It's been 9 months since I have "lived" in the good ol' USA and I think I have a new-found appreciation for "home." We, Americans, take for granted what we have and it wasn't until I came here that I realized all of this. I was one of those "Americans" who, like most people, went about my day doing what I had to do: work, home, work, home, day-in and day-out. This all changed when I came to Dubai.
For example, one word: alcohol. I am not, by any means, a big drinker, but every once and awhile I really enjoy a few glasses of wine, red wine to be exact (thanks Dad, you created a wonderful habit.) Here in Dubai, you can't just walk down to the corner store and pick up a bottle of "two-buck-chuck." Dubai has 86ed that idea real quick. Here, you need to have a license to buy alcohol, which you have to apply for, in which the application can be denied. On top of all this, you can't just go out and buy as much as you like, you have A LIMIT! This limit is a percent of your salary. It's a real sad day for those who enjoy the "nectar of the gods."
Regardless of all its negatives, Dubai has been a real "eye-opener." Through heart-aches and stress, "this too shall pass." I have come to realize that it (Dubai) is all part of my life journey, my story and my experiences that I have to go through to become a better person. Granted, it gives me grey hair, drives me nuts and makes me want to scream, but like I said, "this too shall pass."
So, until the day I set foot on the airplane to fly back to the USA from Dubai for "relocation" purposes, I will try my hardest to take it easy and to realize that I have something much better awaiting me, just around the corner.
Life is very hard sometimes, but we all have to get through it. Someone once told me that God only gives us what we can handle… apparently I can handle a lot more than I think and I also think this is true for most people. The thing is, we don't like to be uncomfortable and we don't like to be out of our comfort zone and stepping into the "unknown."
Summer holiday is set, June 11 – 24. This could all change though as I am actively looking for a new job… ان شاء الله
I miss you all very much and I can't wait to share my many stories with you all.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
March = 6 Months err... April = 7 Months.
Part One (March)
So, March is the sixth-month marker for me in Dubai. Nothing has really changed in the last month besides the fact that I have had two more rental cars... don't ask, it's a touchy subject. L
A few weeks ago I got really sick. More sick than I have ever been, ever! It started out as a sinus infection that never got any better and turned into the flu. But not just any flu, a flu named Jim-Bob that put me in the hospital for a day with an IV and all that goodness. It was a bit scary seeing as I have had so much luck with the healthcare system in this country. (Sarcasm)
The story goes like this: a few weeks ago, shortly after my last post, I went to the doctor because I knew I was getting a sinus infection from really bad allergies that were caused by the sand storm that we had. I went to the doctor and told him my symptoms and he refused to believe that I was getting an infection. Continually, I told him, I'm getting an infection, and I know I am getting an infection blah blah blah. He says in the thickest Arabic accent ever, "You don't have an infection you have inflammation."
Needless to say, he gave me meds to treat my sinus issues, but nothing to treat the infection. Sure enough, the sinus issue cleared up, but the week later I got worse.
The infection moved to.... well, everywhere else and I was in bed for about a week. It wasn't much fun. Two or three days into it I took myself to the hospital where they put me on an antibiotic drip and things cleared up in a few days. Thank God this country has some modern medicine and not just all twigs and berries.
Anyway, moving on, the weather is starting to heat up in the UAE. It was almost 100 yesterday and the rest of the week it looks like it will be pretty warm. Though, I guess I have to count my lucky stars, as it is still not humid yet. I doubt it will remain like this for long. I think we might have another month of warm weather minus the humidity, but remember, this is Dubai, things change very quickly, almost as fast as the traffic patterns.
Part Two (April)
Ok, so I have been lazy and didn't finish this post until now. I apologize. A few new things have happened since I started this post; one, my girlfriend got into grad school and two, we will be celebrate our one-year anniversary this month. I am very proud of her! She has worked very hard for this and deserves it. Alf Alf Alf Mabrook.
Continuing on, as most of you can tell from my last post, Dubai isn't that great. I mean, as soon as the "honeymoon" stage fades into the desert you realize what you have got yourself into... more sand, sand everywhere. Get my drift? Thus, I have made a decision. I will be moving back to Washington, D.C. in a few (hopefully short) months. My girlfriend will be attending GWU and I will become part of the over-worked, under-paid D.C. workforce.
Though it would have been nice to move elsewhere, say San Fran, or better yet, the City of Angels, but it will be nice to move back to D.C. again, some place that I am familiar to. I look forward to seeing my friends again and the "short" plane flight to L.A. 5 hours as opposed to 25. Big difference.
I will walk away from Dubai with a new outlook on life and some much needed "street cred." Dubai is definitely a notch on my belt I will cherish forever, but has made me realize that home is the USA. I have found out a lot about myself while I have been here, I know I hate humidity and smelly people. In all seriousness, Dubai hasn't been all that bad, but daily makes you frustrated because you know how much better things could really be. We "Americans" take so much for granted and I will go back to the States with this in mind and have a much different outlook on life. ...Now to find a job. Anyone? ...Anyone? ....Buller? ...Buller?
