Dubai Diatribe

What the f**k is going on over there?

2008-10-11T05:42:00.002+04:00

Financial system down the toilet
Angry mobs at McCain rallies
David Letterman all pissed off

Is it as scary as it looks on tv? Let me know from your perspective.

No sleep 'til November

2008-10-11T05:18:00.002+04:00

Why am I awake and posting at 5 am? Why, post-season baseball, of course! Courtesy of mlb.tv I can watch the entire post-season live for the low low price of $20. Even better, there aren't any commercials. Before you say that baseball is too boring to stay up all night watching it, I will give you my standard response - If you think that baseball is boring then you don't understand it. Thanks to the proper upbringing of my father, I love it.

I've also been watching all of the debates on C-Span's website. They start at 5 am here. Ayca even got up and watched the last one with me. They have been studying advertising, persuasion and speech making at school. Her impressions? She thought that McCain's constant use of "my friends" sounded "fake." Then she fell asleep cuz it was boring.

I guess I'll go back to a normal sleep pattern when I get a job or after election night, whichever comes first. Until then, I'll keep watching baseball.

Did you know that kids vomit on the floor?

2008-10-11T05:14:00.002+04:00

Sometimes, when I'm sleeping, I forget that I'm a mom now. This morning, however, I had a rude awakening when I came out of my room and almost stepped in a giant pile of child vomit. Ayca was sitting next to the vomit on the sofa and said that she couldn't make it to the bathroom and didn't know how to clean it up. She had loaded and unloaded the dishwasher for me instead. That was almost as cute as her assumption that I knew how to clean up kid vomit.

The Ultimate Potemkin Village

2008-10-09T21:30:00.005+04:00

As much as I used to complain about the frustrations of living in Istanbul, at least Istanbul is real. From the cobbled together shanty towns, to the remnants of the past that creep up around every corner, to the shiny new skyscrapers, Istanbul is a living being - always evolving into new forms, but whose heartbeat remains constant and strong.

Dubai is like a schizophrenic Legoland - a mishmash of discordant shiny facades with nothing but emptiness between their plastic walls.

I never thought I'd say it, but I think I miss Istanbul.

I NEED A JOB!!!!

2008-10-09T16:37:00.002+04:00

I get bored at home so I usually go have a coffee at the nearby shopping center and read for awhile. I got my coffee, went outside and found a table. Just as I opened my book another woman sat at the table right next to mine. As I started to read, her friend showed up. These women were your typical non-working expat ladies. Skeleton thin, bleached blonde hair and designer clothes for women half their age. In annoyingly loud voices they began to discuss the pros and cons of various brands of hairspray and the best places to buy tiki furniture (did they mean teak?). Why did they have to sit next to me to have their grande non-fat caramel vanilla iced lattes when there were at least 20 other tables? Didn't they see my book?

I Heart Madison

2008-10-09T16:33:00.002+04:00

The Capitol Times newspaper reported today that Obama is up 10 points in Wisconsin and 44 points in Madison. I've never even seen a poll result like that.

As they say: Madison - 60 sq miles of fantasy surrounded by reality. It makes the winters worth it. Madison, I love you and I miss you.

The Great Outdoors

2008-10-07T00:41:00.002+04:00

It has finally cooled of a bit. Mid-90s during the day and 80s at night. What a difference 10 degrees makes! After weeks of being stuck in air conditioning, I had my coffee outside this morning. It was great.

Maybe double standards aren't so bad......

2008-10-07T00:37:00.003+04:00

There is one benefit of the differential treatment of women here: the ladies line.

The population is about 75% men. When you go to get your medical tests for your visa or your driver's license there are hundreds of guys waiting for theirs. If you are a women, however, you don't have to wait. You just go to the ladies line. I waited about 5 minutes for my blood test and got my driver's license in 20. It's not fair, but I'm taking it to make up for the loss of my other rights. Sorry.

Second Class Citizen

2008-09-27T02:10:00.003+04:00

As a woman who has always believed that I can do anything I want despite the fact that I have a vagina, there are a few things in Dubai that really piss me off.

Since I am not working yet, my husband is my visa sponsor. My residence visa is a "housewife visa." I have nothing against housewives, but I am definitely not meant to be one. Last time I checked my law degree did not disintegrate when I crossed the border. I'd rather eat glass than start going to ladies luncheons and group manicures.

To make matters worse, I need my husband's permission to do many things. I had to take a letter of no objection from him to get my driver's license. It was very difficult for me to non-nonchalantly hand over this letter with the rest of my documents when I wanted to scream in everybody's face, but I did it. I also need his permission to install a telephone line and other such services and to work. I hope I can continue to hold my tongue until I accomplish these things. Protesting is illegal here and it isn't in the best interest of my family to get deported. At least, not yet.

Hotter than Hell

2008-09-27T01:47:00.003+04:00

It is so hot here that there needs to be another word besides hot to describe it. Here is a good description that help you imagine what it feels like:

Not Florida in July hot. Hot as if you were locked in a car in Florida in July with sufficient humidity to make it feel as though you are drowning. Hot as in 120 degrees with nearly 100% humidity. Do not look to the wind for relief. This is the equivalent of pointing a hairdryer on full blast directly at your face. Pour fine moon dust-like sand over your head as you do this and you get the picture.

(From The Top 20 Reasons Not to Move to Dubai)

What fascinates me the most is the women (and their make-up) who seem to be heat-resistant. They appear to have no sweat glands. Their liquid eyeliner stay perfectly applied when the minute I walk out of the house I have a river of sweat pouring from my forehead. I wore mascara once and looked like Amy Winehouse on a crack bender after about five minutes. Is there some secret cosmetics store I don't know about?

What's Dubai like?

2008-09-19T07:45:00.003+04:00

If you want to learn more about what Dubai is like before I start telling you what I think, check out this article from National Geographic. It includes a really nice photo gallery too.

To find out more about the seedy underbelly of Dubai, take a look at Secret Dubai Diary and Mafiwasta.com.

Where am I?

2008-09-17T15:56:00.002+04:00

In a National Geographic poll, only 24 percent of Americans were able to locate Saudi Arabia on a map, only 17 percent were able to locate Afghanistan, and just 13 percent could locate Iraq or Iran.

For my geographically challenged compatriots, I have included this map to help you figure out where I live. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates, which is the country helpfully highlighted in green.

Now that you have seen my neighborhood you are probably have visions of Al Qaeda and suicide bombers dancing in your heads. Not in Dubai! Keep reading to find out more.