Christmas Eve - just in the car

Christmas Day @ Rotana Beach Hotel

Christmas Day - Mallori, with our mini christmas tree

Christmas Day - David with our mini christmas tree

Christmas Eve @ One2One Hotel

Merry Christmas/ Happy New Year!

Our apologies, we haven't been as faithful as we planned with our blog, me - Mallori, being the worse! BUT, this is a new year, new beginnings and a chance to really start again.

So, updates:

I'm in Minnesota, my sister gave birth to her 3rd baby, a boy - Josiah. He was born last week on the 6th. I flew here on the 8th (it was planned;) and it's been interesting. I'm enjoying my time with my nieces and my nephew, however I miss David like crazy!

David is still in Abu Dhabi, working of course! However, it seems that he has been getting out of school early this week, and possibly for the rest of the month. Wish I was there to enjoy the extra time off with him. He will be going to Malaysia at the end of the month, so I am sure he'll have blogs with pictures about his time there.

Other than that, everything has been pretty laid back and normal for us!

Above are a few pictures from the past month.

December at the Beach

Here's a picture from the UAE vs. Manchester City football game here in Abu Dhabi...

The weather here is amazing, now that the humidity is gone, and the sun still remains. We've been in the upper 70's, low 80's with a fabulous breeze nearly every day. Mallori and I purchased bicycles and have been riding frequently to get into shape, and we've become fans of the Abu Dhabi Corniche, a paved boardwalk that runs across the island. It's truly a vast difference between here and winters in Ohio, Virgina, or New York, the other places i've experienced. I definately would recommend a visit here to anyone during this time of year.

We decided to spend my entire Eid vacation here in the UAE, and it was a terrific break from my students and the stress of teaching. Although we had hopes of traveling, we were able to experience Dubai and Al Ain, other cities within a couple hours of Abu Dhabi. We drove up a 1000 meter mountain near Al Ain, towards Oman's border, and it was possibly the steepest hill i've driven up. My little Yaris did a good job getting up that climb. We didn't go quite to the top, as Mal wanted to turn back, wanting to wait until we had a larger or safer vehicle...the yaris is making some weird noises...Either way, it was beautiful.

We spent Dec. 2nd, UAE's National Day in the city at the Corniche, to find quite a show of immaturity as well as flare when it comes to pride of culture. It is a young country, so much hooplah and display is presented to show the 80 percent of the population who are not native that the locals are still proud of who they are. People decorate their cars with anything from stickers or magnets to teddy bears and screen printed 'skins' that cover entire cars with UAE colors and photos. The sheik's photo and that of his late father is posted everywhere, from signs in the city to tatoos on kids faces. People are screaming, honking horns, spraying silly string, and dancing around as if tomorrow won't come, all in celebration of their country's birth 38 years ago. I guess the excitement demonstrated shows pride, however the lack of seatbelts and immaturity of the young people towards each other doesn't show that they care too much about themselves or others. Children were standing through sunroofs, sitting on hoods, jumping in and out of moving cars, sitting in front of the steering wheel, and parents just sit back and enjoy the dilinquents that they are creating, the same misfits I have to teach each day. It reminds me quite of bit of the Puerto Rican Day parade in NYC, except the police in NYC don't turn their heads as they do here. It was many accidents waiting to happen, and we didn't want to wait around to see. We caught a smaller show of fireworks on the way out of town, as well as avoided hours of traffic by leaving early. We're still trying to develop our understanding of what it meants to be Emirati, but that day was probably not a good impression to go by.