Challenge

About 2 months before I left the UAE a very dear friend challenged me to make a list of all the things that I am thankful for and that I will miss once I left the UAE.  I accepted her challenge and began reflecting on my time overseas.  In no particular order, this is what I came up with.

What I am thankful for:

1. Making enough money to pay off my student loans and credit card debt.  Without the job at ADEC, no matter how stressful it was, I would not have been able to pay off my student loan debt and now be debt free.  I would still probably be living pay check to pay check.
2. Making enough money to be able to travel.  I have been able to experience many different places and cultures because of the job that God has blessed me with.  I have been to Jordan, Oman, Thailand, Ireland, UK, Australia, Germany, Lebanon, and Turkey.  Despite all of the hardships of working with ADEC and ENS it is only because God has allowed me to work here in the UAE that I have been able to travel.
3. Being able to learn a new culture.  Living in the States I was surrounded by people just like me, and in the UAE I was always surrounded by people who are different than me.  Not just Emiratis, but people from many different countries.   I have been exposed to a multitude of cultures, languages, and people.
4. I can truly get any type of food I want.  I know at times this has been a challenge, but it was a good challenge because I have tried many different foods; foods that I had never heard of.  True, I didn't like them all, but just being able to try them is something that I wouldn't have done in the States.
5. Having a cleaner and taking my laundry in are luxuries that I never would have been able to experience in the States.  True, I didn't need them but it was nice to be able to have someone provide those services.  Again it's because of the jobs that I've been blessed with because without them I wouldn't have been able to afford those luxuries.
6. Redeemer Church of Dubai.  This really goes without saying, but God truly blessed me with a fantastic church family.  One that made me feel welcomed and loved and one that continually and accurately preached the Word of God.  I came to know Jesus there and grew in my love for the Lord.  This is what I am most thankful for and what I'll miss the most.
7. Friends who became my family.  I made my home in Al Ain and God blessed me with wonderful friends both in Al Ain and in Dubai.  I am thankful that I didn't spend my 4 years there lonely and bitter.

What I'll miss:

1. Camels.  Camels in the backs of trucks.  Camels walking along the side of the road.  Camels in the desert.  I'm just going to miss seeing these beautiful animals.  Although I've never seen a real camel race I did enjoy the practice one that I saw 3 years ago.  Even though there are no wild camels in the UAE, I did love seeing them roam the desert as I traveled to Dubai on the weekends.
2. Arabic.  I'm going to miss seeing, hearing, sounding out words, and attempting to speak the language.  Despite the fact that there are many letters that I cannot produce the correct sound for, it's a beautiful language and I'm going to miss being around it constantly.  Maybe I'll just have to throw a few habibis, khallas, and shway shways around when I get home.
3. The desert.  Yes, it's hot and sandy, but it's beautiful.  I love the rolling sand hills and seeing the sand sparkle in the sun.  The changing colors of the sand continues to amaze me, as it goes from reddish brown to yellow depending on where you are in the country.  Beautiful.
4. Being around different cultures all the time.  Everyone here is different.  From different countries, speaking different languages, wearing different clothes... and I love it.  I'm going to miss the different accents and expressions that I've gotten used to hearing.  You may hear me saying that I'm peckish (hungry), taking the lift, or crossing at a zebra (that'd be zebra with a short e instead of a long e) crossing.
5. The grocery store and the huge confusing selection of a wide variety of foods.  I'll miss seeing where my produce comes from.  Sometimes going to the grocery store was overwhelming because they just didn't have what I wanted, but I never really knew what I would find.  Then there's the fact that I could buy a whole fresh fish if I wanted to.  I'm sure I won't miss the smell of that part of LuLu and Carrefour.
6. All the malls.  There are a ton of them and each one is different in its own way.  There's the Dubai Mall with the aquarium, Burj Khalifa, and the dancing fountain.  There's Mall of the Emirates with Ski Dubai.  There's Al Ain Mall with the ice rink, bowling alley, and tons of coffee shops.  There's Bawadi Mall with Marks and Spencer's where I bought all my clothes from.  There's Jimi Mall with the men who stalk women and try to pick them up (first-hand experience).  And there's more on the way.  When I got tired of one mall I knew there were at least 5 others I could choose from.
7. Food.  I will definitely miss foods like hummus, chicken tikka, briyani rice, tabbouleh, zatar croissants, garlic paste, and many other ethnic dishes.  This goes back to being thankful for the opportunity to try new things.  I'll just have to make many trips to Dearborn to get my fill for middle eastern food.
8. Roundabouts.  Scary at first, but I have come to like them and find them quite helpful; that is if the rules are followed and you know how to drive on them.  Maybe where I'm going will end up having a few!
9. The kids.  Despite all my struggles with the students, Emirati kids are just like kids anywhere.  They are fun, intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and most of all they are extremely adept at reading emotions and adjusting accordingly.  They are not afraid to speak their mind and correct you.  They are open and honest and extremely loyal, once you earn their trust.  They will forever hold a special place in my heart.
10. Call to prayer.  I think I'll miss hearing that 5 times a day; it kind of became like an external clock.  It was always there, and something that I tuned out or ignored, but now that I won't hear it I think I may actually miss it. Not the 4:30 am one though!
11. Kandoras, abayas, sheylahs, and burqas.  I'll miss seeing men, women, and children dressed in traditional clothes and being proud of their heritage.  It's funny how the girls long for the day when they will be able to wear an abaya; it's such a huge part of their identity, and the boys will do anything to be able to wear their kandora to school.
12. Having Fridays off.  True, I'll go back to Saturdays and Sundays off, but for 4 years I've had Fridays off and I"ll miss that as a weekend day and making my weekly trip to Dubai for church.  Who knows how long it'll take me to adjust to having to work on Friday and not on Sunday.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
13. Public transportation.  I'd rather drive, but just having it available is something that I will  miss.  I even sort of got used to taking the metro in Dubai.  Now, the buses aren't all that fabulous, but there are taxis everywhere and the metro is fantastic.
14. Tagalog.  Having so many Filipino friends I was constantly surrounded by Tagalog and I will miss hearing it.  Unfortunately, I never learned any of it other than salamat (thank you).

