Big Changes

I have avoided writing about this for some time now. I really haven't revealed much personal info on this blog because we are pretty private and because I reckon that most readers of it aren't that interested in our humdrum lives. But this is going to make some big changes in what happens from now on, so I really need to explain at least briefly what is going on.

Bss has been sick all summer, since at least May. So we visited numerous doctors here in Al Ain and Dubai to try to find out what exactly is wrong. They ran tests of every sort (labwork, MRIs, CT scans, etc) on her to try to find out what is wrong. But all the tests that were done here have not discovered what exactly is wrong. So Bss and all the kids have moved back to North Carolina in the US (with family) so that she can go to the doctors there, and I am staying here alone, at least for now, depending on what the doctors back in the US find out. It could be that I will have to leave to join them or I might be able to stay until my contract is complete in June. I just don't know right now.

In all this, I have learned some interesting things about the medical system and insurance scheme (apparently it isn't called a "scheme" for nothing) that I'll probably share.

Anyway, this is why I haven't been posting much over the last month, and why, if you are on the proper listserv, you might have seen my list of furniture for sale yesterday or today.

Resistance Is Futile

This is what has been running through my head today as I thought about this article.
"You will become one with the Borg. You will *all* become one with the Borg. Resistance is futile."

While we watch, in horror, as government drones assimilate it's German citizens, we hear this recorded message bellowing from the Continuum:

"The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing." Adolf Hitler, 1937

Scary.

(This picture was borrowed from this site.)

Things Just Aren't Made Like They Used to Be

I have heard this said many times in the past, along with 'You get what you pay for.' In light of the condition of our furniture here compaired to the condition of our furniture back home, I would have to agree with the statement in the title, but disagree with the latter one. In the states, we never bought new furniture, mostly because we couldn't afford it. We lived in a college town where it was common for folks to put their unwanted furniture at edge of the street, hoping that someone else would pick it up and take it home. Over the years, we have given away and acquired furniture in this manner. We also shopped in thrift stores. We made a few of our bookshelves ourselves. (I miss Lowe's!) With the exception of the pieces that we made ourselves, all of our furniture was old. Yet, it was *very* durable. In the rare event that something did fall apart, it was no big deal to toss it out.

Here, it's a different story. Since we didn't ship anything over when we moved, we had to buy our furniture when we got here. We shopped as frugally as we could while still trying to get good quality furniture. (Ikea, Home Center, etc) Obviously, we weren't going to buy top of the line pieces for a household of 4 bouncy kids and 2 shedding cats. (sigh) Less than two years later, a tour of our home reveals four wrecked pieces and two wobbly ones. And it's not so easy, mentally, to toss furniture in the dumpster that was brand spanking new just a few months ago. Lucky for us, we have a lot of experience in fixing things. A quick trip to the hardware store for a few brackets, etc. should do the trick.

Choosy Mom's Choose..........Peter Pan?

Where in the world can one find Peter Pan peanut butter? Once in a blue moon, one can find it in Carrefour, Al Ain, UAE. We had eaten about one third of our jar when we read the news flash about the contamination. Since no one showed any signs of illness within a few days after eating the peanut butter, it's probably safe to say that it's ok. I'm not sure I'm willing to take chances, though.

Pork Free Pop Tarts

A fellow blogger commented on yesterday's post saying that Pop Tarts contain pork. Some of them do contain pork. However, Kellogs *does* make pork free Pop Tarts. Careful inspection of our boxes of frosted cherry revealed that this flavor does not contain pork gelatin. The strawberry flavor in the orange boxes are made using beef gelatin.



It's kind of hard to read, but this is printed on the bottom of the box. I'm guessing that Kellogs made these pork free so that they would sell in this region. One more thing worth mentioning........these Pop Tarts are a product of the USA.

What a Find!

Since moving to Al Ain, we have found exactly *two* grocery stores here that sell Pop Tarts: Mega Mart in the mall and Abella. Mega Mart only sells the Mint Chocolate flavor. Brn does NOT like those. Even the boys turn their noses up to the 'green kind', as they are called in our home. In the past, Abella has stocked frosted strawberry and a different chocolate flavor. We shopped there this weekend, hoping to buy a couple of boxes to satisfy a craving. Look what we found......................



Brn's *favorite* flavor of Pop Tarts! He is one happy guy!

