The Arabic word for market is "souk". So we have a lot of souks over here. The Gold Souk, the Spice Souk, the Electronics Souk, the Carpet Souk, the Perfume Souk, and even the Camel Souk.
We also have something the professors at the school derisively refer to as the "Grade Souk". It's official University policy that professors must schedule office hours after finals have been given and after grades have been posted - 'consultation hours' is what they're officially called. It's intended to be an opportunity for students to stop by and see how they did on their final exam and/or final projects for the course. The thing you need to know, though, is that given that it's a part of the culture here to negotiate on things, the 'consultation hours' are actually a Grade Souk.
Both Cindy and I have had several students come by trying to negotiate a better grade on their final, on their attendance grade, on the course, or just looking for a little "help" from me. Now this still happens in the States, it's just not quite so overt. Here are a few of the best stories from the Grade Souk.
[As you read these, please keep in mind that most of our students are very conscietious and diligent - and most of them didn't ask for any favors. These are the most extreme - and funny - cases. I could tell stories like this from Texas Tech, too.]
Female Student 1: But professor - I was here on these two days that you've counted me absent. I just forgot to sign in.
Dr. Baker: Really? Everyone on your row signed in. Your friend that you come to class with every day signed in. Twenty other people signed in that day. If you were there, how did you miss the sign-in sheet?
Female Student 1: I just know I was there.
Dr. Baker: OK - so do you have some evidence that you were there? Did we take exams those days? Do you have some notes that you took that day?
Female Student 1: I turned in my homework that day! I know I turned in my homework then!
Dr. Baker: Really? The days you're asking me about are both Thursdays. We haven't had a single homework assignment due on a Thursday all semester. Try again.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Male Student 1: Sir - I was really hoping that you could help me out in the course. I was really hoping to pass the course this semester.
Dr. Baker: You missed 19 classes and didn't turn in 7 of 12 homework assignments. You should have helped yourself.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Male Student 2: Sir - I was wondering what I can do to pass the course.
Dr. Baker: [looking over grade spreadsheet] Well, right now, your average in the class is a 56. You would need a 105 on the final exam to pass the class with a 70.
Male Student 2: So it's possible and you would help me out?
Dr. Baker: It's possible, but given that your grade on the midterm was a 56, and given that this is a comprehensive final, it seems unlikely that you'll get a 105.
Male Student 2: But you can help me with my grade?
Dr. Baker: I'm going to help you out by giving you some advice. If I were in your position, I would concentrate other classes where I have a better chance of passing. Good luck.
I hope you enjoyed reading about some of our stories from the Grade Souk. Stay tuned this weekend (or maybe early next week) for info on how we spent the holidays.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Missing, Presumed Lost - Part II
by Cindy
We had an earlier post about the things we thought we might miss. Here is a top 10 for some of things that we really do miss:
1. Kitchen garbage disposal.
2. Changing weather. The fall cool, crisp weather and the sweatshirts that go with it to cold winter nights and snow flurries.
3. Being able to wear shorts.
4. Going to Austin for a UT home game.
5. Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (we have Starbucks but not their seasonal drinks).
6. Talking college football with everyone on Sunday & Monday mornings.
7. All the trees in Lubbock. Really.
8. A 15 minute drive to church and a five minute drive to the grocery store.
9. Carpet.
10. The Christmas season and all that goes with it.
As for the thing that we thought we would miss and we don't: Tex-Mex - there are so many restaurants here, including On The Border and Chili's. We can have American food any time we want it, there are more restaurants here than in Lubbock and thankfully, the queso and fajitas taste the same!
We had an earlier post about the things we thought we might miss. Here is a top 10 for some of things that we really do miss:
1. Kitchen garbage disposal.
2. Changing weather. The fall cool, crisp weather and the sweatshirts that go with it to cold winter nights and snow flurries.
3. Being able to wear shorts.
4. Going to Austin for a UT home game.
5. Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (we have Starbucks but not their seasonal drinks).
6. Talking college football with everyone on Sunday & Monday mornings.
7. All the trees in Lubbock. Really.
8. A 15 minute drive to church and a five minute drive to the grocery store.
9. Carpet.
10. The Christmas season and all that goes with it.
As for the thing that we thought we would miss and we don't: Tex-Mex - there are so many restaurants here, including On The Border and Chili's. We can have American food any time we want it, there are more restaurants here than in Lubbock and thankfully, the queso and fajitas taste the same!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Devoleped vs. Developing
by Cindy
There is much debate about the difference between a developed and a developing country. Some countries, such as the USA are obviously developed countries but then there are others, such as the UAE, that walk the fine line between the two. Surprisingly, there is no established convention for the designation of "developed" and "developing" countries in the United Nations (UN) system. The UN notes that, "the designations 'developed' and 'developing' are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process."
On one level it seems strange to me that we cannot tell the difference between the two and do not have any international standard that defines one or the other. On the other hand, when I drive down the 16 lane highway (yes, eight lanes each direction) the UAE seems quite developed. But when I see this on the 16 lane highway, I feel like I live in a developing country!
What is the guy doing? Would we have to pay blood money if one of these sheep jumped out and was killed? Don't they know that people drive 140km (86mph) on the highway?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Kenyan Safari - The Big 5
The phrase Big Five game was coined by big game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris.
We were able to to see four of the big five with the leopard being the one that we didn't see.
Lion
African Elephant
Cape Buffalo
Hippopotamus
It’s Raining? It’s Raining!
by Cindy
It has been sprinkling here on and off over the weekend but today it is time to go back to work and it is really raining. A decent number of our students commute so it will be interesting to see how many people are actually in class today.
My biggest fear today is the combination of rain and marble surfaces. Early on, I mentioned on the blog that I was going to have to put away the stilettos due to the wet marble in the bathrooms. As it turns out, I had nothing to fear in the bathroom.
I have slipped twice since we have been here. On a side note, both slips were on the same day(?!) which was the day following our all night football watching party. The first slip was outside of our apartment and (importantly) no one saw that one. The next slip was in the business school and (importantly) everyone saw that one. My ankle and knee are still bruised but my pride will be bruised for at least the next four years. Thankfully, college students churn every four years so one day this fall will move out of the “Top 5 Most Embarrassing Moments” in my life. Hopefully today I do not have a fall that tops the Most Embarrassing List. Assuming I don't slip today, I will enjoy the rain while it lasts.
It has been sprinkling here on and off over the weekend but today it is time to go back to work and it is really raining. A decent number of our students commute so it will be interesting to see how many people are actually in class today.
My biggest fear today is the combination of rain and marble surfaces. Early on, I mentioned on the blog that I was going to have to put away the stilettos due to the wet marble in the bathrooms. As it turns out, I had nothing to fear in the bathroom.
I have slipped twice since we have been here. On a side note, both slips were on the same day(?!) which was the day following our all night football watching party. The first slip was outside of our apartment and (importantly) no one saw that one. The next slip was in the business school and (importantly) everyone saw that one. My ankle and knee are still bruised but my pride will be bruised for at least the next four years. Thankfully, college students churn every four years so one day this fall will move out of the “Top 5 Most Embarrassing Moments” in my life. Hopefully today I do not have a fall that tops the Most Embarrassing List. Assuming I don't slip today, I will enjoy the rain while it lasts.
Friday, December 11, 2009
How We Got Here
OK - so the question that Cindy and I have been asked the most frequently since we decided to move to the UAE is, "How did you hear about the job?"
Here's the full story.
During the fall of 2008, as I was getting close to graduation, Cindy and I decided that we were willing to move for me to take a job pretty much anywhere in the world - as long as I could teach in English. We've always wanted to live abroad and travel a little bit, and this seemed like a good time. We don't have any kids; our parents are in good health, so why not?
So we started looking at jobs in the US and the outposts of the former British Empire. I applied to schools in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, and Hong Kong. There were only about 60 jobs available worldwide for MIS professors, and there were about 300 or so Ph.D. graduates in MIS last year. When you add to that the reality that some people who are already working as professors are applying for those jobs, the odds don't look great. Then there was the financial crisis in late 2008, and most schools saw revenues and government funding decrease. As a result, many of the schools to which I applied chose not to fill their positions. So of my 50 applications, I got 6 preliminary interviews, and then nothing. Christmas break came and went and there wasn't much activity at schools with regard to hiring. Most people get offers in January or February, and things weren't looking good. At this point, I had to acknowledge that I needed a new strategy.
So I started in on a new round of applications - this time applying literally anywhere people spoke English. Cindy and I pulled lists of colleges from around the globe and as long as they had an English website, I applied. This approach only netted about 20 more schools - mostly in the Middle East. One Saturday afternoon in January, Cindy and I were sitting at Starbucks lamenting my poor job prospects. I was sending out some e-mails to follow up on my applications and after I sent a message out to the University of the United Arab Emirates (in Al Ain, UAE), I laughed and said, "If we move to the UAE, can I even get a decent cup of coffee there?" So I got on the Starbucks website to see if they even had Starbucks in the UAE. It turns out that they do - lots of 'em - and I noticed that one of them was even on a college campus. I said, "I've never heard of the American University of Sharjah, but if they have a Starbucks, they've got to be OK. Let's see if they've got a job."
They did. In the Business School. In MIS. I applied. Immediately.
I got a call from their Dean the next day. "We're interviewing North American candidates next weekend in San Francisco. Can you come out for an interview?" So I flew out and interviewed. The school called me back about two weeks later and offered me the position and I took it.
But there's more.
None of this would have happened if our friends Todd and Jess hadn't stayed with us in Lubbock about 3 years ago. Cindy and I used to make fun of Todd and Jess as "those people" who spend $5 on fancy coffee at Starbucks. Then, when they were staying at our house for about a week, they started bringing us drinks. About one a day. Apiece. White Chocolate Mochas and Caramel Macchiatos and Toffee Nut Lattes. Starter drugs.
Our descent was gradual. At first we only went when we had a gift card. Then, it was "only when we really needed coffee." You know the rest of the story. We ended up hooked. We're coffee snobs now. We're still not one-a-day people, but we're definitely helping Starbucks stock price.
And so if I'd never picked up my Starbucks habit, I would never have needed to know if there was good coffee in the UAE. And I never would have heard about the American University of Sharjah.
