Funny Conversations: Em

In the files of: Favorite things my friends say:

My Friend Em looking over her tea cup....looks up at me dead in the eye and states:

"Perhaps I will write my book about myself when I am 60 and in need of attention" :-)

I of course after deeply staring into my tea cup, introspective and inhaling the steam of the tea, slowly look back up, give her a crooked smile and raised eyebrow and state: 

"Perhaps I will attempt to write a book about my travels now....volume 2 about myself in entirety to be released upon my death" I will be at rest and still make people laugh long after I am dead.   

To which we both start giggling...

And then.....

She calls me on it:

"CHICKEN"

The only thing I could reply with was:

YEP.....

Sites That Rock!~Shared Electron

Innovative, Cool, Collaberation! A Place to share!

!Shared Electron!

"I built a doomsday machine and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"

NICA Rocks! Way to go Matt!

I love hanging with my friends.

I want to thank Fritz for hanging with me for diner last night and mostly because he is an extraordinary inspiration.

Matt created the first Mountain Bike League in the US specifically for High School kids! He started by creating the Northern California High School Mountain Bike League in 2001 Then came SOCAL, and the rest is now the NATIONALS!

Well done my friend!

We have come a long way from my first triathalon with you 18 years ago. A long colorful journey from DVC, UCB and we keep riding forward!

See the dream and make it happen! YEA Team!

http://www.nationalmtb.org/

NICA

Source: www.nationalmtb.org

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is the National Governing Body for grades 9-12 interscholastic mountain biking. NICA provides leadership, governance and program support to promote the development of Interscholastic Mountain Biking Leagues throughout the United States.

Why BRC?

The Temple

A Salute to Veterans 2009

A moment of respect for all former, current and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our flag to still fly free... Thank you! Freedom is not free!

Samois

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samois-sur-Seine

My first trip to FRANCE (other than a layover at CDG)

Truth be told: Astonishingly enough in all my travels throughout the world. I have never been to France. Figured when I was old and tired I would go to France instead of trying to take on all of the third world countries (before they become second and first world leaders) Watching how an emerging market and nation socially, economically and environmentally develops....watching history unfold and being a part of it has always been more interesting to me than experiencing something that hasn't changed for centuries....Until I was accepted at www.insead.edu for an executive program in France. This forced me to go to France much earlier than I had intended. I have an amazing new respect for things that haven't changed and have stayed the same. There is something to be said pour le'change de resistance'!

I have traveled all over Europe but always for business or to visit people I love: England, Germany, Switzerland (ok that was for skiing), Belgium, Luxumbourg, Italy, etc. But never, France, Spain or Portugal. I figured I would leave that for when I was finished trying to make the world a safer and better place.

I will tell you, if you stay in Paris (of which I have not been too yet other than the airport again), My belief (perhaps soon to be proven wrong is:)Paris is a city, just like most others. Everyone is cranky doesn't have patience and is trying to make there way in the world. The leaders of the nation reside there so politics is always on the top of the stack. Kind of like university towns. The young and idealistic are the majority and proceed to protest everything from calling McDonalds , Le McDonalds to the importance of a call against France in a game ruled by FIFA.

However, my initial indoctrination to France is in the country. In the middle of the forest! But, upon my arrival, I must say the first thing when I walked off the plane that I noticed was that all the baggage trucks were electrically powered and recharged! Unlike the US which still utilizes small stinky petro fueled carts. Rock On! Kudo's to the green movement.

I arrived in the country and went to a small village named Samois sur seine. On the river. I stopped at the bakery picked up a baguette (whole grain with flax) a bottle of sparkling water, a chunk of fresh raw milk brie and proceeded to walk down to the river through the village of 2100 people (most likely during the summer)admiring the gardens, the amazing smells, the dogs, the swans, the sun, the trees....the chimes of the clock tower. I was quite sure I was in heaven. I ate on a bench and watched the wild life and people and giggled like a school girl. It was amazing.........

The Denver Airport Delay

Chose to live, laugh, love and learn because this is all it is....if only for this one moment in time.

(The people around me are extremely upset (yelling at the poor ticket agents who obviously haven't remembered to bring their weather control devices for your personal convenience) because the plane is delayed for 2 hours (weather not silly stuff especially when you think of the plane lost in the ocean coming from Brazil this week)

Inconvenient yes (I would really like to see my kids) but life extinguishing I think not...) A deep breath and thought for all those who have much greater trials than being stuck at an airport with free wifi, access to food, shelter, and electricity!)

Ahhhh it's all good.

Quote of the Day: Attitude

Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude is more important than facts. It is more important than past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the fact that people will act in certain way, we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent how we react to it.
And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.

- Charles R. Swindoll quotes (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)


Thank you Lyle for reminding me that I shouldn't be such a social introvert for the wrong reasons:-)

Onward to another life: Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

May all be well with mankind.
May the leaders of the earth protect in every way by keeping to the right path.
May there be goodness for those who know the earth to be sacred
May all the worlds be happy.


One of my dreams was to travel to Mysore and study with this magnificent peaceful human being. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be in this lifetime. Sri Pattabhi Jois passed from this life to another world on May 18th 2009.

