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 :-)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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:
View Larger Map
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.
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:
View Larger Map
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.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, February 13, 2009
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.....
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.....
Thursday, February 12, 2009
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.
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
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
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
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
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
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