Head is back on....kinda

Well, here's the story in case you haven't heard. I am back in the States for good (well, for good right now). Two weeks ago, we were informed by our client in Dubai that they had decided not to move forward with our engagement and we asking for us to sign a termination agreement. While we were assured that it was absolutely not a result of poor performance, it is still rather jolting since we had no indication what so ever that they were headed in this direction. I will say that it was kinda like I had been dumped by a lover...and they were saying, 'it's not you, it's me'. We were informed at about 10:30am and by 2:30pm that afternoon, we were packed and leaving the client site making our way back to the hotel. Honestly say that we were all stunned and didn't really know how to react. So, we decided that we would not think about it that day - rather drown our thoughts and deal with it the next day. Which we did.

Come Tuesday, we were making flight reservations, tying up loose ends with respect to time, expenses and deliverables and getting our ducks in a row to depart from Dubai. It was decided that we would stay through the end of the week and not scurry out too fast. So the next few days were spent enjoying the city..mainly, hanging by the pool or beach.

The last night I was in Dubai, I was able to celebrate my departure with my new friends. It was a great time and I can finally share some pictures of them (since I actually took my camera). Here are some pics of my friends

Here is Derek just home from Boudoir. This is the 'Celebrity Stylist' I had mentioned in previous posts. Recognize him??

And here are Timm and I

It was most certainly a bittersweet departure from Dubai. I had started really taking root in the city and had committed myself to spending at least a year there. Alas, everything happens for a reason and I was meant to return to Dallas to do....something.

Now back in the states, I have somewhat settled back into my old life. It is definitely good to be in my home, with my dog and my car. Dubai seems like just a dream. Could I have really been living in the Middle East for the last three months?

Strange how the comforts of routine almost make you forget what you've just experienced. Reminds me of what people always say upon returning from a vacation - Geez, I need a vacation from the vacation. And while you're supposed to return to work rejuvinated and refreshed, do we really? Same thing with this - did I just really come back from a different life?

I haven't really felt the stress of repatriazation this time around, can't tell you why. However, I can say I miss Dubai.

In regards of this blog....who knows. The title doesn't seem fitting anymore. Or does it represent a journey that is going to feed a new perspective in life? I guess I'll have to see.

Meet the Al Fakhers?

Hey there guys!! Hope everyone is doing well, and if you live in Dallas, that you survived last week's storm without any problems. Honestly, the freakish weather that the world has been having is really starting to concern me. Unseasonably cold weather, snow, then spring, then cold again - is anyone else concerned about this? On the other hand, I'm kinda glad that it hasn't gotten too hot here in Dubai. We're still enjoying some nice weather.

So it was time for us to make another trip to the Baracuda this past weekend, as rations were running low. This time, however, we decided to actually take the road into the city center of Umm Al Quain rather than going straight to Baracuda and back. Much to our disappointment, the 'city' had much to desire. Amazing how the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai have SO much money, yet the emirate of Umm Al Quain is practically desolate. The one thing that made the little side trip worth the trip was this little store front. We got the biggest laugh from it.

To give you an idea about how ridiculous we are when it comes to stocking up, take a look at my pantry. Mind you, this is for two people - but still..... However, when you put it into perspective that this will probably last me about month, and allow for host gifts when I am invited to a party - I suppose it's not that bad.
Thursday night, the team and I went to 'The Underground' at the Al Habtoor Hotel then over to Bar 44 at the Grosvenor. If the lighting reflecting off the window had not been so bright, you could have seen an amazing view of the Marina. Pretty low key night, had some excellent conversation about people's religious beliefs....and while, you're not supposed to discuss religion or politics over dinner or drinks - this dialogue was great. We each spoke openly about our beliefs, differences between Christianity and Muslims while respecting each other. I LOVE that we can do that. Friday night, my colleague, friend and suitemate Robin and I hit the town. After going to Mall of Emirates to get supplies (i.e. wine opener) and get me a haircut, we headed out to Bar 360. This bar is a place out on a mini island off of Jumeriah Beach Hotel and, as you can imagine from the name, is in the round. While we had a good time there, it felt much more like a 'vacation' bar...all white architecture, staff was wearing all white and the sounds of waves crashing up against the building. The night was beautiful and the people were....interesting. :) Here we are with the backdrop of the Burj Al Arab. Telling you, one can't get away from this building. After a few drinks there, we headed over to Boudoir. Now, this is what I was looking for!!! First of all, most clubs in Dubai pretty much require guys to have a female with them. My guess is that this is the bars attempts to keep it from becoming a gay bar! LOL Thank goodness that Robin was with me, we made it in to the club with no problem at all. The moment you walk in, you immediately feel the music and energy enter your body. Great ambiance, good music, good drinks (albeit expensive) and an all around good time. obligatory self shot

