I can hardly contain myself. After only 3 weeks of searching I have found my oasis in the desert, my version of disneyworld, my home away from home....
And it is called Beligan Beer Bar.
(Pause for Reaction)
For those of you who know me well, one of my major trepedations about moving to the UAE is lack of access to decent beer. Before I boarded my plane, my family took me to to a local brewery so I could have one last sip of a toasty lagger and chocolate stout before my departure. Now an overpriced glass of Chimay Blue is only a cab ride away.
Oh... and it gets better.....
They have Pork. One of the entrees on the menu was call the "pork festival", which included everything from ribs to to pork chops.
There are no black lights at this bar. No white couchs, blaring techno, or flashy patrons sipping blue cocktails checking out "the scene". Just wooden boothes, jeans, french fries, and Kenny Loggins in the background.
I could complain that the bar was smokey or they over did it on the "beligan" theme. I could comment I've had better ribs or larger beer selection. But I would be lieing to say that a little taste of home didn't make up for all of it.
You don't have to be living in the Middle East 7000 miles from what you know to appreciate the things that make you feel at home. From experience, I know this is the first stage of adjusting to a new culture. I know eventually after some time the UAE will start to feel more like home for me.
But for a night, I got to go back. Now if I can just find a place the employees people with southerm accents hug you when you walk in the door, I'll be all set.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
And Today’s meeting was brought to you by the word ….Integration
On the way back from my first Arabic Class, I was lulled into a contemplative state by my Taxi driver’s mix CD smooth hits from the early Eighties.
“If ever you’re in my arms again, THIS TIME I’LL looove you forever.”
I was trying to put together all the pieces of the puzzle I’ve gotten a hold of thus far. Every day I get another factoid that I try to add to make the full picture. Here’s a small sample.
(Warning: Any lazy college students who find this buried in the internet should not use any of these as a reference. I can promise I haven’t fact checked one of them.)
1. The Unemployment rate for Emiratis if 45%. The vast majority are Emiratis are unemployed by choice.
2. The average net worth of an Emirati is 17 million dollars.
3. Over-sensitively to porn can impede your entertainment choices. Do you really need to cut out the peck on the cheek in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?
4. One of the key elements of a contract agreement with an Emirati company is the “Emiratization” Plan. This entails how the international company plans to hire and employ nationals.
5. The average productive hours per year budgeted for each American worker if 1850. The average productive hours for an Emirati worker are 1100.
6. 80% of the people in the UAE are from another country. Almost all of the taxi drivers, waiters, retail salesman, and nail salon attendants I’ve met have families and children at home. In many instances, they can return to their home country for years.
7. Arabs love their children. Seriously. The first world I learned in Arabic here is “Jahel”. From my understanding its used like the terms “hunny” or “sweetheart” to small children. The direct translation “one who does not know.” Children under the age of 5 are let to roam free and are never punished severely.
8. Many plans and schedules made by Emirati and other international company are initially unsuccessful due to a culture class of expectations. It is advised for American companies should triple their initial timelines and forecasts.
9. The second best thing I’m glad I have at my disposal is Skype loaded on my computer. The best thing I have is disposal income.
10. BMWs have week air-conditioning systems yet it doesn’t stop anyone from buying the car.
11. I wish I had brought more DVDs, CDs, skirts, Arabic languages CDs, decent beer, pictures of my friends and family, and my friends and family. I wish I had left half my clothes, half my shoes, and any expectations about the UAE.
Last the NV launched and announced it new company name. The executive team set up a all hands meeting with all the local employees to introduce themselves to their new employee and present their vision. As would be expected, this didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The new local employees were trepidatious of what the affects would be on them. As luck would have it, this is the third buyout these employees have experienced in 3 years. At today’s All hands meeting with all the American employees, George led a frank discussion of what each group had discovered during their early stages of investigation. The challenges the NV had inherited were numerable. Lack of standard work processes, too much documentations and bureaucracy when you didn’t need it, and not enough documentation when you did, disgruntled employees, low moral… and the list continued. After about an hour of “they do this” and “they don’t do that,” George, the head of customer service, made a good point.