Someday I will still make it to Mysore to study with one of his sons and drink in the beauty and peace of one of my favorite places in this world, India. Until then,

Om Shanti, Om.

OKC, The Lost Boys, Kenya Calling.....

On my way to Oklahoma City for the wedding of my colleagues daughter...I realized how happy I was to have my "traveling shoes" back on again. I really had only been in one place for 4 days, but nonetheless I was ready to hit the road and fill my senses with new people, places, experiences and things.

I always seem to meet interesting people when I am on the road. Perhaps it is because I am more open and not in an everyday situation. I love to watch people. I am not really a "talker" but if the right person walks into my sphere I engage because I know it is right. I love to hear their stories, life experiences, perceptions of similar situations.

On my flight today I was sitting in the airport watching and working on my computer sharing an outlet (which always seems to happen these days)and the man commented about my laptop which is dual English and Arabic keyboard. We started talking, conversations intertwining, synergistic. I noticed the the people who were sitting across from us.

I then recollected a story of being in Washington D.C. with my 1 1/2 yr old twins and Sabrina traveling to KY for my nephew S's graduation. On the way we were stuck at DCA for quite sometime due to the usual onslaught of June thunderstorm season rolling through D.C. Eight hours in the airport with a set of twins provides for loads of interaction with people and interesting observations and conversations.

As we wonder around the airport trying to induce sleep by letting the twins walk off all their energy (I know now, it has the exact opposite effect at that age. They become physically exhausted however mentally they are completely afraid if they close their eyes they might miss something new and spectacular. Thus it creates stumbling exhausted children) we move closer to our gate hoping that perhaps we might get them to lay down on a blanket or in their stroller and take a brief nap. I notice a group of various age young boys and men, all with white packets in their hands. They wore various t-shirts with designs on them but what caught my attention was they way were walking or sitting and staring at their feet. I mentioned to Sabrina that these boys and men had obviously never worn shoes before, and looked as if this was one of the first flights that they had taken....They were obviously a long way from home.

In the tired state of mind my son walked up to a young man around 12-13 yrs of age and grabbed a hold of his leg and hugged it. I thought the boy was going to jump out of his skin, but he looked down at my son with the kindest eyes... as I walked up to him and smiled and apologized. Of course he understood nothing that I was saying but the smile and the eyes spoke a thousand words, that were understood by all of us.

He picked up my son in his arms away from his leg, my son looked at him in the eyes and smiled and proceeded to put his arms around this young mans neck and his head upon his shoulder, closed his eyes and fell directly asleep. I put my hand on the boys shoulder motioning if I should relieve him of his un obligated duty. He smiled and sat down with my son and held him until the plane started to board. I wish I had a camera for that moment.

My daughter of course continued to romp around drunk tired.

As the plane began to board, I could sense the anxiety and fear that had risen in the air...all of the boys and men looking at their tickets pointing... I then knew they didn't understand where, when or what seat they were supposed to be boarding too. Sabrina and I pre boarded with the kids onto the plane, my daughter fell asleep immediately. I walked back out the door and went to the boy who had held my son, I grabbed his hand and pointed to his ticket. I walked each one of them to their seats on that plane. A sigh of relief washed over all.

I was very happy to arrive in KY everyone safe and sound. I was even happier to see as I deboarded the plane with all my "ducklings"safely following closely behind. There was entire crowd of people with "Welcome to America" signs waiting for my ducklings :-) I smiled and hugged the boy and looked him in the eyes and said "Welcome to America" he smiled back with a tear in his eye and said "thank you".

My sister in law met us at the airport as always ready to give the twins huge hugs and love. I explained to her about the hug and the boys. She explained to me that their is a huge population of immigrants that are sponsored by local charities to bring them to KY....who would have ever thought. This is where they go after arrival:



http://www.lostboysfilm.com/learn.html

Popping back into the current days travel and story:

The man smiled. He explained that he was an ER doctor from Nairobi, Kenya and he was here to ensure one of the boys made it to San Antonio. He would return to Kenya the following day... What a wonderful man he is.... Now I have a new pen pal. We exchanged email addresses. I hope to be fortunate enough to return to Kenya someday. Perhaps, I can convince a few of my MD and Dentist friends to come along and help plow the way to peace together.

All from a random meeting at an airport....

Quote of the Day

"Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?" ~Sun Tzu

I'd forgotten how wonderful and amazing the fire flies look floating and flickering out in the open fields. So brilliant and delightful to watch! So simple, yet so complex.... Ah just to sit and think of all the permutations and combinations that act and react to allow the earth and universe to continue to exist. Perhaps, we as humans need to take a step back, breathe and learn how to coexist before we cease to exist. The simplest solutions seem the most difficult for people to grasp.

Good night, muffins, moon, stars, fire flies, people and universe. I look forward to greeting you again if I am lucky enough to wake and drink you in again tomorrow.

The Whirlwind U.S. Tour

Well I dont know quite how to start this other than describing these last 4 weeks as amazing. Dropped into NYC, LAX, LAS,LAX hit the red eye back to NYC, went and changed the clothes out of my suitcase, got in the car and was dropped off at 1500 in time for the CIO Forum cruise on the Norweigen Dawn for 4 Days... Back on the ground for 2 days, D.C. for a week, home for Mother's Day, back to D.C. Now I am back in CT for 4 days then off to OKC for 4 days.....

