My Travelling Companion

I guess every Johnson needs a Boswell, but the best I could come up with on this trip is Monkey. He's named, appropriately, after Monkey from Journey to the West. I don't know his real name. He was a gift from my great friends Bob and Cindy Mayer. They were concerned that I would not actually take him along on the trip, but here's proof positive. Monkey is basking in the late afternoon sunshine on my deck. He's thinking about coming up to school tomorrow to check out my new office, so, doubtless, more pictures of his shenanigans will follow.

Reading the Paper

Here's an interesting section from the paper about technology and how it is shaping our lives: "In this incessant need for technology, we are connecting with the world but aren't we losing touch with the ones we care about the most. . . Most of may may not realise it, but technology has now replaced marriage and other close relationships as a major source of affirmation in our lives. Marriage and family are tough sometimes so people turn to social media for support and understanding." I thought this was really interesting because it's a topic I discuss with my friends and colleagues quite a bit, but especially because it was in the Khaleej Times this morning. There was a related pieced on cyber bullying. We tend to think of these are uniquely American problems when obviously they are incresingly a problem for more and more people around the world. There was also an insightful article about changing gender roles in the Emirati workplace (and the phrase "the pink-collar workforce was used).

In addition, there was a thoughtful op-ed piece on the world's growing population and consumerism. After discussing how quickly China and India would catch up to the US in economic size and consumer hunger, the point was made: "Wherever we look - be it carbon emissions, oil and gas, food shortages, water, rare earths, fisheries or forests - there just isn't enough for the world to soak up another two consumption-driven Americas. To stop heading down this road Asian governments must immediately recognize that a bleak future lies ahead if Asians attempt to live out an aspiration to consume like Americans." It is always a bit humbling/depressing to hear your country used as a synonym for over-consumption (just as it is when the US is used that way when folks describe a violent society) but always pretty ironic that I read it in the UAE, which is the only country in the world to have a larger per capita carbon footprint than the US. That said, for all of their often over the top behavior, it does seem that the Emirates is taking the issue more seriously than the US is.

Finally, there was s story about the US government issueing another travel advisory for American citizens travelling abroad in light of the tenth year anniversary of 9/11, which is, appropriately enough, the first day of my fall class at Zayed. I'll be interested in follow the news coverage, although not so much in the mainstream US media, which I'm afraid will just use it as an excuse for more shallow patriotic chest thumping.

Day One

Well, I've managed to make it through my first day here in Abu Dhabi at the Radisson Blu. After scarfing down my comp breakfast I went to the fitness center and devoted forty minutes to the treadmill and then lifted weights, and then I went outside for a swim and sat (in the shade - it's 37 C and humid as hell) reading the Khaleej Times. Tonight I had the chance to meet my first new Zayed University professors. Apparently there are five of us out here, all of whom arrived expecting to be placed in a room with a kitchenette and all of whom (or at least the guys I met tonight) ended up in business suites (which are very nice, but which certainly do not have a kitchen and only a small fridge). I had received an email from one of them asking if people wanted to get together tonight in the business suite on the eighth floor for their nightly happy hour. I was more than ready to get out of my room. I met Tony and Peter, two older British professors who have spent decades teaching all throughout the Middle East, and an American named Patrick who is here doing something in regards to border control. It was a very pleasant way to kill a couple hours - sitting out on the balcony watching the sun go down while downing a couple Stella Artois and eating some curried shrimp and chicken. It was made better because it's nightly and the drinks and food are comped, which will help stretch my budget. It's hard to eat in the hotel restaurant for less than $50 so I can't see me doing that very much. The bigger issue, obviously, is whether staying here in the hotel is sustainable, both financially and emotionally. I was thinking about renting a car, but you really can't rent a car until you have an Emirati national identity card, and that may take awhile. I think I'm going to talk to the folks at Zayed about getting an apartment somewhere, although that leads to all sorts of logistical issues of its own. We talked about getting together a reserving a taxi ride to and from the hotel daily with some sort of group rate. I'll have a better handle on things tomorrow when we head into campus for the first day of orientation. So, many questions, but also a nice evening spent with some great guys who told some hysterical stories.

