Kingdom’s Dead Days

Call to move Kingdom’s official weekend to Friday and Saturday gaining pace. – Arab News

”…currently Saudi Arabia is disconnected from the rest of the world for four days… We have Thursday and Friday as our weekend and the world has Saturday and Sunday off. This is harming our international trade. By changing the weekend, we will reduce the number of dead days to three.”

Quicksilver

Boston’s a dollop of hills in a spoonful of marshes. […]

The hills of Boston are skirted by endless flat marshes that fade, slow as twilight, into Harbor or River, providing blank empty planes on which men with ropes and rulers can construct whatever strange curves they phant’sy.

**

Yesterday was so one of those days! In where you couldn’t sleep before the flight – already exhausted on pickup, before you’ve even arrived at the airport or sat through briefing. I spent the whole afternoon in Tango-Echo, waiting for a major technical issue to be resolved (something to do with the actual electrical flight controls). We boarded as normal, sat on ground with the pax for around an hour.. pax disembarked to board another aircraft, went by immigration, crew control sent 4 of the 15 crew to airport standby, other flights or home… then the rest of us were sent back to the same aircraft to pretty much standby in case they managed to fix the problem. After 6pm crew control called us again and sent everyone home, I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved – was half-asleep on a chair and was wondering how I was going to operate a Jeddah and back!

Today I feel comparitively off the roof! Renergised. A decent night’s sleep is  multiple somersaults and happy magic tricks and fields of flowers. The difference in my face is nothing short of astounding – I’ve never met anyone else in where their fatigue features on their mug with that much fervor. It’s the weekend, but there’s a potential snag – a Sheikh (a former Interior Minister) died yesterday, so 3 days of official mourning has been declared. Still unsure if this means music at all the bars and clubs will be totally cut off completely, tonight only, or tomorrow only. 😦

Next month is going to be so chilled! Basically all I have only leave, and a Singapore-Brisbane! Microwavable relaxation right there.

The rope clutches a disk of New England sky.

I was talking to a girl about accommodation possibilities etc and she told me many crew are living in Dubai now. It’s surprisingly pretty affordable. The three main areas are apparently JLT or Jumeriah Lake Towers (where Basel is living), the Marina, or Discovery Gardens. Right after she told me that I saw a notice at the briefing area for shared apartments at JLT, full furnished and all-inclusive of utilities, internet etc. 4800aed per month. I don’t want to be just talking about it anymore, I want to make it fucking happen! Relocating seems more and more of a conceivable idea.

For my leave I need to be getting into this IATA course, and learn to drive. I get an awesomely shitty second-hand car and become comfortable with the idea of driving to the airport, and then find a place. Abu Dhabi is 40mins from the airport; Dubai is around an hour. For the potential leap in quality of life, 20 extra minutes on commute time is a small price to pay, no? 🙂

**

Humble and Shy climbed out the window on bedsheets tied together. Passive just jumped the two floors. Tragically, Docile died on the way down. I am aiming to become full of it. After observing other people I’ve come to realize that it’s acceptable. Even revered. And life’s short (so I hear) so why waste time on niceities.

**

Finished World Without End. Wept a little after the last page and hugged the book. Just started Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. Cried on the first page. At the risk of sounding toss-ish, when I get into novels like these it really throws me into a tumble and spin. Books rock my rocks. I genuinely pity the fuck out of people who don’t really read anything. I was living in 1327 England yesterday; today I’m in 1713 America. Like I want to stalk writers and do something filthy with them, like a groupy following a rock band. Filthy as sucking out their brains and eating them in a munching of their consciousness. Or a blowjob. OK, OK, fine. Probably not either of those, but definetely a hello and a signed copy. 😛 Morbidly jealous of a fictional character with the ability to visualize spatial complexities (an architect). Would I function more to my liking if I was born a man..?

Words are down and there they are – black, white, accessible. One-way conversation. On paper it sticks. How I’m grateful.

He hadn’t really known what to expect of America. But people here seem to do things — hangings included — with a blunt, blank efficiency that’s admirable and disappointing at the same time. Like jumping fish, they go about difficult matters with bloodless ease. As if they were all born knowing things that other people must absorb, along with faery-tales and superstitions, from their families and villages. Maybe it is because most of them came over on ships.

