In deference to Schmom's worries about someone in Dubai finding my blog ("This is your career now!" ... oh crap, it is) my musings are now available by invitation only. A sad, sad sign of the times, but probably a necessary one. Such is life.
So, Sunday morning, back in the office, triple-shot latte by my side. The weekend got off to a rocky start with what turned out to be a highly ill-fated trip to Oman - we didn't leave Dubai until 11 PM and finally made it to the border at 1 AM only to be turned back when we realized that M's temporary visa didn't permit her to leave the country and no amount of pleading or wusta (palm-greasing) was going to change the UAE border patrol's mind. After finally making it back to Dubai at 3:30 AM without managing to kill each other or hit any camels along the way (and oh, there were many), we called it a night.
The weekend got considerably more entertaining with a visit to the (elitist, obnoxious, but okay-okay-I-also-kind-of-loved-it) 400 Club on Friday night thanks to a bling-bling Lebanese friend who got us on the guest list. The new thing here is that whenever someone orders a magnum of champagne (dropping $500 on a regular bottle isn't enough, mind you, it has to be a magnum), they turn off the regular music and play something that sounds like a dance remix of the "Chariots of Fire" theme while it gets carried out to the table on a big platform with blazing sparklers on it. Seriously. Insert analysis on the psychology of conspicuous consumption here.
Yesterday E and I spent the day in true proxy-boyfriend fashion by car- and furniture-shopping together for 10 hours, bookended by all-you-can-eat North Indian thalis for lunch in Karama (total cost: USD $3 each) and oysters/chardonnay for dinner at the new Four Seasons Golf Club in Festival City (total cost: more than USD $3 each). In between, I managed to buy all my bedroom furniture (bed frame, armoire, dresser, nightstand, trunk) for under USD $500 because I am The World's Best Bargain Shopper - and it's not even from Ikea, thankyouverymuch. I also found the car I want to buy and I think it would "make every day an adventure" and help me "find my true identity" but have yet to decide if buying a new car is prudent for someone who is, well, me.
Time to work!
