HAPPY DAYS TO GLOBAL VILLAGE!

March 28, 2013

I really hate to admit this, but, yeah....

LOOP OF SHAME, LOOP OF SHAME,

and we finally arrived 

at the Jumeirah Fishing Marina

(better late than never)

for our half day out on the Arabian Sea
with Happy Days Sailing/Fishing!!  

Our Captain pointed out this new construction...

one of Sheikh Khalifa's wives 

is having a home built right there on the beach!

LOOKED AWESOME!

   

I have to confess
  all I expected to catch were rays -- sun rays, that is!

Matt was ready!
  

So all of us were wildly excited when the 

fish started biting

and we kept reeling them in!

  

We caught enough fish to actually keep!

We hopped back in the car and headed  
to Al Maya grocery store

where they were cleaned for FREE!

Here's Matt (who admittedly hates the smell of fish)

holding the bag outside the car window 
on our way to the store!
(Oh, I'd highly recommend Happy Days Fishing!)

  

We raced home, changed, picked up John,

and headed to Global Village.

Matt found the food court to be mighty interesting!

 

And that's the only picture I took in Global Village!

We had so much to see

I didn't remember to take my camera out!

But I did get a moment to take a photo of Matt

taking a picture of the Global Village sign on our way home!

   

But here is the PICTURE OF THE DAY,

taken in Global Village!

Yes, we had a Happy Day today!!

INSHALLAH PLAYS AT WOOF!

Yes, INSHALLAH turned 5 months old today!

And what did she do to celebrate?

She went to WOOF

to play with her friends, of course!

And, as this video will show,  

she has become quite the lap dog!

(And it matters not whose lap she's in!)

  

And while SHALLIE was out partying hard,

Nancy and Matt were in the air, heading to Dubai!

HURRY UP AND GET HERE, GIRVINS!

HURRY UP!*! 

They arrived!  They arrived!
 

And SHALLIE couldn't be happier!!

AL SUFOUH TRAM, DUBAI

PATIENCE.

I need patience every time 
I come across our bridge these days.
One morning John and I noticed
that we had a roundabout!  I swear, it was built overnight!
It's actually a roundabout that isn't quite a roundabout
because there is still a traffic signal. 
 

Therein lies my frustration.

It literally takes FOUR LIGHTS to cross our bridge
  and it makes me CRAZY.
There will be NO ONE in the roundabout, 
but the bridge will be packed with cars stopped at the light! 
They are building the Al Sufouh Tram down
the middle of the bridge.  

Yes, I am frustrated every time I'm on said bridge!

Until I saw this, that is.

(Thanks, Katie, for sending it to me!)

Now that I can see the result of all of this chaos,

I vow to be more patient!

DEEP BREATH.  DEEP BREATH.  DEEP BREATH.

It promises to be AWESOME when it is completed.

But I have a feeling we will be long gone by 

the time the tram

rolls peacefully through a construction-free Marina!     

AND, JUST LIKE THAT, THEY WERE GONE!

MARCH 22, 2013 

Everyone who visits Dubai

needs to go out on a frond on PALM JUMEIRAH,

and stand in the warm white sand 

by the sparkling aqua water, 

that overlooks the next frond with its row of beautiful villas,

with the tall buildings of the Marina in the background!  

And so we did!  

Off we went to the ATLANTIS, 

where Brianna got an education

in how some abaya wearing local women

dress for the beach! 

Then it was high time to go check off something from

Jackie and Brianna's bucket list.....

swimming with the dolphins at the Atlantis's

DOLPHIN ADVENTURE! 

This was, without a doubt,

AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!

The joy beaming from Brianna's face

was

PRICELESS!

 

They joined up with Dan and Nathan at

AQUAVENTURE,

for a day of beautiful beaches, water slides, lazy rivers,

and, of course,

THE LEAP OF FAITH! 

And while the Linds enjoyed some family time

at AquaVenture,

John and I headed to Abu Dhabi to see

ANDREA BOCELLI

live, in concert, under the stars!

  

And, just like that, DAY SIX was over!

MARCH 23, 2013 

We were back on the road to Abu Dhabi 

the next morning to tour the

SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE!

The sun was shining and the sky was bright blue....

PERFECT conditions to photograph

the breathtakingly beautiful bright white mosque!

Thank goodness Brianna brought her

recently purchased abaya, 

because she was required to wear it to enter.

 

The girls wore the abayas....

and the boys wore the kandoras!

(Except for Nathan -- he got away with wearing shorts!)

Dan looked just like a local - 

except for his white skin and light hair, of course!

Lunch at TGI-Fridays

(should be named TGI-THursdays in the UAE!)

to celebrate 

JOHN'S BIRTHDAY!

(Big Man Coming!)

 

And, thanks to Nathan,

every single crumb was thoroughly enjoyed!

We did a drive by through Yas Island of the

YAS MARINA CIRCUIT and FERRARI WORLD,

but had to rush back to Dubai

for last minute packing,

and a farewell hug for

Shallie!

   

Then off to St. Mary's for mass

to celebrate Palm Sunday!

 

On to Festival City for their

LAST minute shopping,

their LAST minute in shorts and flip flops

and our LAST DINNER together

for awhile!

  

Thanks Dan, Jackie, Brianna and Nathan,

for coming halfway around the world to visit!

We love you guys and we LOVED showing you Dubai!

See you back in Indianapolis!

  

And, just like that, DAY SEVEN was over!

And, just like that, they were gone.