Made it to the other side

As I feared the ultimate moment arrived and I have had no time to document any of it. The last pages of my journal given to me by my lovely and always inspiring sister Danica for my birthday indicating me to 'spill loud and true' came to an end on my trip out to the US for a final farewell. The plan was to buy a new journal before moving out, but as usual with international moves, time is nowhere to be found. So for someone who need to have a pen and paper at all times, it has been tough to put all my emotions and feelings aside, or under the writing rug... so be warned this blog may make no sense to you as I skip from experience, to emotion, to the journey of finally being in one place- not knowing when I am to leave.

The Big Mosque in Abu Dhabi- a spectacular view from my flat and office! Haven't been to visit yet but lookign forward as I hear it's a sight to see.

Abu Dhabi...ay Abu Dhabi. Arriving here for the first time I was so reminded of Santa Cruz, my home town, what with the dust, sand, and palm trees, the only added benefit of difference was the surrounding water. So far the resemblances haven't strayed too far but the experience of being in a country so similar to where I was born yet so different from anywhere else I have lived is interesting. I guess you can some Abu Dhabi in saying that it is one big contradiction. There is so much development and so much construction everywhere that you think- wow amazing this place is an architect's mecca! It is the place to be. While the latter statement is very true, the experience of launching our bureau and offices has proven to be more than difficult. Similarly to Bolivia, everything and everyone seems to be on at least an hour+ schedule, meaning it takes an hour + for anything to get done or for anything to happen. Hora boliviana has now converted to hora de abu dhabi.. which is even worse, cause that can mean the next day, the next week or even the next month. But patience...patience is something I have come to appreciate while being here.

So more on the smaller details. The Emirati people are interesting to say the least, I have met two Abu Dhabian's since I've moved, both very nice, however both very different. The entrepreneurial spirit seems to be present in the air here, everyone is launching a business, or networking. I guess its safe to say that if you want to meet the movers and the shakers, this is indeed the place to be. While I've never been the ultimate 'schmoozer' I love meeting new people and love finding out what paths have lead people from all corners of the globe to this tiny island.

Speaking of people from across the globe, one of my best friends from Chicago- Ashley Heltne will be arriving tonight from Chicago- relocating to a great job and great weather. So it will be great to have such a close friend and someone to laugh at all the surreal moments with.

My roommate Anna is originally from London, she is a sweetheart, and I can truly say I have been blessed to have found the flat she put up for rent, as she has diligently held on to a wonderful place and is very accommodating to the situations (she was supposed to be handed our flat on Sept. 1st - so my move in was meant to be seamless.. however as with the before-mentioned- Abu Dhabi time, we went from Sept. 1st to Oct. 1st, to Oct. 15th, to now Oct. 25th as the official hand over.. however our furniture (beds in particular) can't be handed over until the 27th so will be a bit of a nomad for a little bit longer...specially since that weekend is F1

Ahh the much anticipated F1 Abu Dhabi- the race to make history the race that has been major reason for the fast yet slow development of Abu Dhabi, I got the chance to tag along on a site visit to the actual track and was astounded by the magnificence of the place. The incredible workmanship that went into building this island that is purely there for entertainment and sport is out of this world. The contradiction of a traffic jammed city with the open air of this track is again one of those UAE things to get used to... anyway everything about this Yas Island is amazing and the future development of Ferrari World and the entire island year by year is definitely something to look forward to.

Also something to look forward to... visits and trips!! As most of you know my sister Tamara is living in Dubai a mere one hour away and we have been lucky enough to see each other 3 times since I moved on October 1st so it has been great to have family so close and to be able to relax and enjoy the moments of sheer ridiculousness that happen when moving to a foreign country. So Tamara and I just last night (after a week long struggle to find cheap tickets) bought tickets to Egypt!! Having been one of the places I've always wanted to visit, I'm sure a week long visit to Alexandria and Cairo will be amazing and memorable with my sister.. so definitely looking forward to that, as well as...

Heather and Jose's NYC visit, being the ultimate jet- setters Jose and Heather love to trek the world together and since getting married make it a point to take vacations and explore when they can. Since both Tamara and I will be here, Heather and Jose will make it down this New Years- taking their own Egypt trip, then coming to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to bring in 2010 in style and Middle Eastern fun!! It will be great to have visitors and more importantly to see family.

So as I'm still struggling to get my bearings and coordinate work schedules with the rest of my team in London, I feel that every day is another accomplishment towards making that ultimate stride of settling into a country and a city that has long been on my waiting list. I know that once I move into my new place and get a steady life/work schedule in place I will be able to divulge better into my new life. But for now these tiny moments of randomness are what I've got.. I have to get a journal asap!!

