Kim and I took another leisurely walk around the neighborhood this morning, and I took a camera. First, we have the marigold festival going on....ha-ha....shades of Winterville here! The entire length of one street is literally lined with marigolds! This is just one small view. I feel right at home.
Next, we have the unusual sight of a cornfield in front of the palm trees!
We also have the stark beauty of these leafless trees in front of the Omani mountains.
Then, the neighborhood itself. What can I say except that these houses are AMAZING! You can't see much of them because they are all walled inside giant compounds. Kim was getting aggravated with me trying to take pictures. He thought I might get arrested....as if! This first one is one of the few that does not have a tall wall around it.
This next one is just the entryway. Through the gate you can see the front door of the house with steps leading up. I'd LOVE to be able to get a view of the entire house with my camera, but I didn't want to push my luck.
This pink one Kim calls a "fixer-upper" because it is for sale. I haven't stopped yet to take a brochure to see how much......but I definitely plan to! This picture is looking down the street from the neighboring compound wall (which is why the wall is yellow and the house is pink).
I will admit I did not take a picture of this next one up close because by then I was getting a little apprehensive that Kim might be right! One day, though, I plan to take my camera back to take a shot of the inside of this one....it is unimaginable. These houses are not only magnificent, but the grounds and landscaping are also splendid!
Then, we walked on around to another street and saw a goat farm and a camel farm, side-by-side with these mansions!
Here is a picture of a farm right behind our complex, and a nice mall is going up within walking distance. The mall looks as if it will be a while before we can shop there.....but I can dream!
A taxi driver just told Kim that there was a new mall already opened on the street behind us. We haven't ridden down that road yet, just walked. I guess we haven't walked far enough.
I had to go to the medical clinic yesterday.....sore throat, and I didn't want it to get any worse before we head on vacation. On the way there (which is just a few blocks), I saw the Hili Oasis and the Hili Fort. There is also an archaeological site, which we are anxious to see. We will explore around that area in January when we finish our holiday.
The clinic was an experience!! There is a man's side and a woman's side. I waited to go until 1:30, when most people take a nap. There was hardly anybody there. They did the usual: checked my blood pressure, temp, weight, etc., and then I got to see the doctor. She explained that the cooler Westerly winds are changing, and southeast and northeast winds are bringing some warmer weather. This is causing a shift in the sand which irritates the throat, leading to some breathing issues. She had a name for it, but I can't remember what it was.....
The upshot of all this is that my throat was sore, so I wanted to keep it from getting worse. The trip to the doctor, my "excuse" note for school, and 4 prescriptions (including an Albuterol inhaler) cost a total of 55 dirhams (about $15). Each prescription ran about $1.50. The doctor's visit was the most expensive part, at $8.00. Gotta love the health care here!
If you're not up to going into the clinic, there is a drugstore where the pharmacist will "diagnose" your problem and "prescribe" your medication. I did that a few weeks back before I knew about the clinic. I picked up some antibiotics and medicine for ANOTHER sore throat. The problem with this is that you have to pay full price. My antibiotics cost 100 dhs (about $27). I could get the same prescription at the clinic for less than $2. Live and learn.....
Even though I have had several sore throats, none has developed into anything worse. My throat will be sore for a few days and then it has cleared up. I'm grateful I haven't faced anything like what I did back home when it would drop into my chest and cause weeks of difficult breathing!! Part of the sore throat traces back to doing so much talking in the classroom in such a loud voice. My strategy of talking quietly so the students have to be quiet to listen has NOT worked very well here!
Today we head to Spain. I'm up early....can't break that habit! I plan to pack some things and putter around the house a little and then try to take a nap later before we head to the airport.
Merry Christmas to all those of you I won't talk to before the 25th! Blessings to all.....
Abu Dhabi Time
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