(1) I am watching an episode of "The Hills" and they keep talking about how they're all going to Cabo for Brody's birthday and it's going to be amazing and they're going to party so hard. And every time they mention it, I KEEP thinking they're saying "Kabul" instead of "Cabo" and I'm like "Wait, LC goes to Afghanistan for fun, too?! I always KNEW we would be friends!" Which I think means I live in the wrong part of the world to be watching trashy MTV "reality" shows.
(2) On that note, last night I got to sing Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind" on stage at our favorite Filipino club, backed up by the cover band. I think it was one of the best moments of my life. (Friend L was like, "I can't believe you know the words to that song!" and I was like, "Um hi, I know the words to that whole ALBUM... as well as the broader sociopolitical controversy of Paris working with producer JR at a time when he was thought to be dating Britney." Hey, it was during the Dark Year, I had a lot of time to devote to pop culture...) ANYHOW. I also realized last night that this place is our Dubai version of "Cheers" because we roll in (the only 10 white people in the club) and the band literally stops playing to be like "Mr. Eric! Mr. Eric is here! MR. ERIC!!!!" And I, um, get invited up on stage to sing songs. Because that's normal. (File under: Rude Awakenings To Be Had When I Return to A Place Where Blonde Women Make Up More Than 0.001% of the Population.)
(3) I am going to a schmancy group dinner at the new Nobu tonight, so I'm off to hit the gym and then scour my closet for an outfit that says "yes, I am a cute young thing and look how nice my legs are" while simultaneously saying "no, I am not cabin crew for Emirates, and if we could all purposefully ignore the fact that I'm 10 years younger and several million dollars poorer than everyone else at this table, that would be great." The sartorial holy grail!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
In Which I Further Consolidate My Grasp On C-List Power
These will not go up on Facebook because That Would Be Gauche, but I nonetheless wanted to share these pictures with my new friend Bev so that those of you who grew up watching "Seventh Heaven" could have a chuckle.
She just got married in Ravello and stopped through Dubai to see my friend TK on the way back from from her honeymoon in the Maldives... so obvi, we all had to go out on TK's boat for a celebratory afternoon of dabauchery. (In the case of L & I, we had done a 15-mile training run that morning, which makes for a VERY messy afternoon of nautical drinking... let's just say I'm less sore from the mileage than from wiping out on the boat deck several times.)
Hilarious. At any rate, she's a very sweet girl AND she just released a country album, so we got to talk Nashville which is, of course, a rarity here.
In other news, I am headed to Damascus a week from today to finally work "from the field" on my new project. Yay!
She just got married in Ravello and stopped through Dubai to see my friend TK on the way back from from her honeymoon in the Maldives... so obvi, we all had to go out on TK's boat for a celebratory afternoon of dabauchery. (In the case of L & I, we had done a 15-mile training run that morning, which makes for a VERY messy afternoon of nautical drinking... let's just say I'm less sore from the mileage than from wiping out on the boat deck several times.)
Hilarious. At any rate, she's a very sweet girl AND she just released a country album, so we got to talk Nashville which is, of course, a rarity here.
In other news, I am headed to Damascus a week from today to finally work "from the field" on my new project. Yay!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
On Identity & Adjustment
Do you ever have moments when you literally laugh at loud at yourself?
Friday morning at around 9:30 AM (remember Friday is the first day of the weekend here, so I'm usually still sleeping off my hangover at that hour, shawarma wrappers and stilettos strewn around my bed), I found myself driving down Sheikh Zayed Road.
Yes, that's right. Driving down the highway. In my SUV. Blaring Jessica Simpson's duet with Dolly Parton from her new country album. On my way to meet New American Friend M at the evangelical church he attends. And then to have lunch at the mall with fellow churchgoers.
And all of a sudden I started cracking up behind the wheel, as I realized - isn't this the life that, a year or two ago, I would have told you I left the US to avoid? More precisely, isn't it a scenario that I would have used, not to deride my roots, but to show how much more worldly I am than that? Cruising through suburban sprawl in my big fat car, listening to country music and hanging out with God-fearing people in churches and malls? [Insert over-educated, blue-state, latte-liberal value judgments here.]
And yet, I haven't been happier in Dubai in a LONG time than I was on Friday morning. (As I explained to E last night, "I mean, it's still Dubai, but at least if you meet people at church you know that they're trying not to be assholes.")
Which leads me to believe that... living abroad takes you back to your roots?
What I can't figure out is whether this has happened in a reactionary way ("F this place, how can I make myself most at odds with my surroundings?! Yes, I will listen to country music and go to church!") or just in a natural way ("I probably would have ended up liking country music and wanting to go to church after another 10 years of pseudointellectual postmodern posturing in New York or DC anyhow, but the intensity of Dubai sped the process along.")
