Long weeks

These weeks seem to run together and continue over and over.  The job can be stressful and there are disconnects.  It doesn't NEED to be stressful, though.

Anyways...

Started feeling dizzy yesterday so I went to check my BP.  Got a misread, but didn't want to wait, so I hopped in a cab and went to the hospital down the street.  Cost me 50AED (like 15 bucks) with my medical insurance card to be seen. 

Indian ENT doc said my BP is 133/66.  Normal.  Started looking at my eyes and tells me I have vertigo.  Wonderful.  Vertigo brought on by lack of sleep and stress.  At least I wasn't having heart problems.  They did blood work, so I follow up today.  So I skipped the workout for the day.  Gonna lift and run today in the evening.

Finally got my Emirates ID card a few days ago and going to get my drivers license tomorrow in Dubai, so at least I get away for a while.

So the weekend has been a wash.  So much for the promise of waves and surfing.  I'm not going to buy a board and strap on to our Tiita and drive an hour just to surf.  Of course, I'd have to drive three in Texas to hit the coast.

If I played rugby, I'd have an in to fun.  If I was one of the cool guys, I'd be hanging out with other people.  I'm neither, but I'm becoming OK with that.  Not complaining, just reality.  Makes for long weekends and days.

Perhaps I'll get to the coast and make some friends, who knows?  Time will tell.  I have gotten good at Halo again.

Christmas is coming and they love it here.  It's so commercialized it fits right into the lifestyle of shopping for useless shit.


That's all for now.

No Fun

The Stooges wrote a great song you've probably never heard in your life a year before I was born.

"No fun to be alone, walking by myself..."

That's the way it's going here.  I don't say that for pity, that's just my plane right now.  Work, off, workout, sleep, work.  I'll let you know when something fun happens.

Catching you up on my life...

Hey hey to the people that read this blog.  My life isn't that exciting or tough here.  I've just been busy running around at work and doing work related things and running the corniche and working out.

Grande Starbucks Americano and 3 Doors Down "It's Not my Time".  A winning combination!

 It's just become frustrating trying to figure out my exit date from this joint.  One person tells me it's in early June, another tells me August.  I kinda want it to be August, not because I love it here or anything, but it makes me more money and gets me closer to tax-free status which I intend to spend in Calabria.

I have no idea.  Stone Christmas tree?  Not likely here...

Yes, Marilee, they have your makeup here!

It really hasn't been that exciting around here.  I wish I had a ton of crap to write.  I just don't.  I've learned the importance of malls, though.  Air conditioning.  That's all.

So today after about a 2.85 mile run, I came back to Aba Zabba and cooled down, showered, and got dressed in light clothing and went for another walk with my Umbro backpack and my iphone with headphones plugged in listening to Spotify.

Didn't realize how far I had really walked until I got to Abu Dhabi Mall.  That's one big horkin' mall!  I found a ethernet over power set with wireless on one end so that I could have all of my wireless crap set up in my room and didn't have to worry about the thick concrete walls stopping the signal.  It works wonderfully!

The biggest pisser was the treatment we got at our own embassy.  I was already disappointed with the election outcome, and getting treated like shit by a third country national at my own embassy was the cherry on the f'in whip cream.  In my own words:  Well, you can click on the video and hear me rant.

Hamdan Street

Hey,

Just got done on a long walk down Hamdan Street.  I now know several things:

1.  My bank is about two blocks on foot.

2.  I know where the Spinney's liquor store is (but since I'm not getting a license, whatever).

3.  I can get to Starbucks with a little walking.

4.  If you don't mind being soaked in your own sweat from humidity, you can reach Abu Dhabi Mall.

Last Week

Come on, Toshi!

Wow.  Busy week, man.  As most of you know, I was sick two days out of a four-day work week.  That would normally be cool, but there is nothing to do around here when you're sick.  TV is shit.  Radio is boring pop crap.  And when you've found the end of the internet...well those of you who have made that sad discovery know what I'm talking about.

So I worked the last day of the week.  Half of that was spent gloriously out of the office setting up my overseas bank account.  Still can't get my ATM card to work, but since it's a Friday (Muslim Sunday), I can't get to a bank.  I'll fix it tomorrow.

All you CAN eat.  They force feed you the rest...

Went for sushi at Toshi, a restaurant in a posh hotel.  About $50 for all of the booze, sushi, and teppan-yaki you can hold.  Had a few beers and went to the hotel English pub (they all have at least one).  Had a beer there and convinced them we needed to head for home and get some sleep.  All love saying what a "sausage fest" it is in the clubs around here.  What did they expect?  Girls tops flying off at 10?  It's the UAE, not Vegas.

Today I had a late lunch with our deputy.  I was enlightened about things to say the least. 

Another "British" pub...

That's it.  Ran, worked out, and slept and went to work.  If they'd just put a damn Starbucks closer, I'd be there all of the time.

Sick and Tired

So here I sit.  Day 2.  Sick.  I was actually looking forward to getting out of the room today and going back to work just to fight the boredom (funny how that works both ways).

Aquafina tastes the same in any language:  Watery

I went to work after a restless night (again) and got my paycheck, made a few adjustments to some work and was promptly sent home for the day.  I understand why I was sent back.  I still look and feel like shit.  In tiny cubicles, that could rapidly spread.  Not good.


