In Accordance with Salaam

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Originally uploaded by intrus.

Meet Jennifer Harwood, Salaam Program Coordinator from the US, who was in town for a few days to help out with Salaam in the UAE.

For a little backstory on what it is that I am doing here in Dubai please read on :).

AIESEC is a non-profit, non-political, student run, volunteer based platform designed specifically to develop individuals through international exchange of talent. We are proud to say we are the world's largest student run organizations, and among the longest lasting (circa 1948).

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, a young group of passionate individuals got together and decided something needed to be done about the misconceptions and hostile sentiments between the US and the Arab World. What they created was a partnership between AIESEC in the US, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, and the US Department of State to send youth between the two worlds to gain professional experience and understand of each other's culture.

Today I am working to send Arab nationals to the US and to bring US students to Dubai. In short, I am looking to extend the same like changing opportunity I was afforded in Tunisia to the rest of the eligible population. Eat, Drink, Sleep, Salaam.

Salaam Styley

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Originally uploaded by intrus.

Showing the world that Salaam has a sense of its own...be that an Irish born Australian living in NY or a small town Michigander who found himself in the business capital of the Middle East, we know how to get down.

Agassi in the Heeezy

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Originally uploaded by intrus.

For all you that don't think Dubai is on the map...they have some of the world's best athletes, political leaders, superstars, etc. visiting here regularly (except the unbearably hot summers!).

So I got a ticket to the quarter finals of the Dubai Open a little over a week ago. I think I picked one of the best days as I was able to see Henman, Agassi, and Federer all in the same evening for about $12. Of course the beers were about twice that cost, but the chillness of the tennis crowd was well worth it. Oh, btw, given the right amount of rain and 5 hours of delays, even the "tennis crowd" will do the wave and chant stuff like Ole, Ole ole ole.....ole...ole. :).

A surprise guest is crashing at chez moi...any guesses?

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Originally uploaded by intrus.

Jennifer Harwood! She has been out to Oman with us (driving through a new country, eh Jen?...eh?), chilling with my roommates, and by chilling I mean...., and out to the totally 80s/90s bar in Dubai.

I can honestly say that Dubai ain't never gonna be the same now that Jen and Youssef have both been here to tear *%&$ up.

Yes, I went to Iran

Kish Collage
Originally uploaded by intrus.

Kish, an Island off the southern coast of Iran, commonly presumed under the misnomer "Visa Exchange Island," is actually quite a splendid place.

As you see I met some cool international people from Sudan, Tunisia, Romania, China, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Syria, and two Iranian guards from the hotel (more hostel-like). The later became good friends of mine (and yes, that is his hair, not a hat!).

The weekend way rejuvinating at the very least. It was great meeting people from all over the world who were trapped up in one little island waiting for a few days up to a few weeks to get their Visa for re-entry to the UAE. This is something most westeners like myself aren't forced to see firsthand, but the spirit was great. Imagine that you were a person taken from a place so rich in Culture as the Philippians, living in a place so fast paced and money driven and were stuffed up on an island for an undetermined vacation period to hang out with people from all over the world and do nothing but play pool, snack on food, go on cheap island tours, and socialize in big social circles all the live-long-day.

Now imagine that you are a western tourist that is just chilling and watching all this go down :).

On our little $3 US tour of the island, we were taken to an ancient castle, a beached greek boat from the 60s, the underground city build for water supply, and an age old tree that grants you one wish if you tie a string on a branch.

The beaches weren't bad either, but there were a lot of places on the island, beaches included, that were sort of forgotten projects by the oil rich gov't of the land. If you look closely at the pictures everything on the beach is rusted and left behind. The sand and water was beautiful though.

PS. I made it back safely to Dubai, with only one very small problem. The passport control officer in Iran while coming back to the UAE seemed to have an itching question for me after realizing I was American. "Bush or Kerry?"

Seeing that he hardly spoke enough English to correctly phrase that question, I replied in the simplest form as possible and didn't get into any political details, "Kerry."

He snapped back, "Me Bush."

I said, "Well I like Kerry."

He replied, "Me Kerry," and then smiled.

Upon passing the test I was admitted entrance into the terminal. I have no idea what would have happened if I had switched my opinion, but I doubt he would have done anything more than give me a dirty look, scour at me, and then stamp my passport.

In Iran, people are generally very nice and respectful, but they love to get their two cents in on how they see things. I definitely look forward to going back for another round of Iranian hospitality :).