My visit with Katie was amazing! I was so happy to be around someone who knows me so well, and loves me anyways... and brought me my favorite NW wine. We did tons of different Dubaish things, we did a few all you cans, the souks, I sent her out on a ladies night, desert safari and we went and stayed at this great beach resort in Fujairah. We ate at Lime Tree a few times, she went to the beach and she even convinced me to do Ski Dubai. It was so fun! And, I loved that she met my friends here and saw this place. I was cracking up when I got home from work yesterday, my apartment was filled with the top 10 things to buy in Dubai... there were spices, pashminas, perfume and not just in small quantities, I was wondering it she'd make it through customs. It's a bit crazy here, but I love it. I"ll post some pictures, or at least I'll try.
We won our soccer game this week, which was awesome. I'm so glad most of the team showed up and we all worked hard, and look at that, we had a win...
It's getting so close to the end of my Dubai life, and I really like my Dubai life. I'm hoping the Vienna life is just as good, maybe even better? Who knows... I do know that I am completely unable to commit to a ticket home at this point, I wonder if that's because I don't know if I'll ever come back. Who knew that would make me sad? Weird. Basically, as per usual, I want what I can't have, time to slow down so I can enjoy my last bit of time here and then I want it to speed up so I can start my new job.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Dubai, Dubai, Dubai...
Syma's birthday dinner at Barasti... where else?
Well, being back in Dubai after a break is always a little bittersweet. It's nice to be home and sleep in your bed and see your friends, but then, there's that whole work thing. BLAH. Every day I think, ok, today is totally going to be better. Then I get here and one more completely insane thing happens and I think, I'm shocked, and then I'm annoyed that I'm shocked. Ok, done with the complaining for now.
It's actually been really nice to be back. The first day I ran some errands, cleaned, grocery shopped, cooked food for the week, drank a couple of bottles of wine with a girlfriend and then had some Arz, I mean, what more can I ask for? The next day was a typical Dubai day. Heather and I tried to go to the Syrian Consulate to figure out how to get a tourist visa, of course many of the consulates were open, but... the Syrian one was closed. Typical.
Then I met Mark at Lime Tree, Heather eventually joined us, and we sat around drinking coffee and talking for hours. Later that evening I went to Syma's birthday dinner at Barasti. I loved that I could sit outside in a strapless dress and flip flops and not be freezing, well, not till the end of the night at least!
The work week was short, only 4 days, but still seemed to drag on and on. Soccer was pretty awful too. We lost, which is never fun, but something about it was off. I think next week will be better. I also did something weird to my foot. I ran about15kms last night and it was fine during the run, but about an hour later, it hurt to put any weight on it. This morning it's hurting a ton. I thought about going in to get it looked at, but decided I don't want to because they might tell me something I don't want to know.
Katie flew in last night, which I am totally excited about! Judging by the amount of luggage she brought, I think she might actually be moving here. I shouldn't complain though, because in that luggage is magazines, cliff bars and most importantly, she smuggled in one of my favorite NW wines, Syncline, Subduction Red. YEAH! I'm so excited for her to see this place and meet the people I'm always talking about. I'm so excited it's almost the weekend! 4 and a half more hours...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Family Vacation...
Pictures soon... it's not working. Surprising!
Last summer I mentioned to my brother that I was planning on going to the Philippines in April, he decided he wanted to come too. While we were in Whistler, my sister overheard us talking and asked if she could come along too... To put it simply, it was the trip of a lifetime.
I wasn't sure what to expect and up until the week before when Kristin organized, well, pretty much everything, I hadn't done anything more than buy my plane ticket. Nina, Michael's girlfriend, also decided to come. We all arrived separately in Manila on April 2, 3 and 4th. We had a pretty busy trip... we spent some time touring Manila, hired two drivers to take us to where my dad was born and the rice terraces and finally to a beach resort on Busuanga Island.
Georgie Porgie took us on a tour in Manila and was just cracking me up, he was an interesting guy to say the least. We went to a couple of different parks, saw some churches, went into some museum like places and he serenaded us while playing the piano. He would often pull out some random props and I was even a rice princess for a while. Good times!
