"Fried Chicken, People-Watching, and Professional Clappers"

Dear Reader,

Earlier this evening, my dad and I decided to go to KFC for dinner. So, we grabbed some dirhams (money) and left the hotel. The weather outside was wonderful and consequently, our walk to Colonel Sanders' joint was really pleasant. We strolled inside and waited in line with a bunch of people from all over the world who had one thing in common.......a love for fried pollo.

Pops and I ordered our finger-lickin' chicken and sat down on bar stools that faced towards the street. As we ate our food, we stared out the window at all of the folks that were enjoying the cool night-time breeze. You've never people-watched until you've people-watched in Abu Dhabi. We saw pretty much every ethnicity that exists on the planet. In like....15 minutes.

We finished up our artery-cloggers and headed out the door. While taking the long way back to the hotel, we saw a Baskin-Robbins.....and two ice cream cones later, we hit the streets again. Eventually, we reached the front of the hotel. But something was different. I heard a bagpipe.

My dad and I walked through the front doors and encountered a cr-......well...........

This.

........Apparently, there was a wedding going on at our hotel tonight. At any rate, the people they hired to clap really loud for them were hardcore. We skirted the crowd and got into the elevator. After dropping off some stuff in the hotel room, I decided to go back downstairs to check out the party, but this time, I went to the mezzanine just above the lobby. While I waited for the elevator, I could hear the party, nine stories below me. Eventually, one freed up and I made it to the mezzanine. I walked around to get a good view of the happy couple and I shot this video. 

As you can see at the end of the clip, the professional chanters finished their party-tune and all of the wedding guests headed for the elevators........and so did I. Even though I power-walked, I almost missed the only open elevator on the floor. Luckily, two women in burqas held the elevator for me. I pressed "9", but the elevator lurched downwards and I quickly found myself on the ground floor........

A minute later, I was riding in an elevator  FULL of the wedding guests. (...and somebody was wearing too much cologne.) All of them got off on the banquet level and I was left alone to ride up to "9".  I grinned like an idiot all the way up. 

Just another Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi. :) NM

"Really Hot Water"

Dear Reader,

Abu Dhabi is an awe-inspiring place. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world are here, working, living, and playing together. It's absolutely remarkable. I didn't even know that a place like this could exist. One thing that I've realized is that I know SO LITTLE. Seriously. Every day I encounter something new and strange.

For instance, last night, I was being driven home by a man named Ashif who works as a temporary driver for our family. We were at a red light and were checking out the car in front of us. It was the second Rolls Royce I'd seen this week. Ashif pointed out the license plate. "5".....He turned to me. "Do you know how much that plate cost?" He said with his Indian accent. "No," I replied. "How much?"
"One million dirham. (appx. $300,000) It's for the Royal Family. Very expensive." He said. The light turned and so did we. But I turned my head to watch the royal Rolls Royce roll away into the city. (I forgot to mention....Just before we stopped behind the Royce, we had been driving next to a Maserati.)

Another example. I was sitting in math class the other day trying as hard as I could to pay attention. Suddenly, the call to prayer blasted from an enormous mosque across the road. Everybody in the class kept working like it was nothing. All I could think was "Sweet gypsies! Do y'all not hear the loudspeakers?" But they've lived here long enough to ignore the call to prayer. I'm fresh meat, so I still hear it loud and clear. Which is a good thing, because it's a consistent reminder that I'm "not in Kansas anymore." As the math class dragged on, I just smiled to myself and thought "That would've NEVER happened to me in the States." There are so many little moments like these everyday...I can't write them all. :)

It's getting so much better. Things that freaked me out and shocked me before have now become almost normal. It's been like jumping into really hot water. While initially extremely uncomfortable, you eventually adjust. I'm feeling more comfortable. I think that, given more time, I just might fall in love with this place.

It's my birthday today (09/19/1996) and I'd like to thank everybody for wishing me a happy day. It's been great. :) (Especially everyone in choir that sent me handwritten notes. That meant a lot. :)

Well.....Ashif is here to pick me up from school. Guess it's time to get off the internet and back into the fray.

Rock on,

NM

P.S. I love shade and A/C. It's hot.

P.P.S. Arabic is totally coming along!!! It finally clicked today!!!!! :D

"You say Ma'a Salama, and I say Salaam."

Dear Reader,

It's my......fifth?....day in the city of Abu Dhabi, and there's way too much to write. So, I'll give you a general rundown from the top.

 We drove to the Houston airport and went through security without too much hassle. Because we were flying "Business Class" we got to wait in the swanky "Executive Club Lounge". It was full of comfortable chairs and food. After a while, Woody Williams from church showed up in his full airport security uniform. Gun and all, baby. It was great to see somebody from our ward at the last minute. After Woody left, our flight was called and we boarded the airplane

It's hard to describe our seats without sounding ridiculous. The seats were a bed, a massage chair, a table, and a media center all rolled into one. We were pampered like crazy. They gave us pillows, blankets, hot towels, noise cancelling headphones, delicious meals, free movies, free music, and even little plates of assorted nuts. After watching "Back To The Future" and "Monster's University" I decided to try to sleep. I pressed a button and VOILA...My seat was a bed. When I looked up at the ceiling, little LED lights were aglow in the shapes of constellations. I did fall asleep for a long time, and eventually, we landed in Dubai.

