Saturday of my youth's desires

Alicia here. Today was Saturday in the United Arab Emirates, and an excellent Saturday it was. This morning Maureen picked us up for a jaunt to the blue souk in Sharjah (right).  This is where we went to several lovely carpet shops and learned a LOT about carpets. We met a few fantastic carpet-vending characters who showed us carpet after carpet; Iranian carpets, Tibetan carpets, Afghani carpets, of all sizes, designs and qualities. Synthetic carpets, hand-made carpets, Tabriz, Nain, Caucasian carpets; Geometric, Fish, Floral carpets; wool, silk, cotton carpets; all the carpets that one could imagine. And to my chagrin, the more we learned about carpets, the more we learned we have expensive taste. Kind of like wine, I suppose.

We didn't buy any carpets, but we did take some business cards and will probably go back, after Dan-o brings home a few paychecks.  To satiate ourselves in this shopping wonderland, we settl

ed for purchasing a few new toys and trinkets, a couple of which are pictured here. One, Dan's new shisha pipe.  Another, my 

new pashmina. 

This afternoon we watched The Assassination of Jesse James at home on the laptop and it was, predictably, pretty great. Then the DVD man stopped by and sold us some cheap DVDs, so we've got Juno, Persepolis and I'm Not There on the agenda. Right now I'm eating an orange grown in California. I'm trying to figure out how it got here....

Back on the Grind

Stanley here.  Two days into my employment with the good people at AUD and it's nice to be starting the weekend.  My job is low stress and it involves dealing with money, for which I have a certain fondness.  The people are uniformly friendly, taking pains to introduce me to everyone who works on the campus.  There seem to be a lot of Lebanese people working there, one of whom is my boss, who all constantly amaze me with their ability to jump easily from speaking English to French to Arabic.  Makes me want to check out Lebanon.  The rest of the staff are a broad smattering of Filipino, Canadian, Indian, various middle eastern backgrounds, and even one or two Americans.    The students there couldn't be more different then the lovely, but somewhat childlike (by Western standards) Emirati ladies who attend Dubai Women's College.  They're much more like you'd expect college students studying abroad to be: Calculatedly casual fashion sense, smoking, horsing around, flirting with each other.  It was kind of a shock to the system seeing women dressed in a manner that would have brought the police to campus in short order at Dubai Women's. I guess that's why it's called the American University in Dubai.  

                      

The commute is a bit of a chore, as expected.  It's about an 45 minutes to an hour each way depending on how many accidents there have been on Sheikh Zayed Road (pictured right) that day. As mentioned before, the driving style is pleasantly aggressive.  People will let you change lanes, you just have to make it clear that you're coming weather they let you or not. I've been using the time to delve into the many CDs on my iPod that I'v

e never listened to and I've found a few gems, including The Veils Nux Vomica , but I'm planning on getting some Arabic CDs on Sunday and try to use the time to better myself.  I'm skeptical about learning that way, but it's worth a shot.   

Today we spent the morning eating breakfast at "MORE" (our favorite, see previous post) then driving around the city to see if there's a quicker way to get to work for me (answer: maybe).  On our way we  dropped by The Mall of The Emirates and you know what?  They actually have a freaking ski slope in there.  I'd heard about it, but was down right amused to see it.  40 degrees outside (104F), and people are bundled up in their rented ski-wear.  Women in abayas and shaylas are throwing snowballs at each other.  And they're skiing down an actual ski slopes in 56 acre winter wonderland.  

While I'm at is, a quick rant:  When I was looking for photos I came across a post: "This is what 100.00 oil buys", with a picture of Ski Dubai.  This is not the first time I'm seen someone

implying incorrectly that Dubai or the U.A.E is an oil economy, but I'm struck lately that it feels a little messed up on a couple of levels.  One is that we just assume that it's in the Middle East so it's all about oil, without taking the time to just go to Wikipedia and see that only a small fraction of this nations wealth is oil based.  The second is that there's background noise in part of a statement like that, below the surface but usually present, that whispers, "Isn't it scary that the Arabs are able to build the same kind of excessive, consumerist monstrosities that we have taken for granted all our lives as the birthright of Americans, and Americans alone?  If they can build a giant ski slope in the desert, how long before they come and carry off our women?  War must be made on the barbarians!"  