Who I'll miss:

1. My church.  Wonderful encouraging Christians who I love and will miss dearly.
2. Kristie.  My beloved younger sister and one of the first people I met in Dubai.  She may be crazy, but I love her all the same and I will miss her terribly.  We spent just about every weekend together for nearly 3 years, we truly became a part of each other's lives.  She loves life and the Lord and it is a blessing to call her my friend and sister.
3. Vanny.  We met through Kristie and when Kristie left in the summer of 2013 Vanny and I became even closer.  We traveled to Turkey together and enjoyed each other's company.  She has taught me many lessons on how to stand up for myself and not always seek peoples' approval.  She has been a true friend in good and bad times and I am blessed to know her.
4. Jane.  We met through Kristie and I am so thankful that I got to meet her and develop our friendship.  She has such a kind and gently spirit and is always full of joy.  I loved being around her and seeing her constant smile.
5. Dave; the pastor at Redeemer.  I may not have known him personally, but I will miss the gospel centered sermons that always pointed me back to Jesus Christ.  He faithfully preaches the gospel each week and I hope and pray that I can find a church that has a pastor who is not ashamed of the gospel just like Dave.
6. Lucia (aka Bambie).  After Cindy left for Doha, she took me in and opened her home to me.  She became like a mother to me as she shared her life and faith with me.
7. Godly.  I just met him a few months ago and our friendship truly took off.  He is such an encouraging, kind, gently, and accepting man and I am so glad that I got to know him through Redeemer Kids.  He helped me through struggles and laughed with me through many good times.
8. Ronnie.  My brother.  So sweet, kind, loving, encouraging, understanding, and compassionate.  Many times I would seek his advice and prayers as he is such a godly young man.
9. Karen, Jeriel, Cecille, Sheba, Miranda, Glen, Linda, Whimper, and way too many more people to mention, who would always greet me by name and a hug on Friday morning.  True friends and brothers and sisters in Christ who I know I will see again in Heaven.
10. Alexandra.  I worked with her at ENS for 2 years, but only really got to know her this year.  We are both so alike that we clicked immediately.  I enjoyed spending quiet evenings at home just chatting with her, and traveling to Oman to enjoy a luxurious getaway.  Having a friend across the hall made the move at the end of the year a lot more bearable.
11. Fara.  Another wonderful friend who I am grateful to be able to call my sister.  She became such a part of my life and we were there to help each other through the struggle of our first year at ENS.
12. Deborah and Sophia.  I had the pleasure of starting ENS with Deborah and living and across the hall from her for a few months before she moved down the road.  We spent many afternoons and evenings at Al Ain Mall and I got to see Sophia grow from a 14 month old infant to a bubbly 3 year old.  I loved the fact that she called me "her Sara."  Definitely my favorite toddler in Al Ain and I am thankful to Deborah for allowing me to have a part in their lives.
13. Kevin.  Now here's a weird relationship, but we loved it.  Kevin was part of the best grade 4 team ever and we had a very interesting relationship.  There was lots of playful  flirting going on between the 2 of us, despite the fact that he is happily married to Rosalind.  He truly is a great friend; one whom I could really joke around with and he will be missed.
14. Peter, Heidi, Suzanne, Jenn, Maureen, and other members of the staff at ENS who helped me survive 2 years there.

That about wraps it up.  My amazing 4 year adventure in the UAE.  I can't say that I loved every minute of it, but I am thankful for every minute of it!