Some Say it's Warm

Hi All,

Monday 3p

Some say it's warm , I say it's HOT - 106 F today - and it's only going to get hotter. Add to the heat, the humidity here. Being on the ocean , we have high humidity which just makes things even worse. I was asking a sales rep here - who just so happens to have gone to school in Albany NY which he preferred, the hot or the cold - he immediately answered the cold - as you can always put something else on to get warm , but when you get down to your skin, there is nothing else to take off and you are still hot !

Alex - our son at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, USA ( chuckle Christine) received his class ring and has sent me the attached picture. We are certainly proud of him.

Well saw the same villas and townhouses I saw on Saturday so nothing to report. I think I'll continue looking - as my first priority needs to be a car. Trying to get to the DMV is the problem. Guess What , they close between 1 - 4:30 - then open back up til 7p. - I don't know why. They just do. Also need to get my Emirates ID card. that's about 400 AED. The drivers lic. is about 300 AED - If you haven't figured it out, although there is no tax here, there are these "hidden" taxes - everyone has their hand out for a fee along the way.

Well until I get home to post some other pics, that's all I have.

Take Care

Love to all.

Scott

Visa and Visa

Hi All,

Thursday 7:30 p - the weekend has arrived.

Well good news - the residence visa is in hand. Was promised on Sunday - well the guy in HR takes the day off. I hit him up on Monday - Nope - tomorrow - by 3 is the promise - Tuesday - 2p - email sorry no visa - tomorrow - Wednesday for sure - No there was a problem went to collect the visa - they said there was a fine - what? - return it tomorrow -Thursday - I call - he's not in today - I'm screwed So Igo over to check out on the tickets for Christine and I'm all set to complain to his boss - and he's there! Told him I thought he called in today and he just came in late - Common for a local. BUT just at that moment in walks my visa ! Yippee. we make copies , I go down to see the ticket agent in the hospital and lo and behold - I got my first run through to choose from. Then the HR guy catches me again to start the paperwork on Christine's Visa - What am I dreaming? actual progress -Huh- will wonders never cease. I need to provide ( which I have ) our marriage certificate - yes - Must prove we are married - no living in sin here. Oh the good news doesn't stop - then he hands me my income letter for my drivers license- Yes to get a drivers licence , you must have - Passport, residence visa, passport photo, your drivers licence translated into Arabic and a letter from your employer stating your employment and your income plus 100 AED ( $27) Well at least I have everything and I'm good to go. But of course they are closed on the weekends

The other Visa -

Christine got a call yesterday and she and I just so happened to be on line with each other. Apparently someone got my visa card number and charged $1.50 through the New York Times - but then "bought" $865 worth of sewing materials - all from someplace in the Netherlands - Well I haven't been there for over 25 years and Christine hasn't been there either so we canceled the card and now I need to get a new one. Visa will send me mine via FedEx - well if you recall - there are no street addresses here - only PO box numbers and FedEx doesn't like PO boxes- So FedEx will have to deliver to the hospital then call me - and bring it to me there. I'm still trying to figure out how in the world the UAE can be so modern but have such a piss poor postal system.

Looked at one flat - brand new -on Tuesday after work - 250,000 AED per year ( about $70K). I didn't like the place at all. Then the guy offers to pay me a kickback of 20,000 AED ( $5400) if I took the place - remember the hospital is paying for my place and it's easy money for him - well now I'm really leery - too much to lose for such a stupid reason and plus it's just plain wrong so I ran away and didn't look back. ( I'm cheap but not that cheap -now if the offer would have been....)

I ate at a Paki restaurant on Tuesday after running away from the crooked landlord and had mutton ( Jerry Seinfeld would have been proud) It was fantastic, spicy and with freshly made flat bread, a small salad and a Pepsi couldn't be beat - and all for 15 AED ($4) BUT all was eaten WITHOUT a utensil or napkin in sight - they have a sink by the front door to wash up prior and after the meal - all eaten with the hands - even the salad.

Well that's about it - I'll be out and about tomorrow with my camera so more pics are in store. Take care my family and friends

Love You

Scott

Air Race Prelim photos

My "home" Al Manzel Hotel -the pool is up at the top where the horizontal slots are.

Ah the beach is GREAT

The 2nd largest flag pole in the world Was #1 until Jordan built a bigger one. This one is 123 meters or 403'

Pic of Pilot on the big video screen

And there he is making a crazy turn.

Enjoy

Good News and Good Times

Hi All,
Friday 8:30p
Wow what a week. It's budget season at the hospital so lots of work to figure out what I need for 2010 - Yes budgeting already - system is so archane that it takes 8 months to get a budget submitted and approved by the Health Authority.
Well the good news is that all my paperwork has finally come together and I have submitted my passport and visitor visa to the Immigration Authority and will have a residence visa sometine next week. YEAH - now I can get my insurance card buy a car rent a villa or flat - it's the keys to the kingdom - literally
Well I got home last night and came in , changed and went out to find a barber shop for my first haircut here in the UAE, Well someone told me of the one across the street. It's a 3 chair place and the Indian barber took me straight away. After telling him how I wanted it, he started what was at least a 1/2 hr. in the chair -with the last 5 -10 minutes getting a head massage - Oh My how relaxing -and all for about $8.20 US.
After my haircut I took a walk - it was a lovely evening and found the FedEx storefront I was looking for and inquired how much it would cost to send something to Corydon. So for a box up to 10 kilos (22 lbs) it would cost 650 AED or $177 US - Well my idea to send some dates and bakalava back home came to a screeching end. Figured I could buy lots of that back home and still be cheaper than the shipping costs.
Well today after breakfast I went to the pool and hung out there for about 2 hours. I got my iPod working and was grooving to the tunes and the excellent sun. We had a semi dust storm so the sun was partially obscured and made being out much more comfortable I know - sound weird .
Well came down to the room, got cleaned up and decided to take in the Red Bull Air Races today ( prelims) and as you can see I got some great photos. Took the bus there and back. Well I know you have all seen the photos of people hanging from the roof of busses in India - well if they allowed that here , it would be exactly what it was like - I couldn't believe the number of people on this bus ! Nut to Butt - and me the only white face in brown man crowd. In fact the girl at the front desk of the hotel looked at me as if I was crazy when I asked her what the bus number was that I need to take - " Your taking the bus ? ! The look on her face was priceless - and now I know why!
Well the Prelims were really neat and I may go back tomorrow to see the finals. Crowds were not huge as I suspect they will be tomorow. Well - Enjoy and love hearing from you .
All my Love
Scott