Quicksilver is a substantially more complex read than World Without End, as in, I need a dictionary on my pillow! But what satisfaction, full of words like “doppelgänger” and “mephitic”, worlds in such perfect context, and words I’d forgetton existed…

He goes down to where the long wharf grips the shore. Among fine stone sea-merchants’ houses, there is a brick-red door with a bunch of grapes dangling above it. Enoch goes through that door and finds himself in a good tavern. Men with swords and expensive clothes turn round to look at him. Slavers, merchants of rum and molasses and tea and tobacco, and captains of the ships that carry those things. It could be any place in the world, for the same tavern is in London, Cadiz, Smyrna, and Manila, and the same men are in it. None of them cares, supposing they even know, that witches are being hanged five minutes’ walk away. He is much more comfortable in here than out there; but he has not come to be comfortable.

Biscuit

Way overwhelmed at the moment! I feel tense and wound-up, but in a good way! I have pickup for London in a few hours and don’t feel quite up to it – my body is stiff all over and I’m exhausted. Only got to sleep on my fourth or so attempt last night, my mind was racing and I had colours dancing in front of my eyelids when I had my eyes closed and the room was dark. Strange night. I can only guess it was me being hungover and sore. I am bruised everywhere, even my palm and my chin. I know a fell over a lot and was pushed in the pool more than once, but any other details are hazy. And it just became that ‘time of the month’. Not the best combination! I got home only last night around 7:30pm when my standby started at 6pm. My phone battery was really low as well and I was just willing the phone to not ring.

I was already super chipper for more than a few reasons, I was given days off exactly when I needed them; I am scheduled for the US crew visa; bouncy from the gym. And it did the world of good to get away for the weekend – Anni invited me to go with her and Emma to another Emirate north of Dubai with a few guys. Mo drove an hour and a half to see me there, all the way from Abu Dhabi, arriving at nearly 6 in the morning! Chuffed that he made the effort, although he did say he drank Absinthe so maybe that was something to do with it! Wanted him to stay but he had to pick his brother up from the airport in the afternoon We stayed at these guys’ beach hotel and were completely taken care of for the whole weekend, drinks and food and rooms and a golf cart to goon around in, a huge Lebanese lunch with people dancing for hours, a big cake with sparklers “for my 35th birthday” 😀 Drove to Dubai on Friday night for 400 too, good except we arrived a bit late.. Didn’t spent a cent. Anni has around 200 pictures I’d say, I’ll have to get copies! Have a million more things to say about the weekend but I better get on with packing and planning and everything else.

I need to make a list, a big one! I want to start making massage appointments too. Really starting to feel it, especially in my lower back. Almost like I could snap in half like a biscuit, oww.

I haven’t seen Nourhan for over 5 weeks now, I have no idea what’s going on with her or where she is? It’s her birthday tomorrow too.

I have a column and a workshop assignment both overdue, but I just haven’t had time at all 😦 I’m worried. I am waiting for my AVLBs to change into OFF days so then I can book my tickets to Spain, even though I still have no clue who to fly with or which route to take?? I guess I will come back from London Wednesday morning and fly out that night if I can?

Neurosis

Yah! Full day tomorrow! I have an eye appointment in the morning, so he can give me the all-clear to start flying again! Really, really hopes he considers everything to be.. well, healthy and acceptable. I’m going to ask that they give me clearance to fly after recurrent training next week (fuck!) so I will get this weekend free, because a) I think I’m going to Dubai Thursday with Mo, and b) I should go meet Tyler early Wednesday morning at the airport, and c) because I am now very used to this excessive freedom!

Then the gym. Then.. I have a date with Mo! Going to an improv theatre show, we’ll see how that plays out! Apparently it’s completely unscripted, and takes shoutouts from the audience. Sounds like a disaster to me, but I won’t judge until I’ve seen it for myself. I last saw Mo on Thursday night for his friend’s (Camel, yes like the animal) birthday bash at Embassy. Great night. 🙂 He has rather awesome friends, and by now I know how much I get kicks out of big groups of strangers. We drove to an afterparty at some German/American guy’s place with half the people as well in varying flashy cars and left after the sun was up. Hadn’t been up that late (early) in a long time! Everyone seemed so interesting – all different races, mostly mixed, and mostly born in Abu Dhabi, and now back after 4 to 10 years overseas somewhere.

