A few nights back Deepak and I had to meet up to take care of the most urgent issue of finding good cheap Indian food for Eric and fast. After I forcefully stuffed myself with Chicken Korma and Nan, we found a nice out of the way Chicha bar on the way back to our respective residences. After eyeballing this important local Arab for about half an hour a two person band came up to the stage to perform for us. Apparently, somewhere in the small nooks and crannies of the upstairs part of the bar, there were a few groups of people ready to let loose and pretty much get down for a night. They came out right in front of our table and started doing this circle dance where they put their left foot in, then left foot out, then do a little Arab hokey pokey and walk it all about. It was great entertainment and was a really easy way to justify smoking chicha again after going cold turkey for almost a year (ask old roomies about that one!). The dancing was so energetic....I have it on a very bad quality, low lighting, video (which I still cannot figure out how to share with you apart from buying a webspace host....anyone out there got some suggestions?). I will try my best to share this dance with AIESEC locally here. From there it will be all up to the global community whether or not you will see it at conferences and eventually on MTV :).
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
The distasters in Southern Asia....Media....good riddance.
Not to sound too much like a nagger, but I have been reading Suzanne Moyer's little corner of the world and The Drake's postings (AIESEC world), and I'd just to just say a few words on the earthquake/tsunamis in Asia and the coverage my the US media.
First and foremost I would like to say that while I don't have that many direct connections to that part of the world as of yet, I would like to send my condolances and wish the best to all the familes and loved ones who were lost on Sunday morning. The crisis is a terrible one of magnitudes unfelt in recent times and impossible to understand. I read in a newspaper article here in the Gulf News here in Dubai that two Sri Lankan brothers living in Dubai lost 48 out of 49 members of their family in a matter of a few minutes. The only one person left is a young cousin who grasped onto a tree for dear life and somehow made it through alive. They lived in a small coastal village on the Island.
The news coverage here, being located in the Middle East, in a city with over half of its population being from Southern Asia, is superb. I haven't missed a tick of news so far and I am grateful for this. I have become increasingly aware in the later of my 23 years that the US media is anything but a complete source of news, and I accept this. News is going to be skewed in some way toward the area in which is is being relayed to. But to hear from back home that initially (I assume the news has since picked the story up) this story was belittled and shown little absolute importance really irritates me. I would say it is a shock, but I have already been introduced to this manner of reporting.
In a time when Scott Peterson gets more initial coverage for killing his wife (Not to belittle what happened, but one murder and a multi-month long court case continued to clog the media waves while such things were going on such as problems with the US led war in Iraq, politically induced voter fraud in the Ukraine, and now this catastrophy in Asia) than a natural disaster that has killed, so far, over 67,000 people, something needs to be said and done. We are all prepped for a lot of change in the future, with China's emminenent emergence as the world's foremost economical power, the EU continuing to grow and gain grounds on the US, and non-Americans approaching me during my travels and asking me if it is true that America isn't as great of a place as the movies and media make it sound. Let's just somehow make the world issues America's concern before we shelter ourselves so much that we fail in sustaining a nation that has traditionally been foreward thinking and open minded and become the hermit society that other nations make fun of. Do what little you can to spread the progress of different internallionally focused media sources such as CNN international, the BBC, Reuters, IHT, even Al Jazeera (some doubt me, but it is a good alternative source for a different, less western view on things...be a more learned reader).
Sorry to be so preachy. I am just to that point right now. I love the US and as you can tell I want the best for it. I want to see the US grow and become an even better society than we already have established. I just don't think that we thinking in terms of future growth, preservation of those things most important to us, and unhindered, unbiased knowledge to educate people with. I know this is vague, but think about it for awhile and see whether creating more trade barriers, deflating the value of the dollar, spending more and more on war (including defense missles that won't launch and more vehicles in the gulf without armor) and less and less on education and environmental preservation all while adding to our astronomical level of debt makes any sense to trying to create a forward thinking economy? Sure the US recession is slowly fading and more places in the US are hiring than a year ago, but in global terms our dollar is weaker than before and we are ready to be tossed aside by the Dragons out east. Just keep your head up, eyes and ears open, and stay focused on what is most important.
There, I have vented :0,
Eric
Please let me know if you disagree on some point I blabbed on about, or if you have something to add. I'm sure I jumped from point to point and missed making some things clear and perhaps mispoke about a certain issue. I'm always open to be criticized/critiqued :) .
