the Middle of the Desert, UAE

At the end of February, I went on an overnight camping trip to some unknown coordinates in the middle of the desert with a group of about 40 people. We met up in town, and drove our SUVs and 4x4s out of the city to the open desert. When we reached the point at which we intended to drive off the road, through the sand, and to our "to be determined" camping locale, we stopped to let the air out of our tires (which increases the surface area) and then went Wadi BASHING! (Wadi is the Bedouin word for "dune."



After driving around the desert for a bit, we settled on a camp site and got out of our vehicles. At which time I promptly belted "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!!" (That's the beginning to the Circle of Life in case you were wondering.) I realize we weren't in Africa, but being in the desert with the funny shaped trees made it feel appropriate.



Once we had camp set up, we spent some more time Wadi Bashing until it got dark. After dark it was cool enough to have a fire going, and eat, and be comfortable. We had some musicians with us who played guitar and sang while others of us were drumming. We made a pretty cool sound and had a good time chatting and enjoying each others company.



While we didn't see any lions, as the song says, we did encounter some wandering camels and goats that stopped by for a bite to eat.

Visa Run!, Oman

As a visitor to Dubai, I get my passport stamped on arrival for a 30 day visa. This is the maximum amount of time a visitor is allowed to be in Dubai continuously. Unless of course, you beat the system. Which is what I, and at least hundreds of other Dubai visitors, do every 30 days.

When it gets close to the day that my visa will expire, we make the two hour trek to the Oman border. It's a beautiful drive that begins with passing through the city and leaving it in the dust. The first part of the drive is wide open desert. Passing by golden sands and free range camels, always makes me think of that Matthew West song, "when you look at the desert, do you feel like a grain of sand..."



The latter part of the drive, approaching the border of the UAE and Oman, near a town called Hatta is covered by rocky cliffs and mountains blurred by a haze of dust. I count it a blessing that I get to make this trip every month because it gives me an opportunity to really revel in the beauty of God's creation.



On the way back, after getting my passport stamped for the next thirty days, we typically stop at the Hatta Fort Hotel for lunch. Last time we went we took the kids along and had a swim in the resort pool.




Somewhere along the way is a short strip of shops. We went in one, only to be bombarded by 3 or 4 men who were very interested in making a sale. They dressed me up in some traditional Emirati pieces for dancing. I bought the wrap, because how could I resist "morning price and coke free". I passed on the head wear, however.

Because I'm proud...

Holland, MI- The (second) happiest place on Earth. (okay, okay...in the U.S) (click this link)

All over Dubai!

A long awaited update.....

Sorry, friends, for keeping this from you for so long. I've been so busy living life that I forgot to document it! Fortunately, I've been keeping a journal and I've saved up some good stories for you!

First of all, I can't believe that I've been here for a month and a half already! Time has flown by! I've been able to connect with some of Carla's friends and I've made some of my own, and there is so much to do and see in this city! I feel very comfortable and peaceful here, and I am amazed at quickly I feel at home here. I've also been super blessed to connect with friends and family back home on a fairly regular basis, so I haven't felt to estranged from you all! I have been driving on a regular basis now, for about 4 weeks. I'm quite comfortable with it and have started to be able to figure out how to get places. Although I did have a fender bender with a Pakistani man early on, all was settled and it wasn't a big deal. (except that it was almost impossible to handle the situation because he didn't speak English and I in turn could not speak Urdu.)

AJ and I are making great progress. He has expressed a level of comfort with me that allows me to best help him through emotional difficulties and academic difficulties. He is such a wonderful child, and I love working with him. I've also been able to bond with Marya a bit more and she is much easier to read. We always have fun joking around and digging holes at the beach and going to the pool together.

AJs school had "international day" a couple of weeks ago. Because it's an IB school, it's population is more international than Carla's school, which has a lot of Emirati students. International Day is a celebration of the myriad of cultures in the school. All the students come to school wearing clothes that represent their country in some way. (I wore jeans, sneakers, and a Detroit Tigers t-shirt.) Leave it to the United States to start chanting "USA, USA, USA...." during the line-up. Every classroom represents a country or group of countries and their is food, information, trivia, and games for the kids. They spend the day going from country to country getting a "passport" stamp and learning about different cultures. It was beautiful and a lot of fun.

