This weekend

So, I found something cool to do this weekend.  I got a group of co-workers together and we are all going on a sea kayak tour through a bunch of the islands in Abu Dhabi to see the wildlife and scenery.  Should be a very cool trip.  It's a 3 hour paddle, with a half hour break in between to stop and swin at one of the remote islands.

In other news, hell week at work has finally ended and our schedules are back to normal.  Also, after countless calls, arguments, and complaints, the company who provides the only source of Internet out here finally decided to get off of their proverbial asses.  They told me this morning, "Someone will call you within the next couple of days to schedule an installation".  What I didn't know was that meant, "Someone will call you today when they drive to your house and ask why you aren't there."  My bad...

Anyway, they showed up and I was really excited.  Finally I can browse the web without having to hike across the street to my neighbor's house.  So, after about half an hour, they installed the fiber router, ran the cable, and plugged it in.  Then they said to me, "Someone will call you in the next few days to come out and turn it on" 

Huh?!?!?!?  You mean all you guys do is install the router and someone else has to turn the darn line on?  Wow...Efficiency at it's best. 

Anyway, that's about it.  I'm counting down the days till I get back and finally get Jill moved out here and done with this transient living.  Hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Fireworks FAIL

So, all week out here it's been nothing but a huge celebration of Eid and National Day.  National Day is similar to our Fourth of July in which everyone celebrates the now 38 years that the UAE has been a nation.  That's pretty cool in my mind and I was all about getting into the spirit.  People decorate their cars with stickers and pictures of Sheikh Zayed, lights are put up all over the city, flags are flying on every building, etc.  It's a neat experience to say the least.

To end the celebration yesterday, Abu Dhabi announced that they were going to put on the World's Largest Display of fireworks.  The fireworks were supposed to begin at 8:30 PM and last for 45 minutes.  They were to be launched from five different locations along the Corniche road, and were supposed to go more than 6000 feet in the air (that's more than a mile high). 

I was really excited to go see them and be a part of the National Day celebration, so I decided to meet a few co-workers at their apartment building, go up to the roof top (17 floors high), and watch the fireworks display in all of its glory.  Well, 8:30 rolls around and no fireworks.  8:45...9:00...9:15...Finally, at 9:30 (an hour late), we hear a boom, but can't figure out where it's coming from.  As everyone crowds to the edge of the roof to look and finally see this awesome display, I noticed we were all squinting trying to actually figure out where it was coming from.

Finally someone picked up on a flash of light and we all focused our attention to the only building in all of the city that was blocking our view.  Directly behind the building was where the fireworks were being launched from.  At first we were optimistic.  Since they were going to be shot more than a mile high we would have no problems seeing them once they got above this building.  Well, that didn't quite happen, and all we saw was an occasional flash behind the building.  As time went on, we were expecting other locations around the Corniche to be firing off more firewroks, but no such luck on that either.

Long story short, this was not the World's largest fireworks display but rather the World's largest FAIL.  What a waste of time!

Here's a link to the awesome video I was able to take to show the sheer awesomeness of these fireworks.

Awesome Fireworks! (careful it may take a while to download)

So much to say, so little space :)

 (This could be porn over here)

First off, let me start out by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all are enjoying your big day of eating food till you pass out on the couch, watching football, and then eating more food :)  Right now, I'm finding myself in the office, no one here, and lots of work to catch up on (like updating my blog).  I plan on heading over to a co-worker's house tonight to indulge in the American tradition myself.  People over here obviously don't celebrate Thanksgiving (no Pilgrims and all), but they do celebrate Arafat (Haj) Day and Eid Al Adha, which both happen to fall on our Thanksgiving this year.  Next week they are celebrating National Day which is similar to our 4th of July.  I talked to one of the Emiratis this week and it sounds like they do much of the same thing we do...Gather with family, eat lots of food, and simply relax and enjoy the days off. 

That aside, I realize I haven't updated the blog in a while but for good reason.  I haven't had Internet connectivity at the new house for 3 weeks and am still waiting.  The last few weeks have been nothing short of a major debacle.  When I moved in, there were several small things wrong with the house:

- Toilet seat cracked

- One of the six air condition units was not working (yes we have six)

- I had no gas hooked up for my oven

- Drain was clogged

- Pool lights not working

- Light in the bathroom burnt out

- No light bulbs in some of the rooms (and when you have 20 foot ceilings, it's kinda hard to replace them)

- No appliances, furniture, or laundry capabilities

So, I started my first week off by buying a bunch of "necessities" for the house (couches, tables, kitchen stuff, laundry machines, etc.).  Most of the things were delivered on time, but I soon found out first hand that when someone says they'll be there at noon, you should not expect them at noon, but more like 4 or 5.  Sometimes, they mistake noon that day, for noon 3 days from now.  It's ridiculous!  These folks have no concept of time over here and unfortunately, when you work, you can't just sit around the house and wait for them.  They look at me and say "Don't you have a wife that is home to accept deliveries?"