First and foremost I would like to say that while I don't have that many direct connections to that part of the world as of yet, I would like to send my condolances and wish the best to all the familes and loved ones who were lost on Sunday morning. The crisis is a terrible one of magnitudes unfelt in recent times and impossible to understand. I read in a newspaper article here in the Gulf News here in Dubai that two Sri Lankan brothers living in Dubai lost 48 out of 49 members of their family in a matter of a few minutes. The only one person left is a young cousin who grasped onto a tree for dear life and somehow made it through alive. They lived in a small coastal village on the Island.
The news coverage here, being located in the Middle East, in a city with over half of its population being from Southern Asia, is superb. I haven't missed a tick of news so far and I am grateful for this. I have become increasingly aware in the later of my 23 years that the US media is anything but a complete source of news, and I accept this. News is going to be skewed in some way toward the area in which is is being relayed to. But to hear from back home that initially (I assume the news has since picked the story up) this story was belittled and shown little absolute importance really irritates me. I would say it is a shock, but I have already been introduced to this manner of reporting.
In a time when Scott Peterson gets more initial coverage for killing his wife (Not to belittle what happened, but one murder and a multi-month long court case continued to clog the media waves while such things were going on such as problems with the US led war in Iraq, politically induced voter fraud in the Ukraine, and now this catastrophy in Asia) than a natural disaster that has killed, so far, over 67,000 people, something needs to be said and done. We are all prepped for a lot of change in the future, with China's emminenent emergence as the world's foremost economical power, the EU continuing to grow and gain grounds on the US, and non-Americans approaching me during my travels and asking me if it is true that America isn't as great of a place as the movies and media make it sound. Let's just somehow make the world issues America's concern before we shelter ourselves so much that we fail in sustaining a nation that has traditionally been foreward thinking and open minded and become the hermit society that other nations make fun of. Do what little you can to spread the progress of different internallionally focused media sources such as CNN international, the BBC, Reuters, IHT, even Al Jazeera (some doubt me, but it is a good alternative source for a different, less western view on things...be a more learned reader).
Sorry to be so preachy. I am just to that point right now. I love the US and as you can tell I want the best for it. I want to see the US grow and become an even better society than we already have established. I just don't think that we thinking in terms of future growth, preservation of those things most important to us, and unhindered, unbiased knowledge to educate people with. I know this is vague, but think about it for awhile and see whether creating more trade barriers, deflating the value of the dollar, spending more and more on war (including defense missles that won't launch and more vehicles in the gulf without armor) and less and less on education and environmental preservation all while adding to our astronomical level of debt makes any sense to trying to create a forward thinking economy? Sure the US recession is slowly fading and more places in the US are hiring than a year ago, but in global terms our dollar is weaker than before and we are ready to be tossed aside by the Dragons out east. Just keep your head up, eyes and ears open, and stay focused on what is most important.
There, I have vented :0,
Eric
Please let me know if you disagree on some point I blabbed on about, or if you have something to add. I'm sure I jumped from point to point and missed making some things clear and perhaps mispoke about a certain issue. I'm always open to be criticized/critiqued :) .
City view from Dubai Creek
Dubai is a growing Cosmopolitan City. Many of you have seen the pictures I have thus far included on my blog. Many of those pictures show the buildings/construction in a very industrious manner. The views of the city (this one is of Diera, or "the other side of the creek"), in the right light, can be breathtakingly beautiful. From the cozy outdoor seats of an unimportant cafe, through the clouds of Chicha smoke, one can see beyond the chaos and see the luminescent splendor Dubai by night has to offer. If you come visit me I can show you such a place, but beware that this stillness of life isn't easily found here. Depending on the time of day/year, the Dubai Creek will be swarming with boats and people.
Xmas group pic 2004
Our Christmas day dinner with some AIESEC members and friends was not so traditional but oh so fun. We ate and ate and ate and I forced them all to suffer through very traditional Xmas music (including such hits as Grandma got run over by a raindeer) and my singing along and making the *ohhhh, I miss this stuff* face over and over again. I looked like a little boy, this I am sure. I know this sounds quite traditional....but it was really just a bunch of youths trying their best to make food and festivities. I was in charge of the salad (a bed of greens covered with tomatoes and then a blanket of feta cheese with green and black olives surrounding it and a carved cucumber designed like an Xmas tree :)).
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
World News---the Tunisian Traveller
I found this profoundly interesting news article that you should check out...This guy is an inspiration to all. He took what little money and resources he had and decided to take a 10 year walking tour from Tunisia all over the Muslim world. He has been detained by police, beaten, robbed, accused of being a terrorist, sent back to Tunisia to get a new passport/money, assumed dead by his family, and on he keeps trucking trying to document his travels and create a more peaceful atmosphere in the Arab world. I only wish there was a fund to help him out.