So, March is the sixth-month marker for me in Dubai. Nothing has really changed in the last month besides the fact that I have had two more rental cars... don't ask, it's a touchy subject. L
A few weeks ago I got really sick. More sick than I have ever been, ever! It started out as a sinus infection that never got any better and turned into the flu. But not just any flu, a flu named Jim-Bob that put me in the hospital for a day with an IV and all that goodness. It was a bit scary seeing as I have had so much luck with the healthcare system in this country. (Sarcasm)
The story goes like this: a few weeks ago, shortly after my last post, I went to the doctor because I knew I was getting a sinus infection from really bad allergies that were caused by the sand storm that we had. I went to the doctor and told him my symptoms and he refused to believe that I was getting an infection. Continually, I told him, I'm getting an infection, and I know I am getting an infection blah blah blah. He says in the thickest Arabic accent ever, "You don't have an infection you have inflammation."
Needless to say, he gave me meds to treat my sinus issues, but nothing to treat the infection. Sure enough, the sinus issue cleared up, but the week later I got worse.
The infection moved to.... well, everywhere else and I was in bed for about a week. It wasn't much fun. Two or three days into it I took myself to the hospital where they put me on an antibiotic drip and things cleared up in a few days. Thank God this country has some modern medicine and not just all twigs and berries.
Anyway, moving on, the weather is starting to heat up in the UAE. It was almost 100 yesterday and the rest of the week it looks like it will be pretty warm. Though, I guess I have to count my lucky stars, as it is still not humid yet. I doubt it will remain like this for long. I think we might have another month of warm weather minus the humidity, but remember, this is Dubai, things change very quickly, almost as fast as the traffic patterns.
Part Two (April)
Ok, so I have been lazy and didn't finish this post until now. I apologize. A few new things have happened since I started this post; one, my girlfriend got into grad school and two, we will be celebrate our one-year anniversary this month. I am very proud of her! She has worked very hard for this and deserves it. Alf Alf Alf Mabrook.
Continuing on, as most of you can tell from my last post, Dubai isn't that great. I mean, as soon as the "honeymoon" stage fades into the desert you realize what you have got yourself into... more sand, sand everywhere. Get my drift? Thus, I have made a decision. I will be moving back to Washington, D.C. in a few (hopefully short) months. My girlfriend will be attending GWU and I will become part of the over-worked, under-paid D.C. workforce.
Though it would have been nice to move elsewhere, say San Fran, or better yet, the City of Angels, but it will be nice to move back to D.C. again, some place that I am familiar to. I look forward to seeing my friends again and the "short" plane flight to L.A. 5 hours as opposed to 25. Big difference.
I will walk away from Dubai with a new outlook on life and some much needed "street cred." Dubai is definitely a notch on my belt I will cherish forever, but has made me realize that home is the USA. I have found out a lot about myself while I have been here, I know I hate humidity and smelly people. In all seriousness, Dubai hasn't been all that bad, but daily makes you frustrated because you know how much better things could really be. We "Americans" take so much for granted and I will go back to the States with this in mind and have a much different outlook on life. ...Now to find a job. Anyone? ...Anyone? ....Buller? ...Buller?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Almost Five Months in Dubai
So, it has been almost five months since I moved to this foreign country, and by foreign, I mean FOREIGN. In five months time I have: had five rental cars and probably have five more, two apartments, one head cold from a sand storm, spent 13 hours in a hospital for one vile of blood and one x-ray for my residency visa, and spent countless hours lost in Dubai from detours and road construction. All-in-all, I would say it has been pretty productive.
Due to the global financial crisis, work is slowing down. Dubai was probably the last place to get hit, but nonetheless it was hit. There were a few articles that were published in the newspapers here that said, people were abandoning their cars at the airport and just leaving the country. Also, in the car-park at my apartment building there was more than one apartments-worth of furniture just left there to be collected by anyone who came by... or the trash people. Traffic has eased and rent has gone down; Dubai is becoming a different city. Knock-on-wood, I am one of the few that still have a job and I don't foresee it going anywhere anytime soon. Thank God!
At this moment, I know now that I will put in my one-year personal commitment in Dubai and move on. At the commencement of this new adventure I came into it with an open mind and I told myself that I could be here for two years. Two years is a long time to be away from the family that you are so close to. Two years is a long time to be away from "home." Come September, I will leave Dubai and come back to the United States for a number of reasons, but mainly, Dubai is not home. Dubai is/was a place for a new adventure, an adventure it has been, period.
I can't say that I've "hated" Dubai because that wouldn't be fair, but I know I can say that I have been in much more enjoyable cities around the world: Athens, Damascus, Stockholm, and London to name a few. I will also tell you this; if things were different I might stay, for example, if they had a healthcare system that worked, or if rent wasn't so artificially high, or if the entire city wasn't a construction zone... I might just stay for more than a year. But no, what you see on American television or read in the American newspapers is not what you get when you actually get here. Sure, things are awesome for two weeks when you first step off your 20+ hour flight to get here, but things slowly start to take light. After your "vacation" wears off, you "see" the real Dubai, the prostitution, the filth, the traffic, the construction everywhere. I don't think I have been on one road yet that doesn't have some form of construction on it. Not one!