Ladies Love DAN

Alicia here. Yesterday a couple of students came to me and asked if Mr. Dan was around. "Nope," I alerted them. "He doesn't work here anymore. Would you like to leave a message?" 

After a significant amount of giggling and chatter in arabic, they delivered the message: "Miss, please tell him that we love him and we want him back." OK, I assured them, I will tell him. 

It's the weekend.. FINALLY!

Alicia here. It's finally the weekend again, thank Gawd. I am *exhausted*.  I spent all day to day in a strategic planning meeting and ate way too many croissants. Now I'm carb-crashing.

Yesterday a friend of mine called me in the evening in a panic and told me she had done something really, really stupid. "What was it?" I asked. "I left the money in the ATM." She told me. She and I had actually visited the ATM together earlier in the day. Apparently, she removed the card and the receipt, but not the cash. "What am I going to do?" She asked me. "I can't tell my husband. He'll have my head." Poor girl. I couldn't think of how to help her. I live close to the campus. "Do you want me to go to campus and look in the ATM and see if it's still there?" I asked. No no, she declined, it's probably not there. The place is all locked up anyway. "Maybe try calling security?" I suggested. Also a no-go; if the money wasn't there, security would then be an awkward position of potentially not being believed. She sounded close to tears. "How much?" I asked.  300 dirhams. We hung up, me telling her not to worry about it too much. At least it wasn't 3000, right? 

Trouble is, my friend is in a bit of a sticky situation. Her husband recently became unemployed as a result of a convoluted series of events. She's got a lot of responsibility to cover as the sole breadwinner of the moment, including her mother-in-law's medical bills. For her, at the moment, 300 dirhams isn't easy to lose.

So, I called back and told her I had gone and checked the ATM and found the money, which was I think an OK lie to tell. 

Today she said to me, "My mother-in-law is bugging us for a plane ticket back home, and it costs almost 4000."  It seems obvious to me that the mother-in-law needs a dose of reality. "Tell her to get a job." I said. My friend laughed.

Driving, Prayer and Flat-bread

I'm sitting here as the sun sets listening to the nightly call to prayer echoing across the city.  This is an event I'm going to have to start making time for in the evening, planning to be on my porch with a cocktail in hand.  It's one of those distinctly Middle-Eastern moments that's worth noticing and enjoying.  It feels kind of mysterious and beautiful, like many ancient traditions I suppose.  

Today, after a couple of false starts because of poor paperwork planning and preparation by Alicia and I (mostly me) I was able to obtain my very own U.A.E. driver's license.  The bureacracy was surprisingly efficient and once we got in the door the whole process didn't take more than 15 minutes.  I'd say that compares favorably to most of my DMV experi

ences back home.  Speaking of which, I hear from my mother that I'm no longer able to drive in my home state due to some, shall we say, disagreements about paying my required tribute to the local magistrate.  Fortunately the DMV here just wanted to see the copy of my American license and that was good enough for them.   I got home from the Library (Alicia is working late) and immediately took a long driving tour of our neighborhood and the major freeways to get my bearings (soundtrack: Radiohead's In Rainbows and Low's Drums and Guns).  All the expats here try to tell you how horrifying the driving is here and how crazy everyone is, and yes, there's a little bit of that, but after driving around town for an hour and a half during rush hour, I can submit to you folks back home that it is no worse than New York.    

I'm home now, and having finished another fantastic meal, I feel compelled to share the secret to my Middle Eastern Cooking Strategy:  Everything in the world tastes good to me if you put it on top of, or even nearby some nicely pan-toasted Arabian flat-bread.  I've eaten the compulsory hummus and lamb, and the less conventional chicken, cheese and mayo and today the bold combination of scrambled eggs, yogurt and cucumbers.  I'm telling you.  It's all fantastic.  The bread costs about 30 cents for 4 huge pieces.  I'm convinced that it will be a part of every meal I cook for myself.   And ya know, I'm feeling pretty good about that prospect. 

My pleasure.

Dear Miss Alicia,i really don't know how to thank you for hepling me today . You can't imagine how many years and time i spent trying to find this book .i really Thank you very much. i will never forget this assistance . -AA

Keep an eye on him for me, eh?

To Whom it May Concern,

I, A- S-, holder of Passport #97xxx02 and residency visa #11xxx-2, and legal sponsor of D- M-, passport #05xxx12, hereby give my full consent and permission for D- M- to seek and gain paid employment with any company at his discretion. 

