UAE's 39th birthday!

On a day to day basis if you spoke to me i would have a complaint about Abu Dhabi, the traffic sucks parking is an absolute mess and a majority of people here still don't understand how to wait in a line just to name a few.  Its pretty much the same as any other city i guess.  On Dec 2nd though my love/hate relationship w/ Abu Dhabi turns into pure ecstatic love love love! and it lasts me clear through to march.  Why you ask?  Let me tell you about national day...

Sh. Zayed

Every year on dec 2nd and few days after we celebrate United Arab Emirates national day, the equivalent of America's 4th of july.  This year was the country's 39th birthday!  Yes only 39 years!?! Although I'm not a national of the country I cant help but get caught up in celebrating it's founding.  It's really incredible what has been accomplished in 39 years in this tiny country.  Really this much in 39 years of course there are gonna be some kinks, what are we expats complaining about?  I wonder how the US or UK looked after 39 years?  i'm almost positive it wasn't even close.


The scale of the celebrations seem to get bigger and bigger every year.  Preparations start weeks in advance you'll see the lights going up and wonder what's in store when they get turned on.  This year there has been light sculptures of camels, ships, falcons and horses adorning all the round abouts.  The corniche is amazing as always w/ lights of all different colors in scroll work designs and slogans about the emirates in arabic, all the palms are dressed up.  My personal fave this year is the giant balls that keep changing colors in the median up and down the corniche.

As if the lights on the roads weren't enough, which of course in Abu Dhabi it's not, all the major buildings of the city are decorated up in sparkling lights and colors of the flag.  There are laser lights shooting across the city in green and white.  They even turn one of the building into a massive movie screen and show shots of the country over the years, so while your stuck in massive party traffic you can not only watch the show on the road, but and actual movie!

Add to all of this the nationals parade... thats what i call it.  All of the nationals or locals as we call them deck out their cars.  There are cars covered in stickers of red, green, white and black, cars are covered in crystals and boa's and spray painted,  cars are covered in murals of their owners favorite sheikhs anything you can think of it they've done it! Its like mardi gras w/o topless girls or alcohol.  A word to the wise don't exspect to actually get anywhere in a hurry during national day or your going to be seriously pissed off, get your stuff during the day and just relax and enjoy the show at night!

I'll complain alot about Abu Dhabi as most people do but on Dec 2nd I'm reminded just how young this country is and honestly I have to appreciate it good and bad b/c there is no place else like it! .  When we are driving around watching all the shanangins I'm always thinking why don't we celebrate the 4th of july like this?  why don't we dress up our cars and blast the nantional anthem from our cars and tow massive flags behind them up and down the road?  Why don't we light up our cities and take a few days off and really feel the awsomeness of America?  Ok i know we are in a recession, but really why?  I guess thats another blog...

Oh there is one more reason that i love the celebration... secretly it's like my own personal kick off to christmas.  I know the lights aren't for christmas but i can pretty much fool myself into thinking they are, and toffee nut latte's are back in starbucks and you hear x-mas music in the stores, it totally gets me into the spirit!  So happy 39th b-day UAE!!! and happy holiday season to the rest of us!!