Worth the wait

So I went over to my apartment today to meet the landlord, who again, is one of the nicest women. She brought me homemade chicken soup when she heard my voice was hoarse! She also has been so accommodating, bringing over everything that I asked for (sheets, towels, etc.) so that I don't have to spend the money on them, and even said she would get me things like a clothes drying rack and place mats, which are not necessary.

Anyway, we had a good long chat. She is originally from Iraq, but her father was a diplomat, so she lived and grew up all over Europe, and she has been in Dubai for 25 years (which in Dubai time is the equivalent of a century.) This is her first time buying and then renting an apartment--she and her friend are the only 2 women who bought apartments in this building and then furnished them before renting. Nice furnished apartments really are rare here, which is why I was so, so, so stressed out about finding a decent one a couple of weeks ago.

Below are pictures of the view from my little balcony off of my room--I will take pictures of the actual apartment this coming week, once I move in a bit more. I am excited that I'll be moved in for my birthday, so I can break it in a bit and make it feel like home. I'll be honest, if Dubai wasn't so far away, I could stay in this apartment for a long time. I really love it.

View to the left, overlooking the man-made marina and the Arabian Gulf:



Views to the right, looking out towards the main road and the largely undeveloped land more inland: