Hi Jessica! Happy Birthday my special girl!
Hope you have a great day and an awesome party with all your friends and other Aunty.
Lots of love and hugs and kisses,
From Aunty in "Deboo" :-)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Celebrating a Milestone
Busy day ... went to Abu Dhabi and back, department meeting, this, that and the other thing of whatever it is I do all day long. In the midst of the busyness, the Design Architect that I have been working with for the last few months planned a little party. We issued a design package for our big 5-tower project earlier this month and we have a very happy client. She decided a celebration was in order!
The Design Architect is the petite little thing with the curly hair and beaming with pride (standing to my right); she has been described as "the resident fire-cracker" and to work with her, it was hard to keep up! Sadly (for us, good for her), she is moving to Saudi Arabia to be with her husband who is working there now. She was a lot of fun to work with and really helped me cut my teeth on a big project. It just won't be the same around here.
The "team" cuts the cake.
The cake (minus a few pieces). That is a picture of the project on the top! It was a very nice way to recognize the people who worked very hard and to share our project (and our cake!) with others in the office.
A few minutes to hang out and then it was back to the never-ending staff meeting (ugh!)
The Design Architect is the petite little thing with the curly hair and beaming with pride (standing to my right); she has been described as "the resident fire-cracker" and to work with her, it was hard to keep up! Sadly (for us, good for her), she is moving to Saudi Arabia to be with her husband who is working there now. She was a lot of fun to work with and really helped me cut my teeth on a big project. It just won't be the same around here.
The "team" cuts the cake.
The cake (minus a few pieces). That is a picture of the project on the top! It was a very nice way to recognize the people who worked very hard and to share our project (and our cake!) with others in the office.
A few minutes to hang out and then it was back to the never-ending staff meeting (ugh!)
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Sadly he passed away from Pancreatic cancer today.
To all my friends and family, may you all achieve your childhood dreams and live life as "Tigger".
(If you can't see the clip here, go to YouTube.com and search for "Randy Pausch")
To all my friends and family, may you all achieve your childhood dreams and live life as "Tigger".
(If you can't see the clip here, go to YouTube.com and search for "Randy Pausch")
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Business Etiquette in a Muslim world
The Project Manager for the next project I am starting asked me to attend a brief impromptu meeting with a supplier of central vacuum systems. No problem. The sales rep was sitting in the conference room when I arrived. I greeted him in the usual way by extending my hand and was promptly and in no uncertain terms told that he would not be shaking the hand of a female, he tries to be a “good Muslim”. OK then. Otherwise he was a very amicable fellow, helpful, jovial, knowledgeable. I just had not encountered the handshake thing with any Muslim men I have dealt with so far and did not expect such a strong reaction (although I should have expected it at some point.) So note to self …
Sunday, July 20, 2008
My Mom and My Life as a Senior
My Mom emailed yesterday to say that she has booked her flights for a visit in October. Looking forward to that! I booked vacation time for the week that she is here. As well, I think I am making some head-way in convincing my Sweetie to come, at least for a visit. I think he's coming 'round, not sure ... but I think! (fingers are crossed!)
My job in Dubai has been quite interesting; hard to believe its been almost 4 months.
In the last few weeks:
I have taken training on a new 3D BIM software called Revit and was asked to evaluate it compared to our old 2D AutoCAD.
Today I sat in on a meeting to evaluate another BIM software that is being proposed.
I was consulted on the new/revised company CADD standards.
I have attended several meetings that were conducted in Arabic (with a little bit of English thrown in for my benefit).
I was recommended to job-captain one of the biggest projects in the office right now (which was very scary to me ... its a HUGE one!) and I am managing 2 other projects that are fairly big by my standards but small and medium-sized in Dubai.
On Tuesday I will be doing a presentation/workshop on the 5-tower project we issued last week to defend our design concept.
It is with some trepidation that I call myself an "Architect" and a "Senior" in the department (which refers to my work experience, not my age!) but my years of experience as a Technologist have done me well so far. Being a few rungs up from where I was not long ago is a little bit foreign at times and it seems that others have more confidence in me than I have in myself. One of the reasons I came was to get work experience that I didn't think I would get in Canada and on that, I have not been disappointed!
P.S. anyone else who thinks they might like to visit Dubai, consider yourself invited! :-) although not sure how much vacation time I have left.
My job in Dubai has been quite interesting; hard to believe its been almost 4 months.
In the last few weeks:
I have taken training on a new 3D BIM software called Revit and was asked to evaluate it compared to our old 2D AutoCAD.