In other news, my good friend, Claire, who has been working with YWAM (in social justice) over the last few months was flying from Bangalore, India to Auckland, New Zealand and had a bit of a layover in Dubai. This is relevant because I drove to the airport to SEE HER!! It was brief but much anticipated and enjoyed :)

Culture Shock:

• Most students are picked up from school by their drivers or nannies, not their parents.
• Round-a-bouts are difficult to maneuver at first and have no traffic rules (although Carla says it's like "the flow of water," but once you get the hang of them, they're quite fun!
• Every Thursday, on the Catboy and Geordiebird Breakfast Show (our morning radio show) we get to hear "The Thursday Song," which is supposed to get us excited for the weekend. You can hear it here.
  

Arabic lesson:

marhaba- hello

salaam alaykum- greetings
walaykama salaam- greeting response

ma salaama- goodbye

salaam- peace.

inshalah- God willing

al hum duleh la- Praise God

ana ismee...(Tami)...- I am ....(Tami...

Mirdif, Dubai

A Day in the Life

I thought I would post an entry to give you an idea of what my daily life is like here. I'm happy to keep you updated on my adventures too, but what I do everyday with AJ and Marya is the primary reason I'm here and I am loving it! (Although, in the wise words of a friend of mine, it's not without it's challenges, but what in life is?)

As I've mentioned before, the weekdays are Sunday-Thursday.


5:00 AM Wake-Up (unless I'm feeling ambitious and go for a run at 4:30) Between 5 and 6 I am getting ready for school. Packing a lunch, showering etc. The kids and Carla usually wake up around 6.

6:00 AM The kids and Carla are getting up and I assist where I am needed. Whether that is breakfast or clothes or collecting homework.

6:45 AM Ideally, this is when we will leave the house, but typically it is closer to 7.

7:30 AM Drop Carla and Marya off at their school, American Academy for Girls, just down the road. Arrive at AJs school, Uptown Primary.

7:45AM Homeroom begins. During this time, the teacher takes attendance and at some point the UAE National Anthem plays over the loud speakers. The students are required to stand, although only a few students sing along. It reminds me of my childhood, singing the Star Spangled Banner and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in Elementary School.

7:50 AM-2:30 PM This is the duration of AJ's school day. During the day I will "shadow" him in all of his classes (with the exception of PE, Art, Music, and Swimming). His schedule is different every day, but I typically work with him in Maths, Arabic, and Language or UOI (Unit of Inquiry). During these times I help him with reading or writing if he needs it, but try to work with all of the students to create a sense of comfort for him in the classroom. The goal is to help him succeed in the classroom without needing constant assistance. We want to build his confidence and learning skills.

Once during the day, I pull him out for about an hour and work with him on reading and writing and spelling. We use various programs and I try to incorporate reading that is applicable. For example, yesterday we worked on a presentation for the end of the current unit, instead of the typical routine we did some of a normal lesson and then I had him read through his presentation and practice it with me. I think this is important because it gives the reading meaning and it's easier for him. He also really likes to go to the library and choose leveled reading books. Without an education background, I struggle, because I don't exactly know how to teach him to read, but I am working with a program that, Maria (his previous shadow) and the Special Ed teacher pioneered for him. (However, I am accepting any input from those of you with an education background :))

2:40 PM At this time AJ and I head over to AAG, and wait for Marya to finsih with school and Calra to finish work. Marya is done at 3:30 and then the kids typically go down to the playground and play. I always check to see if they want to start their homework now, but they usually need a break. Carla finishes work around 4:30 or 5, and in that time I am usually reading or writing letters, or journaling.

5:30 PM Arrive back at home. Now I try to go for a run, and Carla and I make sure the kids get dinner and we find something ourselves. Carla is taking online courses, so she often does her work when we get home and I help the kids with their homework. Then they watch TV or play video games or play outside, and I usually e-mail, read, skype, prepare for the next day etc.

