srini of arabia

hello again

2009-08-10T20:24:00.000+04:00

it's amazing to see how many unfinished blog posts have been written in the last year. quite a bit has happened since my return from Dubai. I left for what was presumed to be a short while. Upon returning I realized that there was so much more happening in my life state-side to justify another long trek abroad (for the time being). to all my followers, friends and family who continue to check in from time to time, I am sorry to have left you hanging! I pressed pause on the blog thing for a while without making any announcements since it didn't seem necessary. needless to say, I'd like to close the srini of arabia chapter (for now) and just share things in my life from home that make me happy, like music, new restaurants, travel, friends etc.

perhaps another deterrent in my blogosphere adventures was the sudden malfunctioning of my camera. Without pictures, the incentive to continue posting has been minimal.

There's no need for a summary of my life right now, but I'll leave you with a taste of spring and a recent video that revived my thirst for travel....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=260593&id=578570569&l=91349d97a6

atlantis

2008-11-22T01:39:00.003+04:00

very cool. wish i could have seen this live!

masha'alla

2008-11-02T04:56:00.004+04:00

I remember a while back going on a rant of sorts about Dubai possessing the largest (fill in blank). It's no surprise that today they announced holding the new Guinness World Record for having the largest Acrylic Panel. I can only hope that a country on such a brilliant and fast track to being the biggest and best at everything will soon announce their cure for cancer/AIDS/world hunger/turrets syndrome...

read more about the Dubai Mall here

si se puede

2008-10-20T22:18:00.001+04:00

It blows my mind from having been home for just a few short weeks how politically inspired and driven we are as Americans. Considering that the UAE is more or less a benevolent monarchy where citizens and expats alike keep their minds free of partisan views of any kind, the bright side of our circus-like political culture is getting to create art like this. Regardless of your political bias, I felt the above was worth sharing.

home

2008-09-10T18:25:00.002+04:00

Well, good news is that I am home safely. The trip back was quite a journey but I managed to get here in one piece. I neglected to recount tales of my last few days in Dubai since the last couple weeks have been rather consumed by goodbyes and lots of running around. I took many pictures so I'll be sharing those soon, but the good news is that i transitioned out of my last role peacefully despite concerns over labor laws and legal restrictions against expats. I have another opportunity in place that will be taking effect soon but firm dates are not yet set in stone. I will keep updates on here since there is always news to report about Dubai and life in general.
Namely, the day after I left an earthquake rocked Iran which took effect in Dubai! In fact the building that I will be working in was evacuated today around 3 PM where people were likely stuck outside and subject to the afternoon heat, many of them on empty bellies during Ramadan. no fun. Fortunately everyone I know is alive and well, but I cant imagine how scary it must have been working on the Burj Dubai during such a quake. This is a view from the 150th floor taken by my friend Matt who's been working on the tower for 2 1/2 years.

HopFest!

2008-08-23T17:02:00.003+04:00

Something I've been looking forward to since before I'd even arrived in Dubai was the Irish Village Hopfest. The Village is a popular place we often venture to after work for a frothy pint of Stella. Their annual beer festival showcases beers from all over the world with 120 varieties. This turned out to be quite the 3-day event, although I only made it to Thursday night after work since the presumably sun-soaked 3 hour wait on Friday (4 PM, mind you) did not seem worth the wait with breweries and the Wegman's beer room creeping up on the horizon in just a few weeks.

To say the least, I'm glad I attended, albeit for even just one day. Aside from the amusement of tasting hops as they were meant to be tasted, the live irish band, authentic saw dust shavings at our feet, and lively crowd, actually finding black snot (sorry, gross) in my kleenex the next day pretty much summed up the kind of night we had...

gray area

2008-08-21T16:46:00.004+04:00

My reluctance to post over the last week or so can be partly blamed on the somewhat discrepant legal "system" here, particularly as it relates to expats and their labor rights. Basically, there are lots of loop holes that people face when they leave a company and try to switch over to a new position or simply need to leave. As of July 31st, some new laws were put into effect that complicated the legal "understanding" of the labor law even more. Complications are usually more the employer's fault versus the Ministry's fault, which makes everyone's case different.

My situation: I'm officially finished with my current employer as of the end of the month (woohoo!). Mind you, the experience has been incredible and the friendships I've made and bridges I built were well worth the sacrifices I made along the way, etc etc. In the end, however, as most people quickly find when they arrive to the UAE, there are so many opportunities to grow in this market and usually your first working experience here is a stepping stone to assimilate to the culture, get to know the place, scratch below the surface, and move into something more fulfilling.

As lovely as this sounds and complies to the normal progression of a growing professional in the US, things don't really play out as easily on my side of the pond.
Namely:
1. When you switch jobs here, you are immediately subject to a 6 month or one year labor ban. This means that you can enter the country as a tourist, but you are prohibited from legally acquiring a work visa for the ban period.

2. Upon cancellation of your work visa, you have 30 days to leave the country. Upon returning, you resume tourist status and are limited (as of July) to a 30 day stay

3. You can get around the so-called "ban" by requesting a Non Objection Certificate (NOC) from your current employer to transfer your visa status to a new sponsor, but the chances of this happening are slim.

4. The only way to jump into a new job with no "ban" limitation and no "NOC" in hand involves getting sponsorship from a company located in one of the "free zones" which operate under their own employment and labor contracts (Jebel Ali Zone, Dubai Airport Zone, Dubai Media City Zone, etc).

Let's just say that I'll never take that delightful 2-week notice period for granted if I'm back home and feel like jumping jobs in a week's time.

Trying to understand how this whole process works takes a bit longer than swallowing 4 bullet points. Here's what's been "auto-filling" my web browser for the past couple weeks. Consistent with the UAE culture in general, you can't really get a straight answer even if you ask for one point blank. There's no black and white, yes or no, underlined and written on paper definition no matter how hard you look...
Official UAE Labor Law
Ask the Law
Legal Q&A

who let the dogs out

2008-08-10T21:16:00.003+04:00

"The head of Riyadh’s religious police recently complained to city fathers that the “phenomenon” of dog-walking was “becoming more and more acceptable”.

Not only that, added Othman al Othman, it is “being taken advantage of by some young men in a way that conflicts with the rules and regulations of Islam”.

The young men, it seems, were “using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families”, Mr Othman told Al Hayat newspaper." - The National, August 10

Come on, really? Maybe our dearest Othman the Othman knows a little too much about the subtle effectiveness of dog walking. He is a clever one...

I do bag my own groceries...

2008-08-08T15:38:00.003+04:00

bosphoral fun

2008-08-04T10:42:00.003+04:00

Stories to follow this photo diary of my adventures in Turkey. Istanbul, may I note, is highly underrated and I could not have envisioned a more splendid place. See for yourself...

Istanbul

constantinople

2008-07-30T00:55:00.005+04:00

I've neglected to recount tales of fairy book wedding adventures, fried eggs, a new house mate, and the most recent developments that have turned into a 7:45 AM departure tomorrow to Istanbul! I am very excited to see Turkey. I've always wanted to visit but wasn't quite sure when I'd get a chance. I'll be going for work but staying the long weekend for fun. Today marks a very special holiday on the Islamic calendar that I will share more details about when I return. Just wanted to share the update and promise to post pictures and stories when I return.

To recap on the last 10 days or so:

I attended a very traditional UAE wedding that lasted about 3 days. Pictures to follow, but here's a peek at the stage that the bride hangs out on the entire night before her husband arrives around midnight to claim her and sweep her away...
It reached over 125 degrees outside on Saturday and I was bored so here's how I killed time - note that this picture was taken on our courtyard patio 30 minutes after the eggs were cracked.

Moments later this guy angry fellow crashed into the side of my house. I have now claimed it as my pet. If you know anything about helmeted guineafowls besides what's on the internet, feel free to share. I'm still trying to decide on a name...

these bastards

2008-07-20T17:38:00.004+04:00

By visiting These Bastards you waive your right to petition its creators for return of the time you will inevitably squander reading their bullshit invective."From the maker of WitSL comes a new breed of broken, lowbrow news with perhaps a splash or two of whiskey and gin in between keystrokes... Consider this the delicious "cigarette break" of my recently dwindling appetite for (American) political commentary.

now would be a good time to insert tongue firmly in cheek before they do

too cool for a lame blog post title

2008-07-19T09:59:00.006+04:00

In 2006 I went to Seattle for the first time and had a chance to check out Bumbershoot, which was an awesome lineup of musicians from all over the country, including one of my favorites who ended up headlining the last night, Zero7. I looked for footage of that performance soon after but all I could find were a few amateur clips including this one during the show when some random guy got up on stage and started dancing with Sia. I figured it was part of her Somersault line dancing routine, but apparently I was mistaken...

Our friend on stage was up to much bigger things than a simple 30 seconds of fame

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

if you like pina coladas...

2008-07-14T19:32:00.002+04:00

Although The Sun may put out some wildly outrageous and over exaggerated news, it can sure tell a hell of a story.

Stealing headlines for the last week has been a story about two British expats that had a little too much fun at Friday brunch and ended up getting caught during a late night romp on the shores of the Jumeirah beach. The story has gotten pretty ugly and they could be facing up to 6 years in jail if convicted.

Let me add that Friday brunch is nothing like Sunday brunch in New York. Although people often plan ahead, organize friends, call and make reservations, this is no eggs benedict and pancake with whipped cream affair - Friday brunch involves a hefty down payment of usually around $40 to $100 of all you can eat and drink deliciousness. The higher end of the bargain can land you in a 5 start hotel with pink champagne, bottomless pitchers of mojitos, sangria, and more, with everything you would ever want to wrap your tastebuds around from Belgian waffles, whose roomy squares can accommodate the meatiest pieces of lobster and filet mignon, and unlimited fat belly tuna sushi picked fresh from the hotels private aquarium... Let's just say it's tasty but very dangerous if you don't plan your drinks right.

We had our own little brunch at Double Decker on Friday, which may not have been as fancy, but the rowdy UK expats made up for the lack of quality entertainment, as you'll soon be able to understand after clicking on the photo below for the full "michelle palmer" saga:

Team America

2008-07-10T10:57:00.003+04:00

Team America

So maybe we missed out on face painting, and sunny parades, marching bands, baton throwers, sparklers, and red white and blue rice crispy treats, but we still managed to pull together some festive colors, potato salad, (pork!) ribs, and neil young.

hands off!

2008-07-08T10:19:00.005+04:00

One of the most difficult things about transitioning into Middle Eastern culture was learning how to draw the line at a hand shake. Coming from a family that expresses itself through physical affection, you can imagine how disturbed I was after learning that kissing, "inappropriate" hugging, and spooning on the beach in the UAE can land you in jail or even get you deported. In fact, two women were arrested a few weeks ago for cuddling on the beach! I've always loved this picture, but if it had been taken in Sharjah, there would have been police officers waiting in the wings to handuff that filthy sailor and send him away!

Here's an article from The National with the latest updates on the government's "crackdown".

i pity the fool!

2008-07-06T18:59:00.003+04:00

My good friend Paul is a journalist with Dubai's "free" paper that publishes sensational news and can be found just about everywhere in the UAE. Today he did a story covering the latest rumors that "A-team" is going to be filming in Dubai. I really enjoyed this, although you kind of need to have lived or visited the city to get all the tongue in cheek references made. If you aren't smiling the whole way through, consider it another reason to come and visit! Click on Mr. T to read the full article.

yondergrrrl

2008-07-04T13:10:00.002+04:00

Early to bed, early to rise today. Not sure if it was the excitement of lady liberty's much anticipated and celebrated birthday or just the need for a good night's sleep. I've spent the morning catching up on emails, lacing up for a nice run, and in just a few moments I'll be preparing my mom's famous corn bread recipe and a tray of brownies for the 4th of July bash we are throwing. Thinking of other staple goodies, I'm going to head to the store in search of ranch dip and ruffled chips, doritos, and rice crispies.

I've been enjoying the likes of Yonderboi, The Dining Rooms, and classic Samba music from my youth. Yonderboi's Shallow and Profound album is a fabulous twist of low-fi, acid jazz with a dose of Edit Piaf-esque vocals and Hungarian flare. I've shared it with a few friends who've enjoyed it as well. Click on his picture below for a listen...

ole, ole ole ole...