Here is the link and following will be bits from the article
http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/FeaturesNF.asp?ArticleID=145360
<< He has been beaten four times since he left his homeland, he says.
“A Libyan insulted me during a discussion and suddenly he started beating me up. In Egypt, a group of people invited me over to their place and when we got there they said I had to give them all my money or they would kill me.”
After being robbed of all his money, he decided to go back home, but a Tunisian in Egypt gave him some cash so he could continue his journey.
Reda says in Syria he had a misunderstanding with a group of security officers who beat him up. He filed a case against them and the Syrian Government has made it up for him.
“In Pakistan, residents of a remote village beat me with sticks, believing I was a spy. Village elders approached me and offered their apologies. They invited me to stay with them for a few days. I received a hero’s welcome by the villagers,” he says.
He has been detained by police four times, he says.
“In Ethiopia, the security authorities held me as they suspected me of being a terrorist. I was in custody for 61 days until the Tunisian Embassy got involved,” he says.
He was detained for 10 hours in Libya, 36 hours in Egypt and in Djibouti he was detained for 6 days and was put through comprehensive security checks. Some of the Tunisian embassies in the countries he has visited have helped little, he says.
“In the first two years of my journey, I was not in contact with my family in Tunisia and I was declared dead,” he says.
Together for Peace was the slogan Reda chose for his journey. It highlights the importance of peace and love between people of different races, cultures and backgrounds.
“My adventure calls for peace, love and a true integration between the Arab and Muslim world and the international community. >>
-Gulf News online
Here is the link and following will be bits from the article
http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/FeaturesNF.asp?ArticleID=145360
<< He has been beaten four times since he left his homeland, he says.
“A Libyan insulted me during a discussion and suddenly he started beating me up. In Egypt, a group of people invited me over to their place and when we got there they said I had to give them all my money or they would kill me.”
After being robbed of all his money, he decided to go back home, but a Tunisian in Egypt gave him some cash so he could continue his journey.
Reda says in Syria he had a misunderstanding with a group of security officers who beat him up. He filed a case against them and the Syrian Government has made it up for him.
“In Pakistan, residents of a remote village beat me with sticks, believing I was a spy. Village elders approached me and offered their apologies. They invited me to stay with them for a few days. I received a hero’s welcome by the villagers,” he says.
He has been detained by police four times, he says.
“In Ethiopia, the security authorities held me as they suspected me of being a terrorist. I was in custody for 61 days until the Tunisian Embassy got involved,” he says.
He was detained for 10 hours in Libya, 36 hours in Egypt and in Djibouti he was detained for 6 days and was put through comprehensive security checks. Some of the Tunisian embassies in the countries he has visited have helped little, he says.
“In the first two years of my journey, I was not in contact with my family in Tunisia and I was declared dead,” he says.
Together for Peace was the slogan Reda chose for his journey. It highlights the importance of peace and love between people of different races, cultures and backgrounds.
“My adventure calls for peace, love and a true integration between the Arab and Muslim world and the international community. >>
-Gulf News online
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Xmas and everything before
Hello world!
After just my third truly non-white Christmas (although I was still dreaming of a white Christmas), I am settling back in for our three day rental car journey through as many of the Emirates as we can hit up. It has been awhile, and thus this update should be long and thorough...unfortunately the car will be ready for us momentarily, so I shall do my best given what I have to offer.
Dubai is still a great place so far as I can see. I have spent a lot of time with the people from the office, a few other AIESEC members, and many a coffee shop workers. I tend to bond well with them over discussions of Christmas, food, coffee bean quality, and their status in this crazy society. In fact I don't believe there is a coffee shop within close walking distance that I don't know at least one cashier or server's name yet. I would venture a guess that since I don't have a lot of contact with other people in a open friendly environment, I go out to coffee shops in search of good conversations. Today a cashier from The Second Cup was singing "I'm leaving on a Jetplane..." so I joined her with some background vocals and we serenaded our corner of the shop.
As for Christmas, it was a very eventful Holiday. On the eve of Old Saint Nick's visit I went out for a Catholic mass at St. Mary's St. Vincents. Hello sports fans, that is the same as the name of the High School Lebron James attended in Ohio...but something tells me this place was a little different. A little larger, a little more lively.
They have 70,000 parishoners. I don't know how many of them showed up that night, but if anyone missed it their place was taken by someone like me. I will try my best to put up a video of this affair to show you a little glimpse as to how Christmas is celebrated in the Middle East.
