Nice View

We clean up the used outdoor furniture we bought and move it out to the balcony where it rightfully belongs, and it looks great! There's a nice view of two buildings that look like the Chrysler building but we still don't know their names.

Delivery Day

Furniture arrives at our front door. The wonders of buying new stuff! It's great to have someplace to sit down.

Settling In

The bloom is off the rose, or should I say the date palm? You could say that our apartment's location on the Palm island makes us the dates.

Neal seems to just conk out in the evening after work (probably from lack of sleep and stress). I'm sleeping very well and feeling pretty energized but it is lonely with no friends nearby yet. The people who work here at our building are incredibly friendly and helpful--even helping me bring packages upstairs. I've been leaving Neal's business card around with notes and questions for our neighbors and while I have yet to meet them they have been quick to respond with suggestions. Everything is pick up and delivery here like laundry, water, even meals. I hope we can get a maid soon, which should be very inexpensive, but a lot of them want full time, live in jobs, which I can't really fathom--three days a week is what our neighbor has which seems like a lot to me.

My search for cheap nice furniture has taken me all over the world! I've seen lines ranging from Natuzzi and Ligne Roset (way too expensive) to Ethan Allen (if you can wait several months) and Lazy Boy (I didn't come all this way to buy that!) plus all kinds of stuff from India, Pakistan, Spain, Portugal, China, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Australia with more than enough fancy UK and garish Arabic styles. It's been fairly entertaining for me but Neal is tiring of this process and ready to buy whatever we are looking at at the moment, so I am also trying to bring some logic and sanity to bear.

We decided to go as simple and cheap as possible on the big ticket items and spice it up with nice small things that could come home with us. The practically new used items we bought have worked out well: Janet and Hack were here to help me get our amazingly big and heavy master bed (exotic Indian) and yesterday I got a like-new Natuzzi recliner (modern Italian) for Neal (see photo). So now when I look at new things I'm already thinking about reselling them when we leave! We also have to get blinds which are expensive and ordinarily I wouldn't bother with but here they are considered a necessity for privacy and sleeping in. Ikea and Ace Hardware have come in handy for miscellaneous items. I've had to get out of the malls since they're so expensive and been forced to learn my way around by driving through all kinds of industrial sites to find the other stores and warehouses, many of which I just stumble upon. I still found myself in two malls today, returning our broken espresso machine (for the third time) and getting cash at an ATM (also got my car washed in the parking lot for $5!).

Needless to say, the overall style of the apartment will have to be eclectic, but we're drawing the line at royal Arabian--no way we can pull that off! We may not get any more bedroom furniture for awhile so give us a little notice if you want to visit. They are not fussy about the rules for balconies and the like in our building, but whatever's on the balcony gets covered in dust in no time. Our parking lot is a zoo--we have 2 reserved spots but it's dog eat dog and people steal spots with impunity. It's probably related to the crazy driver problem.

We hope to see some sights outside of Dubai for a change of pace this weekend when we aren't waiting for furniture to be delivered. I've been spending my spare time puzzling over the appliances, none of which resemble their American counterparts, and hoping for a maid to mysteriously appear.

How's the Water?

Neal is enjoying our big pool. He can swim off the beach or kayak out there too. I think the jellyfish are gone now but I haven't gone out there to check. Something about taking an elevator down to the fake beach--just doesn't call to me like the beach at Tybee. I haven't made use of the pool or health club yet myself--getting in shape an increasingly and alarmingly low priority for me.

Something's Missing Here

There is no culture here, which is a bummer. (Mall art, nice as some of it is, doesn't count.) I was very spoiled in Pittsburgh. It's hard to find a newspaper stand or a post office. I still haven't mailed any postcards, which I usually do when I get to a new place.

