Momma We Made It!

On September 10th, Madisyn and I began our journal to Abu Dhabi to join the hubby. Initially my anxieties about making the trip were traveling alone with a 7-month-old baby diva and packing our lives into 4 duffle bags. However, all in all everything worked our perfectly and was well worth the hassle because, now it feels like Madisyn and I are living on a luxurious resort overlooking a beautiful skyline every single day. 

I am going to walk you through my process of this magical journey with Miss Madisyn Renee. My mom, aunt and a family friend drove us to New Orleans to see us off early that morning. I knew my emotions would eventually get the best of me, I just didn’t know when. It wasn’t until I approached the ticket counter for our boarding passes that I looked at my mom and just started to cry. At that moment all the preparations became a reality. 

The check-in process was smooth, however they asked me a bunch of questions in regards to obtaining a VISA. Even after I told them my husband is working there and his company is sponsoring us, they still continued to interrogate me.  But after that  process we were all set to go.   

I was excited to learn I would have get my stroller back in NYC (after being told I would get in Abu Dhabi) and thank God, because I needed it. The flight from New Orleans to New York City was great, no complaints. Upon arriving in NYC, I received my stroller and Madisyn and I were off to catch our next flight. My husband warned me that it would be a slight hassle getting to the international side of the airport. I should listen to him more often, because it felt like we walked a solid 2 miles to the international security checkpoint. Once there we only had 30min before the flight began to board. The line was long, Madisyn was going into Maddy Meltdown Mode, and I was starving. The line was moving pretty steadily until it was our turn. TSA informed me my stroller had to be inspected by someone else and I had to wait. I waited….waited….and waited until it was 30min before the flight departed. I became impatient and vented my frustration only to be told they were short staffed and to pretty much just wait. Ten minutes later someone finally checked the stroller and I still had a ways to go to my gate. I really began to panic when I heard last call for Abu Dhabi. I was determined to make this flight! Finally…we get to the gate only to be informed we needed another boarding pass and to see the ticket agent. Could anything else slow us down?  As were one of the last ones to be seated on the flight, Madisyn decides she had to use the #2. That meant getting up and passing over someone to take her into the restroom. At this point I used the honor system and left my bags, because the space was extremely tight and I was already hot and bothered. When we settled in I realized my cellular phone did not have a signal, so I couldn’t inform my husband or mother we made the flight. 

Off we go on a 13-hour adventure. I figured Madisyn would sleep a good 7-8 hours on the flight. Man was I wrong. She only slept 2 hours the entire trip. She was up playing, talking and knocking everything over. Initially when a young lady next to me with a son one day older than Madisyn offered to hold her, I was apprehensive. But after 5 hours of non-stop bouncing around in a tight space I took the offer. Her mother traveled with her so she was able to get a break from her son and understood the struggle of traveling with an active infant. This break allowed me to get my laptop and Facebook Marshall and my family to inform them we were okay. 

All in all the flight was wonderful, the food was fulfilling and no turbulence. The flight attendants were superb. One attendant even sat with me to hold Madisyn for about 20 minutes to give me a break.  

After we landed, all I could say was Thank You God!!! We Made It! Upon arrival my husband purchased me a VIP concierge service to transport us through the Passport check-in and to baggage claim. It was easy to get transported around but the individual assigned to me was little lazy. She would not help with my bags, told me I didn’t have time to use the restroom after a 13-hour flight, and stopped to chat with everyone she knew. At baggage claim the first 3 bags and Madisyn’s stroller came pretty fast, but it was too good to be true. We waited for 45min and still no bag. So off to the lost baggage station we go to file a claim. The process was easy and they were very efficient. My bag arrived the next day. 

After it was all said and done walking to the transportation area and seeing my husband made it all worth it. Needless to say Madisyn was knocked out in the cab ride home.

Traveling from the known to the unknown can be frightening, but knowing God promises that he will never leave nor forsake us will always be my guide for anything I approach in  life.