The Bishop was said to have been at this church since its inception over 35 years ago. He announced how proud he was to be there for his first Christmas ceremony, so he made sure to deliver a powerful message. After the wonderful renditions of religious Christmas favorites such as Silent Night, and other titles that my lack of attendance at Christ Episcopal Church in Owosso, MI have lead me to forget, the Bishop delivered his sermon powered by his forté accent italiano. He started by making it known that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was the son of the Lord, and the son of Palestine. I seem to remember a song that goes, "...son of Israel..." from my parish back at home. While this wasn't unexpected, it was noteworthy and of keen interest to my western ears.
Even more interesting was the obvious political message intertwined in his sermon. It was unbiased, blunt, and very poignant. His message was simple...
-Go on in peace, serve your lord G-d, and don't allow terrorism to slight your love for the world. Terrorism is a growing concern and it needs to be addressed this Christmas and we need to work together to not allow terrorism in our lives.
At first I thought this message to be a little strange. In my church, at least back when I actually went, I never made note of such a statement on a current affairs issue. Perhaps that is the Protestant/Catholic difference, the East/West difference, or just a new product of changing times. Anyways, I would really like to hear your thoughts on his adding a message of anti-terrorism to his sermon. Does this happen in your parish? What denomination are you? Where are you geographically located? Am I taking this to mean too much as a possible societal difference or is this worth thinking more about?
Anyways, I will add some pictures, video clips, etc. to give you a better picture of everything sometime late this week. To all, a happy New Years and a belated Merry Christmas. Eat, Drink, Love, and be Merry.
After just my third truly non-white Christmas (although I was still dreaming of a white Christmas), I am settling back in for our three day rental car journey through as many of the Emirates as we can hit up. It has been awhile, and thus this update should be long and thorough...unfortunately the car will be ready for us momentarily, so I shall do my best given what I have to offer.
Dubai is still a great place so far as I can see. I have spent a lot of time with the people from the office, a few other AIESEC members, and many a coffee shop workers. I tend to bond well with them over discussions of Christmas, food, coffee bean quality, and their status in this crazy society. In fact I don't believe there is a coffee shop within close walking distance that I don't know at least one cashier or server's name yet. I would venture a guess that since I don't have a lot of contact with other people in a open friendly environment, I go out to coffee shops in search of good conversations. Today a cashier from The Second Cup was singing "I'm leaving on a Jetplane..." so I joined her with some background vocals and we serenaded our corner of the shop.
As for Christmas, it was a very eventful Holiday. On the eve of Old Saint Nick's visit I went out for a Catholic mass at St. Mary's St. Vincents. Hello sports fans, that is the same as the name of the High School Lebron James attended in Ohio...but something tells me this place was a little different. A little larger, a little more lively.
They have 70,000 parishoners. I don't know how many of them showed up that night, but if anyone missed it their place was taken by someone like me. I will try my best to put up a video of this affair to show you a little glimpse as to how Christmas is celebrated in the Middle East.
The Bishop was said to have been at this church since its inception over 35 years ago. He announced how proud he was to be there for his first Christmas ceremony, so he made sure to deliver a powerful message. After the wonderful renditions of religious Christmas favorites such as Silent Night, and other titles that my lack of attendance at Christ Episcopal Church in Owosso, MI have lead me to forget, the Bishop delivered his sermon powered by his forté accent italiano. He started by making it known that Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was the son of the Lord, and the son of Palestine. I seem to remember a song that goes, "...son of Israel..." from my parish back at home. While this wasn't unexpected, it was noteworthy and of keen interest to my western ears.
Even more interesting was the obvious political message intertwined in his sermon. It was unbiased, blunt, and very poignant. His message was simple...
-Go on in peace, serve your lord G-d, and don't allow terrorism to slight your love for the world. Terrorism is a growing concern and it needs to be addressed this Christmas and we need to work together to not allow terrorism in our lives.
At first I thought this message to be a little strange. In my church, at least back when I actually went, I never made note of such a statement on a current affairs issue. Perhaps that is the Protestant/Catholic difference, the East/West difference, or just a new product of changing times. Anyways, I would really like to hear your thoughts on his adding a message of anti-terrorism to his sermon. Does this happen in your parish? What denomination are you? Where are you geographically located? Am I taking this to mean too much as a possible societal difference or is this worth thinking more about?
Anyways, I will add some pictures, video clips, etc. to give you a better picture of everything sometime late this week. To all, a happy New Years and a belated Merry Christmas. Eat, Drink, Love, and be Merry.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
First day in Dubai
Day 1.
At the office.
Here is a rundown of the photos.
1 is the entrance just in front of the office.
2 is the comfortable AIESEC UAE office
3 is one of the courtyards where we have lunch
4 is a picture of the Microsoft Building near our office and the water out front of it.
