"Souq" Warms the Soul

This is crazy!

Moving to a new land. No idea what to expect. Get off the plane. Check. Customs. Check. Immigration. Check. Gather my bags and myself, and walk out into the great unknown for the first time. Where is she? Everything is a blur. People with signs everywhere.Where is she? I know she's gotta be here….

THERE SHE IS!!!

Of course she's got a sign made from pink construction paper.

A sight for sore eyes that's for sure. I can't believe all that this good woman has done on her own for 3 weeks. Don't get me wrong. She's perfectly capable. But nothing comes easily in the "Sandbox." And she has handled it brilliantly. Visas. Cars. Phones. Bugs. Internet. Plumbing. Money. Banking. And countless other things we take for granted everyday. Did I mention bugs?

Well, now I'm here and she's done all the hard work. It's time to have some fun! 

This posting would never end if I tried to tell of all the adventures we've had in the last 2 weeks. So for this installment, we'll concentrate on the souks, often referred to as a bizarre. Think, flee market back home, but way cooler. Words don't fully describe our souk experiences, so I will let the photographs do the talking with brief explanations… 

Come for a walk with us thru the souks of Arabia…

The Old Souk in Dubai

Iranian Souk in Al Meena

You can find anything in the souks. 

Some of the storefronts are wall to wall with lamps, porcelain, and other trinkets. Hard to believe they ever sell anything, given that the guy next-door has the exact same inventory.

The plant souk is amazing. We must have walked for miles, completely in awe of the amazing colors of the Bougainvilliea. It is one of our favorites, and Abu Dhabi is covered with them. And soon, our backyard will be as well...

Plant Souk in Al Meena

And then of course, there is the Carpet Souk in Abu Dhabi… It is absolutely one of our favorite places to visit. They say getting tattoos is addictive. I don't know about that, but buying carpets sure is. We have made some wonderful friends from all over the Middle East and Asia. And haggling with them over these beautiful creations is so much fun. So far, we have only bought 4 carpets, but we've got our eyes on several others...

The "Three Stooges" from Afghanistan. Among some of our best friends in the Carpet Souk.

The "Three Stooges" with their Kalashnikov rifle carpet. 

We asked our new friends some questions about their homeland in Afghanistan. They said they don't like the Taliban. They don't really like anyone with guns, and that includes Americans. They just want to live in peace. Abdul (the one in black) added that he knew it was a bit ironic to not like guns, but sell carpets with guns on them. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Big seller."

This gentleman had a rather large selection of carpets, but he didn't have any handmade silks. Most of his carpets were machine made in Belgium. We chatted for a bit, but he wasn't all that interested in speaking with us. We left his shop and went back to our Afghan friends. He was kind enough to pose for a photo before we left though. Very photogenic I'd say.

This is for all our Republican friends out there. We just couldn't resist taking this photo…

Tracy is without question, the dealmaker in the family. I'm a pushover, and they know it when I walk in the door. But not my girl. She's got that smile… Oh that smile… They say Athena had a face that launched a thousand ships. While my girl has got a smile that costs these guys thousands of dollars.

Just look at the faces on these guys. They know they're in trouble.

I must mention something at this time, that Tracy and I found to be truly amazing. While in the shop in the above photo, Tracy and I could not make a choice. We had several carpets laid out, but just couldn't make a decision on sizes or colors. They kept saying to us, "Take home. No problem. Take home." We finally realized what they were trying to tell us. They trusted us to take them home without payment, to see if we liked them on our own floors. Before we could say no, they had them in the back of our car and we were on our way home. We actually returned all the carpets 3 days later. None of them fit where we needed them, but the gesture of trust shown by these men still floors us. Pardon the pun.

Of course we're all the best of friends now. We've promised to only shop with them in Abu Dhabi. We've told them of the countless friends and family that will be coming to visit us, and all the carpets they will be buying and taking home to the US. Hey! Wake up! If you're reading this, I'm talking about you. Come see us! And buy carpets from our friends!

Another great souk can be found in the downtown Abu Dhabi World Trade Center. The majority of the place is filled with modern stores and restaurants. We had a great cheese burger and milkshake while we were there. There is an El Chico's going in soon, so we know where we'll be eating at least one meal a week. Gotta get our Mexican food fix wherever we are in the world. Connected to the mall is a great little souk. It's indoors and air conditioned, so it makes shopping a little less painful. But the ambiance is still fantastic. And you can find just about anything...

We met this young Indian man making jewelry by hand. He just sits there all day making beautiful bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc.

The hands of a true craftsman.

Of course Tracy made for a great customer. She bought a very nice bracelet.

The hands of a true bargain shopper.

And the place smells great. It only takes one spice shop to fill the entire souk with the wonderful aromas of the Middle East.

And the shoes… A bit flashy for me I think… My toes just don't curl up like that. Not on purpose at least.








Next, we were off to Dubai which is only about 100km from our house. That's 62 miles for those of you who are trying to do the conversion. There are 3 souks all in one area of the old part of Dubai. They are separated by a waterway, so you must take a boat to and from each of them. It was quite nice to be out on the water.