Here's a picture of me, Cindy, and our friend Todd - in Starbucks on campus - when he came to visit us two weeks ago. I hope you enjoyed the story.
Here's the full story.
During the fall of 2008, as I was getting close to graduation, Cindy and I decided that we were willing to move for me to take a job pretty much anywhere in the world - as long as I could teach in English. We've always wanted to live abroad and travel a little bit, and this seemed like a good time. We don't have any kids; our parents are in good health, so why not?
So we started looking at jobs in the US and the outposts of the former British Empire. I applied to schools in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, and Hong Kong. There were only about 60 jobs available worldwide for MIS professors, and there were about 300 or so Ph.D. graduates in MIS last year. When you add to that the reality that some people who are already working as professors are applying for those jobs, the odds don't look great. Then there was the financial crisis in late 2008, and most schools saw revenues and government funding decrease. As a result, many of the schools to which I applied chose not to fill their positions. So of my 50 applications, I got 6 preliminary interviews, and then nothing. Christmas break came and went and there wasn't much activity at schools with regard to hiring. Most people get offers in January or February, and things weren't looking good. At this point, I had to acknowledge that I needed a new strategy.
So I started in on a new round of applications - this time applying literally anywhere people spoke English. Cindy and I pulled lists of colleges from around the globe and as long as they had an English website, I applied. This approach only netted about 20 more schools - mostly in the Middle East. One Saturday afternoon in January, Cindy and I were sitting at Starbucks lamenting my poor job prospects. I was sending out some e-mails to follow up on my applications and after I sent a message out to the University of the United Arab Emirates (in Al Ain, UAE), I laughed and said, "If we move to the UAE, can I even get a decent cup of coffee there?" So I got on the Starbucks website to see if they even had Starbucks in the UAE. It turns out that they do - lots of 'em - and I noticed that one of them was even on a college campus. I said, "I've never heard of the American University of Sharjah, but if they have a Starbucks, they've got to be OK. Let's see if they've got a job."
They did. In the Business School. In MIS. I applied. Immediately.
I got a call from their Dean the next day. "We're interviewing North American candidates next weekend in San Francisco. Can you come out for an interview?" So I flew out and interviewed. The school called me back about two weeks later and offered me the position and I took it.
But there's more.
None of this would have happened if our friends Todd and Jess hadn't stayed with us in Lubbock about 3 years ago. Cindy and I used to make fun of Todd and Jess as "those people" who spend $5 on fancy coffee at Starbucks. Then, when they were staying at our house for about a week, they started bringing us drinks. About one a day. Apiece. White Chocolate Mochas and Caramel Macchiatos and Toffee Nut Lattes. Starter drugs.
Our descent was gradual. At first we only went when we had a gift card. Then, it was "only when we really needed coffee." You know the rest of the story. We ended up hooked. We're coffee snobs now. We're still not one-a-day people, but we're definitely helping Starbucks stock price.
And so if I'd never picked up my Starbucks habit, I would never have needed to know if there was good coffee in the UAE. And I never would have heard about the American University of Sharjah.
Here's a picture of me, Cindy, and our friend Todd - in Starbucks on campus - when he came to visit us two weeks ago. I hope you enjoyed the story.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Running on Dunkin
As you can see from the picture below, Dunkin Donuts is customizing its "America Runs on Dunkin" campaign for different nations, including the UAE.
Regardless of whether you live in America or the UAE, two things are still true - first, you should never run anywhere after donuts and coffee. And second, if you need coffee Starbucks is an option in your city, you should run from Dunkin.
Regardless of whether you live in America or the UAE, two things are still true - first, you should never run anywhere after donuts and coffee. And second, if you need coffee Starbucks is an option in your city, you should run from Dunkin.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Healthcare in the UAE
by Cindy
With so much talk in the USA about health care, we thought we would give you an idea of our experiences and insurance coverage here in the UAE. We knew from talking to others that we expected it to be comparable to the USA. We were even in touch with one woman who had her first child in Dubai and seriously considered returning to have her second in the UAE rather than in the USA. While we do not have the need for obstetric services, we can tell you about some of our experiences thus far and how we have paid for them.
Heath Care Experiences
We have already blogged about my first visit for a head cold. We have since figured out that you can buy most 'prescription' medications as 'over the counter' drugs here so when we get sick, we just head straight to the pharmacy for the antibiotics rather than to the doctor for the prescription. Insurance pays for all of the medication, but even if it didn't, they are about $10 for a week's supply.
We needed malaria pills for our upcoming trip to Kenya - we just walked over and got those from the pharmacy as well. The campus clinic didn't have the yellow fever shot so we had to go into town for that one. We were not sure what to expect but it was comparable to a free health clinic in the USA. We waited for about 20 minutes, got our shots (in separate male and female rooms) and then were finished. It took us longer to drive there and back than it did at the clinic.
The birth control I took in the USA is not available here so I have had to switch to something new. I visited the highly recommended American Hospital of Dubai to check on my options and was pleased to find that the recommended options here were in line with those of my Dr. in Lubbock as well as my dear friend Elaine, who is an OB-GYN, and patiently answers all of my questions. The clinic was clean, very well equipped and full of expats. In no way would you have known or felt you were in a foreign country if it was not for the dozens of different languages being spoken around you.
There was another Dr. who came highly recommended that is much closer to our apartment that I did visit once. While I found her to be professional and competent, the facilities and staff left much to be desired.
Health Care Coverage
We have insurance coverage through the University that runs us about 9,664Dhs / $2,633.34 annually. We have a 70 Dhs / $19 co pay when we go to a physician that is not on campus. After that we have 100% coverage and that coverage is Worldwide!! I'm not sure what Obama is pushing there in the USA but at least I know I'm covered no matter where I go!
A couple of other notables - any birth control or birth control consultation is not covered by insurance. And (our parents should stop reading here) "Emergency Medical Repatriation and Repatriation of Mortal Remains" is 100% covered. So even if something unfortunate happens to us, we can be buried in Texas.
With so much talk in the USA about health care, we thought we would give you an idea of our experiences and insurance coverage here in the UAE. We knew from talking to others that we expected it to be comparable to the USA. We were even in touch with one woman who had her first child in Dubai and seriously considered returning to have her second in the UAE rather than in the USA. While we do not have the need for obstetric services, we can tell you about some of our experiences thus far and how we have paid for them.
Heath Care Experiences
We have already blogged about my first visit for a head cold. We have since figured out that you can buy most 'prescription' medications as 'over the counter' drugs here so when we get sick, we just head straight to the pharmacy for the antibiotics rather than to the doctor for the prescription. Insurance pays for all of the medication, but even if it didn't, they are about $10 for a week's supply.
We needed malaria pills for our upcoming trip to Kenya - we just walked over and got those from the pharmacy as well. The campus clinic didn't have the yellow fever shot so we had to go into town for that one. We were not sure what to expect but it was comparable to a free health clinic in the USA. We waited for about 20 minutes, got our shots (in separate male and female rooms) and then were finished. It took us longer to drive there and back than it did at the clinic.
The birth control I took in the USA is not available here so I have had to switch to something new. I visited the highly recommended American Hospital of Dubai to check on my options and was pleased to find that the recommended options here were in line with those of my Dr. in Lubbock as well as my dear friend Elaine, who is an OB-GYN, and patiently answers all of my questions. The clinic was clean, very well equipped and full of expats. In no way would you have known or felt you were in a foreign country if it was not for the dozens of different languages being spoken around you.
There was another Dr. who came highly recommended that is much closer to our apartment that I did visit once. While I found her to be professional and competent, the facilities and staff left much to be desired.
Health Care Coverage
We have insurance coverage through the University that runs us about 9,664Dhs / $2,633.34 annually. We have a 70 Dhs / $19 co pay when we go to a physician that is not on campus. After that we have 100% coverage and that coverage is Worldwide!! I'm not sure what Obama is pushing there in the USA but at least I know I'm covered no matter where I go!
A couple of other notables - any birth control or birth control consultation is not covered by insurance. And (our parents should stop reading here) "Emergency Medical Repatriation and Repatriation of Mortal Remains" is 100% covered. So even if something unfortunate happens to us, we can be buried in Texas.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Open Doors. Open Minds.
by Cindy
Today we had the opportunity to visit a local mosque that gives tours to non-Muslims. In Dubai the Sheikh has established The Centre for Cultural Understanding - an organization that sponsors the tours as well as breakfasts and lunches "to increase the awareness and understanding between various cultures that live in Dubai." The title of the blog comes from the tag line on the brochure - "Open Doors. Open Minds." Made me wonder if they had the same marketing company as the Methodists.
Here are some pictures from our visit and yes, the sky really is that blue here.
Everyone mush wash their hands, face, arms, head, and feet before prayer. Men wash here (sitting on the stools) and women wash in a separate area inside the mosque.
This mosque will host about 1200 people. This room is for men and there is a smaller room off to the side for women. Men are supposed to go to the mosque for prayer, but women are permitted to pray either at home or at the mosque.
In case you need to know the prayer times.
And of course - women must cover up!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Women - Part 2
OK - so we've had a few questions about how women are treated over here. Let me see if I can answer one of these and give you some insights into the culture over here. I'll try to get to some more in the days to come.
So the first question is: "Do men and women receive equal treatment here?" A: No.
Women have separate lines at the bank, the post office, and at government offices. There are even women-only days at the beach and women-only cars on the Metro. So is this equality? No. Is it discrimination? No, it's not really that, either.
Now I realize that there may be a few of you reading this who are supporters of women's rights and think that men and women should be treated equally all of the time. The very idea of separate lines to stand in and separate seating on the Metro is offensive to you. Well, they don't see it that way over here. There are separate lines for women at many places of business because people over here realize that women have an important role in the home. They want to minimize women's time away from the home. That's why there is a separate women's line that gets served before the men's line. It's more chivalry than discrimination.
There is also the idea in this culture that men and women should only be together if they're family. Otherwise, there is a temptation for an inappropriate relationship to develop. So the sexes are segregated. Some of you may think this is going overboard, but here, it's just seen as being extra cautious.