I do insist that he be kept on premises during lunches and breaks.

Regards - AS.

Dr. Jones! Dr. Jones!

Alicia here. Today after work, Dan and I went over to the Grand Sahara to take in the 18:00 showing of Grandpa and the Hidden Jewels- er, eh, "Indiana Jones 4".  It was AWESOME!  Old Man Ford did a bunch of awesome stunts, including getting blown up in a nuclear blast in the Nevada desert.  (He survived, obviously). 

Did you know that they assign seats in the move theater in the Grand Cinema in the UAE? I've never heard of such a thing. But there were only about 6 people in the theater so we got to pick great seats. Before the show we had time to stop for some diet pepsi and Indian food and, by golly, by the end of the night I could have sworn it was high school 1953. Nothing like a nice wholesome soda pop and a PG-13 movie with the swearing cut out to make you feel young again. 

Pause for thought...

"First you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the women." -Scarface

Dan here.

So I was all geeked up about the job with AUD.   Seemed like the perfect gig.  Then I get a call out of the blue yesterday (Saturday).  I answer the phone thinking it's Alicia calling from the Library: "Hey."  Glad I didn't add "baby".  It was a man named Mohammed calling from a recruiting agency saying they had a position open with a major telecom providor, called Du, for a Collections Supervisor and would I be interested? 

"Sure, I'd be interested in discussing it."

"What salary would you require?"

"[double what I'm making at AUD]"

(quickly)"Ohyesyes, they're prepared to pay that.  Send your updated resume and we'll be in touch."

Hmmm....I know I said I wanted something more mellow than collections, but that does sound intriguing.  I guess I can be easily bought.  I told them in the interview at AUD that I wanted to work for an institution who's goals were something more than just the bottom line.  I guess everyone has his/her price.  

A New Librarian in the Mix

Yesterday we were paid a visit by a newly hired librarian, Catharina, from South Africa. She'll be starting in August at the beginning of the new school year. Hooray! I can hardly contain my excitement... I'm ready to get back to a 40 hour workweek.

In other news, I recently went to a system-wide meeting of librarians and supervisors (as alluded to in Abu Dhabi Wabi Tabi Babi or whatever... see below) and met a bunch of other people from around the system. Lo and behold... since then I've gotten about 5 "Facebook" friend requests from people who were at that meeting. It's a little uncanny. Small world indeed. Social networking? Who knew!

The good news is that I'm finding ways to not have to reinvent the wheel at Dubai Women's; if there's librarians like me all over the system needing to perform presumably the same tasks (reference, information literacy instruction, etc etc) then there MUST be ways that we can band together to make each others' lives easier. It's just a matter of getting the right piece of paper into the right hands, as Dan likes to say.

And in Other other news, I noticed that Oregon went heavily Obama after a rock-concert-esque style rally at Waterfront Park. I have to say I'm sad I missed it. And then Hillary suggested that she remain in the race because he might be assassinated? Tsk tsk, tact, tact. Seems like he's taking it OK though. That's what I like to see: lets all be friends, eh?

Lastly but not leastly, we've got a new student assistant working in the library named Ayda. She is a great assistant with a great attitude and wonderful work ethic and fantastic interpersonal skills, and she pulls out her mobile phone every time she is shelving so that she can double-check the order of the English alphabet. It's sooooooo sweet. 

New Stuff

Alicia here. In honor of Stanley's new job, we went shopping yesterday, after going out for an AWESOME brunch at More cafe (right). Dan had the best eggs benedict he's ever tasted. I had an omelette. They served us up bowls of fresh fruit, rustic breads and croissants, jams, lattes, and fresh squeezed juices. Then we went to the counter for a bunch of other stuff; chicken tarragon, balsamic lamb, beef provencal, cumin potatoes, and some caramelized banana bread and chocolate tart for dessert. Having scraped by without eating any cake, and therefore technically sticking to my get fit programme, I left in a good mood, feeling quite fat and sassy.

We rolled down to Wafi to cruise the rug scene since someone around here seems intent on purchasing a rug (I could wait until next year, personally) but didn't end up looking at rugs at all. We stumbled upon a suit shop selling cotton, silk and cashmere suits for next to nothing so Dan stopped in a bought one.  They're tailoring it now so it'll be ready to pick up tonight. A pretty sharp suit I'd say. With the class-factor balance between us having just been suddenly skewed, I picked myself up a new pair of classy sunglasses. Balance restored.