My Place

Let me post some pictures of the bizarre little world I've found myself in here at the Radisson Blu, and which has left me feeling more than a bit like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. I arrived late last night at the Abu Dhabi Airport after a very long flight. I had visited Abu Dhabi a few times before, but only after flying into the Dubai Airport. Because I'm actually working here it would have taken longer to check in at the airport than if you're just visiting, which, if you're an American, is just dropping down your passport. There was a long line to look at passports and visas and go through the eye scanner, but I was greeted as soon as I got off the plane by a nice young Filopino woman from a service that whisks me people through the airport, and that's exactly what she did for me. She grabbed me and we blew right past the long queue as if I were an actual VIP (with me apologizing the all the folks in line as we strolled past). So, the entire process which I would imagine would take over an hour, ended up taking about two minutes. Then I was met by a driver arranged by Zayed University, and delivered on to the Radisson Blu, where they also made a big deal over my visit and joked about the fact that my reservation was for 99 nights. The Radisson Blu is located out on Yas Island, one of those man-made islands that the Emirates is famous for. Although the hotel is really nice I can also say that it's not really what I was looking for. I was hoping for a little two bedroom apartment in an actual neighborhood, where I could get used to the lay of the land and frequent little family restaurants, etc. There's nothing out here except for other posh hotels and Ferrari World and the formula one race course (which actually, at one point, runs underneath the five star Yas Hotel). If Zayed was looking to grab my attention they have, although I also can't say that I'm surprised. I just don't know how sustainable any of this is - either me staying here (there's no kitchen, although I have free breakfast everyday in the restaurant downstairs - and I guess I'll just swipe tons of yogurt and store them in my little fridge) or as a country (but more on that later). There also is no place to shop for food or place or laundromate, and I really don't want to spend the rest of the year eating dinner at the fine restaurants at th3e local hotels and having my laundry done by the hotel staff (although one of the perks that Zayed threw in was two free items of laundry a day - yes, it was explained to me last night as I checked in). The room and the hotel is beautiful, just sort of surreal. More on all this later, but here's a few pictures. The balcony is so long that it has two separate sliding doors. Again, it's just surreal.

Four Corners

I've settled in at Abu Dhabi but I wanted to take the advantage of an off-day to get caught up on some long-delayed blogging. I'll also post some pictures of my new digs here at the Radisson Blu. First off, however, a brief tribute to the Four Corners of the Earth deli, the proud possessor of the best sandwiches in Vermont. It's one of those classic places that you have to know about to find. They do absolutely no advertising, and they're tucked away in a little corner down on Pine Street - and they don't take credit cards. There are only around five tables and often a pretty good wait, especially now because the owner seems to be making all the sandwiches himself without any help (I can't decide whether this is a result of bad economic times or whether the fantastic crew are trapped by Vermont flood waters). My favorite sandwich is the Iraqi Turkey, but lately he's made us an adapted sandwich - sort of a Jamaican with turkey (originally created one day when he was out of ingredients) that is now running neck and neck with the Iraqi. I order the Iraqi all the time and the staff go through this pantomine of telling me about this new sandwich called the Iraqi Turkey that I should consider, and I let myself be talked into it. Believe, all the sandwiches there are great - and a welcome change of pace of the culinary wasteland that is Vermont.

Andy's Goodbye

Here's a soon to be prize-winning film that my great friend Andy Burkhardt prepared for me as a going away present.

In his email Andy wrote: "As a send off, I figured I would use my emerging technology skills to create a going away video for Scudder. It doesn’t equal the as yet to be completed “Nostradamus Cycle,” and is basically all of Gary’s catchphrases thrown into 90 seconds, but I think it captures Gary well. Moreover, I think that my directorial style is rather similar to one Frank Capra. Hopefully I see most of you at trivia this evening. Our team name is going to be “Ernest and the Shackletons.”"

I especially like his envisioning of my friend and colleague Steve Wehmeyer.

New Campus

I'll take a quick break from running around like a lunatic to post a quick picture and include a link to the new Abu Dhabi campus of Zayed University where I'll be housed (at least academically) for the next year. We're down to one week before I take off. Next Thursday afternoon I fly out from Burlington to JRK to Doha, Qatar and then the short final hop to Abu Dhabi. I'm exhausted just thinking about it - and, of course, instead of tackling the million and one chores I have to deal with I'm blogging and ordering movies off Amazon. I've figured out that I won't be able to stream moves through Netflix in the UAE and I need movies. Here's a picture of the new brand new campus and a link to a virtual tour.