Anyway, once all of that got worked out (it took 2 weeks), I am now living in the house somewhat comfortably, but still no Internet.  I signed up a week ago and haven't heard anything.  So, the waiting game begins again.  There's a term here that you learn very quickly.  In sha' allah.  It translates to "God willing" or "If God is willing".  In my mind, it translates more to "I'm lazy and don't want to commit to anything so I'll pin it on God if I don't show up in time".  I think I'm going to submit that definition to Webster's.  :)

Other than the occasional (daily) pissed off rampages with worker crews, delivery boys, and idiot drivers who flash their high beams at you, it's been fine out here.  I guess I'm just frustrated because there's no sense of urgency or customer service out here. 

Let's see, what else can I rant about.  How bout the driving?  It's really not as bad as you would think.  All the reading I did ahead of time prepared me for nothing short of chaos, but when I got here, I realized it's similar to D.C. to be honest.  You have your idiot drivers and you have your normal folks who follow the rules.  The problem is, the idiot drivers are in a category all to themselves.  They are the cream of the crop when it comes to idiots.  Just yesterday, I was on the highway doing 20km over the speed limit, and someone came up behind me flashing their high beams.  No one else on the road but us two and 4 other lanes to choose from to pas me.  But, he wanted to be in THAT lane.  So, I did what any other American would do.  Slow down to 20km under the speed limit, let him pass, and then move out of the lane.  It's the little things in life that give me pleasure :)

Well, that's about it for now.  I played my first game of flag football last night and met 6 other Americans, all of which teach at the local public Elementary school here.  Looks like Jill's not going to have a problem getting a job.  As soon as I get Internet, I'll be back on here regularly. 

Have a great Holiday and go Steelers!  Beat those damn Ravens!

Back in the AD!

So it's been a month since my last post and I am now back in Abu Dhabi.  This trip has started off with a bang.  Within a day of arriving, I received keys to our new house and to our new car.  It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.  What does that mean?  Well, I am in a hotel for 1 week to give me a chance to go spend money and attempt to fill the house with things that Jill will agree with.  Harder than it sounds.  Especially when she's never seen the house, or had to go shopping for furniture before.

So, I've resorted to buying the bare bones minimum, which has included to date:
- Washer
- Dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven
- Fridge
- Microwave
- Bed set
- Couch set
- Dining room table and chairs
- TV
- Playstation 3 (yes this is a necessity)

There's still a lot left to do but I'm going to hold out until Jill gets out here to let her do the home decorator thing :)

I have posted pictures of the house here http://www.packetjunkie.com/House/index.html.  The yard is obviously sand right now, but we will be getting this landscaped with grass and irrigation.  And...If anyone is wondering, I have not tried the pool out yet.  I plan on doing that when I move in permanently.

As for what else I've done in two days, I decided to go hit golf balls at the driving range today on the golf course next to the house.  What an awesome course!  If anyone is interested, here it is.  It cost about 25 dollars today to hit unlimited balls but it was worth it to go see the course.  We inquired about memberships and they said they do not have any openings right now and maybe not till next year.  Just for giggles we asked how much a membership is and they told us the first year is about $10,000 and each year after it's about $6,000.  WOW!  I think I'll be happy paying the $150 per round :)

Anyway, that's about it for now.  Tomorrow will be a great day of buying dishes and pots and other household stuff.  I'll update next week some time.

Last Week Over...Heading Home!

So the last week out here has come to an end and I will be leaving on Sunday to head home for a month. This has been a very eventful month and even more eventful week. I've seen things I figured I would see out here, and others I would have never thought.

 

This week wrapped up with a nice ending. I was able to find a house for Jill and I and hopefully it will be ready for me to move in when I return. It was a bit bigger than what we were looking for, but I couldn't pass up this awesome place. Plus two other families from work will also be getting a house here, so we'll have some folks in the neighborhood.

