End of the week

Yeah!  My second full work week in Abu Dhabi is finished!  I found out that my school, Amorriyah Primary School, is only about a 10-15 mintue drive from my apartment in Hili Residential Complex.  I am sooo happy because there are people who have a 50 minute or more drive to their school.  My next task is to try to get a car.  I am thinking of getting a used car or renting/leasing a car.  If I rent a car the price includes insurance, so I have to figure that in if I end up getting a used car.  There is also the advantage of just returning the car when/if I leave in 2 years.  More decisions to make!

I got my bank account!!  I have my bank card, but there's no money in the account right now.  The furniture allowance and salary advance should be there on Sunday. 

I still really don't know when I'll be leaving for Al Ain (really pronounced Al eyen; so many people say it differently but it's really Al eyen).  They have told us that we have the weekend here in Abu Dhabi and we may move on Sunday.  Who knows?  When we move they will put us up in a hotel for 5 days while we get our apartment ready and then it's to the apartment complex.  I am so ready.  I'm ready to get settled and in a routine.

I went abayah shopping tonight.  I know, I can't believe that I'm going to wear one, but I hear it's "required" in the school that I'm going to.  I don't have to wear the sheylah (head covering), just the abayah.  I am having 2 made; and they are very simple.  They are actually quite comfortable and cool because I will be able to wear whatever I want under them since you can't see through them.  Unfortunately I may not be able to wear the beautiful and comfortable skirts that Pam made me to work.  I will still be able to wear them out and to church.  Who knows, the dress code may have changed from last year, or it may change in the middle of the year.  That's what we're there for; to bring change.

I had an interesting time doing laundry.  I took a majority of my clothes to the laundromat where they wash and then bring the clothes back.  That was a neat service!  I only paid 61 dirhams for some capris, tops, and skirts.  I did my underwear in the tub.  Now that was an experience!  I have never done that before and I"m honestly not sure how clean they got.  Hopefully I won't have to do that again!  I can't wait to get in my apartment and getting a washer/dryer combo!  Supposedly the dryers here just wring the water out and that's it.  Most people just hang their clothes to dry and they dry really quickly.

Time for bed!  I get to sleep in tomorrow:)