OOOOOMMMmmm.........

What a terrible, terrible excuse for a world-class blogger I have become! Well, it has been nearly a month since my last entry. To answer the question "WHY?", then please refer to ZEN YOGA's website for my schedule www.yoga.ae .

If you're too lazy to do that, then let me break it down for you. My typical day goes like this: I wake up at 5:30 am, drive at least forty-five minutes at intervals of sitting in a freeway parking lot to breakneck speeds (I still have not quite gotten the kilometers-to-miles ratio down, so I just play dumb at how fast I'm really going). I arrive at the studio, teach a 7:00 am class, take a hot shower (I still don't have hot water at home), teach a 9:00 am class, teach a 10:30 am class, am on the schedule to teach an 11:30 am postnatal class, but no one ever shows up...same for the 12:30 class. Then, at 1:30 pm, after stuffing some food into my face and quickly changing from sweaty yoga clothes into presentable corporate attire, I hop back into the trusty Lancer for an hour of gridlock on the roads to get to my job at Depa, where I always arrive fifteen minutes late. I spend nearly two hours enlightening the employees there on the joys of communication before getting back into my car for a slightly less erratic, less congested drive back to the studio. I then teach a 5:00 children's yoga class, followed by a 6:15 pm class, followed by an 8:00 pm class (Apart from the children's class, all my classes are now seventy-five minutes long). I then drag my war-torn body back into my poor car for another forty-five minutes to get home, wishing for toothpicks to keep my eyes open.

Of course, my day does not end there. Once arriving home, I often cook some food and try to prepare myself for another long day ahead of me, never climbing into bed until after midnight.

In the hopes of feeling like I have a life outside of yoga, I have also begun to go to the climbing gym every Monday night after work, dragging myself up artificial rock until my body completely shuts down around 10:30 pm. Fortunately, I have met a lovely bunch of fellow climbers, but unfortunately, by the time I arrive at 9 or 9:30, they are winding down for the night.

So that's my life for you. Have I met lots of people? Ummm...right. Learned some of the language? Uh...no. Good grief, I don't even have time to brush my hair, much less reply to emails, post blogs, go out, grocery shop, take photos, wash clothes, clean my house, or, heaven forbid, have a life!!!

This was probably not the best day for me to post this blog.......breeaaatthhheeeee......

I do have loads of blogs just waiting to be written...I never even posted about Ramadan, not to mention the fact that I am going to be on T.V....and I know not much has been said about the yoga part...and you all know me, don't believe every word I say...I do find ways to get out and do things, ie. going out, charity events, etc...I will post all this in time, my dears...in time.

"Corporate Communication Trainer"

Sunday, Dubai's first day of the work week, I began my much-anticipated venture back into the working world (shamefully, it has been nearly a year since I have had a job) with my first day at DEPA United, a large interior design company in Deira. I got this job because Noor's father is the CEO of DEPA, and they needed someone to come in and help their 100+ corporate employees with communication and English training. Finally, a job that requires my organizational communication degree...never thought I would see the day! My first day saw me in a suit (again, never thought I'd see the day...) and giving a two-hour class to ten zany Filipino secretaries...it was great fun, but a tiring day at the office, especially considering I have yet to shake the jetlag. Needless to say, I fell asleep on the couch that night, all the lights on, around 9:00 pm.

Monday afternoon was a bit different because my class consisted of the finance department. I was nervous about a "tough crowd" of all Arabs, but they were all very receptive and friendly, not too mention quite optimistic that the communication training would solve some of their problems at work. The rest of the week at DEPA went pretty much the same and without a hitch...However, I have quickly realized that I have a whole lot on my plate. Many of the DEPA employees are quite unhappy, especially as the company is growing with several recent acquisitions (making the total employee count at nearly 600!). What I thought was going to be a simple job of English training looks like might be more of a complete communication overhaul.

On another note, by Monday I had mastered the insane commute to work, figuring out what lanes to stay in and which to avoid! I will be a pro at this driving in Dubai thing soon enough...Daytona 500, here I come!

I am really enjoying my DEPA "side job." I initially came to Dubai to only teach yoga, but I could not pass down this opportunity to make a little extra cash. However, I love it, and am starting to worry that I might like it even more than teaching yoga! I am also concerned about what becomes of me once the studio opens next week. We have gone over the yoga schedule, and as I am the only instructor right now, I will be teaching around six classes a day, six days a week...add the ten hours a week at DEPA, plus the calculated twenty hours a week in traffic...do the math. That's about 66 hours...not to mention the fact that my first yoga class each day is at 7:00 am, and my last class is at 8:00 pm. When am I going to eat? shop? go to the bathroom? have a social life??? Oh, yeah...on Fridays (the holy day in the UAE). I know it is going to be rough, and I know that after a year I will definitely give up one of these jobs...but which one will it be??

Next blog...RAMADAN!

First Impressions

Well, I made it to the Middle East! And thanks to my wireless card and neighbors with internet, I can post this blog from my living room!


Villa #3...and the Lancer! 

After over twenty hours of flying, with connections in Atlanta and Paris, I arrived in Dubai last Monday night around 10:00 pm. Tove, the Swedish manager of my yoga studio, picked me up from the airport and drove me to my new house in the desert. My first excitement came as we pulled into the driveway and my little car, a hot rod silver "Lancer," was sitting there waiting for me! As for the house, I never expected this! I live in grand villa #3 in the suburb of Mirdif, located about twenty minutes from the city center. It has five large bedrooms (counting the "maid's quarters"), three bathrooms, a winding marble staircase, dining room, and massive kitchen and living room. I even have a sandy little courtyard "garden" with an entrance to a common pool and hot tub. I am not exaggerating that my bedroom here is larger than any of my past apartments!