2008-06-29T21:07:00.002+04:00

You would not believe how wired this city is at the moment. viva espana! off I go to watch the euro 2008 finals...

free fallin'

2008-06-28T17:18:00.002+04:00

All this talk of Umm Al Quwain reminded me to post footage of our 10,000 ft jump in December when Mike was in town. Nothing beats a bird's eye view of the Persian Gulf at sunset...

marvel

2008-06-27T15:13:00.002+04:00

this is my neighborhood, not a preview to the next summer blockbuster. i know i posted about the rotating tower already, but this was too cool to pass up.

unda da sea

2008-06-24T11:13:00.002+04:00

Umm Al Quwain just keeps getting better. We first found it about 2 1/2 weeks into this gig when the Barracuda Beach Resort opened its sliding doors to thirsty Americans looking for an underground place to satisfy a scotch craving. Frequented just about every month for the usual case of Miller lite and Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum, Umm Al Quwain soon became our spot for skydiving in December. Little did I know that crab hunting would also land on my "to do" list for the Emirate. Not only do I love crabs, but I can't imagine anything more fun than spearing for them in the Arabian Sea followed by a crab boil with friends.
check it out.

you spin me right round baby, right round..

2008-06-22T14:53:00.003+04:00

Dubai will be unveiling the first ever rotating tower, 68 floors of awesomeness:

My favorite part of the article:
"Each of the villas will have designated parking on the same floor with vehicles brought up and down in special elevators. The roof of the 'Penthouse' villa will also have a swimming pool, a garden and an Arabian majlis. For a quick return home, the tower will have a retractable heliport, a platform that will extend from the shell of the building at the 64th floor at the moment of landing, thus maintaining the ergo-nomics of the tower."

euro 2008

2008-06-15T00:20:00.002+04:00

The last three nights have been consumed by heineken drafts, double decker, and European soccer. Considering that 80% of the population here is expat and most of those expats are European, you can only imagine how wild the city is right now with Sweden playing Spain, Greece playing Russia, Croatia playing Germany (amazing game). I never cared much about the World Cup aside from the 1994 games when we were living in Guatemala and going to dinner with my family would turn into us waiting for our food while the sound of Spanish-speaking broadcasters echoed "goalgolgolgolgol...." from a 10 inch tv in the back of the restaurant. Soccer has completely cut into my productivity, but rightly so with the pulse of Dubai at the moment. Every pub and street corner is packed with people from all over the world supporting their team. It amazes me now after seeing this why Americans can't live and die for soccer the way everyone else seems to. Ironically enough, all the sports anchors here are from England, which sadly did not even qualify for the tournament!

i do

2008-06-10T13:37:00.002+04:00

This was a nice compliment to my coffee this morning. Another reason why getting married scares the crap out of me.

sheikh killed the radio star?

2008-06-03T23:02:00.007+04:00

Whoa, it's been over a week since I last posted! They always say that you don't feel the time in Dubai and I'm starting to realize it right now with my feet starting to tingle from not having sat down all day. I just took over a couple major product lines for Johnson and Johnson in the Middle East, which is really exciting but quite an addition to my workload. Either way, tonight I was looking to unwind on the way home with the usual flip between Dubai 92 and Dubai One 104.1 and was shocked to hear DeBussy's Clair de Lune instead of the usual UK top 40. Last night Sheikh Nasser bin Zayed passed away in a helicopter crash - he is the brother of the UAE's President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed. I can safely say that I've never experienced or will experience again living in a place where everything shuts down for three days of mourning, including television and radio stations in memory of a political figure. Let's just say that people here do not take such losses lightly. You can read a bit more about Sheikh Nasser here.

Looking back on the last week, my boy Ahmed Bukhatir rocked it out at the concert he had. Mind you, he was singing Islamic hymns in a cappella, but they sounded great nonetheless. I also had a chance to attend a really crazy and out of this world desert rave on Friday night called SOS in the Desert.

The evening involved a 1 1/2 hour bus ride to the middle of nowhere in the desert, followed by a 10 minute ride in a SUV that dune bashed its way into a man made hole (flat valley of sand with decorative tables low to the ground and plumbing) in the sand surrounded by sand walls that would echo the sounds of Audiotonic and world famous djs. The night was accompanied with unlimited Arabic bbq (think grilled kebabs, hummus, tabouli, Arabic bread, etc) and lots of other tasty treats (think black label, red bull, Stoli, etc). The "rave" scene here, I imagine, does not compare to other parts of the world where you merit a slap on the wrist for drug possession... Getting caught with such in the UAE is not worth the battle or the risk, so people for the most part were tame and under control. I met some fun Lebanese kids in the process, which made the evening even better. Although I'd never been to a 'rave' before, i'd say attending one in the desert was a nice start.

a bit of ear candy

2008-05-26T11:09:00.004+04:00

This morning I've been running around trying to organize the media since Ahmed Bukhatir has a concert tonight in Dubai that I will be attending at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. I'm really looking forward to finally getting to hear him sing live. It should be something else. I wrote a post about him a few weeks ago - this is basically what he is going to be singing in both English and Arabic, all done in the traditional nasheed style.

A friend of mine sent me a really fantastic mix of artists that have kept my ipod busy for the last few days including:

Matthew Dear
Panda Bear
Tortoise
Bright Black Morning Light
The Be Good Tanyas
Dilla
Tom Waits
Bon Iver
Sufjan Stevens
Little Feat

I'm sure a quick name search on myspace will yield some good samples of some of their tunes. A few of them are a bit more well known - I can safely say I've been to my fair share of Little Feat and Sufjan Stevens shows, but Bon Iver is someone relatively new whose melancholy album I started listening to about a month ago and have really enjoyed.

On a completely different note, I found this piece about the Big Lebowski on NPR and it made me laugh since it's likely something that I would have heard on my morning commute into Aurora, Ohio. Either way, it made my day. Have a listen.

(awwwwww)

2008-05-25T18:14:00.002+04:00

Not a whole lot has been going on since last week. The back and forth exposure to extreme heat and cold sent me into a strange sort of fever on Thursday, but I managed to keep things together and recover. Apparently this type of illness is common here since our bodies are not used to such extreme temperatures.

I was reading a few blurbs about Hillary's blunder with the press and her Kennedy assassination slip-up when I stumbled upon this article. I never have the time to read this kind of news, but it kind of made me want a penguin.

150 floor flight

2008-05-21T11:28:00.002+04:00

It was only a matter of time before someone actually did this. I don't know which is worse though... the pain in your thighs from clambering up 150 flights of stairs or the jail time and 5,000 dhms fine.

WTF

2008-05-18T10:00:00.002+04:00

Last night was the first time in months that I watched an entire Yankees game, albeit 8 hours ahead of the east coast with Arabic food and Miller Lites at hand via a shoddy internet connection streamed through mlb.tv. It was incredibly fun to watch, especially toward the beginning with Pettitte pitching 5 strikeouts in the first 2 innings- he eventually gave up 3 consecutive singles in the fourth that screwed up the Yankes 2-0 lead. And then, of course, the whole game took a turn for the worst as every Yankees game has gone this season, leading to a 7-4 loss. I contemplated sporting my 21 jersey, but I thought I'd save it for an occasion when the team really needed me. Maybe now is a better time than ever. Check out more highlights on the game here.

what stays in dubai happens in dubai? apparently

2008-05-18T09:56:00.001+04:00

Trouble in the Middle East

he should write for the daily show

2008-05-18T09:51:00.003+04:00

john mccain is really old

thanks for that, sean mintus.

axis of evil!

2008-05-17T14:04:00.002+04:00

Last night I went to Friday Night Live at the Madinat Jumeirah, which was quite a show. After the success of the original Axis of Evil Middle East tour, a group of about 9 comedians decided to join forces and tour the world together. I was impressed since they represented just about every demographic in Dubai from Filipinos to Egyptians, Indians, and Lebanese. The popular thing to do, of course, was rip into Bush and fall back on him and America sucking royally to get the crowd revved up. Each comedian eventually transitioned into making fun of Arabic traditions, cities, customs, oh yes.. and let's not forget about Israel, which always got a big round of applause and cheers from every Arab in the room. All in all, it was hilarious. My favorite guy was Ronnie Khalil. He kind of reminds me of someone who would have been in show choir in high school. I think it's his facial expressions and theatrical accent. Anyway, plug in some head phones since the sound quality isn't that great and enjoy.

unhappy endings massage

2008-05-15T09:51:00.002+04:00

"A man working as a masseur has been arrested by Dubai Police for killing a client by crushing his skull with a wooden club shortly after giving him a massage..."

Read the full story here

i'm too sexy for my abaya

2008-05-14T10:00:00.003+04:00

Before coming to the UAE, I was definitely guilty of reserving some feelings against the hijab and abaya. Like many people, I saw it as a form of cultural oppression and male chauvinism - perhaps it is in a way. I won't get into the thick of it since there doesn't seem to be a right answer. Let's just say that I've learned to embrace it as more of a cultural and religious statement than a form of oppression. I look at it this way - my Emirati girlfriends have never known anything else - they like wearing the abaya since it's light and flowy, you can spruce it up with fancy embroidering and sparkles, and it's simply a staple in the way locals dress here. My grandmother has never owned a pair of pants in her life, simply because it wasn't part of her upbringing nor did it become part of her style. Most Indian women choose to wear saris for the same reasons - it's all they've ever know and it keeps them in touch with their culture. Emirati women seem to choose the abaya for similar reasons. although some of them may wish to shed that black layer when the heat settles in, it doesn't seem to bother them since its a symbol of their cultural roots and preserves that sense of nationalistic pride. Little girls are not required to wear them, but I always wonder what they think about their mothers who do. I imagine that they look forward to it or simply expect it as part of their coming of age, kinda like I used to look forward to fitting into my mom's high heels and wearing lipstick like she did. ok, that may not be the best comparison, but basically every little girl someday expects to take on her mother's identity and persona in some way, so I imagine it works the same way in this case.

I found this article today and it got me thinking about the abaya as more of a fashion statement than anything else. Although we equate "modernizing" to "westernizing" it doesn't necessarily need to be that way here. Modernizing the abaya doesn't need to mean getting rid of it completely, but rather adding a few bells and whistles to the sleeves and trim. I think the lady pictured up top looks pretty fabulous myself, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

"Just because the women wear this doesn't mean they're oppressed." - student from the Virginia Commonwealth University

somethin' just aint right...

2008-05-13T15:06:00.003+04:00

1. Gas prices have skyrocketed in Dubai to over $4 a gallon
2. Tampa Bay is on a franchise-record home winning streak after a 10-1 win over the Yankees?!
3. People actually think they can get away with smuggling heroin through Dubai - ha!

wishing for wegmans

2008-05-08T16:35:00.004+04:00

Last night was quite a good time with the arrival of Steve and Josh, two of my best friends from home. We go as far back as the lunch table our freshman year in high school and have spent just about every monumental teenage moment together from pep rallies to prom. It's crazy to think back 10 years ago and imagine what we would have said then had someone told us we would be sharing a bottle of wine in Dubai last night. We had dinner at Le Meredien just off airport road, which I had never been to but will need to start going to more often, with their really tasty all you can eat and drink buffet dinner for just 150 Dirhams (about $40). They had everything from Indian fare to fresh seafood and Arabic food. The night led us to the Irish Village, where I've been spending quite a few nights with the temperature just perfect in the evenings. We're milking this for all it's worth before it starts to heat up and the mere thought of standing outside brings sweat to your brow... Tonight we're headed to Barasti, another great outdoor venue, and then who knows. I am SO sleepy after my 2:30 AM bed time and 8:30 AM meeting this morning, but I'll have to make do with a nap on the beach tomorrow I guess (i know, life is hard...sigh). Below is a picture of us from last night. Josh is in the middle and "Stevo" is on the right.

Just when you thought it was safe...

2008-05-07T10:16:00.002+04:00

They go ahead and do this...

thunder!

2008-05-06T09:40:00.003+04:00

Sarah came into my room this morning to make sure I was up and as I peeped my head out from my bathroom to wish her a pleasant morning, our bodies froze with excitement from the sound of roaring thunder outside of my bedroom window. We cautiously leaned out the window to make sure our ears weren't playing tricks on us, only to be welcomed by that sweet, thick smell you can only find just before a summer downpour. Although we were greeted with just a drizzle, other parts of the city had some of the worst rain in years. Here's one of my favorite shots of the morning from Gulf News and some coverage on the weather - unlike most parts of the world faced with rain, the news had such a positive twist to it since we haven't seen even a sprinkle since January!

this fine social scene

2008-05-04T14:15:00.006+04:00

So I may have shown up about 15 minutes after Sam Hardaker was done with his set (sob), but we ended up hanging out for the rest of the night, which was far more exciting! Below is a picture of us with Mr Mr of Audiotonic on my right. Both such great people.

