New Dubai, Schmoo Dubai

One last neighborhood!

Fact #19: When you run out of space on land, make your own way!

"Less than six years ago only a couple of beach resorts broke the largely deserted stretch of coastline running south from Jumeirah to Jebel Ali but, unsurprisingly, in the fastest growing city on the planet, all that changed overnight.  The modern skyscraper city of New Dubai, as it's called, is home to the self-proclaimed 'eighth wonder of the world', the Palm Jumeirah (suitably crowned with the mammoth pink Atlantis Hotel), flashy residential developments including the waterfront Jumeirah Beach Residence with its European-style promenade, the Dubai Marina with its luxury yachts, and the city's best beach resorts.  Judging by the number of cranes jutting above the skyline, New Dubai isn't done yet and continues to expand at a phenomenal rate- watch this space for the Dubai Waterfront, which is expected to add 800 km to the coastline.  It's a different world to neighbouring Jumeirah with its low-rise white villas and bougainvillea-filled gardens- and the antithesis of Old Dubai, down by the Creek."

Architectural Jazz

Fact #18: I wouldn't mind some more freeform architectural jazz in my life right now!

"Dubai's residents speed down Sheikh Zayed Rd but visitors to the city should turn off and head into a hotel with a view to take in the striking architecture on this sleek strip.  A number of attention-grabbing edifices have opened here in the last few years, making the strip seem like a host to some kind of freeform architectural jazz, where each new development riffs off the last.  Check out the world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, and the eye-catching Emirates Towers and Dusit Dubai.  Just a few blocks from the road are several sights that couldn't be more different from each other.  To appreciate these varied themes, check out Nad al-Sheba Racing Club, the pretty pink flamingos at Ras Al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary and the art galleries of industrial Al-Quoz."  - lonely planet Dubai

Jumeirah

Next neighborhood!!!!  Wooo HoooO!

This is what lonely planet says about Jumeirah:

"This beautiful stretch of coast with its namesake road running parallel to its white-sand beach boasts some of Dubai's best beach resorts.  It's also Dubai's most interesting residential area...  The largest villas are home to more affluent Emirati families with sheikhs' palaces occupying the prime beachside real estate.  To service local residents there's an incresaing number of chic eateries and shopping malls.  This area is also home to Dubai's most remarkable construction projects, including Burj Al Arab and the man-made island developments of The World and The Palm, which can be seen from space."

Fact #17: I wanna see Dubai from space.

Little Arthropods

We were infested with some little arthropods this week.  A.k.a. Lice.  And surprisingly, it has been a wonderful week.  I've loved the last three days.  As much as it has been a bummer to have less time to spend with second half counselors, it has taught me a lot.  And increased my drive to spend a lot of time with counselors on Friday and next week.  Who knew you could learn so much from lice?

Session 5

This is going to be the last week of first half!  And it's Session 5!  It's crazy how fast first half has gone by.

Here are my hopes for this week:

Cracker barrel parties with cabins
A Sleep over on Wednesday night
Getting to laugh and bounce with Julia and Grace at the Jumping Pillow
Having the chance to say thank you to wonderful first half counselors
To cry when it's necessary and laugh when it's even more necessary

Bustling Bur Dubai

Next neighborhood to cover: Bur Dubai

The lonely planet book states:

"Bustling Bur Dubai is home to the restored historical quarters of the Bastakiya and Shindagha, wonderful for late afternoon and evening strolls.  Bur Dubai Souq is just as lively as the Deira Shops, although its wooden arcades and waterfront location make it more pleasant.  Little India, in the surrounding streets, with its textile and sari stores, Bollywood tape shops and Indian eateries, can easily absorb a couple of interesting hours.  Past the concrete jungle of Golden Sands is Karama, home to a popular souq with cheap souvenir shops and counterfeit designer goods.  The neighborhood may be made up of dilapidated low-cost housing but it has a real community spirit that's hard to find elsewhere in Dubai."

Fact #16: I want to go to the Bastakiya Quarter!

A Little Experiment in Drawing

Things That I LOVE

All in the Neighborhood

Dubai is pretty expansive and diverse and one of my travel books broke it up into neighborhoods.  So while I get to know the neighborhoods, I thought you might like to as well.

Fact #15: Deira

excerpt from lonely planet's Dubai:

Deira is home to most of Dubai's souqs and dhow wharfage, always buzzing with activity and a fascinating place for a walk in the evenings.  Busy Baniyas Sq, also known as Al Nasr Sq, is Deira's centre.  Just off Baniyas Rd, the National Bank of Dubai is a beautiful sight at sunset.  The neonlit surrounding streets are excellent if you're shopping for carpets or electronics, especially Al-Sabkha Rd, which is also a great place for a quick snack with several good shwarma and hot-chicken shops.  Also wonderful for a stroll on a cool winter's night is Al-Mateena Rd., with its palm-filled central reservation and dozens of kebab restaurants.

Pennsyl-town

I had a wonderful week in Pennsylvania and met so many dear friends.  It was exactly what I needed and more than I could have ever expected.

I spent the week resting, learning, struggling and playing... And it was all awesome.  I even played a lot of volleyball on Friday night which is really out of character for me. :)  Here are some highlights.