Today I sat in on a meeting to evaluate another BIM software that is being proposed.
I was consulted on the new/revised company CADD standards.
I have attended several meetings that were conducted in Arabic (with a little bit of English thrown in for my benefit).
I was recommended to job-captain one of the biggest projects in the office right now (which was very scary to me ... its a HUGE one!) and I am managing 2 other projects that are fairly big by my standards but small and medium-sized in Dubai.
On Tuesday I will be doing a presentation/workshop on the 5-tower project we issued last week to defend our design concept.
It is with some trepidation that I call myself an "Architect" and a "Senior" in the department (which refers to my work experience, not my age!) but my years of experience as a Technologist have done me well so far. Being a few rungs up from where I was not long ago is a little bit foreign at times and it seems that others have more confidence in me than I have in myself. One of the reasons I came was to get work experience that I didn't think I would get in Canada and on that, I have not been disappointed!
P.S. anyone else who thinks they might like to visit Dubai, consider yourself invited! :-) although not sure how much vacation time I have left.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Miss Natalia
There is a coffee shop on the lower level of Emirates Tower called 'Corner 3' where I sometimes ... well, quite frequently actually ... get a coffee or breakfast or lunch or a snack or sometimes all of the above (the only other choice is Starbucks; luv my Starbucks but ya can't have vanilla lattes every day and Starbucks food is pretty average at best.)
Since I am in Corner 3 nearly every day and the same staff are usually there, they get to know the regulars. One lady named Elvie (according to her name tag) makes an effort to get to know her customers and address them by name. This is very commendable except that at some point since our "introduction", she has forgotten my name and now thinks my name is "Miss Natalia" haha
Good morning Miss Natalia.
Will that be all for you today, Miss Natalia?
Would you like something to drink with that, Miss Natalia?
Miss Natalia, the special today is turkey with mashed potatoes.
She means well and is a very nice lady. I find it humourous so I usually just go with it. One day last week I corrected her as politely as I could, we had a little laugh over it. But when I came back a couple days later ...
"Good morning, Miss Natalia!"
Since I am in Corner 3 nearly every day and the same staff are usually there, they get to know the regulars. One lady named Elvie (according to her name tag) makes an effort to get to know her customers and address them by name. This is very commendable except that at some point since our "introduction", she has forgotten my name and now thinks my name is "Miss Natalia" haha
Good morning Miss Natalia.
Will that be all for you today, Miss Natalia?
Would you like something to drink with that, Miss Natalia?
Miss Natalia, the special today is turkey with mashed potatoes.
She means well and is a very nice lady. I find it humourous so I usually just go with it. One day last week I corrected her as politely as I could, we had a little laugh over it. But when I came back a couple days later ...
"Good morning, Miss Natalia!"
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Air conditioners are the 8th wonder of the world
Of all the poopy things that could happen, my air conditioner stopped working. It has not been completely reliable since I moved in here but by late last week it was just nada. And it gets very warm without it! So I emailed my slumlord ... errr, landlord. Yup, he'll send someone over but its at my expense. Fine. Is Saturday morning OK? Well, earlier is better but I'll take what I can get.
Since work is quite busy these days, I decided to go to the office during the hottest part of the day on Friday and only be home when it cooled down somewhat (everything's relative ... 35 degrees is cool these days).
Saturday I waited anxiously all morning, even cancelled my chiropractor appointment so I would not miss the repairman's call. By noon, I was losing hope. Out came the Yellow Pages. I called 6 or 7 repair shops. Some did not answer. Two did not speak English. One was a fax number (nothing like that screeching in yer ear!). The other two took my number and someone would call me back. One said he would come in the evening but it would cost 100 Dirhams just to show up. Fine. And still I waited ... and sweated ... and waited ... and sweated.
FINALLY at 8:35 pm Saturday evening, my mobile rang and it was the company my landlord had called. Woohoo! And he spoke very clear English which is always a relief.
The repair man and his assistant poked around a bit, lifed some ceiling tiles, ran some water in the tub (not sure why). After about 10 minutes, he informed me that the duct had completely frozen closed on the inside, solid with ice and that was the problem; no air flow. The solution? Turn off the a/c for an hour to melt the ice, turn it back on and see if that worked. So I sweated it out for another hour. Low and behold, a cold draft from the vent ... yay!
After they left I looked at the business card he left, seems he is actually a landscaper ... ? But he solved the problem and all's well that ends well and I didn't have to pay for it afterall. I have proven to myself that if I had to I could survive without air conditioning ... but why?!
