Here is our flat!  It is a corner unit on the 17th floor.  If you look closely out the windows you can see our view.  Right now it is of quite a bit of construction but we can see the water and wonderful architecture around us.    

We have a very long hallway with the bedrooms and bathroom on one end and the living room on the other.  The kitchen is off of the hallway (a separate room not overlooking the living room like we are use to) as is a half bath.  All of the flooring is tile so it is fairly easy to clean and Trevor likes that there is plenty of flat space to run his cars. 

Our living room

Dining room on the other end of the living room

Our long hallway.  The first door is the half bath and the second is our kitchen

Trevor's room!  He picked out his own comforter.

Our bedroom

After such a wonderful experience at El Sombrero we were talked into coming back for the Easter brunch the very next day.  It was a splurge that was well worth it.  Once again the Sheraton staff knew exactly how to take care of every parent at the brunch--watch the kids so the parents could enjoy a fabulous buffet!!  I have decided that there is no better way to eat lamb loin than to wrap it in bacon!!  The food was truly top quality and very diverse, and yes the bacon was real pork--not "beef" bacon as you so often find over here as a sub-par substitute for that fabulous meat candy!  The salmon eggs benedict, the satay chicken and beef, the PORK CHOPS, the sushi, and of course the DESSERT was all a wonderful respite from our traditional shwarma's.  We truly indulged and it felt a bit more like Thanksgiving rather than Easter.  It is a good thing that they put a three hour time limit on this lunch otherwise they may have had to ask us to remove our tent from the dining room later that evening.  We did take full advantage of the free child care services offered by the wait staff once again and ate until we could not eat any more.  I believe we fasted for the following 24 hours because neither one of us was very hungry!  Trevor got to paint Easter Eggs and play with other children his age, and he did run back to the table for a bite every once in a while--that is until dessert came, undivided attention at that point!  It may be next Easter (or Thanksgiving) before we get back to the Sheraton but it was definitely a world class brunch that we enjoyed to the fullest!

Mexican Restaurant in the Middle East---not the easiest cuisine to come by!!  It may not be the most authentic but El Sombrero at the Sheraton definitely gets an A for effort!  We finally were able to give this place a try after many hours of searching on the internet and the staff did not disappoint.  We still have not gotten accustomed to eating after 8 o'clock at night so when we knocked down the door at 6:30 when they opened we were the only customers in the joint.  Trevor was able to get his favorite, chips and beans, and the salsa wasn't too bad either.  When he started getting restless our wonderful waitress told Erin to go sit and eat and she led Trevor around the restaurant so that he could wander and we could eat in peace.  WONDERFUL!!  She took the sombrero off of the wall and Trevor thought he was one pretty cool cat.  He played the drums and maracas since the band could not be bothered with showing up at such an obscene hour.  He had so much of the wait staff's attention that when another group wandered in I felt bad that there was nobody to seat them until they interrupted Trevor's little parade through the restaurant.  The staff was so enamored by Trevor that they all insisted he have his picture with "President Obama."  They were all very proud that their manager was our President's look alike!!  Trevor took a moment out of his busy evening for a quick photo op.  It may not have been the most authentic Mexican food but we will definitely go back for the flavors of the Southwest!

Salam, from the sandbox beyond the sea...  It has been quite some time since our last post, due to many changes in our familiar routine.  We have been in our "permanent" housing for about two and a half weeks now and we have a little ways to go before it feels like home.  Moving--without a vehicle, (we have chosen to wait to get one until we absolutely have to--we are hoping to get one when we come back from summer break but are in no hurry to get one now) in a foreign country, and into a high rise apartment comes with many adjustments.
     We are now located in between Airport road and Muroor road just off of 31st street, for those of you who like to play with Google Maps.  We are in an area that most cabbies know as the "teacher towers" but they are officially called the Danat Towers (A and B)  We are in Danat B on the 17th floor.  Good thing labor is cheap because that's a lot of stairs to move furniture up!  Fortunately we have kept things small and everything has fit in the "lift" so far.  Trevor thinks it is pretty clever to live in a "Flat" and ride the "Lift."  Not the language we thought he may pick up over here but believe it or not much more common than the Arabic we thought we would encounter.  Doesn't hurt that most of our good friends here come from the U.K. or New Zealand.  The views from our windows are great... we see much of the eastern side of the city, all the way to the Gulf and we are high enough that the generators a just a dull moan below.  Oh yea, we are in some of the first buildings to be completed on this property and it is a major construction zone all around!  Can't wait to see it when it's done but that will probably be near the end of our 2 years here.  Perfect timing!!  Other than the construction it is nice for Erin to be another 10 minutes closer to work.  Her commute is now only about 20-25 minutes away and she rides with other teachers that live here in these towers.  Trevor enjoys many mornings at the pool which is conveniently located 3 floors above on the roof.  The fitness center is state of the art and getting much use.  Unfortunately the Shwarma's are not quite as conveniently close every other restaurant that you could want does deliver--there is no charge and the drivers have a grin on their face from one ear to the other when you bless them with a 10 Dirham tip.  A small price to pay for anyone brave enough(or crazy enough) to ride a motorcycle or a bike on these streets with a Shwarma strapped to his back!  Pictures will follow when the flat is a bit more settled, but we are still alive and kicking and the mercury is a rising...

All of our blogs have been about our adventures here in Abu Dhabi but I have not shared my biggest adventure - the classroom!  I work off island in an area called Shawamekh.  I am at an all boys school and I teach one first grade class and one fourth grade class. Every teacher has two classes but I am the only one who splits grades.   When I first arrived at the school I saw a large tan building that blended into the desert surroundings but once in the front doors I was bombarded with color!  Every window and wall is covered with art!  The students wear kandoras that are some shade of white or tan, but underneath they wear bright T-shirts and pants that they use for P.E.  The school day is from 7:15 am to 1:15 pm. The first part of the day is assembly  then my day is split into two big chunks.  Class one (the grades flip flop each day) is from 7:30 until 9:55.  Break is until 10:15, I get prep until 11, then class two is 11 until 1:15.  The teachers have work time until 2:00 when we are then free to leave.  I teach English, Science and Math and when the students are not with me they are learning Arabic, Islamic studies, Computers, Art, Social Studies and P.E. in Arabic with Arabic speaking teachers.

This is the view around my school.  Low buildings, all tan or white,
and lots and lots of sand!

The outside of my school (but inside the gate).

The gate of the school.  It is closed with the students are here
and is only opened when the buses arrive and leave.

Another view of the outside with our school sign.

One of the two covered courtyards.  This is outside the third
and fourth grade wings.  The boys eat and play here during
their breaks.

The other courtyard outside the first and second grade wing.

All of the walls and windows are covered with colorful artwork.  The artwork
is either scenes of landscapes or reminders of what it takes
 to be a good student.

One of the landscapes.  This is painted on plywood and mounted
over a green hilly landscape that is on every wall in both courtyards.

Another view of the painted walls.  This is the flag pole where
the daily morning assembly is held.  The kids sing the U.A.E
national anthem and a small group of kids play instruments along
with them.  It is a great way to start the day.

This is the outside of my First grade classroom.

The inside of my First grade classroom.  My window overlook
the football field.  One of the green areas in the school. 

The other side of the room.

My Fourth grade room is in the back left corner.  The staircase
is one of many that lead up to the computer room, library
and resource room. 

The drinking fountain and wash area.  

Bulletin boards are posted around the school filled with pictures
and examples of students work.

2012 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
     Trevor loved getting up close to all of the motorcycles and jeeps prior to the time trials that set the starting line up for the desert challenge.  The track was set up right next to the Marina mall and free to attend.