Sure, I am being overly critical of a place I really haven't been in for a longtime, but I am just stating the facts. On a funny note, I have turned into a "Mall Rat." There isn't much to do here, especially when temperatures reach well into the 120+ range (48º C). Did you know that when it reaches 50º C in Dubai, when not if, everything, by law, must shut down…it is just too damn hot to do anything. Not to mention the 100% humidity in the summertime. I am so looking forward to July and August in Dubai!
What else… there isn't too much to report from my end, work is steady, my girlfriend is amazing, and life goes on. Please don't let my rant dissuade you from taking a trip here. Nov – April is amazing. The weather is great to go out and enjoy a coffee or cigar and people watch at one of the 4,500 malls in the area. Till next time… BmH
Due to the global financial crisis, work is slowing down. Dubai was probably the last place to get hit, but nonetheless it was hit. There were a few articles that were published in the newspapers here that said, people were abandoning their cars at the airport and just leaving the country. Also, in the car-park at my apartment building there was more than one apartments-worth of furniture just left there to be collected by anyone who came by... or the trash people. Traffic has eased and rent has gone down; Dubai is becoming a different city. Knock-on-wood, I am one of the few that still have a job and I don't foresee it going anywhere anytime soon. Thank God!
At this moment, I know now that I will put in my one-year personal commitment in Dubai and move on. At the commencement of this new adventure I came into it with an open mind and I told myself that I could be here for two years. Two years is a long time to be away from the family that you are so close to. Two years is a long time to be away from "home." Come September, I will leave Dubai and come back to the United States for a number of reasons, but mainly, Dubai is not home. Dubai is/was a place for a new adventure, an adventure it has been, period.
I can't say that I've "hated" Dubai because that wouldn't be fair, but I know I can say that I have been in much more enjoyable cities around the world: Athens, Damascus, Stockholm, and London to name a few. I will also tell you this; if things were different I might stay, for example, if they had a healthcare system that worked, or if rent wasn't so artificially high, or if the entire city wasn't a construction zone... I might just stay for more than a year. But no, what you see on American television or read in the American newspapers is not what you get when you actually get here. Sure, things are awesome for two weeks when you first step off your 20+ hour flight to get here, but things slowly start to take light. After your "vacation" wears off, you "see" the real Dubai, the prostitution, the filth, the traffic, the construction everywhere. I don't think I have been on one road yet that doesn't have some form of construction on it. Not one!
Sure, I am being overly critical of a place I really haven't been in for a longtime, but I am just stating the facts. On a funny note, I have turned into a "Mall Rat." There isn't much to do here, especially when temperatures reach well into the 120+ range (48º C). Did you know that when it reaches 50º C in Dubai, when not if, everything, by law, must shut down…it is just too damn hot to do anything. Not to mention the 100% humidity in the summertime. I am so looking forward to July and August in Dubai!
What else… there isn't too much to report from my end, work is steady, my girlfriend is amazing, and life goes on. Please don't let my rant dissuade you from taking a trip here. Nov – April is amazing. The weather is great to go out and enjoy a coffee or cigar and people watch at one of the 4,500 malls in the area. Till next time… BmH
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What Not To Do in a Bathroom
So, I work in a pretty respectable place. Legit, I mean, all is clean, nice, office-like, if you will, but when it comes to the bathroom (the men's that is) there is a completely different ballgame going on.
I really can't put my finger on it, but something tells me I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
So, I walk into the bathroom and this is what I witness... Men, mostly all Indian, dot not feather, bathing in the sinks. It is so odd. There are three sinks in the bathroom at my office, all are normally occupied with men washing their faces, hair, hands, nails, teeth, you name it, and they are washing it.
Anyway, I do my business and come to wash my hands, I wait my turn to use the sink because they are still being occupied from when I walked in two minutes ago… when it comes my turn to wash my hands ONLY, I have to stand 20cm away from the sink because of the amount of water that is left on the counter.
I really don't understand it all sometimes, water is meant to go down the drain, not all over the counter, but yet still, these guys manage to get 5L everywhere!
Like I said before, and I will say it again, I am not in Kansas anymore. The bathroom sink is meant to wash your hands then return to work, that's it. Full-stop. No no no, God forbid these guys just wash their hands, God forbid.
Till next time...
I really can't put my finger on it, but something tells me I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
So, I walk into the bathroom and this is what I witness... Men, mostly all Indian, dot not feather, bathing in the sinks. It is so odd. There are three sinks in the bathroom at my office, all are normally occupied with men washing their faces, hair, hands, nails, teeth, you name it, and they are washing it.
Anyway, I do my business and come to wash my hands, I wait my turn to use the sink because they are still being occupied from when I walked in two minutes ago… when it comes my turn to wash my hands ONLY, I have to stand 20cm away from the sink because of the amount of water that is left on the counter.
I really don't understand it all sometimes, water is meant to go down the drain, not all over the counter, but yet still, these guys manage to get 5L everywhere!
Like I said before, and I will say it again, I am not in Kansas anymore. The bathroom sink is meant to wash your hands then return to work, that's it. Full-stop. No no no, God forbid these guys just wash their hands, God forbid.
Till next time...
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