Precisely

2008-05-02T14:01:00.001+04:00

Dumb as we wanna be

horsewhipped!

2008-05-01T11:29:00.002+04:00

Just imagine if American drivers were equipped with horse whips...

Road-rage driver 'tried to hit me with horsewhip'

check out the full report here

Oh yes, as you'll see in the last paragraph of this article, there is a reason why I keep all 5 fingers down when driving in the UAE.

pre-shrunk, vintage, slim fit...

2008-05-01T09:58:00.004+04:00

Just when I thought Busted Tees and Urban Outfitters had taken over the 100% cotton, American Apparel world of tongue in cheek came Dangerous Breed with this haram collection of juxtapositions. I honestly can't decide which one I want the most.

Audiotonic

2008-04-30T15:40:00.003+04:00

So excited...

la flaca se casa

2008-04-16T12:37:00.003+04:00

I forgot to mention that as of April 16th I would be in America! I'm stuck in London-Gatwick at the moment with brightly glazed-over eyes and a bad case of the yawns. My flight getting in was delayed from NYC due to some dreary, damp and chilly weather last night, so my plans of arriving to Dubai were pushed back a few hours. Regardless, I loved my time at home and really enjoyed catching up with friends and family. In the end though, I was looking forward to returning to Dubai and getting back into a routine. Zero 7 is playing this Friday at 360, which is one of the most exciting things that's popped up on my calendar since I moved there. I am really looking forward to the show. I've got a couple friends from Pittsford planning a stop through as well this coming weekend, so I'll need to sleep off any jet lag for their arrival. I took my fair share of pictures during my time at home but only had a chance to post some shots from the wedding, which you can check out by clicking on the album below.

la flaca se casa

world's biggest (fill in blank)

2008-04-09T20:31:00.003+04:00

Dubai never ceases to amaze me. We've got it all, from the world's tallest tower to the world's largest hotel, the world's largest arch bridge, the world's largest mall, the world's largest water reservoir, the world's (soon to be) largest airport, the world's largest indoor ski park, the world's largest amusement park, and now ... the world's largest chop sticks. You think they would have tried a stab at cooking up the world's largest pita before pulling off something like this.

Although we've put size to shame in just about every corner of the world, Saudi Prince Al-Walid Bin Talal is going to have the last laugh with his newly announced mile high tower. I'd be laughing too if I created a building large enough to make people sick to their stomachs:

"The building will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper stretching down several floors - to counter the nausea-inducing sway caused by the wind."

Read the full story here.

Chamba

2008-04-07T14:41:00.006+04:00

I don't know how people ever got along without Facebook. I went back to see if I could trace when I joined and I think it was somewhere around January 2007. Since then, I have reconnected with 480+ people and counting! It's really made the world feel like a much smaller place, especially being all the way over here. I wouldn't be surprised if Facebook ends up in Merriam-Webster as a noun and a verb with the way people abuse it these days.

Case and point - 2 weeks ago I "facebooked" a handful of friends I knew in Guatemala. It had been about 13 years since we last saw one another, making the reconnection process a lot of fun. I was not sure who I'd find, but I think I got lucky with about 7 successful friend requests. Since then we've been going back and forth, sharing pictures, comparing passport stamps, and reliving the sweaty-palmed, jean jacket, snap-at-the-crotch leotard, middle school dance parties via youtube and the help of this top hits list from 1993. really brings you back...

Everyone turned out to be pretty awesome, spending their years after Colegio Maya everywhere from the Philippines to Hungary, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Holland, and Costa Rica. The list goes on... One of my friends ended up playing professional soccer in Monaco, eventually starting his own sports apparel company based in Orlando, called Chamba. During his time in Costa Rica, Jason was part of a movement called freestyle soccer, which he continues to play and promote today through the Chamba culture. Below is just an example of what freestyle looks like, as demonstrated by Jason Utley Madrigal himself. The Chamba web site has some other fun multimedia links on it. Check 'em out here (cool, cooler, coolest).

Masha'allah

2008-04-03T14:30:00.003+04:00

The direct translation for this in English is: "God has willed it".

We often use this phrase here to express admiration and sincere awe in someone or something. In Arabic, it's commonly heard when people compliment one another or appreciate something beautiful like the beach, the sunset, or even the music video below.

An interesting piece of trivia- Ahmed Bukhatir is the owner and CEO of the company I work for. Much to my chagrin, he is also one of the UAE's most loved and famed singers. His songs are very faith-based, delivering messages true to Islam. His voice is gorgeous, generally adhering to the more traditional nasheed style of accapella with some basic percussion to preserve the purity and simplicity of music. I included the lyrics to the song below. Masha'allah.

Today, upon a bus,
I saw a girl with golden hair.
And wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she smiled.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it `d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
You see," he said, "I `m blind"

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes the world is mine.

I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew. He couldn't hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I `d go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have blessed indeed, the world is mine

Dubai Summer Games 2012

2008-04-03T09:07:00.003+04:00

Surprised? I was just imagining this hitting headlines sooner or later and here it is. Dubai will surely take a stab at the Summer Olympics. I didn't realize it would happen so soon. It just doesn't make sense though with temperatures hitting 120+ degrees during the summer time with 100% humidity. I'd like to see them get past environmentalists with proposals for air conditioned 65,000 seat stadiums. Although, human rights activists didn't seem to sway Beijing much in their fight for Darfur. If anything, Dubai would make a better contender for the Winter games with their upcoming indoor snow dome and that giant indoor ski slope near the beach...

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

2008-04-02T13:59:00.002+04:00

That's right. it' s baseball season. the emails have already started flowing in from friends back home relaying tales of home openers, extra innings, beer-dampened cement stairs, and that warm, burnt pork smell. Ironically, my date with Bob Sheppard will have to be put on hold since my Yankees will be in Cleveland (of all places!!) the weekend I'm in NYC. So sad since this is their last year in "the cathedral". I'll have to catch a (gasp) Met's game, but would prefer to attend a ball game with my dad. Frontier Field in Rochester is a great spot since they host the Rochester Red Wings, a triple-A farm team for the Twins. Dad and I have had some good moments on that field, so I'm hoping for clear skies, a frothy draft, and a good, soft pretzel to keep the upstate new york chill at bay.

I'll leave you with an excerpt from an email I received recently. it might as well have been sent by a Sox fan (boo hiss). it did, however, bring a smile to my face:

"How was the Dubai World Cup? That must have been
the most over the top, expensive-to-put-on, decadent sports event
you've ever been to...oh wait, Yankees fan. I'd bet those horses
don't get groomed nearly as often as the mane on Johnny Damon."

can't wait for

2008-03-31T21:56:00.003+04:00

rain
cowboy boots
fresh spinach
Starburst
recycling
basements
sidewalks
pretending not to read the cover of US weekly and People in the checkout line
Target
NPR
Rochester accents
Bagels
corner stores
$2 drafts
gumball machines
Daniela
brown paper grocery bags
hoppy beer
Mexican restaurants
good tortilla chips
mom and dad
lucky pennies
corduroy
Wegmans
the 6 train
self check-out aisles
3 digit area codes
100-127 V/60Hz plugs
turning right on red
HBO
mom's stuffed artichokes
Dinosaur bbq
victoria's secret
dishwashers
knitting
fireplaces
ebay
pinstriped uniforms
Skipper
playing my violin
down comforters
electric toothbrushes
Blockbuster video
all things Goya
taking naps in my parents' bed
Gatorade
old yearbooks and photo albums
dutch apple pie
my cousin's wedding
paying $40 for a tank of gas
deer crossing signs
hipster sightings
holding a big, delicious copy of the Sunday Times
string cheese
museums
the US Postal service
Maseca corn flour
tap water
carpeting
Steve Colbert
reminiscing with wine-stained lips

..16 days to go before my trip home. first time back in almost 6 months.

Not sure if this song has come out in America yet, but I'm absolutely in love with it. i also secretly wish i was in this music video. The artist's name is Adele and she is fantastic. enjoy.

extra baggage

2008-03-30T15:12:00.003+04:00

British Airways happens to be one of our clients, as we provide communication solutions and consulting services for them throughout the Gulf region and Africa as well. This part of the job is pretty cool since we need to figure out how to market and strategically position our clients in the media spotlight, taking into consideration the culture and interests in this part of the world. Effectively doing this has involved extensive research about the political and social scene throughout the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, in addition to some quality one on one time with just about every journalist, from English dailies to Arabic financial publications. Striking up these friendships has helped me understand what the public will read, what the media is interested in publishing, and how to position my clients according to these needs.

Today has been a bit crazy, however, since BA is faced with a crisis. Normally when crises occur, it's good news for me since it gives us an opportunity to rebuild a tainted reputation and come up with creative ways to help the public understand that the dust will settle and things will get better for the client. Today, in particular, we have seen widespread panic relating to the new T5 terminal at Heathrow that will serve as the main hub for BA. The buildup and PR for this project has been incredible, taking up a fair share of our time in the process. This news story has made waves throughout the region and will likely push people to find alternative methods of travel.

Looking ahead, we'll need to develop material to showcase that this was just a hiccup and that BA is on track to running a successful, new terminal (let's hope). I hate to admit it, but I'm kind of glad to be flying home on Emirates Airways in a couple weeks.

she's sweat, wet, got it goin' like a turbo jet

2008-03-28T14:25:00.008+04:00

Last night we celebrated my friend Amina's birthday at JamBase. This is a great venue underground at the Madinat Jumeirah that always has live music on the weekends. Probably one of the only places where I get to see (great) live music at a bar. The original band (pictured above) that used to play there when I first arrived to Dubai was out of this world, but they have since transitioned in a new band. A calypso band, in fact. They're not bad and can cover just about every song. They kicked off the night with a heavy dose of Marley and played some other classics like Toto's Africa, and Lionel Richie's All Night Long. I requested Kokomo, which was probably the highlight of my evening. oh yes, my leg is doing much better and I can, in fact, dance. it's all in the way you shake your hips anyway, so not much right leg action is required.

I started to recognize a pattern from standing around last night that I decided I needed to quantify once and for all. It's not that I don't want to meet new people when I go out, but I really detest getting approached by men at the bar. Most of them are on vacation so they are looking for one thing that I, of course, am the completely wrong target for. Some of them don't speak English very well but insist on trying to have a conversation with you over blaring, loud music. Some are twice my age and unphased by my apathy when I turn my back. The list goes on, and every woman somewhere in the world faces this dilemma every time she goes out. I turned to Sarah last night and realized that we all desperately go through a list of "outs" when faced with these situations. Every woman subconsciously has one. here's mine.

10. Sorry I don't drink: This eliminates persistence on their end to get you a drink and means you'll be sober all night (no fun). They go away eventually.
9. Play Dumb: If you are dancing and someone tries to dance with you, keep dancing and then mindlessly start dancing in a different direction.
8. Pretend you don't speak English: This works great over here since no one speaks Spanish. I usually shrug my shoulders and use a couple token lines like "my ingleesh not so goot," say a few things in Spanish and they usually leave me alone. (note: this backfired on me last night when the man who approached me turned out to be Venezuelan)
7. Sorry, I'm lesbian: This one can backfire on you as well if you're not careful since some men like lipstick lesbians, which I suppose is what I would classify as if I were one. Just stay persistent and disinterested and they will get the point eventually.
6. Bring a guy friend with you and tell men he's your boyfriend: I have put Faisal in this situation far too many times, but it works since he is very tall and protective of me when I need his help. If you don't have a male friend with you, just insist that you have a boyfriend who is very violent and large.
5. Sorry I'm on vacation too and my flight's leaving tomorrow morning: This works
4. I'm injured This only works if you actually are. I used this last night as well and simply pulled up my legging to show off my attractive bandages
3. Give them this number: (212) 479-7990 - New York City Reject Line. This is mean but I've done it once. haha
2. Go out with a group of girls and always dance in a circle: This works really well as long as you keep the circle. If you break the circle to go to the bar or the bathroom that's fine, just don't let anyone scavenge you on the way to or from. If you do, you're doomed.
1. I have kids: works like a charm

I guess the bright side is that if you do have problems staving away men at the bar, then you should feel great about yourself. To keep the ball in your court though, desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures. best of luck to you ladies.

my mother's daughter

2008-03-27T18:17:00.003+04:00

Nostalgia has hit me like a bag of bricks this week! I was just tiring of my daily dose of kcrw and the new and fantastic Raconteurs album when I suddenly found myself doing a search for Linda Ronstadt on youtube. I love this woman, not for her duets with Aaron Neville but for her awesome Mexican ballads dedicated to her late Mexican father. Sunday's growing up were my favorite since my parents always played the most eclectic mix, loading their 5 disc cd changer with everything from the Beatles, to the Guess Who, Moody Blues, Julio Iglesias, Frank Sinatra, Carpenters, Ottmar Liebert, Roberto Carlos, Pat Methany, Sergio Mendez, Santana, The original James Bond soundtrack, and of course, Linda Ronstadt's "Canciones de mi Padre" (thanks mamacita).