Medical and Housing

Hi All , Wed. 4:30p here - good morning to you.
Well today I went to the Employee health office and just as I had thought , the xrays had gone back to the department but no one read them so no report . However Employee Health wrote me a note, I hand carried the xrays up to them, got a doctor to read them and to write a report. The report then went back to the typist. I reported this all to the Employee Health doctor who then sent a porter to pick up the report who then included it in my file who then forwarded it to the Medical Director where it now awaits his signature and stamp - BUT I understand he's pretty timely and they should get my file in HR tomorrow and then call me to deliver my passport and visitor visa so it can be sent to the Authority to be stamped as a residence visa. ( again with the stamps) So hopefully in a week, I'll be a resident of Abu Dhabi - UAE.
Now about Housing- I've been asked what that's like so I'll just include it here so all can read.
I currently live in downtown Abu Dhabi in the Tourist Area ( I have no idea why it's called that ) It's about 1k from the beach and the neighborhood is filled with 20 story apartment buildings. Al Manzel Hotel Apartments are new - I think 2005 and I'm in a 1 bedroom efficiency apartment. The kitchen is small with 3 electric burners - no oven or microwave - I do have a refrig/freezer. there is a shower w/ sink and toilet off the kitchen - I never use it and the bedroom has naturally a full bath and a bidet. _ I've tried it a few times and it's an odd sensation and concept to us USA people. The apartment has a small dining /living room area with a table and 4 chairs, then a sofa, love seat and a separate cushion seat also a coffee table. I have lots of storage space for clothes and both the living room and bedroom has a flat screen TV . TV sucks here - maybe about 15 English stations - but they are a mixed bag of bad, worse and most worse. The bed is a king size and is comfortable. I'm on the 12th floor. The roof floor has a pool - small splash pool 6' to 3' in depth a sauna, a jacuzzi ( small) and a gym with weights bike. treadmill etc. . I get breakfast everyday in the dining area included in the meal - eggs made to order, breads, lots of fresh fruit, cheeses of all sorts, yogurt, juices olives cereals , beef and veal bacon's, - I don't go hungry. I eat at work and usually rice w/ some type of meat - usually lamb and I eat it with Arabic bread. For dinner , I've cooked quite a bit of meals but with out a stove , I'm limited on my menus. So there you have it. Hope that answers some of your questions. BTW - do not send snail mail - I'll never get it. Christine has sent 2 cards so far and they haven't arrived. Email will do just fine.
Love to all
Scott

Orientation, Medical and Rules

The Ruler of Abu Dhabi - Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Note the construction in the background.

The Emirates Palace hotel - HUGE Upscale and will visit when Christine gets here.

This was taken when I went to the beach and swam - these guys have Arabic music playing on a boom box and they are dancing. The tower in the background is part of the Marina Mall - so are theose other tent like structures near it - all part of the complex - and they are still adding on

Hi All Tuesday 8p here

Well since I posted last , I've discovered that there is nothing wrong with me , I had a 2 day orientation program and went to SEHA to hear more rules on how to order supplies. Let me digress. The medical - well last week I had my physical and they had a question about the chest xray. So I got another xray and all is fine - well now they are having a time trying to get the radiologist report that I am fine - then Hmm where is that medical chart Hmm of we'll look tomorrow so as of today - still no official clearence and no getting the residence visa - yet it will come.

The orientation program is something that all hospitals give and I've been to my fair share - well here was no different - but OMG at least 50% had no relevance to me at all and 20% was only partially relevant - On day one afternoon a group of Indian Nurses said they watched me fall asleep my head bobbing then jerking up - not completely out but wish I had been. Then every 15 min break we'd get, I 'd run back to my office do 10 min. worth of work then come back for more torture.

Today I and a few others went to SEHA - like the governing body of the hospitals in the UAE and we talked about contracts, the difficulties of dealing with the long lead times - 60 - 90 days on supplies and our apparent difficulty at Mafraq on using contracted suppliers. My staff has some changes ahead of them.

This weekend is the Red Bull Air Races and I'm looking forward to a weekend with a different venue. Take care my friends.

Love Scott

Fish Market

The end result - spicy shrimp and OMG was it good. Not hot spicy, just spice spicy. That whole meal cost less than $20 cooked and packaged to go.

The little shop where you can have your seafood cooked for about $5

Looks like Jerry got the fish - sign above one of the kitchens

They clean and gut them for you too.

My fish monger - one of a hundred stalls in the Fish Market. I also figured out that the order of selecting the photos is first - last but they show on the blog last to first so next time I'll try to get them in the correct order.