 

It's a 4 bedroom house with a nice yard (in comparison with all the other places), a swimming pool, big patio, terrace off of one of the master bedrooms, lots of closet space, and most importantly, it's within our budget. It sits on one of the best golf courses in the region. The british tour actually makes a stop here :). That should be interesting.

 

Anyway, it's been a little hectic, especially for Jill since she can't see that place and basically just blindly trusts me to make the right call...so needless to say it's been a bit stressful. But, it all worked out in the end and now we will have a nice place to call home when she moves out here.

 

So now, I'm sitting in the mall, eating some food, and getting ready to start looking at furniture and things to purchase. I guess I'll make a list, and then run it by the chief decorator to make sure the things I found are up to par ;). Should be fun.

 

Well, that's about it. I'll be home in a few days for a whole month and then I'm back here again till Christmas time. I probably won't write on here unless something big happens so check back after November 1, and when you check back, wish Jill and I a happy one year anniversary ;)

 

How's the Internet Out Here?

I made a little picture to help explain it in better terms...

Crazy Cars and Crazy Workers

So two things happened today that I thought I should share.  Nothing super important, just stuff to put up here to keep folks informed on what I see out here. 

So the first thing is an Audi R8 (See picture).  I was perusing the Emirate Palace parking garage today and stumbled on this beauty on the first floor.  Pretty sweet!  Unique cars are all over the place out here, especially at the Palace.  Most of them just sit there collecting dust because some rich dude decided that he needs one of these in the garage just in case he would want to drive it one day.  I've seen an Aston Martin Vantage, this R8, numrous Bentley's, Mercedes out the wazoo, and then a whole bunch of crappy beat up Mitsubishi Outlanders and Pajeros :)

Secondly, my buddy Andre was at work today and stumbled on these two stooges doing work in the office.  Yep, that's a guy on a ladder, on a desk, with the other guy wearing his Redneck hat holding the ladder.  Some things you see out here are just better off left unexplained and this was one of those moments. 

That's all for now.  Might go play some golf this weekend and if I do, I'll definitely post something on that.  Take care.

Funny Stuff

So I had to post this.  I was driving home just now from a little hole in the wall Egyptian place (which by the way serves the best stuffed pigeon), and as I was sitting at a red light minding my own business, a car full of Emiratis pulls up next to me.  They look at me a few times and then signal to roll down my window.  At first I was like "Yeah whatever" and then I figured what the hell?  So I rolled my window down and the all proceeded to ask me "How are you?"

At first I was taken back by the unusual display of friendliness by an Emirati towards a foreigner, but then I responded back with a nice "Very well".  They all nodded, smiled, and drove away.

Hmmm...I guess after Ramadan, they're so happy to be eating again that they are friendly to everyone.  Just thought that was a little odd.

First Week Over

Well I just finished my first long run in Abu Dhabi.  Fortunately for me, running 20 miles today had to be done indoors due to Ramadan and the fact that you are forbidden to eat or drink in public until sundown.  1 more day of Ramadan and all will be back to normal (normal for here at least).  Also forbidden during Ramadan:

- Singing in your car or anywhere else
- Dancing
- Smoking
- Pretty much anything else that gives you some sort of pleasure

I have to say, I'm somewhat impressed that the Muslims fast all day for this long.  It's pretty difficult to not eat from sunup to sundown.  The funny thing is, that they normally sleep from about 1 PM till about 7 PM, then they get up and party all night and stuff themselves.  Still a feat though. 

It's funny to try and eat during the day out here.  I feel like I'm back in the 20's trying to find some speakeasy to dip in, give the secret password, and get some food.  And even if you get food, now you have to find a place to eat (in your car, between dumpsters in an alley, some quartined room in a building where no one can see, etc.)

While I was running today, I had the gym helper come by no less than half a dozen times during the four hours to ask me if I was OK.  I think he thought I was off my rocker for running that long on the treadmill.  When I told him I was running 32 kilometers this morning, he just kind of looked at me with a blank stare as if to say, "Are you F'ing nuts?"

Last night I had the pleasure of visiting a co-worker's house to chow down on some home-made lasagna, salad, and some swimming.  I have to say, it was a nice reminder of home that I needed very much.  I stuffed myself full of good food and headed home for the night.  Thanks Steve and Angie!

As for the rest of today, I'm going to order some room service, take a nap, and then get up and maybe head to Marina Mall to putz around.  That's about it for my "exciting" first week out here.  Pretty much work, eating, and the occasional crazy driver :)  Talk to you all later.