“As of Thursday there is no more “they.” It is now “us.” We need to integrate.”
Integration is key to any new organization’s success. Even internally between the groups at the NV, this is an on-going challenge. George took the issue head on at the All Hands today.
“We can’t keep acting like silos. There is no hand-off. If you need input from another group, set-up a meeting. If we can’t intergrate with ourselves, how will we do it with the rest company?”
This rule apply not only to business. I have also taken this lessen to heart in other aspects of my life here as an expat. I try to take all the facts and information I gather each day and see how they fit. And in the end, I try to figure out where I fit in the puzzle too.
“If ever you’re in my arms again, THIS TIME I’LL looove you forever.”
I was trying to put together all the pieces of the puzzle I’ve gotten a hold of thus far. Every day I get another factoid that I try to add to make the full picture. Here’s a small sample.
(Warning: Any lazy college students who find this buried in the internet should not use any of these as a reference. I can promise I haven’t fact checked one of them.)
1. The Unemployment rate for Emiratis if 45%. The vast majority are Emiratis are unemployed by choice.
2. The average net worth of an Emirati is 17 million dollars.
3. Over-sensitively to porn can impede your entertainment choices. Do you really need to cut out the peck on the cheek in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?
4. One of the key elements of a contract agreement with an Emirati company is the “Emiratization” Plan. This entails how the international company plans to hire and employ nationals.
5. The average productive hours per year budgeted for each American worker if 1850. The average productive hours for an Emirati worker are 1100.
6. 80% of the people in the UAE are from another country. Almost all of the taxi drivers, waiters, retail salesman, and nail salon attendants I’ve met have families and children at home. In many instances, they can return to their home country for years.
7. Arabs love their children. Seriously. The first world I learned in Arabic here is “Jahel”. From my understanding its used like the terms “hunny” or “sweetheart” to small children. The direct translation “one who does not know.” Children under the age of 5 are let to roam free and are never punished severely.
8. Many plans and schedules made by Emirati and other international company are initially unsuccessful due to a culture class of expectations. It is advised for American companies should triple their initial timelines and forecasts.
9. The second best thing I’m glad I have at my disposal is Skype loaded on my computer. The best thing I have is disposal income.
10. BMWs have week air-conditioning systems yet it doesn’t stop anyone from buying the car.
11. I wish I had brought more DVDs, CDs, skirts, Arabic languages CDs, decent beer, pictures of my friends and family, and my friends and family. I wish I had left half my clothes, half my shoes, and any expectations about the UAE.
Last the NV launched and announced it new company name. The executive team set up a all hands meeting with all the local employees to introduce themselves to their new employee and present their vision. As would be expected, this didn’t go as smoothly as planned. The new local employees were trepidatious of what the affects would be on them. As luck would have it, this is the third buyout these employees have experienced in 3 years. At today’s All hands meeting with all the American employees, George led a frank discussion of what each group had discovered during their early stages of investigation. The challenges the NV had inherited were numerable. Lack of standard work processes, too much documentations and bureaucracy when you didn’t need it, and not enough documentation when you did, disgruntled employees, low moral… and the list continued. After about an hour of “they do this” and “they don’t do that,” George, the head of customer service, made a good point.
“As of Thursday there is no more “they.” It is now “us.” We need to integrate.”
Integration is key to any new organization’s success. Even internally between the groups at the NV, this is an on-going challenge. George took the issue head on at the All Hands today.
“We can’t keep acting like silos. There is no hand-off. If you need input from another group, set-up a meeting. If we can’t intergrate with ourselves, how will we do it with the rest company?”
This rule apply not only to business. I have also taken this lessen to heart in other aspects of my life here as an expat. I try to take all the facts and information I gather each day and see how they fit. And in the end, I try to figure out where I fit in the puzzle too.