I often used to wish I was a student in an international school, all worldly and multilingual, with a pair of savvy globetrotting parents who would make it their duty to introduce me to all the culture and magic and wonder of the world. I used to eyeball expat kids in Shanghai and daydream about being like them. That was the third time we’ve hung out anyway, so I’m excited to do something external to a bar/club scene. We exchanged some very flirty/suggestive texts last night, ohyah. I vaguely considered pasting them all here..but they wouldn’t entertain other people nearly as much as they do me! Petra messaged me as well to do something tomorrow, so it might be time for another ladies night post-comedy theatrics!

Apart from that my weekend was pretty blase, just sleeping in, working out, sofa-slopping.. As I already announced on Facebook, I got past 9km on the tread, yipee! I think I messed up my legs or joints though, the last two days I’ve been too stiff to run, and I hate it! Went out with David on Friday night – I think we were both expecting a huge ripper of a night but it just didn’t pan out that way, kind of a bummer, even with his vegas jacket and my thunder earrings. 😦 I avoided study all week so took the initiative to go a cafe tonight for a change of scenery and an attempt to focus, seeing as it’s Sunday! Didn’t get very far with it.

Nourhan met an Australian guy on a flight a while ago, they got chatting on Facebook, and he invited her to stay with him in Newcastle where he lives. It was beyond awesome to see her so happy about something, work and study has kind of gotten her down as of late. I really want her to go, the guy seems genuine and considerate, just got back from long-term backpacking all over the world. This is exactly what she needs – a romantic holiday adventure! Wouldn’t mind one myself, either. 🙂

I’m becoming more and more neurotic about a few particular things, I guess mostly relationships and health right now. I think (hope) things will balance back out once I start working again. I have way too much time to analyze and agonize over small things..! I’ve been getting this odd feeling lately that I kind of reminding myself of Sophia, like the habits I’m forming resemble hers, or at least ones she used to have when I was living with her. Bizarre, right?!

Junebug

Halfway through the year already. Days are wildfire.

Should be happy, yet can’t quite manage it. It’s at the point where even one night at home instead of going out leaves me bummed out. I could have of course, but didn’t hear from anyone so just ordered some food and sat around. Mo messaged at 11:30pm and I was peeved.. I mean that’s late! I’m sure he thought I was already out and about but I wasn’t. I’m a drunk make-out bandit, not a big deal elsewhere but pushing people against walls and face-raping them here, in public, does not go down well. I was being well-behaved up until very recently, and it was nice. I find myself wishing he’d invite me for lunch or something, something semi-daytime. A big leap, but I want it.. just to hang out without a booze haze and the cover of night. Told me there’s a birthday party tonight, so I expect to be doing the clubbing thing again, but with a heightened sense of self-control.

Omar was out on Tuesday, I was completely shocked to see him. Even cuter than I remember, dang. You can guess what happened I’m sure. I came out with Nourhan but she wasn’t drinking so when we left for the club it was me, Omar, Basel, Hussein, David and his flatmate, a Moroccan guy. And his body.. I think the nicest I’ve ever had the pleasure of feeling up. Hoho! I’m so hetero. I’ll stop there shall I? The morning situation wasn’t ideal.. he dressed for work in a few minutes, you know how some people are just effortlessly sharp and gorgeous? And I’m all like, smudgy makeup, very short-shorts, chaotic hair etc. The Indian driver for the household (it’s just like White Tiger!) dropped us off. I didn’t mind, but Omar seemed to think the situation was very awkward, probably because I looked like a skank. 😦 I think he leaves for Boston today. He said he’s going to be here more often for work now, like a month there a month here. I’m not holding my breath for anything.

