The Last Epistle from Dubai

New learning - The buildings where I'm staying are brand new and along each exterior wall there is a black box at the base of the wall on the sidewalk. It looks like a mail box with a portal entrance on one end. I finally stopped to examine it and it apparently contains rat poison. The rat goes in and eats comfortably out of site and then finds out too late that a good deal is not a good deal.

Desert Safari - The desert safari was interesting and certainly well worth the $50 it cost me. I had a few problems with arrangements but, otherwise, it was great. I had arranged through my course coordinator for the event and she dealt with a tourist agent. The tourist agent, who apparently has a monopoly with SP Jain, insisted that the safari driver pick me up at the student hostel rather than the faculty hostel. The faculty hostel manager, who speaks little or no English, was to arrange for transportation to the student hostel. The timeframes were a bit tight in that I was not to arrive from the campus until 3:30, had to change clothes, and get over there by 4:00. As usual things were a bit screwed up and the hostel manager didn't have a clue. However, he apparently called the tourist agent who picked me up. The agent dropped me at the student hostel and nobody showed from the safari. About ten minutes later the agent showed back up and took me to the DragonMart which is a huge, and I mean huge, shopping center that is exclusively for Chinese goods. He indicated that International City was so new and expanding so fast that the drivers did not know where to pick people up. The development is huge and contains various sections named after different countries but there are no street names that I can tell. I am living in Persia cluster and the students live in China cluster. There's an England cluster and an Italy cluster plus many more. The tourist agent's words were prophetic.

I got in the SUV and we proceeded to the desert. The vehicle was a seven passenger Toyota Land Cruiser and was already occupied by five Indians and the driver of unknown derivation. He had his seat back reclined so that the person in back of him had no room. However, he always drove leaning forward and never wore a seat belt. The dude had a baseball hat on backwards, long hair, and a distinctive odor. We then drove for about thirty minutes through the suburbs and stopped at a little quick store where all of the drivers rendezvoused. The owner was trying to sell everyone fresh coconut juice out of the coconut and there was an Arabic guy there (blind I think) with a hawk on his hand. I think the purpose was for you to hold the hawk, have a friend take a picture, and give the guy a tip. We then left the store and proceeded to the desert. The driver insisted that everyone buckle up, but he didn't. We got to the dunes and formed a caravan and ran the dunes in the SUVs. It was sort of like a ride at the carnival, you run the crest of a dune about 50' high and the driver then points the vehicle straight down. You lose all visibility in tight turns because sand sprays all over the windshield but it blows off quickly. After about a ten to 15 minute ride we stopped the entertainment/dining area where you could ride, for an additional charge, ATVs within a confined area. I just watched as two Iranian girls proceeded to jump the barrier and turn the ATV over. Luckily they weren't hurt.

We got back in the cars and rode the dunes for another 45 minutes or so. All the vehicles were white except for the leader of the convoy which was black. We'd follow the black vehicle for about 10 minutes and stop, I assume to let the vehicles cool a bit, and then do it again. At about the 20 minute mark, we stopped for about 10 minutes and everyone got out. The black vehicle had a huge stereo speakers in the cargo area and the driver opened up the back hatch and played an Arabic radio station. The men then began to dance. It appeared a bit effeminate in my mind, but I guess in a Muslim world you have no choice. Some of the women did join but none of the more conservative ones who had their heads covered. After the dancing we drove some more and then proceeded back to the compound. There I got a camel ride and had somebody take a couple of pictures. Got an Arabic tattoo and looked through a couple of kiosks selling the typical sand designs in a bottle and some Arabic clothing for women. I'll not talk about the tattoo since I want Joyce to anxiously await its arrival. In a part of the compound you could smoke water pipes and there was a bar in which you could get any kind of alcoholic beverage that you wanted. I drank Coke so there is no correlation between the tattoo and the beverages available. During the period between the end of the ride and dinner, there was Arabic music playing from speakers that surrounded an area that was covered with something like Astroturf. In the middle of about a 50' by 40' area was a round raised stage. On the perimeter of the entire area were large pillows and then external to that were small tables about 18" high that could seat six for dinner and there were pillows around the table for sitting. During this period, the dancing continued. There were obviously some songs that were very popular and many people got up to dance. I was probably the only American there and the rest of the people (100 or so) appeared to be equally divided between Indians and Iranians. It was the Iranians who danced. Again, it was largely the men who danced and there was clearly some meaning to the dance, but I don't have a clue.