Until next time.. from sandy dusty yet sunny and rapidly growing desert playground!

Pics of Abu Dhabi and my place (before completion) and the area surrounding for your enjoyment.

a look up to my apartment complex.. love the yellow and red kind of like a corporate McDonald's look :)
my soon to be kitchen (pre appliance installation)

a look below to the swimming pool ( yet to be filled) hopefully that is done by now... if we ever get water connection

The view from my balcony across the park to my office.. the second little building in the middle is where I will be working!

Carnival Town

That is the name of a song I'm listening to right now and it seems quite fitting as I haven't written in a while, there are lists I'm sure of thing I've done, places I've been, things I've seen but in the end all those lists add up to the memories that I will now try to share with you.
First of all for those who don't know- I am STILL in london- yup that's right still here, still kicking or screaming- sometimes both! I've decided after a long overdue conversation with the man that I will be moving to AD in October. It is for the best and it gives me the chance to enjoy a true London summer. As I am never one to plan I believe my time here was a true test to that virtue which I believe I hold pretty well- patience. Sometimes we tend to get so bogged down with the next step, the next move, or the next something that we forget to look at the present moment we are living in, we forget to take that breath we so desparetly need amongst the busy e-mails, the blackberrys, the meetings, and the bullshit ( sorry to put it so bluntly) but we all know its out there. We're all victims of the sad fact that life seems to evade our fingertips from the grasp of just living. This is what I'm focusing on. This and being happy- life's too short and so is the summer in London! Speaking of the past few weeks have been an uneven exchange of extreme heat and extreme wetness in London the sun shines brightly one day and the rain strikes hard the next.. so gotta enjoy those sunny days and have a good book to read, or some good writing for those rainy nights.
So a little of what I've been up to lately... took the much anticipated trip to Greece, thessaloniki with Natassa stayed with her family and enjoyed every second of an authentic Greek getaway.. it's nice to be able to see and enjoy the rest of this world. If you haven't taken a trip recently, or if you don't have one planned in the next couple of months I would highly recommend it, you owe it to yourself!
Speaking of next trips... I have now planned mine- to Sweden! That's right, going to be visiting my dear friend Marianne in Stockholm for a long weekend in August. A long overdue visit which I am finally able to take. I've been running around the possibilities of doing some more writing, working on the script and working on myself. I've been trying to make more trips to the gym at a lesser interval in between and attempting to get back on track as far as my health. This again is something I have always held as a possibility but never really forced myself to follow through with, so hopefully will now stay on track and go at least 5 times a week whilst still enjoying free time in between... stay tuned

On the Eve

Of a weeklong trip to the UAE!!! Off to Abu Dhabi tomorrow morning for over5 meetings with top notch people, whose names I will most likely be unable to pronounce and who will probably disregard anything I say for the fact that I'm A. a woman (I know this is very stereotypical- this has happened however on my first trip out there) or B. A young woman.. age like in most cultures dominates on power and knowledge so I am fine to sit back and learn as much as I can from the 4 other people on the trip all with a Senior or Director before their Title. Senior Vice President, Sales Director, Marketing Director, Senior Executive Producer, and then there's little old me... una colla camba de la jungla yendo al desierto!! Who would have thunk.. certainly not me.. but that's the beauty in all of this. You never know what to expect and you certainly know better than to think you do, because at the end of the day, we can't predict the future as much as we'd like to think we can or may be able to determine the future, I leave it up to the man upstairs and the momentum in my life at the moment.
So... bien close to 5 hours before I must awake to catch my flight, I bid you goodnight.
Abu Dhabi tomorrow, Dubai on Tuesday, Abu Dhabi on Thursday, London on Sunday.... oh and then Greece on a mini vacation ( 4 days) on the following Friday! Woo hoo.. blessings of travel and experience... I will take it all in and try to appreciate every moment. - Even the moments where I have to undergo governmental medical testing in order to receive my residents visa. -
Oh I almost forgot- I have my Abu Dhabi employment visa, and this trip is largely to get my Residence Visa ( only obtainable once you've gotten an employment one) and in order to get my residence visa, I must undergo several medical tests and ensure that I am healthy in all ways in order to reside in Abu Dhabi... Fingers are crossed. Who knows- the next entry will come from a Resident of Abu Dhabi!
good night moon.

When Time Goes By...