As every bar/club has to have a 'shtick', this one was rather fun. Ok, so to do this club right, you have to reserve a table and have bottle service. We had a great time without it, but definitely want to do it 'right' the next time. Through out the night, the music would change to something cheesy like 'Final Countdown' or the theme to 'Rocky' and these two bouncers would come out carrying some sort of throne. (see pic) Well, this throne was either a large bucket with flames at the four corners, or a block of 'ice' with blue LED lights shining through and in the middle was a HUGE bottle of Moet Champagne. They would walk right through the dance floor and make their way to one of the tables. You then heard the POP of the cork and the champange flowed like water while the dance floor continued bouncing.
Since bars don't really close here, we realized that it was 4am and we needed to make our way back home. So, off we went, found a nice man with a 2007 Lexus ES300 taxi - and while it cost a little more, it was definitely worth it. Sweet ride home to sweet dreams.

Much love sent out to all of you!!!!

I survived Dallas!

Hey there guys!! It has been a while since I posted, but I'm back! As most of you know I went to Dallas for a couple weeks between phases of work and it was a trip very much needed indeed. Things at work had gotten a little stressful and truth be known, I had gotten 'senioritis' the last week I was in Dubai. There is something about knowing you're going home after 2 months, anticipating the hugs and kisses from your dog, the pleasure and comfort of your own bed and bath - not to mention, being able to drive your own car (btw, have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my truck???) that makes everything else seem so unimportant and downright miserable.

And so it went. My flight back to Dallas started at 2:55am Thursday morning and I was flying British Airways & American Airlines via London and Chicago. The flight home was pretty uneventful. I will say, however, that I quickly learned that American Airlines has really lost it's touch. OH - and as I had mentioned previously, flying Business or First is definitely the only way to go because Coach SUCKS!!!!!!!!! Not too bad in British Airways, but American - holy cow. It really makes you miss the days of 'More Room in Coach'...sheesh.

I was met at the airport by my BFFs Dennis and Christopher and then met at my house by Oscar with Armand. I really can't explain the feeling of being home. It was so comforting and really felt like I hadn't missed a beat, though I'd been gone for 2 months.

So, the first major event was the St. Patrick's Day parade that Saturday. Some friends organized for us to enter a float in the parade. My friend Michelle (a.k.a Nancy K.) orchestrated the who affair. This is her in the middle of our float.

Bascially we draped a trailer, armed it with hooks for our beads, loaded the keg and DJ and prepared ourselves for a great time! and it was a blast!! Let me tell you, though, it is HARD WORK tossing beads to people. Especially since the parade wasn't moving all that slow and being the kinda guy I am, I wanted to make sure as many people got beads as possible. By the end of the route, my arm was exhausted and my arms and hands were inked from the paint on the beads. Nasty. There were definitely some good lessons learned from this experience. 1) Sunscreen is a must. 2) We need bigger speakers for the DJ. 3) Hand sanitizer or some other method of cleansing is needed. 4) MORE BEADS!!

Hear are Chritopher, Dennis and me at the beginning of the parade.

and this is what happens if you take a man's boa that was gifted to him by a drunk chick...That was right after the parade ended and we headed down to Greenville Ave for the block party. That's about where the pictures stopped. It was time for drinking green beer and catching up with friends.

