Twas the night before school......(amended)

When I last left you, I was preparing for my first official day on day. I could not ever remember being that nervous before! The day had finally arrived that I had spent the last 6 months preparing for. Yes, the malls, the travel, the so-called "high life" is great, but at the end of the day, the reason that I, and many others came, was to work. For the purpose of this blog, I cannot go into a great deal of detail about work, but I will give you a general overview.

On last Sunday, I met my principal. He was/is a striking figure wearing a crisp white Kandora. As a side note, I have yet to see one that was not pressed flawlessly without a hint of a wrinkle! I presented him with a gift, which was a box of chocolates. Depending on whom you ask, this is an un-written rule. While some have said that this is not required, I decided to err on the side of caution. We spoke briefly and he asked me about my experience in the states. He is quite fluent in English. His office is BEAUTIFUL; A huge desk, majestic curtains, and big comfy leather chairs and couches. Not a bad place to spend a few hours a day. The first day was filled with me trying to meet and learn all the names of the teachers and staff. I am in a School Cycle 1 (1-5) school. We are fortunate to have both male and women on staff.  EVERYONE was incredibly nice. All of the women wear an Abaya and some wear the more traditional covering where they reveal their eyes only. Imagine the task of trying to learn the names of individuals and the only thing you can see are their eyes.   Needless to say, the first day flew by.

The next day was filled with meetings. If you have never been in a meeting that lasted an hour where it is entirely in a foreign language, in this case Arabic, then you have not lived. Every now and then, someone will stop and translate for you a summary of the discussion, but it is quite an interesting experience. People are also very passionate during these meetings. I refuse to allow this experience and opportunity to simply pass me by so I am trying to learn and build my capacity as much as I can. Not only and I trying to learn the language, but this experience also has me often reflecting and thinking about all the ESL / ELL children in America without a hint of our language who have to learn both the language and the content. WOW !!! AND ... the teachers who have to support them. I also think about the struggling learners who sit in classes, understanding the language, but completely lost in the content due to instructional gaps and / or poor instruction. My heart goes out to them and I have a deeper appreciation of their struggles.

During the week, I had the awesome opportunity to sit and dialogue with an elder. I came into work one day and the principal, who was sitting on the couch in the lobby, summoned me to come and sit next to him. I am still a bit afraid of him, although he is a really nice man. He introduced me to the elder gentleman. Shortly after, my principal left us alone. The elder gentleman asked me how long I had been in the Abu Dhabi and then asked if I knew their culture. I was a bit taken back because I could not recognize his tone or intentions. I responded that I knew a little, but that I was learning something new everyday. The elder gentleman, who turned out to be extremely NICE, spent the next hour talking to me about the language, culture, and education. It was a powerful experience. He was so welcoming. If I could give any advice to those who are thinking about this opportunity or are coming in the near future, it would be to learn some of the language, a few phrases ... .it goes a long way!!! Before the principal left us two, the elder asked me if I was married. I told him yes and that drew quite a bit of laughter. I will not divulge the contents of our conversation, but what I realized is that men are men and there is a universal language no matter where you are in the world! LOL

SCHOOL PERKS!

Much to my amazement, our schools and from what I hear all others, have "butlers or maids". I respectfully refer to them as this. Their job is to make sure that you have as much coffee and tea as you can drink. I am not a coffee drinker but the gentleman at my school makes a great cup of Java! I have tried Arabic tea ... .not my favorite. When I asked could I put sugar in it, I was laughed at. I guess I will have to stick to coffee. The other perk is that one teacher comes to my office with an incent burning each day. She told me it was like cologne. I guess mine was not good Enough. I place the burning incent close to my chest to allow the smoke and scent to "get into" my clothes. It actually smells quite good!

GETTING MY TIGER WOODS ON!

No, I have not played a round of golf but I have learned that many of the EMT's who are from Ireland play and have invited me to play with them when the weather cools a bit. Yes, it is HOT! However, my building is kept extremely cold due to the women wearing many layers of clothing. The women wear Abayas but will often have another outfit on under it. But I digress ....... I am committed to learning the names of the staff. Some of the challenges thus far are:

1. Unfamiliar names

2. Many staff have the same first name so you have to call them by both their first and last Name. It is common to have 3 or 4 Mohammads (spelled differently but pronounced the same) or several Fatimas ... .OMG

3. I can only see the eyes of some of the womem and you are not to stare od look at them for long periods of time. It is quite hard to learn their names when I can not see or look at them ... but I am getting better

So a funny thing happened unintentionally. One day I was on a hot streak! A few men and women had gathered in the entry way and I began to try and call them by name. Every time I got one right, I would do the Tiger Woods fist pump! Well ... .now they ask me each day what their names are and when I get it right, they want me to do the fist pump! They find it funny and I think it is quite humorous myself. The ladies also like to challenge me, especially the ones with the full head covering. I never get their names right. I almost hate to guess now because I do not want it to be seen as disrespectful that I know some of the names, but not all of the names.