Stay Tuned.... More tomorrow after a bit of sleep and snuggle time with my darling little girl...

Fun Vampires

Col. Mustard had a great way of describing somthing I have felt today. Fun Vampires! I love it! They are the people that when they walk into the room all the life is sucked right out of it (or so they try). We are working on anti-fun sucking garlic serum for these people. I am not quite sure what “fun vampires” get out of the action other than....trying their best to make certain that everyone is as miserable as they are....Doesnt work on me most times and definately not as long as sunshine, kids and animals are involved.

Addendum: I have been in entire towns where everyone is a FUN VAMPIRE....completely trying to suck the life out of you. I may have to start a fun vampire map so that my friends can avoid these areas that I encounter during my travels!

Happy Friday!

S

~Home- Simple Minds

God gave me travelling shoes, God gave me the wanderer’s eye,
God gave me a few gold coins to help me to the other side.
Looked around and said: be careful how small things grow,
God gave me travelling shoes and I knew that it was time to go.

Sent in the ship at night to take me to the hidden port.
Found me the key at last to open up the prison door.
Brought down the blackbird's wings, gifted me with beggar's eyes.
Sent in the jackals to tell me I should say bye, bye, bye.

I'm home, home,
Home, home, home
And I'm home, home,
home, home, home
But I'm miles and miles and miles and miles and miles away
Where can I hide?

God gave me one last chance, gave me one last reprieve.
Jah gave me hunger, gave me the air to breathe.
Gave me one suitcase, gave me one last goodbye
Gave me travelling shoes, without them I would surely die, die, die

Home, home
Home, home, home (2x)

Thanks Ferry :-)

Random Ruminations on my flight to JFK

If I had seven days and I and I knew it...what would I do...what would I change....what would I do to help others...who would I talk to...what would I say? Why would I say it...

It is the eyes of the children that keep me alive...

I will like you because you are a good person...You are good and kind even when people are not watching you....

The vibrations of the sound of life, smells and music resonate thoughout my life.....

When I surrounded by the less fortunate it reminds me of my of how fortunate I am....would you tell me your story?

I have a thyroid contdition....not cancer...not fatal...not congenital heart disease.....I am so fortunate...

I have lived the lives of many...I have been farther and saw more of life than 99% of the individuals on this planet we call earth.....If I can just give a smile to give life and hope to others it will all be good...I am so fortunate.

There are so many things that I want to do....I just want the time to do everything that excites me..... I am so afraid of time running out....

I miss my kids... . I miss my dog...I miss everything related to family... but yet I am still here kicking away....trying to make a difference...

Freedom is my life and you know how I feel.... the hum of life it is what keeps me going.... to watch and to feel is all I know....I am a simpelton and a hermit...but loving every moment I have to view it all is a wonderful thing....

Hugs from the sky...

Susan has now not only survived a tornado, sandstorm, torrential downpour with thunder and lighting but a nice little sting from a scorpion

I have survived a lot in my life, I am a warrior and my family and friends know it...

Highlights: Tornado's while growing up, Massive earthquakes in CA, the military stuff, the Berkeley Hills fire, Berkeley in general, turf wars of gangs in Oakland which is kind of like being taken out by the Masai, 9-11, tropical depressions on a faraway island, almost being bought as the 26th wife by a Masai tribesman in Africa, Malaria from India....you know the usual girl from Indiana stuff.

The funny thing about it is that as much as life throws at me, I take a deep breath and am happy to be alive, hopefully a little wiser in the process learning from my mistakes and adventures but none the less happy to be six ft above ground everyday when I open my eyes. I have all my fingers and toes, two healthy children, a roof over my head, food in my kids mouths, a wonderful inner circle and no one is shooting at me (currently, hopefully not anytime soon either). It is all just a journey and I am sucking it all in! So the thoughts for this week (as I am returning to NYC for approx a month for surgery)is the following:

I never knew that the UAE and Oman had tornado's, lightening like I have never seen and thunder that is like a nuke going off in your bedroom, torrential downpours that flood the highways, Sandstorms (I knew about these) However my newest surprise decided that the weather outside was to dangerous and wet for his or her liking and decided to come into my car (through a vent perhaps, who knows) and as I finished dinner at the Intercontinental with my favorite Canadians I went into my car and sat down and got a huge sharp sting in my lower back! Ouch! I put my hand back there to see if I could find what stung me but no luck. I could feel the pain radiating out and feeling kind of funny. I called Dr. Bill on my way back to the camp and told him what had happened. I was only 5 minutes from home. So I got there he gave me massive dose of antihistimines, a glass of white wine and then cleaned the area and looked for a stinger of some sort. No stinger... He suspected a scorpion. No biggie he didn't hit me by my heart! So I fell asleep with ice on my back, and the Dr. Watching over me as I slept on the couch. No anaphylectic shock today.

So when I returned to the car the next day my friend R~ made me check my car before getting in...and sure enough there was a dead scorpion on the floor mat of my car....Oh well at least I now have immunities to one of the 27 or so species that exist in the desert! 26 to go....eh it wasn't that bad....I am still 6ft above ground, however will be a bit more careful when climbing into ground related structures...

