"If you can believe, all things are possible to those who believe." - Mark 9:23
As we began our descent into Abu Dhabi I felt that twinge in your gut that signals you are about to be very pleased. After 26 hours of travel I had arrived. No adjectives can adequately describe my emotions. I had not slept since this began, my body ached from the cramped seating, but none of that mattered now I was here! Abu Dhabi. I exited the plane, laptop bag in tow and my cell phone camera running. I wanted to record the event likek I was MacArthur returning to the Phillipines, after all this event was just as historic and important to me and my family. The tunnel seemed to go on forever, but it was the cleanest tunnel I had ever walked up! Then I saw the opening to the gate, a welcome to Abu Dhabi sign and a small Filipino girl dressed in a red business suit holding the plaquard ADEC welcomes our new LT’s, there was a second similuarly dressed girl “Mr. Daweed? Welcome here is your visa.” It was official I was now in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and working for ADEC. The ladies asked me to move into a line off to the side and they began to collect everyone else.
After handing out the visa and checking to see if everyone had arrived, they moved us through the airport. It was spectacular, I began to record as we walked through then a security guard appeared from nowhere, very kindly and politely informed me that photography in the airport is not allowed, smiled, and walk on. I stopped recording and moved on with the group. We next stopped at the eye scan desk, looked at a dot on a mirror for 30 seconds had my passport stamped and on my way 5 minutes later, eyes scanned, we walked through customs, where I was greeted with “Asalamalakum, Welcome to the UAE Mr. Nelson”. That was it, no search, all smiles and we went to luggage pickup, we were given a cart for our bags and it seemed there was a porter for each of us. As I tried to reach for my bag they politely and quickly grabbed it and loaded on the carts for us. The whole time smiling and calling me “Sir”.
The first really negative thing of the trip was when my second bag had been torn the entire length of the end. But that was all nothing lost. No harm no foul.
After everyone confirmed they had their luggage we were escorted down a winding corridor to the parking lot where our bags where loaded on a flatbed truck and we boarded a nice air conditioned bus. Now I forgot to mention the heat and humidity, it felt like the monsoon in Phoenix as we walked out of the airport, it was funny to hear the various reactions of my companions as they expressed their shock at the weather. I couldn’t resist saying feels just like home.
The bus was loaded and we were finally on our way. We got on the freeway (a 6 lane expressway that blows anything we have away) and headed towards the motel. We first passed the Ferrari land theme park all lit up in red and white lights, and then we passed a huge stadium that was hosting the Gulf States Soccer tournament. Then the first sign of western influence, a large and very packed Popeye’s Chicken, 2:00 in the morning and it was packed. I think the guys at my old job would have thought they had found heaven! We then passed the Sheik Zayed Grand mosque, what an impressive and beautiful structure, lit with soft green lighting, it was and impressive sight.
Finally we approached the skyline of downtown and found ourselves at the Intercontinental Hotel. Our luggage was unloaded and we identified what was ours and away it went. We walked into the hotel where we greeted with smiles and welcomes, fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, water and coffee. We were given our keys and a welcome packet and directed towards our rooms. I arrived at the 7th floor door of my room to find a porter waiting with my luggage, opened the door for me and turned on the lights unloaded my luggage and turned down the bed. I felt like royalty. I tipped the man the $15.00 I had in my pocket, he deserved it.
I began to unpack. Hooked up my internet, skyped home to let my wonderful wife know I had arrived, gave her a tour of the room, (technology is wonderful) and spoke a while. I finally unwound and laid back on the bed, it was now 4:30 AM. Then I heard the Fajd Azhan (call to prayer for dawn) it was beautiful and I found myself expressing thanks to my God for this wonderful opportunity. I have not felt this good about my future as I do now. As I went to sleep I thought of something I had read by Tony Robbins concerning dreams becoming reality.
“You're in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows / and has always known / that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival.”
Sleep then ONWARD!
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