Back in Dhabi

It’s amazing how different things seem once you’ve been there done that. As I disembarked from the airplane, I tried to remember how I felt the first time I landed here. Even though I was alone and my ankles were swollen (glad Nate wasn’t there to critique my new cankles) I felt so comfortable this time around. I thought about my cousin Ana’s upcoming visit and how she told me that if I wasn’t there the second she got off the plane she would start crying. I didn’t cry when I first arrived, but Michael and I were very relieved when we saw the driver holding the “Mr. Michael Johnson” sign. When you are in a new place nothing can replace the notion of having somebody, just anybody, waiting for you. Another difference is that I now have my pregnancy belly. I was allowed to go through the Emiratis and GCC (countries around the Arabian Gulf) nationals only line to clear immigration along with other families with children. That’s a perk we don’t get in the states! My belly is like a VIP pass into a member’s only club. The men at the grocery store were so friendly! I was like “Nice to see you too Mr. Vegetable Weigher Man”! Yes, you have to have someone at the produce section weigh all your fruits and veggies here before you go to check-out. A lesson I quickly learned after standing in line forever only to have the cashier look at me like I was crazy before she sent me back to the weighing station. Today, my belly got me a wink AND a thumbs up (which I’m all about) from an Emirati woman! I was so excited! Finally, acknowledgement and communication! There was another Emirati woman holding a new born so I complimented the baby and smiled pointing at my bump. My friend told me I should have congratulated them on the fact that the baby was a boy, since of course having a boy is a much bigger deal than having a girl here. I am having a girl- and proud of it! So, being pregnant allows me to connect with local women who seem excited to see me fulfilling my role in society. I think men are more comfortable talking to me now as opposed to earlier when I could have appeared to be a single woman. Or as my friend Mel pointed out, it could just be that my breasts are larger now! Either way, I have enjoyed the extra smiles.