***These Pop Tarts are perched in a very high spot in our kitchen. The only way I can get to them is by trying to knock a box off with the broom. That doesn't deter the little people from trying, though. Every time I go into the kitchen, I see that someone has pushed a chair up to the counter in a feeble attempt to climb the 'mountain' to attain the 'prize'.

Longing for Sounds from Home

Yesterday, I found myself humming country/western style songs from my childhood days. Growing up, I never would have described myself as a fan of country music. On the other hand, my parents were. Anytime we went anywhere in the car, country music was playing on the radio. As the day progressed, my humming changed to singing. My family endured many lines of mix matched country songs....bits and pieces of what I remembered from the 'old days'. Song lyrics like :"Hank, tell me now, WHY do you drink? Why do you smoke? WHY must you live like the songs that you wrote???" (Hank Williams, Jr) and from the old TV show Hee-Haw....."Where, oh where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over and thought I found true love. You met another and (raspberry sound) you were gone!"

Brn searched online and found recordings and videos of some old country/western tunes. We watched and sang together until we got it out of our systems. Today, my mind is free of country/western tunes once again.

It's Raining Teeth!

Our two oldest kids, D&B, are having an ongoing competition to see who can lose the most teeth while we are living overseas. This constant tooth pulling leaves me with the eebie jeebies. You see, I was a late bloomer when it came to losing teeth. Teeth pulling episodes for me were spaced very far apart. In fact, I still have a couple of baby (milky) teeth that are still faithfully doing their jobs.

Not so for D&B. I have never seen so many teeth come out in such a short period of time. A few years ago, D would have been a perfect candidate to sing the song "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth." Change the word 'two' to 'three' and the song would have been a perfect description of her cute smile. Now their teeth pulling adventures seem more like races. Because they are kids, they always seem to have 1 or 2 wiggly teeth. B *refuses* to be outdone by his sister. If she pulls a loose tooth, he will proudly show us a newly pulled tooth from his mouth, usually within a day or two. A couple of weeks ago, though, they both had new windows in their mouths to show off *on the exact same day*. No work for the 'tooth fairy' on that day, though, because we managed to lose BOTH teeth before bedtime.

Yesterday, D showed us another wiggly tooth......and B pulled a wiggly tooth out. I guess he was afraid his sister would win the race that day.

The cat did it!

Water seems to cause more problems for us around here! Not the water itself, but how it is used. Once again, our little guy P appears to be at the root of the mess. When I went upstairs tonight to tuck our kids into bed, I heard water running in the bathroom. I thought that was odd, since O was already asleep and P was in bed looking at his books. My jaw hit the floor when I walked into the bathroom. (Yep, the boys bathroom.......again) Only this time, it wasn't the bidet. Oh, no.......it was the bathtub.

The shower curtain *and* shower rod were pulled down from the wall. The shower curtain was draped inside the bathtub, covering the drain for the tub. The water was running and was about to *overflow* the tub. I stormed out of the bathroom with a tough mom look on my face and demanded to know WHO did that! Well, O was sound asleep, B had been downstairs with me the entire time listening to me read a book. The only person left........P. Upon interrogation, P exclaimed, very convincingly, 'The cat did it!'

That answer caught me off guard. I knew our cats were constantly scheming to do us in......or do *me* in, I should say. (Does the movie Cats and Dogs ring a bell?) I also knew that the cats liked to hide in the bathtub and sometimes jumped on the shower curtain accidentally on their way into the tub. His accusation seemed perfectly reasonable to me. Except that I forgot the figure in how the water got turned on..............or how the curtain rod just happened to be totally separated from the shower curtain. No, I didnt' stop to take these facts into account until after I had tossed the bad kitties into the bathtub full of water. Oh well, us humans had a good laugh watching them scrambling to get out.

Before I left the bedroom, I announced that if anyone ever caught P, or Antari, or _______, or ________ (all of P's alternate identities) messing in the bathroom again, it was going to be bad news! P walked back to his bed, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging low. "That sure was naughty," he said quietly as he climbed into bed and covered himself up with his Winnie Pooh blanket.

I made a quick exit downstairs so I could giggle out of earshot from my boys.