5 is Deepak thoroughly enjoying the nice, less scorching, weather
6 is my lunch from yesterday :).
Unfortunately day 1 in Dubai is already over. It is funny, it feels like I have been here for about a week or two so far. I really got a good feel for the place and after having done all the research I did before getting here it really felt comfortable and not far from home. I don't feel like I am in the middle east, nor do I feel like I am over 10,000 miles from home.
At first I wrongly assumed Dubai could be compared in some way to Tunisia. Dubai is nothing like Tunisia. Dubai, rather, feels like a small community in the US to me. If you took a city in the US with a large Latino population, changed them to Arabs, made the white people Indians and Pakistanis and the black people white, throw in a few Phillipinos and Africans, you'd be pretty close to the ethnic make up of Dubai. It is just about as multicultural as any large city in the world, perhaps more so in some ways.
The biggest thing that I am yet to get over is the construction. For a quick example, in addition to three Palm Islands, the World Islands, and the world's tallest building, Dubai is taking the area where we work and they are adding approximately 4-5 new sky scrapers right now. I guess they are building, within the next 1-3 years, around 95 more here. You heard me right, they are taking an already booming commercial area and multiplying it by around 5 to 6 times within less than 3 years. Below you will find some pictures of the older downtown area. I will find a way to get some of the newer booming area I spoke of at a later date. Cheers.
PS. Dubai was really cold last night. There was a steady breeze of the gulf and we were all out at a barbeque in a park with AIESEC. I wore my jacket and was still cold, even for a Michigander like myself.
At the office.
Here is a rundown of the photos.
1 is the entrance just in front of the office.
2 is the comfortable AIESEC UAE office
3 is one of the courtyards where we have lunch
4 is a picture of the Microsoft Building near our office and the water out front of it.
5 is Deepak thoroughly enjoying the nice, less scorching, weather
6 is my lunch from yesterday :).
Unfortunately day 1 in Dubai is already over. It is funny, it feels like I have been here for about a week or two so far. I really got a good feel for the place and after having done all the research I did before getting here it really felt comfortable and not far from home. I don't feel like I am in the middle east, nor do I feel like I am over 10,000 miles from home.
At first I wrongly assumed Dubai could be compared in some way to Tunisia. Dubai is nothing like Tunisia. Dubai, rather, feels like a small community in the US to me. If you took a city in the US with a large Latino population, changed them to Arabs, made the white people Indians and Pakistanis and the black people white, throw in a few Phillipinos and Africans, you'd be pretty close to the ethnic make up of Dubai. It is just about as multicultural as any large city in the world, perhaps more so in some ways.
The biggest thing that I am yet to get over is the construction. For a quick example, in addition to three Palm Islands, the World Islands, and the world's tallest building, Dubai is taking the area where we work and they are adding approximately 4-5 new sky scrapers right now. I guess they are building, within the next 1-3 years, around 95 more here. You heard me right, they are taking an already booming commercial area and multiplying it by around 5 to 6 times within less than 3 years. Below you will find some pictures of the older downtown area. I will find a way to get some of the newer booming area I spoke of at a later date. Cheers.
PS. Dubai was really cold last night. There was a steady breeze of the gulf and we were all out at a barbeque in a park with AIESEC. I wore my jacket and was still cold, even for a Michigander like myself.
Friday, December 17, 2004
Pictures on my site
All the pictures that are individually up as posts are the ones that are supposed to be in the middle of my content from the previous two posts. I have been having problems learning nomadlife's photo uploading system and now I am learning how to use flickr.com just adding onto the learning curve. Just bear with me as I try and figure out a way to integrate photos into content.
PS. DTW's wireless web is really making the wait time for this flight fly by. Ciao
PS. DTW's wireless web is really making the wait time for this flight fly by. Ciao
My Travels
Part II.
I just want to take a moment out to shock everyone, including those in Ann Arbor who haven’t seen it this badly yet, with a picture of what I am leaving in northern Michigan.
So here’s what America should look like ;). Don’t want to start with everyone, but you will see a lot of this picture if you are on my MSN list. Just a forewarning.
Alright, so into the juicy details.
Of the past 4 times I flew I have been the 1/6 or whatever it is to be taken aside and searched. I don’t know what this means, but if the 1/6 thing I came up with is actually true, then the airports have hit the 7.72/10000 jackpot by taking me each and every time. In Detroit today it took me about 30 minutes extra time because I had to go through the “special“ line. The only thing I want to get when flagged as special is a pizza or menu item from China Gate anymore. I guess I won’t ever think of low odds as being impossible again the way this place is run. ;)
Anyway, the new Northwest terminal is beautiful. This is my first time being here. Here’s a shot of me on my way down to find my terminal :)
All pictures spoken of in this entry are shown in individual entries above.
