Firsts

Well, I drove for the first time and it was...interesting. I am sure that I will eventually adjust to the roundabouts; but in the meanwhile I may find myself driving in circles till I decide which way to exit. I am learning my way around a little section at a time and am grateful for the use of taxi's.

Brandon and I saw our first accident up close and personal. Our taxi driver must have seen it coming because he slowed down on the highway and then we saw a bumper fly and a poor VW Bug go spinning. I am so thankful the taxi driver was alert and prepared. I think the incident made Brandon a little less keen on driving here.

We also purchased 2 mobile phones...one for me and one for Brandon. We have the same phone in different colors. Mine is white and his is black. Now he can teach me to use mine. I am much too lazy to read the manual.

It was 107 degrees outside today. Can anyone say, "heat wave". We are most grateful for AC and the way they designed our villas. Almost every room has its own AC control. That means we can keep our bedrooms as cool as we like for sleeping and not freeze out the downstairs level. Aren't they clever?

We had our first movie theater experience here. It was actually one of the nicer theaters we have been in. Oh, and when you buy your tickets, you pick your seats in the theater. That means all the seats are assigned and if there are not enough seats together, we can choose a different showing. Pretty nifty huh?

We are really enjoying our first experiences here. It is quite thrilling to be in a new country interacting with new cultures.

Brandon Bug is 18

Our Bug has turned 18 and we have loved every year the Lord has graciously given us to spend with him!!

He has his first mobile phone ready to make calls in Dubai.

We Have Arrived

Okay, so I (Brandon) am writing this blog post because.... well mom’s rendition was..... boring to say the least. I figured I should revamp it and bring in my own flare and life. :D

We have arrived in Dubai and have been here since the 13th of May. Yes, we have been negligent in our blog posting and are truly sorry. We will try to mend our wicked ways.... truly.

I believe we are all very happy to be one big family again! Since being here we have been running around making our lovely villa more of a home. Mom has been outdoing herself again with her wonderful fashion sense. Couches have been purchased, curtains have been picked and paint is upon the walls! Yes, mom is making our house feel like home. We have unpacked our boxes but there is little storage room so we have been trying to find alternative storage methods. I think we are enjoying making this house, the Montgomery’s, giving it our own special touches.

Papa is in the midst of airplane training. The company keeps him very busy and he seems to be more than up for the task. He spends most of his time juggling the family and studying. Did we mention that Papa is a great juggler, really.

We have also purchased a car! A 2007 white GMC Acadia with the most peculiar interior. It has leather seating but it is the color that confuses us a bit.... can you guess? No, I assume not, the leather is orange (Papa says it’s “rust brown”) and black. A very interesting look. I think the color will grow on us. It is funky and fun. :D I am sure it will be nice to drive. I plan to take my time getting on the roads here.... I am such a timid driver.

Here are some little things we’ve learned:

-Black Treacle is ... molasses

-There are 3.65 Dirhams (aka AED) to the dollar

-Closets are considered furniture

-Laban is butter milk

-Pure Vanilla extract does not exist here due to the fact that it has an alcohol content

-Baskin Robins Ice Cream is our favorite ice cream so far.... though we would happily have some Blue Bell. :D

-When you take a left at the roundabout ... it’s really a right (Don’t ask too many questions , just take our word for it)

-You can snow ski in Dubai (come and visit and experience it yourself)

-Sweet-N-Low contains aspartame here, beware!!!