I feel like this is all tied in with the fact that I'm starting to negotiate actually "living" in Dubai. I have noticed a qualitative difference (which has probably been apparent on this blog) in my attitude and mentality over the past few months, as I've inched up the ticker from "I've lived here a year" to "I've lived here almost a year and a half." It may seem like a subtle distinction, but I feel like it's only in hitting the year-plus mark that I've been forced to confront some of the realities of my life abroad. That phenomenon is borne out by some of the cursory readings I've done on acclimation and cross-cultural adjustment - hell, it even ties in with the theory of a "sophomore slump" at university, which I knew and suffered through all too well.
In all my previous experiences "living" abroad - 6 weeks in France, 3 months in Italy, 6 months in Scotland, 11 months in England - I've never actually gotten to the stock-taking phase of my life there. I've never settled in enough for the noise to die down, for the bells and whistles to stop going off, for everything to stop being new! and exciting! and different! and just be... mundane, and sometimes very frustrating. And now that I'm at that point, it's very interesting to see where it takes me.
To the unlikeliest of places, it would seem. And yet... maybe not so unlikely after all. ;)
Friday morning at around 9:30 AM (remember Friday is the first day of the weekend here, so I'm usually still sleeping off my hangover at that hour, shawarma wrappers and stilettos strewn around my bed), I found myself driving down Sheikh Zayed Road.
Yes, that's right. Driving down the highway. In my SUV. Blaring Jessica Simpson's duet with Dolly Parton from her new country album. On my way to meet New American Friend M at the evangelical church he attends. And then to have lunch at the mall with fellow churchgoers.
And all of a sudden I started cracking up behind the wheel, as I realized - isn't this the life that, a year or two ago, I would have told you I left the US to avoid? More precisely, isn't it a scenario that I would have used, not to deride my roots, but to show how much more worldly I am than that? Cruising through suburban sprawl in my big fat car, listening to country music and hanging out with God-fearing people in churches and malls? [Insert over-educated, blue-state, latte-liberal value judgments here.]
And yet, I haven't been happier in Dubai in a LONG time than I was on Friday morning. (As I explained to E last night, "I mean, it's still Dubai, but at least if you meet people at church you know that they're trying not to be assholes.")
Which leads me to believe that... living abroad takes you back to your roots?
What I can't figure out is whether this has happened in a reactionary way ("F this place, how can I make myself most at odds with my surroundings?! Yes, I will listen to country music and go to church!") or just in a natural way ("I probably would have ended up liking country music and wanting to go to church after another 10 years of pseudointellectual postmodern posturing in New York or DC anyhow, but the intensity of Dubai sped the process along.")
I feel like this is all tied in with the fact that I'm starting to negotiate actually "living" in Dubai. I have noticed a qualitative difference (which has probably been apparent on this blog) in my attitude and mentality over the past few months, as I've inched up the ticker from "I've lived here a year" to "I've lived here almost a year and a half." It may seem like a subtle distinction, but I feel like it's only in hitting the year-plus mark that I've been forced to confront some of the realities of my life abroad. That phenomenon is borne out by some of the cursory readings I've done on acclimation and cross-cultural adjustment - hell, it even ties in with the theory of a "sophomore slump" at university, which I knew and suffered through all too well.
In all my previous experiences "living" abroad - 6 weeks in France, 3 months in Italy, 6 months in Scotland, 11 months in England - I've never actually gotten to the stock-taking phase of my life there. I've never settled in enough for the noise to die down, for the bells and whistles to stop going off, for everything to stop being new! and exciting! and different! and just be... mundane, and sometimes very frustrating. And now that I'm at that point, it's very interesting to see where it takes me.
To the unlikeliest of places, it would seem. And yet... maybe not so unlikely after all. ;)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Holy Crap! Marathons
So I am flush with excitement about my newly minted 2008-2009 running plan with New Blonde American Friend L.
It all started with the Beirut Marathon, which we're registered for and running in, inshallah, on 30 November.
Then L got me all excited about the Two Oceans Ultramarathon in Cape Town, South Africa on 11 April, which I have drooled over ever since I opened my very first issue of Runner's World back in, I don't know, 1993, and which I now live in close proximity to (well, okay, an 8-hour flight... closer than from the States).
Then we realized if we're going to be running a 34.8 mile ultra in April, we should probably have a 26.2 miles regular marathon tune-up a bit closer to race day... enter the Dubai Marathon on 18 January.
So this leaves us with the following tagline: 2 Americans, 3 countries, 3.5 marathons, 5 months.
Now what I am about to say might be shocking given that if you are reading this blog you should Know How I Feel About Charity Runners (in 2 words: not good) (or in 2 other words: fat, slow). However, it occurs to me that as a highly limited demographic group in a highly fundraising-friendly environment setting out to do a highly impressive thing, we would be uniquely positioned to raise a boatload of cash for a cause of our choosing.