I'm much better when it comes to smell since it really triggers the most vivid memories, but music is probably the next most powerful way to tap into the past. Let's see, this song makes me think of tropical rain, visits from my tia Carmen, tio Neto and and their kids, warm hand made tortillas and refried beans, my mom's Obsession perfume from the early '90s, and turning blue from trying to match Linda's high octave and drawn out notes (you'll know when you get to that part of the song). This will probably humor anyone that listens to the tune and will make no one's day besides mine, but I felt it worth sharing the bright spot of my Thursday afternoon in the middle east.

Ana Behibek

2008-03-26T15:31:00.003+04:00

That means "I love you" in Arabic. There was a lot of that going around on Valentines day amongst the ladies of villa # 30, which I didn't have a chance to post pictures of until getting my hands on them yesterday. Conditions were perfect for celebrating this year with the four of us overworked and unloved (awww). We saved the wine, chocolate covered strawberries, and Scent of a Woman for the 15th and went for mojitos and the tastiest late night shawarma instead. Check out the pictures here or click on the link below.

valentines day in dubai

this just in

2008-03-26T10:47:00.003+04:00

Driving into work, my view of the bright blue Dubai sky was interrupted by an immense black cloud of smoke looming over the skyline ahead. Moments later I found out that an explosion took place in an [illegal] fireworks warehouse, setting off a chain of over 40 fires in a part of town called Al Quoz, which is on the way to the Burj Al Arab hotel. Not a very nice part of town, but still pretty unfortunate. check out the story here.

My question though - how is it possible to conceal an illegal fireworks warehouse in Dubai but get 4 years in jail for entering the UAE with poppy seeds on your clothes from a bread roll you ate 7 hours ago?! unbelievable

Feliz Pascua

2008-03-24T01:14:00.004+04:00

I was told on Friday night that I have a strut like Arnold. My limp is pretty funny come to think of it - I got my stitches out on Wednesday and the scar is healing relatively well, albeit very slowly. Regardless, I've been limping around with a permanent bend in my right knee. I know this sounds crazy, but it's actually much more comfortable to wear three inch heels than my reef flip flops since the heels keep my right leg permanently bent, making me look a bit less awkward when I walk around. I'm being careful and trying to stay off my leg completely, but a woman's gotta do what she's gotta do to get around and look stylish. I guess I should be thanking Steve Madden and Aldo for their help in the healing process, in addition to Band-aid and Neosporin.

Easter was not much to be celebrated here. For starters, I spent 11 hours at the office! I suddenly had a pang for Sweet Tart bunny and chick-shaped candies, Cadbury eggs (which I don't even like), and the smell of that plastic grass mom used to use to fill up our baskets. Easter really does come with a smell and you can find it in the candy aisle of CVS (sigh). I miss this time of year suddenly. To celebrate, Faisal gave me a large chocolate egg covered in gold foil and we dined at a great Latin place called Pachanga where a Spanish trio was playing live bossa nova and covers of some of my favorite artists including Rosario's Casa en el Aire (my favorite of hers!) and Maná's Corazón Espinado.
I'm hoping to be all healed up by this weekend since I was handed a VIP pass today to the Dubai World Cup, which is basically the richest horse race in the world, hosted by the one and only Sheikh Mo! I will need to do some hat shopping beforehand and am going to stay hopeful that these Arabs know how to make a mean mint julep.

Semana Santa

2008-03-19T14:00:00.005+04:00

One of my favorite things about living in Guatemala was celebrating Semana Santa, or "Holy Week". Every year my parents would take us to Antigua, a gorgeous little town tucked away behind 3 volcanoes in the central highlands of the country. Since Guatemala is a predominantly Catholic country, most people take the holidays very seriously and Semana Santa is by far the most celebrated in Antigua. All week locals spend the day sprinkling tapestries of flower petals on the street, creating rich, colorful blankets with patterns designed from scratch. Upon these floral carpets pass processions of men and women with martyred expressions whose sole purpose is to carry a series of immensely heavy floats on their shoulders that showcase the stations of the cross. The fresh aroma of pine needles and floral petals is often interrupted by waves of burning incense that cloud the cobblestone streets for the majority of the week. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience that I suggest everyone should see at some point in time.

Here in the UAE there is obviously a shortage of Reese's peanut butter eggs and every other magical taste that accompanies the holiday, but we do have something to celebrate. March 20 is Mawlid, also know as the Prophet's birthday, which is by default a national holiday. I'm not sure what the locals here to do prepare but I will be sure to report if its anything spectacular.

I'm including a video I found on youtube of the weekly festivities in Antigua. It does a great job of capturing just about everything from the flower beds to the music and the slow and steady swaying of the floats.

tragic

2008-03-18T16:23:00.005+04:00

Remember a few weeks ago when I commented on the fog in Dubai? Well, the weather really took its toll on morning commuters last Tuesday - a thick blanket of fog caused the worst ever accident in UAE history. 200 cars were involved leaving 3 people dead and almost 400 injured. You can read about the story here. Fortunately, no one I know was involved in the crash, but the road on which the accident took place is widely traveled since people are always headed back and forth between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Hopefully the government cracks down soon and starts enforcing some more rigid road rules.

still alive

2008-03-16T16:17:00.007+04:00

Wow, the last week has been thrilling. Aside from feeling like my body is slowly beginning to take on a pancake shape from all this laying around, I have been able to soak up some quality pop culture. In fact, last week I watched all of seasons 1 and 2 of 30 Rock, most probably my favorite sitcom in ages. It's witty and tongue in cheek and made for smart, cynical, sarcastic people as well as those who just want a good laugh. I had a taste of it last year when I caught a glimpse of their brilliant "Cleveland" episode and since then I've been hooked with no time to catch up until now.

Some other discoveries:

KASH check out Swings and Roundabouts (both versions), as well as Alright Fine

More reasons to feel guilty

Parov Stelar i can't get enough

I figured out how to harmonize along to the entire and fantastic new Goldfrapp album

I have way too many split ends

Cooking dinner on crutches is way harder than it sounds

Papaya is actually tasty if you sprinkle some lemon juice on it

No Country for Old Men is a pretty decent flick

27 Dresses is NOT

Oat Bran tastes like grits

Sleep

Lahore

2008-03-10T10:29:00.003+04:00

I was the first one at the airport. No problems getting my ticket, getting through security, and getting my bags checked. Mehr arrived only to realize that she had forgotten her passport, at which time Faisal and her brother had to turn around, retrieve it from their apartment and hustle back to Terminal 2 at DXB. With or without them, I think I still would have left for Lahore considering the hassle I went through trying to get there.

No one told me that sun dresses are not allowed in Pakistan. I should have known better, but the Shariah laws in Dubai don't really apply, and I was left with a suitcase of adorable summery attire that sat on the floor of Mehr's room the entire weekend. Fortunately, she had plenty of traditional blouses and pants for me to sport while I was there.

Lahore reminded me a bit of Latin America – everyone has a driver, a maid, a security guard, a cook, a gardener, and some extra hands to help around the house. In Pakistan, people drive on the left side of the road and the traffic there made me long for Dubai, which isn't saying much. We dodged rickshaws and horse/mule-drawn carts with the most random things imaginable. Certain parts of town were so congested with diesel-fueled rickshaws that I had to cover my mouth since my lungs started burning from the black smoke that clouded the air! The mother tongue in Pakistan is Urdu, but many people speak English as well. Most young men and women live at home with their families until they are married, and living on your own with a boyfriend or girlfriend is unheard of. Families are immense, friendships run deep, the food is out of this world, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking for another opportunity to return.

The parties we attended were like nothing I'd ever seen before. Most people hire companies to come and set up tents that host hundreds of people. Under the tent you'll find colorful carpeting, low benches with bright cushions, tables lined with spicy curries, and a variety of traditional lamb, chicken, and fish-based dishes. Pakistanis love their scotch, so the number of empty bottles of Black Label trumped the small collection of sour, Jacob's Creek consumed. Pakistani women are gorgeous with their big eyes, tan complexions and shiny, thick black hair. They rock the sari for fancier occasions (like Farah's engagement) and also sport the salwar kameez. I was able to capture all of the above in the pictures I took. Unfortunately, we did not have a lot of time to sightsee but the illustrative link will provide a glimpse of the fancy silks and jewels that garnished the weekend.

ouch

2008-03-06T14:48:00.003+04:00

Well, I'm back from Pakistan. I returned in one piece, in fact, only to find myself in this compromising position just yesterday evening. No worries, pictures from my trip are on their way, but in the meantime, here's a little taste of the drama behind that glorious white piece of plaster on my leg.

The relatively old, Arabic-style house we live in has had quite a few problems since we moved in, from mice sneaking in to oven doors breaking and leaking air conditioners. This has been a running joke since we never know what's going to happen next. To say the least, here's what happened next. In our bathroom, there is a ceramic counter of sorts very delicately anchored to the wall that holds our sink and toiletries in place. Getting ready for a fun night out, I rested my leg on the counter top for some leverage since I was shaving my legs and the mere weight of my leg, metaphorically speaking, was the straw the broke the camel's back. The entire counter fell from the wall, shattering into hundreds of broken chards that I subsequently slipped and landed on. I had no idea what happened until I looked down to find a pool of blood that had generated from a 2 1/2 inch deep by 6 inch long gash in my right calve muscle and some other beauties on my right side. The reaction from my room mates from seeing the purple muscle within and the multiple layers of fat and skin was enough to convince me that I'd need more than a band-aid.

Fortunately for me, my room mates knew exactly what to do, putting pressure on the wound and wrapping me up tight. Within 5 minutes we were on our way to the Welcare hospital where I stayed for about 5 hours until they were finished with me. The process involved thorough cleaning of the wounds, a tetanus shot, IV, x-rays, around 20 stitches both internally and externally, and a plaster cast to keep things in place. I'm stuck in bed now, taking about 4 pills 3 times a day to save me from pain and infection. I've got a pair of crutches that so far have facilitated one trip to the bathroom as well as 3 different types of apple juice, courtesy of my amazing room mates. I am so rich with wonderful friends and so lucky for them. I think at one point I had 8 people in my little room, complete with kisses and flowers and hands for squeezing. Hopefully someday I can repay the favor. For now, I guess I'll milk this TLC for all it's worth since I'm expected to take about 10-12 days to heal - no driving, walking, drinking, etc. I'm doing some work from home and taking it easy, throwing in a nap here and there and hoping to catch up on some movies and books I've been meaning to consume since I got here.

Sarah took some lovely pictures of the damage so I'll post them on picasa for anyone who's interested. In the meantime, I'm alive and well and lucky in many ways. This still REALLY SUCKS but hopefully it will pass quickly enough so that I am ready for St. Patricks Day at the Irish Village!

bombay dreams! well, kind of

2008-02-28T11:49:00.003+04:00

Since freshman year, my "brown" friends (a.k.a. desis, the Brown Alliance) have been pushing me to make a trip to my homeland for some much needed soul searching and perhaps a samosa or two. After quite the ordeal of getting my ticket and visa in place, I'm finally packed and heading out to Pakistan this afternoon for Faisal's sister's engagement party, in addition to some other planned activities that will take us through Sunday night. We'll be staying in Lahore, which is said to mirror Delhi quite a bit. I've packed a sari for the actual engagement, which I will be sure to report on upon my return. The weather is comparable to Dubai, with highs in the mid-80s, although the nights seem to be dropping into the 50s there, which is a little cooler than the current conditions here. Above all things, I am in good hands and will be safe. What's humored me the most about this adventure is that when I tell people where I'm going, they make it a point to remind me that Bin Laden is headquartered in Lahore - Honestly, if he is, all the better since we've been looking for him for 7 years with no luck. I'll be sure to give a shout to the USA if I bump into him.

pictures to follow. In the meantime, here's a clip from one of my favorite broadway shows.

This can't be good for you..

