Bonjour! Hallo! Hola! Hey Y'all!

It's been a month so I owe you!  And it's been an eventful month since I've updated you on the haps.  It has been 10 months since I arrived in the Sandbox and I must say this has been an experience quite like no other.  I am grateful, I mean truly grateful for everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It has been an adventure of a lifetime and I wouldn't trade it in for anything in the world.  I would have never been able to travel, learn another language (kind of), meet the people I've met or reignite my gift of singing had it not been for the decision to move myself half way around the world to the UAE.  Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been a walk in the park or a stroll in a wild tulip field just skipping and frolicking, but it's all worth it and I'm looking forward to the end of my first year here as well as the beginning of the next!!   

So what's next...well vacation for me starts in 11 days!  Wooo Whooo?!  I am headed to Paris to arrive on my birthday.  What a nice birthday gift to myself to make up for nearly 5 years of NO vacations at all? Then my next stop is Amsterdam, then Madrid, then the good ole USA to see family and friends that I love and have missed sooooo much!  It's sure to be a great time. ! I would have NEVER done this even a year ago because I was scared out of my mind.  Oh and I didn't have enough money to even travel to the next state!! lol!  But this life God has blessed me with has so far allowed me to travel to Italy, Greece, and Croatia, along with trips to Dubai!  It's true...you only live once!  I've decided that I must enjoy life to the fullest and take advantage of what the world has to offer.  So I'm going to see the world!!  I'm excited!  Pictures and videos are sure to come in the next 19 days upon my arrival in France.  WOW!  At times I can hardly believe it myself!

Life in Abu Dhabi is good indeed.  I have soooo many stories to tell!  So much funny stuff happens here it's too hilarious for me to even write about...like the argument with the security guard and the delivery guy delivering my Lebanese food to me.  Ooo Chile!  The language barriers!  All of us were looking confused!  I just heard some loud talking outside the door when my doorbell rang.  The delivery guy didn't understand he was supposed to sign in (probably because he'd never been to the building before) so the security guard followed him up to my apartment, mad that he didn't sign in.  The lil delivery man was looking crazy like he didn't know jack.  Then the security guard tells me don't order from that restaurant and 'madam don't eat this' because the food wasn't good, making 'yuck' faces and all.  I almost busted out laughing (he was hatin)...I was looking like what the hades is going on.  Finally, I just told him I ordered the food so I will pay for it.  I apologized to the delivery guy because he was really taken aback by our diligent, protective front desk security...poor thing.  I'm sure that particular delivery guy will not be back to deliver at my building.  Why did my face have to be all up in that?  Ooo Chile! I need to just write a book!!  

I recently won a singing contest at an event hosted by Virgin Radio Dubai at the Hyatt Capital Gate Hotel.  It's the leaning Hyatt here in Abu Dhabi.  I sang 60 seconds of 'Sweet Thing' by Chaka Khan and it was a hit!  One of these days, you will see my name in lights and think to yourself...that's the crazy lady who sold everything she had and moved to the other side of the world to teach in the beautiful city of Abu Dhabi, and wrote that blog that had me laughing out loud! ;)

Next week is my week to drive to work out in the desert...'Timbuktu'...almost to Dubai...LOL!  I'm sure to encounter drivers ready to run me and my lil Hyundai off the road as I drive the maximum speed limit of 140km/hr, get blown by the super strong gulf winds, maneuver across 100 speed bumps, and slam on brakes for the wild driving by others around here.  My poor lil rental car won't have any shocks, brakes, or tire treads by the time I turn it in back to them in July. :/  Bomp Bomp!

Pictures are coming soon of Paris, Amsterdam, and Madrid!  Oh the fun I plan to have...the time of my life!  I can't wait to say Bonjour! Hallo! Hola! and of course, Hey y'all! 

Much love!

Ooo Chile...

It has been over three months since I've updated this blog.  I decided that since I skipped out on my gym workout today, I needed to do something constructive, like update what has been happening with me in my travels abroad.

So much has been going on!!  Where do I start?  Well, I am most excited about my progress as a singer here.  Last month I sang at an Open Mic here in Abu Dhabi and that was fantastic!  It just reignited my love flame for music and singing all over again.  Be sure to check me out at www.reverbnation.com/satirah for a sneak peak at what my singing is like.  I am currently the #1 Jazz Singer on the ReverbNation charts here Abu Dhabi and I am so grateful to all of the people that have supported me with visiting the site and listening to my music for the past month.  Plus a short video clip of me performing 'Bella Vista' with music composed by Jazz Musician Monzell Dunlap  is on YouTube!  There is sooo much more to come! Ooo chile!  I'm excited!

My video --->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUz4c1RO5xc

Let me know what you think!

I  have also been travelling! I went on a seven day cruise through Italy, Greece, and Croatia and oh the marvelous places I saw with my very own eyes.  Places I have read about, taught about I have seen for myself and I call it a blessing!  Amazing!  Oh, and I also sang in a Talent Show on the Costa Magica cruise ship to top it all off!  Ooo Chile!  Ain't God good?

Click Here to see my Cruise Ship Performance!

Venice, Italy!  Liquid streets...travel by boat only!

Olympia, Greece...where the Olympics was born!

Athens, Greece

Athens, Greece...the Acropolis...standing in front of the Parthenon...temple of Athena!  Bow down peasants...LOL!

Chillin in Santorini!

All smiles on the gondola ride in Venice!

I've traveled some of the world and I can't wait to do it again and hit up Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Hong Kong just to name a few.  I will keep you posted!!

  

I still have lots more to share!  I have truly been living a life I never dreamed!!!

I can't even begin to tell you about my first experience at an Emirati wedding last weekend in Abu Dhabi...Ooo chile!

Let's just say it was something to see and extremely interesting!  I enjoyed myself, ate, danced and happy to have gotten that cultural experience under my belt.  When is the next wedding?  I'm there!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @satirahmusic

It's on like popcorn now!  I'm singing again on Friday, April 26 here in Abu Dhabi!  If you're on this side of the world...be sure to drop in and give me a HOLLA!!

Check it where I'm performing next --->  Rooftop Rhythms - Abu Dhabi's 1st Ever Poetry Open Mic

There is so much going on in my world...I can hardly keep up!  But tomorrow I am going to the gym!  I'm not playing!  I gotta be bikini ready for Summer cause...Ooo chile!

Field Trip

I will be updating the blog soon with photos from Christmas vacation in the States and some other things I wanted to share.  But check this out for now.

Today I had the pleasure of going on my first field trip here across the big pond.  It was at a place for kids that's more like Chuck E. Cheese's rich distant cousin's spot. There are amusement park like rides in the place, bumper cars, flying ship, etc. Fun was had by all!  I even rode the bumper cars myself!

So we made it back to school in one piece and I'm getting off the bus.  My foot gets stuck on my abaya and badaboom badabing...bamalama...I hit the ground.  I can't believe I fell! Parents, bus drivers, and a few kids were out there to witness the little entertaining event.  I played hurt for about 5 seconds then got up. All smiles! "I'm okay!" Two of my girls helped me up.  They waited to smirk after they realized I wasn't seriously hurt. Ha! And yes, of course, the Louis Vuitton sunglasses were still on my face, didn't move. LMAO! Now my arm has a bruise on it and some skin got scraped too. Lawd help! That's going to hurt later.  I am too old for this s**t!