Lloyd invited me earlier in the week to see Norman Jay tonight in Dubai. The guys are having a party up there Friday too.. ugh. I’m missing out! I *could* go, but it’s out of my comfort zone, I’m paranoid about getting stuck up there somehow, and it’s shameful to party with no money to spend. I haven’t been to any of the malls in months, I’m buying food and cabs and drinks (the essentials) and that’s it. I would kill for a haircut. I despise having to monitor myself like this.

8.93 yesterday on the tread – close, but not quite! I started including the rowing machine the past few days too. No point having stone shins if the rest of me is putty. I’m so eager to finally gain some definition. I can’t change my rectangle figure.. but at least I can slim it down and tone it up. I want to being a wafer in a Kit Kat, as opposed to a Kit Kat Chunky.

My course kicked off and the first week’s material is a 64-page document on transportation modeling. They don’t mess around do they?!

Weekend

A tunnel with a bike lane leading towards Aeroport Geneva, with rave-like blue beams. Very cool.

I had rather great weekend, three nights out, at home and Switzerland. Tom’s sister was here for about a week so I hung out with them (Jill, Tom and Jenny) on Wednesday – Brauhaus, Yacht Club – and Thursday.. I really am fond of Americans! 🙂 Thursday was particularly good, we girls exhausted ourselves laying around on deck chairs by the pool at Hiltonia, followed by a beer by the water and dinner at Chamas, the Brazilian place at Intercontinental. It was like a high-end version of the steakhouse in Jing’an (Shanghai) with the meat-men called to your table by a traffic-light inspired cardboard placard, accompanied by Brazilian dancers (featured also in Shanghai nightlife) who rocked up around 11pm. And the best free-flow Caiprinas ever, made fresh from a spiffy bar cart rolled alongside your table. I didn’t know Abu Dhabi had open-bar options like this – if you aren’t counting the tacky mid-week ladies’ nights that is.

Scantily-clad, feathery entertainment at Chamas

Got back from Geneva this morning. I am sorely disappointed about missing the Red Bull Air RaceK though. I managed to spot one plane practicing above the corniche on my way to the beach – it looked incredible!! The pilot shot up vertically in the sky and I was half expecting him to simply combust, and then he let himself literally drop from the sky. If the twists and turns of one aircraft looked that good I can’t wait to see the coordinated event.. I’ll have to find a video online. What a job – this guy owned the sky. Anyway – great crew, with an eccentric (and very chatty) cabin manager and a (non-available) Brit first officer who I wanted to face-attack but managed to restrain myself. The layover was only 19 hours and I’d had all of four hours sleep, yet I managed to make it down to the hotel bar for beer with five other crew. Then, I went on an intoxicated, infatuated ride down to the waterfront and back. I wrapped my arms around Geneva and squeezed – the fact that the hotel provide bicycles is already great, and the first two hours are free, but bike lanes are everywhere and it’s just so great! I didn’t spend anything there whatsoever.. which is just as well because I had prepared the wrong currency (euros instead of francs)!

I had splotchy-red sunburn over the front of my chest/stomach/thighs, but I noticed now it’s browner and blended, yay! I love my skin this way, I think tomorrow Jenny and I are going back, I want to ‘work’ on it a little more. Today I will probably head to Cityscape. I’ve been really looking forward to it – I want a big bag full of glossy catalogs and leaflets just like last year!

The Persuit of Fun

I’ve had MTV and VH1 on all day (lost my charger so had to literally be by the landline)..is it me or has popular music seriously improved recently?? A few years ago I couldn’t listen to any of it. Either that, or I’m caving to the masses.

Saw three brand new pedestrian overpasses along the road parallel to the mall this afternoon – how delirious am I?! Really, it pleases me hugely – maybe Dubai will follow suit! Holler for Abu Dhabi planning! I’m proud of myself too – I got the apartment cleaned up and the cupboards stocked. Which is a lot for me!