As a footnote to my air conditioner saga, tonight (Sunday) my mobile rang and it was the 100 dirham repairman. I informed him that it is now fixed, thank you for calling and have a nice night. Why he was calling me at 11:55 p.m., I'm not too sure? Such is the way things go in Dubai.
Since work is quite busy these days, I decided to go to the office during the hottest part of the day on Friday and only be home when it cooled down somewhat (everything's relative ... 35 degrees is cool these days).
Saturday I waited anxiously all morning, even cancelled my chiropractor appointment so I would not miss the repairman's call. By noon, I was losing hope. Out came the Yellow Pages. I called 6 or 7 repair shops. Some did not answer. Two did not speak English. One was a fax number (nothing like that screeching in yer ear!). The other two took my number and someone would call me back. One said he would come in the evening but it would cost 100 Dirhams just to show up. Fine. And still I waited ... and sweated ... and waited ... and sweated.
FINALLY at 8:35 pm Saturday evening, my mobile rang and it was the company my landlord had called. Woohoo! And he spoke very clear English which is always a relief.
The repair man and his assistant poked around a bit, lifed some ceiling tiles, ran some water in the tub (not sure why). After about 10 minutes, he informed me that the duct had completely frozen closed on the inside, solid with ice and that was the problem; no air flow. The solution? Turn off the a/c for an hour to melt the ice, turn it back on and see if that worked. So I sweated it out for another hour. Low and behold, a cold draft from the vent ... yay!
After they left I looked at the business card he left, seems he is actually a landscaper ... ? But he solved the problem and all's well that ends well and I didn't have to pay for it afterall. I have proven to myself that if I had to I could survive without air conditioning ... but why?!
As a footnote to my air conditioner saga, tonight (Sunday) my mobile rang and it was the 100 dirham repairman. I informed him that it is now fixed, thank you for calling and have a nice night. Why he was calling me at 11:55 p.m., I'm not too sure? Such is the way things go in Dubai.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Mitsubishi Pajero
Here is a picture of my new toy ... 2006 Misubishi Pajero. I believe the North American version is called a 'Montero'.
I'm lovin' my new wheels. It's pretty loaded up ... leather seats, sunroof, parking sensors that tell you when you are about to hit something (or something is about to hit you). It has "tip-tronic" shifting which means it is an automatic but with one little tip of the shifter, it is like a manual but without the clutch. I haven't used that yet because truth be known, I don't really know how. I paid 80K dirhams which is about $22k Canadian. I think that was an OK deal, I probably could have haggled that down but I loathe haggling.
Update on the options: yesterday while stuck in gridlock, I noticed a mystery button ... so I pushed it. Turns out that at the push of a button, I can retract both my side mirrors! It's the coolest thing :-)
Two days after I got it, I left the office to go home and low and behold, there was a sticky note on the window saying if I ever wanted to sell it, I should call the guy! Ha! I have not yet called. Although I could probably make a small profit from the deal, to sell it would mean paying for another month's rental on the Civic and I would be starting all over with car shopping. I loathe car shopping even more than I loathe haggling!
I had considered buying a vehicle here to export back to Canada whenever I return however on checking the Governemnt of Canada website, turns out that vehicles not specifically manufactured for the North American market are virtually impossible to import. Really high end vehicles may be a different story. Seems any regular person's vehicle newer than 15 years or so does not meet Canadian safety standards. Kinda makes me wonder about driving it here?!
And in the absense of assigned parking, I park wherever I can! Couldn't jump right up on the curb with the Civic :-)
I'm lovin' my new wheels. It's pretty loaded up ... leather seats, sunroof, parking sensors that tell you when you are about to hit something (or something is about to hit you). It has "tip-tronic" shifting which means it is an automatic but with one little tip of the shifter, it is like a manual but without the clutch. I haven't used that yet because truth be known, I don't really know how. I paid 80K dirhams which is about $22k Canadian. I think that was an OK deal, I probably could have haggled that down but I loathe haggling.
Update on the options: yesterday while stuck in gridlock, I noticed a mystery button ... so I pushed it. Turns out that at the push of a button, I can retract both my side mirrors! It's the coolest thing :-)
Two days after I got it, I left the office to go home and low and behold, there was a sticky note on the window saying if I ever wanted to sell it, I should call the guy! Ha! I have not yet called. Although I could probably make a small profit from the deal, to sell it would mean paying for another month's rental on the Civic and I would be starting all over with car shopping. I loathe car shopping even more than I loathe haggling!