And just like that, I'm employed.

I got a job today. The American University in Dubai (right) has asked me to be their Financial Affairs Officer. This basically means I'll be keeping the books and making sure the students pay their bills (which apparently they are required to do in cash. Seriously. Cash.). I met with the Executive VP today. He really didn't ask me anything other than basic, "How long have you been in Dubai?" and "So you're planning on staying here for awhile?" Then it was, "Well Lily says she's really exited about you, so I'm fine with it. Welcome aboard. Go down to HR and we'll get the process rolling." Seriously. I interviewed with three different people at AUD and the toughest question I was asked was, "So, do you think you'd be comfortable with the accounting responsibilities?" To which I replied, "Yes. Yes, I do." To which the CFO replied. "OK then." I gotta say, I'm starting to like this country. And did I mention their letting me start Wednesday, then take 2 months off?

In addition, my visa finally came through, so I'm now a legal semi-permanent resident of this fair emirate, and on Tuesday I'll be getting my driver's license, which I'll need for starting my job Wednesday (hopefully no more than a 45 minute drive across town in somewhat nightmarish morning traffic) . Finally, after a month waiting in the passenger seat, I have the opportunity to show the maniac drivers all across Dubai who their daddy is during the morning commute. Expect bloodshed.

Seat Ibiza : Get it?

Alicia here. Behold ladies and gentlemen, an example photograph of the Seat Ibiza (Say-ott) which is the model of car of which we will soon be able to call ourselves "proud" owners. I've never heard of this car before, because if it was sold in America, everyone would be calling it a Seat like Meat. But it seems like a good car which I am acquiring second-hand from a seemingly reliable woman whose face and manner of speech I trust. More importantly, it's dirt cheap. Success!

Cochin, how I have dreamt of thee

Alicia here, reporting from Dubai. It's official: we're going to Cochin. We bought our tickets yesterday (the day after a 17% fare hike, hurrah) and on June 23rd will be headed on a Qatar Airways flight to beautiful, soggy Cochin, right in the heart of monsoon season.

Some of you may not know where Cochin is. If you look at the picture, you can probably guess that it is somewhere with tropical plants and muddy rivers, like Africa, South America, Southeast Asia or sometimes, an authentic reproduction of one of these areas in the Middle East. In fact, Cochin is located in the Southern Indian state of Kerala, which seems to be a very nice place on which the Portuguese left more than a few characteristic evil-colonialist marks, such as splendid architecture and Christian holidays.

We considered flying to Mumbai and then taking a train to Cochin, but then realized it's a 40-hour train journey. Pass, thanks. The prerequisite adventure, of course, will be trucking it down to the Indian Consulate General to stand in line first thing in the morning and obtain an Indian Entry Visa. (Hereafter known as IEV). We have decided that I will go alone, so that I can take advantage of the females-only line, which is traditionally much shorter and more pleasant-smelling than the men's line.

I really do hope that we are granted entry visas, since proof of plane tickets is required in order to get them. It would be awfully snarky if they rejected your visa after you had gone to the trouble of buying tickets. Since I am not a Portuguese conquistador, I think my chances are good.

SFC

Mmmm... nothin' like Southern Fried Chicken, Lulu's Hypermarket, Qusais. Just got a "hunga busta" and a "lite bite" delivered, in rapid fashion, for very few dirhams, hot & tasty. After three months of the college cafeteria food & leftovers (superior by any standards), I was ready for some fried chicken.

Abu Dhabi Wabi Tabi Babi

Today I borrowed the college car, picked up three of my librarian buddies, and cruised down the road for 2 hours to Abu Dhabi for a librarians/supervisors meeting. The morning commuter traffic getting out of Dubai was harrowing; made me wish I had bumpers on all sides of my car instead of just the front and back. 

Abu Dhabi, as it turns out, is a remarkably beautiful city; I saw far fewer cranes, piles of dirt and orange traffic cones in Abu Dhabi than I see in Dubai. Also, the library at Abu Dhabi Men's College is GORGEOUS.  Soft halogen lighting; warm, vibrant colors; neat wall art and art objects. I was very impressed.