Neal has his hands full trying to get the office going in the right direction. Definitely not in his comfort zone and he feels all the pressure. I have my work cut out for me just trying to keep him sane, so it's a good thing that I am in a fairly relaxed state. I can't imagine being here with kids--that would definitely put me over the edge. Even a pet would be tough--there's NO place to walk. A kitty might be okay but it would have to stay indoors all the time and just think what it would do to nice curtains! I don't think they even allow pets on the Palm since I haven't seen any.

Random fact: men outnumber women by a large ratio, at least 4-1.

S.N.A.F.U.

Frustrations continue, like getting stuck in big traffic jams going the wrong way. It took four tries and Neal getting really mad over the phone for the cable guy to show up, but the TV and internet are working well (my laptop, sadly, is not). I got to watch Conan O'Brien last night. Mysteries (why no David Letterman?) also abound.

Communication snafus and lousy service seem to be the norm here. People are pretty nice and even apologetic when they are being incompetent but that doesn't really help. Drivers are another story, as there are an alarming number of dangerous maniacs and/or thrillseekers on the road, which makes driving a real test of survival skills. Perhaps a Survivor: Dubai is in the works? It was fun seeing The Great Race take a trip to our old Burj Dubai neighborhood.

Our ride is a nice big made-in-the-USA Ford Explorer. Filling it up, which we seem to do a lot, costs less than $25. We're hoping to upgrade to a newer model soon but planning to keep it as a rental. I can't bear the thought of trying to deal with car breakdowns here.

Check out this clip of common accidents in Dubai:

FedEx Delivers, Sort Of

Sending boxes from USA to Dubai via FedEx worked out pretty well--they delivered to my front door--but it took two more days than expected to clear customs and I unexpectedly had to pay duty (about $50). Without thinking about it I had stated a value of $500. The FedEx guy tells me that if I label it personal effects with a value below $300, it's duty free. Not sure if it avoids customs though--they probably still check no matter what you declare, you would think.

I'm told Dubai has retained its own customs separate from Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE--vestige of being separate countries, lucrative operation, may explain some of the questionable activities you hear rumors of here. I also hear that Dubai does a booming billion-dollar business in the sale of duty free items at the airport, which many arriving passengers take advantage of, especially for the purchase of alcohol.

Bed Pointed Right Way

Back Again

I'm back in Dubai again, and meet Neal at the apartment for our first night together in the new digs. The bed is assembled, a mammoth task for one person given its great weight, but it looks weird, probably because it's pointed in the wrong direction. I try to point this out tactfully, but do not succeed. Also, there is no food in the house beyond the little I left there a week ago. So we must navigate ourselves to a restaurant at a late hour. We find a very nice Lebanese place and have a lovely meal "al fresco" despite being served something we didn't order and the occasional disturbance of drag racing show-offs on the beach road. Who are these people?!

Frustrating Fun Day

Last day in Dubai before heading back to Pittsburgh for a week. Trying to entertain Janet and Hack while picking up some furniture turns out to be impossible. My company is anything but entertaining as Janet and Hack endure a hugely frustrating trip to the Arabian Ranches to pick up a table, which I stupidly thought would take only an hour. Three hours later, we are stuck in traffic going the wrong way (as is usual here). The table wasn't even that nice and I am seething at the owner who refused to email a picture--"come see it for yourself at Arabian Ranches", he said, with glowing description--and who also refused to come down on his price, which is too easy when you are on the phone and let your wife be the bad guy. And the directionally challenged wife's bad directions were how we got going the wrong way home.I'm beginning to suspect that one reason for the seemingly inexplicable accidents in Dubai may be the attempts of drivers to correct their mistakes in getting on the wrong road, which often involves a huge unexpected detour and proves very hard to correct. The U-Turn is quite acceptable in almost any circumstance but this maneuver does require a cut in the road, which may not be there when you need it so some drivers seem to be inspired to make their own cuts.