Next we had dinner which was an Arabic barbeque. There was bread, some sort of vegetable dish, and chicken and, probably, lamb shish-kabobs. There also was a barbequed chicken leg and a very small sweet pastry along with hot tea, with or without milk. After the dinner a belly dancer performed, largely on the raised stage. She probably did a 30 minute show, getting both women and men from the audience to participate. Again, the conservative Muslim women did not play. After the show, we left and headed back to town. We stopped again at the quick store to air up the tires as they are deflated a bit for the desert driving.

The ride back was a treat. I noticed that we passed DragonMart twice and knew there was a problem. The driver finally exited and got to International City but, as I said, that's a huge complex and I knew he was on the wrong side of a four lane highway. We then drove around for 15 minutes and he made several calls on his cell phone. He finally asked me where my hotel was I told him I didn't have a clue. We drove around some more, he made some phone calls and we stopped to ask several people for direction. I think the Asian culture requires an answer to a question regardless as to whether you know anything about it or not. Consequently we followed many sets of directions without finding the hostel. We finally found someone who pointed us in the right direction. I recognized where we were and told the driver to stop, politely thanked him, got out, and walked the rest of the way. The other five passengers (5 Indians) were still in the car and I can only assume that the driver found his way out of the complex and got them back to wherever they were going.

LWP

Finishing and More

Well I'm finished teaching. The class has its end term exam (final exam in our lingo) tomorrow morning. I will be coming to the campus to finish up the grading with the class coordinator. She administers the exam and the computer corrects it. However, there are discussion questions that have to be graded. Since everything is contained within the course management software, I'm not sure how the final grades get recorded and I don't know how it deals with things such as curving test scores. But that's why God made course coordinators.



Today is Friday which means that most businesses are closed for the Muslim religious day. I ate in the student cafeteria for lunch as everything else was closed. It was explained to me that the Emirates used to have a Thursday/Friday weekend but that that interfered too much with business with the rest of the world so they changed it toFriday/Saturday.



I learned a new word today from my class and it probably emanates from the British. The word is "freshers" and that means recent college graduates. When you look at the recruitment page of the business website for Indian businesses it often has a special section for application procedures for freshers.



I haven't described my living accommodations. They are sparse but all Ireally need. It's basically just an efficiency apartment with a balcony that you might be able to use a couple of days a year. As you enter there is a small kitchen that contains a sink and a microwave. Underthe counter where we would normally have a dishwasher is a very small clothes washing machine. I could request a stove if I want one. My understanding is that it is basically a burner attached to a propane bottle. I have the basic plates and silverware and a carafe for heating up water for coffee. I'm not exactly sure how it works as something lights up inside it when you turn it on but it boils water almost instantly.



If you turn immediately to the left from the kitchen you enter the bathroom. It has the world's smallest bathtub/shower. The tub must be four by two feet and has the typical shower curtain. However because it is so small, the wet shower curtain sticks to you as you try to take a shower. The potty, as do all potties here including those in the public restrooms, has a hose beside it with a spray nozzle.I assume I know what you would use it for but think it would bedifficult to not spray water all over the place. I've elected to leave it hanging on the wall. The rest of the apartment is just one large room with a table on which there is a TV, bed, two chairs (a straightback and a recliner type thing) and a computer workstation and ergonomic chair. The bed has a comforter and bottom sheet but no top sheet.



Ihave WiFi in the room and the TV has basic cable. The only channel I'vewatched in CNN-Asia out of Hong Kong I think. Along one wall there is a built-in closet and another built-in which contains a small refrigerator.



I'm trying to book a desert safari for tomorrow night. Everybody, including Alice, has mentioned that it is a unique event. Myunderstanding is that it includes a jeep ride into the desert to an oasis, Arabic barbeque dinner, belly dancer, etc.

