Our Address.

I think I have mentioned on here before how there are no street addresses in this city. None. No numbers on buildings, and no numbered blocks on street signs.

So, it is Ramadan and I don't like to cook EVERY day. The only other option during this month is to order in because none of the restaurants are open until after sunset (and we eat WAY earlier than that with our 9:00 bed time). So, as most AD residents are aware, to get your food delivered, you must help the driver to find your building through a series of landmarks and they must do the same for you to find them.

I don't REALLY want to put directions to my house on here for obvious reasons, lol. But I will share a similar story about trying to find a place to develop our film last week.

We headed down to where I swore I remembered seeing a sign for "Kodak" about a year ago. Sure enough, the sign was there, but it was a printing and laminating shop. No film developing. So we asked an Emerati man in his Land Rover where we could get 35 mm film developed in town and he sent us to Carrefour. When we got there we learned that you could BUY 35 mm film there, but not develop it. So we asked the guys in electronics where to find a place to develop it.

"Oh yes, very simple. Go down, away, take first roundabout and go right. At past second light, go right, it is beside the fruit stand. Very simple."

So Stu set off going "away"... but the wrong "away" and we ended up on the outer rim road (which, those who haven't gotten lost down there lately, it's finally open and will actually take you back to Abu Dhabi now!). We made our way back to about where the shop should be, but by very different directions, and we found a different one after scanning the store shop names of about 3 blocks worth of stores. The fun part ended up being trying to remember we'd left our film when it was time to pick it up.

I hope in the near future they figure out a good way to address (pun intended) the address system here. So I never have to say another time, "You know Al Wahda Mall?" ("Yes.") "You know Abu Dhabi bus station?" etc. when I just want a pizza or Chinese.