Much love to all, your crazy geek in the desert,

Susan

Coffee by Jahnjeer

One of my favorite parts of my day is when Jahnjeer brings me coffee and water in the morning.

Jahnjeer is from Bangladesh, he speaks four languages (including english), is smart as a whip and is such a wonderful human being with a kind heart. When he brings my coffee into my office in the morning, he teaches me something new every day. A greeting or word of the day a custom I don't quite grasp, really helpful.

As the day continues on he knows exactly when my coffee cup is empty and that I have two cups (I prefer Turkish but nescafe does quite nicely) I drink 4-6 cans of Canadian club soda, I love pumpkin seeds and pistachios and a wonderful cup of herbal tea in the afternoon around 1430.

He takes care of me...he reminds me when it is closing time (as the absent minded geek I am I always lose track of time and would most likely forget that the world exists outside of my office). He used to wait until I left for the day, however, he figured out that I really had no sense of time or when the work day was over when I kept going until 2000hrs.

He then realized that I was a "geek" and had absolutely no sense of time and he began to make a habit of coming in to remind me that the work day was over, I should go out and get a bit of sun and run my errands so that I could start the day fresh again tomorrow.

This man who is the "office boy" is a talented, multilingual, genuine gem who upon my arrival back from NYC along with the other special people in my world, will get a present of hugs and possibly other things from the opposite side of the globe...

From Dubai with love to all,

Susan

In my passport case....

In my passport case is the following:

My Passport (obviously)

International Drivers Liscence

Pictures of my family

Various denominations of money (including a 500,000 dollar bill from Zimbabwe given to me from a friend for the kids)

and the most important through all of the moves:

Four cards given to me by my favorite sister in law (hidden in various places in my Chicago Apt at the time so that I would turn a corner or open a drawer and smile). Whenever I doubt myself I pull them out and look at them.

1. Dare to be remarkable

2. Never, never, never ever give up.

3. Yesterday is history tomorrow is a mystery TODAY is a gift.

and 4: Live with intention. walk to the edge. listen hard. play with abandon. laugh. choose with no regret. continue to learn. appreciate your friends. do what you love. live as if this is all there is....~Mary anne radmacher.

Thank you Darlene for the constant reminder that I am here for today...and I will live for it...

Much love,

Susan

The Model UN: The UAE

Living in the UAE is absolutely fascinating. Especially from a cultural perspective.

My office for instance: We have representations from all around the world: Syria, UAE, Egyptian, USA, Pakistan, Bangledesh, India, Oman, Sudan, etc.... We all work side by side.

It reminds me of NYC in a way.

I have had no problems with anyone since my arrival. I have been in the middle of the desert, the middle of industrial areas, work camps, regions, and I have always felt warmly welcomed even as the only blonde female (or just female for that matter) for a couple of km.

I think the most fun that I have had was on the Prophet Mohammeds birthday. I saw a group of workers (all different nationalities) playing soccer in the dust (by where the camels live). I stopped got out of my car and in my broken, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu mix asked if I could play with them. Although I wasnt able to "high five" any of them because they were all men, I had a blast, laughed, smiled and got dusty with all of them.

The other fun place I have gone is the Intercontinental in Al Ain. There is always a traditional wedding festivity, a bunch of expats and a broad mix of locals. I go to the horse and jockey (british pub) and sit out on the veranda and get on the internet and watch people. The crowd is fabulous. I quickly made friends with the team from Canada who are there for the next month and have developed quite a fondness of my colorful neighbors to the north! Whenever I am there now, there is always someone who comes to my table...Austrian, Canadian, German etc.

Last night was Bingo night at the H&J as everyone calls it... What a blast! You could win a steak dinner at the hotel for a full card or a drink for a line :-) One of my favorite Canadians "George" is now the "caller" and he is great.

Lots of fun as always, I am still alive and breathing.

Photo of the day

Photo of the day: Why, YES, that is a Momma and Baby Camel in the back of a truck!

IDC ME- Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arab

The pretty sail boat shaped building in the photos from 360 last time.

I was invited to my first Middle East forum, sponsored by IDC and McAfee Security.

The Burj is absolutely amazing. It was on the 27th floor (the top of the sail, and in the rotunda...) Quite the first conference.

Out of 100 or so CIO/ senior IT attendees there were 5 females and I was positioned in the 3rd row next to 2 of them in full abaya. Kind of like salt and pepper :-)

So I was the the "curiosity" of all. LOL....

During the coffee/breakfast break, I just stood to the side alone and watched in total immersion soaking it all in and quite happy to listen and watch.

Of course I had to raise my hand and ask the question to the panel:

"Everyone talks about cloud computing, what happens when there is no cloud"?

Point and case: In the MENA at the end of December all four undersea cables (which are the internet back bone)and the entire region had no internet access. I have encountered this once before and it took down my entire system, the symantec antivirus is cloud based and could not update and shut my OS completely down. I actually had to go in and boot through DOS and remove symantec from my boot file. Then I was able to boot into windows. I wanted to make sure that they understood the constraints of working in a country without enormous bandwidth. I think my point was well received. This is not America or Europe.