2008-02-28T11:42:00.003+04:00

That's oil painted on their bodies! These boys are called Pintados, or Painted Ones. Apparently, since the 17th century, villagers of San Nicolas de los Ranchos have been painting themselves in oil for this annual, Lenten festival to scare away evil spirits in the foothills of Mexico's Popocatepetl Volcano.

my friends are so cool

2008-02-26T13:53:00.007+04:00

Tiffany Treni and Vincent Schifano are the newest and hottest couple to hit myspace. Tiffany's buttery, melodic voice is reminiscent of Etta James and her on-stage presence is nothing short of magic. She is one of the lucky 6 to have spent a full year rocking the white porch swing at 55 North Franklin in the lovely town of Delaware, Ohio. Best friends since college, we've pushed her to audition for American Idol or simply park herself in the center of Times Square and start singing. Yes, she's that good. For the last few years, she and Vincent have put their heads together and cooked up some great acoustic tunes - they remind me a bit of The Magic Numbers and their song "Pieces of You" you could even say sounds a bit like Radiohead. My personal favorite is "55 North Franklin" since it's about the year we spent together, giving a little shout out to each lovely lady that lived in the house. I'm really excited that they've instituted a myspace account since it will at least give them an opportunity to post new work and network throughout the music community. Have a listen and tell your friends.

the latest

2008-02-20T10:10:00.005+04:00

Winter in Dubai

It's been a while since I last posted an album. Due to the overwhelmingly fast pace of work and play over the last month, I've been reluctant to post about some of the cool things that have happened since the beginning of the year. I'll give it a go: Pitched and won a proposal with the Sheikh of Sharjah, which subsequently led me to Arabic coffee for a couple hours in Emirates Towers with Neil Bush (George W's brother). No worries, my veins still run blue with democratic blood, but I would be lying if I told you I didn't enjoy meeting him (note: this is presumably because no mention was made of politics or corrupt business enterprises in the Middle East); attended the Dubai Desert Classic and bumped elbows with pro-golfers including Tiger and Sergio Garcia, as well as Prince Khaled of Saudi Arabia; sipped on 18 yr single malt scotch from the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel – the place is pretty tacky inside, but worth visiting at least once; jumped 10,000 ft from a plane in Umm al Quwain; spent a couple afternoons quad biking in the Arabian desert near the Hatta mountains; befriended an amazing group of Lebanese friends from Beirut; discovered a great place or two to go running along the beach; found the most amazing shawarma stand in the world; bought a plane ticket to Pakistan for the end of this month (I was invited to attend Faisal's sister's engagement); joined an ultimate frisbee team on Tuesday nights; started planning a business trip to Egypt in March; discovered a great spot to watch live rugby outside with a pint of Stella; discovered a faster way to get to the beach; got through and on air with my favorite morning talk radio show; visited Abu Dhabi; finally started to feel like I can call this place home.

one hell of a vanity plate

2008-02-19T09:50:00.004+04:00

In the UAE, there are many things that define a person's place in society. Materialism is an addiction in that sense and it stretches from the clothes on your back to the plate on the back of your car. Driving a Toyota Yaris, for example, gets me no respect on the road and I often find myself pedal to the metal, fighting for the right of way that I clearly deserve. People cut me off, arbitrarily honk for no good reason, and force me into the right lane because they believe my humble vehicle merits no place on the left, which I sincerely disagree with but accept nonetheless.

You can only imagine how good life can get behind a Lamborghini or Range Rover. That's not the half of it though. Your license plate number gets you even further, but there's a price to pay. Sheikh Mo drives license plate #1 because he is the most highly respected figure in Dubai. When you see anyone with a license plate relatively close to his (ex: 2, 25, 100, 200), you move over. These guys own the road and they aren't messing around when it comes to the number on the back of their car.These plates come at a hefty price though. Two days ago, Saeed Abdel Ghaffar Khouri bought the license plate No. 1 in Abu Dhabi for $14 million. Check out the whole story here. Just a disclaimer, this man and I are the exact same age. I can't begin to think about what I would rather spend $14 million on...

foggy arab town

2008-02-18T19:07:00.002+04:00

The weather here today reminds me of those first warm days after the damp chill that used to frost the OWU campus. Those were always my favorite since every woman on campus knowingly shaved her legs the night before in preparation for a summery ensemble. Every man stocked up on red cups and natty light in preparation for outdoor Beirut tournaments and perhaps a round or two of Frolf. Students never took those moments for granted since they knew the heat would roll in eventually, melting away the rest of the semester before summer break. Here no one seems to think twice about the day. People never talk about the weather or really look up at the sky in awe like we do back home. I will say that the gray and white skies of Rochester are not something to be missed after living in the desert, but they do make for excellent nap days.

This morning I woke up to a thick cloud at my doorstep that stretched all the way to Garhoud. I don’t know how there weren’t any accidents on the way in to work. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to squint through a thick blanket of mist however, and I felt like learning how and why we get fog in the Arabian desert so that mornings like these are not so creepy.

Here’s what I could find. And if you know anything about fog, please, humor me.

Radiation fog is formed by the cooling of land after sunset by thermal radiation in calm conditions with clear sky. The cool ground produces condensation in the nearby air by heat conduction. In perfect calm the fog layer can be less than a meter deep but turbulence can promote a thicker layer. Radiation fogs occur at night, and usually do not last long after sunrise. Radiation fog is common in autumn, and early winter. Examples of this phenomenon include the Tule fog. For clarity, Radiation fog is not radioactive. http://www.nwas.org/ej/pdf/2007-FTT1.pdf

Here’s another story I found about fog in the desert, but it’s more applicable to the Omani coast than the northern Arabian peninsula.

aporos

2008-02-17T17:19:00.004+04:00

Every once in a while it's nice to look to friends for inspiration. I occasionally check up on my friend Sean for savory brain leakage. His tongue in cheek posts keep me smiling every time I stop by, and he's far more interesting to look to for news and occasional music updates than my usual dailies. Check him out here.

little dragon

2008-02-12T18:45:00.000+04:00

Great new group I found on KCRW.

Here's another tune that's a little more mellow, but still really well done.

While I'm on the topic of awesome music, I just discovered that Sho Chos has 80s night on Sundays! I went after work with a couple friends and we found ourselves chanting tunes like Living on a Prayer and Africa alongside a bunch of Lebanese and English ex-pats. Quite the scene. The place is a bit cramped but overlooks the water. With the weather warming up at night, it makes for a fun spot to shake and groove when the sun goes down.

cold front

2008-02-07T09:37:00.000+04:00

the coldest night of the year was presumably yesterday evening. here's what february has shaped up to look like. and yes, those are all beautiful, golden, cloudless suns below.

it's not all shisha and palm trees...

2008-02-05T12:50:00.000+04:00

This is the reason I am scared to death of even drinking cough syrup before getting behind the wheel here!

"UK Tourist Arrested in Dubai Airport for Melatonin, Imprisoned Without Charges"

disconnected

2008-02-03T21:39:00.000+04:00

"Parts of the Gulf Arab region were plunged into a virtual internet blackout on Wednesday when two undersea cables were cut near Alexandria, on Egypt’s north coast."

The whole "dog at my homework" tactic seemed to come into play last week after 2 major cables were cut in the Mediterranean Sea that led to internet loss across the Middle East, particularly throughout Dubai. At first I assumed it was our ghetto office router that always seems to run slowly, but it soon came to my attention that my clients and friends were having trouble getting things through via the www. Apparently there are now THREE cables down and people are starting to develop all sorts of conspiracy theories considering that Israel and Iraq seem to be doing fine but Iran is completely without internet access:

"The only 2 countries that were unaffe cted were Israel and Iraq, the only two close Anglo-American allies in the region, both remaining c ompletely unaffected by the cable cuts, leading to theories for the causes of the cuts, which have so far been given as having been caused by ships dragging their anchors across the cables. The fact that two rare incidents have happened in the same week, and both with cables owned by the same company, on either sides of Israel and the i mportance of the Internet to telecommunications and business, lends suspicion to the events"

If "network warfare" becomes an actual medium of attack between sovereign states, political theory is going to take a whole new shape! We'll need to get George Lucas to start developing some foreign policy tactics.

awesome.

2008-01-28T15:57:00.000+04:00

Click here for the UAE national anthem.

The video actually does a really great job of depicting the country's heritage and natural beauty. What's even cooler is that I live no more than a 2 hour drive from just about everything showcased.

terrorism has no religion

2008-01-25T20:32:00.000+04:00

I was taken aback by a political ad that came on yesterday and had to share it. This commercial is frequently shown across Arabic channels. I can't blame people for being concerned with my decision to move across the globe, but I was definitely frustrated with the general misconceptions about the region. Dubai, of all places, is the most politically sterile place I've ever been. There is definitely national and cultural pride, but as far as having a political divide goes, there is none. If anything, there is unity amongst the masses to sustain a peaceful and accepting culture in order to maintain the ideals set forth by Islam.

My biggest frustration is with the American media and its reluctance to convey an accurate portrait of Middle Eastern culture and values. Considering how far we've come as a country with embracing culture, race, and even homosexuality, I find it frustrating that the media has propagated the idea that Arabs=terror. I have only had positive encounters with everyone since I got here - the rich, poor, Egyptian, Syrian, Kuwaiti, Iraqi, Omani, Lebanese, etc. Islam is a religion that shares peaceful and altruistic values with other widely accepted religions like Christianity and Buddhism. My Muslim friends here are more morally disciplined than anyone I know in the United States, as they refrain from abusing alcohol, drugs, or harvesting negative thoughts and feelings about others. I have already learned so much from them.
The misconceptions about this culture and region are real and unavoidable, which is why there are now commercials (on this side of the globe) and web sites designed by local non-profits whose mission is to help people understand and stick to their Muslim values and join together against terror. It's such a shame that Americans never get to see this side of things.

'Terrorism has no religion' is the web site that aired the political ad I included above. It's purpose is heroic and something to be admired. Hopefully it starts getting some attention in the Western world.

Their Campaign:

All religions, human codes and ethics, and even our most primitive intuition regard terrorism to be villainous. True Islam also rejects and condemns terrorism.

‘Terrorism has no religion’ is our on-going communication campaign against extremist ideology that breeds terrorism, and we use Quranic Verses in their true Islamic meaning; free of the distortion committed by the misguided malicious terrorists.

Click here to learn more.

and then there were four

2008-01-22T14:55:00.000+04:00

Last night was a bit emotional for a few reasons. Apart from learning that the Giants and Pats will be facing off in the Super Bowl, we took a late night drive by the airport to bid farewell to Will. The last few months have been quite emotional, between surviving the holidays on our own to simple cultural indigestion. The office, in particular, is a tough place and it’s not for everyone. Sparing everyone the painful details of the local/privately owned sector and its made-up bureaucratic nonsense, and it is nonsense, I’ll simply say that Will was inspired to embark on an “epic” journey to Mongolia where he will be riding across the country on his own for an indefinite period of time on a horse.

I know, I thought he was kidding too the first time I heard the news. But he reassured me that he was serious and was already studying Cyrillic, which is the primary alphabet used throughout Russia and thereabouts. Mongolian horses are apparently much smaller, resembling ponies versus large horses, so he will probably be traveling on his own horse and bringing a pack horse with him as well. The staple alcoholic beverage over there is fermented horses milk, or kumis, and the temperature this time of year ranges between -35F and -2F. Maybe he'll cross paths with this guy, who's apparently been golfing across Mongolia on his own as well. I think Will's going to hold off before starting his trip because of the weather, but hopefully he continues to post on his blog with great pictures and tall tales of his encounters with snow creatures, mongoloids, killer vodka, and communists.

censored

2008-01-20T13:19:00.000+04:00

Today I tried viewing a friend's flickr page and saw this:This happens to me all the time for attempting to view seemingly harmless pages. I’m not sure how the government prompts such sensors to appear, but it’s pretty frequent. Or perhaps my taste in web surfing is completely against the UAE code of conduct. Either way, since I live and work in parts of Dubai where local laws apply, so go the censorship laws. Apparently working and living in free zones allows you to surf unblocked sites, as the laws are slightly different and not as strict in order for non-traditional businesses to operate (MTV, CNN, Duty Free in the airport free zone). Next time you log onto skype.com think of me since we can’t even access that here!

