Been absent/study abroad

[(=DK=)Samonuh]

Hi there Sam - I hope you're enjoying Abu Dhabi and the entire Foreign-exchange-student experience!

Best wishes,
SirPepsi

Thanks! I'm trying my best.

ps. don't get kidnapped, you're studying abroad, they assume you have money.

I swear, the local Emiratis here are far richer than I am...

Also don't upload images of Mohammad...you're not in the best place to make that slip up. lol

Fun fact: the drawing of Muhammad is not formally banned by the Qur'aan or any official Islamic law. Muhammad merely warned his followers to not idolize him through any forms, including statues or pictures. He did not say it was against Islam to draw him, but to use his portraits as a means to worship him. Muhammad was merely a man, not God, so he did not want to be idolized. There are plenty of paintings portraying Muhammad dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It is a relatively recent and misguided idea to believe that it is wrong altogether to draw Muhammad.

1) Has it matched your expectations of what you thought it would be like over there?
2) Also, what do you think of their laws regarding alcohol and public decency? Do you feel it has hindered your experience at all?

1) For the most part, yes. A lot of oil money and urbanization. Buildings are spreading like wildfire in this country, with cranes littering the skyline. There is a lot of income disparity between the Emirati natives, who make up about 15% of the total population now, and the expatriates that come from Iran, Pakistan, India, and the Philippines.

2) Well, luckily for me I don't drink. However, believe it or not non-UAE citizens over 21 who have a work/school visa are allowed to drink as long as it's not in public. Also, there technically are no laws that dictate what a person can wear. I mean, given that 3/4 of the nation is Muslim it is best to cover at least your legs in public to avoid weird looks. But when I'm on campus I wear whatever I want just fine.

By the way Samonuh, do upload those pictures!

I will in the post below! I only have about six good ones so far since it's my first week. I'll be going on a desert safari later today though so that should off some nice photo opportunities.

[(=DK=)Samonuh]

Photos

This first one is the future permanent site for NYU's campus in Abu Dhabi. It is almost complete as you can see, and is enormous. It will only be housing up to 5,000 students once it is opened, but it looks like a city of its own. It is located on Saadiyat Island, which will be Abu Dhabi's cultural district. We could not get too close, but all of the buildings in the background are part of the campus.



Abu Dhabi holds the record for the most stray cats in the world. Here's one we found:





Here is a good view from a room I was staying it. It's a true "rags and riches" archetypal photo, showing a poor Indian immigrant family's apartment in the forefront and the Landmark, the tallest building in Abu Dhabi, in the background.



These two photos are the view from my current room. The first has the local mosque on the left and a government-owned hospital on the right. The second also has the mosque and you can see a local mall on the left.

[CommanderOtto]

wow that is awesome. Dont forget to go to the Burj Khalifa to take some pictures (i think that's the name of the tallest building)

[11_Panama_]

The cat looks weird.

[WD-40]

Spent 3 months based out of Dharain in Saudi Arabia in the late 1980's when I was in the Navy flying. Your Arabic script name made me think about a time a fellow pilot bought a gold necklace for his wife that had a 3inch by 1inch Arabic word that spelled '[female dog]'. He showed it to us, and chuckled how she'd wear it telling everyone back home, "Isn't it pretty? It spells 'Jenny'!"

They drive like crap over there too. Kinda sucked being surrounded by cult worshippers wearing bed linnen with a pillow case and fan belt on their heads.

The cat looks weird.

It's a 'Terrorist'. Surprised it didn't blow up when he petted it and take off his hand.

[(=DK=)Samonuh]

wow that is awesome. Dont forget to go to the Burj Khalifa to take some pictures (i think that's the name of the tallest building)

I will be going to Dubai next weekend, so I'll definitely do that.

The cat looks weird.

It was pretty malnourished.

Kinda sucked being surrounded by cult worshippers wearing bed linnen with a pillow case and fan belt on their heads.

May you kindly take your ignorance elsewhere?

[imaim]

Great pics, Sam. Feel free to keep them coming.

[WD-40]

Nope! It's hardly 'ignorance' when Most of the 9/11 terrorists came from where you are now. Be safe!

[Hobo]

Nope! It's hardly 'ignorance' when Most of the 9/11 terrorists came from where you are now. Be safe!

UAE? i thought al qaeda was based in Sudan...

[WD-40]

Actually, I meant the 'region'. Where Sam is, is actually a decent Country, been there numerous times in the past 5 years, and the UAE really has their act together...and are tourist-friendly. Now Saudi Arabia is where the majority of the 9/11 terrorists hailed from...That's a different story. Yet there are worst places to go. The UAE has built some spectacular buildings and they just keep on building.

I do wish you safe travels and successful study over there Sam.