It has been a busy few weeks. A good busy. I am back in Al Ain and going to go for a massage tonight, to work out all the mach momentum brainstorming I have been doing in the last 30 days.

I can and do perform as a "social" person when at the circus (I.E. IDC conferences such as the one yesterday held at the top of the Burj Al Arab or 3 black tie dinners in a week) But 2 days of performing at the circus is socially exhausting for me. It drains my social bank. At that point all I want is to not talk out loud and listen....Does that make sense or am I just a crazy woman in the desert?

Whatever it is, I am happily winding my way through another adventure.But it is all just a journey and a wonderful one at that...I am happy I am alive and breathing another day to experience it all.

Mars and Venus

 

A visit from the frenchman, the greek and the american

 

Lunches with Barria

Of the 250 workers here at Al Nasr International there are 2 women in the company.

My self and Ms. Barria an accountant. She is so very happy to have a woman in the office. She brings me lunch everyday. Sometimes it is just an apple, orange or crackers...One day we had a traditional Syrian lunch of tomatoes, chili peppers, and potatoes and then an apple and orange to finish it off...The only problem is that she wont eat around men :-)

At least we have my office :-)

NoSuits4Me

This one is for you Roemer :-) Even the French are addicted to it :-)

A visit to the Buraimi Oman Office

View Larger Map


More later!

~ Susan

Friday: Driving To Dubai

It is Friday. Our one full day off in the UAE. Dr. Sowell says I should see Dubai... I would rather stay in bed and collapse from exhaustion. However, I rally and decide, yes, it would be a good thing to go and meet new people and see what everyone is talking about...The wonderful world of Dubai.

The drive to Dubai is uneventful and gives me time to think about where I am from and how I arrived here in the quietness of the car ride.

The drive is almost exactly the same in time (without traffic) from Al Ain to Dubai as the drive from South Bend to Chicago.

When we were kids in South Bend it was a HUGE deal to be able to go to "the big city" and see all of the tall buildings, people, just notice that everything is well...Different.

I felt like a kid again going from Al Ain (which is not small by any means, it has 3 universities, a museum, 2 five star hotels and lots of other incredible things but it is not Dubai) to Dubai. Wide eyed and breathing it all in...

Had I been in NYC I would have labeled myself as a gawky tourist...looking up at buildings and such. When I first arrive in an environment I am always afraid I will miss something...Sort of like I am in a "hyper awareness mode” I’m not very good at having conversations when I am in this mode because I am too busy looking at everything to read your lips AND comprehend what you are saying all while processing the minute details of everything in my visual spectrum. I most likely do NOT make a good travel partner on the first day if you are the sort that likes to chat it up. It is amazing I have had people tell me that when they first met me they thought I was "stuck up" or "aloof.” Just because I am, quiet...LOL

As we drive towards Dubai, it appears as an oasis...just popping out of the desert. Amazing architecture and beautiful glass everywhere. Spotlessly clean.

We arrive by the Jumeirah beach to meet some people. They are in a house FULL of expats...It really is like a mini United Nations, absolutely fabulous. Tanzania, Sweden, Brazil, Brits, U.S.... Etc. Completely fascinating and they all live together AND get along. Definitely a model for the world to follow.

We all walk out to the street as no one wants to drive if they have anything to drink (I am not quite comfortable enough to race around Dubai quite yet) and hop in a taxi. We pass Media City..., which I can tell I will be spending quite a bit of time meeting people there. Cisco, HP, Dell, Microsoft... all the major manufacturers have offices there. WOOHOOOO a Geeks dream all in one place! Once you park, you don't have to drive and perhaps get it all done in one day!

We arrive at the hotel where the brunch is and walk into the door...It is almost like Alice in Wonderland. A British Pub/Restaurant in the middle of the desert! I was quite surprised. Once again, it was the mini United Nations. Everyone has Friday off...They all come out for brunch, no matter where you are from. The food was amazing, So many fresh vegetables, pasta, and eggs, (if you eat it, fish, chicken, shepherds pie etc) I ate more than my share!

After stuffing our faces, we head out to The Palm Jumeirah Dubai, United Arab Emirates on "the trunk of the palm tree" which you can see from satellite:


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To meet up with a couple from SA (I think LOL). Another couple shows up and we decide to head back so that they can play 5-card stud and relax! I am most likely the only American over the age of 21 that does NOT know how to play 5-card stud poker..., which is ok with me. I take over the kitchen and cook for everyone...Rice, fabulous curry with chicken. I eat rice and sauce so good...It made me miss Emily's cooking and Bicol! YUMMMMY.

We relaxed for a nice while and then started the drive back to Al Ain. I am very glad I rallied instead of being a recluse. The culture is amazing in Dubai. More later...

I hope all are well...out for now.

Dubai Brunching with the new haircut :-)

My Haircut.....

It is Wednesday night...I have an important meeting in Medinat Zayad, the FAR western region of Abu Dhabi


View Larger Map

With the Western Region Municipality. A very important first meeting....So I haven’t had a haircut since I was last in Oregon with Matt in May 2008. I have been swimming and beaching it for the last 8 months in Guam. I decide that perhaps it is time for a little tune up. My theory is that a 5 star hotel is very safe bet considering that ALL the “Salons” I have seen thus far are for MEN ONLY.