They fed us cappuccino and lunch, and at some point in the afternoon served us cake (mine appeared without my even asking while I was away in the ladies' room) and therefore I had to break my no-cake programme. I'm starting again right now though, so from now on, really, really and truly, honest to God, no more cake.

We made some important breakthroughs at the meeting, related to boring stuff like information literacy and reading promotion (boring to non-librarians, anyway). I'll leave the full description for Dan, because I know he'll humor me.

Turning over a new leaf

Thanks Nick. Alicia here, reporting from central Dubai.

I'm compelled to jump on the meme bandwagon after Midge bought the wagon and put a band on it. So here goes:

Five things found in your bag:

1. Nokia cellphone, cheapest one off the rack, connected via Etisalat

2. Prescription eyeglasses (Giorgio Armani).. I may be blind-o but I'm stylish-o

3. Hertz key and keychain

4. Frequent Sipper Club card from Gloria Jean's

5. Passport / Visa

Five favorite things in your room:

1. Mirror

2. Down comforter

3. Silky Pajamas

4. Digital camera

5. Stuffed pug

My room isn't exceptionally personalized. I haven't been in it long enough.

Five things you have always wanted to do:

1. Climb Mt Hood

2. Write a crappy novel for NaNoWriMo

3. Live and work abroad (hey!)

4. Go to Pompeii and see the ruins of massive volcanic destruction (I'm so jealous of you Krista.)

5. Build a library in Guatemala and make it vastly successful

Five things you are currently in to:

1. The Onion's top 25 albums of 2007 (Thanks Emily!) 

2. Researching India & Sri Lanka

3. Get Fit Programme (note: no more cake, starting Tomorrow).

4. Brandon's Arkansas & Franzen's The Corrections 

5. Fashion: specifically, Abaya design

OK, Now that Dan's had a chance to speak...

Let's elaborate a little more on the Russian Nightclub.  Between each act, there were some lounge singers who performed a few numbers in conjunction with a scrawny pony-tailed fellow on the synth, allowing our dancers time to change into their next outfit, and allowing the clientele to take over the dance floor and bust a move.

Act I: Dancers in traditional garb and big hats perform a traditional Russian routine while we're starting on our wine and half-bottle of Wodka.

Act II: Dancers in Vegas-showgirl style sparkling one-piece outfits with large furry hats and boots perform a Vegas-showgirl style number complete with lots of high-kicking and shoulder-shaking. This is "salad phase" - retrieving lots of interesting first course items from the buffet, including chilled potatoes stuffed with herring and some of the most ginormous shrimp I've ever seen. Also, a "beef salad" which I quizzed the chef on. It looked like a rhubarb pie; bright red in the center, crumbs on top. "You cut it like a pie," the guy next to me said. "It's really beef?" I asked the chef. "Yes, beef." She said. "Is it raw?" I asked. "Not all," she said. I was too scared to try any. Later on Maureen informed me it was actually beet salad.

Act III: Male and Female dancers in black and yellow taxi-cab getups perform a Broadway-like number.

Act IV: Male and Female dancers perform another Broadway-like number in ridiculous red-white-and-blue outfits with lots of clown-like acrobatics, dance moves that involve the revealing of granny panties, tumbles and splits with cartoon noise accompaniment. 

Act V: The Arabian Belly Dance! Which was less Belly Dance and more... hmm... Vegas Showgirl Dance. Male dancers as well. Fun to watch.

I'm sure I missed a few... but that was something else. I'll definitely go back, especially for the dancing. This time I was pretty much stuck glued to my chair, hand clenched like stone between my legs, large scarf pulled tight around both arms, shivering to death as the result of a high fever which had come on that afternoon. Although I had taken Ibuprofen to ward off the signs of illness, I forgot to take more Ibuprofen with me to the nightclub, and I experienced a marked increase in fever, chills and bone ache at approximately midnight. I still thoroughly enjoyed the show, but will definitely do more dancing next time.

I lumbered out of the club at 2am like Frankenstein - glazed eyes, pale, pallid skin, stiff as a board, brain half-functional, went home and slept for a day and a half. It is now Saturday morning and I'm feeling marginally better, but still not in the mood to dance. I'm just glad it didn't get worse... I'm also not in the mood to try out the hospital here just yet.

Troyka? Yes, Troyka.

"My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever.  The bombing will begin in five minutes." - Ronald Reagan (during a microphone test)

Pictured Right:  Ahmadinejad teaching Putin to dance.