Friday, June 18, 2010
World cup Mania!... more photos
This it the view from the hotel pool. Across the street from Bubble Bar hotel is more development. The skiline is layered with cranes that light up at night. A Ritz Carlton is being built acroos the street. On the other side is the UAE Military Goverment Headquarters.
Ok. this is extremely hard to make out sine I took this picture with my phone. Walking around the Souk, Mall posing as an arabic market, a restarant was advertising a new exotic twist on an indian meat dish.
I am not opposed to vension. But do you really need to show me a picture a Bambi before I eat it?
This is my work computer! Arabic and English! I don't know why its exciting but it is.
I love the world cup soccer so I can appreciate and the hype. Some friends and I went to the Shangri-la hotel where they had set up a tent outside to watch the game. "Tent” isn’t probably the best word. Maybe a large trippy canopy with black lighting is a better way to describe it. The walls were lined with flat screen televisions. There were specials on Budweiser’s to appease all five Americans in the area. The hotel offered themed snacks for each team that played. (For the US it was hot wings and hot dogs.) Sheesha smoke filled the air. If you can imagine a hybrid sports bar and a Moroccan night club, that’s what this place felt like.
We watched the England vs. USA game. 40 minutes before the game the tent filled with loud unlike sportsmen-like Brits. They booed the 5 of us Americans as we stood up during the national anthem. The 1 to 1 tied was a sweet enough victory.
Monday, June 14, 2010
A Scenic tour of Abu Dhabi....Meet the Team!
My trip thus far has mostly been taking in all the information I can and trying to understand the new world I live in. Some things are too far out for me to comprehend yet. Abu Dhabi is a place filled with contrasts. Things that you wouldn't put together align themselves naturally here. The 120 degree heat outside paired with the ice cold offices and hotels. Nightclubs with happy hours until 4am next to prayer rooms. Women wearing abayas (See pictures) with full veils covering every inch of their bodies shopping for short shorts. TV shows are editted for anything physically initmate ( from a peck on the cheek on) but never a moment of bloodly violence is missed. Young Emirati women respecting culture with traditional dress while flashing their Gucci spiked heels and Louis Vutton purses worth tens of thousands of dollars. An entire city being built with no street signs or addresses. Labor camps on the out skirts of Palaces. 
The contrasts extend to my day to day life as well. I live in a goregous multiple star hotel whose name I'm not going to disclose at the moment. I can tell you the name of my new home sounds something like "Bubble Bar".
So in the Bubble bar hotel you receive a cool cloth when I walk in the door. The lobby is scented with fresh jasmine. A glass elevator overlooking the Grand Mosque takes you to your floor. All the lastest ammidties are provided. But try making a phone call in one shot.
Speaking of the day to day, I should take a moment to introduce some of the charaters in my story.
Mohammed – The upbeat Marketing manager from Texas who knows how to break tension with a good pun.
Erica – Material logistics associate and my new partner in crime from Alabama. Katrina – Chief buyer in the Procurement department and my former colleague from my company alma mater.
Abdul – The Emirati HR manager who always surprises me with smiles and handshakes.
George – Head of customer service and my new boss.
Lisa – Procurement manager with extensive international experience and a work ethic and attitude to back it up.
Next up: A Glipse into the day to day life of an NV Employee, Pictures World Cup Mania equiped with Sheesha and Tents, new project as turnaround consultant.
On more parting thought...
Not my picture but I saw this today. You can't make this stuff up.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Plans, Schedules, Analysis, and Procedures… but above all “Inshallah”
I’ve been trying to spend a lot of my initial time here New Venture (NV) observing what is going on around me. In many instances, we see to be preparing for the unknown. Within the last week I've seen more presentations with Strategies and Schedules than my last position. Many of the roll-out schedules don't include dates. This is due to the fact that our official launch date is contingent upon finalizing an agreement between the my American company and the company in the Emirati company. All the different teams assigned a task continue to prepare, analyze, and re-assess their strategies awaiting the launch. Each group continues to create a plan awaiting the green light.
