Eid in Fujairah

Last year we didn't do anything for our Eid holidays, and wanted to avoid doing the same thing this year over a mere lack of planning. So, we mapped it out, drove 2.5 hours east, and spent the Eid weekend here, at the Meridien, in Fujairah, lounging by the pool and celebrating the end of ramadan with plenty of good food and drinks. We somehow managed to get a screaming deal on our room overlooking the Indian Ocean, and we brought our own liquor, so it wasn't even that expensive all in all.

Good service at this place as well. Shortly after we arrived and checked in, Stanley realized he had left the iPod in the car, which had been valeted, so he called down to guest service to see if they could retrieve it. Why yes, of course sir. We'll bring it right up sir. And, apon delivery of the iPod; we're very sorry you forgot your iPod in the car, sir. It won't happen again, sir.

We played a little squash, had a great meal in a Thai restaurant, spent waaaaay too much time lounging around drinking, and came back feeling nice and relaxed. Any of y'all who visit us in Dubai will probably spend at least a night or two here.... I'm already looking for excuses to go back. :)

Back to School

I've been talking for awhile now about taking some classes offered by my esteemed employer. In theory it always seems like a good idea, not unlike Communism, but in practice when I actually have to do something, it seemed a little daunting. With my contract, my employer allows me to take one class per semester for free, with the ugly little caveat that if I leave the company less than 2 years after I finish the last class I took, then I have to pay them back. Plus I was probably going to have to do homework, and write essays, and who needs that hassle? And so I hesitated.

I finally pulled the trigger about a week before the semester started. I sent a request to HR to approve me for the employee scholarship. The required signatories were on leave. Then they got back and they were busy. Two days into the semester, 6 days after the MBA program stopped accepting applicants I got the signature. But the admissions people know me and wanted to help so the next day I submitted my application, complete with my hastily completed "statement of career goals" and "letters of recommendation" from my bosses. All that was left was the approval of the dean for the School of Business, but on that very day it was announced that he had been fired/resigned/moved on to other opportunities, so we had to submit to a notoriously unsympathetic individual for review. We waited 3 more days. He said no.

But it wasn't over. My boss, in her wonderfulness, was incredulous when I told her this. She sent him an email requesting that he reconsider. We waited another day. He replied, "Two weeks into the semester it would be inappropriate." Another wonderful person from admissions took him the schedule...

"See? He'd only be missing one class! The second class is today!"

He approved. I registered. I'm a student again. It's weird. It's exciting. I'm not sure if I'll be here long enough to finish or if I'll like it. But I'm currently studying for my MBA. And doesn't it sound kind of cool to say that?

Eid al-Fitr

It turns out I've got a week's holiday coming up for Eid al Fitr (Sept 18-26) so I'm trying to determine what I'm going to do with myself.

I've been sick, work has been busy. I've been distracted. This weekend I accidentally blew off a friend's holiday dinner and I feel terrible about it. I'm trying to figure out how to make it up to her, but this sort of this is very unusual for me. I'm not quite sure what to do.

We went to see "The Hangover" Thurs night, which was hi-larious. I haven't laughed out loud at a movie in a long time.

Coming home at 2 every day for Ramadan sure makes blogging easier

... I feel like I should take up a new hobby, except that in a couple of weeks Ramadan will be over and I won't have time for said hobby anymore.

Completion of the Dubai Metro has been delayed. Sigh. I'll have to wait a little longer to be able to take the train.

It's excessively humid. All cool surfaces are coated in water immediately upon stepping outside. But it's not that hot out, which is nice. Now wait - now that I've said it's not that hot, I'm going to go check the temperature.

...checking....

100.4 fahrenheit! Really, not bad. Balmy, even.

I feel like I'm living in hotel salazmeyer

3 times a week I come home and all the dishes have been washed and put away, the laundry ironed and hung in the closet, the garbages emptied, the bed made. Mysteriously, nothing ever gets dirty. No dust settles, no crumbs accumulate on the floor, the bathroom and kitchen fixtures remain shiny and reflective. I keep reminding myself that life isn't going to be like this forever. When I'm missing my family and friends though, it sure makes things easier.

In addition to the cleaning service, we've keep adding to the robustness of our "room service". We tried ordering delivery from a new place yesterday, "The Sham Rose". We got some shawarma sandwiches that Dan thought were fantastic (I'm not a huge fan of shawarma sandwiches) and the best delivery tabbouleh I've had. So, I think we'll definitely do that again.

Last night went out for the first time to Habtoor Grand Hotel for our friend's birthday party and found a sweet, reasonably priced pub. The main problem with all of this is that going out to this pub to drink costs an 80-dirham ( $22 ) taxi ride each way. Kind of pricey. This is why we need to move closer to "town".

The search for an apartment in a better neighborhood is on....