Crrrrrazzzzzzzyyyyy Month

Crazy Month

Sorry I’ve been MIA for so long, but so much has been going on. Here are some of the highlights:

Went on an overnight trip to Ras Al Khaimah, which is another city in the UAE. I went went with a big group of people to some hot springs, and we had a wine and cheese night when we got there, and then had some group games and hot springing the next day.

That night, I went to a David Guetta concert in Dubai, which was actually really disappointing. It was set up badly and he just didn’t play that well. I think I just had too high expectations.

The weekend after, I went to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, to see WOMAD, the World of Arts, Music, and Dance festival. It’s a huge outdoor festival with lots of international bands, demonstrations, workshops, etc. It was cool to see Abu Dhabi and all these international acts, like drummers from Burundi.

I started a new part-time jobs in the evenings, to make a little extra money and keep me occupied. I’m working for a social sports company out here, just like Chicago Sport and Social. I help run the basketball and flag football leagues, so 3 days a week, from 7-10, I’m out refereeing games and making sure things run smoothly. It’s a fairly new company, so I’m also trying to help them out with ideas. Since my real job is quite boring, it keeps me occupied and thinking.

Because of this part-time job, my work schedule is pretty crazy. I go into one office for my real job at 9:30am, and stay there until 1. Then I go to the gym for a while, and then come home for lunch. Around 4:30, I head to another office for my real job, and stay there until around 630. Then from 7-11 I will work the part-time job. One or two nights a week I will try and go out, Tuesday nights here are like Thursday nights in the U.S.

I had my first visitor from Chicago! My friend, Karl, who I’ve known since 7th grade, visited me for around 9 days. We went camping on the beach in Oman with a group of French people, then went a day cruise in some lagoons in and around the mountains and went snorkeling and saw tons of dolphins. The mountains in this part of Oman are gorgeous, with big cliffs and tons of beaches and lagoons that are only accessible by boat.

Throughout the week I took him to see all the sights in Dubai, including all the cool buildings, shoppings malls, and beaches. One day we went to the Atlantis hotel on the Palm Jumeirah (the man made island shaped like a palm tree). We checked out the hotel which is incredible, and went to the waterpark, Aquaventure, which not only had great rides, but also great views of Dubai. He also went on a plane tour of Dubai and got to see the sights from above.

I met a Jordanian who grew up in Canada who loves to sail. He joined a sailing club and can take out boats for really cheap. We now go sailing once a week, and sail around the World islands, the Burj al Arab hotel, and other cool sites in Dubai.

My birthday is coming up, and I will have a birthday week like I always do, but this time I have stepped it up a notch. This coming weekend, I will be having a yacht party and a villa party on the same day! I met an American who has the same bday as me, and she knew someone with a villa and convinced him to let us throw a party at his place. In the same group of friends, someone organized a yacht party for everyone that has upcoming birthdays, so we will cruise around Dubai in a catamaran with food and drinks.

Later in the week, I am heading to BEIRUT!!! - Party capital of the world! I’m going with a friend from Dubai and meeting up with a friend from U of C who lives there. It should be a ridiculous time, and I will update you on all the craziness that ensues.

If you want to see some good pictures of Dubai, check out my Faceebook pics, as Karl and I just put up all the pictures from his visit.