In a weird way it reminds me of Pittsburgh with its sometimes hideous roads and hard to follow directions, often involving landmarks that are incomprehensible to non-natives. I find myself trying to keep a compass in my head and just make sure I'm heading north, south, east or west, as the situation dictates, using a few notable landmarks as guides, such as the Burj Al Arab, the building that sticks out over the Gulf and looks like a sail, which is a short way north of the Palm, which is eastward on the Gulf and north of all the big buildings in the area known as the Marina. There are, of course, quite a few marinas in Dubai, including at least two on the Palm, but not to get confused, this one is really big.

Janet and Hack were also nice enough to wait for my practically new used bed to be delivered, which I was anxious to get so Neal would not have to come home to an empty apartment. Again, not quite as pictured on the dubizzle website--this bed is massive and the delivery guys earned their money. Turns out it is brand new with price tag still on and in its original packaging (with "big bad ass" marked on the outside!).

Then it's off to the airport and a nice flight back with Captain Janet flying the first half. We later found out she got sick while trying to get some rest in the crew cabin the second half of the trip, hopefully not caused by the disruptions I put them through during the day. I slept well while trying to avoid talking to my seatmate who was very drunk and cursing the whole lot of Arabs in Afghanistan where he had been working. I finally mastered the United seat controls, which had me stumped on prior trips, and timed my bathroom breaks perfectly for a change. Hack had more upscale company in the first-class cabin, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Pakistan and Sen. Dan Inouye from Hawaii. Flying standby has its perks and drawbacks--I couldn't get on the early flight from Dulles to Pittsburgh and had to wait four hours for the next flight. How I occupied those hours is a mystery to me, but it was nice to get home finally. I even found a SuperShuttle now operating in Pittsburgh, who drove me all the way to Fox Chapel for $39, a trip that by cab would be closer to $80 or more with tip.

Not Much vs. Lot of Show

I feel like I have been working my butt off with not much to show for it yet, but we do have a brand new (empty) apartment with a great gym and pool (too tired to go) and a nice view and beach. I got a TV and an air mattress already and have been trying to buy used furniture, but yesterday I lost a bedroom set I really wanted by 5 minutes because I was waiting for the damn TV to be delivered. And the TV is useless if the cable company doesn't come. I waited three hours for them yesterday until Neal (who is in Pittsburgh now) found a number to call and was told they weren't coming! Neal yelled at them and they promised to be here today at noon, so we'll see.

Dubai is so crazy it's ridiculous. The more I'm here the more it seems like a giant real estate scheme. There are so many new buildings and projects underway, many of them stalled for the time being, it's hard to say what will become of it all. It all looks new but in 10-20 years, do they bulldoze it and start over? The desert is right here so where there's no building there's just a pile of sand. Bizarre contrasts. But interesting, so long as I don't have to live here permanently.

My twin Janet is flying here tonight (as in flying the plane as captain for United Airlines) with her husband Hack coming along to see Dubai. We will have as much fun as possible during the layover and then all head back together on the 13th. You get pretty nice treatment from the cabin crew when your sister is flying the plane! I'll be in Pittsburgh for a week before heading back. I'm going to bring back sheets, towels, etc. that I have extra of at home and don't need to buy new. And then I will try to furnish the new apartment without spending too much money.

Sunday is a work day here, since Friday is the Muslim holy day. We'll go out to dinner at the Creek--the real old part of town--and cab it since I've never tried to drive there and have been forewarned. But you have to try to get a real cab and not one of the unmarked cars which while metered are more expensive.

Getting Giddy

Giddiness is setting in. Being alone in Dubai is a little worrisome. Or as my friend in Cairo, calls it (in a playfully disparaging way), Do-Buy.

I like Robert's suggestion: Doo-bye, baaaaby.

Maybe I should come up with my own nickname. How about Doobee Doobee Doobye? And then there's Abu Dhabi Doo.You'd think Mountain Dew would be all over here but I haven't seen it around.

