Just Commit Already!

11/28
Well, today is Thanksgiving, although you would never know it here.  Of course they don't celebrate it, but still I guess I was thinking it would feel a little more like a holiday than it did.  School was canceled today for the American holiday.............JUST KIDDING!  It was actually canceled at 9:30 Wednesday night after Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo in 2020.  Yes, you read that correct, in the year 2020, but we celebrated with a day off today!  I headed to the city relatively early where I went to the mall with Casey and we came back to her apartment where Rebecca joined us.  We headed down to the BBQ pit area of her building where we and about 10 others joined in our very own Thanksgiving celebration.  We had so much GOOD AMERICAN Thanksgiving food, I had 2 plates full, and never the same food on each plate!  Rebecca made an awesome sign for us to hold for a picture to send home.  We sat and talked as the night got later, our conversation got more and more "silly".  I was able to make an appearance in Rebecca's video chat to see her mom and dad, that was fun!  Being so stuffed, it was hard to fall asleep, but it was all worth it. 
11/29
Dubai bound!  This morning we awoke relatively early to hit the open and dead road (everyone sleeps in here) for Dubai.  This was Casey's first time, so we took her to the Dubai Mall.  We shopped until we dropped.  We paused for lunch with my friend Krista who is teaching in Dubai, and Alex joined us for lunch and some shopping as well.  We made our way back to the city where we headed to an Asian influenced restaurant.  It was delicious!  Oh, I forgot to mention the best part of this day, we were in a grocery store in town and I just happened to look up from where Casey was grabbing something and I found LIGHTHOUSE RANCH!  I have been going crazy because the ranch they have in this country sucks!  I flipped out, grabbed a bag of pretzels and opened it in the car on the way back to Casey's apartment, I couldn't wait! 
11/30
This morning we headed to my favorite place on earth here, Jones the Grocer (I can't get enough of this place, probably because it was the first place I ever ate in this country, so it holds a special place in my heart).  After brunch, we headed to another mall to shop until we dropped again.  We came back to Casey's where we got ready to head to the Grand Mosque.  I have never seen anything as spectacular as the Grand Mosque.  We did a tour with a tour guide.  He told us all about the Mosque which was very interesting.  The late Sheikh is buried on site, however you are not allowed to photograph the building he is buried in .  We were there for the evening call to prayer and found out that it is not a recording that is played in over 3,000 mosques in the city, however it is a man who sings the call to prayer each day from behind the wall we were standing in front of.  I thought that was awesome!  We looked at a wall with 99 different names of Allah.  The carpet inside the mosque was hand woven by women from Pakistan and done in 9 different pieces and brought to the mosque to be put together.  It is the largest piece of carpet in the world.  I was lucky enough to be at the mosque during the day light and night time.  It truly is a beautiful place and the people are so welcoming in letting you enter.  After the mosque, we headed to Yas Island for a Mexican Fiesta Buffet.  Yes, you read that right, I have been craving Mexican food since I arrived and we found the mother load of Mexican buffets.  They had delicious food, treats, drinks, and dancing.  We headed back to Casey's after dinner and cheered on Rebecca's school as they played their rivals.  They won, so Rebecca was thrilled!
12/1
This morning, we got ready to head to the Central Souk where we had breakfast at Shakespeare and Co.  I had a delicious mix of eggs and salmon atop an English muffin and a delicious coffee.  This restaurant is adorable and eclectic, I loved it.  Rebecca and I headed home after we returned to Casey's place.  After taking a well deserved nap, we ventured out to the grocery store with Alex and then back home.  Rebecca and I watched a movie (Jobs, don't recommend it) and then I headed back to my place where I slept like a baby.
12/2
National Day!  Today, there were lots of cars driving up and down the main drag spraying silly sting while hanging out of their car windows, revving their engines and pealing out, and celebrating all that is their amazing country.  The amount of pride and love they have for their country is truly awesome and infectious!  Rebecca and I had a Christmas movie marathon, ok not a marathon, but we watched two Christmas movies.  We watched Elf and Polar Express.
12/3
4 kids.......yup, I had just 4 kids today!  I teamed up with another teacher and we taught both classes the letter F and had them make frogs.  It was kind of a pointless day, we shall see how many show up tomorrow, I'm hoping the same amount.  Enjoy the pics!

These guys were so darn happy to be holding this and proud as well!

Thanksgiving!

Prayer clock

Mexican Buffet

99 names for Allah

Fresh shrimp from the Fish Market by my house

Tour Guide

Shakespeare and Co.