While being driven from Abu Dhabi to Dubai...

Noon—September 8, 2004
I’m in a car on my way back to Dubai from Abu Dhabi, so I will have lots of time to update the blog on the last two crazy days. Pace yourself…you can read this in sections! Think I’ll work backwards in time, for a change…

Just finished a meeting with Philip Milton and the 4 members of the Ed Tech team at Abu Dhabi Women’s College. Great group of folks—smart and funny (which is a very good combination!) and I say that not just because I know some of them are bloggers who will be reading these words! We had about a 90-minute meeting going over my training course and how it will fit in to their plans. I think they are likely to adopt it, and we’re going to make an excellent team.

It was quite a difference at the women’s college, just in terms of the dress and color. The women are dressed in all black from head to toe, and there are no pictures allowed. In the men’s college as you may have noticed, they are in all white, head to toe.

The facilities I saw were excellent in both. We met in a conference room that had flat panel displays all around and a huge SMART board up front that acts as a display monitor, whiteboard, and can even record the screen for later playback with sound. The network was fast and worked flawlessly.

At the conclusion of the meeting, without me even asking, Philip arranged for a car and driver back to Dubai, which is about 170 kilometers and takes 1.5 hours. I’ve got my laptop out in the backseat, with plenty of room in this very nice car, a new Mercedes. I finally got to use my universal adaptor, which has a car adaptor, and it works perfectly.

Before I left, I recorded a quick audio file of Philip (click here for audio) and took a shot of him recording into my handheld tape recorder in front of a beautiful Arabic mural. (Check out the new photo album “Abu Dhabi Women’s College.”) Oh, while I’m on the subject, I hope everyone knows you can click on the pictures in the photo albums and they will enlarge so you can see them better. The little ones are just thumbnails.

This morning I could have slept in for the first time, as my meeting wasn’t until 10 am. But for some reason I awoke at 4:30 am, so I just got up, showered and made myself a cup of tea. Good thing I did, because I needed all the time I had to answer emails and send emails to folks I met at the conference.

Then there were the logistical arrangements, which have become quite complex. Luckily Garry Hall has been working for me in the meanwhile, and has found a good hotel at a decent rate in Dubai. Dubai is about twice as expensive as Abu Dhabi, for some reason. I’ll be there from tonight (Wed, Sept 8) through Sept 15, conducting training for 3 days for DWC, and one day for the Library Services of Higher Colleges of Technology. The other nights are weekends or holidays, but I will need every minute of the to work. I’ve got 4-5 different presentations to do, so I’ll need to be very creative and efficient in the next few days. But I know what I’m doing, and thus can customize on the fly, after hearing exactly what they want and need at each school.

The hard part is not knowing what I’ll find until I get to some of these schools. Not that it won’t be good, just that it’s one more unknown, and thus, one more potential challenge. I have faith it will all work out, even if I do occasionally feel a bit overwhelmed at so much “new” combined with so much travel.

Then I will return to Abu Dhabi for two nights, do training sessions at both the Abu Dhabi Men’s and Women’s Colleges, tand at the end of the training day make the long trek to Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) in the very north of the UAE. That is going to be a long one!

Ghassan Frache of RAK has offered me to stay at his home for the 2 nights of my visit to RAK, which I accepted. I am really looking forward to staying in a real home for a couple of nights, and Ghassan seems like a great guy to get to know. That was very generous of him, and I know I will learn a great deal about life in Ras Al Khaimah by staying with him, as opposed to a being in a hotel.

After finishing the training day on Sept 20 in RAK, I will return to Dubai for one night, so I can be ready at 9am to conduct a training session for Dubia MEN’s College. Haven’t worked with them yet, so I am looking forward to getting to meet them.

At the end of that training day, I must travel to the oasis city of Al Ain, near the border of Oman. I will conduct a one day combined session with Al Ain Men’s and Women’s College. My new friend Gary Evans from Al Ain has promised to take me out into the desert for a BBQ one evening, which I am also very much looking forward to doing. He does motocross so who knows, I may be riding a motorcycle as well.

That brings me to the 24th, when I will return to Dubai, do some last minute shopping for gifts, and stay at Garry Hall’s place until about 8:30 pm, when I must leave for the airport and the long, long flight home, beginning at 12:05 am Saturday the 25th, 8 hours to Hong Hong, a 4 hour layover, and then 12.5 hours to San Francisco, a 3 hour layover, and then 1.5 hours to Portland International, arriving in the early evening of the same day (Sept 25th) due to gaining a day at the international dateline. It may be a small world, but it’s a bloody long way around it! (geez, I’m picking up an accent!)

Yesterday, Sept 7—after the presentation…

The presentation went well, but there were only about 20 people in the audience. Seemed almost anti-climatic. My deal was almost last in the conference, so many had left. But having a booth was excellent—met so many potential clients, who were quite surprised someone from Oregon was there.

It was funny though, I was showing the blog to someone (there is wireless internet connectivity through out the school) and a student in full Arab dress waited until I was finished off to the side, and then approached me and asked in a quiet accent and voice, “Did you say you are from Oregon?” “Yes,” I answered. “I lived in Portland for 3 years.” He was a very sweet guy who had gone to Portland Community College, and was now majoring in media studies at Abu Dhabi Men’s College. I showed him the blog pictures and he really enjoyed them and made me laugh. It was a wonderful connection to make at the end of a very long day…(see his picture in the album “Even More Presentation Day” )…

Comments

[SanDee]

You may have felt that your presentation at the conference was "anti-climatic because of the small audience, but I can assure you that you have your friends and family on the edge of their seats with your blog. Thanks for the memorable and entertaining substance and for being so wonderful! Love, Your Wife

[Sherri]

I'm finally caught up with you and all I can say is WOW!

You have an amazing gift for connecting with people which seems to be at the heart of all the fun you're having on this trip.

Your enthusiasm is coming through in the blog as well. Even so, I'm NEVER going to believe you are working every minute of every day! :>)

Sherri

[cale glitsch]

Love the pics. Keep them coming the city is beautiful. Hope your having a great time.

[suey]

I read that there's a section of the city (see below) that sounds like one of the small remains of the original city.

Go there.

"small area east of Al-Ittihad Square and north of Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed St"

Glad the conference went so well.

Don't forget my camel...
suey

[Dave and Jody]

Mark,

Nathan isn't here but he asked me to post this for him. He has us read your blogs to him and he looks at the photos. He wanted you to know he started kindergarden today and he says it was kind of cool. they played checkers but he and another boy thought that was boring so they played chess instead.I don't know if he knows how to play chess...but you never know. Also he misses you.
As for all those people leaving before your presentation...don't they know over there about saving the best for last?

D & J

[Mark Adams]

You know, there is nothing like having friends. These comments have left me in tears. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Now,...Cale, I am always on the lookout for "people pictures" as you requested. It may be a while before I get out into the rural areas where they might be more interesting. But I'm thinking of you. Suey,...I haven't forgot your camel. And I will inquire about your suggestion--sounds like a great tip to check out. Dave and Jody, and Nathan...thanks so much for calling Sandee and making sure she's doing fine. It is very comforting to have you guys there for her. And tell Nathan way to go in kindergarden. I really like the way he "thinks outside the box" by playing chess without the burden of knowing the rules...ah, the power of a young open mind!! And tell him I will find the right kid to ask about Spiderman--I haven't forgot, just haven't found the right circumstance yet. Love to you all!

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