The week night evenings have been quite simple and low key for now, but am starting to make friends, so maybe I will find people to go to the cinema with or watch sport or shop and whatnot.

So there you have it! A day in the life :)

The Springs 2, Street 3, Villa 12

One week. One week has passed since I arrived in Dubai. It's amazing to me because I feel as though I have been here for so much longer. In one week I have learned so much, seen so much, and taken in more new stimuli than I could have imagined. While the jet lag fades, my mind still works. Processing each smell, each word, each accent, each sight, each day as if it's the first I've ever experienced. And that, my friends, is EXHAUSTING!

I arrived in Dubai Friday January 1st around midnight, but did not find myself at Carla's home until well after 1am. Because of the excitement, and the time change, I stayed up and unpacked and showered. I slept most of the day Saturday, and spent the rest of the day unpacking, talking to the kids, and just relaxing. On Sunday, Carla had a "professional day" at the school she works at, but the kids did not have school, so they walked me around the compound.

My first week consisted of spending every day in AJ's school with him. Essentially what I will be spending the majority of my time here doing is "shadowing" for AJ. AJ is 10, and is a clever boy who is fun loving and dedicated to his school work. However, he struggles with some of his academics. My job as a "shadow" is to follow him around school and work with him (in the context of his classes) or work with groups of students that include him as he gains the skills to complete his work. This week I focused on meeting his teachers and classmates so I can understand the context that he is working in. I have also been working hard to build a relationship with him. We have been getting along fine and I can already see a change as he warms up to me. Below is a photo of AJ's classroom.

I also work with his sister Marya, but not as closely. Mostly I help her to keep organized and stay on top of her school work. She is also a dedicated student and they both are very motivated to accomplish the tasks at hand and do well. This has made a huge difference in working with them.

In the time spent at home I hang out with the family, and am grateful to be living with former Glen Lakers. The kids have shown me around the compound and I have done some wandering on my own. We live in an area called "The Springs" which is part of a larger compound called "Emirates Hills." When I first started wandering around I made sure to ask Carla what to tell someone if I get lost and need help finding my way. In essence, everything looks the same! Dubai is developing insanely fast, and it is faster, more efficient, and less expensive to build communities that are identical. So my mantra.."the springs 2, street 3, villa 12." Below are two separate fake lakes with in the compound. I think I know where I'll be running for the next 6 months.

I think I'm fairly well adjusted to the time change, but I am constantly taking in new information and sights. Soon I will be driving, and that will be an adventure as the driving is fast and insane here.

This weekend we celebrated AJ's 10th birthday! He will have a party with friends next week, but his birthday was Saturday. We had cake and ice cream and went to the beach to fly is new kite.

This is the Burj Al Arab, a hotel.

culture shock:

• the other day we passed a large walled in area that was quite ostentatious. I asked Carla, "what's in there?" She replied, "a house." I said, "just ONE person's HOUSE!?" She responded, "well, there are probably four or five houses for his WIVES."

• I can already speak and write some Arabic. A young girl named Yara, in AJs class, has been teaching me during recess. She would rather stay in and get ahead in her work, so I've been employing her as my private Arabic tutor. YAY!

on the left is Yara, and on the right Awatif.

• when I get up i can hear the Islamic Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer call from the Mosque down the street. It's quite peaceful.

What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?

"To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends..."
-A Letter by Shane Claiborne

I would add that believers' eyes can be opened by this letter too.

http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/shane-claiborne-1209

Niagara Falls, New York

love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.love.

This has become my new mantra. Lately I've been pondering th

e VALUE of Christ's love. Step back. Jesus Christ, the LORD of all creation, said that YOU and I are worthy of His mercy, grace, forgiveness, freedom, life, and LOVE, when he came, died on the cross and rose again to defeat death. The outpouring of God's love onto us came through through the sacrifice of Jesus. Love others is only possible through Christ's love. We don't earn our salvation, we are filled by the Holy Spirit and overflow the love into the world.