I was working at about ten o'clock last night when the doorbell rang and that it was one of the other instructors. However, it was an Asian looking women wearing a large backpack. She asked me if I was interested in something but I couldn't understand her and told her Iwasn't interested in whatever she was selling. My initial thoughts were drugs. I asked the hostel manager and house boy the next morning andthey indicated she was selling knockoff DVDs and CDs

Souk Madinot (Jumeirah)

Just came back from dinner and looking around downtown. Had dinner at are staurant that overlooks a set of canals and that is very near the 7star hotel. We ate the Indian way in that we ordered two entrees andsome bread and shared. Had chicken, prawns, and lamb in a variety ofsauces. All very good. Got a number of pictures. The canals are apparently the only way to get to a development of very high-end condos.

Had dinner with two Indians and a woman from Seattle. They're all going back either tonight or tomorrow. Actually this is one of the firsttimes that I've really enjoyed going out with colleagues and engaging inintellectual conversation. We all teach different stuff but it isintegrated in some ways. The lady teaches supply management and hasdeveloped some new concepts which are apparently highly in demand. Shehas a consulting firm in Seattle and teaches executive training at theUniversity of Tennessee. Her concepts, which I don't fully understandyet, are clearly related to the cutting edge stuff in talent management.We've agreed to explore this a bit farther.

One of the Indian guyswants me to come to Bangalore to give some seminars for him. He is aformer professor with his own knowledge management firm. I don't thinkhe likely has the bucks to back it up. The other Indian wants me to goto the gold market with him tomorrow before he catches his flight.That's about a seven-hour evolution and I think I'll pass. I need someconcentrated prep time tomorrow.We're eight hours ahead of you so I'm going to work a bit and then turn in.

Indian Friends and Food

I had a very brief breakfast this morning because I met up with the instructors and needed to leave very fast. It was a very flat omelet with hot chillis and some toast. Nothing new or different.

I went to the campus and am now back in my apartment and had lunch here. There are three guys cooking in a small apartment kitchen and two of them dote over you making sure that you have plenty to eat. In addition, with me, they needed to try to instruct me as to what I was eating and how to eat it. That would be OK except that they are Indian and largely speak Hindi as opposed to English. One of the other instructors had lunch with me, but his English is worse than theirs. In any event, it was good and filling and a bit of an eye opener when I watched the other instructor eat.

I was served several different things and I haven't a clue what they were. I started with some chicken with the skin still on it cooked in a sauce. There also was something else with diced potatoes and some vegetables in a sauce and you eat it by putting it in a kind of flatbread/pita thing. There was another dish with what was close to chickpeas in a sauce. There was also a salad on the plate with finely chopped up lettuce, tomatoes, and something else. I ate the tomatoes and am still alive. Finally there was a soup-like thing made out of lentils or something like that. That was poured over rice, at least that was what they told me to do. Everything is highly spiced. You only get a fork and spoons, not a knife. Finally I had some plain yogurt which I effectively used for desert.This instructor ate largely with his hands. He took the yogurt and dumped it on the rice along with a lot of salt. He then took his hands and mixed it all together and ate it, licked his hands off and went to some other food using the fork and spoon.

I think the transportation issue has been worked out. If not, we're apparently going to take a cab so I'll get to have dinner downtown tonight and go to the shopping center. Let me know if you want me toget anything although I haven't a clue as to what locally might be interesting. Based on my initial observations, I'd guess the shopping center will look like the fashion mall in Indy as opposed to anything unique.

I do have an interest in purchasing some tulip bulbs in Amsterdam. They had them in the duty-free shop and I think you get 12 bulbs for about$20. I'm assuming that there's no problem bringing them back into thestates. Do you have a color preference? I'm thinking one packet is enough.

I didn't tell you about one interesting thing last night on the drive from the airport to the hostel. Dubai is just a series of constructionand infrastructure projects. We were going along a four lane highwaythat exited into a gas station. I think the road was under construction and it just ended and you had to take a little exit road that just terminated, literally at the gas pumps. You then had to drive through or around the back of the gas station to get to a temporary dirt road that led to a permanent road. You cannot imagine the confusion as hundreds of cars were going around the back of the station, around the front, and even down the pump isles to get through the area. There were people pumping gas at the same time who had to dodge all the traffic toget to the store to pay for gas or get other stuff (it was a typical 7-11 type station).