“God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Cor. 1:9 AMP

THE BIG ARRIVAL

The past week has been sort of a blur. I now see how people end up starting blogs and stopping. The days fly by and you just forget either to do it and/or all that has happened. I normally jot things down on my phone as a reminder, but honestly I have been on the move….literally. Last week was my first full week out of the hotel, and other than the free breakfast in the morning, I really didn’t miss it. The week was really about getting ready for Sherrica and Maddy’s arrival.

TIP: If you have visitors, family, and/or friends coming, you can hire a service at the airport to meet them and take them through the different stations such as visa stamping, customs, and the eye screen. It beats them having to wait in line. While Sherrica didn’t think much of it, I think I would rather have the service than not. You can even pre-pay for porter service. For more information, look on line at the Abu Dhabi Airport website and search for Meet & Greet.

Still waiting to get paid seems to be the theme by many here. Some have been here since July. I cannot stress enough to save as much as you can before you get here…especially future ADMIN! ADEC moves at their own speed and today, I found out why from a local. He saw the grey in my beard and asked me why? Before I could answer her told me, “grey, you think to much!” I was a little bewildered and then he explained that thinking/worrying cause grey and early death. He said that there is no reason to be in any hurry (Inshallah). “Life, take time..no rush”. I laughed but you had to be here. He was so cool and calm and he had not a care in the world. There is some truth to this. I met a man that looked like he was 35 (at best) who actually was 53!

KANDORA!!!

So, I finally mustered enough courage to ask my principal about me wearing a kandora. I had asked several other Emiratis about their feelings of westerners wearing them as I had heard conflicting reports. What I found was that, I would be well received if I wore one and that it would mean a great deal to the students, staff, parents, and community. BUT, I still needed to ask my principal. Much to my surprise, he smiled wide and told me YES! YES! YES! One of the office assistants even offered to take me to a local tailor to have one made. I cannot tell you how good they look up close and much to my surprise, you can wear different colors. However, white and cream seem to be the favored colors of most men. I think I will stick to the basics!!!

I GOT MY FIRST NOSE RUB!

"Mr." "Mr." "Mr." was what I heard. The kids and staff often call me this. Rarely do I hear the rest...Marshall. Yes, everyone goes by their first name here (Mr.Marshall). I turned and there was a little kid extending his hand. At first, I thought he was looking for my customary "xploding fist bump", but then he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to his face. Before I realized what was happening, we were rubbing noses. Now, I have seen this done by many Emirati men, but had yet to experience it for myself. While this may seem weird to many, and to me at first, it is a sign of friendship and respect. In the Muslim culture, nose-rubbing has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a unique way of greeting, showing friendship and deep respect. The old custom of rubbing noses is not an Arab invention but the code of indigenous peoples in many parts of the world. The Inuit and the Scandinavians also do it. It varies from rubbing to kissing, but they all require the noses to touch.This custom is linked with pride and dignity. As people who worship God, we tend to bow and prostrate by touching our forehead and nose to the ground as a sign of respect. It also translates into greeting others, especially among Emiratis and people from the region. Like with most kids, if one sees something, others will often copy, so now I find myself rubbing noses and giving "xploding fist bumps" all day!

HOME SWEET HOME

So the Queen and Princess arrived last Friday. For the most part they had a good flight.....only one bag was lost:) Thankfully, the airline delivered it the next day. Sky Tower is where we will call home for at least the next two years! We are still in the process of buying furniture and selecting paint colors. We want to make it really feel like our home and oasis in the middle of this huge oasis:) 

In front of Ferrari World in YAS Mall

Sherrica and Maddy

There is still SO much to do before we are settled. I just received my National ID and now I have to begin the process of sponsoring Sherrica and Maddy. It is a somewhat complicated task with a number of steps and expense along the way. Of course, I will chronicle this journey for you so that hopefully the steps are made simpler for those that follow me. Maybe by the end of October, we will finally be settled and ready for visitors! Who's coming first?

24 Hours to Paradise

Wow I cannot believe the time has finally arrived for Madisyn and I to depart on this excursion. It seems like yesterday we received the news and now everything is slowly turning into a reality. This last week has been a little overwhelming, but for the most part relaxing. I made a list based on recommendations on what I needed to bring outside of clothes and electronics. The list included:

1) Your favorite soap
2) Shampoo and Conditioner (I heard these items are difficult to find)
3) Make-up
4) Facial cleanse products
5) Medication for Marshall and Madisyn (I was informed that although they have traditional medications, it is a lower dosage from what we are accustomed to).