Due to the fact we have yet to launch, our company does not yet have a name. For the purposes of explanation, I will call the pre-launch organization NV. NV is broken down into groups which manage each division of the business, including finance, legal, operations, material logistics, facilities, procurement, business development, human resources, communications, and so on. Each group has a leader, and they are in charge of developing the strategy and plan within each phase of the new organization's start-up. The Team leads meet every morning to provide status updates and stay up-to-date on the most recent changes.
Procedures and Work flows are created in order to streamline nonexistent processes. Analysis is done on all the raw data available. Although everyone know any work completed might need to be changed at a moments notice, the prep work is continued in order to hit the ground running once the sign from above given. The term used to describe this is "In šāʾ Allāh". In Arabic, it means "if it is God's will". This term is usually only used between Western colleagues as it might be offensive to the locals.
"As of today, the communication plan will begin its roll out to the customers 15 days prior to launch. Inshallah."
إن شاء الله
Good link to better understand the phrase.
http://www.theamericanscholar.org/inshallah/
Due to the fact we have yet to launch, our company does not yet have a name. For the purposes of explanation, I will call the pre-launch organization NV. NV is broken down into groups which manage each division of the business, including finance, legal, operations, material logistics, facilities, procurement, business development, human resources, communications, and so on. Each group has a leader, and they are in charge of developing the strategy and plan within each phase of the new organization's start-up. The Team leads meet every morning to provide status updates and stay up-to-date on the most recent changes.
Procedures and Work flows are created in order to streamline nonexistent processes. Analysis is done on all the raw data available. Although everyone know any work completed might need to be changed at a moments notice, the prep work is continued in order to hit the ground running once the sign from above given. The term used to describe this is "In šāʾ Allāh". In Arabic, it means "if it is God's will". This term is usually only used between Western colleagues as it might be offensive to the locals.
"As of today, the communication plan will begin its roll out to the customers 15 days prior to launch. Inshallah."
إن شاء الله
Good link to better understand the phrase.
http://www.theamericanscholar.org/inshallah/
Saturday, June 5, 2010
What's it like... Time Out Abu Dhabi!!
What’s it like?
Its been a little less than a week since I arrived in Abu Dhabi. I’m still taking it all in. If Latin America is the contrast between the haves and the have nots, and China is the contrast of what is said and what isn’t said, Abu Dhabi is the contrast of everything else. This is a place is where the sell of alcohol may be illegal, but hotel clubs sell cocktails till 5am. Where it is not uncommon to see a woman covered in full black veil showing no skin shopping for shorts at the Gap. Where half of the cars are BMWs and Audis, while the other half should probably not be allowed to be on the road. The heat here is stifling, but you have to carry a wrap because the air-conditioning. Abu Dhabi is somewhere between Las Vegas and Vatican City. I’ve never been in a city more diverse than this one. It’s a city of permanent tourists.
My first impression of the area is that it is an excellent place to be a wealthy tourist in, as long as you remember this isn’t your country. I am looking forward to exploring the area. Below is a link to the magazine I use to find out what’s going on in the area.
http://www.timeoutabudhabi.com/
Lamb... Its the New Pork!
On my first night out in Abu Dhabi, my new collegues took me out to dinner at a nice restaurent in the Shangri-la Hotel complex. This pitashio encrusted lamb dish was better than it looks. Since arriving I've realzed lamb is not uncommon. I've had it 3 times this week.
Carrefour.... There is not escaping the Walmart spin-offs.
I've had to go here only three times this week. from kiwi fruit to dvd players, this place has it all. I had to come here to purchase a pay as you go phone, then come back to return the phone and get it fixed. If I don't go back to this place for the next few months, it will be too soon.
Our Father Zayed...
Next up ... New job commentary, What's it like to never have dirty towels, and more!
Friday, June 4, 2010
First day... A trip to the Mall
On my first day I headed to the mall to pick up some items just in case my luggage decided not to show up. It ended up being a surreal experience. It a strange feeling to peruse the mini skirts display at Forever 21 and bump into a woman in a full vail looking at the same thing. Below is some of what I saw.