So, all is fun the first few days - then it turns. Not too horrible, but I began to understand why it is so important to have a 'repatriazation' plan for yourself. Though I was gone for two short months, the truth was that I was gone and living in a different country halfway across the earth. If I experienced culture shock upon arriving in the UAE, there was definitely a culture shock in returning to the US. Hard to explain what I went through for a couple of days, but it was almost like I was lost in some limbo. I knew that I was home, but I also knew I was going to be leaving soon. So, I threw myself a little pitty part for about a day, then shook it off. Oh well, just another day in the life of my emotional rollercoasters.

The next big event during my holiday in Dallas was my buddy Jeff's birthday dinner. His wife, Leslie, organized a very elaborate surprise sit down dinner at their house with celebrity chef Tre Wilcox. If you're a fan of Top Chef, he was a cast member on that show. People from Dallas might recognize him as a chef at Abacus. While planning it, Leslie thought why stop at a seven course sit down dinner when Tre can teach us a few things about cooking. So, a cooking class was added. What an amazing evening. We watched on as Tre taught us about cooking an Aged New York Strip and some Scallops. Yummy food, and even better were some key tips on cooking steak and seafood. The dinner itself was amazing. 7 courses, all paired with wine. I can't remember everything, but the menu included things like Lobster, Skatewing (which is part of a stingray) Rabbit (not a fan), Ostrich and sealed with Pana Cotta. Truly a treat and so fun to have a 5 star restaurant quality meal prepared in the comfort of a friend's house! Here are Tre and myself at the end of the evening. Stylish as he is, he opted out of the white chef's coat and sported a clever tee.

My trip home was filled with quality time with loved ones and new friends. Unfortunately, my family could not make it up to Dallas because of a horrible storm.

So, now back in Dubai and trying to settle into a routin again. I did not work out a single day the two weeks I was in Dallas and it shows. Therefore, my butt has been in the gym and I have bought a few sessions with a trainer here at the hotel. Let's see if I can get back to the shape I was in before coming out here to this desert wonderland.

Until then, I hope to conitnue my postings on a regular basis - so check back with me. Oh and LEAVE A FREAKIN' MESSAGE IF YOU'RE HERE!!! It's nice to hear from people. :)

Take care of yourself and each other!!

Low key....phew

Hey guys!!! Sorry I am a bit late with the post this week - it's been kinda crazy from work perspective. We are close to closing out the first phase of work and in a mad scramble to produce everything we need to, while managing client expectations AND sell our next phase of work so I can come back out here at the end of March. It has been a very interesting and challenging experience.

If you have ever taken a leadership course or read up on Organizational Change Management or teambuilding - you may know there are phases to building a team. I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but the phases pretty much explain themselves.... Forming -> Storming -> Norming -> Performing. While we are starting to develop plans for our client to understand these phases and manage appropriate...our internal team is experiencing the same. Quite an experience to be implementing something you are trying to manage yourself. Luckily, we all recognize the challenge and react appropriately. In case you're wondering, we are in the Storming phase. :)

A friend told me, before coming out here, that I needed to be aware of the fourth week. That I would have to keep an eye out for my team at around that time because it's when the stress from being far from home sets in. Luckily, my team went home at the end of week 4 for a short break. Now, it was the 5th week that did ME in. Last week was a little rough for me in the transition from being away from home. I suppose the novelty of being in 'DUBAI' wore off and I started feeling the growing pains of settling in to a new way of life. While I am living in this amazing hotel, it's not home. While I've met new people, they're still not 'friends'. Let's not even talk about the dating. Thankfully, I was able to push through the rough week and am feeling alot better now!!

Anyhoo.....after five weeks of sightseeing and taking in the city, I really wanted to just relax and be a little braindead this weekend. Somewhat accomplished that goal. Co-workers and I went back to Bhari Bar on Thursday and stayed entirely too late!! That made Friday a bit of a lost day. However, that eveing we went out to the Dubai Jazz Festival to see David Gray. Altough, I wasn't too familiar with his music for the exception of 'Babylon' it was a pretty good concert! He has AMAZING energy during his performance. Unfortunately, we got there a little too late and had to stand in the aisle. There was this fuckwit of a couple standing right in front of me that were quite cocktailed and had no concept of space. They kept bumping into me - it was quite annoying! Despite that, it was a good time.