Last week, I and several other adults, took a group of Junior Hight students on a mission trip to the Niagara Falls community in New York state. It was a beautiful opportunity to get to know some of the students. One thing I've learned about ministry is that relationships matter. There is a lot going on in the heart and mind of a junior high student it investing in them makes a difference. In theory, ministry is teaching. In practice, it's love.

The students were enlightened by the wonderful Youth Works staff as they learned about service. I saw students come out of their shells and spread joy, life and love to the community of Niagara Falls. It was beautiful to watch these students learn about the freedom they have in Christ and see them share that through their relationships and service with the people in Niagara.

The Real World?

As I begin to think about where I might go and what I might do following my graduation next December, I am more and more aware of the many available venues there are to keep in touch with those I care about. So I've decided to come back to this blog, that I used previously on my travels to Colorado and Australia, to update you all on my travels through life.

Right now, the most current information is that I am a Senior at Hope College in Holland, MI. While I had intended to graduate this upcoming May (and that is when most of my classmates will graduate), changed majors, double majoring, and studying abroad have tweaked my schedule so that I will now receive my diploma in December of 2009. However, as there is no ceremony for December graduates I will walk in May with my classmates.

As for now, I am finishing up coursework and beginning a year-long internship with Ridgepoint Church. Ridgepoint is a non-denominational church, that, in my opinion, is very successful at reaching out to the community around them. This is a manifestation of faith that I particularly value, and I am excited to be involved in this program.



I will be working with the Jr. and Sr. High Youth programming throughout the year. The internship has begun with my observation of the current programming and will culminate in my planning and executing an entire service for each age group. I'll keep you posted!

Waiheke Island and Devonport, New Zealand

As I went to post a new entry I discovered this unpublished draft of a brief adventure in New Zealand. It might be two years late, but here ya go!

Our second day in New Zealand, we took a ferry to an Island 30 minutes off the coast of New Zealand called Waiheke Island. It was a small country island with curvy roads, rolling hills, and sandy beached sprinkled with shells. We walked to the quiet town of Oneroa, and searched for shells off Oneroa Bay. After a peaceful walk we caught the ferry back to Devonport, a town across the harbor from Auckland. Devonport was filled with shops and restaurants and hikes up hills where the view of the city center, and the panorama of the volcanic Rangitoto Island proved to be majestic. We hiked up to the lower of the two major hills, and frolicked in the grass. When it started to rain we watched the city almost completely vanish under the misty gray fog. After the storm let up we hiked back down to Devonport and caught our ferry back to the city. We went for a farewell dinner with our friends and we're packing up our bags to head home. See you in the snow!!

Waitakere National Park, Auckland, New Zealand

We left Australia the other day. It was a tearful goodbye, mostly because I left great friends, some of whom I may never see again. But never the less I carry with me great memories. My time in Australia was nothing but memorable. I am riveted by the amazing things I saw and experienced. I am educated in new ways by different professors. I was stretched and challenged only to be grown and strengthened. I can only hope I will be able to express in words what the experience was for me. But for now, I'll tell you about our holiday in New Zealand.

Our first day n Auckland we went canyoning in Waitakere Nationonal Park. We started the day by suiting up in full on wet suits, harnesses and helmets. Then we hiked for about 30 minutes up the mountainside until we reached the falls. From there we repelled down three waterfalls, and swam in ice cold pools of fresh water.




We dove through caves, and jumped off cliffs and we even fed and pet an eel named "puppy"!


The day proved to be exhausting, but magical.

Even More Sydney, Baby!

Day 3
On Sunday, Nova, Elizabeth and I woke up to go on a Blue Mountains Tour. We first stopped at a Wildlife park where we could once again pet Koalas and Kangaroos and see Dingos and Wombats. 

On our way from the Wildlife park to Scenic World, we stopped at a lookout point with a spectacular view of the blue mountains, named for the blueish haze that lingers over the scenery. From Echo Point we had a phenomenal view of the Three Sisters, rock formations with a legend. The legend is that three aboriginal sisters fell in love with three men from a neighboring tribe, but were forbidden to marry due to tribal law. A battle ensued, and in an effort to protect the three sisters, they were turned into stone by a witch doctor. The witch doctor was killed in battle and was the only one who could turn them back, thus the sisters remain forever as stone. 