For the most part Maddy and I are packed and ready to rock and roll. Between us two, we have 4 large duffel bags to check-in. For convenience I paid in advance for the additional luggage, which actually saved us $35 (Etihad Airways). My carry-on luggage will only be my baby's backpack and an Ogio Brooklyn Shoulder Bag. Since this will be my first time traveling with my baby, I want to make the journey easy.

Today I visited our local AAA office to purchase travel insurance for our flight. I recommend this service because it covers your flight in the event an emergency occurs, medical expenses, missing or damaged luggage, and if your flight is delayed more then 6 hours they will cover food and lodging expenses. It's actually pretty cheap costing only $46 (amount based on your flight cost and age). 

My husband walked me through the process of downloading Astrill to my MacBook and iPad. It provides privacy protection and allows you to access the Internet without geo-restrictions.https://www.astrill.com/index.php

As the time nears, I am getting emotional about leaving my family. I am such a mother's baby (and proud of it)! I do thank God that I was given the opportunity to spend the entire summer with family and friends, before departing. I know it will be bittersweet when my mom takes us to the airport, but my saving grace is knowing that my family will not hesitate to hop on a flight to visit me. 

Tomorrow, I plan to spend the day relaxing and enjoying my last 24 hours in Alabama.

I can laugh now....

Only because I sit here now on the 42^nd floor of Sky Tower looking at an amazing sunset can I chuckle about it. It’s still too early to give it a full laugh just yet…maybe in a few weeks after the nightmares fully stop. What I am about to describe is probably one of the craziest days that I have had here and one of the more stressful issues I have had to undergo…HOUSING. Now some teachers may read this and think to themselves, I won’t have to go through this, but I assure you that it may not be housing, but you may very well find yourself running around like a chicken with its head cut off at some point about something. I assure you that you are not immune!

My crazy day, which was a Monday actually started on the previous Thursday.  After being denied my first housing preference and having to go back and look at more places, I finally found one that I loved. I finally got the offer letter, which is simply a letter from the landlord outlining the terms of the rental. FYI…you do not want to spend your maximum on housing because there is no law about how much a landlord can raise the rent from year to year. In the past it was capped at 5%. Typically, as you are negotiating you will want to have your landlord agree to not raise the rent for two years. I have some tips that you can use that will possibly get you more items such as appliances and such. However, you will need to email me and we can talk more about some negotiating tactics you can use. I was able to have my landlord buy all of my appliances brand new and I picked them out as well. #PROOF

Anyway, back to the story…So I rush down to “the place” on Thursday afternoon to submit all of my documents. See previous posts about what ALL my documents really mean. I upload them into the ERP system. Oh did I forget to mention that during this process, we were told that we had to be out of the hotel on the following Monday, but our ERP numbers only started to work that Thursday and we were told initially that housing approval could take up to 7 days. Yeah, my other colleagues and I were a little panicked. However, housing and general services got on the same page and gave us extensions…and more extensions….and more extensions. After uploading all of the required documents, I along with a friend (Renee), were told to come back on Sunday and pick up the official contracts……or so we thought.

I arrive Sunday and the person that I was told to meet acted as if he did not remember me from the previous Thursday. He “shooed” me away and told me to wait for another person to assist me. I had no idea who this person was. I was only given a name and pointed in a general direction. After waiting about 30 minutes, I realized whom I was waiting on. Let’s just say, the entire time this person had been causally talking to another person and even though I don’t know Arabic, I could tell it wasn’t all that important. As she stood up with her pocketbook, I became alarmed and rushed over to speak with her. Clearly, she was ready to go. I would tell you what happened over the next 15 minutes if I didn’t think it would raise my blood pressure again, but needless to say, the contract would not be ready on Sunday. I was told to submit another document and to come back the next day. GREAT…NO PROBLEM!!! Or so I thought…….