999

2008-01-16T22:06:00.000+04:00

999 is apparently the UAE equivalent to 911 in the US. Motorists made more than 12,000 calls to Dubai police yesterday. To say the least, I was really confused at how a little rain over the last 3 days could shut down an entire city - a financial hub of the Middle East, for that matter. I realized driving home from work, a trip that should take me 30 minutes but lasted 1 1/2 hours last night, that there are no gutters or drains in the UAE. It simply never rains here, so any water that accumulates creates large ponds on the road. This morning, Al Khawaneej road, which is 4 lanes across, was reduced to 1 lane with flood waters. Schools were closed, people were told to go home early, and cars were being pushed by men waist deep in storm water on the road. We complain about there not being enough salt trucks and plows on the road back home. Here, they employ men to drive huge tankers around with suction hoses attached that suck up storm pools off the road. Unfortunately, there were not enough of them to really dry things up in time for rush hour. The good news: the forecast will be looking a little brighter for the weekend with dry weather in the high 60s, just in time for the Dubai Marathon, which I will most definitely be attending this Friday. Things should get exciting since Sheikh Mo has promised the winner of the marathon a $1 million award. The same prize will go to the winner of the 10k. Setting a world record for either event will merit an additional $1 million. I may need to invest in some good running shoes for next year...

28 days later

2008-01-15T05:13:00.000+04:00

Well, no, zombies did not take over Dubai today, but it looked like the intro to one of my favorite movies after seeing shots of the city today share an eerie resemblance to the barren streets of London in Danny Boyle's little slice of horror. Here are some more pictures of one of the most traffic-stricken cities in the world. I was stuck on Sheikh Zayed road for over an hour getting home from Abu Dhabi last week - amazing what a little American politics can do to a place.

This is the way I take to get home from the beach (Business Bay Crossing)

Sheikh Zayed Road. One of the most traffic-congested streets in Dubai
Another shot of Sheikh Zayed Road
My downtown route. I'm usually delayed 30 minutes here when visiting clients.
A view of the road coming home from the Burj Al Arab.

at least he's good for something

2008-01-14T20:00:00.000+04:00

Above: Pres Bush giving some love to Sheikh Mo at the Royal Stables

George W may be arriving a bit late to the Middle East, but at least he timed his trip around my Monday. This week in particular has been busier than any week in the history of weeks. The rainy weather does not help the crazed locals keep things safe on the roads either. I had to teach Abu Baker how to use the defrost on his windshield yesterday evening and explain that there are multiple settings on his windshield wipers since he never uses either. He was so impressed at how much I knew about cars - little did he know that knowing how to defrost your windshield is a necessarily evil where I come from.

Getting to my point, yesterday I had to do work with one of our clients at the Intersec trade show at the Dubai World Trade Center. All in all, it was a lot of fun, a little exhausting, and quite a pain in the butt trying to get media to show up since traffic was backed up about 3 hours from where we were located. Weather played a factor, but apparently heightened security was the biggest concern with Bush coming into town. Would you believe that the havoc wreaked upon the city yesterday with his arrival led the UAE government to call for a public holiday today! We were all advised at 5 pm on Sunday to stay home on Monday. All roads are closed into downtown Dubai and everyone in the public and private sectors have the day off, which means I get to do work at home in my scrubs and sweatshirt. The weather has been pretty dreary as well, with flood waters and downpours but I think it will accommodate a good nap while I'm home today.
Follow these links for some local news on Bush's visit:
Gulfnews
Reuters
ameinfo

What will they think of next

2008-01-09T17:29:00.001+04:00

Seriously. You've got to be kidding me. Click here if you want to understand how much money some people in this crazy world have.

A day in this life

2008-01-08T09:22:00.001+04:00

Just about everyone in Dubai drives a Toyota or a Range Rover. It never rains, but the days it does are frighteningly exciting. We wash our cars here to remove sand, not salt or slush. A hand car wash costs $8 for 6 men to thoroughly scrub down your car with professional hoses and suds, complete with interior vacuuming, glossed tires, an Armoraled dashboard, and Windex to every last inch of smudged glass. Gas stations sell strawberry milk, chocolate milk, plain milk, yogurt milk, camel milk, fresh fruit, Indian food, fresh squeezed orange juice, and Funyuns; architecturally, they are more advanced than the futuristic BP convenience stores back home. The standard work week in Dubai is Saturday through Thursday. Friday is the Lord's day. Many websites are blocked here because they go against local values, take Flickr for example. American sodas like Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero go for about a dollar, but you can buy a 1 liter bottle of mango juice for $.50. A full tank of gas here will set you back about $10. There are not enough parking spots to accommodate the number of cars in this city. It’s not uncommon for migrant construction workers to throw themselves in front of oncoming traffic because they are worth more to their families dead than alive. Most of the service industry here is Filipino and Indian. They don’t sell sticks of gum here, just chicklet-sized squares that come in deceiving wrappers that appear to hold sticks of gum. I can’t find dark chocolate anywhere. Yesterday I had Caribou Coffee after work. Starbucks is down the street. So is Panera. Mixed nuts are tastier and crunchier here. Half full moons actually appear half full and not half sideways. Highway signs never explain whether you’re driving east or west, north or south; they simply list city names, which means you've got to know where you're going . There are no 18 wheelers in Dubai. Camels have the right of way (they seriously do). There is only one cell phone provider and that’s it. They don’t recycle here. Just about everyone speaks English. Most phones do not have voice mail or call waiting. Britney Spears makes headlines on the English morning radio. No one here has ever heard of Twizzlers. The warmest article of clothing in my wardrobe here is a suit jacket. The food court at the mall has a selection of Burger King, Indian food, 3 Lebanese places, Sushi and KFC. There are policemen, but they don’t patrol the highways for speeders – they have automated radar poles for that. Last month over 1 million speeding tickets were issued in Dubai. “Sunday drivers” don’t exist here. The radio stations are broadcasted in English, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog. People picnic in the desert with their families. I wake up to the harmonious morning call to prayer from the local mosque, which is chanted 5 times a day. My new favorite soft drink is ginger beer. Indians and Pakistanis have an affinity for scotch, which they start drinking at home during their teens. We don’t drink tap water, just bottled. A complete manicure and pedicure cost only $20. Tampons are somewhat taboo here, which means 2 or 3 boxes tucked somewhere amongst the wall holding 10 brands of maxi pads to chose from. We don’t have Walmarts or Targets but we have Hypermarkets, which is like Walmart on steroids. A night at the only 7 star hotel in the world will set you back about $2000 and to simply enter the premises you need a reservation at one of their bars or restaurants that will cost at least $75 per person. You can charter yachts here to party on with your friends for about $2000. An abra ride across the Dubai creek costs $.27. The sunset never ceases to amaze me and it’s free to watch from just about anywhere. It’s illegal to drive around with a closed container of alcohol unless you have a special license. Sidewalks are hard to come by, so are Americans, hoppy beer, warm clothes, dogs, and video rentals. Bus stops are air conditioned. We are a 3 hour flight from 3.1 billion people. The high today during the dead of winter was 68 degrees.

2 months deep

2008-01-03T22:06:00.000+04:00

I just realized that with the Eid holiday I took a break from posting as well. So much has happened in the last 3 weeks it's hard to know where to begin! I think the best way to illustrate my adventures will probably be through a picasa album of sorts, but I'll recap on what Christmas and New Years in Dubai shaped up to be.
The 5 days off we got was welcomed with thorough relaxation and some last minute planning that led to a road trip to Oman. I had been wanting to visit Muscat, which proved to be quite the impromptu journey. The drive over was a spectacle between the camel sightings, goats trotting alongside border control, and jagged Hajar mountains. There was no plan in place but to follow signs to Muscat, which we were able to successfully accomplish with some off-roading here and there to check out the east coast with its hidden sea shell beaches and humble mosques that echoed the occasional call to prayer along Oman's barren shores. Muscat was nothing like I expected - the loud, noisy capital city I had anticipated ended up being quite the contrary- very traditional, lots of fishermen, not too many tourists, very little pollution. We went a bit crazy with our cameras since there was so much to capture, but it was well worth the effort after seeing how our pictures turned out.

Coming home was a little odd since it really didn't feel like Christmas. I stopped by the store and picked up a couple stockings to decorate as well as gold and metallic green pipe cleaners and some other festive kitsch. My sister managed to send Bing Crosby via email as well as a little Nat King Cole and Eydie Gorme's 'Navidad means Christmas' <- probably my favorite Christmas album of all time. All in all, the effort I put into the holiday was enough to keep me satisfied. Mom sent over a fruit cake, twizzlers, Godiva, and some garland to keep the house in high spirits. Hotels in Dubai are decked out with perfectly decorated trees, bows, lights, you name it. I was really impressed at how well these Arabs know how to prepare for the holiday season! On Christmas Day we ventured over to a place called Bahri Bar which overlooks the Madinat Jumeirah's creek and the Burj Al Arab. We sipped on Mojitos and watched Santa Claus ride around in an abra while he whipped at plastic reindeer that hung off the front of the boat. The afternoon was accompanied by a Philippine band that belted out the staple holiday tunes, and perhaps some not so staple ones including "Hands Up" and "I Shot the Sheriff".

12/31 was wild as well since the locals really love ringing in the new year. Hotels and restaurants on average were charging at least 400 dirhams (a little over 100 bucks) to get in. I found a pretty good deal at a Cuban night club called Malecon that was located at the Dubai Marine Resort. Aside from the open bar, the crowd, service, and music were amazing, not to mention the colorful fireworks display that exploded at midnight. People were packed up and down Jumeirah beach road trying to get home but we played our cards right and sprinted to a friend's house close by instead. I think around 3:30 am I ran close to a mile in a strapless dress, barefoot down Jumeirah beach road without stopping. Must have been something in those mojitos...

The rest of the week can't really be put into words but it involved a bit of shisha, sunset spotting from all over the Arabian peninsula, skydiving over the desert, snorkeling off the northern coast of Oman, riding alongside dolphins, and a few abra rides and good conversation with Subcontinental ex-pats who gave us tips on cheap, authentic Pakistani food and help on getting around the UAE (when in doubt, go straight). I may need to post pictures in segments since there are quite a bit to show, but for now here's a start.

'tis the season

2007-12-18T11:09:00.001+04:00

Today marks the beginning of Eid ul-Adha, which means we have 3 days off this week (5 including the weekend)! Since Christmas is not considered a public holiday here, we'll take whatever time we can get. It's been a little tough getting into the holiday season with the warm weather and lack of loud Christmas decorations everywhere, but we've managed. A few of us came well-equipped with Christmas music, and Sarah's mom managed to send a pin-up Christmas tree and festive decorations for the house. I think I'll be heading to Spinney's, our favorite grocery store, for some more festive trinkets this afternoon.

We recently found ourselves hankering for some hot chocolate and snow, but such a combination in the desert seemed a little far-fetched. In Dubai, however, the possibilities are endless, and we soon found ourselves coasting around the chilly ice rink of the Grand Hyatt. The set-up is pretty cool since you've got a 3 story galleria within the hotel where guests can go shopping and walk around. Each level looks down into a modest rink, complete with skate rentals and disco dance music, just like they used to play at the roller-skating rink back in the day. I was a complete disgrace compared to the skills that Will and Christine brought with them from years of hockey and figure skating between the two of them. My roller-blading skills from before didn't quite translate to the ice as well as I wished they would. Nevertheless, we had a blast and I definitely felt a bit more in the Christmas spirit when we were done.

The time off this week will likely lead to a road trip to Oman and possibly Yemen. There are apparently a few hurdles we have to figure out before entering Yemen with visa requirements, but Muscat is no more than 4 hours away and I've only heard wonderful things about it. This past weekend we went exploring up the coast and stumbled upon a marshy beach near Umm al Quwain. We caught some fresh camel footprints in the sand and the timing ended up being perfect since the sun was setting just before we left. The pictures of the horizon were breathtaking

For the holiday next week we're expecting visits from old friends, home-cooked food, and a big meal at Devon and Andrew's place, complete with a Christmas tree and crackling fire. Actually, the crackling fire is a dvd that plays crackling sounds and Christmas music, but we'll take what we can get.