Part II.
I just want to take a moment out to shock everyone, including those in Ann Arbor who haven’t seen it this badly yet, with a picture of what I am leaving in northern Michigan.
So here’s what America should look like ;). Don’t want to start with everyone, but you will see a lot of this picture if you are on my MSN list. Just a forewarning.
Alright, so into the juicy details.
Of the past 4 times I flew I have been the 1/6 or whatever it is to be taken aside and searched. I don’t know what this means, but if the 1/6 thing I came up with is actually true, then the airports have hit the 7.72/10000 jackpot by taking me each and every time. In Detroit today it took me about 30 minutes extra time because I had to go through the “special“ line. The only thing I want to get when flagged as special is a pizza or menu item from China Gate anymore. I guess I won’t ever think of low odds as being impossible again the way this place is run. ;)
Anyway, the new Northwest terminal is beautiful. This is my first time being here. Here’s a shot of me on my way down to find my terminal :)
All pictures spoken of in this entry are shown in individual entries above.
Leaving Home
My Travels
Part I.
Last night was a very difficult time for me. I visited my neighbors the Aues for the last time before my 9+ month trip. It was a very emotional experience. Late in my high school experience I moved in with their family, thus they are like second family to me. I’m sad to say I don’t visit them enough, as much as I should, anymore. I guess I’m guilty of spreading myself out quite thin at times and I am not able to keep up with people as much as I wish I could .
Mr. Aue was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over two and a half years ago. He was given less than 9 months to live and we are fortunate to still have him around. I lit a candle for him in the cathedral at the Piazza San Marco in Venezia (Venice) just after completion of my 2002 study abroad summer in France. It seems natural that these things hit me the hardest when traveling, when you miss home and don’t have any way to pop in and see the people you miss the most. I guess all I have left to say Bill is that you are always in my thoughts/prayers and I will most assuredly do something special for you whilst abroad again. I really hope to see you soon, stay strong.
When you are a young kid (is anyone a psych major out there?) you go through a part of your life when you learn the concept of object permanence. A rough definition of this is when you see an object and close your eyes you will know that the item will still be there whether or not you have ocular proof. My new theory is learning the importance of object impermanence. I wish things were this simple, but understand I am from a small town. Things change, but very slowly and the entire community talks about it well in advance so there isn’t much of a shock. In the larger, faster world, this isn’t how things work. You leave for awhile and the shock when you get back can be immense. In other words if I close my eyes on the US for 9 months it may be so different when I return that I could feel foreign. Some will tell me that it isn’t the US that changes but rather me. Others will tell me that it is psychological…that I have been gone for so long that when I get back I expect it to be so different in order to feel like I am an outsider. I know AIESEC considers this an instance of reverse culture shock. I just call it difficult to cope with…especially trying to anticipate and worry about it in advance. I guess this is what I get for leaving myself with upwards of 4 hours of layovers in each of my pit stops on the way to Dubai.
It is really crazy to think of how close to perfect my life was in the US prior to departure and to know so many things will be different upon return. I had this great community in Ann Arbor full of great friends and it was so condensed it made life so fun and easy. When I get back I will witness first hand the next great Diaspora of Michigan Alumni, leaving very few close friends of mine in Ann Arbor. This isn’t even all of it either. No one is getting any younger. You never know what will happen given enough time. I’ll stop being so depressing to everyone the second my plane lands down, promise J.
With that in mind I just want to give shout outs to all those who know I cherish every minute spent with them. No names, you know who you are (everyone I know!). I want to send a special shout out to Mr. William Aue, you are my father too. Stay strong. You are a great and inspirational person whom I have always admired. I don’t just use anyone as a reference, you are special to me. Thanks for everything you have done for me and all the time we have spent from the seemingly least significant hour in front of your TV to the most recent talks about your health. Take care of him World.
Love,
Eric
Part I.
Last night was a very difficult time for me. I visited my neighbors the Aues for the last time before my 9+ month trip. It was a very emotional experience. Late in my high school experience I moved in with their family, thus they are like second family to me. I’m sad to say I don’t visit them enough, as much as I should, anymore. I guess I’m guilty of spreading myself out quite thin at times and I am not able to keep up with people as much as I wish I could .