Fortunately, for me they are open VERY late. I leave work around 1830 and walk in..I had gone in 2 days before to scope out the "health club" and noticed a nice salon that was open late. The supremely nice woman that had greeted me is from the Philippines..Comforting, I am missing my friends on Guam.

I walk in and the same woman is there to greet me. I say hello and she disappears to the back. A gentleman comes out and asks if I have an appointment. I respond, "No I do not have an appointment but had inquired 2 days prior and had been advised that it wouldn’t be an issue"

There is now a girl (with braces and short hair) waiting. He responds that I will have to wait until he is finished with her.... I tell him that is fine (thinking she has short hair, not knowing the high maintenance involved with straightening and washing and girl things). I proceed to have the wonderfully kind woman "thread” my eyebrows. If I am going to sit here, I might as well look good for the time! She proceeds to "thread" my eyebrows with complete and exquisite attention to detail. I have never been more happy with a "threading" job outside of NYC!

I am feeling quite comfortable with the whole UAE salon experience. I finally get to see the "hairdresser" a nice Egyptian who after about 5 minutes I realize does not speak very good English. I think to myself, he will understand "only a trim” HA

Picture Edward Scissor hands with my back to the mirror!



Just so you can visualize! OMG!

Hair flying everywhere! Just like when he is trimming the bushes! Goodness, I had heart palpitations. All I could use as a mantra was: "it will grow back, it will grow back.”

Lesson learned: make sure you use Google translate or something similar before getting your hair cut! Print it out and hand it to the hairdresser.... I like it long does or just a trim does not necessarily have the same connotation in multiple cultures....

I will live...argh!

Pictures to follow!

Day 1: My first day of work....

0530am is the first call for prayer and the time I roll out of bed to begin to get ready for work. The call of the Mosque is my alarm clock now :-)

My first day of work.

We leave for work at 0730. I arrive at the office with Dr. Sowell. I have been instructed on the car ride that not to shake hands with a man unless they offer their hand first. This will be very difficult for me for the following reasons:

1. I am a very affectionate person and have the tendency to hug people.

2. I have always shaken hands regardless of age, race, sex, religion, etc. I thought perhaps that in the this day and age of the world that business custom would transcend social custom. It is strange their are some men that will offer their hand. (Men are not permitted to touch women unless they are married) That said every male in my office shook my hand in a welcoming greeting. (I am actually more comfortable with complete strangers NOT shaking hands and nodding now that I have gotten over the initial shock of it all).

My new office is not quite yet finished. It is still under construction. They put me in The Chairmans office because he is in Germany for meetings. He has a beautiful office. Not bad for the first day however, I don't have the opportunity to enjoy it as I have to jump in with both feet..three executive meetings...and a visit to the 3 offices in Al Ain, plus picking up my car then driving to LuLu Hypermarket (hypermarket is the name here for somthing that makes the WalMart Super Stores look small) the laundry, and finally past the camel farm and back to the camp. I am ready for bed and have hit the wall.....

Day 0: The Flight

Day 0

As I stand in line and board the A380 Emirates flight, the only blonde American on the flight, I can say for the first time, I had second thoughts about this new adventure. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb given the current political climate. However, I made a promise to Dr. Sowell and Al Nasr to come to the UAE to start the build and I refuse to go back on my word. So off I went blonde hair and all.

The Emirates Flight

Any concern that I had when sitting down on the plane quickly resolved itself. I sat next to a mother and her son on their way to Hyderabad, India for a family gathering. They were wonderful companions for the flight. The son was studying biogenetic engineering and the mother had run a private hospital prior to NYC for her husband who is now a Dr in NYC. They had lived in Ohio; we had a great time discussing the common misconceptions people have about India and Indian people. She told me that a woman had once asked if Indians have any cars in India. How most people think that anyone with a turban (Sikhs) or covers their hair is Muslim and not Indian. We laughed together. We shared stories of our journeys through India and through the world. And of course we speculated and pontificated about how to save the children of the world from certain destruction from different ailments and issues.

When I think of different perspectives and misconceptions of Americans, it reminds me of a few things…I once had an Au pair that came to America thinking that every American (not family but individual) ate 3 WHOLE chickens per day and that is why we are all overweight. I reminded her that she was living with a vegetarian family, so we weren’t a part of the 3 chicken a day American public. I remember asking her where she obtained this information…. The scary part is that it was information from her English teacher in Germany. The other time I was asked why all the houses where we live fly the American flag. If you were to fly a German flag on your house all the time people would think you were a Nazi. I always grew up just thinking that everyone was patriotic and just flew them out of patriotism. However, I was corrected by Craig who explained that: During the Revolution households flew the flag of the country of allegiance. So I might have flown a U.K. flag and my neighbor might have flown a U.S. Flag… From that point on every piece of apparel, (underwear, bra’s t-shirts) pillow cases and towel I bought for her was an American flag. I am not sure what I will send her this birthday since I am in the UAE. Her birthday is in 2 days. I guess I had better hop on it.