Al Tanoura

2007-12-13T15:27:00.000+04:00

This song is one of my favorites. They used to play it at Kan Zaman in Cleveland where Iwould dabke all night long with Nadia in tow. I heard it today on my way into work and it put me in the best mood. Thought I'd share.

the grass is not greener on this side since we don't have any

2007-12-04T20:33:00.000+04:00

I'm not sure when it's normal to start missing home. I already knew I was going to miss things before I'd even left, which probably contributed to my fabulous life in the months preceding my departure since I embraced things I knew I'd have to let go of forever, or at least for a very long time. I started appreciating things like transvestites holding doors open for me at my old apartment, rain clouds, and copper pennies. I'm a bit humored by the things that have been pulling at my heart strings in recent weeks since most of them would not have made my list a year ago:

friends and family of course...
seeing my breath when it's cold
npr
college football season
YES network
Steelers fans
really tasty latin food
people on crack (i.e. W 25th st - Ohio City)
the projects (i.e. W 25th st - Ohio City)
the OC (i.e. W 25th st - Ohio City)
Great Lakes
lebron
corned beef hash and sweet potato fries
pine tree branches weighed down with heavy snow
gray storm clouds and napping on rainy/snowy days
CVS
pumping my own gas
Johnny Mango
The Garage Bar
India Pale Ales
grassy lawns
Christmas decorations and seasons greetings
the race for the white house
light yellow egg yolks (they are orange here)
scarves
heinens and wegmans
new movies
american accents
starburst fruit chews
mom's fruit cake
good, cheap wine and cheese
sidewalks
eastern standard time
Bounce, the gay nightclub I used to live next door to
frosted mini wheats
8th continent soy milk
Zen salon pedicures
The one and only.. Velvet Tango Room
Tremont
clearly marked street signs
zip codes
karaoke
live bar bands
the McMaster Christmas party
I'm sure this list will change and grow with time. I'm only 5 weeks into this gig, so I've got quite a while to go. Please never take any of the above for granted if it applies to you since these are the little things we rarely think about until we no longer have them around. Mind you, I have so much to be thankful for from the short time I've been in Dubai. I realize how apparent that is just from looking back at previous blog postings and reflecting on each day...

We actually celebrated UAE National Day this past weekend. Wouldn't you know that His Highness Shiekh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Raya had their first baby together on UAE National day! It was a proud day for them both. The best part about UAE National Day for us was the long weekend! I had a chance to meet up with Faisal straight from work on Thursday and we enjoyed dinner at The Noodle House in the Emirates Towers where he works. After that, we headed over to one of my favorite spots in Dubai Media City (Barasti bar) for some drinks on the beach and good music. Saturday night I finally got a chance to check out 360, one of Dubai's most fantastic clubs. It has a breathtaking view overlooking the Gulf, the Burj Al Arab, the stars, and the cityscape. All this is accompanied by live DJs and your choice of a bed to lay on and enjoy shisha or a 360 degree, two-story roof top dance floor positioned deep into the salty shores.

This weekend I missed out on the Dubai Rugby 7s, but got a chance to catch some of the action from Waxy O'Connors in Bur Dubai via the Ascot Hotel. It was only 65 Dirhams for an all you can eat Irish breakfast AND an early dinner plus 5 drink stubs. We spent Sunday relaxing by the pool at Fitness First where we work out, and then a nice dinner to polish off the weekend.

I've found some great new music to compliment my commute and workouts in the morning. It also serves as good music to bring along to the pool and the beach... quite a change from what I was listening to back home, but it's new and I love new music. I'll be posting more pictures and potential sounds soon, so stay tuned.

skype me

2007-11-28T21:20:00.001+04:00

For those of you who aren't familiar with skype, it's a pretty resourceful tool to communicate with friends in every corner of the world. If you have it, my name is "sweetsrini" - please add me as your friend and we can voice or video chat. If you don't have a mic, no worries since normal chatting is a basic function of the program as well. If you don't have skype, it's easy to download. There are other programs such as oovoo.com and the oh-so popular ichat (AIM). Adium is not so bad, but I don't believe it offers voice or video chatting capabilities. Regardless, I do hope to see some more names logged into my buddy list soon. In the meantime, I'm open to suggestions and recommendations of other platforms that work well for staying in touch across multiple bodies of water.

good tidings

2007-11-27T21:55:00.000+04:00

I was really impressed at how well stocked the grocery stores were here with all the necessary ingredients when we went shopping for our big meal on Friday. We opted out of Thursday cooking since we'd all had a long day at work, but a good beach day gave us time to put a list together and prepare a pretty extensive menu. Sarah and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work, cooking up the following:

-Roasted Chicken with cranberry sauce (The smallest turkeys we could find were frozen and weighed in at 22 pounds!)
-sweet potato casserole
-green bean casserole with REAL French's fried onions
-impromptu stuffing with chopped celery, dates, onions, whole wheat bread, and nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger (we were really proud of this since it was made 5 minutes before we ate and we came up with the recipe ourselves)
-ali oli
-pumpkin dump
-home made garlic bread
-refried beans
-warm, toasted pita

We feasted with our friend Devon from work and her boyfriend Andrew, washing the meal down with our scarce stock of beer and tullamore dew. Alcohol is so hard to find here! Last time we stocked up was about 3 weeks ago- we drove 2 hours up the coast to Umm Al Quwain to a hidden, non-taxable liquor store called The Barracuda. Since alcohol alters the mind, which goes against Islam, it's a scarce resource and highly taxed if you buy it legally. In fact, you need a special license to purchase it here, something which none of us own. So the secret is to make friends bring things back from duty free on their way back into the country or drive to the barracuda... sigh. I miss IPAs and cheap, red wine with dinner!

Anyway, life goes on and we managed to still make it out that night to an actual bar, where drinks still cost an arm and a leg, but rightly so with the beach at our toes and the moon at our back. Life isn't so bad. So far the week has been busy as usual. I'm still not used to Tuesday marking the middle of my week since Thursday creeps up on us before we know it and then we're faced with the weekend. This time around we have a day off since 12/2 is UAE national day. We have another holiday coming up on 12/20 that will allot us a 4 day weekend - hopefully we get our passports back since they are processing our work visas at the moment. If they are ready, I think we might do a road trip to Oman. They have some pretty neat caves and beaches that I've been reading about in local travel magazines. Arabic road trips so far, as proven from our trip to Umm Al Quwain, can be quite fun. We managed to see a wild camel and the largest, most hot pink, electric sun set I have ever witnessed driving northeast up the coast - not to mention, the Arabic and Bhangra that comes through on about 7 different stations really livens up the car.

Fortunately, Will has had his camera out a bit more to document our adventures. It's about time since he is very talented. Check out his picasa link here. There are a couple albums highlighting our Thanksgiving feast preparation, as well as our day at the beach and some shots of our neighborhood.

sansgeebing

2007-11-20T23:49:00.000+04:00

What a week it's been so far. These long days haven't caught up with me yet since it's all still so new. It's really fast-paced and interesting work. Sometimes I could rip my hair out, but I remember days where I was so bored in Cleveland that time seemed to stand still. I like having a full plate. It keeps things interesting and keeps me challenged more so than I've ever been.
I've got a rare case of Thanksgiving blues. It goes in phases. I never thought I'd get this nostalgic, but it's hard not to after looking at pictures or listening to Celia Cruz. I'm not sure which is worse - letting the week pass by as if there were nothing to celebrate, or reminiscing about full bellies, salsa dancing, and loud, Latin people.

I just Skyped with my family, actually, and my dad passed mom's lap top around. i saw about 20% of the Thanksgiving (latino pronunciation: sahns-geebing) guests - people are still trickling in to my uncle's place, girls were shopping, boys were gluttoning - everyone follows a structured itinerary that my tia puts on the fridge to ensure a safe and enjoyable stay at the 'Rosales Resort'. Someone's always cooking for 60 and the poor guests sit in agony as they soak up the aroma of arepas, indian food, tortilla espanola, cuban coffee, and much more. i think tomorrow i'll call around midnight my time and get passed around the big circle of laughter and tears that ensues before the big feast. My tio Joaquin usually has had a few budweisers before thanking everyone for coming and expressing how much he loves us all. He always reads a prayer or a poem through his fogged-up lenses before getting a bit misty-eyed and telling my tia Esther how in love with her he is (that part always gets me going). The circle continues. We go around every year as if it were the first, reflecting on the year, reminding one another why we make such a long trip to be together. I personally look forward to the Friday feast over Thursday's white meat and cranberry sauce since the low country boil that takes place is mighty tasty. Although it is pretty entertaining watching my cousins chase my mom down on Thanksgiving to see where she has hidden the dark meat turkey neck in the house, which she fights desperately for with a bottle of tabasco sauce and a lime.My tia Ana is always out with her camera taking pictures of everything she sees. I am usually there with her to capture shots of living room dance parties, cots to accommodate all the cousins, soup-kitchen style lines for food, random family members napping, and lots of extended arm-out shots of ourselves together.

We have a Thanksgiving crayon picture that Will drew of our "family" here on the fridge. I would post a picture of it, but my inner child came out to play on my birthday and i sadly lost my camera with all the pictures from the weekend. I am still rather annoyed about the whole situation since I know exactly where it is, but the sketchy "cab" we solicited to take us home is long gone. I'm better off shopping around for a new and improved one in the meantime. We have some tricks up our sleeves for what to feast on tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm going to get a good night of sleep and dream of Thanksgivings to come. happy turkey day. i will dream of mashed potatoes in the meantime. I tried date-flavored camel milk today. I wonder how that would fare as a substitute to the normal milk mom uses in her creamy mashed potatoes...

quarter century isn't so bad

2007-11-17T21:13:00.000+04:00

I always think about posting during the week and then life catches up with me before I can sit down and type something. I'm also a bit overwhelmed by how much I want to share since everything here is so new and different. Posting always seems a bit daunting when it's time to convey the week I've had. I will say that this week was pretty wild. Work, in particular, was busy in a good way. I am juggling a lot of things at the moment, but it's manageable. I'd say the best part of my job so far has been getting to meet with clients. Things are very fast-paced and last minute so it's not uncommon to get invitations to client meetings or events and drop everything at a moments notice. This week I had a chance to meet up with a client for a promotional event at the Dusit Hotel. This hotel, by the way, is in the coolest building and the staff is incredible. It's like a scene out of the King and I upon entering the gorgeous, black marble lobby, adorned with fountains, flowers, and golden sculptures. Our client was launching the web site for a new Diabetes awareness coalition and the attendees included some higher-ups from the Ministry of Health. I got a chance to bump elbows with His Excellency Humaid Mohamed Al Qutami (the minister of health) and meet some journalists from Dubai Media and Dubai 1. We had a delicious lunch after the launch on the 24th floor of the Dusit overlooking the Burj Dubai and Sheikh Zayed road. Not too many complaints from this end!

The weekend has been a whirlwind with birthday celebrations. I will say that I woke up a year ago and decided that this year was going to be the best year of my life, and it really has worked out that way. I am loving life and will be really fortunate if 25 is even better. We kicked off the festivities with salsa dancing on Thursday night! I'm so lucky to live with a latina who enjoys shaking her hips just as much as I do. We got dolled up and met up with friends for some latin love. I had a chance to move around a bit before we headed over to the Madinat Jumeira. Saturday was glorious, with a full day at the beach followed by my own homemade meal for the house mates. I cooked up some pasta with pesto and garlic sauce, accompanied by my ali-oli that tastes good on just about anything. There's no need for modesty here since I'll admit - it's one of the most delicious things in this world! We hopped over to the Dubai Marine Resort, scattered with bars and clubs overlooking the Gulf. I met a fun group of Lebanese men who caught wind that it was my birthday, so they pumped me full of shots before we all headed over to a Lebanese night club with live Arabic music and dabke (one of the most fun things to do with your feet)!!! I am honestly sore all over from the festivities.
I've been a bit of a bum today after waking up at noon and getting lost with Sarah as we tried finding the Mall of the Emirates. Once we got there, we meandered over to Ski Dubai and checked out the slopes - no skiing today, but it was really something! I felt a bit childish peering into the huge window that showcases humans skiing indoors, but you really have to see it to believe it. Zaatar to finish off the night and now just feet up and head back while I respond to the amazing people that filled my day with loving emails and messages wishing me a happy birthday. I am indeed a lucky lady.

a week in progress!

2007-11-10T11:12:00.001+04:00

First full week on the job and things are going really well! I'm sure I may be a bit bright-eyed considering it's still early, but I definitely feel more integrated into my role with the company and have a better understanding of what I'm going to be doing. Considering the busy week and the delay on getting our cars, we have been coming home every night and rationing the bottles of rum and vodka that Sarah brought for us from duty free or watching DVDs that I brought from home. We have a meager selection since I was concerned about excess weight on the plane, but I think we've got a good list to keep us occupied for now.
I have packed some fun into the last few days. We took a cab to the Madinat Jumeirah, where Alex and I ventured during my first few days here. The place is peppered with shops and clubs, so we enjoyed some shisa under the stars, ordered a glass of avocado juice (it's delicious!), and took in some views of the tourists and neon-lit Burj Al Arab just across the beach. We met up with Faisal at JamBase, and danced amongst other jovial ex-pats to jazzy hip hop and covers to the latest pop songs.