It took place in the outdoor venue at Media City. It was a beautiful evening, though a little windy and cool.

Camel statue. Apparently, lots of major cities have these. Dallas has unicorns, Chicago has cows (I think), Dubai has camels. :)

The crowd at the concert....

Pretty poor quality photo - but there's David! I would totally see him in concert again....in a seat....away from fuckwit drunks......or at least a little cocktailed myself!!

Alright kiddos! Until next time....

Deserts and more

This was a relatively low key weekend. Given that I was invited to a party at my new friend's house (the German and the Celebrity Stylist) on Wednesday and learned a lesson I've learned many many many times before - do not try to keep up with Germans. They drink far more than we do, are fed beer as children and thus their tolerance is much greater than ours and, oh yea.....they didn't have to work Thursday morning!!! It was a great time, however. Met a few more new people. Got a little more insight into my new Celebrity Stylist friend. He and I spoke at length, and there is a past there which he is close to recounting first hand. More on that as he tells me first hand. We're talking Page Six kinda stuff. He's supposed to invite me on a yacht next weekend...we'll see.

Something I have noticed in talking to people that were born and raised in Dubai is that they are shocked when I say that I'm enjoying my time here and looking forward to staying here for the year. This one Palenstinian girl I befriended made a very valid point. Dubai is a pretty transient city. People come here to work or play for a year maybe two. Very few stay for an extended period of time and she was pointing out that it was very difficult to develop deep personal relationships with people. You can imagine that having to make a new best friend every two years can become rather taxing - let alone try to find a romantic relationship.

So on Friday the entire team took a Desert Safari tour. We drove about an hour into the Sharjah desert in a Toyota Land Cruiser and congregated with about 50 other Land Cruisers. It honestly looked like a commercial for Toyota. It was insane. Here are some highlights.

We drove by Dubailand, which is still under construction -but by all esimates, it is forecasted that this themepark will generate about 2times the number of visitors that DisneyWorld does. The piece of land where is sits is HUGE - as you can imagine. The picture above is just a road side advertisement of the theme park, you might deduce, they will have a racing track, skiing and rollercoasters. Insane.

As we set on into the desert, it became a rollercoaster within itself. I will say that our driver was amazing. The shot above will give you an idea of where we were 'playing'. The dunes got much bigger and steeper. Serveral times we were literally driving sideways, skidding backwards and getting 'snowed' by sand. One unfortunate minute, I had lowered my window to get a picture - and about a foot of sand blew through my window. The driver laughed - I was less than pleased!! I will tell you that my legs are quite sore today. Even though I was buckled in and in a Land Cruiser - basic instinct instructs my body to clinch and hold on for dear life.

We stopped for a bit to bask in the sun & sand and take obligatory 'Look I'm in the desert' pictures. Though you can't tell, I am stading on somewhat of a 'cliff'. Immediately behind me is about a 50 foot drop. We were sad that we hadn't brought a body board to go sand skiing - it would've been perfect.On our way to the campsite, we ran across these two lovely camels (errr..can camels be lovely?). One of my goals for the trip was to ride a camel - I almost jumped out of the vehicle to mount the creature, but was instructed that I would get my chance.

And I did!!! That is Esra, one of my coworkers, with me. I will say, that although very exciting to finally ride a camel, the actual ride itself was quite anti-climatic. Having been practically born on a horse in South Texas - it didn't quite compare. Now - if you have ever seen a camel mounted, they kneel down on all fours to allow the rider to get on and off. Having been one of the first ones to ride the camel that day, I didn't really know what I was supposed to expect. It is NOT a smooth transition from kneeling to standing. That was probably the most fun part of the ride. The camel stands its rear quarters first, so we're at about a 30-40 degree declined angle, then stands its front quarters up. The reverse is true on the dismount. He kneels front first - at the point I almost flew off the dang thing. Being so exhausted from the rollercoaster ride in the Land Cruiser and running in the sand - my legs were quite worn out. So, I wasn't necessarily holding on very securely. An 'OH SHIT' may have escaped from my mouth! The ride lasted about 2.3 minutes. Again, all I really needed was the first and last couple of seconds and would've been fine with it!!