Mr. Aue was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over two and a half years ago. He was given less than 9 months to live and we are fortunate to still have him around. I lit a candle for him in the cathedral at the Piazza San Marco in Venezia (Venice) just after completion of my 2002 study abroad summer in France. It seems natural that these things hit me the hardest when traveling, when you miss home and don’t have any way to pop in and see the people you miss the most. I guess all I have left to say Bill is that you are always in my thoughts/prayers and I will most assuredly do something special for you whilst abroad again. I really hope to see you soon, stay strong.
When you are a young kid (is anyone a psych major out there?) you go through a part of your life when you learn the concept of object permanence. A rough definition of this is when you see an object and close your eyes you will know that the item will still be there whether or not you have ocular proof. My new theory is learning the importance of object impermanence. I wish things were this simple, but understand I am from a small town. Things change, but very slowly and the entire community talks about it well in advance so there isn’t much of a shock. In the larger, faster world, this isn’t how things work. You leave for awhile and the shock when you get back can be immense. In other words if I close my eyes on the US for 9 months it may be so different when I return that I could feel foreign. Some will tell me that it isn’t the US that changes but rather me. Others will tell me that it is psychological…that I have been gone for so long that when I get back I expect it to be so different in order to feel like I am an outsider. I know AIESEC considers this an instance of reverse culture shock. I just call it difficult to cope with…especially trying to anticipate and worry about it in advance. I guess this is what I get for leaving myself with upwards of 4 hours of layovers in each of my pit stops on the way to Dubai.
It is really crazy to think of how close to perfect my life was in the US prior to departure and to know so many things will be different upon return. I had this great community in Ann Arbor full of great friends and it was so condensed it made life so fun and easy. When I get back I will witness first hand the next great Diaspora of Michigan Alumni, leaving very few close friends of mine in Ann Arbor. This isn’t even all of it either. No one is getting any younger. You never know what will happen given enough time. I’ll stop being so depressing to everyone the second my plane lands down, promise J.
With that in mind I just want to give shout outs to all those who know I cherish every minute spent with them. No names, you know who you are (everyone I know!). I want to send a special shout out to Mr. William Aue, you are my father too. Stay strong. You are a great and inspirational person whom I have always admired. I don’t just use anyone as a reference, you are special to me. Thanks for everything you have done for me and all the time we have spent from the seemingly least significant hour in front of your TV to the most recent talks about your health. Take care of him World.
Love,
Eric
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Dubai and Detroit Sisterhood
I just wanted to bring you all to the forefront on World issues. I urge you to find out more info on Dubai, but you know I will do my best to tell you what it is "really like." I keep it real, you know that.
Here is some more eyecandy and planning for Dubai. For now just note that Dubai is always expanding, growing taller, and becoming more efficient day by day. I don't want to give too much hearsay info until I have tested out the waters first hand.
So with that in mind, check out these Islands they are building.
Shout out to Chachi from AIESEC Michigan for his dad's work on the World Islands...that's right where is AIESEC on this one? Right there working on the project.
Speaking of AIESEC on this one....
Global village isn't just an AIESEC thing? Dubai seems to have done it with lots of money and the mission seems to be that through shopping one can foster better world relations. Not bad. Why don't we represent AIESEC at this year's Village.
Imagine that? Can two Global Villages co-exist at the same time in the same space? I'll see what theories I can prove/disprove :).
My other "loose" theory on this? AIESEC has been around since 1948. The modernization of the United Arab Emirates happened basically between the years of 1971 and today. Global Village has been a vital part of AIESEC for years now, it isn't something new. so while this has no real justification, it could be possible that somewhere back in time an AIESECer became an alum, found a job, shared her/his experiences, word caught on about Global Village, and a forward thinking person decided to organize one to showcase the world to the shoppers. How does that fly? I like it.
Oh, check this plan out too...
The two palm islands (which are well on their way to completion...I hear either near the end of 2005 or beginning of 2006 and is on or ahead of schedule) will be the landmarks of all landmarks. They will offer shopping, hotels, apartments, etc. It should be an amazing place, I only hope they offer helicopter rides so you can actually see the shape!
These are some of the basic plans for Dubai's future. If you know me well, I am a sucker for culture and people. I can't wait to share my impressions of Emiratians and the way the people from all over the world co-exist in such a unique environment. Till then, best wishes world.
This just in....Dubai is either losing its grasp on reality or else we are just light years behind in our advancement attemps. Those who are from Dubai, check it out and lemme know what you think. I will look into this and see what legitimacy it has. If nothing else it shows that Dubai is always thinking :).
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Time escapes me...interesting things, however, do not.
As I wait for my final departure date a million little things run through my head. I think of ideas of what to buy before I leave, thoughts of events in the past that had some special meaning to me, family members and friends I may never see again, etcetera.