Finally, women have separate lines at businesses, separate cars on the Metro, and separate days at the beach because people here acknowledge that men make the world a harsh, rough, and coarse place. Ask any woman who has grown up with all brothers and she'll tell you what it's like to be in an environment with mostly guys. So over here in the Middle East, they acknowledge that women probably wouldn't want to spend their time in the predominantly male world outside of their homes. Therefore, they have women-only stuff.
So, is it equality? No. Is it discrimination? No, it's not really that, either. In many ways, women receive preferential treatment. As two Westerners who have been taught to value "equality," we were prepared to call what we have seen "injustice." But instead, what we have found is a culture that treats women with consideration and respect. We do still occaisionally hear stories on the news of injustice, but we don't believe that this is the day-to-day reality for most women here. On the whole, women are cherished and protected. They are not treated as property; but they are highly valued.
So the first question is: "Do men and women receive equal treatment here?" A: No.
Women have separate lines at the bank, the post office, and at government offices. There are even women-only days at the beach and women-only cars on the Metro. So is this equality? No. Is it discrimination? No, it's not really that, either.
Now I realize that there may be a few of you reading this who are supporters of women's rights and think that men and women should be treated equally all of the time. The very idea of separate lines to stand in and separate seating on the Metro is offensive to you. Well, they don't see it that way over here. There are separate lines for women at many places of business because people over here realize that women have an important role in the home. They want to minimize women's time away from the home. That's why there is a separate women's line that gets served before the men's line. It's more chivalry than discrimination.
There is also the idea in this culture that men and women should only be together if they're family. Otherwise, there is a temptation for an inappropriate relationship to develop. So the sexes are segregated. Some of you may think this is going overboard, but here, it's just seen as being extra cautious.
Finally, women have separate lines at businesses, separate cars on the Metro, and separate days at the beach because people here acknowledge that men make the world a harsh, rough, and coarse place. Ask any woman who has grown up with all brothers and she'll tell you what it's like to be in an environment with mostly guys. So over here in the Middle East, they acknowledge that women probably wouldn't want to spend their time in the predominantly male world outside of their homes. Therefore, they have women-only stuff.
So, is it equality? No. Is it discrimination? No, it's not really that, either. In many ways, women receive preferential treatment. As two Westerners who have been taught to value "equality," we were prepared to call what we have seen "injustice." But instead, what we have found is a culture that treats women with consideration and respect. We do still occaisionally hear stories on the news of injustice, but we don't believe that this is the day-to-day reality for most women here. On the whole, women are cherished and protected. They are not treated as property; but they are highly valued.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
by Cindy
A couple of weeks back, Jeff and I headed to Abu Dhabi for the Middle East International Film Festival. We're not really uppity, film-festival-type people, but it sounded like it might be fun and we'd never been down to Abu Dhabi.
So, I told my students we were going to Abu Dhabi for the weekend and asked if there were any "must sees" and any restaurants we should check out. My students recommended visiting the Emirates Palace Hotel and it was magnificent. Opulent. Classy. We actually had a couple of film showings here so we were able to walk around and enjoy it a bit. It is stunning and the size of any hotel in Vegas. Just to give you an idea of how nice the hotel is, since Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, this hotel was built to house Heads of State when they visit the country. Read a little about it at the link above. Here are some pictures.
This was our first time to a film festival so we were not sure what to expect but we very much enjoyed ourselves. Hilary Swank, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, Eva Mendes, and - love him or hate him, Michael Moore - were all here.
Mostly, we did a lot of reading because we chose to watch all international films - Chilean, Indian and French films. The one thing we learned is independent films are more about the character than the plot. It took us a couple of films to figure that out but we enjoyed the change. We would definitely go to a film festival again. The Manhattan-based Tribeca Film Festival also sponsors another festival in Doha, Qatar that we might try next year.
The highlight of our trip to Abu Dhabi was not the film festival or the city but a dinner invitation at the home of one of my students. When I mentioned to my classes that we were going to Abu Dhabi, she said she was from there and would send me an email later in the day with restaurant ideas. Well, she called later in the day not only with restaurant ideas but also with an invitation for lunch on Friday!
Once we had accepted the invitation, I had to call around and ask all kinds of questions - what do we wear, what type of gift do we take, how do we know when to leave, what should we be sure and not do, etc. It is great to have so many people around who have been through similar experiences! The expected dress was typical conservative dress that we have here in the UAE, so I wore a dress and Jeff wore slacks and a dress shirt. We took a box of chocolates for a gift and we were set.
Once we got to Abu Dhabi and checked into our hotel, I called Reham to let her know we were still coming and to get directions to her home. Her father insisted on picking us up at the hotel so we met them in the hotel lobby. They live in a nice apartment building (just about everything here is high rise living). We didn't see all of the apartment, but if I had to guess, by American standards, I would say it was a 4 bedroom and 2.5 or 3.5 bathroom - maybe as much as 2000 sq. ft. The living and dining areas were both pretty large - bigger than our house in Lubbock.
When we arrived, lunch was on the table it was a feast!! I would compare it to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!! There was SO much food and they wanted us to eat every piece of it. We tried everything and it was all delicious. We had soup, a middle eastern salad, roasted lamb chops, roasted chicken leg quarters, baked eggplant, baked salmon, potatoes, veggies, some rice rolled in cabbage leaves, and zucchini stuffed with rice and meat. After dinner, there was dessert, which consisted of grapes, oranges, and kiwis. Then, there was coffee, tea, and sweets (baklava and cookie-type pastries). Then, there were chocolates.
The one funny thing about the afternoon (that stretched into the evening) is that we could not figure out how to leave! Since they had driven us to their home, we were not sure how to suggest that they could now drop us back at our hotel. We ended up staying for 6 hours! It was great conversation the whole time and never seemed like we were there that long. We learned all about Egypt (their home country), how the UAE has changed in the 30 years since they arrived, banking in the UAE and even life on the AUS campus. My student is a sophomore and it turns out she has a brother who is a senior. We enjoyed connecting with the students as much as the family. Jeff is hopefully headed to the driving range with Reham's brother, Ali, this week or next.
When I saw my student in class the next week, she smiled and casually mentioned to me that in the Egyptian culture, when you are ready to leave, you just stand up and leave. I laughed and told her "thanks for the pointer."
It was a wonderful afternoon / evening for which we were grateful. It was an experience to remember and we hope to have many more.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Deep South or Middle East?
We don't do the 1-hour church service over here. And we don't scatter right after church ends, either. Just because we're in the big city doesn't mean that we've forgotten what it means to be family.
Church takes up most of the day. And afterwards, everyone gets together for a big lunch - it usually lasts a while because we sit around talking, too. Cindy and I got home at around 4pm. And what did I eat today for lunch? Fried chicken - and then ice cream for dessert. Ahhhhhh.
WE HAVE JESUS AND COLONEL SANDERS IN DUBAI.
Church takes up most of the day. And afterwards, everyone gets together for a big lunch - it usually lasts a while because we sit around talking, too. Cindy and I got home at around 4pm. And what did I eat today for lunch? Fried chicken - and then ice cream for dessert. Ahhhhhh.
WE HAVE JESUS AND COLONEL SANDERS IN DUBAI.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
It's a Small World After All
by Cindy
It is true that we have moved almost 10,000 miles away from home. However, upon arrival, we have found that we are not that far from people who come from similar places.
Here are some stories of people we have met and where they are from...
Prior to leaving Lubbock, we were calling around about people we could connect with once we arrived in the UAE. One of the people we called had been in Lubbock the previous day to take his daughter for a campus visit at Texas Tech University.
We found our church in the UAE through a friend who used to travel through Lubbock once a year and then moved to Al Ain, UAE for two years.
When visiting a church in Dubai, we introduced ourselves only to figure out that the guy sitting next to us is a Texas Tech Alumni with family still in Snyder, TX (population 10,783).
The pastor of one of the churches here already knew about us before we visited. His mother-in-law lives in Lubbock and goes to a dentist there who is a good friend of ours from our church in Lubbock.
At yet another place in town, we ran into a guy who is originally from Denver City, TX (population 3,985).
One of my students recommended a hair salon in town so I called and made an appointment with the first available stylist - she's Egyptian but went to college in Austin and her best friend is from Arlington. We spent the whole time talking about things to do in Arlington, TX!
We headed to India for a friend's wedding only to find that a former colleague of mine was visiting the same city in India at the same time! Here's a pic of me and Maruti in Hyderabad. Maruti now lives in Coppell, TX and has been there for 20 years.
It is true that we have moved almost 10,000 miles away from home. However, upon arrival, we have found that we are not that far from people who come from similar places.
Here are some stories of people we have met and where they are from...
Prior to leaving Lubbock, we were calling around about people we could connect with once we arrived in the UAE. One of the people we called had been in Lubbock the previous day to take his daughter for a campus visit at Texas Tech University.
We found our church in the UAE through a friend who used to travel through Lubbock once a year and then moved to Al Ain, UAE for two years.
When visiting a church in Dubai, we introduced ourselves only to figure out that the guy sitting next to us is a Texas Tech Alumni with family still in Snyder, TX (population 10,783).
The pastor of one of the churches here already knew about us before we visited. His mother-in-law lives in Lubbock and goes to a dentist there who is a good friend of ours from our church in Lubbock.
At yet another place in town, we ran into a guy who is originally from Denver City, TX (population 3,985).
One of my students recommended a hair salon in town so I called and made an appointment with the first available stylist - she's Egyptian but went to college in Austin and her best friend is from Arlington. We spent the whole time talking about things to do in Arlington, TX!
We headed to India for a friend's wedding only to find that a former colleague of mine was visiting the same city in India at the same time! Here's a pic of me and Maruti in Hyderabad. Maruti now lives in Coppell, TX and has been there for 20 years.Even though we are far away, we have discovered it is a small world after all.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
There's No Place Like Home
by Cindy
Shortly after Jeff and I arrived we were wondering what it would take for this to feel like home. We didn't know if it would be a specific event, if one day we would wake up and feel "at home" or if over time we would gradually feel at home. I took a best guess and thought it might be when we were out and about in town and we began to run into people we know. I now know that for me, that makes it home.