 

After spending some time there, we bussed our way up to Scenic World. Seeing the Blue Mountains the way tourists were intended to see them. We took the steepest railway in the world down a mountainside to get to a trail, then we walked through the forest and found our way to the cable car to go slowly up the mountainside taking in the view, with our camera lenses pressed up against the glass walls with 35 other tourists. 

More Sydney, Baby!

Day 2

Saturday morning we woke up early to walk over to Sydney's famous Paddington Markets. It's basically a gigantic market with a ton of stands set up selling everything from food to clothing to your regular old wigs! They had at least a hundred stands, with more junk (and some really good stuff) than I have ever seen! It was wonderful!

After we spent some time at the markets we walked over to Darling Harbour and caught a tour ferry to the Opera House. From the water we were able to see the beautiful view of both the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It was the reason we were there, the iconic view, it was Sydney, to the eye of a traveller. We all took at least 30 pictures of the bridge and the Opera house from about 5 slightly different angles, thus categorizing us as the typical tourist.


Then we went to lunch. A few of us had lunch at a cute little sandwich shop and then we all split ways. Nova, Joanna and I took another ferry to a point further down the harbour giving us yet another view of the Opera house as well as allowing us to see the Prime Minister's house (comparable to our White House) and giving us a fantastic view of the Sydney skyline on a sunny day.

Then Nova and I walked across the bridge, a breathtaking view of the city (including the Opera House), and walked around a theme park known as Luna Park. After we walked back we took a nice short break before getting ready for dinner and drinks for Claire's birthday.

Saturday was warmer, busier, and more tiring, but all in all it was worth the exhaustion.

Sydney, Baby! NSW, Australia

Day 1

On Friday November 9th at 3:00 am, my roommate and our friends Matt and Jordan were brutally awaken by our alarm clocks to get ready for our 6:20 am flight to Sydney, the most well known city in Australia. We called a cab on a rainy morning and rode to the airport. As we were boarding the plane, a rainbow reassured us of the weather and we smiled as we set off for our adventure in Sydney.


After an hour long flight to Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, we arrived in the airport. We caught a shuttle bus to our Hostel, Harbour City Backpackers, and checked in. After receiving our keys and heading up the stairs, I opened the door to our room, looked in, paused, and closed the door. My friends, confused by my actions, looked at me quizzically as I explained that there was someone sleeping in my bed! So, I went down to the front desk and had the following conversation:

Me: Ummm, there's a strange man sleeping in our room.
Girl at Desk: (not remotely shocked about this finding) Really? what room are you in?
Me: 202
Girl: hmm, 202.....Ooooh It's just Dave.
Me: just Dave!?
Girl (picks up phone): Hi, can you get Dave out of 202, I've booked some people in that room.
Girl (to me): OK, you should be all set!

Moral of the story, it's JUST Dave sleeping in my bed, and, well, I guess it's better to know that it was just Dave than to not know who was there before!!!

After Dave left, we settled into our room, and headed out to the city. Friday was a cool, cloudy day, but the rain held off while we explored. We first had lunch at a restaurant that our cohorts raved about, called "Pancakes on the Rocks." "The Rocks" is a historical village in Sydney, which was the site of the first European Settlement in 1788. It was originally the first Convict town, but is now a Port City housing many shops, galleries, restaurants, and even weekly markets. 

After finishing our pancake lunch, we hopped a train to Sydney's Olympic Park. What we envisioned to be a bustling tourist activity was quite the contrary. The park was nearly empty, almost like the feeling of a theme park in the off season. We wandered through the entrance finding a monument area with pillars naming events and athletes from the 200 Olympics. To go into the main stadium, you have to book a tour, so instead we visited the gift shop. We then walked over to the Athletic Center. The Athletic Center is what used to be the warm up arena. The track from the main stadium was relayed into the Athletic center after the Olympics to allow for a more purposeful stadium. The warm up track was then relayed in a stadium for the junior Olympics. It was exciting for my roommate and I to run a lap on the 2000 Olympic track!!