Shisha

So I'm sitting here in a cool little cafe on the water smoking shisha and drinking coffee.  its an awesome experience to see all of the locals, including women, puffing away on the intricate hookah pipes.  Very cool stuff.

For those who don't know, shisha is tobacco that has a flavored molasses in it. Its then place atop a big hookah pipe that has water in the bottom of it. When you puff it, the smoke is sent through the water and then out to the end of the hose, thus eliminating a significant portion of the "bad stuff" associated with smoking tobacco.

I tried the double apple flavor and its incredible.  That's all for now...just figured I'd update everyone while I'm sitting here.
---------------------------------
Sent via BlackBerry

مرحبا بكم في أبو ظبي

Welcome to Abu Dhabi!  Woohoo I made it.  Just sitting here at the hotel getting all of my computer stuff running and realizing that even with billions of dollars invested in communications out here, the bandwidth is still crap. 

The flight was awesome.  I flew Etihad airways (the "official" airline of the UAE) and the business class seats were incredible!  They laid flat like a bed and had a great entertainment system.  They were like little pods that you sat in but were very private and comfortable.  This was probably the best plane ride I've ever been on. 

I started watching a movie when we took off (Fast and the Furious).  After that, I had dinner (fillet mignon with some veggies and coffee), and then took about am 8 hour "nap".  I'm still amazed that I was actually able to sleep for that long on a plane.  After waking up, I watched another movie (Xmen Origins), ate some breakfast at 6PM, and then landed shortly after.  What is interesting is that all of the movies are edited for content, so both of the ones I watched had really weird parts in them where a normal sex scene would have occurred. 

After touching down and getting off the plane, I went through customs which was a breeze and got my bags within 10 minutes.  The airport was great and the service there was really nice, except for the little baggage guy I paid $5 to help with bags.  I think I gave him half of his month's salary and he wouldn't leave me alone after that. 

As for the hotel, it's well...a hotel.  It's a nice place but nothing beats your own bed and house.  I took a little trip across the street and had some mutton tikka (awesome) or about $5.  I think it's going to be very difficult to actually spend the allotted per diem out here. 

Anyway, just figured I'd post on here and let everyone know it all went well and I've arrived safe and sound.  I'll be putting more pictures up when I get a chance to explore later this week.  Off to work tomorrow.  Till then...

The wonders of modern travel

Well I'm sitting here in JFK and figured I'd throw something up on the ole' blog (it's not even a week old and I'm using the word ole').  The flight from BWI to JFK sucked a big one.  Delayed half an hour on the tarmac (the flight itself is like 32 minutes).  Then we take off and some genius decides to use his cell phone.  Stewardess commences to rip him a new one, and all is well...Till we land.  Delayed again for 15 minutes on the tarmac due to no parking spots.  Really?  I figured the GPS system and all the modern tracking devices would have been enough for the morons at JFK to realize they have a huge airplane landing at their airport. 

Anyway, I'm now sitting here at "The Lounge" which is Etihad's business class resort and I'm finally enjoying my trip.  Comfy couches, TV, Internet, and good food.  I just scarfed down some tomato vegetable soup, and a cold roast beef sandwich with horseradish.  Made myself a nice stiff vodka and tonic and I'm good to go.  Now I just have to remember to get on the plane...

Almost There...

Well the day is almost here.  I'm leaving Sunday, which is only 3 days away, and yet it seems like time is moving VERY slow.  While I'm anxious to get over there and start my new gig, I still find my mind wandering in all different directions trying to figure out what still needs to be done before I leave. 

I was sitting at the MVA last night getting my license changed (yes, I finally got rid of the Fat Bart driver's license), and I started making a list of things to pack.  Three pages later, I decided to put that on hold and move on to a "To Do" list.  Another page later, and I was back to the first list.  This is what I am having to deal with right now.  I feel like a schizophrenic school kid hopped up on speed.  I'm all over the place right now. 

Anyway, I think I have things pretty much wrapped up.  Packing will commence at 1800 hrs. tonight and will last through Saturday evening.  How in the hell am I going to fit my entire life into two suitcases?

As for the running situation, Jill and I are up to 18 miles this Saturday.  Things are going well on that front, but I am dreading my two 20 mile runs in the desert.  Looks like I'll be getting up at 0400 to run for 3 1/2 hours for the next few weeks while I'm over there.  I'm sure the locals are going to stare and call me names but whatever.