This past weekend we headed into Sharjah to get our Emirate National ID. While waiting for our turn, we ran into a family that we know from campus. We had a great time 'chatting it up' (they are British) with them while we all waited. Once we finished up there, we headed to a mall in Dubai to get a gift for a family that had invited us into their home. While at the mall we ran into one of Jeff's students shopping with her mother.
In order to understand how unlikely this is, you have to first understand shopping in Dubai. There is more than 14 million square feet of shopping in the city. They do not just call them shopping malls but shopping resorts. The city boasts the largest mall in the world. To run into someone you know is not common at all.
So, I have decided that I am home. We are enjoying ourselves so much, why would we not call this home?
Shortly after Jeff and I arrived we were wondering what it would take for this to feel like home. We didn't know if it would be a specific event, if one day we would wake up and feel "at home" or if over time we would gradually feel at home. I took a best guess and thought it might be when we were out and about in town and we began to run into people we know. I now know that for me, that makes it home.
This past weekend we headed into Sharjah to get our Emirate National ID. While waiting for our turn, we ran into a family that we know from campus. We had a great time 'chatting it up' (they are British) with them while we all waited. Once we finished up there, we headed to a mall in Dubai to get a gift for a family that had invited us into their home. While at the mall we ran into one of Jeff's students shopping with her mother.
In order to understand how unlikely this is, you have to first understand shopping in Dubai. There is more than 14 million square feet of shopping in the city. They do not just call them shopping malls but shopping resorts. The city boasts the largest mall in the world. To run into someone you know is not common at all.
So, I have decided that I am home. We are enjoying ourselves so much, why would we not call this home?
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Single Ladies - Put a Ring on It
by Cindy
For any of you who have ever planned a wedding or been in a wedding you are aware of all of the details that go into the wedding. After visiting India, I thought I would add my American commentary to the wedding and comment on some of the experiences we had. Check out the pictures below or on my Facebook page.
· Assuming that all of the flowers at Naveen’s wedding were real, they dropped serious money on them. Flowers may be cheaper in India than in the States, but in the States, they would have spent well north of $100K on flowers alone.
· The wedding ceremony and reception were at Jaya Gardens, an outdoor venue in Hyderabad frequently used for weddings.
· As far as the ceremony goes, there was not a procession where her father gave her away but there were some similarities.
· The ceremony began with Naveen sitting in a chair and Kranthi on the floor behind him. Both were facing the guests. As the ceremony progressed, Naveen moved to the floor but still with his back to her. Eventually he turned around and at first there was a "sheet" being held up between them by family but eventually that sheet was removed and they were on the floor facing one another and eventually side by side.
· Part of the ceremony included a time where their clothes were stitched together symbolizing they had been married.
· There were presented as husband and wife and the receiving line began at that point. They had some really sweet chairs to sit in - they looked like thrones - I think American weddings should incorporate the chairs.
· It's common (at least in the part of India where we were) for married women to wear toe rings - usually one the second toe of each foot - to indicate that they are married.
· Also, married women almost always wear sarees. There are other forms of traditional Indian dress, but if you see an Indian woman in a saree, it usually means that she is married.
· There was NO point at which Jeff and I were left alone. We were constantly attended to by a family member or a very close friend of the family. When it came time for the receiving line, we were personally escorted. When it came time to eat, we simply sat down and people served us. When it came time to join the various ceremonies, we had seats at the front every time - seats of honor. It was an amazingly kind gesture, we really were honored to be there.
· To brag on my husband for a moment, apparently Naveen tried to have Jeff be a witness on the wedding certificate. It did not happen because you have to be an Indian National but I thought it was a great honor that Naveen would consider that and ask for it.
· There were 1,700 people that came to bless Naveen and Kranthi at some point through out the week long celebration. There was food and drink at every event - an abundant amount of food and drink at every event.
· There were three photographers and three videographers at the wedding ceremony and they filmed for hours. For each of the other five events, there was at least one photographer and one videographer. I cannot begin to count the number of pictures they will review or the number of hours they will watch video. At the very least, the event is well documented. Naveen and Kranthi will have many wonderful pictures to remember this beautiful celebration.
· Indian brides usually receive gold jewelry from family and friends as gifts before the wedding. As in, a LOT of gold jewelry. Kranthi wore probably about $100K in gold at the wedding. Each day she had on different jewelry. Here is an excerpt from a January 2009 National Geographic article about gold in India:
The gold ornaments come out of the velvet boxes one by one, family heirlooms that Nagavi, a 23-year-old Indian bride, always knew she would wear on her wedding day. The eldest daughter of a coffee plantation owner in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Nagavi grew up marveling at the weddings that mark the merger of two wealthy Indian families. But not until the morning of her own arranged wedding to the only son of another coffee plantation family does she understand just how achingly beautiful the golden tradition can be.
By the time Nagavi is ready for her wedding, the university graduate with a predilection for jeans and T-shirts has been transformed into an Indian princess, shimmering in gold. An exquisitely crafted hairpiece is so heavy—five and a half pounds of gold—that it pulls her head back. Three gold necklaces and a dozen bangles act as effective counterweights. Wrapped in an 18-foot-long sari woven with thread dipped in gold, Nagavi walks slowly out of her home, trying to keep her balance as she tosses rice over her head in a traditional gesture of farewell.
The gold treasures Nagavi wears—along with the jewelry and saris packed in the trunk of the SUV taking her to the wedding hall—are not a traditional dowry. In this circle of coffee growers around the town of Chikmagalur, unlike in many poorer parts of the country, it is considered unseemly for a groom's family to make explicit demands. "This is seen as my 'share' of the family wealth," says Nagavi, gazing at the millions of dollars of gold jewelry. As with any Indian wedding, the gold also serves to display the value she brings to the union. "With daughters, you have to start saving gold from the day they are born," says Nagavi's father, C. P. Ravi Shankar. "It's important to marry them off well."
Nowhere is the gold obsession more culturally entrenched than it is in India. Per capita income in this country of a billion people is $2,700, but it has been the world's runaway leader in gold demand for several decades. In 2007, India consumed 773.6 tons of gold, about 20 percent of the world gold market and more than double that purchased by either of its closest followers, China (363.3 tons) and the U.S. (278.1 tons). India produces very little gold of its own, but its citizens have hoarded up to 18,000 tons of the yellow metal—more than 40 times the amount held in the country's central bank.
India's fixation stems not simply from a love of extravagance or the rising prosperity of an emerging middle class. For Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians alike, gold plays a central role at nearly every turning point in life—most of all when a couple marries. There are some ten million weddings in India every year, and in all but a few, gold is crucial both to the spectacle and to the culturally freighted transaction between families and generations. "It's written into our DNA," says K. A. Babu, a manager at the Alapatt jewelry store in the southwestern city of Cochin. "Gold equals good fortune."
· After the wedding ceremony, Kranthi returned to her home to gather her belongings and then her female family members escorted her to Naveen’s home. Considering how long everything lasts, this happened at about 3AM. Oddly enough, Kranthi's visa is not ready yet so Naveen is returning to America without her and she will come on December 17th. After Naveen leaves India, Kranthi will return to her family home and stay there until she leaves for America.
For any of you who have ever planned a wedding or been in a wedding you are aware of all of the details that go into the wedding. After visiting India, I thought I would add my American commentary to the wedding and comment on some of the experiences we had. Check out the pictures below or on my Facebook page.
· Assuming that all of the flowers at Naveen’s wedding were real, they dropped serious money on them. Flowers may be cheaper in India than in the States, but in the States, they would have spent well north of $100K on flowers alone.
· The wedding ceremony and reception were at Jaya Gardens, an outdoor venue in Hyderabad frequently used for weddings.
· As far as the ceremony goes, there was not a procession where her father gave her away but there were some similarities.
· The ceremony began with Naveen sitting in a chair and Kranthi on the floor behind him. Both were facing the guests. As the ceremony progressed, Naveen moved to the floor but still with his back to her. Eventually he turned around and at first there was a "sheet" being held up between them by family but eventually that sheet was removed and they were on the floor facing one another and eventually side by side.
· Part of the ceremony included a time where their clothes were stitched together symbolizing they had been married.
· There were presented as husband and wife and the receiving line began at that point. They had some really sweet chairs to sit in - they looked like thrones - I think American weddings should incorporate the chairs.
· It's common (at least in the part of India where we were) for married women to wear toe rings - usually one the second toe of each foot - to indicate that they are married.
· Also, married women almost always wear sarees. There are other forms of traditional Indian dress, but if you see an Indian woman in a saree, it usually means that she is married.
· There was NO point at which Jeff and I were left alone. We were constantly attended to by a family member or a very close friend of the family. When it came time for the receiving line, we were personally escorted. When it came time to eat, we simply sat down and people served us. When it came time to join the various ceremonies, we had seats at the front every time - seats of honor. It was an amazingly kind gesture, we really were honored to be there.
· To brag on my husband for a moment, apparently Naveen tried to have Jeff be a witness on the wedding certificate. It did not happen because you have to be an Indian National but I thought it was a great honor that Naveen would consider that and ask for it.
· There were 1,700 people that came to bless Naveen and Kranthi at some point through out the week long celebration. There was food and drink at every event - an abundant amount of food and drink at every event.
· There were three photographers and three videographers at the wedding ceremony and they filmed for hours. For each of the other five events, there was at least one photographer and one videographer. I cannot begin to count the number of pictures they will review or the number of hours they will watch video. At the very least, the event is well documented. Naveen and Kranthi will have many wonderful pictures to remember this beautiful celebration.
· Indian brides usually receive gold jewelry from family and friends as gifts before the wedding. As in, a LOT of gold jewelry. Kranthi wore probably about $100K in gold at the wedding. Each day she had on different jewelry. Here is an excerpt from a January 2009 National Geographic article about gold in India:
The gold ornaments come out of the velvet boxes one by one, family heirlooms that Nagavi, a 23-year-old Indian bride, always knew she would wear on her wedding day. The eldest daughter of a coffee plantation owner in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Nagavi grew up marveling at the weddings that mark the merger of two wealthy Indian families. But not until the morning of her own arranged wedding to the only son of another coffee plantation family does she understand just how achingly beautiful the golden tradition can be.
