All things Abu Dhabi

 

not sure how in the world the middle easterners use the ‘shower nozzle’ after going to the bathroom, I would end up soaking wet!  my kids enjoyed spraying down the bathroom the other day.. sheesh.

I found this toilet running after God knows how long (the one on the left). It has a faucet type contraption on the top.. And the lucky user of this toilet also gets a shower nozzle (hanging on the wall).  I also noticed a soap dish next to the bidet.  I don’t know about y’all but I don’t ever find a ‘need’ for this sort of thing.. maybe it is all that curry they eat?!!

oh the kitchen, no words necessary.. LOL.

lets go from left to right here… Bottled water thingy that has steaming hot water (yes, we are concerned about when Will will find this).  The dishwasher would be next, then obviously the fridge, then the washer AND dryer (same unit). It washes about 3 items of clothing at a time. and on the countertop above is the microwave.

 

at least the living room is very comfortable and nice looking!  After a looong day here at the apartment, we went to Khalidiya Mall.. WOW i cannot wait to spend  some real time in there.. 3 stories of wonderfulness and LuLu’s is built in.. this is a huge department store with a grocery store on the first floor.

walking in to Khalidiya Mall.

wow.. that is familiar!

we ate dinner at Chili’s last night (in the food court)

 

This is a play area in the mall called Sparky’s.. yes that is a roller coaster you see in there. Audrey was dying to go in, but we were pushing it with time and wanted to avoid the meltdowns..

something that will take some time to adjust to is the traditional Muslim clothing.  being 100% honest it was startling at first.  I didn’t realize how many people here wore the traditional clothing.  Some wear a Red and white checkered head cover… I catch myself staring, just because it is soooo different than what we wear back in the USA. 

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

This is a Thobe: A long robe worn by Muslim men. The top is usually tailored like a shirt, but it is ankle-length and loose. The thobe is usually white but may be found in other colors especially in winter. The term may also be used to describe any type of loose dress worn by men or women.

Today I saw a woman with two small kids at the mall wearing this style burka but in black. I am really impressed she can keep her eyes on the kids and shop being fully covered.  I have a hard time using my peripheral vision with my hair down… Lots and Lots of women, teens and even kids wear all different styles of burka’s and abayas.  now go back up to the picture of inside the mall *the three story picture – see how many men were wearing the traditional clothing.. and lots  were not.