On my first day I headed to the mall to pick up some items just in case my luggage decided not to show up. It ended up being a surreal experience. It a strange feeling to peruse the mini skirts display at Forever 21 and bump into a woman in a full vail looking at the same thing. Below is some of what I saw.
It comes in fours and fives... not threes
I’ve never been much of a planner for trips. I always assume things will work out, toothbrushes are always sold somewhere, and Visa credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere. While drying my pants with a hairdryer I realized that this theory could use some tweaking.
Relocation is a daunting task in any given circumstance. We all know that even if you are moving down the street, something is bound to go wrong. When you move to another country, in some ways you are tempting the gods of fate. There are too many elements in flux to not go wrong. My move to Abu Dhabi was no exception. I should point out at this point that there are many things in my favor. My lease ended at the end of May. I have no husband or children to manage. I relatively have a small amount to move. Even my friend has given me space in her basement to store my stuff. My mother flew up to help my pack, clean and store. Most things were going in my favor. And then the move happened. My experience is an example of how planning can only get you so far. Let’s start from the beginning…
1. The Hair color – I was trying to tie up loose ends before I left the States. I had the brilliant idea that I should get my hair dyed back to my originally color just in case I have trouble finding suitable hair stylist in the UAE. I wasn’t too specific with the hair stylist about what exactly my natural hair color was. Now it is jet black. (Insert Adam’s family theme song here.)
Before....
2. The Couch – The plan was to move my things into a room in my friend’s basement. When I checked it out earlier the room seemed more than adequate to fit my things. The problem ended up not being the room, but the hall way. Now my couch is temporarily staying in my very patience friend’s dinning room.
3. The Luggage – Due to some hasty packing, my luggage was overweight for the UAE airline. Seventy pounds was the max and my huge suitcase surpassed 80 lbs. Some last minute rearranging of clothes was required.
4. The Flight - I boarded the 10:50pm Eithad flight at JFK with hopes for the future. The flight was oversold and I was quickly upgraded to first class. This first class was like no first class I’d been in. Large screen TVs, massaging leather seats, free pajamas, sliding cabin doors make your area feel private and intimate. My seat on this plane was larger than my room freshman year of college. About my second glass of champagne I was ready to move into the plane. Everyone was friendly and chatting with each other. The cordial flight attendant asked me what I was doing in Abu Dhabi. After he found out I was a newbie to the area, he made sure I had plenty of literature on the area to get acquainted. Delays on flights at JFK are customary, so I didn’t think twice about pilot’s apologies while dozing off to my flight. One hour turned into four hours. The pilot finally announced that he would have to cancel the flight due to engine issues. We would have to de-board, collect our baggage, and report to officials downstairs for further instructions. It was about 3:30am at this point and the first class buzz had worn off.
5. The Luggage (again) - Baggage claim was a mad house. Exhausted passengers were mobbing the officials, yelling, crying, and trying to get answers. I stood on the other end waiting patience for my luggage to appear. Needless to say my baggage did not arrive. I wouldn’t see my baggage for another four days.
6. The Clothes – The airline carted us off to a hotel at 4am. The hotel was very nice, but I was too tired appreciate it. I got to wear my clothes for another two days. When I spilled my coffee on my pants after lunch and had to wash and dry them with hotel shampoo and a hair dryer, I thought it might be a good idea to pack a change of clothes in my carry-on next go around.