By the time Nagavi is ready for her wedding, the university graduate with a predilection for jeans and T-shirts has been transformed into an Indian princess, shimmering in gold. An exquisitely crafted hairpiece is so heavy—five and a half pounds of gold—that it pulls her head back. Three gold necklaces and a dozen bangles act as effective counterweights. Wrapped in an 18-foot-long sari woven with thread dipped in gold, Nagavi walks slowly out of her home, trying to keep her balance as she tosses rice over her head in a traditional gesture of farewell.
The gold treasures Nagavi wears—along with the jewelry and saris packed in the trunk of the SUV taking her to the wedding hall—are not a traditional dowry. In this circle of coffee growers around the town of Chikmagalur, unlike in many poorer parts of the country, it is considered unseemly for a groom's family to make explicit demands. "This is seen as my 'share' of the family wealth," says Nagavi, gazing at the millions of dollars of gold jewelry. As with any Indian wedding, the gold also serves to display the value she brings to the union. "With daughters, you have to start saving gold from the day they are born," says Nagavi's father, C. P. Ravi Shankar. "It's important to marry them off well."
Nowhere is the gold obsession more culturally entrenched than it is in India. Per capita income in this country of a billion people is $2,700, but it has been the world's runaway leader in gold demand for several decades. In 2007, India consumed 773.6 tons of gold, about 20 percent of the world gold market and more than double that purchased by either of its closest followers, China (363.3 tons) and the U.S. (278.1 tons). India produces very little gold of its own, but its citizens have hoarded up to 18,000 tons of the yellow metal—more than 40 times the amount held in the country's central bank.
India's fixation stems not simply from a love of extravagance or the rising prosperity of an emerging middle class. For Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians alike, gold plays a central role at nearly every turning point in life—most of all when a couple marries. There are some ten million weddings in India every year, and in all but a few, gold is crucial both to the spectacle and to the culturally freighted transaction between families and generations. "It's written into our DNA," says K. A. Babu, a manager at the Alapatt jewelry store in the southwestern city of Cochin. "Gold equals good fortune."
· After the wedding ceremony, Kranthi returned to her home to gather her belongings and then her female family members escorted her to Naveen’s home. Considering how long everything lasts, this happened at about 3AM. Oddly enough, Kranthi's visa is not ready yet so Naveen is returning to America without her and she will come on December 17th. After Naveen leaves India, Kranthi will return to her family home and stay there until she leaves for America.
We were very blessed to have attended and there was not a moment that went by that we didn't know that they were blessed to have us there. We have some memories that will last a lifetime and look forward to seeing Naveen and Kranthi again - but who knows where that will be!!
India
Cindy and I went to Hyderabad, India this past week. We attended the wedding of one of my friends, Naveen Gudigantala. Naveen and I met at Texas Tech where we both went though the Ph.D. program together. Cindy and I had a great time and we’re definitely planning on going back to India soon. Here’s a little info on what we did, where we went, and what the wedding was like.
Day 1 – Wednesday – The Marriage Ceremony
We flew out of Sharjah at 12:05am. The flight to Hyderabad was a little over 3 hours, so we landed at 5:30am local time and were met by the driver that Naveen and his family hired for us (this is a necessity in India - if you think we should have just rented a car, you've never been to India. Naveen doesn't even drive there anymore). We headed into town to check into the Marriott. Cindy and I got some sleep, had a fantastic lunch of local Indian cuisine at the hotel, and took afternoon tea. We arrived at the (Hindu) marriage ceremony at 6:30pm. We were escorted to the front of the tent where the ceremony was being held, and were seated in the first row on the left-hand side (where the bride’s parents would sit in a wedding back in the States). We were definitely treated like guests of honor. Not everyone showed up exactly at 6:30, but by the time the wedding ended, there were 1,200 people there. Naveen and his bride, Kranthi, were both seated on the stage at the front of the wedding tent. About 40 family members were seated around them on stage – with many of them coming and going throughout the ceremony to greet guests as they arrived.
I have no idea what the priest was saying/reading/doing since I don’t speak Telugu, Hindi, or Sanskrit, but the marriage rites lasted about 2 hours. There was a band of traditional Indian musicians that played every 10 minutes or so as the priest directed them. Then, after the marriage rites were concluded, there was a receiving line where Naveen and Kranthi stood on the stage, while the guests filed past them and sprinkled rice and flowers on their heads as a blessing. It appeared that less-important guests filed past first, with more important people coming towards the end. Many of the people who came through at the end paused to have a picture taken with the couple. We were told to wait until near the end at which time Naveen’s father personally escorted us up to the couple. Here are our pictures with them.
After the ceremony, and after going through the receiving line, we went back to another nearby tent for dinner. There were two tents for the reception, one of which had seating and the other of which had all of the buffet items – salads, Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food, desserts, and even ice cream, cotton candy, and popcorn for kids. Here are a few pictures of the “reception”. We left the reception at about 11pm.
Day 2 – Thursday – The Puja
On this day, we went to the “puja” – a religious ceremony at Naveen’s home. We sat around and visited with Naveen and his family for about 30 minutes before the puja started. They had a priest come to the home who told stories about their gods, and then instructed Naveen and Kranthi about how to be a good husband and a good wife. After this, Naveen, Kranthi, their families, and the guests burned incense and presented offerings (flowers, rice, coconuts, fruit) to their family god. The puja lasted from about 10:00am to 1pm. Here are some pictures.
After the puja, everyone went outside for more photos with the couple and for some food. They had the entire street in front of their villa blocked off and a tent erected for the party (maybe 50 yards long and stretching across the street). There were some people that came both Wednesday night and Thursday, but all told, there were about 1,600 people who came to the wedding, the puja, or both. Here are some more pictures.
One of the best parts of the day was that Naveen and his family got us some traditional Indian wedding clothes which they presented to us in a quick but formal ceremony. I’m not sure what you call my outfit, but Cindy’s is a saree (or sari). We absolutely loved getting to wear the clothes and get our pictures taken with everyone. They couldn’t have picked better colors for either of us. We think that as much as we liked it, the Indians liked it even more. Many of them did not speak English but we picked up “wow”, “beautiful” and “lovely.” They were definitely excited to see us wearing their traditional dress.
Day 3 – Friday – Around Hyderabad
Naveen’s family prepared an itinerary for us on this day. It was nice to have someone who knew exactly where to go and what sites we should see. We started the morning at the Birla Mandir Hindu temple in Tirupati. The temple was a beautiful marble structure (which is apparently a replica of another, more famous temple about 700km away that is made of gold). After that, we went to the Charminar district of Hyderabad, the oldest part of the city.
Then, we went to the Golconda Fort and the Qutub Tombs. You may not have heard of these, but if you have ever seen photographs of India or movies set in the tropical part of India (i.e., none of the buildings you saw were the Taj Mahal), this is what you saw. It was gorgeous. Here are some photos.
After this, we went shopping. We never go shopping when we travel, never. Not when we went to China, not in Paris or London or New York or Montreal, but we did today. We went to a shop for Cindy to look at more sarees. She didn’t buy any more sarees, but she did find some bangles to go with the sari she was given for the wedding. After that, we went pearl-shopping (Hyderabad is a major center of the global pearl trade, with 9 out of every 10 pearls sold in the world passing through here on the way to retailers. The craftsmanship of the merchants who drill, string, and mount pearls here is world-renowned). Cindy found a great necklace and earrings for an insane price. We also went by a couple of bakeries to pick up some local goodies.
Then, on Friday night, we had one final wedding function to attend, a dinner with the bride’s family at a local hotel. As usual, the food was abundant and outstanding. Again, we were treated as honored guests.
Day 4 – Saturday – Hyderabad and then Home
We had breakfast with Maruti, a work associate of Cindy’s who lives in Dallas. It was just coincidence that he happened to be in Hyderabad on business. So after breakfast, we went around to a couple more stores to shop, then headed to the airport for the flight back home. after being delayed at the airport, we ended up back in Sharjah at around midnight.
We were expecting a great trip and it was even better than we could have hoped. We're already planning to head back to India in the near future.
Day 1 – Wednesday – The Marriage Ceremony
We flew out of Sharjah at 12:05am. The flight to Hyderabad was a little over 3 hours, so we landed at 5:30am local time and were met by the driver that Naveen and his family hired for us (this is a necessity in India - if you think we should have just rented a car, you've never been to India. Naveen doesn't even drive there anymore). We headed into town to check into the Marriott. Cindy and I got some sleep, had a fantastic lunch of local Indian cuisine at the hotel, and took afternoon tea. We arrived at the (Hindu) marriage ceremony at 6:30pm. We were escorted to the front of the tent where the ceremony was being held, and were seated in the first row on the left-hand side (where the bride’s parents would sit in a wedding back in the States). We were definitely treated like guests of honor. Not everyone showed up exactly at 6:30, but by the time the wedding ended, there were 1,200 people there. Naveen and his bride, Kranthi, were both seated on the stage at the front of the wedding tent. About 40 family members were seated around them on stage – with many of them coming and going throughout the ceremony to greet guests as they arrived.
I have no idea what the priest was saying/reading/doing since I don’t speak Telugu, Hindi, or Sanskrit, but the marriage rites lasted about 2 hours. There was a band of traditional Indian musicians that played every 10 minutes or so as the priest directed them. Then, after the marriage rites were concluded, there was a receiving line where Naveen and Kranthi stood on the stage, while the guests filed past them and sprinkled rice and flowers on their heads as a blessing. It appeared that less-important guests filed past first, with more important people coming towards the end. Many of the people who came through at the end paused to have a picture taken with the couple. We were told to wait until near the end at which time Naveen’s father personally escorted us up to the couple. Here are our pictures with them.
After the ceremony, and after going through the receiving line, we went back to another nearby tent for dinner. There were two tents for the reception, one of which had seating and the other of which had all of the buffet items – salads, Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food, desserts, and even ice cream, cotton candy, and popcorn for kids. Here are a few pictures of the “reception”. We left the reception at about 11pm.
Day 2 – Thursday – The Puja
On this day, we went to the “puja” – a religious ceremony at Naveen’s home. We sat around and visited with Naveen and his family for about 30 minutes before the puja started. They had a priest come to the home who told stories about their gods, and then instructed Naveen and Kranthi about how to be a good husband and a good wife. After this, Naveen, Kranthi, their families, and the guests burned incense and presented offerings (flowers, rice, coconuts, fruit) to their family god. The puja lasted from about 10:00am to 1pm. Here are some pictures.