A Lovely Afternoon

This is the perfect time to live in Al Ain. In an earlier post, Brn shared pictures of flowers that are blooming in our area. Increase that by the hundreds to get an accurate mental image of Al Ain right now. Beautiful! The weather right now is perfect. I will be the first to admit that I have been cold this winter. However, the temps this week have been fabulous! Perfect weather for spending time together at one of Al Ain's many parks. This afternoon we packed a picnic lunch and spent the afternoon at Towayya Park. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful park in Al Ain. Every time I step foot into the park, my entire body relaxes because of all of the greenery. It's the closest I can come to feeling like being back home. We lounged on our mat, ate hotdogs and carrot sticks, and watched the kids play. Brn stretched out and took a nap. I dozed off a few times, myself, with O snuggled in my lap. It was so nice to walk around and notice all of the other families who had the same idea we had......a picnic in the park with family. I only hope the weather stays this way for several more weeks so we can enjoy many more park days together!

Gearing up for baseball season.......or, Duck!! Flying Fruit!

Grocery shopping is always an adventure. The entire family piles into Carrefour to shop during the evening hours, when everyone else in Al Ain is also shopping. What could be more fun? (can you detect the slightest hint of sarcasm in my 'voice'?) Grocery shopping is on the bottom of the fun list for the kids and Brn. Heck, I don't like weaving in and out of an endless sea of people who stare at me as if I have 2 heads, just to hand over too much money to the cashier, and have to do it all over again a few days later because the milk and granola bars are gone. (If you really want to get strange looks, shop with a pencil tucked behind your ear.........I do it now on purpose to see the reactions) But, since Brn won't agree to dining out every meal, grocery shopping is a necessary evil.

Tonight, Brn and three of the kids decide that they'd had all the excitement they could stand for one day.......so, P and I embarked on our journey through the land of yellow shirts all by ourselves. As you read this, you may be thinking to yourself, 'Oh, she got a much needed break by being able to shop almost alone!' Before you come to that conclusion, let me introduce you to P.

P is our little drama king. I use the word 'drama' because he lives his life as though he's the star of High School Musical, or any number of other shows that he's seen in the past. Most of these shows are the cartoonish type, involving someone getting bonked on the head or running into something or falling over something, etc. (imagine the Three Stooges) P is a one man show. This summer he performed the book Green Eggs and Ham , start to finish from memory, adding in all sorts of funny gestures to complete the act. His entire family watched with amusement as he jumped around reciting each line of the book with ever increasing expression in his voice.

Now, let's combine the wonder of P with the chaos of Carrefour.....and a tired Momma who is sick with a cold. The tired, sick Momma allows the dramatic P to ride in the cart for the first half of the shopping adventure. She shuffles along up and down the aisles slowly, searching for the items on her list. She smiles at other shoppers glaring at her because she looks weird with a pencil stuck behind her ear and because her kid is bouncing around in the cart, bonking himself on the head and making loud noises. She carefully places items in the cart so that P won't smash them. When she reaches the water aisle, she realizes that space in the cart is running out. (Carrefour's trollies/carts are not big enough to hold an entire week's worth of groceries for a family of 6 people and 2 cats) She sighs and lifts P out of the cart, knowing that the real shopping adventure with her son is just out to begin.

The tired Momma and the dramatic P enter the fruits/vegetables section of Carrefour. By this time, there are tons of people in the store......and they all want fruit. The tired Momma tries to keep a close watch on 'robot boy' P, who is lagging behind, intentionally bumping into the fruit racks every few steps, making robot gestures with his arms and head, and talking in a robot voice. He's in his own little world.....he's not bothering anyone......and he's totally unaware of his audience. The tired Momma proceeds to pick through the green apples in hopes of finding enough acceptable ones to fill the plastic bag. In her peripheral vision, she notices something bizarre happening about 7 cart-lengths away in front of the little green lemon looking fruits. (no, they weren't limes or kiwis) 'Robot Boy's' right arm is swinging overhandedly, repeatedly, and is shooting small green fruits through the air over top of the fruit stand. The tired Momma stands in a daze for a split second, unable to grasp what she is seeing. She comes to her senses quickly, and makes a mad dash to disarm 'Robot Boy.' She lifts 'Robot Boy' off of the ground and carries him to the cart.....his arms, legs and mouth still moving in full robot fashion. She turns off the power switch on his back and removes his batteries. Only then does he transform back into the amazing P.