...faster than we care to acknowledge it's hard to look back and remember every little thing that has meant something to us, every little detail that has brought us to the moment we are in now. I feel there's been a lapse in my online communication with the world and with myself in a sense, a lack of feeling within, a lack of being able to see within because in all truth I've been waiting. Hoping in a sense that something would happen, something would lead me to write, to inform, to tell of a difference in my life an action, an emotion, or something in its entirety intensely different than any other blog I have posted thus far. But the more I waited for something to appear, the more lost I seemed to get, the less I had to say. The more time I let pass by without looking in or really trying to reflect, the harder its been to really explore where I am.. because I've noticed I am at a stand still.

While standing still has often been viewed as a bad thing, at least by myself. It's been a moment of despair, a waiting for something to happen, a need for an action to take place, I listen to The Band as I write and I sing along to the song Time to Kill.. which is definitely something I have found myself having more of lately.

A recent trip to Madrid this weekend, a reunion of artistic souls, of people from all corners of the world has brought my world a little bit closer to me. It's hard to explain what some people in our lives do for us, it's hard to put into words the emotions, the feelings that we feel when nothing is wrong, when all worries go away and all stress seems to evaporate. And I know that I will still have time to kill I will still be standing still in London while I wait for my next destination. But I know now that this is ok. There is no rush in life no reason to worry about tomorrow when today is all we got.

Arabic Proverb of the Day

We were given one every night at Le Royal Meridien Hotel where we stayed in Dubai. The one I chose to keep as a bookmark for life and a literal bookmark for the latest book I've tried to finish reading sums up my trip, and my life to this point. "We have to make history and approach the future with steady steps, not wait for the future to come to us."- HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

For me this quote reinforced the fact that every step I take brings me closer to the future I anticipate and the life I will eventually live. My first business trip out to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was a week long trip of client meeting and Golf. In between I tried to take it all in and get a good glimpse of what life would be like living in the UAE.
Like my father once told me Dubai is a city that is dipped in gold. The luxury of the city is outstanding and noticeable from the moment you drive out from the airport. The skyline seems to be alive with construction happening around the clock and new skyscrappers rising as if being born from the sand. It's an incredible sight but at the same time you can't help but feel tiny surrounded by such magestic buildings and unique architecture. While driving around from the hotel to the golf course I noticed Dubai is a city with no sidewalks. Hence, people are not seen walking anywhere but in designated prominades or walks that are known for the hot spots of where to see and be seen. It is a city that wakes in the mornings to a blinding fog that barely lets in the hot desert sun. A city that then gives way to the beautiful turqoise ocean views. A city that was construced mainly by Indian construction workers who you can't help but wonder... how did so many people from a continet arrive to this metropolitan and where are their families? I must admit it was hard to see so many men sweating away in cosntruction sites all day to later be hauled off like sardines in big white busses. It's amazing how such rich lavish lives can live literally around such poverty. Dubai is a city to see but for me, not the city to live in.
Which is why, getting the chance to see Abu Dhabi was for me a breathe of fresh air. The city has a real vibe, it is clean and maniqured like Dubai, gardens are growing in the sand and the gulf ins made to look like a beach complete with boardwalks or corniches as they call them in Abu Dhabi. People walk around in Dish Dash and the women conceal their faces but carry purses and wear heals and jewlery that are more expensive than anything I own. People seem to be going places. People walked on the sidewalks in the city center, and for the most part people I met who lived in Abu Dhabi seemed to enjoy life.
Some interesting facts about Abu Dhabi:
It is an island surrounded by pristine water
The guggenheim, the Lurve, and an amazing cultural center are all under construction on Saadiyat Island (the Island of Happiness)
Abu Dhabi is one of the riches cities in the world
Rent is ridiculously expensive given the fact that the city's construction was not planned for the amount of people that ended up moving there. Population has outnumbered housing.
There are several facts that I'm sure I'm forgetting or have simply nto been processed in my head. But all in all I was reminded os Santa Cruz the tropical city I was born in. I was glad to have gotten the opportunity to drive around in AD but am eager to see more. So in a short and sweet summary, while Dubai's Gold was an incredible experience to witness I am more than happy to soon be living in the silver lining that is Abu Dhabi. I'm sure more details will be given once the move comes closer but for now I am content taking those small steps.