We Are Now Palmites

Today we paid a year's worth of rent (nice for all those investors) and completed our suitcase move to the Palm Jumeirah. The new apartment is very nice and spacious, especially since it's brand new and there's no furniture yet. Neal conveniently just left for the airport to go back to Pittsburgh and assorted meetings. I have three days to buy furniture before I leave to come home for a week. No pressure!

Dubai has a hyperactive online marketplace for reselling all kinds of stuff since people move and come and go all the time. Some of it is practically brand new at steep discounts, very enticing, but there's also a bunch of crap. My first purchase: a sepia canvas poster of Muhammed Ali, to set the proper "I'm an American, don't f&@k with me" tone. One person's crap, another person's treasure. Right now I'm only attracted to stuff that's both cheap and that we don't need (almost bought a giant bonsai tree!). My second purchase is likely to be an air mattress, if I can find one. I could not find a measuring tape or hangars in the entire Do-buy mall! Wal-mart is what's missing--it would be amazing here! Ikea just came and is doing great.

I am beginning to suspect that the little people here--like the hotel staff and the shop people--secretly like Americans, but the other expats (loads from the UK, Australia, South Africa) not so much. Not sure about the Emiratis. They still seem scary to me, although I did hitch a ride with an Emirati woman who was just as lost as me trying to get to a furniture store.

Someday I may post the story of the safe fiasco (as in hotel safe) but not now. Whatever Neal says is only partially true, as usual.

The Old, the Soft and the Lazy

Neal and I are now pretty certain we are among the oldest people here. Say you lived and worked in Dubai for many years and had children and grandchildren here. Guess what happens when you retire? They make you leave! If you don't have a work visa and you aren't an Emirati, you can't stay. It's nuts but may explain why we don't see any old expatriates like ourselves.


The real estate market here is not to be believed. We are moving anyday now to our new apartment. I hear horror stories about getting internet and cable and what they call snagging issues (stuff that doesn't work when you first move in) so I am bracing myself for the fight. Driving is like that too. Redtape and incompetence abounds.

Miss our Pittsburgh friends and American football. The selection of TV channels is not good. We are 8 hours ahead so I woke up yesterday to follow the end of the Steeler game on the internet, no video or audio, just play by play feed. Neal tells his buddies back home that the Arabs are woosies, and their kids are very soft and lazy. They don't even pump their own gas here!

New Normal

I am glad to hear my sister-in-law Janet Brendel is getting back to normal after unexpected emergency surgery. It still feels weird for me to wake up in Dubai so I may be missing normal for a while myself. Neal is going home to Pittsburgh on Oct. 9 but I'm not going back until the 13th and probably won't stay long. We are "moving" from the hotel to our new apartment in a few days and I'm looking for furniture etc. Not a lot of fun--the apartment hunt was bad enough! We are looking forward to being out on the Palm. There's a fantastic gym, pool and beach right in front of the building, with a restaurant going in as well.

My sister and her husband will be here on on the 11th and I'll fly back with them. Good thing they aren't planning to stay with us! I hope by the time we have other visitors we'll have some furniture.

Ross and Kurt seem fine at college, Ross liking his apartment, in full swing with rugby and in a seminar with Howard Dean. Kurt's working hard with wrestling and is happy to have much less reading this term. He's taking music theory now which is pretty hard but he says he likes it. One of his friends got swine flu already but he says it wasn't bad.

I'm telling my friends at home that Dubai is definitely a fun and interesting place to visit either by itself or on the way to or from someplace else, although best not in the heat of the summer. (It's still in the 90's!) Great for kids, very family oriented with water parks, aquariums, all the cool stores kids like.

They do a lot of neat things with water. The video shows the fountain in the Dubai Mall.

World's Tallest Building

The Burj Dubai, currently the world's tallest builing, is in full view from Neal's balcony at The Address, but stubbornly refuses to fit in my photo. There is a very cool fountain water and lights show every night on the half hour with differing designs and music. The grand opening spectacular is scheduled for December 2 and it looks close to completion, with sod being brought in now to complete the greenery, a nice change from dirt brown.