BRING YOUR BEST SELF

I can assure you that at some point something will not go the way you want it to go. You have to know this coming in and be able to deal with it. You have to remain patient, yet firm. I had a major issue this week dealing with housing. I am not going to bore you with the details, but the day to move into my new apartment (later post) and the day to move out of the hotel did not coincide. It created a huge issue but I went and TALKED to the appropriate people and even though it was stressful and frustrating, IT ALL WORKED OUT. I have heard and have witnessed people "losing it." When they tell you this might happen, or you might be placed here or there ... believe them. Do not act crazy because what they said would happen ... HAPPENED. Do not get so hung up on where your friends are going and what they are doing. This will cause you great distress. You "betta" find your own happiness no matter where they place you or where you go. If not, they will GLADLY place you on the next flight back home!

YAS VICEROY HOTEL

I was invited to dinner at the Viceroy Hotel. I had heard about this hotel, but still did not know a great deal. As I am on a “budget”, I decided to look at the menu before hand. I noticed that they had a dinner buffet and for some reason I thought this had been mentioned during the invitation. 200 AED was the price!!! 200 hundred anything in any language is a lot! Fortunately, the invitation came via a groupon so my group and I only had to leave a tip. But it would have been well worth the price. Now the Fairmont Hotel where I currently reside could be considered a 5 star hotel. The Viceroy however is in a league of its on. The picture above is the actual hotel and the lighting changes every few seconds. The dinner buffet included lamb, different types of fish, cheeses, ox tails (yeah, I said it), salads, fruits, and deserts. The food, atmosphere, and company were amazing! I definitely urge anyone to try it and I will definitely be going back…even if I have to pay 200 aedsJ

FEW TIPS

ALL: Watch Out For Your Taxi Driver !!!! Taxi drivers hear make as little or as much or a third from their fares. I have been told that they are expected to accumulate at least $ 450.00 dirhams a day in fares. Many / most if them are supporting families back home so they tend to drive LONG shifts often forsaking sleep. Today my taxi driver was nodding off and I began to talk to him about his family. He admitted that he was tired. No one loves to take a quick power nap more than me in the taxis, but before you do, check to see how alert your taxi driver is.

Future admin: SAVE YOUR MONEY! There are so many hidden cost that you do not find out about from realtor fees, security deposits, gas / water / electricity deposits and such. Basically, you need to expect that your entire furniture allowance will be used up before you buy a stitch of furniture. The ironic part is that many of us spent that last few months selling everything we had and now we have to buy it all again!

Future admin: Yes, Abu Dhabi and other regions are nice. I encourage anyone to take in the sites. HOWEVER, your first priority should be to find housing! When ADEC gives you your ERP number and your furniture check, you are one the clock and they "is not" playing. Do not think that you can live it up in this 5 star hotel for a month and some Sundays. They will kick your butt out OR gladly pass the bill along to you! A great realtor is Thomas Williams with Better Homes. He is from the UK and knows Abu Dhabi well. He can only assist if you are placed in Abu Dhabi. His contact information is Thomas.williams@bhomes.com. Again, Find Your Housing FIRST !!!  

INTERESTING SITE

While walking in the mall today, I came upon this.

These are bathing suits that would be worn by Arabic women. They are essentially a onsie bathing suit covering them from head to toe.

Well, the first day of school is tomorrow for the kids and I have heard that it can be quite an experience. I am going to got to bed so that I can be ready for them. And the countdown has officially begun:

The Time Has Come.......

This summer has been hectic between moving from Georgia to Alabama, helping my little sister plan the wedding of her dreams, and also packing to move our lives to Abu Dhabi. Not to mention, all of this has to be completed with a 6 month old baby. 

My sister's wedding date was the reason Madisyn and I could not take the journey with Marshall when he traveled to Abu Dhabi. Now I can take a deep breath, now that the wedding is over. The affair was simply beautiful and I am fortunate I was able to stand by my little sister's side as she began a new chapter in her life. As you can see from the photo Maddy had a ball!