Nina arrived that night and once again, I found myself enjoying dinner at a mall, even in Manila. Dinner was great, we ordered way too much traditional food and relaxed and talked. It felt so good to see my brother, Nina and my sister! And, pretty surreal, I mean, here we were, just sitting in the Philippines, eating dinner and planning out how we were going to get up to Binalonan, where my dad was born. Normal, right?
We ended up hiring a driver and set off the next day at 6:00am. In the original plan we were going to go to the rice fields on the first day, then stay the night in Bagio and then head to Binalonan the next day. Long story short, we spent a zillion hours in the car, somehow got turned around and ended up going to Binalonan first. It took a few tries, but we eventually found the church my dad was baptized in and we walked around, took some pictures and then Kristin just started talking to people around there and next thing you know we were driving all over, the drivers were hopping out of the car, showing the baptism certificate and a recent picture of my Grandma to people and after a few trips of back and forth and up and down the streets, we found ourselves at the house where our Great Aunt lived. It was amazing! They even had some pictures of my Grandma, one from when she was very young, and then another one from when she visited in 1976. I could hardly believe it! We sent our driver and my brother to go and pick up Tita, another relative and she came and talked with us and showed us around the house and the Mango trees out back. We drank some soda and ate some crackers. It was just amazing, I couldn't believe that we had actually found our family! Kristin was pretty convinced we were going to find them the whole time, but I really didn't think we would. While we were at the house and sitting around, you could almost picture my Grandma being there and also why she has her house organized the way it is at home, and the dishes she has are so similar to the ones we were using, it was just crazy.
After a while we decided it was time to go and we headed off to Bagio. Of course the roads were windy and tons of stop and go traffic and all different modes of transportation, lots of the roads were blocked off, and it just took forever to get anywhere. Eventually we arrived in Bagio; after we checked in we walked around a bit and then hopped in a cab and found this pizza place to eat. The food was delicious. We walked out of the restaurant and the city was just crowded, seemed a bit dodgey and dark. I was reminded once again how unfair it is that boys are boys, I don't think my brother thought one time, huh, I wonder if I'll get whisked away... We made it back to the hotel and had another early start the next day to get to the rice terraces.
The road to Banaue was ridiculously windy and the driver was going a zillion miles an hour. Nina and I were both feeling pretty sick, Kristin was smart and had taken some medication, but the drive seemed like it was forever. We eventually made it and it was totally worth it, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We took a zillion pictures and then got back in the car for the drive back to Manila. I think we were in the car for 20+ hours in two days and went only about 17 kilometers, or at least that's how it felt!
After what is probably considered typical travel delays, we made it to the the Coral Bay Resort we were staying at and it was amazing! Kristin did an awesome job finding all the places, booking the tickets, well, you know she is the oldest, it's like her role, right? We arrived in the evening for our first of many delicious buffet meals. Again, I moved out of the stated and now continually eat all I can eat. It's ridiculous. The buffet included lobster, fresh whole fish and other delicious things. The room was nice, there wasn't air conditioning and the bathroom flooded, which was annoying, but what can you do. Kristin saw a cockroach, but I never did. Lucky me! We got a second fan for the next couple nights, but I was still HOT and also getting eaten alive by these tiny little bugs. I couldn't stand the sight of my own legs by the time I got home. We spent the entire days outside laying on these lounge chairs, I was balancing on a windsurfing board for quite a while, we kayaked, snorkeled, it was AWESOME! I couldn't believe the color of the water or the coral reef. I thought about diving but just didn't have the energy. Next time... and, there will be a next time!
