Superficial Joy

Random thing #17 you may or may not find interesting about Abu Dhabi: Fog. There is a lot of sunshine in Abu Dhabi, even in the winter. Apparently the other thing that happens in the winter is fog. I mean F.O.G. Like, local-schools-have-2-hour-delayed-start-times-because-the-busses-can't-get-through fog . School #1 was located in the city, so I didn't come to appreciate the full thickness of the fog until one work day recently. Here's what it looked like at one of the lights along the way: This picture is further back in the line at the same light Before I left in the morning I took a picture off the balcony. Compare it to the regular view! ...and looking the other direction...   Later in the week there was fog all day long. I hear it's because the authorities in Abu Dhabi seed the clouds to increase rainfall , a side effect of which could be the fog . Whatever the reason, it made my run better because the men working in the building...

As I'm settling into life in Abu Dhabi, my crusade to exercise has continued (yay!). I tried a new location today after work. The last few outdoor runs I've gone to the Corniche  in and while it's more scenic, it is constructed with bricks and rather hurts my knees. There are also lots of people and getting stared at by various types of men gets old. This place is a place way, way, way  outside of Abu Dhabi and is called Al Wathba Cycle Track , outside a town called, shockingly, Al Wathba. It's so far out there I worried about getting back without Google if my phone died while I was there! There are kilometers and kilometers of paved track. It's perfect for cycling and for long runs, though it isn't much for scenery. The illusion that I do not live in the desert was pretty much smashed! Nothing but sand and asphalt and solar-powered lights as far as the eye can see.  It was eerie driving out there as all the vestiges of civilizatio...

Yep, that's me!  I'm just about to finish my 3rd week at my new school. It is absolutely incredible what a difference it is. I fit in immediately, and I can't believe it has only been 3 weeks; I feel so comfortable there it feels like I've been there months. The students are amazing. They are chatty yet polite; they enjoy themselves yet get their work done; and they say thank you every day when they leave class. I have not had a single argument with a student, and they even ask me how I am doing. I teach three different classes (down from 6 at the other school), two of which I have taught before. The people in my department are fantastic and I am a really good fit. The place where all the magic happens The commute to work is about 30 minutes, door to door. The first day I left at 6:15 to ensure I would be there well before 7:25 and have been leaving later and later each morning to see where the too-late point it--you know, that magical time after which you...

Every day I ask reception, "Did I get mail today?" And every day they roll their eyes at me and say, "Not today, Miss Joy." Until today!! I got mail!!! It's only about 6 weeks after it was mailed, but I'm not gonna lie, this MADE MY DAY!!!  It is SO very rare to get mail here!!  WooHoo!!! (By the way, this address is not reliable)

A run on Town Lake in Austin After almost 3 weeks of sleeping, lounging, eating, exercising, resting and nourishing my soul in Austin and Dallas, it came time to return to the UAE for my new job. Three days before my return I felt panic returning. Even though my mind knew that my new job will be better, my body feared a repeat of the trauma of the first semester. I was able to talk to some friends who helped me calm down, but then my anxiety shifted to the plane ride back.  [Un]fortunately there is a direct flight from Dallas to Abu Dhabi (yay!) but it is 15 hours long (boo!). The ride back to Texas was agonizingly long, even though it was from Amman, Jordan to Austin and only 12 hours long  and  I had a aisle seat (which was a first and I learned how much better the aisle is than the window).  When I went online to check in, there were only middle seat left and my anxiety grew. So we got to the airport over 3 hours early so I could wait in line and hope for...