Moving forward I can place 100% of my efforts into preparing for our journey to Abu Dhabi. Our official leave date is September 10th.  I've began the packing process, but its proven to be slight challenging. Since we are flying Etihad Airways they charge a $100 fee for a lap infant, which works out perfectly because they give her 1 piece of luggage, thus we do not have to pay $175 for an additional piece. Fitting my life into 2-3 duffel bags is not going to be easy, but I am learning to part with the old. I still have clothes from college, so I admit I have some hoarder like tendencies. 

Another challenge is accepting my post-baby body. I have avoided purchasing clothes because I thought losing the baby weight would come easy, lies..lies..lies...!  Mobile is known for amazing seafood and home cooked meals that interferes with my diet. Therefore, I am having to purchase new clothing essentials like jeans, tops, and tees. I've decided to be happy with my new body and to be fabulous while I continue to lose the weight.  Due to the culture in the UAE, I have found many cute and conservative items at Old Navy, Gap, and Ann Taylor Loft.

My husband has been wonderful in supporting our family during this transition. Since I am not there, he had to find our new home and purchase furniture. He has successfully executed all tasks all while  allowing me to be a part of the decision-making process. Since there is a 9-hour time difference I am awaken with 4am text messages or phone calls with him sending me videos and pictures to ask my opinion on things. The Hunt's clan is all about Team Work....Making the Dream Work!

I anticipate the day to see my hubby!  The countdown begins to September 10th!

First Impressions......a week into a lifetime

So today officially marks my first full week here in Abu Dhabi and it has flown by! I have seen many blogs that start and stop and I see why. It is hard to stop and find the time  to fully explain(write) everything but I want to stay committed to this to 1) document my experiences 2) to help others navigate the waters and 3) encourage someone to follow their dreams when folk around them are calling them crazy! There are SO many topics that I want to discuss so let me preface this post by saying two things....it will be long and these are "MY" experiences, thoughts, and perspectives.

The Goodbyes

A picture is worth a 1000 words....Missing my Maddy Poo!

Sherrica and Maddy

My mom and Maddy

The Plane Ride

Whew!!! 13 hours in a tight space. But all I can say is that Etihad Airways is the truth. From the goodie bags with headphones (they collect them before landing), to the food, to the free alcohol, to the customer service, they were absolutely wonderful. For me this was my first up close exposure and realization that I was heading to a new land. It was interesting to see all the different cultures on the plane and to also see those  of the Islamic faith get up every so often with their prayer rugs to go and pray. A lot could be learned from them and one of the things that I hope strengthens my family is their faithfulness to their religion. Being here a week, I have begun to understand that their faith is not something that they do (like some of us on Sunday:), but who they are. It is the foundation for EVERYTHING in this society and it is beautiful to watch in amazement. 

We were met like movie stars right of the jet way with our names on an ipad and whisked through customs. We had our vision checked and bags retrieved in record time. Not sure how they do it, and if you have ever flown into Atlanta's airport you certainly know what I mean, but by the time we made it to baggage claim, our bags were arriving. 

ADVICE: You will here conflicting things on FB but get your Sim card at the airport!!!! You will not have your passport beyond this point and it is darn near impossible to get a sim card anywhere else without your ACTUAL passport. NO, they do not accept copies of passports. Yes, ADEC "may" give you one but it comes with restrictions such as no data and it only has about 10 minutes on it. You need a local number and it helps to already have that secured ASAP! Myself and another AVP were the only 2 of about 30 or so AVPs and teachers to get it at the airport and each one will tell you that they probably wished they had!

ADVICE: Exchange some money at the airport! It is quick, painless, and the exchange rate is really good. It also makes you feel really rich walking around with 500 dollar (dirham) bills #bigballer

Emirati Appearance, People, and Culture

From the airline attendants, to the hotel clerks, to the normal citizenry, their is a pride in how they present themselves. No doo rags, no sagging pants, no hair bonnets, no pajamas in public.....This culture is a very prideful culture and they make it a point to not do anything or allow anyone to do anything that would bring shame to them in any way. Another aspect of their culture is that is strikingly opposite to my American culture are the use of cellphones. Yes, everybody has them but when they are with their family, you rarely see them....EVER. I have yet to see anyone on their cellphone while in a family setting and family is hugely important here. Again, another aspect of this culture that I hope to learn a great deal from. 