7. Arrival and Immigration – After a 13 hour flight, I arrived only two hours late to Abu Dhabi. The trip continued to be an experiment in the unexpected. When I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I was directed to the immigration. Immediately the differences are noticeable. There were men in white robes and red and white head dresses with black band on the top. The landscape of people became much darker. Arabs, Indians, and Philippines replaced all the white faces left in JFK. It was obvious many people were coming here to work. The visa line were split between men and women. When I arrived the at the immigration station the emirate officer asked if this was my first time in Abu Dhabi. I said yes it was in which he gave me a confused look. “You’ve been to Dubai’” He said. I retorted I had not. Then he asked if I was going to work here which I said I intended too. “Original Visa.” I was directed to the visa office where sat outside while the immigration officials continued to call extraneous people trying to find my visa. This lasted for hours. Sitting on the side I watched countless droves of people from Indian, Pakistan, and the Philippines getting their correct paperwork processed. The immigration attendant finally came out and asked if I had any more numbers of contacts in Abu Dhabi. When told him no he gave me a concerned look. “I will keep trying,” he said. “Then I will ask the officers. They make decision. I hope they happy today.” I started to contemplate what it would be like to be deported. Although I did interrupt his coffee hour, lucky for me the bearded robe clad gentleman was in a good mood.
Next up on the blog, first impressions. Stay tuned.
Relocation is a daunting task in any given circumstance. We all know that even if you are moving down the street, something is bound to go wrong. When you move to another country, in some ways you are tempting the gods of fate. There are too many elements in flux to not go wrong. My move to Abu Dhabi was no exception. I should point out at this point that there are many things in my favor. My lease ended at the end of May. I have no husband or children to manage. I relatively have a small amount to move. Even my friend has given me space in her basement to store my stuff. My mother flew up to help my pack, clean and store. Most things were going in my favor. And then the move happened. My experience is an example of how planning can only get you so far. Let’s start from the beginning…
1. The Hair color – I was trying to tie up loose ends before I left the States. I had the brilliant idea that I should get my hair dyed back to my originally color just in case I have trouble finding suitable hair stylist in the UAE. I wasn’t too specific with the hair stylist about what exactly my natural hair color was. Now it is jet black. (Insert Adam’s family theme song here.)
Before....
After.....
2. The Couch – The plan was to move my things into a room in my friend’s basement. When I checked it out earlier the room seemed more than adequate to fit my things. The problem ended up not being the room, but the hall way. Now my couch is temporarily staying in my very patience friend’s dinning room.
3. The Luggage – Due to some hasty packing, my luggage was overweight for the UAE airline. Seventy pounds was the max and my huge suitcase surpassed 80 lbs. Some last minute rearranging of clothes was required.
4. The Flight - I boarded the 10:50pm Eithad flight at JFK with hopes for the future. The flight was oversold and I was quickly upgraded to first class. This first class was like no first class I’d been in. Large screen TVs, massaging leather seats, free pajamas, sliding cabin doors make your area feel private and intimate. My seat on this plane was larger than my room freshman year of college. About my second glass of champagne I was ready to move into the plane. Everyone was friendly and chatting with each other. The cordial flight attendant asked me what I was doing in Abu Dhabi. After he found out I was a newbie to the area, he made sure I had plenty of literature on the area to get acquainted. Delays on flights at JFK are customary, so I didn’t think twice about pilot’s apologies while dozing off to my flight. One hour turned into four hours. The pilot finally announced that he would have to cancel the flight due to engine issues. We would have to de-board, collect our baggage, and report to officials downstairs for further instructions. It was about 3:30am at this point and the first class buzz had worn off.
5. The Luggage (again) - Baggage claim was a mad house. Exhausted passengers were mobbing the officials, yelling, crying, and trying to get answers. I stood on the other end waiting patience for my luggage to appear. Needless to say my baggage did not arrive. I wouldn’t see my baggage for another four days.
6. The Clothes – The airline carted us off to a hotel at 4am. The hotel was very nice, but I was too tired appreciate it. I got to wear my clothes for another two days. When I spilled my coffee on my pants after lunch and had to wash and dry them with hotel shampoo and a hair dryer, I thought it might be a good idea to pack a change of clothes in my carry-on next go around.