After the puja, everyone went outside for more photos with the couple and for some food. They had the entire street in front of their villa blocked off and a tent erected for the party (maybe 50 yards long and stretching across the street). There were some people that came both Wednesday night and Thursday, but all told, there were about 1,600 people who came to the wedding, the puja, or both. Here are some more pictures.
One of the best parts of the day was that Naveen and his family got us some traditional Indian wedding clothes which they presented to us in a quick but formal ceremony. I’m not sure what you call my outfit, but Cindy’s is a saree (or sari). We absolutely loved getting to wear the clothes and get our pictures taken with everyone. They couldn’t have picked better colors for either of us. We think that as much as we liked it, the Indians liked it even more. Many of them did not speak English but we picked up “wow”, “beautiful” and “lovely.” They were definitely excited to see us wearing their traditional dress.
Day 3 – Friday – Around Hyderabad
Naveen’s family prepared an itinerary for us on this day. It was nice to have someone who knew exactly where to go and what sites we should see. We started the morning at the Birla Mandir Hindu temple in Tirupati. The temple was a beautiful marble structure (which is apparently a replica of another, more famous temple about 700km away that is made of gold). After that, we went to the Charminar district of Hyderabad, the oldest part of the city.
Then, we went to the Golconda Fort and the Qutub Tombs. You may not have heard of these, but if you have ever seen photographs of India or movies set in the tropical part of India (i.e., none of the buildings you saw were the Taj Mahal), this is what you saw. It was gorgeous. Here are some photos.
After this, we went shopping. We never go shopping when we travel, never. Not when we went to China, not in Paris or London or New York or Montreal, but we did today. We went to a shop for Cindy to look at more sarees. She didn’t buy any more sarees, but she did find some bangles to go with the sari she was given for the wedding. After that, we went pearl-shopping (Hyderabad is a major center of the global pearl trade, with 9 out of every 10 pearls sold in the world passing through here on the way to retailers. The craftsmanship of the merchants who drill, string, and mount pearls here is world-renowned). Cindy found a great necklace and earrings for an insane price. We also went by a couple of bakeries to pick up some local goodies.
Then, on Friday night, we had one final wedding function to attend, a dinner with the bride’s family at a local hotel. As usual, the food was abundant and outstanding. Again, we were treated as honored guests.
Day 4 – Saturday – Hyderabad and then Home
We had breakfast with Maruti, a work associate of Cindy’s who lives in Dallas. It was just coincidence that he happened to be in Hyderabad on business. So after breakfast, we went around to a couple more stores to shop, then headed to the airport for the flight back home. after being delayed at the airport, we ended up back in Sharjah at around midnight.
We were expecting a great trip and it was even better than we could have hoped. We're already planning to head back to India in the near future.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sin Bin
OK - so I think that most of you know that Muslims don't eat pork. And so most of you are probably wondering if it's possible to get bacon, sausage, and ham over here. The answer is yes. Grocery stores often have a "Pork Shop" or "Pork Room" that's separate from the rest of the store. It's generally very clearly marked (in English and Arabic) so that no Muslim would accidentally become unclean by entering or purchasing pork. Here's a picture from one store we've been to.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Ana bihki Arabi
by Cindy
We started Arabic classes this week. The honeymoon is over! They have some crazy consonant combinations as well as a lot of guttural sounds. And reading and writing from right to left, that is hard in and of itself. The University has two classes - "The Alphabet, Numbers and Writing" and "Conversational Arabic." I am taking both classes and Jeff is taking the reading and writing class. I have yet to study or do my homework for this week and class meets tomorrow night. I can already tell I am going to be a bad student. If only blogging about class actually counted as studying.
For the Alphabet class, we learned how to write and say the first three letters and how they link or connect to the other letters. There are 28 letters in the alphabet but each letter is different depending on whether it is in the initial, medial or final position or if it stands alone. In other words 28 * 4 = 112 letters. Honeymoon is over.
The conversation class is even more difficult. We are learning crazy sounds and we have to practice in class so the instructor can "grade" us on our performance. One of the first words we learned was btihki, which means "do you speak?" The issue is that there are no silent letters so you have to pronounce the b and t as well as the h and k together. It does not exactly roll off of your tongue. All in all it is a fun class and we laugh a lot. I know I will get out of it what I put into it so I need to go study. I will leave you with a joke I heard not long ago:
What do you call a person who speaks three languages?
Answer: Trilingual
What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
Answer: Bilingual
What do you call a person who speaks one language?
Answer: American.
We started Arabic classes this week. The honeymoon is over! They have some crazy consonant combinations as well as a lot of guttural sounds. And reading and writing from right to left, that is hard in and of itself. The University has two classes - "The Alphabet, Numbers and Writing" and "Conversational Arabic." I am taking both classes and Jeff is taking the reading and writing class. I have yet to study or do my homework for this week and class meets tomorrow night. I can already tell I am going to be a bad student. If only blogging about class actually counted as studying.
For the Alphabet class, we learned how to write and say the first three letters and how they link or connect to the other letters. There are 28 letters in the alphabet but each letter is different depending on whether it is in the initial, medial or final position or if it stands alone. In other words 28 * 4 = 112 letters. Honeymoon is over.
The conversation class is even more difficult. We are learning crazy sounds and we have to practice in class so the instructor can "grade" us on our performance. One of the first words we learned was btihki, which means "do you speak?" The issue is that there are no silent letters so you have to pronounce the b and t as well as the h and k together. It does not exactly roll off of your tongue. All in all it is a fun class and we laugh a lot. I know I will get out of it what I put into it so I need to go study. I will leave you with a joke I heard not long ago:
What do you call a person who speaks three languages?
Answer: Trilingual
What do you call a person who speaks two languages?
Answer: Bilingual
What do you call a person who speaks one language?
Answer: American.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Women
by Cindy
Many of you have had questions about women and the way women are treated and perceived. We definitely plan to pass along our insights on that. For now, just a personal experience on how women are treated.
The University has a wonderful system where you can get a lot of government documents (visas, driving licenses, etc.) on campus. One of the services they provide is a local Police Officer who comes to campus to process your drivers license. However, campus was closed for the week following Ramadan, and so Jeff and I decided we would set out for the local Traffic Office to get my license on our own. Our first attempt was unsuccessful as they were still closed for the holiday. We set our again a couple of days later and did better. When we walked in we immediately saw the "Ladies Services" room so I headed that way. Many public places have separate lines and/or rooms for women. Some in the West might regard this as discrimination, but over here, it's more like chivalry. Women shouldn't have to associate with men and should have a special line that (generally) moves faster than the men's line. That way they can return home quickly and minimize their exposure to the "hassles" of city life.
Since I was headed to "Ladies Services", this left me to take the journey on my own and Jeff could only sit in the lobby and wait. The windows are mirrored glass so he couldn't even see inside. The receptionist told me I needed to fill out a form, in Arabic, and once complete, they would process my license. I told her the obvious, "I don't know Arabic" and she told me "behind the building." They tell you these things and, right or wrong, I say "okay" and walk away. I figure that since I am an educated woman, I can figure this out.... I leave the women's area and find Jeff, "I need to go behind the building." Jeff points to an information desk and so I show that guy the form, tell him I need it in Arabic and ask him where I should go. "Behind the building, typist." I now have two sources telling me to go behind the building and now I think I am looking for a typist. Off I go - behind the building. Yep - there are four areas, all clearly labeled for Typing Services, so I choose the one for me - License. They speak great English, tell me the forms they need and then talk in Arabic about the price I should pay. It started at 10Dirhams, went to 15 Dirhams and they finally settled on 20 Dirhams ($5.45 - even if I was being overcharged, it's still no big deal). About 10 minutes later, I now have my form in hand and head back to the Ladies Services receptionist.
She points to the room across from her so I go get in line. I know I need to take a vision test to get my license and I see the big E on the wall so I assume I'm in the right place. The traffic Officer / Ambulance person working in this room is nice, her uncle lives in Texas and she hopes to visit on her next holiday. About 10 minutes later I pass my eye exam, get my blood typed (they do that everywhere here, not sure why) and she adds to my bundle of papers. I head back to the receptionist who this time points to her right. I go to that desk and she says, "no" and gestures even further right. I go to the next desk and receive a nod of approval. This lady takes my paperwork, tells me to sit down and spends the next 20 minutes texting and talking on her phone. She had an earpiece to her phone tucked behind her shaila (head scarf) so when her cell would ring, she would pick up her desk phone and hold it to the ear that didn't have the earpiece to act like she was talking on her desk phone (but it was really her cell phone). Then when she wanted to text, she would hold up a piece of paper to block everyone from seeing what she was doing. I just sat and watched and waited.
I thought I had brought all of the necessary paperwork with me - 1) a "no objection letter" from my husband, 2) two pictures, 3) passport with residence visa and 4) 140 Dirhams. The first thing she asked for was a piece of paper I didn't have - a copy of my sponsor's passport. So I head out to find Jeff and get his passport. She tells me she needs a copy of it and I can go back to the typist and pay them for a copy. Luckily Jeff already had a copy so I take that back to her. After more texting and talking, she hands me my paperwork and tells me to, "go next door, in the middle, to reception, get signature."
"Okay."
I find Jeff, we head next door. Next door turns out to be the men's area for licensing so I guess they assumed I didn't mind mixing with the opposite sex. We found a desk and the officer immediately helped me over all of the men crowding around. I said I needed "a signature" to which he responded "okay" and walked into the office behind the desk. About five minutes later another officer showed up, helped me first, and went looking for the first officer. In another three minutes, a third officer showed up, helped me first, and took off looking for the first two officers. He almost immediately returned and handed me my bundle of paperwork.
She then sends me back to the receptionist to print my license. I wait for about 45 minutes for her to print it out but alas, after paying a little more than I should have, I am a legal driver in the UAE!
At this point, Jeff and I assume that I have what I need and I return to Ladies Services to hand off my paperwork to the texting worker. She again tells me to sit. Eventually she takes my money, 190 Dirhams (note that it is 50 more than I should have paid) and asks for my sponsor's phone number. She completes the transaction and both Jeff and I receive this text message.