One of my favorite activities thus far has been to talk with the service staff. THEY ARE AMAZING and ALL have wonderful stories. I have met a young man who was a teacher in Uganda. Another who recently graduated from a University. He and I spoke for nearly an hour one night as he was curious as to why cops were killing black people. Yes, THE WORLD IS WATCHING US! He told me that because of his University major this epidemic was really interesting to him. He made sure to speak quietly as he did not want anyone to hear our subject matter. He told me that America needed more Marcus Garvey's to stand up and say enough! I make it a point to visit with my favorites everyday at some point. It seems the list keeps growing because each day they introduce me to someone else. We laugh at the fact that our dreams are opposite. They dream to come to America and my dream was to leave America and live abroad. They all are supporting families back home and it is quite normal to see them working in one position in the morning and then another at night. Steve Harvey says that the Dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately. They give a whole new meaning to the word hustle and grind and whether they know it or not, they inspire me. I admire them for trying to carry the weight of their entire families. Many have left children and wives to come here and make roughly 500-800 US dollars a month and they send most of that back home. So to my new friends...I salute each of you and your courage, will, and hustle!

Hotel Life

View from my hotel room

I mean, who could get tired of a 5 star hotel, with daily cleanings, free breakfast, huge pool, with a private beach! If you are waiting on a however or but......it ain't coming!! I have no complaints about the accommodations and I am truly grateful. If ADEC had placed us in a Holiday Inn, no one would have complained, but they didn't! Everything has been amazing and the staff go to no ends to make you feel welcomed and secure. 

Education..."Without a Vision, People will Perish"

Abu Dhabi and the Royal Family values education and are serious about strengthening their society through education. There is a joke the locals tell...My grandfather rode a camel, my father drove a Mercedes, my son will drive a Maserati, my grandson will drive a Lamborghini, but my great grandson will ride a camel. They understand that eventually a society that was built on oil will have to transition and education is the means that will allow this transition. Yes, it will be hard work but you have to remember...The US educational system is over 100 years old. They just started practically 10 years ago and already have made huge leaps. They have researched the best systems and practices in the world from Finland to the U.K. and have/are creating a system/curriculum that will leap frog them into the future. Beginning this year, every 10th and 11th grader will be exposed to a S.T.E.M. curriculum with expansion coming each year after that. 

Malls

I am not going to waste my time typing this or your time reading it talking about shopping. Let me say this, there are malls everywhere. There are upscale malls, decent malls (like the ones back home, and not so good malls. You will have to venture out and find the 1, 2, or 3 that fit your need and budget.

Security

I am sure that many of you have family members who were concerned about your safety. Never take anything for granted, but let me say that everywhere you go, there is security. This country goes to great lengths to make sure that everyone is safe. Crime and violence is something that brings shame to them and they are swift in punishing those who commit crime. For instance, the American teacher who was killed in December 2014. Her murderer was captured, tried, and executed July 2015. SWIFT! Other than getting to know the cultural norms and behaviors in public, I always feel extremely safe and comfortable.

Housing and Placement

This subject is what brings out the U.G.L.Y. in people. Both show who was truly prepared for this experience and who was "hoping" that everything would work in their favor. It shows who can roll with the punches and who still has yet to realize that they are not in Kansas anymore. As I type this, there have been some who have been sent home for an inability to accept that which was always an option. 

Now, there are two types or placements/housing when it comes to administrators and teachers. As administrators, we know months ahead of time, which region we will be placed. The only aspect of our assignment that we do not know is our school and what type of school it will be; elementary (cycle 1) middle (cycle 2) or high (cycle 3) or a combination. We also know that our region can and/or school can change at a moments notice (I was originally placed in Al Ain and then reassigned to Abu Dhabi). We (admin aka AVPs) have the responsibility of finding our own housing based on the budget prescribed by ADEC according to the region and our marital status. For example in Abu Dhabi our housing allowance is 210K (dirhams) if we are married compared to 131K dirhams for single. In Al Ain, the housing allowance for married is 112k (dirhams) and 67k for single. If AVPs are places out west in Al Gharbia then our housing is chosen for us as there is not as much housing to choose from. Regardless of where we are placed, we are given 20k (dirhams) or about $5,500 usd to purchase furniture. Unlike in the states, most places do not have appliances or furniture. The downside to this is that unlike teachers, who are placed in housing (I will get to this), AVPs must pay realtor fees (5%) and security deposits (5%), which come from the furniture allowance. If you are a quick study in math, you will realize that much, if not all of your furniture allowance is gone after those "hidden costs" so any appliances and furniture must come out of your own pocket...SAVE YOUR MONEY AVPs!!!