So here I sit again.  I snuck out and took a cab to the nearest bank branch to deposit my significant paycheck.  The customer service is wonderful and the Emirati gentleman was all smiles and even looked up my account number when I realized it wasn't in my phone.

Something stands out to me:  I always remember not to primarily use my left hand.  That's hard for me when you consider that I'm left handed.  I had to sign with my left hand, but I consciously handed the service guy the pen and paper with my right hand.  He seemed to appreciate that.  It's not cause I'm really culturally "aware" or anything.  I just know that if I do things to offend people that are helping me, I'm less likely to get perfection.  When handling a shitload of money, you do what you have to.

Activated my ATM card, and took a cab back to the room.  On the way, I went to a local store where the guy is beginning to realize I'm not going anywhere.  He is begrudgingly beginning to accept my greeting and that's a good thing.  Hard to find a local store with junk food and lip balm in it.  I need a different blanket for the room.  One that doesn't cause you to sweat even when the temp is 50 in the room.  Hopefully I'll find something cheap enough soon.  I haven't looked to be honest.

The 'green salad' at the local shwarma joint is anything but just green, but delicious

I have struck out on my own the last few days.  Not my favorite thing to do in any locale or situation, but it needed to be done, less I be at the behest of another person who can use that as a power (amazing what people will lord over you if you let them).  I need vegetables, laundry soap, coffee, fruit, and eventually a small bathroom shelf since I took the smaller room (never let me do that again).  I need to get coffee for work, as well.

Otherwise, I'm expected to become a rugby fan member and sit around on my ass watching rugby all day.  Not happening and if they think that gives them executive privilege to the car, they are in for a surprise.  The way it stands, I'm on my own after work from now on.  The clicks have been formed and I got the "either it's my way or..." implied to me today.  I bristle at people that fucking thick.  I can be type A all day long.  I'd like to be calm and relaxed, though.  I will continue to try that path until it fails.  So, as I said, I'm on my own for the foreseeable future.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but this whole thing continues to define itself in ways that I don't like.  I don't mean to complain, but I'd hoped that everyone would be working together and hanging together.  There I go thinin' again, though.

This means if I need anything; food, clothing, rides, etc, I'm on my own.  If I say, "Hey, let's go get a coffee.", I'm talking in the mirror.  So I'd better get used to it now.  Otherwise it's gonna be a long haul for the next 7 months hiding in the room and darting for table scraps at coffee shops...not gonna happen.  This evening I'm catching a cab to Spinney's for veggies and fruit and anything else I need.

Hope everyone is doin OK and getting peaceful sleep whilst I write this down.

Back to Dubai - Part II Continued

So we decided to take the train in Dubai cause it follows the basic outline of the city and puts you within reasonable walking distance of most sights.  So here are some tips:

1.  The first two train stations are not finished.  We found that out quickly.  Go on to the Ibn Battuta station.  There is only parking in the sand currently, but not a problem.

2.  Buy a card pass (AED 20).  This will get you through four exits.  You can recharge the card, so hang onto it.

3.  Into the city isn't as crowded, so grab a seat as quickly as possible.  Outbound from the city center is a nightmare comparable to Calcutta (complete with those particular people).  Be prepared to get rousted toward the back cars to make way for families and women who are allowed to travel separately in this country.

4.  Forget personal space.  This is from a guy that's been around the world a few times.  If you think Korea and Japan are bad...nope.  You are dealing primarily with South Asians (Indian, Bengali, etc) and Filipinos.  They live in crowded spaces even here stacked on top of one another and they will push, and pull, and whatever else will get them on the train (or anywhere).  Be prepared.

5.  Trains seem to arrive every five minutes, so don't worry if you miss one.  Another will be along shortly.

6.  The advantages.  You don't have to drive in a confusing city with few turnarounds.  It's safe.  It lets you out within yards/meters of shopping malls which are like subterranean, air-conditioned tunnels to get to your true destination.

Forest?  Outside of Abu Dhabi

The "parking lot" at the Dubai Metro Station

So, let's back up...You can really tell when you're leaving Abu Dhabi and transitioning to Dubai.  Abu Dhabi isn't just the capital, it's also the richest city in the Emirates.  There is a "forest" the entire way leaving Abu Dhabi.  The minute you hit the outskirts of Dubai; desert.  Period.  Abu Dhabi has an irrigation system that uses all of the waste water instead of recycling all of it.  The water from the tap seems to be perfectly safe since it's all desalinated water and has to go through a reverse osmosis system which purifies it.

Part of the Central Souk, Dubai

We went to the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building).  Yes, you can go to the top, which we thought would be easy.  We walked the .5 km to the edifice and as we approached a very nice African gentleman in a security guard uniform asked us where we were going.  We told him we wanted to see the top and he let us know we needed to go into the Dubai Mall (next to the Burj) to purchase tickets.  He then told us to "enjoy the experience".  What a pleasant thing to say.

So we head into yet another mall and walk for what seemed like an hour (huge, huge mall) and find the ticket counter with throngs of the people described earlier with sprinklings of Euro-trash everywhere.  Bad news.  The tower viewing is booked solid for 1-2 days.  Forget it.  On to the Central Gold Souk which meant boarding the train again and going another ten stops into the city by the "creek".

This place was totally like any other bazaar you've ever been in.  Shops, shops and shops.  Lots of walking.  Lots of people.  Lots of humidity being next to an estuary.  We walk around there for a while and then back to the crowded train. 

That's about it for now.  Nothing really exciting happened.