We also visited the Aquatic center where our other friend swam in the Olympic pool. Although it was disappointing to not find a crowded, magical tourist hot spot, it wasn't until after we learned more about the stadium that we felt content. We discovered that after the Olympics memorabilia was only manufactured for a short while longer and tends to sell out almost immediately, thus explaining the lack of souvenirs. We also learned that, of course, they cannot only use the site as a tourist attraction. Because of the millions of dollars that went into building the stadium, they now use it for other activities and events. Seating was removed, and buildings were changed and renamed. The area is known as "Olympic Park", but the buildings are only the "Athletic Center", "Aquatic Center", "Telstra Stadium", and others. The official "Olympic Stadium" is now in Bejiing, and will be wherever the most current Olympics are after that. It has changed drastically, but was none-the-less an educational experience. 

Following our self-guided tour of Olympic Park, we took the train back to Darling Harbour. Darling Harbour is parallel to Sydney Harbour and is the home of the Sydney Aquariam, Wildlife World, Convention Center, and Chinese Friendship Gardens. It is also the home of ferries, restaurants and shops, it is basically a suburb of Sydney. When we got to Darling Harbour, we went into the Aquarium and saw hundreds of water creatures. We found Nemo (and Dori, and Marlin too!) , stared at a crocodile, and walked under the famous tunnel while watching turtles and sharks swim over head. We even saw penguins!!! 

After the Aquarium we walked back to Wooloomooloo, the suburb where our Hostel was, and had dinner at a small Italian restaurant before retiring to the Hostel for some much needed rest. 

Brisbane, QLD, Australia: BCC Brissy Trip!

This Saturday a group of people from the Bond Christian Connection group, got together and drove up to Brisbane to spend the day. We started by walking through the Botanical Gardens, and going up to the Mt. Coot-tha lookout where we could see the whole city! It was beautiful!
The Girls

The Guys

We then drove to Jono's Church, parked the cars , and walked to the Museum of Brisbane to go up into the clock tower.

Another excellent view!

Afterwards we walked around Queen St. and did some shopping. We also took the CityCat which is the "bus" for the Brisbane river. We spent some time on Southbank walking around, and then we went back to the cars to drive to a Vegetarian restaurant for dinner! I think it's safe to say that I am in love with Brisbane.

Surfer's Paradise and Currumbin, QLD, Australia

This weekend was good. I took some time to myself and was refreshed. I also had some fun!

Friday night I went out with a friend to a bar in Surfer's Paradise called "minus 5". It's one of 6 in the world. (all in Australia and New Zealand.) Everything in the bar is made of ice. From the glasses to the furniture! It's phenomenal! An art form, really. You can order only Absolut Vodka drinks, because Absolut is a sponsor, and because the Vodka won't freeze. They keep the juice and other non-vodka ingredients in a cooler, which ironically acts as a heat insulator, keeping them from freezing. You are given booties, two pair of gloves, and a parka on arrival and are allowed to stay in for only 30 minutes. It was the essence of a Michigan winter, and a fun experience!!


Saturday, my roommate and I took a bus to Currumbin Beach and rented surfboards from a man in a van! We spent the day surfing and hanging out on the beach, and walking over to Elephant rock. It was sunny and beautiful! Despite my efforts to apply and re-apply sunscreen all day, I got a little bit sunburnt, but not bad, and my first one in the "Sunburnt Country!"



Sunday, after church, my friend Jennifer and I went to my favorite restaurant in Australia, "Pancakes in Paradise." Under challenge from a guy friend we set out to eat 6 pancakes each. The record there is one 19 year old girl who ate 24 pancakes in an hour! We ordered the all you can eat special and got to work. It took us two hours (we did play with our food a bit) to finish our six pancakes each, but we did it, and we felt miserably full for it!! It was a days adventure none the less!!!!