A Very Fast Paced Weekend

After I got off of work on Saturday afternoon, I immediately went home and got ready to go to Louisiana.  The drive to Deville was 4 hours there and 4 hours back, but the car was full of excellent company and we got to go see Hannah get married!

Here are two pictures from the festivities.  It was a beautiful wedding and I had so much fun getting to laugh with the bride!

Without wavering

Today is my first full day off of the summer.  We weren't going to start taking days off until a few weeks in, but with how smoothly everything is going we decided to take days off this week.  And for me this is a huge blessing.

I haven't been able to update in a while, so I thought I'd check in.

Things at camp are going really well.  I love my new role as a camp manager.  I get to go into work everyday and focus on the counselors in my cabins.  And let me tell you, not having to set up night events everyday has been a huge blessing.  I used to have to be intentional with counselors and master our summer programming which was wonderful, but very hectic.  I love getting to focus on relationships every day that I go in.  I feel like Dad is already teaching me so much this summer.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Heb 10 23

My brother Paul

As training has gone on, I know that I've been unable to post very much.  Hopefully that will get better as the weeks progress.  For now there's no Fact, but there is a post!

~~~~~~~~~

In the second letter to the Corinthians Paul writes about his sufferings as an follower.  He writes of his imprisonments, lashings, shipwrecks and imminent danger.  And near the end of his paragraph of lashings and discouragements, he says... And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the communities.

I guess that I never read this part without it being hidden by the severity of his other sufferings, but this morning it jumped from off the page to me.  As summer nears and I meet more counselors and people I will journey with this summer, it's so easy to feel that daily pressure.  I admittedly can become very anxious for these college students.  But I think hearing my brother Paul talk about his anxiety regarding his fellowships gives me great comfort.  I can't carry that anxiety, I have to give it up.

That's all for now

Barasti

Fact #13: A barasti is a traditional house made of palms.  Maybe I can make my own when I get to Dubai...  I'm crafty.

Palm-frond, or barasti, houses are usually built on a wooden frame made out of mangrove poles, split-palm trunk or any other available wood. The palm fronds are used in two forms, either as straight poles (approximately 1 m long) stripped of their leaves used for creating screens or with the leaves still on for roof thatch. The shape of palm-frond houses varies from square or rectangular flat-roofed buildings to triangular tent-like structures.

Burj Dubai

Being tall has always been a competition everywhere I go.  Not between me and other people (have you seen my height?), but between every single thing in the rest of the world.  

Now, this is a huge generalization so I decided to make a list.

There's the Empire State Building vs. the Sears Tower... (those two buildings are always fighting with each other, even though they can't grow any taller)

Big Tex vs. Small Tex (the guy who tries to look like Big Tex on stilts)... Big Tex can't see well enough to see Small Tex down at his ankles, but those two guys are still always competing

Planes vs. the ground... I feel like the ground has a disadvantage in this fight

David vs. Goliath... That's where we all learned that being really tall doesn't even matter

All around the world people want to be TALL and make TALL buildings.

Fact #12: Burj Dubai is the world's tallest building, along with the world's tallest man-made structure.  Burj Dubai blows Big Tex and Goliath out of the water.

Not those kind of dates!

If you lived in Dubai before the 19th century which occupation would you choose?
P.s. Sarah Covin is reading over my shoulder as I write this and it's making me nervous....

"Traditional economic activity focused on fishing, pearling, herding sheep and goats, and cultivating dates and other small-scale agriculture."

I would cultivate dates because I believe it's important to cultivate social relationships.

Fact #9: Not those kind of dates.

Now I Know We Must Lift the Sail

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me-
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor,
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me, and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire-
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

- Edgar Lee Masters

A Body of Water Up North

From Wednesday to Friday, I had a very hard group. It was the hardest group I've taught. They were wild, full of bad behavior and dramatic about everything.

But in all of the chaos, they taught me something invaluable. It wasn't life-changing in the way some of us might desire. I didn't leave Friday evening feeling like a new person. Instead it was life-changing because I realized there is a real battle to fight for in the hearts of all people. And these kids were blessed this week because they got to step outside of the drama created in their lives and experience something they had never experienced before....

Seeing a armadillo after their night activity on Wednesday night.

Roasting a marshmallow over a campfire.

Getting eaten alive by bugs after the sun went down.

Catching a fish.

Playing a name game and getting to act silly in front of each other without caring how cool they looked.

It was these things that separated them from what was hard in their lives. For minutes at a time they relaxed, loosened up and were vulnerable. And it might have changed back quicker than the teachers and I wanted it to everytime, but even if a small section of their heart was healed- it was worth every minute. As I remember them now, I hope they find healing.

Finally, camels

Fact #5: Camels are fast!

Emiratis have many traditional pastimes. Some of them include falconry, dhow sailing and CAMEL RACING! Who knew camels were fast? Maybe they seem fast because they don’t have to stop for as many water breaks as other animals…

sfuzzi

I had a wonderful weekend visiting my best friend Stephanie! We went to dinner in Dallas on Saturday night at a wonderful place called sfuzzi. These are the pictures from that adventure.