Just waking up for the second time today.  We went to the Russian nightclub known as Troyka with an older couple from the college last night.  They were called Maureen and Ron, or maybe Tom.  Tom was cool.  Maureen had a little too much (mostly good) advice for my taste, or maybe it was just the delivery: A little too aggressive, a little too sure that any course of action than other than hers will lead to heartache.  They've been here for 10 years, which is longer than anyone I've had any serious conversation with.   Both are teachers.  Tom (or Ron) at least likes to drink.  

We arrived at the club, after misjudging the taxi ride, at around 9:30.  This was far too early.  We were the only ones there and things were still getting set up.  TomRon and I split a half bottle of vodka (the waitress wasn't sure what I meant, finally realizing, "Oh! Wodka!") that was way too expensive, but oiled the conversational gears nicely.  Alicia and Maurine each had a glass of white wine.  Maurine insisted on having hers on the rocks.   Good bullshit sessions on politics and the media ensued, but not many other topics held our attention, besides the occasional aggressively given good advice.  The place had a middle of the road buffet, a middle of the road band, and a clientele that was primarily beautiful Russian women on the arms of less attractive, sometimes shockingly less attractive, men.  I refuse to speculate about which of the women were professional.  Maybe there's just someone for everyone.  (insert joke about Alicia liking me [here]) There was group of dancers (4 beautiful Russian women and two handsome Russian men) that came out periodically.  They were good dancers.  Maureen insisted that later performances would be featuring nudity.  We left at 1:45am and never saw anything more risque than you might see on Dancing With the Stars.  In honor of theratingsytem, I give the evening 3 out of 6 Troikas.  

I've worked for 4 days now at Dubai Women's College (A magical place,  Emirati women are the sweetest women in the world, quick with open smiles, anxious to talk, floating around slowly in beautiful abayas) and now it looks like the American University of Dubai still wants to interview me, in spite of the fact that I told them I'd be taking 2 months off starting June 20.  Maureen insists that I'd be taking way less than I'm worth and I should network more and make more money.  Honestly, I'm just exited that someone may want to hire me so soon after my arrival in this strange, lovely country. 

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

But the fire is so delightful? It is 7:58 am here and 90 degrees fahrenheit. The wacky morning DJ on the radio claims today's high is 43, which equates to something like 109.4 fahrenheit.

But, it's a beautiful day with sunny clear blue skies and humidity hovering around a mere 30%. This is the kind of day which is good for laying on the roof working on a tan, or skin cancer. It occurs to me that I'm still buying a piping hot, fresh cuppa cafe au lait every morning. Tomorrow I think I'll switch to iced coffee.

Let's redefine the term "beer run"

Mr. Man has been quite active on the blog I see, which is nice since it keeps the folks back home entertained while I'm working 156 hours a week.

This weekend I was sent off to invigilate a high school exam in sunny beachside paradise Umm al Quwain, so I brought Mr. Man along and he spent Saturday morning working on his tan on the hotel's private beach and splashing around in the Persian Gulf while I spent my morning keeping an eagle eye trained on a group of 13 abaya-clad high school girls sitting for a college entrance exam in a cold, stark, silent public school classroom. "Show me your ears," I commanded. "No mobiles. No earpieces. No bags. No talking. No looking up." You ladies want to get to college? College is where I come from, sweethearts. If you can't take the heat, then get off the stove.

You know what staring hard at 13 test-takers for 2.5 hours makes you? Hungry. Which is why it's lucky they hooked us up with three buffet meals while we were there. Before the exam, a group of us faculty invigilators partook in a delicious breakfast, and afterward we all sauntered back to top ourselves off with grilled fish, fried shrimp, rice, pasta, myriad salads, breads, hummus, soup, and a couple different kinds of chocolate cake and melons. And the best part was the pre-lunch cocktail, taken in-room, courtesy Dan and my incredible sense of direction and perseverance.