I had considered buying a vehicle here to export back to Canada whenever I return however on checking the Governemnt of Canada website, turns out that vehicles not specifically manufactured for the North American market are virtually impossible to import. Really high end vehicles may be a different story. Seems any regular person's vehicle newer than 15 years or so does not meet Canadian safety standards. Kinda makes me wonder about driving it here?!
And in the absense of assigned parking, I park wherever I can! Couldn't jump right up on the curb with the Civic :-)
Saturday, July 05, 2008
In the News: Dubai residents sickened by sewage
Unfortunately, this story is close to my home in International City although, Italy Cluster has escaped the rising tide (knock on wood!)
Inside my flat is not without issues of it's own either ... odours from the drains, intermittent loss of water pressure and a bathroom sink that went from slow-draining to completely stopped despite several industrial sized jugs of 'liquid plumber'.
I was aware of the 'cons' of International City when I moved there (sewage, traffic, lack of amenities, lack of vegetation, dust, rats) but the big 'pro' was the affordability. Having suffered a bout of sticker-shock when I arrived, I made a conscious choice to move there anyway (translation: I cheaped out). In general, it is not so bad and the savings are worth the inconveniences ... for now.
Some links:
Arabian Business ... the article quoted above
The Gulf News ... more poo in the news
The Gulf News ... general information about International City
The Gulf News ... rats?! Yikes! The day I see a rat is the day I move the heck outta there! I have to say, that in my building, there is frequently bags of garbage left in the stairwells and around the bins. Needless to say I DO NOT take the stairs in the dark!
The Wall Street Journal ... some photos from around Dubai
Xpress ... bad bad truckers!!! Dumping their loads into the storm system. Much of the 'grey' water is recycled to irrigate the vegetation which is a great idea but now I know why it smells so foul! One morning I walked by some sprinklers on the lawn near Emirates Towers; the mist spread to my clothes and I carried around that smell all day! PU!
Dibaicity pretty much sums it all up
Dubai residents sickened by sewageI live on the third floor so no sewage seeping into my flat (yet!) and although the smell is noticeable at times, I have not gotten sick. I am also situated towards the interior of Italy cluster at the far end from the sewage plant and my flat faces away from that direction so I am not subjected to the stench as much as other residents (thank Gawd!) I regularly drive through the 'lake' to get home and I agree with the one commenter that International City was very poorly built and the traffic into our community being routed through a gas station ... just plain stoopid!
by Andrew White on Thursday, 03 July 2008
SEWAGE ISSUES: Waste water has flooded an area of Dubai's International City for the second week in a row. Sewage has flooded an area of Dubai's International City for the second week in a row, infuriating the development's residents, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Thursday.
An entire car park, roads and pavements are now submerged under the sewage, which was still rising up from the drains on Wednesday, the newspaper said.
The sewage is now just a metre from the entrances of some residential buildings in the ‘England’ cluster, near one of the main roads, while the car park is also flooded with the waste water.
Motorists are being forced to drive through the pools and around the hazard caused by tankers that are working to pump out the water, while the smell - worsened by the summer heat - was attracting swarms of flies.
A spokesperson for the city's master developer Nakheel told the newspaper a team was working on measures to resolve the situation.
Inside my flat is not without issues of it's own either ... odours from the drains, intermittent loss of water pressure and a bathroom sink that went from slow-draining to completely stopped despite several industrial sized jugs of 'liquid plumber'.
I was aware of the 'cons' of International City when I moved there (sewage, traffic, lack of amenities, lack of vegetation, dust, rats) but the big 'pro' was the affordability. Having suffered a bout of sticker-shock when I arrived, I made a conscious choice to move there anyway (translation: I cheaped out). In general, it is not so bad and the savings are worth the inconveniences ... for now.
Some links:
Arabian Business ... the article quoted above
The Gulf News ... more poo in the news
The Gulf News ... general information about International City
The Gulf News ... rats?! Yikes! The day I see a rat is the day I move the heck outta there! I have to say, that in my building, there is frequently bags of garbage left in the stairwells and around the bins. Needless to say I DO NOT take the stairs in the dark!
The Wall Street Journal ... some photos from around Dubai
Xpress ... bad bad truckers!!! Dumping their loads into the storm system. Much of the 'grey' water is recycled to irrigate the vegetation which is a great idea but now I know why it smells so foul! One morning I walked by some sprinklers on the lawn near Emirates Towers; the mist spread to my clothes and I carried around that smell all day! PU!
Dibaicity pretty much sums it all up
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