She then sends me back to the receptionist to print my license. I wait for about 45 minutes for her to print it out but alas, after paying a little more than I should have, I am a legal driver in the UAE!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
New Car
by Cindy (and some by Jeff)
Jeff and I were convinced that we would get a SUV once we arrived in Dubai. If you know anything about how they drive over here, the more metal around you the better off you will be. We were so convinced that we drove several SUVs before we left the States so that we could pull the trigger pretty quickly once we arrived.
Once we got over here, we found that the models of cars here are not exactly the same as the models of cars in the USA. Plus, there can be a significant difference in the pricing, depending on the car. We had assumed that things would be cheaper over here - based on what several friends had told us and what we had read online. This wasn't necessarily so.
For instance, we thought that we were interested in getting a Toyota Prado. It's an SUV that isn't sold in the States by Toyota. In the US, it's the Lexus GX. Same vehicle - same frame, styling, options, ride, etc. Everything - same. So we thought, "Wow, the Lexus GX is a great vehicle; the Prado should be about $10K less in the UAE since it has a Toyota badge on it instead of the 'L'." We had pretty much made up our minds about this vehicle before we moved. We just needed to find a dealership and write a check.
Nice, huh? Only there was no discount for buying a Toyota rather than a Lexus. Everybody wants a white SUV over here. And the Prado is more or less at the top of the heap (until you move up to Range Rovers and BMWs).
So at this point, Jeff got anxious about the Prado because of price (same as a Lexus back in the States) and Cindy wasn't crazy about some of the options (What - no keyless entry?). So then Jeff started thinking used, and Cindy started thinking about other SUVs, and our agreement fizzled into argument. [not bad arguments, just mild ones - don't worry, we're fine - this story has a happy ending - keep reading].
Anyhow, after disagreements about options, styling of vehicles, prices, etc., etc., Jeff and I were at an impasse - we could not agree on which SUV to get. So we dropped the SUV altogether and went back to sedans. We liked our car in Lubbock and so we started looking around for similar vehicles.
We landed on a used 2009 Volvo S80. We were fortunate that it only had 10,000 Kms (6,000 miles) on it. It even still smells new. We were totally hooked when we got a whiff of the new car smell. It seems that a British expat owned it and for whatever reason, had to sell it right after s/he bought it. We are happy to be the new owners and while it is not as big or dominating as an SUV, it is safe!
As you can see, it's a steel gray color. It has a tan interior and all of the bells and whistles. We love it. Come visit us, and we will take you for a ride.
Jeff and I were convinced that we would get a SUV once we arrived in Dubai. If you know anything about how they drive over here, the more metal around you the better off you will be. We were so convinced that we drove several SUVs before we left the States so that we could pull the trigger pretty quickly once we arrived.
Once we got over here, we found that the models of cars here are not exactly the same as the models of cars in the USA. Plus, there can be a significant difference in the pricing, depending on the car. We had assumed that things would be cheaper over here - based on what several friends had told us and what we had read online. This wasn't necessarily so.
For instance, we thought that we were interested in getting a Toyota Prado. It's an SUV that isn't sold in the States by Toyota. In the US, it's the Lexus GX. Same vehicle - same frame, styling, options, ride, etc. Everything - same. So we thought, "Wow, the Lexus GX is a great vehicle; the Prado should be about $10K less in the UAE since it has a Toyota badge on it instead of the 'L'." We had pretty much made up our minds about this vehicle before we moved. We just needed to find a dealership and write a check.
Nice, huh? Only there was no discount for buying a Toyota rather than a Lexus. Everybody wants a white SUV over here. And the Prado is more or less at the top of the heap (until you move up to Range Rovers and BMWs).
So at this point, Jeff got anxious about the Prado because of price (same as a Lexus back in the States) and Cindy wasn't crazy about some of the options (What - no keyless entry?). So then Jeff started thinking used, and Cindy started thinking about other SUVs, and our agreement fizzled into argument. [not bad arguments, just mild ones - don't worry, we're fine - this story has a happy ending - keep reading].
Anyhow, after disagreements about options, styling of vehicles, prices, etc., etc., Jeff and I were at an impasse - we could not agree on which SUV to get. So we dropped the SUV altogether and went back to sedans. We liked our car in Lubbock and so we started looking around for similar vehicles.
We landed on a used 2009 Volvo S80. We were fortunate that it only had 10,000 Kms (6,000 miles) on it. It even still smells new. We were totally hooked when we got a whiff of the new car smell. It seems that a British expat owned it and for whatever reason, had to sell it right after s/he bought it. We are happy to be the new owners and while it is not as big or dominating as an SUV, it is safe!
As you can see, it's a steel gray color. It has a tan interior and all of the bells and whistles. We love it. Come visit us, and we will take you for a ride.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Same Kind of Different As Me
by Cindy
Well we have been here for about four weeks now and we have made a few observations. Who knows if these will play out to be true over time but here's what we have for now.
What's the Same on Campus
Well we have been here for about four weeks now and we have made a few observations. Who knows if these will play out to be true over time but here's what we have for now.
What's the Same on Campus
- Students - they are a lot like they are in Lubbock - here are some more details...
- Skipping class - yep, students do that everywhere.
- Clothes - same designer brands here. If anything, there is more high fashion here.
- Campus - big buildings and lots of room to walk.
- Cussing - we have heard every word in the book in English, no telling what Arabic cuss words we are missing out on!
What's Different on Campus
- Backpacks - no one here really carries a back pack, the women all carry purses and men generally don't have anything.
- iPods - they are not plugged in everywhere they go. Everyone walks in groups and talks the whole time. They are much more social.
- Call to prayer. We hear it all over town as well as campus.
- Names! They have sounds and letter combinations that we don't have in English. It has been a challenge to learn and (correctly) pronounce everyone's names!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Ramadan - Part III
Ramadan is over-commercialized. Sound familiar?
THIS AD IS FOR AN ELECTRONICS CHAIN IN THE UAE (PRETTY SIMILAR TO BESTBUY). EID IS THE HOLIDAY AT THE END OF RAMADAN AND "EID MUBARAK" MEANS "HAPPY EID."
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
High-End
One thing we've discovered is that since Cindy and I teach at a private University, we've got some rich kids running around. And I mean rich. Here are a few stories - all of them are true.
Exhibit 1 - Cindy is teaching her class - talking to her students about how some companies differentiate themselves from their competitors by becoming "luxury" brands. She uses Mercedes-Benz as an example. Her students are taken aback and say "Mercedes are for common people. Lamborghini and Aston Martin - they make luxury cars." [this is an actual quote] . Here's a shot of some nice "middle-class" kids' cars.
At least they get the concept.
Exhibit 3 - Cindy notices one of her 18-year old sophomore students carrying a nice purse. Cindy thinks, "I wish I could find that bag in black - it's exactly what I've been looking for." So after class, Cindy heads back to her office, finds the bag online, and discovers that it's a $14,000 Hermes. FOURTEEN THOUSAND!!!
So basically, I'm saying that while the girls are all wearing black abayas and headscarves, they're carrying Gucci, Chanel, or Louis Vuitton bags. They have designer jeans and heels poking out from under the abayas. The Emirati guys have Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Jack Spade messenger bags. Not everybody rolls like that, but definitely more than at any school I've ever been to. So that's kind of crazy. We've got preppy Arab kids. It's like the SMU of the Middle East.
Exhibit 1 - Cindy is teaching her class - talking to her students about how some companies differentiate themselves from their competitors by becoming "luxury" brands. She uses Mercedes-Benz as an example. Her students are taken aback and say "Mercedes are for common people. Lamborghini and Aston Martin - they make luxury cars." [this is an actual quote] . Here's a shot of some nice "middle-class" kids' cars.
FROM RIGHT TO LEFT - MERCEDES, INFINITI, INFINITI, BMW, AND LEXUS.
-
Exhibit 2 - Cindy is still talking about brand differentiation in her class and is explaining that Emirates airlines (one of the national airlines over here) markets themselves as a luxury airline with great service. The students respond with, "A real luxury airline is Marquis Jet, not Emirates airlines."
At least they get the concept.
Exhibit 3 - Cindy notices one of her 18-year old sophomore students carrying a nice purse. Cindy thinks, "I wish I could find that bag in black - it's exactly what I've been looking for." So after class, Cindy heads back to her office, finds the bag online, and discovers that it's a $14,000 Hermes. FOURTEEN THOUSAND!!!
So basically, I'm saying that while the girls are all wearing black abayas and headscarves, they're carrying Gucci, Chanel, or Louis Vuitton bags. They have designer jeans and heels poking out from under the abayas. The Emirati guys have Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Jack Spade messenger bags. Not everybody rolls like that, but definitely more than at any school I've ever been to. So that's kind of crazy. We've got preppy Arab kids. It's like the SMU of the Middle East.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Ramadan - Part II
by Cindy
This is a typical greeting you might receive during Ramadan. The other common greeting is a picture with your family or just your kids. Look and sound familiar?
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year. It is the Islamic month of fasting, when Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise until sunset - with the intention of learning patience, modesty and spirituality from this practice. It's a time when Muslims (the UAE is about 96% Muslim) ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. The celebrate Ramadan because they believe it to be the month in which the first verses of the Qu'ran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The closest thing I can compare it to for Christians is the observance of Lent.
The dates for Ramadan change each year because Muslims follow a lunar calendar rather than a solar calendar, but this year, Ramadan lasted from August 22 to September 19. Next year, Ramdan will move forward by about 11 days.
So what is Ramadan like for Muslims? Here are four of the most obvious ways. First, most Muslims wake at around 3:30 or 4am to have a substantial breakfast before morning prayers at around 4:30am. Second, the workday is shortened for everyone (by law) from 8 hours to 6 hours. That way Muslims who are fasting can get in a little siesta. Third, after sunset and after evening prayer, at around 6:30pm, everyone will break their fast with a large dinner, called an Iftar. Ramadan is a time of the year to be with family and friends - similar to the way Christians want to spend Christmas with family - and so most families gather each evening for their Iftar or afterward to spend time together. Everybody ends up becoming a little more nocturnal during Ramadan.