Despite the luxury of the experience, the plane was still a plane, and I was very happy to get off of itasdl;laksjd The Dubai airport is beautifully modern. Almost too modern. Anyways, we went through immigration and an Emirati in his dishdash stamped our passports. Here's a picture of what the dishdash looks like. I promise that I'm not making that name up.

We obtained our suitcases and made the necessary arrangements to get to the city of Abu Dhabi. A while later, we climbed into two black Volvos, and our drivers sped down the freeway at a steady 90 mph. (Even at this high speed, people in their sport cars regularly passed us.) An hour later, we arrived in Abu Dhabi. We checked into our hotel, which was called the Millennium Hotel. Exhausted, we collapsed on our beds and fell asleep. 

The next morning, the Islamic call to prayer sounded very loudly from the Mosque next to our hotel. It was the best thing at 4:45 a.m. to kick off my first full day in the city. I say that in all seriousness. I thought to myself "Wow. This is going to be very different."..........and different it was. 

The first thing we did was a tour of Sam and I's new high school, ACS (American Community School).  Our counselor gave us all of the things we needed like our locker combinations and our schedules. We said goodbye and left the school to go on a tour of the city with a South African lady. She was very nice and she helped us to get a feel for the city. 

After the tour we went back to the hotel and did something. I forget. 

Anyways, the next day, Sam and I had our first day of school. It's a really small school.....there are only 90 kids that make up my junior class. Luckily, they're super cool. They were very helpful and vey understanding because they have been in my shoes for their entire lives. Best of all, I got really talented teachers. I love our school. :)

We found an apartment to live in with a BEAUTIFUL view of the Arabian Gulf, but we have to wait for a few things to happen before we can move in. Inshallah it will be soon. 

I often think of Tomball, Texas, and how much I miss everyone there. It's hard to move to a foreign country. Much harder than I thought it was going to be. But the good news is that it gets easier.

(For your information, it's impossible to describe in detail what I'm experiencing here. If I were to describe it in two words, I would say that it's overwhelming and educational.) 

In closing, I would like to thank you for your support. It means a lot to me, and it helps me to keeping enduring and persevering. 

With all of my love, 

Nicholas Merrill

P.S. When we were driving through Dubai, we saw the Burj Khalifa, which is the world's tallest building. Here's a picture of it. 

P.P.S. There are a lot of Texans in our school. YEE HAW!!!!!!

P.P.P.S. I'm learning Arabic, and it's crazy hard. Who knew that you could make so many different guttural sounds? I didn't. 

"Friends and Lacerations"

Dear Reader,

On the night of September 3rd, I was a fugitive on the run, and they were after me.

I crouched in the darkness behind a trash can as the car rolled slowly past. Fortunately, I wasn't spotted. Once they had moved far enough away, I broke out of my hiding spot and moved quickly behind some bushes. As the vehicle rolled past once again, I strategized. "Slow, low, and steady wins the race."

In a minute or two, I was on the move again. After I had made my way down the street about 4 houses, I met up with my best friend Evan Nicholas. In the bushes, we discussed our predicament in hushed whispers. "Hey, where are they?" Evan asked me quietly. "I don't know," I replied as I looked through the leaves that concealed us, "But I think that they're gone for now." Tentatively, I stood up and scanned the dimly-lit street. I thought I heard a vehicle, so I ducked back behind the bushes, but it was all in my head. Cautiously, I moved ahead and Evan stayed back. Once he saw that the coast was clear, we made a mad dash to another street. We hid behind a large white truck and I looked over the hood to see what was happening in "the hood."  I stepped out a little into the street to get a better view and I felt that the coast was clear......Until a car turned and its headlights swept towards me.

As fast as I possibly could, I turned to hide behind the car. Unfortunately, Evan was right there. My head slammed into his at a high speed, and in a moment, we were both prone on the lawn of a stranger.  Immediately, I looked over to see how Evan was doing. He was clutching his face with both hands and I could tell he was in pain. "Evan. Are you okay?"......No answer. "Evan...Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled. I reached up and touched my head. It was wet. I looked at my hand and there was blood on it. "Okay," I thought. "This can't be good." I touched my forehead again and that was when I felt the split in my skin. More blood. "Hey Evan, I'm bleeding." I said. He turned and looked at me. "Whoah. You really are." He said. He reached up and felt his own head. He was bleeding too. "Look," He said, "You're pretty bad. I'm going to go get help. You wait here."

As Evan ran off and I walked over to the curb, a drop of blood hit the pavement. I sat down and applied pressure to the wound. Because I couldn't remove my hand from the wound, I couldn't swipe away the mosquitos. (Maybe I lost more blood to them than to the laceration....) My sweat mixed with the blood and it began to run down my arm. It felt like I was sitting on that dimly lit street curb for a very long time. Eventually, I thought to myself "Well. I better go get some help." So I started to walk down the street with my hand pressed firmly on my bloody forehead. That's when they showed up.