It was actually Friday night that we went out hunting for Barracuda - the only liquor store anywhere even remotely close to Dubai which doesn't require a license to buy. It took about an hour of getting lost to find it, but we didn't give up. It's a Sheikh-owned liquor store, hidden way out of town at a seedy beachside resort hotel in an inconspicuous looking building way in the back with no sign.Dan found it by following the stream of people walking to and fro with blue bags. 12 bottles and 435 dirhams later (a screaming deal) we headed back to town, victorious. Now, we're stocked for at LEAST three, four days, depending. This place is a solid 60 minute drive from Dubai if there's no traffic at all, and people regularly organize carpools out there just for the liquor. You're looking at a 3-4 hour project all told, yet it's a popular weekend activity- and I suspect price also has something to do with it. I was surprised to find that a liter of Beefeater at Barracuda runs a person approximately $11, compared to somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 in Portland. Cha-ching! Gin & tonics on the porch every night for a week, people.

Another Cakewalk Interview and The Efficiency of the Free Market

"Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulation." - Milton Friedman

From now on when I think of the myriad benefits of The Free Market (Really, I'm probably more of a socialist) my mind will settle on one example: Catching a taxi in this town.  In my travels, which are by no means extensive but perhaps sufficient for a base level discussion, I have hailed all manner of taxis in all manner of urban centers.  I'd say that most major cities fall into two categories:  (A) The "Just Hail a Cab on the Street" city, or (B) The "Phone One and They'll Come Get You" City.  Dubai has both options available, but with the state owned monopoly that is Dubai Taxi both methods occasionally make you wish to end your life by stepping into traffic.  

This morning I made a trip to the al Baraha Hospital (pictured left) for a few medical tests required for my visa.  It's about 10 minutes away by car, so I went down to the main road to catch a taxi about 45 minutes early.  I attempted both methods simultaneously for maximum effect, waiving at taxis with one hand (all of them busy) and calling the Dubai Taxi Service Line (phone number also busy) with the other.  After 40 minutes I got through to Dubai Taxi.  They told me that it was pretty busy right now in my area and they would call me when a taxi in my area was available (It's 6 hours later now so I guess I won't be getting that call)  After walking a around for awhile (104 degrees today) I managed to grab a taxi after it dropped an injured man off at a local hospital.  I arrived at al Baraha hospital, spent 10 minutes there getting my tests, only to repeat the exact same ordeal when I left.  Should have asked my cab to wait.  It would have been well worth it.

My point?  The government run company Dubai Taxi is not meeting the demands placed upon it.  A "free taxi market" would put enough taxis out there.  The taxi company with the busy signal for 40 minutes on its customer service line would quickly go out of business.  Perhaps this Free Taxi Market would employ more people, feed more families, get people around faster, increase the overall livability of the city?  Of course it might also screw over the working man, fail to pay him a living wage... Maybe the machine of capitalism really is oiled by the blood of the workers.  Maybe I'm being a selfish, spoiled capitalist pig, grown fat on toil of the exploited lower classes, but I'm still inclined to think we can find a happy medium. 

My "interview" today for the temp position at HCT:  Alicia's two bosses basically just wanted to tell me how Alicia has brought a cool, refreshing rain onto their dry, wasted world allowing the library's potential to finally blossom and if she were to leave the college they would retreat beneath a shroud of depression never to return.  And they hoped anything they could do for me to keep her home life happy would encourage her to stick around.  So yes, I can have the job.    

Interviews, Affirmative Action, and The Ramones

Today I rolled out of bed at the crack of 11:00am, put on a nice white shirt and a new tie, and took a 60dhs taxi ride to the other side of town for an interview with American University in Dubai.  The job I'm applying for is Financial Affairs Officer, which is basically just a guy who keeps track of the students' money and makes sure they pay for classes and dorms and things like that.  

I got there about an hour early because I wasn't sure how long the cab ride would take.  I told the cab driver to take me to a cafe since I was so early.  He assured me that the university could accommodate my cafe needs within its gates.  "OK" I thought.  "I have no reason to doubt that that's true."   However, when I approached the security booth and explained my business, the guard was convinced that I was crazy.  Why was I so early?  He would have to call the HR Coordinator with whom my meeting was scheduled.  My appointment was at what time?  I suggested that I go wait somewhere else.  He clearly thought that was the best idea I'd had today.   I went to The Hard Rock Cafe next door and drank a Cap'n and Coke, a water and a Red Bull while watching music videos (including The Ramones classic video for "I Wanna Be Sedated" which I had never seen before and which has a simple beauty that captivated me).  Turned out to be a fantastic way to kill the time.    