Continuing to be so cheerful it’s not far from painful. 🙂 I feel fully rested and recovered, I took sleeping pills last night to knock myself out.. how very useful drugs can be! Pleasingly, I had standby today and wasn’t called, hope it’s the same case for tomorrow – as I have plans for a big night – hopefully an overnighter! I saw it was Jabour’s birthday tomorrow, and he invited me to go to 400 up in Dubai. I have a vague recollection of the place from going there a while back with Nourhan and Bassam. Lots of enhanced boobs/Lebanese women around. Heeh. He’s not sure about getting a hotel room yet, probably because he doesn’t totally trust me when I say I’m going there (didn’t show up for the last party). It’s better now though.. he really wants me there and I’m confident to go up there by myself and.. I need to do some seriously clubbing and.. I want him *devil horns*. Praying I’m not called for work!

All I need my life to be about right now is the persuit of fun and frivolity. Plenty of time for the rest of it later. 😀

Spanks & Giggles

What a – relief –  to have had so much fun last night – I was beginning to get worried that I, in combination with this place, was a lost cause. Feels like things are possibly back in full swing! It was the first time in months Nourhan and I had both been here for a weekend night, and it rocked! I got back from Sydney yesterday morning, caught up with sleep until the late afternoon, and then we ordered some Chinese and went out to the Yacht Club. The crowd there on a weekend was really impressive, word had definitely gotten out about that place.

I met someone.. but I’m almost certain I only like him as a friend. Or do I??! Anyway, this guy, Tom, ended up hanging out with us for the remainder of the night. Possibly one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, the three of us were laughing the whole night 🙂 It’s a good thing Nourhan is so friendly and much better at talking to strangers, apparently I had on my “go away” face for quite a while before I managed to warm up, he he. Well, whatever. I really don’t understand myself because I really do love meeting new people. It just takes a while for me to thaw.. so persistance is appreciated. He was cute enough for me to not dismiss him altogether. This guy made my night and he essentially said the same. I remember the basics, he was born in ’81 so he’s 27-ish, he’s from Virginia and then lived in Ohio (it might be vice-versa), he moved here about a month ago and lives in Khalidiyah. Oh yeah, and he ‘s a diplomat.. Ohhh errr. He asked her about me while I was in the bathroom. Also: wants me to go to a royal wedding on Monday with him… a relative of the Sheik is getting married at Embassy Palace. Apparently it includes a night or two at one of the suites. Omg.

I think… I have to make a continued, concious effort to give it a shot. I’m not going to be far in life if I continue to keep this defensive wall up all around me. I don’t really get why he likes me though..I was wrestling some fairly fugly thoughts about myself last night but was determined to go out anyway. Maybe I come across better than I think I do? Probably the best thing to do anyway, it to avoid analysing and just get on with it.

I remember trying to make it clear that I’m not one to be impressed by fancy-pants stuff, because I’m paranoid about people getting a wrong impression you know (a big reason why I’m always so insistant on getting my own drinks and so on).

I saw sooo many people there I know! Yeah, one of those nights. Anni and her very hot visitng Finnish-Japanese ex, Aki, Sherif and the Algerian banker guy, Alex and Eman, that girl from batch 269, I even talked to a random girl who recognized my name from the PRRUNE forum.. we’d actually emailed a few times. Sammy was there.. and he looks gross! Hehehehe.. He’s gained weight, and he’s done some awful blond thing with his hair. I saw him chatting to a real, ah, skank.

I’m such a bitch. 😀

Low and behold – Ammar was there too (at a table, within eyesight) – this town really ain’t big enough 😛 I got a detailed account from Nourhan today.. she’s sure he spotted us before she saw him (I was facing the other way), and when he saw Tom and I chatting he had a ‘jealous face’. Not a detail I could confirm myself, but it pleases me nonetheless. I think the last person that gave me that sickly-weak feeling like he did was Barry. Gah.

We had a post-clubbling junk food picnic on a patch of grass somewhere and then he dropped us off. Apparently he can drive around like a drunk goon because he’s a diplomat. I thought it would be the opposite?!

***

Sydney was great – obviously a two-day layover is twice as good!

Melody and I spent an afternoon shopping at an outlet place called DFO, and went to Douglas St to collect Taz for the ‘girls night’ but she was pretty much in the midst of a post-drug meltdown and she lost her wallet, so we continued on to Paddington Inn to meet Elise. Who was there with this guy who she’s been seeing for a year apparently. Pretty entertaining.. good thing I’m morally unbound when it comes to those types of things. I’m happy for people to do as they please, especially as it’s none of my business anyway. In fact, my main concern was simply to have a good night.