So what is it like for non-Muslims like Cindy and I to live here during Ramadan? Well, it's different. Because most people are active in the morning and evening but sleeping during part of the afternoon, most businesses change their hours. For instance, Cindy and I have been car-shopping and we were surprised to hear that most dealerships are open from about 9-12 in the morning, and then again from 9-12 at night. Most stores and shops have similar hours. So it takes some planning to get used to the adjusted schedule. It was a little hard to convince ourselves to head out to car-shop at 9 at night - usually that's when we're winding down for the day - but that's what we did.
Also, because most people are fasting, it is considered highly offensive for people who aren't fasting to eat or drink in public during daytime. Restaurants are required by law to close during the daylight hours (some will still do carryout, however). And the University where I work has a special room set aside where non-Muslim faculty, staff, and students to go to eat their lunches and snacks. Not a big deal, but you just have to plan what you're taking for lunch a little more carefully - you can't just run over to the campus Burger King like usual.
The other big difference is Iftar. Since most of the country is fasting, dinner becomes a major event every day. Restaurants and hotels go all-out for Iftar buffets. We hear that most Muslims put on weight during Ramadan (kind of like the holidays back home :) - I'm waiting to see if gyms run post-Ramadan specials). Even non-Muslims attend Iftars - and the meals are pretty impressive. Below are some pictures of some of the simpler Iftars that we went to with fellow faculty members. We also went to a couple of full-on five-star Iftar buffets. More than anything, we enjoyed the Iftars as a way to get together with people and start to make some new friends.
Enjoy the pictures and let us know if you have any questions.
PS - The bald guy in the foreground on the right is Kevin, the guy who led us to the "teahouse." [If you missed that story, look for the post from earlier in September entitled "Misadventure #1"].
The dates for Ramadan change each year because Muslims follow a lunar calendar rather than a solar calendar, but this year, Ramadan lasted from August 22 to September 19. Next year, Ramdan will move forward by about 11 days.
So what is Ramadan like for Muslims? Here are four of the most obvious ways. First, most Muslims wake at around 3:30 or 4am to have a substantial breakfast before morning prayers at around 4:30am. Second, the workday is shortened for everyone (by law) from 8 hours to 6 hours. That way Muslims who are fasting can get in a little siesta. Third, after sunset and after evening prayer, at around 6:30pm, everyone will break their fast with a large dinner, called an Iftar. Ramadan is a time of the year to be with family and friends - similar to the way Christians want to spend Christmas with family - and so most families gather each evening for their Iftar or afterward to spend time together. Everybody ends up becoming a little more nocturnal during Ramadan.
So what is it like for non-Muslims like Cindy and I to live here during Ramadan? Well, it's different. Because most people are active in the morning and evening but sleeping during part of the afternoon, most businesses change their hours. For instance, Cindy and I have been car-shopping and we were surprised to hear that most dealerships are open from about 9-12 in the morning, and then again from 9-12 at night. Most stores and shops have similar hours. So it takes some planning to get used to the adjusted schedule. It was a little hard to convince ourselves to head out to car-shop at 9 at night - usually that's when we're winding down for the day - but that's what we did.
Also, because most people are fasting, it is considered highly offensive for people who aren't fasting to eat or drink in public during daytime. Restaurants are required by law to close during the daylight hours (some will still do carryout, however). And the University where I work has a special room set aside where non-Muslim faculty, staff, and students to go to eat their lunches and snacks. Not a big deal, but you just have to plan what you're taking for lunch a little more carefully - you can't just run over to the campus Burger King like usual.
The other big difference is Iftar. Since most of the country is fasting, dinner becomes a major event every day. Restaurants and hotels go all-out for Iftar buffets. We hear that most Muslims put on weight during Ramadan (kind of like the holidays back home :) - I'm waiting to see if gyms run post-Ramadan specials). Even non-Muslims attend Iftars - and the meals are pretty impressive. Below are some pictures of some of the simpler Iftars that we went to with fellow faculty members. We also went to a couple of full-on five-star Iftar buffets. More than anything, we enjoyed the Iftars as a way to get together with people and start to make some new friends.
Enjoy the pictures and let us know if you have any questions.
PS - The bald guy in the foreground on the right is Kevin, the guy who led us to the "teahouse." [If you missed that story, look for the post from earlier in September entitled "Misadventure #1"].
My Crib
Housing has been the one big frustration for us in this move. We feel like everything else has been "as promised," but housing has not. We were told before we moved that we would be in a 2-bedroom apartment or townhome on campus. We saw pictures, talked to people, and felt like it would be a nice place to live. We were excited.
After we arrived, we found out that our housing was not ready and that we would be in a hotel "until some construction is finished." We were told that it should be a matter of weeks, but could stretch into months. I could make this story longer, but that is the gist of it.
The hotel that we stayed in was OK. It was clean, it was across from the beach, we had two meals per day provided. About a dozen of us from the University were at the hotel. There was a bus to and from school each day. So we made it work.
After one month of hotel life, we are now on campus. They still do not have the two bedroom ready for us but the one bedroom is nice and we are very glad to be on campus. So the bottom line is that we're "happier" with our housing situation, but not completely "happy." Nevertheless, we like our new place. We have a 10 minute walk to work or a five minute bus ride. Here are some pictures.
After we arrived, we found out that our housing was not ready and that we would be in a hotel "until some construction is finished." We were told that it should be a matter of weeks, but could stretch into months. I could make this story longer, but that is the gist of it.
The hotel that we stayed in was OK. It was clean, it was across from the beach, we had two meals per day provided. About a dozen of us from the University were at the hotel. There was a bus to and from school each day. So we made it work.
After one month of hotel life, we are now on campus. They still do not have the two bedroom ready for us but the one bedroom is nice and we are very glad to be on campus. So the bottom line is that we're "happier" with our housing situation, but not completely "happy." Nevertheless, we like our new place. We have a 10 minute walk to work or a five minute bus ride. Here are some pictures.
OUR APARTMENT: J06
BATHROOM - WE'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE BIDET IN FUTURE POSTS :)
KING SIZE BED
DINING AREA
KITCHEN - NOTE THE TINY EURO-STYLE WASHER-DRYER COMBO
THE LIVING ROOM (FROM THE DINING AREA)
So there you have it. Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you need more pictures, see Cindy's Facebook page. Adios.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Lost and Found
by Cindy
Before we moved into our apartment, I accidentally left my purse on one of the shuttle buses. Once I realized I had left it, I called and left a message for Henri, the gentleman in charge of transportation. It was a Thursday (the weekend here) so I knew I was going to have to wait until Sunday before I heard anything back. I didn't have my passport in my purse but I did have every other type of identification along with several hundred Dirhams in cash. On Sunday afternoon when I boarded the shuttle bus, the driver said to me, "miss, wait right here" and he took off running (in 100+ degree temperatures). He showed up in about 10 minutes, dripping with sweat, and had my purse in a bag. I told him thank you and started to sit down on the bus. He said, "no miss, please go through everything to make sure it is all there. Please count all of your money and look for everything." I had no idea how much money should have been in the purse but I went ahead and counted all of it (he corrected me when I got two of the coins mixed up) and confirmed (multiple times) that everything was there. Once I had convinced him everything was there, he wanted me to be sure and let his boss (Henri) know that he had returned everything to me.
I was amazed on several levels. One, that my purse was returned to me with everything in it. Two, that I was not worried about it at all because I really knew it would be returned to me without anything missing. Three, the kindness of everyone involved and four, the realization that if something had been missing, small or large, this bus driver would have been deported and never allowed back into the country. He takes his job very seriously and it is the lifeline to his family back home. They work long, hard hours but do it with a smile on their faces and an incredible thankfulness to have a job. While some of the circumstances around the workers over here troubles me, they have an incredible attitude and sincere thankfulness for their jobs.
I know that if I had left my purse on a shuttle bus in the USA I would never have seen it again. Here, I got it back with everything in it. I like that, I like the UAE.
Before we moved into our apartment, I accidentally left my purse on one of the shuttle buses. Once I realized I had left it, I called and left a message for Henri, the gentleman in charge of transportation. It was a Thursday (the weekend here) so I knew I was going to have to wait until Sunday before I heard anything back. I didn't have my passport in my purse but I did have every other type of identification along with several hundred Dirhams in cash. On Sunday afternoon when I boarded the shuttle bus, the driver said to me, "miss, wait right here" and he took off running (in 100+ degree temperatures). He showed up in about 10 minutes, dripping with sweat, and had my purse in a bag. I told him thank you and started to sit down on the bus. He said, "no miss, please go through everything to make sure it is all there. Please count all of your money and look for everything." I had no idea how much money should have been in the purse but I went ahead and counted all of it (he corrected me when I got two of the coins mixed up) and confirmed (multiple times) that everything was there. Once I had convinced him everything was there, he wanted me to be sure and let his boss (Henri) know that he had returned everything to me.
I was amazed on several levels. One, that my purse was returned to me with everything in it. Two, that I was not worried about it at all because I really knew it would be returned to me without anything missing. Three, the kindness of everyone involved and four, the realization that if something had been missing, small or large, this bus driver would have been deported and never allowed back into the country. He takes his job very seriously and it is the lifeline to his family back home. They work long, hard hours but do it with a smile on their faces and an incredible thankfulness to have a job. While some of the circumstances around the workers over here troubles me, they have an incredible attitude and sincere thankfulness for their jobs.
I know that if I had left my purse on a shuttle bus in the USA I would never have seen it again. Here, I got it back with everything in it. I like that, I like the UAE.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Overcoming My Fears
Call me unsophisticated if you want, but I had never used a bidet before. I was a little intimidated by the one in my hotel bathroom. And now I have one at my apartment. They're everywhere over here. All the cool kids have them. So I decided that I should learn how to use it.
It took me about 30 minutes of online reading and a YouTube video to feel prepared for this. But I have to admit that I like it. It still seems a little strange, but if being clean is your priority, this is definitely the way to go.
MY BIDET.
It took me about 30 minutes of online reading and a YouTube video to feel prepared for this. But I have to admit that I like it. It still seems a little strange, but if being clean is your priority, this is definitely the way to go.
MY BIDET.
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