Sam and our friend Dylan had been scanning the streets, looking for about 12 guys, as part of a game called "Fugitive." The object of the game is to get from point A to point B without being seen by the people in the car. Well....they found me. And I was glad they did. They let me into the car and we drove back to Dylan's house, where the game had begun.

Pictures were snapped, phone calls were made, and blood was wiped away. Eventually, we all decided to go to the Emergency Room next to McDonald's on Northpointe. The bleeding had long since stopped, so I just strolled in with a big smile and a big cut on my face. They patched me up with some glue and some tape-like stuff. Nothing was painful. After telling the doctor my story, he smiled at me and said...."Well, at least you had your head in the game." It was hilarious. Before I left, I got my sticker and lollipop for being such a good little boy.

If you didn't already know, our family is leaving the country. But who doesn't love a trip to the ER? (As if we didn't have enough excitement already. :)

I'll add more pictures later. Thanks for reading. :)
NM

"Abu Dhabi"

Dear Reader,

My family is moving from Tomball, Texas to the city of Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

I'm not going to sugar-coat anything, y'all. Moving to the Middle East is not going to be physically or emotionally easy for me. As I write this, I feel like my heart is breaking. I truly love Texas and all of my friends here. I thought that it would be much easier than this to just leave, but I'm surprised at how difficult it really is. When I first found out that we were moving, I was very excited. VERY EXCITED. And don't get me wrong....I still am very excited. But these past few days have really hit me hard. I guess that it really never dawned on me that I was actually moving. Actually leaving all of my friends. Actually getting on a plane to a foreign country.

But I really am moving.

I'm very grateful for all of my friends here in Texas. I cannot express how much I appreciate all of your kindness over the years. You've made me feel loved, and I hope that I have been able to return the favor. I will miss you with all of my heart.

You shouldn't feel bad for me, though. The fact is...this is an opportunity of a lifetime. I will learn and grow and change in ways that would not have been possible if I had remained in the U.S. It's my dream to work as a Foreign Service Officer (Diplomat) for the U.S. Department of State, and living in the Middle East will help me prepare for my dream.

If you want to say anything to me before I go, just find me in the hallway, send me a message on Facebook, or email me. I would like to be able to personally say goodbye to each one of y'all, but because I'll be leaving really soon, I don't know if that will be possible. Just try to understand that I am moving across the ocean and that means that I have to do a lot of things before that plane leaves the tarmac. If I don't get to see you before I go, don't take it personally. Time is short. We're leaving on either this Friday or Saturday. And Sam and I aren't going to school after Tuesday.

In closing, I would just like to challenge all of you to treat everyone with kindness and love, because for all you know, they might move somewhere far away on short notice.

With all of my love,
Nicholas David Merrill

P.S. Do not worry about my safety in the UAE. It's a completely stable country. I promise you...I'm safe. (As long as I look both ways when I cross the street.)

P.P.S. Abu Dhabi is not Dubai, and Dubai is not Abu Dhabi. They're two separate cities in the same country.

P.P.P.S. When I move overseas, it will be increasingly difficult for you to understand what's happening in my life. For instance, if I wrote, "Had a great time exploring Khalifa City A!" you probably won't understand what I'm referring to. Don't worry. I'm still Nick Merrill, I just live on the other side of the world.

P.P.P.P.S. The UAE is not Saudi Arabia. Nor is it Oman. Nor is it Egypt. Nor is it India. Google it.

P.P.P.P.P.S. The city of Abu Dhabi is where that red circle is flashing.

"Little Toy Rifle"

Dear Reader,

Today was the second and final day of our family's enormous weekend garage sale. I'd just like to share my highlight of the day. Unfortunately, it may be one of those "You just had to be there" stories, but whatever. Here goes:

It was early in the morning, and already extremely caliente outside, when a Hispanic family of 5 pulled up. There was a padre, madre, and three little ninos. While the parents checked out the rest of the random junk at the garage sale, the kids sorted through the best of it all. The toys. Their smallest kid quickly found a toy plastic rifle. He picked it up (or at least tried to) and made shooting noises. Padre looked over and noticed that his son was having a hard time holding the gun, so he knelt down beside the little boy and helped him shoulder the rifle. Together, they took aim and "shot". They were so freaking adorable. Seriously. It was just perfect.

Overcome, I called out to the dad to tell him "Es gratis." (It's free.) The man didn't hear me so he gently took the toy gun from his kid and put it back. My mom had heard me and she agreed that it should be free. She got the padre's attention told him that it was free. We could tell that he was glad to give it to his son. Smiling, he asked his son to please thank the lady that had given him the toy rifle. The little boy didn't know what was going on, but we all watched and waited in anticipation. After a long silence, the little boy slowly and innocently pointed the gun towards my mom. You should've seen that kid's face. He was just blankly staring, doing what he thought his dad had asked him to do.  Everyone watching just busted out laughing. The dad was like "You're supposed to thank her! Not shoot her!". (But of course, he was speaking really fast Spanish.) While we were cracking up, the little boy just stood there and looked at his new toy gun. It was great. :)

Life is good.
NM