I loved Pure Platinum, ha ha ha! Strip clubs all the way, baby. I’m determined to familiarise myself with all of them eventually, and see some in Germany too, I bet it’s nuts over there in nuddy-loving Europe. 😛

I’d approached a group outside Mcshittys to ask if they were a British band or something, because that’s what they looked like. They were kids, cute kids, out after their Year 10 formal.. one showed me their ID.. “1992”. Omg. That was a serious *moment* for me, but I mean seriously.. holy shit. People go to jail for that. I felt guilty, and old. Ha!!

Eventually we all crashed at the hotel. Spanks and giggles. I got about 3 hours sleep, which explains the level of fucked-up I felt after the return sector! Tee he he. I like sleepovers.

It was pretty fun hanging out with the three of them, Melody has an interesting rapport of friends and friends of friends. I can’t quite describe how I feel being there sometimes. The collection of pitstops together with my annual leave has left me being pretty familiar with the ins and outs of her life. For a while it concerned me that the things we want are very different, the obvious ones being marriage and kids. It was probably unnerving because she was, or is, my ‘mark’ – the person you measure your own life by. Not in a competitive way, but just in a way that as you’ve known long enough they are used as a sort of level to consider your own progression, if that makes sense.

I have to learn to have confidence in my choices. Or figure out why I want what I want. It honestly makes me really content though.. this is the point of this lifestyle I’ve chosen – being able to frolick from continent to continent and savour all the differences. But I know it’s the people rather than the place alone that provides that contentment. My network at base, here in Abu Dhabi is still a work in progress, and at least for now I feel very upbeat and up for the challenge. At the same time, I look forward to having friends and fun on every layover and trip I take.. The simple persuit of youth and happiness. Awesome, yes?

The world is my mug!

Gear

Three cheers! The pay is in! So tomorrow I can go to the driving school to organize my lessons. Today I was slouchy, accomplished a few things.. buying a water dispenser, opening a savings account (5.3% interest p.a. – not bad right?). I also made some calls and found out our company insurance doesn’t cover LASIK and they’ve increased the minimum salary to be eligible for a bank loan. So.. my only option is to pay for the surgery with my own money (!). Or by credit card.

Jabour added me on msn earlier and we chatted for a bit. Hope to see him next Friday (not in town this weekend, as usual). He said I could hang with him on NYE.. eh, thanks but no thanks. I’m already getting super super excited about it – I want to do something fabulous! I’m open to going pretty much anywhere on earth for it. Problem is not where, but who with? There’s no way I could go alone somewhere, that’d be beyond sad. You would really think seeing as I’ve been here since April I’d have a solid handful of friends at the very least. But it’s not to be. I’m a loner still, and apart from Nourhan, anyone else I’ve spent time with is kind of out of the picture now.  I know it’s partly my fault, but really – there definitely no lack of jerks here. I’m not kidding! I’m guessing I’ll end up heading down to Sydney, if they want me there or whatever. I’m sure I’d have the most fun there, compared to anywhere else.

I think Nor and I are going out somewhere tonight. It’s been a while, geez! I’m expecting something mediocre seeing as it’s Tuesday night and we’re in Abu Dhabi.. but you never know now, do you? 😛

It’s more than beautiful outside. I want this weather to last forever.

Lacklustre

Last night.. probably too long of a story for me to address fully, so let’s just say it didn’t turn out well. It was a miracle that we made it home because between the both of us we didn’t have any money, so taking a cab was going to be a problem. Remind me never to go out without cash or cards again, it’s not a nice feeling! Oh, and the guys we were respectively meeting were both a disappointment. So I was actually thankful for the silly accommodation rules.

Nour and I were were walking along the corniche and I got homesick for the first time since being in the UAE I think. Funny thing is, I couldnt figure out where it was that I was homesick for?

I’ve airport standby for four hours (only!) on Monday morning, then Munich Tuesday night. I just counted on my roster.. I ‘ve had the whole of 6 days of duty for the entire month so far (not counting standbys). Such ease!