Which leads me to solicit your feedback! What are some charities we should consider? Ideally it would fit in with a relevant theme - something Middle Eastern or South African in honor of where we are running, something American in honor of our homeland, something for the womyns since we are womyn (ha)... etc.
I am new to this whole "doing an athletic endeavor for something other than my own personal satisfaction" business, so any suggestions are appreciated - email me!
It all started with the Beirut Marathon, which we're registered for and running in, inshallah, on 30 November.
Then L got me all excited about the Two Oceans Ultramarathon in Cape Town, South Africa on 11 April, which I have drooled over ever since I opened my very first issue of Runner's World back in, I don't know, 1993, and which I now live in close proximity to (well, okay, an 8-hour flight... closer than from the States).
Then we realized if we're going to be running a 34.8 mile ultra in April, we should probably have a 26.2 miles regular marathon tune-up a bit closer to race day... enter the Dubai Marathon on 18 January.
So this leaves us with the following tagline: 2 Americans, 3 countries, 3.5 marathons, 5 months.
Now what I am about to say might be shocking given that if you are reading this blog you should Know How I Feel About Charity Runners (in 2 words: not good) (or in 2 other words: fat, slow). However, it occurs to me that as a highly limited demographic group in a highly fundraising-friendly environment setting out to do a highly impressive thing, we would be uniquely positioned to raise a boatload of cash for a cause of our choosing.
Which leads me to solicit your feedback! What are some charities we should consider? Ideally it would fit in with a relevant theme - something Middle Eastern or South African in honor of where we are running, something American in honor of our homeland, something for the womyns since we are womyn (ha)... etc.
I am new to this whole "doing an athletic endeavor for something other than my own personal satisfaction" business, so any suggestions are appreciated - email me!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Out of Africa
Back from Uganda and there are no spider babies in my bag. Whew.
I know I'm a broken record but hey, I rarely take a trip I don't love, so I'll go ahead and say it: amazing. We spent 2 days in the bush - Murchison Falls National Park, to be more precise - and 2 days in transit back and forth from Kampala (6+ hours on unpaved mud roads but tooooooootally worth it).
It was my first time in really "middle of nowhere" Africa and I LOVED it, especially in contrast to disturbian (does it count as a word if it was coined by a Rihanna song?!) Dubai. The two nights we spent at the Nile Safari Lodge were absolutely sublime - game drives all day and wine on the banks of the Nile all night, with fabulous fabulous company. (Sadly, New Guy Friend M - the erstwhile potential crush - was outed the first night. Another one bites the fairy dust.)
Pictures shall be on the Facebooks soon.
The only lowlight of the trip (and it is actually quite hilarious, in retrospect) was a brief and possibly psychosomatic Lariam-induced freakout where my heart started beating really fast and I kind of felt like I was going to throw up and have my head start spinning around my body - or in L's words, I "went all Heart of Darkness on everyone." Needless to say, I'll shell out the extra cash for the less side effect-inducing Malarone next time I'm in a malarial zone (although at $10 for Lariam vs. $125 for shmancy-pants Malarone, a little bout of kraziness seems to be a wise economic trade-off).
At any rate, I heart African adventures and I can't wait to get back. Next trip, potentially for Eid Al Adha in December: Rwanda or Eritrea. Game on.
I know I'm a broken record but hey, I rarely take a trip I don't love, so I'll go ahead and say it: amazing. We spent 2 days in the bush - Murchison Falls National Park, to be more precise - and 2 days in transit back and forth from Kampala (6+ hours on unpaved mud roads but tooooooootally worth it).
It was my first time in really "middle of nowhere" Africa and I LOVED it, especially in contrast to disturbian (does it count as a word if it was coined by a Rihanna song?!) Dubai. The two nights we spent at the Nile Safari Lodge were absolutely sublime - game drives all day and wine on the banks of the Nile all night, with fabulous fabulous company. (Sadly, New Guy Friend M - the erstwhile potential crush - was outed the first night. Another one bites the fairy dust.)
Pictures shall be on the Facebooks soon.
The only lowlight of the trip (and it is actually quite hilarious, in retrospect) was a brief and possibly psychosomatic Lariam-induced freakout where my heart started beating really fast and I kind of felt like I was going to throw up and have my head start spinning around my body - or in L's words, I "went all Heart of Darkness on everyone." Needless to say, I'll shell out the extra cash for the less side effect-inducing Malarone next time I'm in a malarial zone (although at $10 for Lariam vs. $125 for shmancy-pants Malarone, a little bout of kraziness seems to be a wise economic trade-off).
At any rate, I heart African adventures and I can't wait to get back. Next trip, potentially for Eid Al Adha in December: Rwanda or Eritrea. Game on.
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