Mamzar Beach

So, this week was a long week at school. I subbed in for some teachers for meetings, went to meetings, had other meetings, planned for students, blahblahblah. Long. And slightly irritating.

We left from school today to go to Mamzar beach. I hadn't been to the beach since I had gotten here, so I had asked some teachers from my department if they wanted to take a little afternoon trip. I must say that while the beaches here do not have boardwalks, they have a lot to offer. The sand on Mamzar is soft, although people need to take more care in cleaning up their cigarette butts. There are permanent wooden umbrellas here and there that one can set up unde\r. There is a little stand that sells beach accoutrements. We got there just as the sun was starting to sink. It had cooled off and there was a gentle warm breeze. It's a little odd to see an offshore oil rig in the distance, but what of it. The lagoon (for it was rather lagoon-esque) was quiet. There weren't many people there.

I have been swimming in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. I would say that the Gulf is rather unique. It's like warm bath water. It's light green and clear. After such a long week, I felt like I was in a spa, floating there merrily with my friends. A pleasant bunch they are, too. I am normally afraid of open water, but I'm trying to get over it. So I floated along, chatting happily about absolutely nothing. We sat on the beach and had a light picnic. The sun turned tangerine. The sky changed to hot pink and purple. And far off on the opposite horizon, the almost full moon just kind of hung gently over Sharjah.

We were some of the last to leave the beach. The life guard had gone. We floated until it began to get quite dark. Then I started to worry about the things I couldn't see in the water.

It was wonderful. I might as well have been in a spa, although I am sure spas aren't quite as sandy. I told my colleagues that we should make this a regular afternoon thing at least once a week. We should have beautiful weather until February I am told. Then it will start to get sickeningly hot again.

But not yet :)

It helps to know a guy.

We got a special treat last night. One of the teacher's husbands works as an accountant for a very large real estate company in Dubai. He can get in to a lot of the private buildings and take advantage of a lot of the perks. One of the really nice perks is access to a private condo overlooking the ocean from the Palm Jumeirah. This place has it's own private beach, a fabulous pool, and wonderful little restaurant. A bunch of us went last night at dusk. We just missed the sunset, but we got to eat outside overlooking the pool and private beach. I had the most succulent bruschetta, a buttery medium rare steak, and to die for potatoes au gratin. We all savored dinner, a calm warm breeze, and candlelight. We could see the Burj Arab, the most expensive and only six star hotel (they said theirs was six because five stars wasn't enough) across the water.

After dinner, we took a little tour of the Palm Jumeirah. The Palm is a man-made island. The fronds are all expensive villas, private beaches, and docks for yachts for the fabulously wealthy. No one can access those areas unless you live there or are invited by a resident (have to make some rich friends!) The Crescent of the Palm follows around the top and is covered in awe-inspiring resorts and hotels. We stopped outside the Atlantis, which is owned by Donald Trump. He has another one in Nassau. It has tanks of sharks and fish. You can go snorkelling, diving, and walk through the underwater tunnels and swim with dolphins. It also has a ton of high end shops, restaurants, and a dance club. I so want to go there and swim with dolphins! We got some ice cream at the Cold Stone at the Atlantis and went for a drive around the island. We have been here for almost two months, and this was the first real experience we had with the cool Dubai that everyone reads about in the travel books.

It really helps to know a fabulous teacher who is married to a wonderful man with handy connections so we can experience things that we otherwise would not be able to do. Like dine at a private restaurant on a stretch of private beach and enjoy a world class meal :)

Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love came out here tonight. A bunch of us went out to dinner and to see it at the theater over at one of the numerous malls here in Dubai. They really are like destinations in and of themselves, really. They have everything from theaters, to ice skating rinks, to indoor ski resorts. But I digress...

I haven't read the book. I usually like to read the book first so I can get the real story before I go see the movie. The book almost always turns out to be better than the movie. The movie was fascinating, stirring, and spiritual in a way that makes me want to run out and buy the book right now if it means I can have more of what I experienced during the movie.

There were some really good quotes that I have taken away with me. "Send him love and light when you can, and then drop it." There have been loves in my life that for one reason or another I have not been able to keep. It really sucks when you wake up one morning and realize that the love you have isn't the love that you need. It is harder still to tell that other person that although you love them, that you are not the one they need no matter how much you tried to be. People go through their lives miserable with the person they think they need to be with, happy in the idea that they are sticking it out. It's ridiculously hard and painful letting go, forgiving yourself for trying so long only to have to let go. But it happens. So you remember what you had, send them love and light when you can, and then drop it.

I saw myself in Eat, Pray, Love. That's me. The woman who woke up one day and realized that the life she was living was merely an existence, not a life. A woman who had gotten so far from herself that she didn't remember nor recognize who she was. I couldn't remember what I looked like on the inside. It had been so long since I looked in there, only to find it empty. Granted, I love my family and my friends so much. I am very grateful for everyone I know. I just wasn't grateful for me. I didn't know me anymore. It took awhile, but I eventually remembered what I had dreamed about doing, and remembered how to live. Rather, I am still learning how to live.

So what do you do when that happens? Well, some run to Italy to eat and enjoy life, find their spirit in India, and find romance in Bali. Others come to Dubai. And adopt an abandoned kitten. And run around with the most smashing, fabulous, well-travelled, strong willed women that I have ever had the privilege to meet. I remember reading somewhere that when one travels, they find themselves. That when you are away from everything familiar and comforting, that you become who you truly are. I do believe that there is a lot of truth in that. Humans shine their brightest when they are facing great odds. Living out here with so much that is unfamiliar, I feel like only now am I really getting to know myself.

Now, will I find the romance at the end? I prefer not to think about that, really. One of the points in the movie was that after finding balance, one must allow oneself to love again. That's the hard part, isn't it? Some days I believe in love, others I don't. It's easier to believe in someone else's love. Looking from the outside, one can see the beauty of the relationship between two people who are in love. It's a bit harder believing that I can have that and still remain myself considering how lost I became before. How many people run from person to person hoping to find who they really are? Maybe the lucky ones find themselves and love. Don't know. I'm brilliant, but I'm not that smart.

So I'm having a moment. I'm allowed every now and then. So I saw a great movie that I really made a personal connection to. Love Julia Roberts, the woman is phenomenal. The locations were stunning and the story was fantastic. I highly recommend it for a girls' night out. And perhaps a yearlong trek through Italy, India, and Bali as well.

Good night.