It took us a zillion years to get back to Manila, and really, by the time we were there I was just ready to get back to Dubai. We got to the hotel, I changed my flight to that night, I love Emirates by the way, and then Kristin and I had yet one more buffet dinner. We met my brother and Nina at the hotel bar where Kristin and I had the $10 Wine Buffet. Which was hilarious, they just hand you a glass and tell you a bit about the wines they have selected, I think there were 4 reds and 4 whites and then you can just help yourself. Dangerous! And actually, it ended up being almost necessary, when I got to the airport I was almost completely out of pesos and didn't have enough money to pay the departure fee, which was the equivalent of $12. The ATM's weren't working, right, both of them, and there was not an exchange place there that would take UAE dirhams. Very convenient. I literally walked around for 25 minutes begging people for money. I could not believe it, in the beginning I was telling people the whole situation and asking them for money and just basically talking to much. By the end, I was just walking up to strangers and saying, hi, can I have some money for the departure fee, I don't have any and my plane is leaving in 45 minutes. Pathetic.
The flight was fine, and to be honest, I was just happy I managed to get myself on the plane. I arrived home at 5:30ish in the morning and was home, went for a quick run, showered, finished unpacking, laundry and did my grocery shopping and food prep for the week by 10:00. It was a very busy morning. Then, a girlfriend of mine came over around 3:00 and we opened a few bottles of wine and just talked. I love living in vacation land...
Last summer I mentioned to my brother that I was planning on going to the Philippines in April, he decided he wanted to come too. While we were in Whistler, my sister overheard us talking and asked if she could come along too... To put it simply, it was the trip of a lifetime.
I wasn't sure what to expect and up until the week before when Kristin organized, well, pretty much everything, I hadn't done anything more than buy my plane ticket. Nina, Michael's girlfriend, also decided to come. We all arrived separately in Manila on April 2, 3 and 4th. We had a pretty busy trip... we spent some time touring Manila, hired two drivers to take us to where my dad was born and the rice terraces and finally to a beach resort on Busuanga Island.
Georgie Porgie took us on a tour in Manila and was just cracking me up, he was an interesting guy to say the least. We went to a couple of different parks, saw some churches, went into some museum like places and he serenaded us while playing the piano. He would often pull out some random props and I was even a rice princess for a while. Good times!
Nina arrived that night and once again, I found myself enjoying dinner at a mall, even in Manila. Dinner was great, we ordered way too much traditional food and relaxed and talked. It felt so good to see my brother, Nina and my sister! And, pretty surreal, I mean, here we were, just sitting in the Philippines, eating dinner and planning out how we were going to get up to Binalonan, where my dad was born. Normal, right?
We ended up hiring a driver and set off the next day at 6:00am. In the original plan we were going to go to the rice fields on the first day, then stay the night in Bagio and then head to Binalonan the next day. Long story short, we spent a zillion hours in the car, somehow got turned around and ended up going to Binalonan first. It took a few tries, but we eventually found the church my dad was baptized in and we walked around, took some pictures and then Kristin just started talking to people around there and next thing you know we were driving all over, the drivers were hopping out of the car, showing the baptism certificate and a recent picture of my Grandma to people and after a few trips of back and forth and up and down the streets, we found ourselves at the house where our Great Aunt lived. It was amazing! They even had some pictures of my Grandma, one from when she was very young, and then another one from when she visited in 1976. I could hardly believe it! We sent our driver and my brother to go and pick up Tita, another relative and she came and talked with us and showed us around the house and the Mango trees out back. We drank some soda and ate some crackers. It was just amazing, I couldn't believe that we had actually found our family! Kristin was pretty convinced we were going to find them the whole time, but I really didn't think we would. While we were at the house and sitting around, you could almost picture my Grandma being there and also why she has her house organized the way it is at home, and the dishes she has are so similar to the ones we were using, it was just crazy.
After a while we decided it was time to go and we headed off to Bagio. Of course the roads were windy and tons of stop and go traffic and all different modes of transportation, lots of the roads were blocked off, and it just took forever to get anywhere. Eventually we arrived in Bagio; after we checked in we walked around a bit and then hopped in a cab and found this pizza place to eat. The food was delicious. We walked out of the restaurant and the city was just crowded, seemed a bit dodgey and dark. I was reminded once again how unfair it is that boys are boys, I don't think my brother thought one time, huh, I wonder if I'll get whisked away... We made it back to the hotel and had another early start the next day to get to the rice terraces.