One step closer

To being where I set myself out to be. It is 5 to 2 in the morning and as usual before I fly anywhere, I find it hard to sleep. Tomorrow evening after work I will embark on what will be my first business trip. Just typing in the words now it seems weird to be going on a business trip, what is even harder to believe is that this trip will be taking me to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.!! I know at long last I get to see the city where I am meant to live for the next couple of years. It's a bit scary yet very exciting, probably explaining the lack of sleep at the moment. I am going to Dubai for the annual golf tournament the Dubai Desert Classic. http://www.dubaidesertclassic.com/index.php This year marks the tournaments 20th anniversary and the 6th year CNN has been a sponsor so it will definitely be an experience to remember. At the tournament I will be meeting clients and of course watching all the pro golfers earn their way to the prize 2.5M (man I wish I was a pro golfer) After many thrilling events in Dubai (mainly for clients- but I'm sure I will squeeze my way into sand dune bashing and sand skiing) I am off to Abu Dhabi with my boss to see the city I have been making all this hype about.

I will be flying out tomorrow night from Heathrow at 8:30 pm flying out to Qatar landing in Doha at 6 in the morning and flying from there at 7 am to Dubai landing at 10 am. From there I will be picked up (hopefully) and taken to the hotel where we will be staying at. Le Royal Meridien which looks amazing! http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1897
In case anyone is interested in the images those links are all I know about where I will be heading this week.
I am excited to experience the trip but most of all to see the city I've heard so much about and to experience the side of Ad Sales I've been waiting to be a part of, the personal relationship part, meeting the faces that go along with the names ( even though I can't pronounce many of them). It will ultimately be a good experience that will allow me to glimpse a bit into what the future could hold. I will be given a tour of Abu Dhabi and experience the city which I will soon call home.
I know this all sounds way too glamorous and good to be true, and while I admit I am blessed I am also aware of the huge responsability that it is to go on these trips and represent CNN and myself in the best manner possible. So I look forward to reporting back and of course to posting the hundreds of pictures which I am sure I'll be taking. From the Emirates Golf Course to the Sand Dunes to the glittering skyscrapers which I'm sure will be more than I ever imagined.
But for now I must try to get some sleep and prepare for what I'm sure will be another hectic, busy day at work... just one day before I set foot on the future country I'll soon call home!

One day at a time

For now Sundays have become my wind down days. You know those mornings that turn into afternoons of sitting in your Pj's sitting around listening to random music, letting thoughts run through your mind, questioning the next hour of a lovely evening... well I decided to post a couple of pictures and a video of something that has been increasingly taking up part of my life. Not only because I work on a team that has been affected by this issue, but because it is a crucial part of our lives.. the Gaza conflict. Without getting too political I wanted to take the opportunity to display the importance of such a conflict. It's incredible how many protests have bee going on around the world, or how many people this has affected. From the moment this spiral started to turn I knew it would be a present fact in 2009. With a mini protest that I witnessed on a Santa Barbara corner, this issue has transgressed to the corner of my house with a massive peaceful protest.. and I think people just have to slow down, the major political heads have to pay attention to this problem, address it and the world has to get involved if even to say as John Lennon once said, 'all we are saying is give peace a chance'.

Pictures

A disaster happened the night before I left Cali- ok- maybe not a disaster in the scope of worldwide disasters, but a very unfortunate incident indeed. In an effort to erase the one too many pictures I had that my niece cinnamon had taken of hersle posing in front of the mirror leaving a bright flash of a picture, I accidentally erased all images. That's right, ALL images of my Christmas break, my New Years, and my last moments in London before heading home. Such as my brief encounter with Amy Winehouse-

Yup. I met her on the street in front of the Piaf theater, she was on her way to the gym. It all started as a 5 hour adventure to find a Burberry sample sale I had been invited to by a boss of mine. So in hour three after we took a lunch break, lorena mentioned that a particular skinny girl walking by with a bright colored scarf on her head looked like Amy Winehouse. We were both on the phone at the moment and I did a double take. She WAS Amy winehouse. A much cleaner looking, less paparazzi drug looking Amy. So we approached her and her friend and politely asked if we could take a picture with her. There was another couple right in front of us who had asked so we didn't feel so bad. Anyway the proof was taken and erased on my sister's couch the night before I left San Fran. But just as well.

Anyway I digress. I will now post the few pictures (most of my adorable nephew Koby) that I was able to take in the hours before leaving my family.