Teachers...Teachers...Teachers...GET YOUR MIND RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET HERE! Teachers enter into this new opportunity completely, or mostly blind. They know their salary and they know that there housing will be taken care of, but they don't know their region or school. The school placement is not that big of a deal, unless a teacher has taught high school and has now been given a kindergarten class.....Hey, it happens but not so much as they really try to match the skill sets that you bring so that their students are successful. The PLACEMENT is the BIG ISSUE. Even though teachers are told from the outset that they could go to any region, many come with their mind set on one or two places....and let's be honest, very few want to go out west (Al Gharbia) where it is thought to be rural and desolate. Let me say this....there are many teachers that have gone out west and love it! However, some teachers come wanting the "bright lights" of Abu Dhabi and when they don't get it...how should I say this.....ACT A COMPLETE DAMN FOOL! As if they knew this wasn't a possibility. I think you do yourself a huge disservice if you come close-minded. Some might say, it is easy for me to speak since I am in Abu Dhabi but let me say that when I was TOLD that I was going to Al Ain, I was preparing to go and make the most of it! Sherrica and I both wanted Abu Dhabi because it gave her the greatest opportunity to work, but had it not occurred, we were prepared to move on with plan B. 

You have to prepare yourself mentally for anything and anywhere. If you wanted ABSOLUTE control, then you have to stay in the US where you can control the school you work in and the neighborhood you live. You give ALL that up when you sign up for this opportunity. Understand that. Yes, there are times that you can dispute housing arrangements due to certain things, as some teachers have successfully changed housing, but placement for the most part is an absolute and without a HUGE reason to change, you are where they place you.

Let me repeat. TEACHERS GIVE UP ALL CONTROL OVER YOUR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AND PLACEMENT WHEN YOU GET ON THAT PLANE!!!

Family

I know that they encourage you to leave your family at home until you get settled but I would have to disagree. If you have the opportunity, BRING THEM. I could not due to a family event that is occurring at the end of the month, but I wish they were here with me. The hotel is wonderful and there is plenty to do to keep from getting cabin fever. And as many have stated before, your spouse can do some of the leg work or be there for deliveries when you cannot. This is a wonderful experience so you might has well enjoy the ups, downs, and bewilderment of it all together!

New Haircut

The jury is still out but right now officially the vote is as follows:

• My mom hates it
• My wife is on the fence
• I like it....

If you are keeping total that is one Hell No, one Hell Yeah, and one I'm not so sure, which maybe code for Hell No, but I don't want to hurt your feeling honey! LOL

Until next time....Shukran (Thank you) for reading and Inshallah (if Allah (God) wills it)

And so it begins……..

Let me give a disclaimer that this will be a long post as there are a few topics that I want to cover. I will break them into sections just in case one section appeals more to you than another.

The WAIT……

Now for those that will read this post who have already been through it, those that are going through it now, and those that will HAVE to go through it in the future…..it is simple dreadful. I am not going to sugar coat it! You will go crazy some days. For me the wait was not bad during the months of June and “most of July due to me having my boys and doing a lot of vacationing with them. We (admin) were told to be ready mid to late July so the “waiting” for me was not a real thing because I was not expecting to leave before the end of July. Well……a funny thing happened. Teachers, that’s right….teachers began to get their notices to leave August 6^th and 7^th. Now, I would be lying if I told you a bit of my “admin” ego didn’t kick inJ I thought to myself, surely, admin would go before teachers. Nonetheless, this started the “waiting” for me. AND THEN IT HAPPENED! Other admin began to receive notification about leaving on July 29^th and 30^th, just as our recruiters had told us. But I never received that elusive GOLDEN e-ticket.

One of the aspects of waiting that drives you absolutely mad is that there is no rhyme or reason as to why some people leave before others. Furthering infuriating your mental state is when some people post on Facebook how excited they are to be leaving even though they just submitted paperwork 6 weeks ago and yours has been in for 4 months.  WHAT THE HELL!!! There is a biblical lesson in learning to rejoice and celebrate others while waiting on your blessing….BUT IT’S HARD!!!!