7. Arrival and Immigration – After a 13 hour flight, I arrived only two hours late to Abu Dhabi. The trip continued to be an experiment in the unexpected. When I arrived in Abu Dhabi, I was directed to the immigration. Immediately the differences are noticeable. There were men in white robes and red and white head dresses with black band on the top. The landscape of people became much darker. Arabs, Indians, and Philippines replaced all the white faces left in JFK. It was obvious many people were coming here to work. The visa line were split between men and women. When I arrived the at the immigration station the emirate officer asked if this was my first time in Abu Dhabi. I said yes it was in which he gave me a confused look. “You’ve been to Dubai’” He said. I retorted I had not. Then he asked if I was going to work here which I said I intended too. “Original Visa.” I was directed to the visa office where sat outside while the immigration officials continued to call extraneous people trying to find my visa. This lasted for hours. Sitting on the side I watched countless droves of people from Indian, Pakistan, and the Philippines getting their correct paperwork processed. The immigration attendant finally came out and asked if I had any more numbers of contacts in Abu Dhabi. When told him no he gave me a concerned look. “I will keep trying,” he said. “Then I will ask the officers. They make decision. I hope they happy today.” I started to contemplate what it would be like to be deported. Although I did interrupt his coffee hour, lucky for me the bearded robe clad gentleman was in a good mood.
Next up on the blog, first impressions. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Getting started
My name is Kate and I am a program administrator for a new venture in Abu Dhabi. I grew up in the Untied States in the state of North Carolina and moved to the Northeast after college for my first job. I studied aboard and traveled multiple places including Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Until recently I worked in the supply chain field as a partner manager with a major company in Brazil.
On May 31st, 2010 I flew out of JFK to embark on new journey to the Middle East.
Prior to my departure, my knowledge of the area was minimal. I could locate the UAE on a map. I knew the temperature ranged from hot to hotter. I knew the people, clothes, and culture would be vastly different to anything I’ve been exposed to in the past. I knew even less about exactly what my job entail when I arrived.
What I did know was that I was ready for something a little adventure. Everything else could be figured out as I go. Saying goodbye to my family and friends is always hard. The comfort of a Sunday afternoon brunch, a mother’s embrace, tailgating till 4AM, a grandmother’s stories, and a pulled pork sandwich was predictably hard to leave. What was unexpected was that I had to leave new friends and possible opportunities behind in order to take this one. I ha to come to terms with the fact I would be missing a lot in my friends and families lives to take on this new challenge. My only solace was the multiple hugs and going away parties I had prior to leaving. I would advise anyone leaving for more than a couple of months to have at least one get to together.
What also helped the transition was the fact I had moved to a new phase of traveling. Gone are the days of 26 hours bus rides and shady hostel lodgings. It’s business class from now on for this trip. I have to say the nice thing about drinking the corporate “Koolaid” is you no longer have to deal with a inconsiderate snoring roommate for the sake of gaining experience.
Let’s cross our fingers on the first leg of our trip! Wish me luck!
On May 31st, 2010 I flew out of JFK to embark on new journey to the Middle East.
Prior to my departure, my knowledge of the area was minimal. I could locate the UAE on a map. I knew the temperature ranged from hot to hotter. I knew the people, clothes, and culture would be vastly different to anything I’ve been exposed to in the past. I knew even less about exactly what my job entail when I arrived.
What I did know was that I was ready for something a little adventure. Everything else could be figured out as I go. Saying goodbye to my family and friends is always hard. The comfort of a Sunday afternoon brunch, a mother’s embrace, tailgating till 4AM, a grandmother’s stories, and a pulled pork sandwich was predictably hard to leave. What was unexpected was that I had to leave new friends and possible opportunities behind in order to take this one. I ha to come to terms with the fact I would be missing a lot in my friends and families lives to take on this new challenge. My only solace was the multiple hugs and going away parties I had prior to leaving. I would advise anyone leaving for more than a couple of months to have at least one get to together.
What also helped the transition was the fact I had moved to a new phase of traveling. Gone are the days of 26 hours bus rides and shady hostel lodgings. It’s business class from now on for this trip. I have to say the nice thing about drinking the corporate “Koolaid” is you no longer have to deal with a inconsiderate snoring roommate for the sake of gaining experience.
Let’s cross our fingers on the first leg of our trip! Wish me luck!
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