So back to the flight: Wow they had amazing food, I had some of the best Indian vegetarian meals (of which I also ate Chola Indian food on my way to JFK which is my favorite) on that plane ride. (Side note: I am thrilled to be where I can actually get a veggie burger almost anywhere including McDonalds) It was a special meal but there were about 25 different kinds of special meals. Asian, Asian Vegetarian, Hindu, Halal, Kosher, Kosher Low Sodium, Diabetic, High Fiber just to name a few. Very kind and nice air hostesses who were fun to talk too. Not your usual British Airlines (not to single them out as there are many but they are certainly my least favorite for international travel)Steward who thinks you are as important as a speck of dust and will leave you with your light on for a good hour before coming to see what is needed.

I arrive at DXB relieved to see that signs are both in Arabic AND English, whew...I just figured out the alphabet and numbers on the plane… (the one good part about the A380-800 was the programming was amazing…342 or so movies, a gazillion TV episodes and News shows in 6 different languages (I of course didn’t watch really anything except an Arabic movie that was on. In the games section was chess, mahjong, all sorts of stuff I had never heard of AND (most importantly) a Berlitz world traveler edition game so I was able to practice my Arabic on the flight. The A380 has cameras on its nose tail and belly; you can look at your screen and see everything on your screen! Amazing! I flew over Baghdad at 41k feet and watched the sunrise and set all on a screen from my seat. The landing into DXB was the most spectacular…All of the lights and ocean. The runway has beautiful multicolored blinking lights for landing; it was like having my own personal light show to watch while landing 

DXB looks like Las Vegas without the gambling and crowds, very efficient and clean. It was a far cry from 20 degrees at JFK. Only 56 ish but still a huge change, my down coat was no longer needed. The remarkable thing that was most different and interesting about my arrival was: that the immigration officers were so friendly, I’ve only had extremely stiff non smiling officers before. I think perhaps maybe I had one smile at me in Guam out of pity with me schlepping all my stuff. The luggage carousel was slow to spit out luggage (I was very concerned that my business attire disappeared, knowing that I was to be at the office by 0730 the next day) that by the time I received my luggage (which was the only slow part) I had to go to the bathroom desperately.

Bathrooms are always an interesting indicator about the culture you are going to be surrounded with. So off I go to the bathroom thinking how in the heck am I going to get into the bathroom with all of this luggage! I get outside the bathroom and notice that not only had all of the other women left their luggage outside the bathroom unattended but their coats and purses too… This is definitely not NYC, but then again the US doesn’t take stealing quite as seriously. In the U.A.E. if you bounce a check you go to jail. I wonder what the penalty would be for stealing someone’s purse or luggage! Not like they wouldn’t know. Security is very visible. But Yikes to think! So I did like the roman's do and left everything outside and went to the bathroom. I returned to find everything just as I had left it nothing had moved a cm.

I walked through customs and saw a fully veiled police woman! I then realized if she said anything to me I most likely would not hear her because I couldn’t read her lips! Poor prior planning on my part!

At the meeting point my new CEO waited for me (patiently), upon arrival. We got the luggage to the car and begun the 1 ½ hour drive to Al Ain, my new main residence and the company headquarters. It was a beautiful drive through Dubai. When I first lived in NYC I swore I would never drive into the city but take the train that lasted 4 days. I thought the same thing when I was driving through Dubai. This time that irrational thought lasted less than 12 hours after my arrival.

I’ll save that one for the next update. My day off is Friday…. Look for updates then.

The Desert

I first fell in love with the desert at the ripe old age of 18. The only thing I had know about the desert prior to this time was from Merlin Perkins, Ali Baba, or some Sunday afternoon black and white movie. Until then it was just a place I dreamed of visiting. I was 18 years old fresh out of training in Huntsville, AL and had landed in California to my new unit.

We flew into the Ontario Airport were it was 85 degrees ( I was thrilled), rented a car and proceeded to drive out across the desert through Barstow, our destination Ft. Irwin, CA. The middle of nowhere:Ft. Irwin

I specifically remember going through the front gate which was around 8 miles from the actual beginning of the base. (This was done on purpose I later found out. It was 8 miles because that allowed the government to not have to pay all the soldiers stationed there remote locality duty pay (anywhere more than 40 miles from the nearest city/town requires an amount on top of regular pay, so they pushed the front gate out 8 more miles. So technically you just fall under the 40 mile mark. Back then the government was trying to figure out ways to cut military spending (aren’t they always). I digress...It was approximately 115F that day I arrived, it was the kind of dry heat that when you inhale through your nostrils you feel as though your nose hairs are burning. It was beautiful to me. I learned what swamp coolers were and had lunch at the mess hall with ½ of the troops dressed in Russian uniforms and the other ½ U.S. uniforms. At that time “the cold war” and “kill a commie for your mommy” was the battle rhythm of the day.

Cacti and Snakes
We went to do a range clearance with the team in Ft. Irwin. The guys were fabulous, they showed me how to throw a boulder at a cactus and have it bounce right off. They teased me endlessly. “Private Benjamin” one afternoon opened her truck door to drive back toward where the shot had been and inside was a fully coiled rattle snake right under the brake peddle! I almost jumped but then I took a deep breath and looked more closely at the truck invader….no movement, no tongue darting in and out. He was dead. I screamed just to let the guys think I was actually scared, then picked up the dead snake by the neck (just like on TV) and threw it at them! I made them all jump…it was hilarious. The snake had been killed by incoming shrapnel from the previous shot  I did get them back, I found a rattler stuck in a fox hole out in the middle of China Lake (it is a dry lake) and put it in back of the truck with all of the gear. 

