TGIT(hursday)

Since the week ends on Thursdays instead of Fridays in the Arab world it is finally the weekend. This week has been full of not only great things but stressful and hard moments. One of the things I love so very much is when even when I want to be stressed or bothered by somethingI can't manage to stay that way because so many good things happen. This is what today was like. After classes I started this post and nearly finished it before I left to go out with people from my team. The original post was essentially my rants of why I was bothered by things this week and what was the source of my stress. Now that I am home from my evening with friends I realize that those are just minor things and that I need to get a little perspective I decided to rewrite it. Yes, things are different and require an adjustment period but I am incredibly blessed to be here and should be grateful that I am even experiencing something this unique. (With that being said, it would not be a fair representation of my time here at AUS without sharing some of the downs along with all of the ups so I will add those in the blog from time to time.)

The reason this week was so intense was not only did I have classes (5 to be exact which seems like so much compared to the 3 courses a term I am used to) but also three hour long practices every night and a ton of logistical nightmares. It is incredibly chaotic to be an exchange student because not only do you have to handle all of the legal paperwork that comes with residency permits and visas but also all of the new student procedures at the university (and unfortunately not all universities are as organized and streamlined as the ones in the states). This week we were almost daily told we had to do something within 24 hours in order to avoid charges (i.e. register for the health clinic, get student ID, etc). While it isn't anyone's fault that all of this went the way it did it was just a lot for us to juggle in one week.

Today also marks week two of being here which means the honeymoon phase is starting to ware off. Don't get me wrong I am still loving it here and having a great time but this week was the first time I processed a lot of the cultural differences and found myself struggling with some of them. Independence being the big one. With a mandatory curfew in the dorms, physically having to be checked in by a supervisor each night, and having people checking in with us several times a day, it is a little overwhelming for someone who has lived away from home for going on 3 years now. Despite the fact I am considered an adult in the US, here I am treated like a high schooler again. It really isn't the end of the world but just something I am trying to adjust to and figure out how to be the complete (at times hard headed, independent, outgoing, loud...) Tanya within this culture.

With all of this being said, these growing pains are only temporary because I had a great evening. I messaged all of the girls on my volleyball team this afternoon to see who wanted to get dinner and one of the girls invited me to come with her and her friend. We got in a cab and rode to the Dubai Mall (largest mall in the world) for dinner and a movie. If I had to describe the mall in one word it would be EXCESSIVE. I know people say that everything is bigger in America (slash Texas) but this mall was so over the top. There as a giant aquarium, a candy store larger than my house, two randomly placed water falls, a diamond section (ft. brands such as Harry Winston), an ice rink, an indoor theme park type thing, a four story movie theater and every store/restaurant anyone would ever need (and that is just the beginning of it all). And as weird as it sounds even their bathrooms were excessively large. I could no joke stand in the stall with arms out and spin in a circle and not hit the walls. Who needs that much space? Oh did I mention it is 4 stories high? (3 above the ground and one below) I honestly had no words. We ate at the Cheese Cake factory (I know, I know, how American. But they wanted to eat there so I didn't mind) and then wandered around before the movie. My friend said she wanted to take me to the Burj Khalifa. At that point I had no relative idea of where we were in relation to the Burj so I just followed slightly confused. As we got closer we heard music and as we walked outside there it was. The Dubai fountain and the Burj Khalifa. That was an amazing moment. It was like the first time I saw the Colosseum and was in shock that it was the Colosseum but this time it was the Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa up close. I didn't get too many great pictures because I was just watching but I will be back for sure. After the movie some of the girls were hungry so they went to Texas Roadhouse. We had to head back to Sharjah for curfew so we couldn't stay and eat a second dinner with them but we sat with them for a little bit to talk and eat peanuts. Though it was not necessarily the most Middle Eastern night it was just what I needed...a good night with friends. I am so blessed by the volleyball team and thankful for each and everyone one of them. They have helped me through this week's growing pains so much!

In front of the aquarium in the Dubai Mall

There is so much going on here it is simply overwhelming

Hello there Burj Khalifa

Random fountain in the mall with statues of divers....like i said, excessive

Home away from Home, Texas Roadhouse! Country music and all

Tomorrow we have a scavenger hunt in Dubai with CIEE so I am sure I will have stories to share! Until next time here are some sunset pictures of the Dubai skyline I snapped in the cab.