We arrived at our campsite and immediately claimed a table close to the center stage area. The place was kinda festival-ish. Flanked by speakers which upon arrival were playing traditional Arabian music, soon changed to some jacked up karaoke style, instrumental, wedding singer, God please shoot my ear drums out crap. I think there may have been someone in the back with their Casio keyboard circa 1983 playing Ace of Base, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Madonna, etc. Pleasing, not so much, entertaining - definitely. The campground offered plenty of BBQ, a sheesha lounge, grilled corn on the cob, Henna tattoos and just relaxed fun. It got rather chilly once the sun set. Definitely glad that I wore jeans and a sweater.

At the end of the evening, we were treated to a belly dancing performance. She was quite entertaining. There was a group of 'wankers' that had been enjoying a bit too much Vodka and were rather annoying during her performance. She handled them well with a diva wave of her hands and look from hell as one guy tried to go dance with her without her invitation.
........yes, she asked people to dance with her - yes, I did. :)

Until next time!!

Just another week in Dubai...

This was a pretty eventful week for me. Work has been pretty busy as we're past the half way point of our first phase of work and there is lots of exciting things happening for the future of our engagement with our client. Truly incredible how much opportunity there is, not only with our client, but in Dubai in general.

I mentioned a few posts back that I had met this Celebrity Stylist while at Bahri Bar. He and I have stayed in touch and he invited me to a party this past Tuesday. He was having some friends come over to his new villa and invited me to come along. What I though was going to be a small gathering of 8-10 people, ended up being a party of about 40 people. Let me start with the villa. It is located in Emirates Hills, which is right by the Emirates Golf Course - where Tiger just won the Dubai Desert Classic. It's a pretty nice gated community. I walked in to the house and immediately was being introduced to guests...as I turn and see a fully stocked bar!! Not sure if you guys appreciate the challenge alcohol presents here in the Middle East. It is truly a concerted effort to try to get a drink around here. Needless to say - walking into a home that is stocked with everything you could think of - I was pleased. The backyard was even better - beautifully landscaped with a swimming pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, sunken living area and an interesting mural painted by the owner of the villa.

The people were a perfect representation of Dubai. People from all different cultures - German, Irish, English, Indian, French, Emiratee, Saudi Arabian, Polish, Caribbean (Trinidad) and then me from USA. Professions ranged from attorneys, architects, doctors, real estate agents, movie producers, business owners (from cosmetics lines to property development), wealth managers and just about everything in between. One girl I met is the niece of the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and as sweet and down to earth as the girl next door. Then there's me - a risk management consultant from Texas. However, while I normally find it quite boring to describe what I do - people were very interested in my line of work being that I'm consulting for Nakheel and the Palm Jebel Ali...so that made me feel good. It was so nice that everyone at the gathering was extraordinarily welcoming. The host's intent was to introduce everyone he'd met in Dubai that he felt possessed a 'good energy' to each other, which I thought was brilliant. By the end of the evening, I was graciously referred to as 'Texas'.

OH - I have to mention these two Saudi sisters. Now - people at the party were dressed fairly casual. Either in stylish jeans and shirts to a sensible suit having come straight from work. When all of a sudden, I turn to the french doors and out walk these two women dressed in fitted sequence evening gowns, one wearing a mink shawl. They were decked out in body glitter, makeup for days with their hair jacked to Jesus. Anyone would've thought that they were walking right off the red carpet....nope, just coming to hang out. These girls are apparently very wealthy - and coming from very strict Saudi Arabia where they have to remain covered up in the black abayas, they really let it all hang out (pun intended) when they get to Dubai. We were all quite amuzed by the showing.

It was a great evening, I was able to meet some very nice people and make contacts. More than anything, it was nice to be able to communicate with people that are not co-workers or clients. I think I made a few new friends already.