They walk along together nicely until they reach the eggs. The tired Momma examines several cartons of eggs to find ones that aren't too dirty or cracked. P very quietly starts tapping on a carton in front of him. Within seconds, the taps are stronger. The Momma firmly tells her son to stop tapping on the eggs. P responds, disappointedly, "Awwwwwwwww. I was just trying to break them." (Fortunately, he didn't succeed) The tired Momma grumbles to herself as they piddle along to the frozen vegetables. She knows she won't find any brussel sprouts. She hardly ever finds those. A convoy of shoppers tries to make its way down the aisle. All of a sudden, all traffic comes to a stop. The jam is getting bigger and bigger. The tired Momma wonders why the shoppers are just standing there looking at her. Surely, her frozen vegetable selections couldn't be *that* enlightening or entertaining. She gasps, realizing that she had not checked on P in the last 30 seconds or so. With frozen peas in one hand and frozen corn in another, she spins around to see P playing the role of traffic cop. The blue-eyed, blonde-haired 5 year old boy is standing in the middle of the aisle with his little hand stuck out, stopping all traffic on both sides of the aisle. Thankfully, the shoppers appear to have a good sense of humor and laugh it off as the tired Momma pulls her miniature policeman out of the aisle.

Yes, shopping is an adventure. You never know *what* is going to happen! And, my sincerist apologies to everyone standing on the other side of that fruit stand. I hope that those little green fruits didn't sting too badly upon impact. It's not likely that my little 'Robot Boy' will be recruited as pitcher for a major league baseball team any time soon.

May I Change your Order, Please?

Fast food restaurants are famous for messing up orders at the drive through windows. It's a fact of life in the USA, as I'm sure it is world wide. It's hard to hear one another through those low quality speakers. In this country there is an added difficulty....the language barrier. Let me illustrate by using a real life example of our latest run through Burger King:

Ibrahim: May I take your order, please?
Brn: I would like one large diet coke, please.
Ibrahim: You want large fry???
Brn: No, I want to order one large diet coke, please.
Ibrahim: You want fry?
Brn: No! I just want a large diet coke.
Ibrahim: You no want fry?
Brn: No! One large diet coke.
Ibrahim: (says something we couldn't understand)
Bss: What's going on?????
Brn: I don't know, but I think we're getting fries.

Sure enough, we got a large order of fries and a warm can of diet coke. He did understand me when I asked for a cup of ice. He looked perplexed at the idea, but at least he didn't hand me a fish sandwich or something.

To 'O', on your 4th Birthday

Today is your 4th birthday, little O! It snowed the day you were born. You caused my blood pressure to soar while I was pregnant with you, and you have managed to continue to do so every day since your father and I first laid eyes on you. (wink) We love you so much and are incredibly blessed to have you!

God has used the blessing of who you are to change who I am. I have not always been a patient mother. Born practically on the heels of your brother, your arrival brought us another baby to cuddle, love, and bounce on our knees. However, 16 month old P wasn't ready to allow another small creature to take his place as 'the baby.' I spent many a night praying for strength and patience to give you both what you needed, both physically and emotionally, while nurturing your older siblings as well. God heard and answered my prayers. I can't tell you how many times people have commented on the amount of patience I possess. Thank you for helping to change my character, molding me into a better person.

You have taught me that not all boys are made of 'snakes, snails and puppy dog's tails.' I am convinced that you, my dear, are made of rubber! Whenever you fall, you bounce right back up and keep going. It takes a LOT to bring you running with tears in your eyes. I admire your ability to brush off the dust and keep going, never losing focus of where you are going or what you are trying to achieve.

When you get an idea in your head, it's nearly impossible to change your mind. This characteristic has made living with you quite difficult at times. With God's help and proper training, this very same characteristic will help you to succeed. In the process of disciplining you, your father has said, on numerous occasions, that he 'admires the strength of your convictions.'

Your cheerful 'Good Morning, Mom!' brings a smile to my lips nearly every day. The other days, we aim for a good afternoon instead.

You find joy in the smallest things. Your laughter is infectuous. Just hearing your belly laugh sends the rest of us into fits of laughter. Upon hearing the sputtering sound of an almost empty ketchup bottle, you have fallen out of your chair laughing uncontrollably while begging to hear it again and again. You express your happiness so openly, freely, and loudly! lol

You love cuddling with soft blankets and generously sharing kisses with me. I treasure those quiet moments with you more than ever now that you are growing bigger.