View of the Deira Old Souk in Dubai from our ferry.

The Deira Old Souk is a maze filled with little alleyways. I'm not sure if we ever saw the end. Eventually you just have to give up. But the sights and sounds are one of a kind.

Everywhere you look, there's something to see. You just can't get used to all the shapes and colors. It's truly a case of sensory overload.

And then there's the oldest trick in the book, or rather, the oldest trick in the souk… If they get that thing on your head, they've got you. You're now an attentive audience, as long as you stand there and let them do their thing… Once they get it on you, they say, "You look so good! Must buy! Make pretty lady happy."

I did not look good. I did not buy. But the pretty lady likes my Johnny Cash t-shirt.

We did find an absolute gem of a store. It is owned and operated by a man from Afghanistan. They primarily sell carpets, but they are much different than any we've seen. They take pieces of carpets and sew them together to make a patchwork carpet. Several of the carpets we looked at contained pieces that were several hundred years old. The owner can tell you exactly where each piece of the carpet came from within Afghanistan, just by looking at the colors and the markings. They are definitely a mix of the old and the new. They have a very modern look to them, but very traditional at the same time.

These are some of the most unique carpets we have seen.

And then it was prayer time. All of the sudden the shops were closed, and the alleyways were clear. The only sound we could hear was the call to prayer. Being that we were there on Friday, which is a Muslin holy day, the midday prayers can sometimes last for hours. Our time in the souk very quickly came to an end. Out of respect, I was careful not to take pictures that might be offensive. The following photo is the only one I took. I thought it was the best way to share the scene.

It is custom to take off your shoes before entering a mosque.

Our experiences in the souks cannot be summed up by what we saw or what we bought, but rather,  the people we met while we were there. The souks, and to a greater extent, the UAE is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. In almost every case, we have been greeted warmly by those with whom we have come into contact. To finish up this posting we thought we would share some of the faces of this melting pot that we now call home.

A shop vendor in the Deira Old Souk in Dubai.

An Afghan patchwork carpet salesman.

This Pakistani man was kind enough to stop for a photo.

A family walking the streets of Deira in Dubai.

We shared a boat ride with this gentleman.

Shoppers in the Deira Souk district in Dubai.

And of course a man on a bike. A blog post from us just wouldn't be complete without a bike.

They say, soup warms the soul. But we have found warmth in the everyday hustle and bustle of the people we have met in the narrow alleyways, storefronts, and nooks that make up the world within the souks. We have found in fact, that "souk" warms the soul.

As-salamu alaykum y'all.

Insha'Allah

Insha'Allah means God willing. Am I going to get Internet today? Insha'Allah. Are you going to fix my water? Insha'Allah. Will you please come kill these bugs. Insha'Allah. Is Josh going to get to come when we would like? Insha'Allah.

It has been three weeks of Insha'Allah! But God has provided! And with the help of great new friends, I am starting to find my way. It hasn't been easy... but it is getting easier! Thank you all for  your encouragement. Josh gets here tomorrow!! I will try my best to catch you up on the last three weeks...

At first, it was very much which comes first, the chicken or the egg. I needed a car to get places. But I needed GPS to know where I was going. I needed to get my iPhone unlocked so I could get a local sim card put in so I could have GPS to know where I was going. But I couldn't get my iPhone with GPS until I had Internet access. But I needed a phone to call the Internet company so that I could get Internet. AHHH! So... I decided the phone had to come first, even if it wasn't a smart phone with GPS. Getting a phone number here was top priority! So...I bought an old school Nokia (the kind where you have to hit a button three times to get the letter c! - Thought of you often Lauren Person!) It did the trick until I was able to get Internet access, unlock my phone, and put my new sim card in it.


Next was a car. I (we in a little more than 24 hours!) live about 15 minutes from school, and about 25 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi. Having a car is pretty much a must here. Although, cabs are pretty cheap. My school has done a great job of making things easier on us. They brought someone from Hertz rental company to school to arrange for us to get cars. They also brought the local Internet company and bank representatives to school. You are looking at my new wheels! Don't get jealous! These little cars are very popular here. Thank goodness mine isn't white, or I'd never find it in our school parking lot. Remember the chicken or the egg? Well, GPS might have needed to come before the car. I was able to get home from work that first day with no problem. Getting to work the next morning was another story. I tried my best to remember the way. I knew I needed to go toward Abu Dhabi. ALL SIGNS POINT TO ABU DHABI!!! So an hour and a half later, I found my way back to my house and called a cab. :/ New top priority... GPS! I was able to get Internet rather quickly. Some people who got here before I did still don't have Internet. Once I had that, I was able to take the time I needed to unlock my phone, have my new sim card put in, and finally have access to my smart phone. I feel whole again!