Thursday night, I met up with this guy I met at the party for a drink at Bar 44 at Grovesnor Hotel. Very cool bar with amazing views of Dubai Marina. Upon returning home, ran into a couple colleagues that were about to head out on the town. So, I joined them. We went to the Kasbar at 'The One and Only Royal Mirage' - yea....it's actually called 'The One and Only'. FINALLY, an actual dance club. After a short wait behind velvet ropes, we walked in to hear great dance music, and jumping dance floor with a pretty great light show including very intense green laser bouncing all around the club. There was a chandelier about 4ft tall hanging from the middle of the place which reflected all lights beautifully. We danced and took in the environment until about 3:30am. I think I'll definitely be heading back to Kasbar again.

So the weekend came and here is a highlight of my Friday....

After a light breakfast of yogurt and fruit, we headed over to Jumeirah Beach at the Le Royal Meridien resort. It was close to 30 degrees celsius and wonderful! The beach has great sand, awesome water and waiters to bring you just about anything you'd like.

Later that day...

We headed over to Ski Dubai, the world's largest indoor ski 'mountain' located at the Mall of Emirates. It was such a great time. There were of total of six of us, two of us that are pretty good skiers, two which were decent snow boarders, and two that had never done either, and took lessons. We skied for about 2 hours. I was pretty impressed with the slope. Granted, it is nothing compared to a real mountain and the exprience that provides (there is no snow actually falling on you, and no breath taking views of mountains and the wide open sky - but hey, I got my snow ski fix. Guarantee, we'll be going back. It's also pretty inexpensive. For a two hour pass, including the stylist suite you see me wearing and all the gear, it was only 170AED, which is about $45.

What a Friday. Laying out on the Arabian Gulf by mid-day and snow skiing by mid-afternoon. I could get used to this.

Weekend in Dubai

This is a boat on the Dubai Creek which lies between Bur Dubai and Deira. Fancy, no? They use these 'ships' to transport products from blankets and apparel to Refridgerators. You can kinda see behind me the boxes just stacked. There is no formal system for unloading, processing and distributing product. I honestly don't know how they do it.

Bur Dubai, which is Old Dubai, has these different 'souks' - outdoor markets. They have spice souk (pictured), gold souk and a textile souk. Looking at the spices, it is really difficult to figure out what was what. I guess I'm just not used to seeing so many choices....Crazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt anyone? :)

This is another one of the outdoor markets. Walking through you saw shirts for 5dhs, which is about $1.50. Shoes for 10dhs and so much other crap. The fashion here is - well - less than desirable, but still. The interesting thing in going through Bur Dubai, and really most of Dubai, is that you very rarely see women. If you look at the picture above, you see maybe two females. All the rest are men. And there are 1000s of them. And not uncommon for these men to stroll down the streets holding hands or hugging. Certainly a culture shock. I did notice, however, that those holding hands only hold on to one finger. The sense of personal space and human interaction and affection is so different than that of the states. It's kinda refreshing.

The architecture in Bur Dubai and Deira is pretty simple with clean lines. Most structures or houses have 'wind towers' like the one above. They are designed to catch the breeze and funnel it into the house. I thought that was pretty brilliant!!

Of course being a Muslim/Islamic country, it is very rare to find Christian churches. Dubai is a little more fastforward than most Islamic countries in that they allow people to practice Christianity. This is one of two (I believe) Catholic schools/churches in Dubai.

Now - what city/country/world is complete without a Pancho Villa's Restaurant! I almost lost it when we ran into this sign walking around Bur Dubai.

AHHH - at the end of a full day of sightseeing, a Stella awaited me at an English Pub in the Arabian Courtyard hotel. Here, I'm enjoying my beer while Muzamil, a practicing Muslim and can't drink alcohol, is drinking a Faux-Tini.

The weekend was pretty great. The weather was amazing. After sightseeing all day Friday, I really wanted to just hang out Saturday. So, I got my book and headed to Chandelier at the Marina Walk - sat back with a Sheesha (hookah) and had some Hummus and flat bread taking in the weather, enjoying my book and people watching.

I will say it is kinda strange not having any commitments over the weekends. The weekend is really open to enjoy whatever I want to do. There is nothing that keeps me in a state of 'urgency'. I'm having a little trouble adjusting to that, only because I feel like I have to be doing something productive. Trust me, I think I'll adjust rather quickly. There will be a few more weekends of enjoying the outdoors before the heat sets in.

Have a great week!!