Saturday, we slept in a little bit then headed down to Abu Dhabi for another fun day. I was just discussing with Jamie regarding activities here. There is a LOT to do in Dubai and this area in general, but it can get expensive. Look at Friday: Burj Khalifa - 125 AED, Lunch - 50 AED, Shopping (!?!?), Cooking class - 300AED, VIP Movie - 100AED. That's one day. However, aside from gas and a minimal park fee, and dinner, Saturday was almost free! Jamie was kind enough to drive us all to Abu Dhabi for the Red Bull Air Race. We thought it started at 2pm, but it turns out that was the start time for Friday; on Saturday, the start time was 4:30. Emirates Palace - Free So, we caught a cab and headed ... read more

A little more insight into a week in the life of a geologist/engineering/project manager in the middle east. Since this is basically my life week in week out, you can see what I do on a daily basis. Geology! As you can see from the photo, our core boxes are stacking up in the warehouse and that is just a small portion!!! Each box contains approximately 3m of core that has to be logged, photographed, and tested. The field geologist is typically onsite with the field equipment. We have 22 drilling rigs and approximately 10 geologists, the geologists are divided up into various projects, and generally have to cover multiple rigs. The rigs drill between 8 - 15 m per day per rig, and sometimes they can drill a LOT more. The geologists are supposed to ... read more

What can I say? Work runs my life here. There are still many projects ongoing, with minimal staff, particularly since this is the busy holiday season. But I've decided to make the best of the year and not let work get to me as much. I took a nice long weekend to Dubai to "sleep" - yes, I have to leave the country to sleep!!! I had a nice flight into Dubai - purchasing e-gate is the best money I have ever, ever spent. Friday was a day of relaxation and going to the mall. This time, I went to Dubai Mall (my favorite is actually Mall of the Emirates) to do some major shopping. I saw a movie, bought some work clothes, met a friend for tea and crepes, shopped some more, had dinner at ... read more

Final Observations on Vienna I decided to enjoy my last morning, and yes, I slept in. Work has put me through the ringer and I just wanted to make sure I was not tired on my return journey. I took my time waking up, showering, packing, and strolled up for my last free breakfast. Of course I got more ham to savor before heading back to the middle east. So, nothing much exciting happened on my last day. Instead, I'll leave you with a few photos and some observations. 1. I absolutely, positively could NOT leave without at least glimpsing the Danube River! I don't know why, but as a student of history, especially European history, I would have felt incomplete without at least seeing this historic trade route. I took the U1 to Donauinsel - ... read more

I had originally planned to travel to Bratislava for the morning, but found myself fully enjoying my vacation by lying in bed instead. I had another delicious ham breakfast, then found myself heading toward the Belvedere in the southeast portion of Vienna. There is a Christmas Market there called Weihnachtsmarkt Belvedere and it didn't' disappoint. It is located directly in front of the palace. I got a mug of Baileyspunsch which was pretty strong and strangely, I didn't feel so cold anymore... (The "punsch" is actually hot). I wandered around a bit and found a stall selling christmas ornaments that show Vienna - I figured I would probably return here, but first I got another drink, orangepunsch, and continued wandering. Finally I came back and got the three ornaments for my mom and sisters. I then ... read more