Now, believe it or not, and others can chime in with an AMEN here who have gone through this, the waiting doesn’t begin until others have gone. When they start posting pictures of their travels, excursions, housing (if I see one more picture of someones bidet toilet I am going to screamJ), and etc., you die a thousand deaths with each new posting and you can’t help but to click on the photos. I don’t want anyone to get this emotion confused with “hate” or “shade”. It’s just that you are thinking you want the same experience! I CANNOT stress enough how tough this period of time is. Those in group 1 will talk about the wait, but those in the groups that come after them, have lived “the wait”. I tried to hide my daily disappointment from others, while believing that GOD had a plan and my leaving would be through and by his will and not mine, BUT STILL! A brother was hurting when those daily and constant emails checks went unanswered. And the sad part is, I could tell you to spend time with your family, or go do something that you have never done, but the truth is, your mind will always be wondering/wanting “that email.”

Yet another aspect of “the wait” and the one that I think plays the most havoc in your mind is that it will make you question your decision. As money gets “thinner” and time seemingly gets longer, you start to ask yourself did I make the right decision. In my case, Atlanta Public Schools salary for principals was nothing to sneeze at. With three kids, I began to question (quietly) had I made the right decision. Even though my reasons were strong and good for wanting this new opportunity, I wrestled and contemplated about what I had done by leaving a job that I enjoyed seeking something that I might LOVE. It’s hard to stand still when the winds of “the wait” are blowing and it’s even harder to stay steadfast in your decision without thinking, “What in the world was I thinking!”

Even though it was hard and admittedly my faith wavered at times, I prayed about it and I believed in it. I had a great support system in my wife and others who had already gone over that would check on me and give me words of encouragement. All I can offer is my hope that EVERYONE going forward will not have to “live the wait” for long.

For me, “the wait” ended at a designed and ordained moment.  A good friend of mine who is also an admin, called me earlier excited about receiving her ticket. I was genuinely happy for her, but a bit nervous that I had not received “my” email.  Again, “the wait” is HELL when you know others are leaving or have gone. I decided to log onto Facebook to see what was floating in the atmosphere. Another friend of mine on Facebook had posted her daily affirmation/devotion. In it, she talked about being unique and how God has not forgotten you. A few days prior, I had told myself that I was going to read more post from people about GOD, especially if I could click on the ratchet fight clipsJ Don’t act like it’s just me….. I hit the “like” button because something about GOD not forgetting about me resonated with me. When I tell you that not 10 minutes later the email came, I was like WOW….nobody BUT GOD! (the two most powerful words in the bible)

Preparing Ourselves For the Blessing…..

You see, many folk who have this opportunity will waste it. Yes, they will travel and live it up, and come back in a number of years broke, busted, and disgusted. Some of you know I AINT LYING! This decision was huge for me because I sacrificed a great deal and I also asked my wife to sacrifice as well. Now I’m not trying to tell other grown folks what to do, but I will ask them to take an opportunity to think about the end game. Maybe this opportunity is about traveling the world and making memories and then going back to the “rat race” at some point. My only advice would be to take a little money back to the “rat race!”

If I knew then what I know now…I would be more than halfway to being a millionaire. I look at some of the folk fortunate enough to have this opportunity and I am envious of their age. Oh to be 25 with this opportunity and the knowledge that I have now. I WOULD BE DANGEROUS. But since I’m not 25, I have to be much more savvy and intentional with my finances. Have you ever seen people who should be enjoying retirement working. I’m not talking about the ones that love being active so they work. I’m talking about the ones that HAVE TO WORK. If you take nothing else from this blog, please meet with someone about your financial future so that when you are done chasing “kids”, you can enjoy the rest of your years.

There is a fallacy that since I make more then I am going to have more to save. WRONG!!!! If you couldn’t save a quarter in the states, then you won’t be able to save a dollar in the UAE. The trappings are too real. The palaces, the malls, the travel, the cars. They are all much more easily assessable now and the temptation to act as if you were born of such means is luring and easily exploitable. Where else in the world could you walk into a bank and walk out with a loan 3-5 times what you make by simply providing a letter that states how much your earn yearly.  No credit check. No background check. No nothing! Certainly not in the US! This is the true meaning of a no hassle loan!

As sure as I am typing this, there will be one or more that fall prey and find themselves in trouble.  What’s the worse that can happen in the US, bill collectors call and you have the option of dodging them or telling them to go tale a flying leap. NOT IN THE U.A.E! In the UAE, you will go to jail, have your passport denied, and be stuck until you can pay off your debts that incur interest at rates sometimes quicker than you can pay.

Prepare yourself for this blessing. Do not waste a huge opportunity by just “balling out”. Enjoy the UAE….travel….but at the end of the day, please have something (monetarily) to show for it. AND monetarily may mean that you paid off the debts you brought from home. Just be smart and wise and understand that “everything” that might be at your disposal, still may not be meant for your “disposal!”