Countdown to Abu Dhabi: Forty-Four Days (give or take a week or two)...

I want my e ticket. I want to know when I will be leaving for Abu Dhabi. I want, I want, I want.. I am a true American. We were told to be prepared to leave anywhere from August 8-12, maybe a few days earlier or later. The e ticket could be sent any time between now and August 8.  I probably won't schedule a root canal after August 1.

I will not get my e ticket when I want it because ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) does things on their schedule and right now it is Ramadan, which slows things down to a snail’s pace. I will be packed and ready to leave by August 1^st  though . I have heard stories of previous teachers receiving twenty-four hour's notice for a flight to Abu Dhabi. Hopefully that won’t happen to me.  Hopefully I will have at least two weeks’ notice, but one never knows. I am trying to do away with my Western mind set and adapt to a more relaxed attitude. If I can succeed, it might be good for my blood pressure. 

I have been religiously, almost fanatically, weighing my luggage because we are allowed two bags at 50 lbs each. I am taking a third and paying the extra price, which I have heard is anywhere from $135.00 to $200.00. Found a cheap luggage scale at Target for around $12.00 and it works well.

I have three bags halfway packed and stacked out in the depot where they won't clutter my house:

The plastic bins behind the luggage is where I am tossing teaching supplies that I am deciding day-by-day that I won't need in Abu Dhabi. Believe it or not, not one of the bags weighs over 35 pounds at this point, and one even weighs 30 lbs.

One bag contains nothing but teaching supplies:

 There will probably be a lot less in the teaching bag by the time I get ready to leave. Everyday I go out into the depot, look in the bag, and take one or two items OUT (the plastic bins!).

One bag, of course, holds my clothes and shoes, and the third holds personal household and must have items in Teri's World:

 Yep, those are grits. There is also a mini flashlight, a tape measure, corn bread mix, a fluffy white towel, one box of hair color, seven softcover books, and a battery operated very TINY small hand mixer. And somewhere in there, packed tight, is a partridge in a pear tree.

 One small inner luggage bag holds my over the counter meds, hair products, sunscreen, lotion, and an unopened bottle of Chanel #5:

 Another inner luggage bag holds my UAE voltage flat iron and hair dryer. 

 And just for the record, I do not plan on disposing of a body in Abu Dhabi by tossing it hogtied into the Gulf. The rope is so I can make a makeshift clothesline in the hotel. I also have clothes pins.. I'll be staying in a 5 star hotel,for at least a month, but I don't have a 5 star income to pay for hotel laundry service. 

Miscellaneous items I have not packed away yet include a book light, a 2012-2013 agenda, a new journal (for those mad scribbling moments), phonics flash cards, a rainbow of Sharpies, fine point black Pilot pens (my favorite), Bose earphones, and a pink bowl holder that is perfect for those hot microwave dishes that cause third degree burns.

Oh! And cute shoes! How could I have forgotten about them?? Saving these for work only.But they're cute, huh??

 

that's all folks.....Now, how about that magical Georgia sunset this evening?

Post Script: An American teacher who is currently in Abu Dhabi read this entry and made a few suggestions to my packed items:
Highlighters and other markers (besides Sharpies) are plentiful here. There are Daiso shops in the malls that will have rope and clothespins (if the hotel doesn't have one built in and most do) for a low price (kinda like a Dollar General store). Bring a box or two of Corn Muffin mix, but that can be found here sometimes too. The grits were a great idea, I know people haven't been able to find them here. 
  
Thanks, Cindy, for the suggestions.. means I can pack more books!!