Dubai Shopping Festival

I went to Dubai with Susan and Christine (Susan's co-worker and someone who was in group 1 at the beginning so she was at the InterCon with me when I arrived) today and had a very successful trip!  We left at 9:00 am and spent the entire day at the Dubai Mall.  That mall is huge!  I know we didn't see everything that is there.  When we got there at a little after 10:00 the mall wasn't crowded at all.  But, when we left at 7:00 the mall was packed.

The Dubai Mall has a Bath and Body Works, so I stocked up!  I bought a ton of lotion, soap, hand sanitizer, and body wash!  I think I have enough now to last me until I leave in the summer. 

I got 2 pair of Birkenstock sandals for 400dhs ($109)!  I was so surprised to be able to find shoes.  I wear a size 43 and no one, I mean no one, has that size in this counrty.  But, I had heard that Birkenstocks run big and I only needed a size 41.  I would have bought more, but they didn't have many to choose from in that size. 

I got a new purse!  I love it!!  It's a little big and a lot more than I have ever spent on a purse, but I love it!  It was only 185dhs ($50), and the wallet was only 57dhs ($15), so that's really not that much for a purse and wallet, but as I said it's a lot more than I have ever spent.

Inside the Mall is a grocery store that reminded me a lot of Whole Foods.  There is a Pork Store in the grocery store!!  I got some real pork chops.  I was going to buy bacon, but I didn't.  I couldn't find sausage, which was upsetting because I really, really, really want sausage.  But, I can't wait to eat my pork chops!!

There is also a Hershey Store in the Mall and I found Reeses Peanut Butter Cups!!  Those are my favorites and they don't sell them here.  I was super excited and bought a bag!  Not like I need them, but I love them!

We sat outside at a nice little cafe for lunch and got to see the Dubai Fountain!  We had no idea that there were shows during the day, we thought they were only at night.  Evidently there are shows every 1/2 hour!  Well, not really shows because it is only one song.  But it was amazing anyway!  Surprising, but wonderful to see.  We even got to see more than one.  At night there are lights, but we weren't there for that.  Maybe the show at night is more than just one song, or maybe not.  Anyway the Dubai Fountain is pretty neat!

On a totally different note, if I don't keep practicing Arabic I'm going to lose it.  I discovered that I had mistaken one of the letters when I was reading a sign today.  I thought it was a /d/ when it was really a /a'a/ (the crazy letter in Al-Ain).  I know, kind of a minor mistake, but I know my letters and I was really reading the sign wrong for a while even though the English transliteration was right there.  Although I am sort of speaking it at school, I'm not writing or reading anymore.  So, even after only a week of no classes I can already see me forgetting.  I am just going to have make sure that I spend a little time every day doing some writing and reading, until the class starts in March (hopefully I'll be able to sign up for it).

So, after a long and successful day of shopping I'm pretty tired.  I better get some rest because tomorrow I'll have to work all day:(