Marhaba, Dubai

I'm on the balcony of my short term digs, watching the sun set behind the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. I'm here.

The days prior to take off were a little anxiety-making: rapid succession emails saying first
-you'll have an apartment here. and then next
-there are no available units there, so somewhere else. and then
-you might be in this hotel longer than anticipated. and then
-you won't go to that hotel after all but instead you'll be in more of an apartment style extended stay hotel in case you have to stay a month...

sharp dressed attendants

there were also back and forths about the impossibility of the anticipated cat shipment date but co-workers came to the rescue and so all systems are go for Butternut to arrive Dec 18 (he'll stay with a cataloger I haven't even met yet.) For a few days there, I didn't get much sleep.

the view flying in

After some teary goodbyes and largely uneventful long flights (I am a big fan of the snappy uniforms of the Emirates Air flight attendants, they call to mind more of a golden age of air travel), I was met at the airport by the Marhaba (welcome)  Service. I was escorted through immigration, baggage claim and customs- it was crazy efficient and I felt a little rock star taking special lines and lanes and the lovely young woman who was my escort mentioned that the University didn't even spring for the top of the line service so I can't imagine what a real rock star- as opposed to a librarian- experiences. she took me to the driver who then took over ferrying me here- to my hotel/ apartment.

I've spent the afternoon here, mostly taking a long bath and epic nap but also checking out breakfast and doing a little unpacking. I'm going to venture out shortly to a mall on a shuttle bus to hit up an ATM and find something for dinner.

sliding doors go to balcony

My room is pretty amazing. I suppose at the end of a month, I might be less impressed but upon walking in, I was wowed. I have a full kitchen, a little dining area, a guest bath as well as the master bath, my balcony, and the bed is super comfy. The shuttle that goes to the mall leaves shortly so I'll end for now, but there's a chance this will be a two post day- especially if that meg-nap leaves me awake this evening.

my kitchen  has a tiny little washing machine

my bedroom

Last days in SLC

It's my last day as Library Director at Westminster College. I'm leaving things in the hands of an amazing group of colleagues. I'm proud of what we've done together with this lovely little library. We've worked hard and played well together. I thank you all.

I also go sign the papers on the sale of my house today.I really lucked out when I picked the Cleveland Ave. house. Oh, I knew going in that it was cute and historic and had nice trees. I didn't know how amazing my neighbors (both those just 'cross the street and those a little bike ride away) would turn out to be and how much they'd bring to my whole SLC experience. I'll miss you guys a bunch! And I'll miss sitting on the deck watching the dog walkers headed to "the" park (because Liberty Park is the only park for me) and having the perfect spot to view the Pioneer Day fireworks and raking massive piles of bright yellow leaves to jump in in the fall.

But it's on to camel markets and palm trees, new friends and colleagues waiting to be met. I head to the midwest for an early Thanksgiving with family and to take my cat to MI and then I fly back to SLC for a brief 24 hour window. I leave in the evening on Thanksgiving, November 28th. I stop in JFK and then on to DXB on Emirates Air's big double decker airbus. Wheee!

So, um, where is Dubai again?

"So..." a number of people have replied upon hearing that I'm moving to Dubai, "is that like a country or just a city or what exactly and where is it again?" I've also been asked: Is it safe? What language do they speak? Is that the place with indoor skiing? Do you have to wear a burqa? Is that where they filmed that Sex in City movie? I think I knew someone who went there and she had to get a letter of permission from her husband in order to drive a car? Can you drive a car there?  What are you doing with all of your stuff, will you ship it over? Do the police there really drive Lamborghinis?
   
The U.A.E. or United Arab Emirates have only been united and a country since 1971, prior to that they were tribal lands, governed by Sheiks, not especially unified, kinda tied to Great Britain, lumped together (along with Bahrain and Qatar) as The Trucial States...

The UAE is the dark pink crescent just inside the mouth of the gulf- a little hat for Oman!

There are 7 Emirates (think provinces or states): Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Umm Al-Quwain. They weren't exactly players in the world scene 45 years ago. They didn't even have an electric grid to speak of and that means no AC. In a desert. Where summertime heat and humidity is legend. (I'm still getting my brain around this humidity in the desert bit.)

Dubai- which is both the name of one of the 7 united Emirates and also the name of the city (like New York, New York)- was big in pearls until the Japanese learned to culture them which, along with some general economic depression, was a major blow to their one-export economy.

Enter some really visionary leaders in the 60s, 70s and 80s and bam! The seven emirates are united, oil helps make Abu Dhabi rich, tourism and transportation industry development gambles pay off for Dubai and now the UAE (and especially Dubai) is home to a bunch of superlatives: the world's tallest building, the world's biggest man made island, the world's first 7 star hotel, largest mall, richest horse race... the list goes on.

It's super safe, "lose your wallet in a cab and have it returned to you untouched" kind of safe.

The official language is Arabic but English is spoken widely as are Farsi, Hindi and a bunch of other languages.

Yup, indoor skiing at the mall.

No, I don't have to wear a burqa. Modest clothing at work, covered to below the elbow and below the knee with a little more leeway outside of work.

The Sex in the City movie was supposedly set in Abu Dhabi but I hear it was filmed in Morocco.

I can and will get a driver's license and buy a car and drive there. They drive on the same side of the road we do in the US.

I'm only taking a couple of loaded suitcases with me. I'm storing some things but have also been selling and giving away a lot. I get a furniture allowance a day or so after I get there and then it's off shopping to fill my apartment. There is a shipping allowance for when I return to the US with all of my Middle eastern loot!

I'll have to get back to you on the police cars, I've heard conflicting reports!

the adventure begins

Zayed's Dubai campus- photo from an online news story

I'm off on an adventure- not just a 2 week vacation but a big, uprooting, "move to another country with some vastly different cultural norms for about 3 years" kind of adventure. I'm excited and nervous, thrilled and a little overwhelmed by everything I want and need to do in the next few months but here goes....

I have accepted a position as the Associate Director of the Library and Learning Commons at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. I will be the day to day manager of the campus in Dubai, making frequent trips to work with colleagues at the university's other campus in Abu Dhabi. Zayed is a national women's university, dedicated to providing a "world class" education, primarily in English, for Emirati women. From what I understand, there are about 9000 students at ZU's two campuses, mostly women though the graduate programs are co-ed and they are also offering limited undergrad programming for men. It looks like I'll be manager for a staff of about 17 and when I video interviewed for the position, they mentioned that they've been called the UN of libraries! I may have a few details wrong but I'll update and correct as along the way!

I was offered the position originally about 2 months ago but thanks to an epic slew of administrata, I did not receive an official signed contract until yesterday. I had to have my graduate degree attested and for those not in the know, that means that about 236 people and John Kerry needed to sign off on it. OK, I exaggerate, but not about John Kerry. Luckily, he was able to confirm my Syracuse degree just before he turned his full attention to Syria. Crazy.

I'm selling my house, moving my cat, Butternut (first to MI for a few months and then, when I'm settled, on to Dubai), I've already given away my coffin and sorted through the Halloween costume trunk in preparation for a yard sale, my last day at Westminster will be November 15th and I start in Dubai on December 1st.