You would be the happiest little boy on the planet if you never had to wear pants again. Your comfort is very important to you, and is defined by wearing only a shirt and underpants.

You have proven that children can grow and stay healthy by eating a diet consisting mostly of granola bars and Rice Krispies.

You surprise me with your creative expressions, or 'colorful metaphors,' as Mr. Spock would say. "Quack!" and "Fwam!" fly off of your tongue when you voice your frustrations.

Your favorite color is red. Every picture must be colored red. Your shirt of choice is red. Your preferred socks are red. Red Ranger is your hero. (You introduce yourself as 'Red Ranger') Just for the record....when I was small, my favorite color was red, too.

You are very set in your ways, very much like an old man. You like for your booster chair to be aligned perfectly with the table at mealtime. Your juice sits on the #5 space on your numbers placemat. The required black handled spoon must be placed on the left hand side of your plate, with the head of the spoon resting on the #1. Only then can you relax enough to think about eating. Woe to the table setter who absent-mindedly forgets these little quirks of yours. There's nothing wrong with having preferences, but one needs to express his desires in a polite manner. We are making progress in this area!

Despite what your father says, I have come to the conclusion that our cats are, in fact, good and tolerant animals. They merely turn the other cheek while you dish out your abuse, which usually consists of getting right in their faces and yelling "MEOW!" at the top of your lungs. I suspect they take out their aggressions by knocking over my houseplants and trying to trip me while going down the stairs. At least they are gentle with you!

I giggle while watching you walk around in circles, saying the same thought over and over, but phrasing it differently each time. I never would have thought of 20 different ways of saying, 'I like this red robot bug.' Is it the intense focus on words that keeps you from tripping dizzily over your own feet?

Your latest claim to fame in our family is learning how to use the computer. In the past, you were content to sit on the arm of the computer chair, absorbing all that you saw. Now, you have taken the first step toward computer literacy by learning to control the mouse. You enjoy playing a wide variety of computer games, as well as messing up the games of others. For future reference......when someone has minimized their work on the screen, they are planning to return to complete it. You should not, therefore, maximize and delete it. Your father and older siblings spend hours creating and developing gaming strategies, or earning Neopoints....and they don't appreciate your willingness to 'help.' (I think it's cute.)

You and your brother, P, are best buddies 95% of the time. You both are very blessed to have each other to talk to, to play with, and to grow up together. D and B are there for you, too, of course. But P is teaching you what it is like to have a best friend.

Happy Birthday, O! May God bless you each and every day as you learn and grow in His love. We thank God for the miracle of YOU!

How about a spray from my trusty bidet?

Back in the states, the dear children had never seen a bidet. Once we got here, a friend explained how to use one. Although we've never used our bidets for their intended purposes, the little boys have come up with their own creative uses for them.

Let's rewind several months. We were living in the big white house in Khabisi. One afternoon I put the little boys upstairs in separate rooms to nap. The big kids and I buckled down to work in the school room, hoping to finish our lessons uninterrupted for a change. The layout of the house was such that the school room and the bedrooms were on opposite sides of the house. The little boys couldn't hear us (studying math can get rowdy sometimes), and we couldn't hear them.

All of a sudden, in the middle of the math hoopla, my mommy sense started picking up faint distress signals coming from the opposite side of the house. I took off in a flash to rescue whomever was needing my help. I plowed into a sopping, dripping mess in the master bathroom, and P aiming the bidet sprayer at a pitiful, crying O who was drenched and injured.

I'm sure it all started out as great fun. P and O, partners in crime, meeting in the master bathroom to do some experimentation with the water sprayer on the bidet. P, feeling the power of the water spraying through the black nozzle, was most likely not able to stop himself from soaking everything in the bathroom: walls, towels hanging on the racks, the shower curtain, the bathmat, the floor, and finally.......his little brother. O, getting more excited by the second at seeing water flying everywhere, no doubt started laughing wildly, encouraging P to test the limits of the bidet spray......"Hit the ceiling!" he may have shouted. Since no one can expect a 2 year old to stand still when water is flying, O probably started jumping around like a wild monkey, trying to splash in the 2 inches of water that was collecting on the bathroom floor. This is when his fun must have ended abruptly. Moms and lifeguards aren't talking to thin air when they tell kids not to run and jump when there's water on the floor. Poor O slipped and fell, and had a huge lump on his head to remind him days later of his bathroom frolicking. P, on the other hand, was caught red handed with his six shooter in action and hardly a drop of water on his clothes.