Both the HR Coordinator and then later the CFO mainly wanted to ask me why I would be interested in such a low level position which made me feel fairly confident about my prospects.  I'd say the interviews went well because they said they would be in touch to schedule an interview with the VP of the University.  Only problem is that it's across town and I don't have a driver's license because my Visa is not complete yet so I'll be taking a cab for the time being.   They're not big on public transport here.  But you gotta spend money to make money right?  Am I right?  You know I'm right.  

One of the interesting things they told me in the interview is that they are looking for the staff that interact with the students to reflect the "multicultural ambiance" of the university, and I happen to fit into a needed "profile".  Nice.  Nothing like getting a job by virtue of being a white American.    Should I remove my name from consideration in protest of this discrimination?  Nah, I don't think I will.  It's interesting though that UAE employers have the right to say, "I want a nice mix of nationalities on my staff and right now we don't have enough Americans.  Now go find me some."  The world is truly a rich tapestry isn't it?  

How many Oscars has Alfred Hitchcock won?

The correct answer is: 0. That and many other feats of trivia were on display this evening at Aussie Legends in the Rydges Plaza Hotel where Dan and I met up with Robin, Margo and Shaz for quiz night.  The five of us collectively went by 'Smard'.  Coming in at a respectable 5th place as a team, we didn't win any free stuff (Shaz won a free drink in a one-off mid-round), but we did have a great time and learn a lot of useless facts that we for sure won't remember tomorrow.

Dan really cleaned house on the movie-quotes portion of the quiz, and we contributed a couple of other valuable tidbits (like identifying American pop-alternative song and artist for 1 point on the arts & entertainment round) but couldn't pull through to beat the other teams. There's always next time.

I had to stay clean & sober to drive us home, which I did without successfully killing anybody or getting killed (I tried a few times) and, despite being stone cold sober, still managed to have fun! I'll tell the kids it can be done. I'm pretty sure the penalty for DUI is 40 years hard labor, and/or death, and/or dismemberment. And/or deportation to Australia. Didn't want to risk anything.

I am swearing for the third time this week, and this time I really, really mean it, that after I wake up tomorrow, I am NOT having ANY more CAKE. I am DONE with the cake. Not one more piece of cake. Seriously. 

Driving!

Friday afternoon we killed most of our day in a spanish tapas bar.

Yesterday we rented a Honda City and did some driving. Made a couple of wrong turns, got stuck in some traffic, successfully navigated a crowded parking lot, successfully found our way home. No deaths, no dismemberments along the way.

Last night spent some time sitting on the patio, consuming an adult beverage and watching the city lights, listening to the traffic and enjoying the night breeze. Quite relaxing. That was right after I crushed Dan twice in a row at abalone (a game he has still never won) and executed a handy hold 'em victory to boot. Some people wager something sensible on heads up hold 'em; a massage, a home-cooked meal, a car wash. Today, Dan will be researching current local issues in the UAE and creating topic guides to distribute to our students. I am a vicious one.

I've Arrived: Dan's First Post

It's now 4:48 am and I guess I didn't do the jet lag solution (drink and sleep as much as possible during travel) perfectly cause I'm wide awake and have been for a couple of hours now.  We'll see how I do today.  We're going to brunch and shopping or some such thing.  I got in around 7:30 and left the airport around 9:00 so basically Alicia just picked me up and we went back to our fabulous adobe to shower and drink cocktails (liquor courtesy of the duty free shop as Alicia still has not received a liquor license: my first contribution to our Life in Dubai).   My first impressions are all good.  The apartment is truly sweet.  Alicia's photo's do not adequately express how large it is.  We're going to have to do some serious work filling it with furniture.  Right now there are two rooms with just about nothing in them.  But as a wise man once said, "First get a job, THEN buy stuff."  

That being said, I guess there's some kind of low level temp job that Alicia was good enough to line up for me at the college.  I'm going to go interview on Monday, but I guess the job is more or less mine.  I'm pretty geeked up about it.  I hate being unemployed for any length of time at all.   (To my unemployed friends: not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just not for me.)  So hopefully I can get on the right sleep schedule and hit the ground running.  I gotta get pumped up for this.   

All right team, let's do this.  Desire on three.  One, two, three, DESIRE!

Wait that sounds stupid.  

Win on three?  No.  

Sleep on three?  Eh.

Get a job on three?  Ok.  One, two, three, GET A JOB! 

Still stupid, but it'll have to do for now.