Whenever you move to a new place- down the street or across the world- you notice what's different. We've been in Abu Dhabi since mid-December, and I've been jotting down what I've noticed every few days. Sometimes I catch myself thinking something here is particularly quirky or different, but when I take a step back I realize we have similar tendencies at home. I think it's important for me to constantly think about the similarities, too, or even what's better here, what can be adopted when we eventually leave.
I'll share some of what I notice here from time to time. I'm also loving Lovely Junque's instagram feed- she recently moved to the Middle East, too, and shares her daily observations along with some incredibly pictures. One of my new faves, for sure.
The city of Abu Dhabi (it's also an Emirate, or a kind of state equivalent) doesn't use addresses, per se. The island is on a grid with several main roads heading into the downtown/Corniche area. Recently, the names of these roads have been changed, but people still call them by an old name or a number (from previous address schemes). Buildings themselves don't have addresses, so people give directions using landmarks or the names of buildings ("the restaurant near the BMW building") and you're just supposed to know. The neighborhoods are also named, so sometimes that helps. I carry a map on me at all times.
We have a lovely apartment with great views of two sides of the island. It's open and airy and we're really lucky. Finding housing here is tough and rents can be quite high. There has been lots of talk about eliminating rent caps and whatnot, both here and in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.6 million, but only 20% are Emirati- the vast majority are ex-pats. The country is focused on initiatives to engage locals in employment, etc. that I look forward to learning more about.
And, most of all, I continue to feel so fortunate for this opportunity.
I'll share some of what I notice here from time to time. I'm also loving Lovely Junque's instagram feed- she recently moved to the Middle East, too, and shares her daily observations along with some incredibly pictures. One of my new faves, for sure.
The city of Abu Dhabi (it's also an Emirate, or a kind of state equivalent) doesn't use addresses, per se. The island is on a grid with several main roads heading into the downtown/Corniche area. Recently, the names of these roads have been changed, but people still call them by an old name or a number (from previous address schemes). Buildings themselves don't have addresses, so people give directions using landmarks or the names of buildings ("the restaurant near the BMW building") and you're just supposed to know. The neighborhoods are also named, so sometimes that helps. I carry a map on me at all times.
We have a lovely apartment with great views of two sides of the island. It's open and airy and we're really lucky. Finding housing here is tough and rents can be quite high. There has been lots of talk about eliminating rent caps and whatnot, both here and in Dubai.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.6 million, but only 20% are Emirati- the vast majority are ex-pats. The country is focused on initiatives to engage locals in employment, etc. that I look forward to learning more about.
And, most of all, I continue to feel so fortunate for this opportunity.
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