While these are to be expected, what never ceases to amaze me are how things turn full circle, and fate seems to have its way of letting you know whether or not your decisions are correct. You may just have a conversation with someone you don't care for that much and he/she says something bad about where you are going. You may feel rebellious by nature when your father hears in the news that the American consulate in Jiddah, Saudi was attacked. You may have had just the correct amount of time to finish watching the entire collection of Sex and the City and found much more meaning out of it after being able to see it in its entirety. You may have someone who read your old Blog about Tunisia find your info and look you up. That person might herself be a young Tunisian-American girl just 20 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan looking to work at the same place I did during my sejour last summer. You may have found some very special people in your life who have motivated you to be the person you always wanted to be and they might not even know it. These same people may have changed you so much in the past 4+ months that when you watch the same season finale of Sex and the City you find yourself fighting tears, sharing the moments with the ladies, and truly understanding the profound impact and meaning of such a show as opposed to just watching it to say you did (as was the case the first time around). Those same people might not even know any of this because they didn't know me prior to August. Others I have known for years and as much as I think they know how impactful they have been to me, they may have no clue.
I owe a list people as large as S. Clause's a whole world of thank yous. I owe a list of people the size of the backside of a postcard from Dubai a very special, personal, and individualized thank you that I might not have guts to do so in person. I hope those of you reading this understand and accept. To the rest of you on my first list, accept my thanks for making my life so great. To those I haven't yet had the occasion to grow close to, yours will come. I can't even tell you how much I analyze so many little things in my life, so many seemingly insignificant, separate events constantly flash through my mind in an attempt to bring logic into my life's timeline. In an instant I flash through a hundred lineages such as, "if it weren't for ______ I wouldn't have done _________ and I wouldn't have been able to meet ________ who did ______ for me." I have grown to realize that in this mentality no single person and no single event can ever have regret attached to it for something can always come out of anything if thought of in the right frame of mind. This being said, you can see how each and every person you meet can be so influencial. In the wise and simple words of Louis Armstrong, "and I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
While these are to be expected, what never ceases to amaze me are how things turn full circle, and fate seems to have its way of letting you know whether or not your decisions are correct. You may just have a conversation with someone you don't care for that much and he/she says something bad about where you are going. You may feel rebellious by nature when your father hears in the news that the American consulate in Jiddah, Saudi was attacked. You may have had just the correct amount of time to finish watching the entire collection of Sex and the City and found much more meaning out of it after being able to see it in its entirety. You may have someone who read your old Blog about Tunisia find your info and look you up. That person might herself be a young Tunisian-American girl just 20 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan looking to work at the same place I did during my sejour last summer. You may have found some very special people in your life who have motivated you to be the person you always wanted to be and they might not even know it. These same people may have changed you so much in the past 4+ months that when you watch the same season finale of Sex and the City you find yourself fighting tears, sharing the moments with the ladies, and truly understanding the profound impact and meaning of such a show as opposed to just watching it to say you did (as was the case the first time around). Those same people might not even know any of this because they didn't know me prior to August. Others I have known for years and as much as I think they know how impactful they have been to me, they may have no clue.
I owe a list people as large as S. Clause's a whole world of thank yous. I owe a list of people the size of the backside of a postcard from Dubai a very special, personal, and individualized thank you that I might not have guts to do so in person. I hope those of you reading this understand and accept. To the rest of you on my first list, accept my thanks for making my life so great. To those I haven't yet had the occasion to grow close to, yours will come. I can't even tell you how much I analyze so many little things in my life, so many seemingly insignificant, separate events constantly flash through my mind in an attempt to bring logic into my life's timeline. In an instant I flash through a hundred lineages such as, "if it weren't for ______ I wouldn't have done _________ and I wouldn't have been able to meet ________ who did ______ for me." I have grown to realize that in this mentality no single person and no single event can ever have regret attached to it for something can always come out of anything if thought of in the right frame of mind. This being said, you can see how each and every person you meet can be so influencial. In the wise and simple words of Louis Armstrong, "and I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
Hello world
Hello world! I am back up and ready to go. My Tunisian blog was a huge success and I hope this one will be as informative. I really hope to inspire many to see the Arab world through the eyes of this American and see how beautiful it really is. This time around I am going to be in one of the most cosmopolitan Arab cities in the world and you will be able to track my adventures first hand. Please keep checking up on me as I anticipate trips to India, Cairo, Turkey, and maybe even Nigeria and Singapore....perhaps even to Korea to meet up with my older brother Jacob. More to come soon, I assure you. From the Snowy northern state of Michigan....Eric Hensel signing off.