My backyard...jealous? 

On Tuesday Tove picked me up and we met my boss, Noor, at a chic cafe in downtown Dubai for lunch. I decided that I immediately liked Noor and Tove, and was pleasantly surprised to find that we are all near the same age. Wednesday afternoon I followed Tove to Media City (my first sole driving experience!) to check out our future workplace-in-the-making, Zen Yoga Studio. We had projected an opening date of October 15th, but because of a delay in renovations, we are pushing the date back to October 25th, which is great news for me...more time to get adjusted! After leaving the studio, I went to nearby "Mall of the Emirates," Dubai's largest shopping center to avoid rush-hour traffic...and shop! Thursday afternoon we three girls met up for lunch again, this time at the Sheraton in Deira, an area of Dubai just over a large creek.


Gorgeous, isn't it? 

As soon as I arrived here, I perused various Dubai activity forums and websites, looking for any fun sports leagues, ie. flag football, kickball, etc. to keep me active while meeting people. The only post I found slightly interesting (most were for ex-pat wives meeting for coffee...blech) was one looking for beach volleyball players. With high hopes, I responded to the guy, Ryan, asking if he knew of any other similarly fun activities for expats, as I'm too short for volleyball. After a few emails, Thursday night (the UAE's equivalent of Friday, as the weekend here is Friday and Saturday) I met Ryan for dinner followed by a fun night at a crowded English pub with some of his fellow Aussie coworkers. It was terrific feeling like I was taking my first crucial steps on the road to a social life here in Dubai! Plus, despite multiple Muslim laws and regulations regarding alcohol, I was pleasantly surprised that Dubai does indeed have a very thriving night scene, thanks to "licensed" establishments.


Mary, Mary, quite contrary...I will make this garden grow! 

Friday was a lazy day, but on Saturday, after having a practice yoga session with Tove at my house, I met up with Ryan again and he showed me around various new parts of the city, including the beach and Madinat, a lovely outdoor shopping area. We also checked out a climbing wall, went for a swim at his apartment, and had dinner before saying goodnight. Tomorrow, Sunday, is the first day of the workweek here in the UAE...it is also my first day at my side job as "Corporate Communication Trainer" at DEPA United...I am looking quite forward to it!


My bedroom... 

So what are my first impressions? Well, first off, I arrived right in the middle of Ramadan, which deserves its very own blog, but let's just say that things are not exceptionally exciting during this time! As far as I can see, my least favorite aspect of Dubai is the traffic. I had always heard it was horrendous, but frankly, that is an understatement! The city is definitely more concerned with building skyscrapers than it is with building roads. Construction is everywhere, you have about two seconds between an exit warning sign and the exit (and in some cases, the sign comes after the exit), and NOBODY knows how to drive. If you need to change lanes, you just do it, and odds are the person in the next lane will gun it! It is truly madness, and I have no doubts in my mind that I will get into some form of an accident within three months. Poor little Lancer...


The massive kitchen! 

Overall, I love it here! I love my house (which I am occupying alone, until the new instructors arrive...whenever that may be!), love my neighborhood, love the skyline, love the beach, and love the desert. I have always been a city girl through and through, and despite the traffic, Dubai is a little piece of paradise! I have a very good feeling about this place, and I am optimistic about the coming year! Salaam!!


The living room 

The Next Adventure

I have been a blog fanatic for two years now. I decided to jump on the Blogger bandwagon in late October 2004 to chronicle my year teaching English to children in South Korea. I then decided to create a new blog in January 2006 that served as a travel diary of sorts for my nearly eight months of backpacking throughout Southeast Asia and India.

Writing has always been my secret passion, and I have immensely enjoyed having a blog. As I am not much of a pen and paper journal writer, a blog serves as a terrific means of preserving my thoughts, memories, and photographs while living and traveling abroad. In addition, I found having a blog is a great way to keep my friends and family informed of my whereabouts, without the bore and repetition of impersonal mass emails. However, as my recent backpacking trip was winding down and I had yet to figure out my next "plan of attack" on life, I felt it was the opportune time to retire from blogging and focus my literary energy onto other writing dreams.

However, all my plans and ideas for the next year flew out the window of my comfort zones (do I even have those?) when I signed a 12-month job contract that will indeed veer me into a world unknown...the Middle East. I will be teaching yoga five hours a day, six days a week, in a brand-new private yoga studio in Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, a tiny but insanely rich Muslim country on the Arabian Peninsula. I will also be working an extra ten hours a week as "Corporate Communication Trainer" for a massive interior design firm.

I am incredibly excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to calling the planet's fastest growing city my home for the next year. After much inner turmoil and indecisiveness, I have finally decided that with a new adventure must come a new blog...Tiffany in Dubai.

So here it is. Considering I will be working my first 40-hour week...ever, I will definitely do my best to update the blog weekly and/or as interesting events occur...and of course I will keep it overflowing with photos, since I know that's what everyone wants to see!

Tomorrow I fly out of Valdosta, Georgia around 4:00 pm, and after layovers in Atlanta and Paris, I will arrive in Dubai around 10:00 pm Monday night. I have nearly a week to get settled into my apartment and adjust to the time change before I start work on October 15th. Alright...Off to the Desert!