Shopping, My New 4 Letter Word!

     I have discovered the one thing that makes me want to cry in the UAE, shopping!  You cannot imagine the amount of unfamiliar information and behaviors that you experience while shopping.  Most product information is in arabic.  You may recognize the product logo or package but it does not mean it is the same.  The smells/flavors are usually a little different than you are expecting.  On top of that the prices are all in dirhams which I am constantly using a converter to translate to US dollars and everything is weighed using the metric system.  Remember when we were young and they said some day we would use the metric system for everything?  Well, that day has arrived and I was unprepared.
     On top of all those differences, cultural differences are everywhere.   The concept of waiting your turn in line does not exist here.  It's every man, woman, and don't even get me started on the kids, for themselves.  By the time we leave the grocery store I am either on the verge of tears or ready to tear someone's head off.  Thank goodness for Russ!  He had taken on the chore of shopping for everything. I am hoping that when we get into our home and a normal routine my anxiety over shopping will improve, but until then Russ is my personal shopper.
     Thursday I traveled to the Madinat Zayed shopping center with a new friend to purchase my first Abaya.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a budget shopper.  Many had posted on Facebook that abayas could be found for 85-100 dirhams at this shopping center so I was on a quest for those $25 abayas.  We did find a store that had a discount rack with an abaya that fit and had yellow sleeves!  Everyone knows that yellow is my favorite so I was ready to begin bargaining with the shop keeper.  He did come down from 180 to 150 but I was not ready to spend that much, so I hung it back up and headed back to the hotel empty handed.
     After posting on Facebook and conversing with many here in the UAE, I learned many new things about abayas.  Cheap abayas do not make the best impression.  They should be of good quality and fit appropriately and wrinkles are a no no.  So Russ and I jumped back in a cab and headed back to the shopping center.  Little did we know, it was Thursday night, the last work day of the week and EVERYONE was shopping.  There went my anxiety level.  We headed back to the shop and I tried on the abaya to show Russ.  He thought I would fit in well with the Baptist choir.  We purchased the yellow sleeved abaya and headed out to try to find another one.
     The next shop was the funniest but most frustrating of the night.  The shopkeeper brought out a cape like abaya that was totally sheer and covered with small crystals which he put on me along with the large hood attached.  I tried to tell him it would not be appropriate for work while he told me "No, it is beautiful.  I pick especially for you."  It took me 5 times telling him it was not what I needed while he insisted it was perfect, only 400 dirhams, just $100 for you.  The whole time Russ was trying not to laugh.  I finally started peeling myself out of it and told Russ to grab my purse and purchases as I headed out the door.  Needless to say, I only purchased one abaya.

This is my first abaya!  The sleeves are yellow under a sheer black material with yellow cuffs.  It will be super comfy for work!