The next day, my friend Renee who has been one of my ACES so far though this hilarious, yet stressful journey decided that she would go to “the place” the next morning @ 7:00 a.m. and get both of our contracts….or so we thoughtJ I went to work and spent the next few hours texting Renee as she sat and waited for our contracts to be done. At 12:00, I decided to go to “the place” myself and wait because surely the contracts would be ready shortly. After all, Renee had been there since 7. So we waited….and we waited….and waited…and waited…Poor Renee had been there all day long. At about 2:30, we were told that the person needing to sign off on the contracts had gone to a meeting and would not be back. SAY WHAT!!!!! (insert whatever curse word you want here) We clearly were being punked! This was not happening for real….but it really was!!

I decided that the next morning (which was now Tuesday) I would go and wait…it was my turn right??J After about an hour and a half, I finally had the contract! I felt like I had the golden ticket all over again. I left jubilated and went to the school and my realtor, Tom, met me to pick up the contract. A few hours later, I got a call from Tom telling me that the information in the contract was WRONG! REALLY!!!! I jumped back in a taxi and went back to “the place” to make them aware of the situation. After being scolded for not having Tom come, I must have pulled at someone’s heart strings because I was told that there was an apartment in the same building that I wanted (and thought I had a contract on) and that I could move in right away with no deposits or realtor fees. The only thing I had to do was to go and look at it. So off to Reem Island (in a taxi) I went…..the whole time conflicted that I might pull the carpet from under my potential landlord and Tom, both whom I had really come to like. Meanwhile, Renee had come back to “the place”, and begun to work her magic with compliments and candy in getting our contracts fixed. Oh yeah, hers was wrong as wellJ PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUCEMENT: I cannot tell you how important it is to keep your cool when things do not go your way. It’s all about relationships here. If you piss off the person that is the gatekeeper between you and any type of normalcy you are used to, then you will spend a longer amount of time waiting (and I do mean longer) for whatever it is and it maybe something as small as a signature. DO NOT PISS WHERE YOU EAT!!! 

So of course I did not like the apartment as much as the one that I had chosen. It was about 400 square feet smaller. Might not sound like a big deal, but it was. About the time I was realizing that this had been a wasted trip, Renee called me letting me know that she had our contracts and they were all done correctly! However, I needed to come back to “the place” because Tom wanted to get the contracts and have them signed as soon as possible. So off in yet another taxi I went. Are you keeping track? We met at a restaurant and waited, commiserated, laughed, almost cried, and talked about how good GOD had been and how good he was/is even through this ordeal. Tom came and took the contracts and we hopped into a taxi (yet again) and headed back to the hotel. So let me recap my day that day!

1.     Taxi to “the place” (25 aed)

2.     Taxi  to school (25 aed)

3.     Taxi back to “the place” (25 aed)

4.     Taxi to Reem Island (40 aed)

5.     Taxi back to “the place” (40 aed)

6.     Taxi back to the hotel (15 aed/split with Renee)

Like I said, a chicken with my head cut off! And that’s where the fun really begins…..between furniture shopping, appliance shopping, waiting on deliveries, internet, gas, running around getting the AC cut on, electricity, and “chilled water”. That’s right I said “chilled” (In the states you pay for hot water…over here you pay for it to be cold)..the fun is just beginning!

So you say you want to work in Abu Dhabi huh??? Well come on! It is an adventure all to itself…and mind you…I haven’t even given you the real on work yet:) LOL…(in my sinister laugh)

Teachable Moments...

I often think about the things that I wish I had done more of, less of, or completely different when I was a principal. One of the elements of my leadership that I wish I had done more of is to stop and take notice of current events. As a principal of two predominately African American Elementary Schools, particularly in Atlanta, so much happened during the last two years that should have prompted dialogue and critical discussions in all of my classrooms. I think often times; we as administrators and teachers get caught up in the need to ensure kids are learning to read, multiply, and write. However, school should be about teaching the entire child and as so many events that occurred were extremely poignant and pointed at “black folk”. I think I, along with my staff, missed some teachable moments.

This past weekend 45 U.A.E servicemen lost their lives in a bombing in Yemen. As a result, Sheik Zayed pronounced three days of mourning for the country. During this time, no music is played on the radio and the country focuses on the lives of the soldiers. What struck me additionally was that ADEC (Academic Ministry) sent guidelines to the principals that they should spend the first 10 minutes honoring the soldiers. Teachers were then instructed to speak to the children about sacrifice and all that it meant.