Fast forward to last week. Different house, different bidet sprays. Only this time it was O's turn to 'test the waters.' The little boys were put to bed for the night. The big kids were washing dishes, having their water fun for the evening. As I'm picking up the days' clutter, my 'mom sense' goes off again. I hear a little voice echoing down to me from the boys' bedroom........a chant of sorts......flush! flush! flush! flush! I sent Brn upstairs to investigate. O had flooded the floor of the boys' bathroom. He would have succeeded in soaking the entire bathroom if it had not been for P's encouraging cheer. Thank goodness for drains in the bathroom floors and a handy dandy mop within arm's reach!

Ibn Battuta Mall

On our second trek to Dubai, we visited the Ibn Battuta Mall. The idea for the mall comes from the adventures of a man named Ibn Battuta. Each section of the mall represents a different country that Ibn Battuta explored. The decor is absolutely beautiful. I think it ranks right up there with the National Cathedral in America. We enjoyed the scenery so much that we only went into one store in the entire mall. Here are a few pictures:

This is Tunisia


Persia, my favorite area








Welcome to Egypt!


Giddyup horsie!


Looking up in India


A replica of a working clock that Ibn Battuta saw in India.




China

We don't know if this is a model of Ibn Buttata's ship, but we were impressed with it anyway.

We didn't take pictures of the outside of the mall. It was too hot and humid to stay out any longer than necessary. Although not as breathtaking as the inside, the outside designs also represent each country, giving the appearance of several mini malls connected to one another. The entire family enjoyed this mall experience.

Bss' First Impressions

We made it!! Hooray! After a very long flight with very good children, adjusting to the time change, and ten days of sight seeing and shopping, Brn thought I should share my first impressions. This is my first blog entry, so bear with me.

1. The airport in Dubai is not family oriented. I was met with obstacles as soon as we got off of the plane. I had to make about 20 trips up the escalator to get the children, strollers and carryon bags to the floor where the rest of the airport was after we got off of the plane. We stood for a while in a designated spot, waiting for a cart to pick us up to take us to the other side of the airport. An empty cart drove past us........so we decided to ten toe express it across the airport. It was a very slow process. My 7 year old, who was pulling 2 carryon bags finally sat down and announced that he couldn't go on. I shuffled bags around, gave him a pep talk, and we continued. Little did I know that Brn would not be allowed to come in to help me get all of our luggage through customs. I couldn't find Brn, I couldn't find anyone to help me with our 10 suitcases weighing 70 pounds each, I couldn't figure out how to use the phone to try to call Brn.........and the children were crying. So, I joined them..........all five of us were sobbing. We were so tired. In an instant, it seemed, we had two luggage porters who were paged by an airport employee who was trying to understand what was wrong with us. They helped me through customs, helped me to find Brn, and took the luggage all the way out to the van. If it weren't for them, along with a couple of other very nice ladies who helped me wrestle everything off of the plane when we landed, I wouldn't have been able to manage. Welcome to UAE!
That was the hardest experience for me so far. Brn lost his wallet the next day, which spun us for another loop. But, we're here and we're together. All of that is in the past.

2. Everything smells so good!!! Every store has the aroma of insence wafting through the air. We even have boxes of scented tissue. That was a nice surprise. Usually, when you mix lots of people with really hot weather, you get unpleasant odors.

3. There are walls........many many walls. Houses, parks, etc. are surrounded by walls. When driving down the street, you don't see houses, you see walls. I'm really glad there are lots of trees to look at instead.

4. Trees!!! I'm so excited to see trees and grass!! Much effort has been taken to plant trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. all along the roads, at least here in Al Ain. It really is beautiful. I think seeing all of the plant life has helped to ease my transition to the desert. I have always lived in the southeastern part of the US, which is very lush and green. In fact, the city from which we moved is called 'Greenville!'

5. The gas stations are very nice, too.