Next was purchasing the necessities for our house. I spent all day at Ikea and Ace Hardware (pictured). Ace is more like Home Depot here. It is huge! You really can find everything you need and more here. There are malls EVERYWHERE! I have been to four in three weeks. There are little grocery markets everywhere. But malls have Super-Walmart type stores called Carrefour. They are a little more Western and have products that are a little more familiar. I was on sensory overload the first time I visited one. But like everything else, it is becoming the new normal.

Not so normal food

Normal Food

 I haven't done any cooking yet. I need to buy a lot of things for the kitchen, but I want to wait on Josh for most of the purchases (is that a good enough excuse??) So I have ordered out a lot for dinner. Everyone delivers. Local places. Pizza Hut, Subway, Chili's, etc. It is so cool to see these things driving around everywhere.

 Janis, my mother-in-law, introduced me to bougainvilleas at her house in Austin years ago. I fell in love with the plant. We have them everywhere! It is so nice to see them and think of her.

 Skype has been wonderful for talking to family and friends. But it is known to freeze from time to time. You have to learn to just go with it when stuff like this happens. You can get really frustrated and upset, or you can invent a new game called "who can get the best bad frozen face." He is sooo winning this game, but he doesn't have the password to the blog!

This is my new friend. He makes my heart skip a beat every morning when I go out to water the yard. Suggestions for a name??

 Speaking of critters... I came home the other day and found 200 ants with wings crawling up my wall. I called maintenance and explained the problem. They transferred me to an outsourced pest company. The guy was amazing. Very patient as I was borderline freaking out. As we were talking, there were more and more of them and they reached my ceiling. He told me since it was after hours on a Thursday (think Friday), the security people would not let them in until Saturday (think Saturday). Ummm.... what am I supposed to do until then?! He took me step by step through what I needed to do. Go buy ant spray, a candle, and a lighter. Go home and kill the ants, then light a candle and let the wax drip in the hole in the floor to plug it. It worked! He even gave me his cell phone number to call him and give him updates. The people here have been very helpful and kind.

Ok, the chocolate bar wasn't part of his supply list. But I am in a foreign country by myself with flying ants!

 Can you believe I have a friend here? He moved here a week after I did to begin a two year assignment at the US Embassy! We explored one of the many malls and ate at TGI Friday's. (Although they should call it TGI Thursday's here since Thursday is the new Friday!). Kyle and I went to OSU together and while we don't exactly remember each other, we have tons of mutual friends like Ben Davis, Asher Griffin, and John Hudson. Thanks for the connection guys!

 Speaking of malls, because it is so hot (and because there is a LOT of money here), shopping is truly a hobby. Malls have ice skating rinks, bowling alleys, roller coasters, aquariums, you name it! They also have REALLY nice stores. I wonder if this is where Joey (Friends) got his Porsche clothes?

 I got to go to Dubai! But I spent all day in a hotel conference room :( I cannot wait to go back and explore. It was pretty hazy that day, but you can see a really tall, skinny building in the background. That is the world's tallest building!

I had a birthday last week. I already have some great friends who helped me celebrate with a tart! I also have amazing 7th grade English Language Learner students. One of them gave me a coin purse from her home country, Korea. I always said I would NEVER teach middle school. Never say never! They brighten my day every time I get to see them.

We live in an area called Al Reef. It is made up of four communities: Arabian, Mediterranean, Contemporary, and Desert. We live in Desert. It is a very new area that is still being built up. There will be tons of shops going in our downtown soon. There is a lot of grass, trees, and plants. There are pathways that weave in and out of the villas in each community. I can't wait for it to get a little cooler! One more month!

With the last minute change to Abu Dhabi, my paperwork is not complete. I am here on a tourist visa until I can get on a work visa. I will then do some more paperwork and get on a resident visa. In the meantime, we have to make "border runs" to our neighboring country, Oman. We did our first one Friday. We basically get in a bus, ride for 3 hours to the border, cross the border and get an exit stamp, enter Oman and get an entry and exit visa, turn around and go back into the UAE and get a new tourist visa (good for 30 days), and make the 3 hour trip home. Not the most fun day, but we saw camels!! Literally crossing the road. We also saw a lot in pens too. There is camel racing here in the winter months!

 

 

Mom and dad - there is Mane 'n Tail here! I wonder if they use it on the camels like we used it on our show steers?

 

I just went back to the top to see if I missed any Insha'Allah moments. Just one. My second night here, I was exhausted and completely jet lagged. Nothing sounded better than a long shower. It started out like any other normal shower. You know... with water. And then it slowed to a drip. And then there was nothing. No water. No phone. No phone numbers to call if I had a phone. So I had to make do with bottled water. I got to school the next morning and called maintenance. Thankfully, no water is considered an emergency, not an "Insha'Allah" moment, so I had water that evening!

 

I'm sorry if this post has been a little all over the place. But that is how my life has been the last three weeks. There have been some wonderful, magical moments. And there have been some curled up in a ball crying moments. But I have survived all of them, and Joshua Cash Gatlin gets here in exactly 23 hours!

 

I promise it won't take me this long to post next time. Insha'Allah!