Check out the guys who illegally base jumped off the building:

No Fun for the Busy

Wish I could go visit my sister Cynthia who is doing legal work until December in Arusha in Tanzania, but I have my hands full trying to find and furnish an apartment here plus planning to go back and forth to Pittsburgh twice before December. The big event coming up is the Dubai Rugby Sevens Dec 4-5 for which Neal has a big block of tickets. We should be in the new apartment with some furniture by then?

Janet and Hack will be here Oct. 9 and I'll fly back with them. No desert safari for Hack!

Dubai still seems very friendly and not nearly as scary as I expected except perhaps for driving, which I am just starting to try. I'm told the locals are extremely lazy, and all the good workers are expats. Americans seem to be well-liked but not very numerous, which is nice for us as we feel special. But we also feel very old, often the oldest people we see, which is not so nice. There don't seem to be any retired expats here, since you have to leave once you lose your work visa. One way to address the health care problem? It is possible and apparently pretty easy to stay legal without a work visa provided you cross the border and get a new tourist visa every thirty days. I hear Oman is nice.

Not Quite Heaven

Neal's balcony at The Address is pretty scary being open at 52 stories. Here's a self-portrait, yes, me in pajamas but I'm still working hard.

I wouldn't be surprised if Heaven is on the Dubai master plan somewhere. I certainly haven't missed getting mail. I do miss TV and the news a little.

The apartment deal is looking good. The Russian landlord seems to have the right papers (although he seems to be trying to get paid off the books). Our agent Melissa is nice and tough and has vowed to see us through, hopefully to move in a week or so before I come home again.


I went to a nice new Asian based home store that just opened in the Dubai mall so starting to think about furnishings. Kind of neat to have a totally clean slate but of course we don't want to spend a lot. Neal and I are not good at budgeting so we need to be careful.

Future King

The place we are going for is on the Palm Jumeirah, the large set of man-made islands in the shape of a palm that sticks out into the Persian (or is it Arabian?) Gulf. It has a big new Atlantis Hotel at the top of the trunk. They have other island developments planned, grandiosely called The World and The Universe, but like many things here, those projects are still u/c (under construction) even though they appear on many maps as if built!


A large part of Dubai is on paper only or just half built, so one good thing about the new apartment is a nice view where everything looks finished! Many of the places we looked, including this gorgeous hotel we are in, have unfinished areas, ramps being worked on, so you have to run a gauntlet to get in and out and around. Since cars are king here, the car parks once you find them are huge and nice.


One crazy thing about apartments here is that they are owned by individuals, often absentee landlords. The one we want is owned by a Russian. Since it's brand new there's a year warranty with onsite builders still there so we should be able to work any kinks out. We did see another one owned by a sheikh who had never occupied it after buying it and one year later trying to rent it there was damage even though brand new! People buy apartments here like they buy stocks or mutual funds in the US. Lots of them are left unoccupied because the landlord doesn't want to deal with renters. And each landlord gets his own agent so no agent can show you all the availability. I had to go out with four different agents to find this particular apartment! The agent who found the one we like best is a tough broad who can stand up to the Russians!


I will still have my work cut out for me furnishing this place, large 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath plus study (or if you prefer, maid's room) and laundry room, 2200 sq. ft.! Fortunately the kitchen and laundry are equipped, and there's also a built in soundsystem for the whole unit. Neal's firm will pick up the rent, but the furniture is probably on us.


We met the future King of Bengal last night at a community networking event. He's an Indian banker with a Portuguese wife who splits his time between Dubai, Portugal, and Angola. It was interesting to talk to him about Portugal--he told us the mayor of Evora is Indian, which we didn't know-- and Neal just happens to have a client doing business in Angola so it was a fortuitous encounter.