All the other beautiful images of a fun Christmas break are living in my memories. They are mostly images of laughter. Of relaxing and lounging around Santa Barbara. Of Shane holding up a shiny sequence thong I gave him as my secret santa gift. Of Koby's shirt given to him by his buddy or tia tamara with the caption "my first Christmas on it". Pictures of going out for drinks at James Joyce and other random places.. ultimately ending up back at James Joyce. Pictures of Mom and Dad in the sunset... the sunset pictures on the beaches of Santa Barbara were the ones I regret losing. Images of orange and yellow surrounding us. A Picture of my dad on his knees proposing to my mom once again with the oceanand the sun setting in the distance. A picture of dancing with Tamara and Danica, of Danica being twirled around to salsa at a spped much to fast for heels. Of Boima dancing Head shoulders knees and toes with a drunk who jsut got mugged. Of Tamara and Boima dancing in their own private world. Of me receiving a great big hug from Tamara a great picture if I do say so myself. Great memories that perhaps don't need pictures to be remembered. In the end the pictures we keep in our minds and the memories we remember don't need proof to have existed. They reappear in random moments of consequence and we remember yet again those people, those places, those experiences that live forever in our hearts.

Star light star bright...

I wish I may I wish I might keep most of my new years resolutions..you know, those promises we make ourselves once December becomes January. I decided to start the year with an excerpt from my journal which hold my deepest thoughts but mainly just stream of consciousness.

January 3, 2009

Another year has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I'm glad I was able to spend the New Year with family after a long ass 15 hour trip I am finally back "home" or wherever home may be. I am in London. After flying through Frankfurt and traveling from Santa Barbara to San Francisco I am back with a fresh look at life and my situation. I am looking towards the future and taking the decisions towards the path I'd like my life to go in. And I'm experiencing a journey unlike any I've experienced before. I anticipate 2009 to bring change- like the rest of the world. And I am ready to face the new adventures ahead. As is custom in all new years I've thought about resolutions and I know that I want to complete the below..

1. Travel- to: Sweden, Paris, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, US.. suggestions?
2. Get healthy-by: signing up for the gym (because knowing how much I'm paying I'll force myself to go) walking to or from work EVERYDAY. (weather permitting)
3. Write more
4. Pen Pal with friends/sisters/family- this is where you come in people-
5. Get clear or clearer career/life path
6. Save up!!
7. Pay off all credit card debt.
8..........

That's where my thoughts began to race past the pages of a journal and as I sit now back in the UK for three days and back at work for two I know that some resolutions will undoubtedly be harder to keep than others but I know that no matter what I will try and remind myself of where I want to be going.

Home was amazing. Home- home- meaning family. I am pretty sure I was with family every single second I was there.. except for the bathroom although sometimes not even that could separate us! hehe comes from having a big family or as Dado used to say being 'one toilet Irish'- you're bound to share the bathroom :)

As I sit trying to list all the memories that will guide me through the cold London nights I listen to one of the songs that has given me comfort when I got my own case of the mean reds.-

"Hang on, help is on the way, And stay strong...Hold your own, know your name, and go your own way...and everything, everything will be fine. Everything...everything will be fine everything... in no time at all.."

I know now that I was on a time line for myself a strict idea of where I was supposed to be at a certain time. London then Abu Dhabi, then LA or New York, etc. etc. however today as I left the office I was walked out by my boss who wanted to tell me that one of the Head Honcho's at CNN- said that the official launch of the office will be announced tomorrow and will be September 2009. My initial reaction was mute, blank, dissapointment. Not only does this go against my plans for London time but it leaves me uncertain about a couple of the numbers on the above list.. however as I walked home listening to music tring to figure out what to do. I remembered what a good friend told me just yesterday that every experience comes to us for a reason, wheather we plan for it or not, there are relationships, friends, eadventures that arise from every situation. I thought to myself what is the point of me being in London if not to get whiter by the second and realize that I need the sun more than anything. But then I turned back and looked up the moon was half lit shining right on top of me and beside it... I saw stars. I've always believed in the magic of astronomy, the stars, and the unparallel magnificence of everything bigger than us.. and the thing is that when I arrived in Santa Barbara- one of the first things I said before I even walked through the door was- Wow! I can see the stars. Santa Barbara's night was bright and crisp, the stars to me were a beautiful reminder that no matter how badly I felt before arriving, things were going to be just fine. My parents thought my comment was funny but after I explained that I hadn't seen the stars for three months while in London they understood my childlike amazement at seeing such beauty written in the sky.
Tonight I saw the stars while walking two steps behind my frozen breathe. I smiled as Frank Sinatra sang in my ear saying give me a chance. And I decided that perhaps I was being too quick to judge this city. It's hard to be without family, it's even harder to work somewhere you aren't sure you want to be, and with people who just don't compare to others you've worked with before. But no matter how hard I know that I am strong enough to find out what the next chapter will be... and God has a plan for all of us, tonight my plan was to follow the brightest star I saw all the way home. And I did.