The road to Banaue was ridiculously windy and the driver was going a zillion miles an hour. Nina and I were both feeling pretty sick, Kristin was smart and had taken some medication, but the drive seemed like it was forever. We eventually made it and it was totally worth it, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We took a zillion pictures and then got back in the car for the drive back to Manila. I think we were in the car for 20+ hours in two days and went only about 17 kilometers, or at least that's how it felt!
After what is probably considered typical travel delays, we made it to the the Coral Bay Resort we were staying at and it was amazing! Kristin did an awesome job finding all the places, booking the tickets, well, you know she is the oldest, it's like her role, right? We arrived in the evening for our first of many delicious buffet meals. Again, I moved out of the stated and now continually eat all I can eat. It's ridiculous. The buffet included lobster, fresh whole fish and other delicious things. The room was nice, there wasn't air conditioning and the bathroom flooded, which was annoying, but what can you do. Kristin saw a cockroach, but I never did. Lucky me! We got a second fan for the next couple nights, but I was still HOT and also getting eaten alive by these tiny little bugs. I couldn't stand the sight of my own legs by the time I got home. We spent the entire days outside laying on these lounge chairs, I was balancing on a windsurfing board for quite a while, we kayaked, snorkeled, it was AWESOME! I couldn't believe the color of the water or the coral reef. I thought about diving but just didn't have the energy. Next time... and, there will be a next time!
It took us a zillion years to get back to Manila, and really, by the time we were there I was just ready to get back to Dubai. We got to the hotel, I changed my flight to that night, I love Emirates by the way, and then Kristin and I had yet one more buffet dinner. We met my brother and Nina at the hotel bar where Kristin and I had the $10 Wine Buffet. Which was hilarious, they just hand you a glass and tell you a bit about the wines they have selected, I think there were 4 reds and 4 whites and then you can just help yourself. Dangerous! And actually, it ended up being almost necessary, when I got to the airport I was almost completely out of pesos and didn't have enough money to pay the departure fee, which was the equivalent of $12. The ATM's weren't working, right, both of them, and there was not an exchange place there that would take UAE dirhams. Very convenient. I literally walked around for 25 minutes begging people for money. I could not believe it, in the beginning I was telling people the whole situation and asking them for money and just basically talking to much. By the end, I was just walking up to strangers and saying, hi, can I have some money for the departure fee, I don't have any and my plane is leaving in 45 minutes. Pathetic.
The flight was fine, and to be honest, I was just happy I managed to get myself on the plane. I arrived home at 5:30ish in the morning and was home, went for a quick run, showered, finished unpacking, laundry and did my grocery shopping and food prep for the week by 10:00. It was a very busy morning. Then, a girlfriend of mine came over around 3:00 and we opened a few bottles of wine and just talked. I love living in vacation land...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Soccer Party...
This is an old one that I forgot to post...
I'm likely going to drive myself insane trying to upload pictures and write today, the internet is not working, as usual. What I can't figure out, is why it is acceptable to anyone in this school that the internet never works and that they think it's just fine to lie about the reasons why it's not working. Or, write us some ridiculously long e-mail that is trying to make it sound so technical that we can't understand what the problem is. This place makes me crazy. It's really my own fault, I just can't seem to accept that nothing here (work or Dubai in general) really works the way it should work, it doesn't make sense and there will always be a more logical and obvious way of doing things than what is actually happening... I must be having one of those Dubai days. And, sadly, I think I'm going to miss this place. I can't figure out if I want things to just hurry up or slow down. Indecisive, how unlike me...
But... back to the important stuff. I haven't posted any pictures in forever, I keep meaning to, but like I said, the internet is just not cooperating. Here's a bunch from the soccer party. In our defense, we were up running a race really early that morning, and the wine was so reasonable priced who could resist? And, what I love about the party in general is that it was an all league soccer party, but we went ahead and sat in our little towel hut cabana thing completely across from everyone else, and I'm pretty sure I did not speak to one person that wasn't on our team. This time we did manage to do something away from Barasti... I went ahead and left out the photos from the little market and the champagne when I got home... ridiculous.
Look, my eyes are still open...
And this is how the night ended... sort of... some went to Burger King, some went to another bar... no more photos...
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