Stars, Goldstone, and quietness.
On one of these evenings we ventured out in the desert to drink beer and star watch. As we all lay on the hoods of the car and stared up at the brilliant sky, my breath was taken away and the noise from the chattering guys disappeared. I had never seen such a magnificent display of what was beyond the earth as I did on that evening in the desert. The stars were so clear and with no light pollution I finally was able to see just how many stars there are out there. It was an amazing display of fireworks; it seemed as if you could see a shooting star every 2 minutes. It was at that time that I had decided that I believed in the possibility of other life forms on other planets. I decided that the probability with all of the amazing things I was now viewing was that there was much more than the eye can see and that when I was filled up with knowledge and information from this world I would definitely have to check out the rest of the universe. Hence why I have been following the X Project and Virgin Galactic since its inception. This is when I learned driving out in the middle of the desert that there was a space viewing facility called “goldstone” in the desert. Smart men…Smart placement for a space viewing facility.

We also went to the high desert outside of Reno quite often. I absolutely loved it! Beautifully surrounded by Desert Mountains, I have been there in 120 Fahrenheit and -10 Fahrenheit. The desert spring is spectacularly brilliant, while most people don’t think that anything grows in the desert I say look closer and quieter, there is so much to be seen. I saw my first scorpion while laying on my stomach during a FTX exercise with the Monterey guys up there. It was 120 some degrees out and I was lying on my belly in the prone position with my weapon at my shoulder being shot at by the enemy (pretend) and returning fire and out of the corner of my eye I watched this really nasty looking thing crawling towards me. It wasn’t like I could get up scream and stomp on it, in the real world if I did that I would get shot…and I didn’t want to let down my team. Instead I unsheathed my knife from my side and took the butt off my “Buckmaster” and smashed the scorpion in half. Those of you who know me know that I can’t even smash a bee or ant. However it was him or me and it wasn’t going to be bitten by a scorpion (just like I had seen on Emergency 9-11 (a really bad 70’s TV show) where a guy brings back something from a trip and a scorpion came out of it (ewe avocado green refrigerator come to mind) and bit a guy in the calf. The EMT ambulance comes and the two guys are trying to figure out what bit him) blah blah blah you know the rest. Typical EMT sitcom)…. So I then knew that the scorpions were not just an 80’s rock band but something far worse found in the desert in nature. I can’t say I wasn’t scared out of my wits, because I was. So even though I knew that I wouldn’t actually be killed by incoming fire, I couldn’t let the team down. I also would have heard the usual…(Of which my Sgt Maj reminded me of on almost a daily basis): “I told you that girls don’t belong in the U.S. Army let alone EOD”. I didn’t know at that time that according to some people as long as I was a female I would NEVER be good enough. It really isn’t a chip on my shoulder, I believe it is all good as long as you learn something from everything you do, good, bad or indifferent. The point is as long as you are cognizant of what is going on around you and continue to learn and adjust based upon situational awareness you are still doing something productive. Learning. I hope to be sound enough in mind to continue this till the day my last breath is entered into my nostrils.

I made many more trips to many different deserts during my time in the Army and each time it was spectacular.

I find the desert and its culture very interesting and certainly this new desert will completely be unchartered territory for me.



All the best,

~Susan

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UAE - The Big Decision

Greetings My Friends-

Al-Nasr has been courting me for awhile now to join their senior management team, and to play a major role in developing their group of ITC operations and founding an ICT consulting unit.

Al-Nasr is a privately held registered UAE corporation. Al-Nasr was founded in 1992, and specializes in civil and electrical contracting, with total projects from 1992-2006 in excess of US$104 million. The company has major current construction projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, and Ajman, UAE. The company is now involved in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) on an 8-story building in Ajman. The company is also seeking to invest and distribute EBM (Electricity by Motion) or generating electricity using magnetic power, which is completely pollution free.

I have been offered, effective on 7 February 2009, the position of Al-Nasr’s Senior Chief Information Officer (CIO). I have moved to Al Ain, UAE. I am also managing the ITC “Greenfield” internally which encompasses the REIT, and the EBM business. Real estate development, construction, contracting and overall ITC management is in my hands.

Al-Nasr has started to manufacture their own NEMA traffic cabinets tailored for the Middle East climate conditions. The salary is commensurate with my expectations, performance incentive, company car, nice living quarters, UAE medical insurance, and 4 weeks of annual paid vacation per annum.

All is well and you now have the glass ceiling broken once again…. “Tear Down These Walls For ALL”!!!!!!

Hoping to get their web site up tonight!

~Susan

The Journey: The Anomaly in the Matrix

I have always been the "anomaly"... The only blonde in a family of brown haired people. The only girl in my unit in the Army. The only caucasian blonde woman in the middle of Southern India (all the kids wanted to touch me and take me home to show their parents, very sweet) in China I was the white ghost etc and "Howlie" in Guam.... Sometimes I wonder if there is anywhere I fit in....But as I always say:  I am always at "home" in my heart.