As promised!

Ah. My first post. :)

After just a week in Abu Dhabi, I feel that loved ones are already missing out on such a big change in my life. I have been meaning to write individually to everyone, but it seems like a daunting (and repetitive) task.

Not surprisingly, I was utterly miserable my first 2 nights here... but I believe I have acclimated myself in quite well now. It helped to have the constant support and encourage from family, especially my mom. My mom, being the sneaky/wise/loving woman she is, soothed my aching heart and nervous breakdowns by telling me to follow through on all the sights I had been dying to see in the UAE and to return home in a week-- that I should take advantage of my free lodging/airplane ticket, and if worse comes to worst, all we would have to do is pay for a a flight home. Simple as that...but of course over a week has gone by, and everyday I am feeling more and more comfortable in this "foreign" land.

I'm feeling obligated to write something intensely insightful as my first post... but, I think I'm just going to bullet point some things to make my life easier. :P

- I get called "Ma'am" and "Madam" at least 20 times a day.
- My patience is constantly getting stretched to new limits following the motto of "it will all work out...in time."
- My face has a constant "glow" to it... due to the oily film created by the insane humidity.
- My camera lens also often falls victim to the humidity.

More to come later.

Love,
Hannah


P.S. Tonight, I went to Chili's (yes, just like the one in the States) to eat dinner with a couple friends. Throughout dinner we feel small drops of water coming from the ceiling and we assume its from the A.C. All of a sudden, my friends, who are sitting across from me are getting showered by water! We scream, and can't help but to laugh as we pull our table away from the spray. Our food has been "contaminated" by this unknown water. We sit...and wait for someone...anyone... to come and address our "problem." No one comes to apologize...or even clean up the mess. All the servers simply continue on with whatever they are doing. No biggy. :)