Staycations

Mike and I often talk about how our life here is vastly different from our lives back in the Queen City (Charlotte, NC)

Doing Staycations is something that we would never have done. One because our budget was tight and Two we never had time. So we jump at chances to Do Life Big!

We did a Staycation in Dubai where we did what most tourists would do. We visited all of the major attractions in Dubai and we had an amazing time. We stayed at a Marriott in Dubai called Marriott al Jaddaf. This hotel is lovely and even though it's not in the heart of the city it's not far from the city because the view from the top is beautiful.

I've mentioned many times that we are members are several hotel chains reward programs. We used Marriott Moments to book our tourist package. Because we booked it this way we were able to get an amazing deal and we got points too. It's a win-win!

We were picked up from our hotel and taken to our first stop, a dhow cruise around Dubai. The cruise was nice. It allowed us to see the view from the marina and take a moment to relax.

After the cruise we went to Palm Island which is a man made island and something that Dubai is known for.

The island is home to several hotels, restaurants, and Atlantis. It is our hope that one day we will stay there. The tour bus took us right to it and it was even more magnificent up close. We arrived at Atlantis right as the sun began going down.

Our next stop after Atlantis was the Burj al Arab. The Burj al Arab is the only 7 star hotel in the world. That was not a typo, Yes, 7 star hotel. We were not able to go inside but we did get pictures of it up close.

After the Burj al Arab we went to a shop where they make local carpets and they also sell souvenirs. Even though we are loving the life we are living we do think that 1 day (no time soon though) that we will return and live out our lives back home. We want to have some memorabilia from our travels and time abroad so when we see nice things that may commemorate our time we do not hesitate to purchase. With that being said we bought a handmade piece.

The final stop on our tour was dinner by the Burj Khalifa fountains. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. We have been to it several times but we have never gone inside or up. Dinner was at the Armani Hotel which is inside the Burj Khalifa. 

While we ate we could see the nightly fountain show from our table.

After dinner, we went inside the Burj Khalifa and went up to the 125th floor. The elevator only took 7 seconds and I have to say it didn't feel like we were moving at an extremely fast pace. Once we got to the 125th floor, we took pictures on a green screen and then were able to walk around take in the view.

We were then taken back to our hotel and we called it a night to remember. 

We spent the remainder of the weekend lounging around the hotel.

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Our most recent staycation was at the St. Regis on Saadiyat Island. This island is about 10-15 minutes from where we live. We could actually see our tower from our room! This hotel is beautiful! This hotel is a 5 star hotel and the service was unmatched. It's situated on it's own private beach which means we had some amazing views. Below is a video of the room.

Growing up my family would take beach trips. On every beach trip my Mom would let us know that she was going to catch the sunrise just in case we woke up and didn't see her. I never understood this. If we're on vacation we should sleep in! I told Mike that I was going to catch the sunrise just to see if I could understand why she felt the need to do this. Yep! I now understand. It was so peaceful and so beautiful. I do not have the words to really describe this hotel so I will let the pictures do all of the talking even though they will not do it justice.

THE SUNRISE

OUR HOME

Thank you for reading. In the next blog we're going to answer questions that people have asked us about living over here. If you have a question feel free to leave it in the comments. Until next time...

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER AND BE UNIQUELY YOU!

Our First Ramadan

Before coming here people were so quick to tell us about all of the things WE WOULD NOT be able to do. I am happy to report that many of those things simply arennot true. People said I would have to always cover up. Nope. People said we would have to walk on different sides of the road or hallway. Nope. People said we would not be able to hold hands or show affection. Nope.

Our view about being in a Muslim country is this: "Even though we are not Muslim, we will still respect their values and traditions." One of those traditions that has raised our respect is Ramadan. If you're wondering what Ramadan is I'll break it down for you.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Muslim year and Muslims fast from sun up to sun down. That is the meaning in the most simplest terms.

In my classroom my boys love to tell me about their customs and practices because they love for me to tell them about the way I grew up and my values, customs, and practices. So, they told me that it is supposed to be a month of reflection where Muslims try to be the best that they can be. Well, this definition came in handy for me because if someone was not remembering our classroom etiquette I would say, "Are you being the best Muslim you can be right now?" I know, I know, Ramadan won't last forever but for now this is coming in handy! 😆 But I digress.

During Ramadan everyone observes a shorter work day, restaurants don't open until later, and some are closed throughout Ramadan. The food courts in the mall are blocked by curtains and if you eat, drink, or smoke in public you could face a fine. For Muslims this means they do not eat, drink, or smoke, while the sun is up. In addition to that married couples are to abstain from sex during Ramadan. (I will not comment on that.)

Another awesome thing about Ramadan is charity. That is another important principle of Ramadan. During this time there are refrigerators around the city where people can take what they need for FREE. There are also tents for Iftar (the meal that breaks the fast) for FREE and for people of all religions. I think this is AMAZING! Even though the UAE is a very rich country there are some people who live here who are not rich so these free meals are beneficial to them.

The first day of Ramadan, which was a school day, I tried to fast. It is so hard. After teaching 2-90 minute classes I really wanted a sip of water more than anything. My respect for Muslims and this tradition quadrupled.

Selfish benefits of Ramadan are school starts later and dismisses early and many of my boys don't come to school. I totally understand why. They get up at like 1am to eat a pre dawn meal which is called Suhoor and then they come to school and have to learn and participate without being able to eat or drink. They don't break their fast until the sun sets which is usually after 7pm. That could make for a long day so I definitely understand why many of them don't come and I for one am not complaining! One day in my class of 30 students, 1 boy showed up! He said, "Ms. today we are 1." I said, "No problem, let's have class." If looks could kill!

As I am writing this, there is about 1 week left of Ramadan which will be followed by a holiday called Eid al Fitr. With this holiday 1 of the malls has announced they will be open for 24 hours and they will have sales with 90% off. Mike and I have made a list of all the things we need and we will be partakers of the sale!

During Ramadan, I took time to reflect on my life and my goals. I created a Fitness notebook where I track my progress and set goals. I created a Prayer Journal that I hope will help me with a consistent prayer life, and I have bought materials to create a travel scrapbook that I have been wanting to create.

In closing, religions are all very similar. And if we are all striving to be the best we can be and live our best lives there is nothing wrong with combining the best practices of each religion.

Be Kind to One Another and Be Uniquely You!