Power for the laptop is not a problem. The power cord has a built-inconverter and the plugs I bought in Battle Creek work fine. The batteryis charging OK. The only difference is that I'm running on 240 voltsvice the 110 we use in the states. When I plug into external power, I get quite a boost in terms of the brightness of the screen.

Got to get to work. My schedule has me teaching three session on Monday. I pity these students as they will have two tests and two smallpapers due in five days, plus reading a 300 page textbook, and listeningto me for 18 hours.

Arrival in Dubai

Got in to the hostel (not hotel) at about midnight last night.Everything went smoothly on the trip. I got up early for breakfast and,luckily, met an American instructor who immediately took me under her wings and told me I absolutely had to come to campus this morning to get things going because the people here are very nice but a bit unorganized. She was correct on both accounts. However, I'm quickly learning the ropes and this, I think, will be a nice experience.

The trip has been a learning experience so far. First, I thought Internet was widely available in all airports now. I was correct, but it is not free. So I connected with the Wi-Fi in both Detroit and Amsterdam only to find that there was a substantial charge. Amsterdam airport was a different experience and a bit in efficient in that, eventhough you have cleared security at your origination, you clear it againat the gate. That means that every gate has its own x-ray and security checkers. A bit of redundancy in my book.



I got in Dubai at 10 local last night and it was 95 degrees. I assumed the dessert would be a dry heat but that's wrong because its right on the water. Next I went to passport control to get my visa as instructed by S. P. Jain. After waiting in line for 15 minutes, I found that there was no visa waiting for me. That's the bad news, the good news is thatyou don't need one unless you're working for a year or more. Next I went to immigration and they cleared me for a 60 day stay. I tried to get a bit of UAE money in both Detroit and Amsterdam but they had none in Detroit and I couldn't find an exchange in Amsterdam.The bag was waiting by the time I got to baggage claim and my driver waswaiting outside with no problems.




It was dark on the trip in and I didn't see anything. I was dropped off at the hostel and unpacked, read a bit, and then slept, setting my alarm for 6 because breakfast was to be at 7. I went to the room where breakfast was to be at 7, which is also apparently the living quarters of the hostel manager, and found two people sleeping in bed and nothing else. I went back later and that is where I met the American and two Indian instructors. They are all finishing up today. One of the Indian instructors (and you will notbelieve this) is teaching global HR and immediately indicated that he had my book. The other Indian teaches marketing and the American teaches logistics.



We are supposed to go to a shopping center tonight that is located adjacent to the new 7 star hotel but I just received word that there may be a transportation problem. The people here take care of transportation and, apparently, will take you on side trips should you wish. I tagged along with the instructors to the campus this morning and am now situated in my office. I have received my food allowance which was 50% more than the contract stated but I really don't know how much that is. I now have 900 dirhams in my pocket.




I met the course coordinatorf or the course and she really will take care of most everything but the instruction. The tests are done online and corrected automatically.The research papers are done online and I correct them online also. Now here comes the disorganized part. I was never provided a teaching schedule even though I asked for it a number of times. The latest email/contract I got, which was on last Thursday, indicated that thet eaching schedule would be provided two days prior to the start of the class. Since I am under contract for 7/14 - 7/20, I assumed I'd be teaching through 7/20 and made arrangements accordingly. Wrong, I am done on Friday at Noon. Actually, that might work OK because I might be able to complete most of the grading before I leave. I do not think thefinal exam will be given until sometime later but it will be done online and not a problem.



The only interesting thing I've seen so far was driving is to the campus this morning. There were probably 50 camels grazing in a vacant field by a four lane highway. I didn't see any fences to contain them and I wouldn't want to hit them at 60 miles an hours. I'm going back to the hostel in a little bit to work on getting ready for Monday and to take a nap. I hadn't planned to come to the campus today, just to get breakfast and do a bit of work and deal with jet lag. I'm a little tired and will take a nap this afternoon assuming that we're going shopping/dinner later on.