After a late morning of snoozing, we made our way to the Dubai Souk in Bur Dubai, which is a predominantly Indian/Pakistani neighborhood. We passed up and down quiet alleys that lingered with the smell of Diwali-inspired incense, adorned with bright bugamvilia and marigold wreaths. A few photo opps later and we found ourselves amongst a crowd of Indian, Sri-Lankan, and Bangladeshi male ex-pats awaiting the abras located on the Dubai creek. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the testosterone, we opted to head back to the market and browse tshirts and gifts before making our way back home.
The debate over the evening's plans came to a quick halt after a friendly invitation from Abu Baker (pronounced: AH-boo BEHkur) and his cousins to join them on a desert picnic not too far from our house. We weren't sure what to bring, so we made a salad and ventured out in AB's 4 wheel drive FJ Cruiser to the dunes. Along the way we passed scores of dirt bikes and 4 wheelers revving up to tackle the dark, soft hills that seemed to stretch beyond the night sky. I was amazed at the number of families parked deep into the desert, but they were everywhere. It was a miracle they didn't all get stuck in the sand as we did... for several hours with the help of friendly passers-by who joined in to push us out. Regardless of car-troubles, it was quite an experience. The sand was cold and smooth under our feet and we built a fire on top of a dune that propped us up high enough to look over our neighbors. The stars were brilliant and in the distance we could hear the sound of traditional emirate drum beats and Arabic singing. Our dinner of somewhat sandy and overcooked chicken and beef hot dogs could not have been more delicious after the evening's car problems and the company was wonderful. The ride was a bit bumpy since Abu Baker is a wild driver, but his wild side may be the reason we were able to leave the desert in the first place, so that's something to be thankful for!

I took some more pictures which you can check out here. Our Saturday is worth sharing, but I've actually got work to do! More to come..

Oh yeah, we stumbled upon this family touring the Bur Dubai on Friday. For parents who complain about the way kids behave in America, be careful with your words or you may end up like this lady.

marhaba!

2007-11-05T14:34:00.000+04:00

Click here to control pictures manually.

i wanna be a super model..

2007-11-04T22:19:00.000+04:00

Will is an avid photographer and takes some incredible shots. Check out some of his work here. He even brought some of his camera equipment and played around with Christine and I before our dinner outing last night... Not too shabby!

week 2

2007-11-04T01:41:00.000+04:00

It's approaching 1:45 AM and I am coming down from a pretty incredible weekend! I had a really great day at work on Thursday. My commute is looking to be around 30 minutes and we are all going to be equipped with cars come tomorrow, so I'll have more flexibility as to when I can come in to the office and leave. So far so good though - my house mates are incredible and we get along incredibly well. Although we are living in close quarters, we have so much fun together that work just seems like another social gathering. We share a common bond and passion for the culture of the middle east and its beautiful and welcoming people - our backgrounds are similar and we all bring stories from previous travel to the table from 6 month bike trips through South America to semesters abroad in Morocco, Spain, London, and Amsterdam. I am not surprised that we all get along so well in this splendid little city on the Persian Gulf.

I was pleasantly surprised by the office as well- lots of funky furniture, creative work space, and friendly staff. We even have a gentleman whose main job in the office is to keep it clean and bring us coffee, chai tea, water, and basically anything we need - I never thought I'd see the day where I could work from a Sony Vaio and drink coffee at my desk after the ridiculous rules set in place at my last job that prohibited us from consuming anything except water in the workplace!

Our workday ended with a night out on Sheikh Zayed road where I met up with Faisal, finally! We had a drink at the bar downstairs, which was a bit pricey, as the alcohol taxes here tend to spike things up a bit. A friend of his was having a hotel room halloween party at the Hotel Rotana, so we ventured upstairs and were greeted by a room packed with ex-pats dressed in everything from the Flinstones to vampires and werewolfs. The party was catered by the hotel and we had great views of the city from the high rise windows.

Friday I spent exploring the Gold Souk with my house mates. The Souk runs along the Dubai Creek, which is scattered with neon-lit boats, random cargo like tires and furniture, tourists, lots of Indians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans, and gold! lots and lots of gold. The scent of spices is incubated by the sweaty sea of doe eyed shoppers hunting for bargains, pressed up against windows admiring the wide array of bright yellow gold on display. It was really a site to see.

We spent the day at the beach today, where the surf was intense and we gallivanted through the waves like little kids. My lips were pruned from the intensity of the salt water, but the weather was pleasantly humid and the water was refreshing. Will loves to play volleyball, so we peppered the ball around for a while and got a bit of sun. The girls even got approached by a Singapore news station looking to interview local ex-pats and get their take on life in Dubai. I'm not sure what the link to the video is, but I'll be sure to post it once I find it.
Tonight we went on a dinner cruise up the Dubai creek. It was really beautiful and we enjoyed authentic Indian and Lebanese food, accompanied by fun Arabic music and the warm, rich smell of shisha. The night ended with a stroll up the Al Mumzar beach and now, a firm head to the pillow.

Work is going well and picking up the pace. We are looking forward to some group outings soon, one involving a deep sea fishing trip to Bahrain! I hope we get to keep whatever we catch...

Pictures!

2007-11-01T09:24:00.000+04:00

The first of many.

Click here to control the slide show yourself.

settling

2007-10-31T19:41:00.000+04:00

It sounds like I'm not going to be able to post as frequently considering the already stressful environment i walked into upon meeting my house mates - they are a bit overwhelmed by the workload and it sounds like I am going to be right there with them. We are still waiting for the company to come through with our cars (apparently we are each getting a Toyota Yaris, which is great here since smaller cars are much better for parking and navigating crazy Arab drivers), so for now we are sharing one car (an old school Peugeot) that gets us to work around 8:30 and keeps us there until around 7 or so.

I have had a great time so far. I had no problems adjusting to the jet lag and was up early with the group before they left for work on Monday morning. I spent some time unpacking and getting things in order and Hassan, our house manager, took me to Mirdif - Mirdif is a town not too far from where we live with a mall and a really great grocery store. It even has a Caribou Coffee, an Aldo shoe store, and a nice fitness center where we will apparently be joining as members. One of my house mates spent Tuesday and Wednesday with me and we spent most of our time at a beach just next to the Burj Al Arab. We stopped at the Jumeirah beach hotel and enjoyed pina coladas and draught beers before heading to the Irish Village for happy hour. We drove around town and took a peek at Sheikh Zayed Road, which is budding like a weed garden with concrete edifices and shiny aqua-colored glass. Our journey today took us to the Madinat Jumeirah, known for its camel colored stucco exterior, great bars, restaurants, and views of the Burj and Jumeira Beach hotel. The food here is great, as I learned from checking out a few whole in the wall places, including lunch today at "the Chalet" near the Burj - they had everything on the menu from Arabic food to Asian cuisine for the tourists that frequent the area. Strangely, the place was run by Indians and the cooks were Lebanese. It's pretty common to find random ethnicities being represented around here simply because of the fact that Dubai is a convenient 3 hour flight from 3.1 billion people in this part of the world.

Anyway, I have so much more to share but i must tend to my sun burn...

Safe and Sound

2007-10-29T08:19:00.000+04:00

26 hours later and here I am. The trip in was a bit of a journey, but well worth the wait! The weekend was full of surprises, starting with an impromptu visit from Daniela, who arrived on Friday morning in the midst of my last minute errands and packing. We had a fantastic evening with my parents, including a stellar bottle of '99 Lan Rioja (reserva) that I had been saving for a special occasion and some home videos that we cozied up and watched on my parents' bed. Daniela helped me pack the last of my things and I was ready to go for my flight on Saturday. Who should I see at the airport immediately after deplaning in Chicago? none other than Alexa, who somehow managed to talk her way through security and spend the 2 1/2 hour layover with me over margaritas and lots of laughter. I am still in disbelief that she was able to get through, but she is probably the only person I would ever have predicted could pull it off. The best leg of my trip was from London to Dubai - the British Airways crew was unbelievably friendly and their flights encourage consumption of alcohol, which I rightly needed with the little sleep I got on the flight to London. I was knocked out for a while and awoke to the Dubai skyline, with its unbelievable Las Vegas-lit glow and hazy cloud overhead from the humidity and heat that would slap us in the face once on the ground. Passport control took an hour, with HUNDREDS of people in line from all over the world. They say Dubai attracts 25,000 new residents a month, and I can understand why after my experience upon arriving.

Alane, the company's liaison, was there to greet me with our driver and we took a pleasant drive through the desert with the windows down to the villa. I arrived home around 2 am and we pulled through the cast iron gates into the compound. The house is charming, with a courtyard and a spacious living room upon entering. Connected to the living room off to the right is the kitchen, with wrap around counter space, granite counter tops, and lots of light. Through a second set of sliding doors are the bedrooms- during our orientation period we are sharing rooms, which I don't mind. We each have queen size beds and lots of room to move around. Each room is attached to its own bathroom, complete with a bidet and large shower. The apartment has IKEA style furniture, including the bookshelves and entertainment center in our living room. We are taken care of by a Turkish man named Hassan who serves as our cook and house keeper - he is around 30, great disposition, and very friendly. Today he is going to take me to the beach once I recover from my jet lag. It looks like this living arrangement is temporary until we are a bit more tenured with the company - by the spring we will likely have our own apartments and we should be getting our own cars soon as well. I will be sure to post pictures once I am settled. Hopefully no later than this evening..

New Links

2007-10-25T20:57:00.000+04:00

While looking for the latest on Halloween festivities, I stumbled upon this blog. It's probably the best one I've found so far, with great links to hotels and restaurants and pretty extensive coverage of what's happening socially and economically. I should have thought to check earlier, but I was also unaware that a TimeOutDubai existed. I'll be using both resources to plan the next few weekends of my life...

My last weekend in Cleveland...

2007-10-23T08:27:00.000+04:00

It's taken me a while to post footage from that last weekend in Cleveland... Here we are just after leaving my place in Ohio City.

6 days

2007-10-22T09:11:00.000+04:00

I can't believe it's my last Sunday in America for quite a while. What's crazy is that Sunday nights are always so dreadful since they lead to Mondays when we all go to work... from here on out Saturday nights will be my evening to prep for the work week since many countries in the Middle East, including Israel, start their work week on Sunday and work through Thursday. This is based on the religions encompassing the region, but I will have to do a little more research before providing a good explanation as to the background story. The only thing that comes to mind is the Shabbat celebrated through Judaism, which in the book of Genesis is symbolized as the seventh day, after six days of creation. It's observed from sundown on Friday through Saturday evening, which would make sense to start the work week on Sunday.

An email from a future colleague of mine eluded to 11 hour days, 6 days a week (at least to start). Ouch! not looking forward to the schedule. Hopefully things pan out so that we can enjoy our time over there. This past week I've dealt with a nasty cold of sorts, which I assume is a combination of travel/fun/incessant spreading of germs on the subway in NYC. I have made numerous lists, none of which I have started to sort through. The airline has a 50 pound limit per bag - I am allowed to check 2, so deciding which 100 pounds of my possessions are essential has been rather difficult. Let's not forget that each suitcase probably weighs in around 10 pounds, so we're talking 80 pounds of clothes, shoes, pictures, and as many packs of Trident Splash and other random life essentials my side zipper pockets will allow.

I am flying American Airlines/British Airways to get there. Here's the itin:

12/27
Depart Rochester: 4:35 pm Arrive Chicago, O'Hare: 5:30 pm
Depart Chicago: 8:15 PM

12/28
Arrive London, Heathrow: 9:00 am
Depart London: 12:35 pm
Arrive Dubai: 11:20 pm

2 CONNECTIONS! I am a bit overwhelmed by the itinerary since I will have to go through Customs in London and claim my bags, then recheck them to get back into security and wait for my flight to the UAE where I will have to go through Customs AGAIN! Delta has direct flights to the UAE through Atlanta, which I am definitely going to mention to my employer when I get there.

Random things to consider when moving to the UAE.
Will I need an electric converter? Apparently, yes.
What's the postal system like?
Exchange rate
Weather
Dept of State advisories
History/Facts

The list goes on, but this is a start. And for the record, the culture is very liberal relative to other parts of the region. I will NOT have to wear a berka OR a hejab. Perhaps I should not speak too soon though. My curls may look a bit frightening once we hit 110 degree weather with 100% humidity. Perhaps it would be better to keep them tamed down for the summer months...