Some might not understand the gravity of this, but it speaks to the mindset of the people and how they value life and each other. In the U.S. soldiers are killed everyday and it is so common that it is not even newsworthy anymore. I can’t help but wonder if our lives were interrupted every time a soldier died, if we would think differently about war and conflict. Sunday was both a teachable moment for me, as well as for the students.

Whew!!!! What a week!

LAWD! LAWD! LAWD! Have you ever had one of those days that your literally felt like you were being punked? Well, imagine feeling that way an entire week. I know that in a few weeks I will look back and laugh at this entire process and laugh, but when you are in it, it can be quite stressful. I am so thankful to all the vets who shared the advice of staying calm and patience. It certainly helped this week.

My week began extremely hopeful about finally securing all the necessary paperwork for housing. In this respect, teachers have it so much easier. For admin, we have to be movers and shakers, mixed with negotiators and translators, and that is before any piece of furniture is selected or moved:) In the case of me and my fellow admin, we have to follow these steps:

1. Find a property
2. Get an offer letter from the landlord and submit to ADEC for approval. Just because you may be within your housing allowance, doesn't mean that they will approve it, as was the case with my first selection.
3. After getting ADEC to approve it, you must submit all the required documents to ERP. You can do nothing until you have a working ERP number, again as was the case with me. I had a flat chosen for nearly a week before my ERP number would work. I had to venture to ADEC and with a bit of "niceness", yet firmness, I was able to get the IT department to "make it work". Again, you catch WAY MORE BEES WITH HONEY THAN VINEGAR here. Some of the documents needed are: building plans, your realtors credentials, the landlords ID, their passport, their banking information, proof of ownership, and probably some more that I can't think of at this very moment. ALL of these have to be submitted for you to be approved.
4. After you receive approval, you then have to get a contract from ADEC and have your landlord to sign. Make sure that all the information on the contract is correct before you leave ADEC.
5. Once you have the contract signed, you can them move to getting your utilities turned on....this is where the work really begins:)
6. You go to the building and apply for utilities. There is a 1100 aeds deposit that is due at this time. This document is called a tawqeet (sp). This document is incredibly important because you will also need this to sponsor your family. KEEP YOUR ORIGINAL ALWAYS. The building will then submit the paperwork and notify you the next day (Inshallah) when it is ready.
7. You then take your "tawqeet" to the ADDC (water and electricity). They have several branches. The one I visited is in the basement of Mushriff Mall. Be prepared to pay 1000 aeds for a deposit! Thankfully, they did not ask me, but I know it will be billed. Hopefully, within the next 24-48 hours your services will be turned on. (Inshallah)
8. Etisalat is your cable provider and this process is pretty straight forward. No deposit is required, but they will bill you for your router. I selected internet only has I am addicted to netflix and my apple tv and have found nothing on regular tv that I would want to watch. The monthly bill will be about 350 aeds. It will take anywhere from 2-3 working days for them to set up your internet/cable.
9. If you have natural gas, you will need to call and have the service turned on. When they come, you will have to pay a deposit. I have been told anywhere from 500-800 aeds. I have not turned on my gas so I am unsure of the actual deposit or monthly cost.

FUN FACT: In the US when you go to SEARS or Home Depot or wherever you may purchase your appliances, there is normally one delivery for everything you purchase. Well, in the UAE, when you buy your appliances and they are made by different manufacturers, each brand delivers them separately. So in our case, our landlord (who I will mention in a moment) bought our 4 of our appliances, but by 3 different brands. So, I had to wait on three separate deliveries the other day:) 

PRAISE BREAK: I have the BEST landlord ever. I won't divulge his identity, but he is someone of great influence judging by his job in Dubai. He offered to buy ALL of our appliances and spared no expense. He has called and checked on me throughout this process and I am so grateful to him and his wife. He has gone over and beyond and is extremely particular about wanting my family to feel at home. It was simply by God's grace that I chose a flat that was owned by him. Remember, this was my second choice, but God blocked my first one because he had something better for me!!!!