The Middle of the Desert

Yesterday I had to go get some more passport photos made for the processing of my residency visa, and as I walked across the crosswalk through a major thoroughfare with shops of every kind around me, I had to remind myself where I was. Surrounded by neon signs, hi-rise buildings, and billboards for famous designers, it is only when I step on sand (as I did beside the photo studio) that I remember I am in the middle of the desert. The development is beautiful, and the sand is beautiful. The sunrises and the twilights are great, and in fall things are supposed to be even nicer because of the number of outdoor things that one can see and do that cannot be done in the summer.
Also yesterday, I visited a resort area called Madinat Jumeirah for work, which I had been to before. If you have a chance to go to their websites, just google Madinat Jumeirah and see what comes up. It is even more breathtaking in person. As I stood at the ATM in the lobby of one (ONE) of the hotels on the compound, I turned around to look down through the giant plate glass window behind me. I saw the blue waters of the Gulf, an uncrowded strip of beach with giant white umbrellas placed along the sand, and then, a giant pool surrounded by the same reddish brown stones as the exterior walls of the hotels, which are designed to look like an old Arabian citadel. In the giant pool were two large sea turtles, with some babies swimming in a square enclosure in the middle. One of the larger turtles looked like he was half as big as me, and he swam right to the edge of the pool. All that separated walkers from the turtle was a single rope barrier and about 3 or 4 feet of distance. Amazing!! I wished someone was with me so I could share the crazy moment, but no one I knew was around. A real Finding Nemo sea turtle. It was incredible.

In the Swing of Things

Holy moly it's hot! I went down to Al Ain, a city in another emirate, for the weekend, wondering if there would be a temperature difference. If there was, I couldn't feel it. I had a lovely trip visiting family, and was pleasantly surprised to find the distance and time between Dubai and Al Ain to be less than I remembered. Today the heat index is 117 degrees, and wearing my sunglasses as I stepped outside yesterday they immediately fogged up. They say the weather starts to cool around the end of October (OCTOBER!), and with all of the air conditioning I really can't complain.


I went to the Mall of the Emirates today (yes, the one with the indoor ski slope) and I found lots of stores I want to go back to. Surprise, surprise, lol. Walking through the mall is such a fascinating experience, not only because of the variety and quality of the hundreds of shops on the three floors of the mall, but also because of the languages spoken and the ethnicities of the shoppers. I heard languages being spoken today that I could not identify, and I like to think I have a pretty good ear for that sort of thing. I saw people from what seemed like every corner of the world, just hanging out with their friends and family and getting some shopping done.
I am still adjusting to the time difference, partly I think because of my early starts. Today I left the hotel at around 7:45 a.m., which you all know is obscenely early for me. Tomorrow, God willing, I am going to Dubai Festival City and taking a city tour of Dubai, which I'm sure is gonna be awesome.

Here safe and sound

Hello All! I am in Dubai, after a safe and easy trip. My long flight was overbooked, and the plane was completely full. I was one of the lucky group that got bumped to Business Class, and words can't do the experience justice. I've been bumped to business class twice before, but I don't think ever for this long of a flight. Suffice to say that yesterday upon arrival to my accommodations with all of my bags in place I felt like I had just left the states, not been in transit for almost 24 hours. The weather here is super hot, resting in the cool 90s when I arrived yesterday evening. Traffic in Dubai is intense, and today being Friday, I don't know what to expect being out and about. Some places of business close, some don't, so we'll see. Everything is fine, and so far so good! More soon, God willing.

Ahlan wa Sahlan! Welcome!

Chances are you are here because I directed you to this blog either through e-mail or telephone, and you are a friend of mine.
If so, "Hey! How's it going? How is work/school? How is your husband/wife/family? How was that thing? You know, that thing with the people at the place?"
If not, and you just happened to stumble upon this blog by accident or you were looking for www.musafira.blogspot.com, no prob, Bob. Feel free to look around, and happy trails!

Take care,
Hanan