It's so weird how sometimes the tiniest things will bring and image to your mind.
Today I was getting on the escalator to leave one of the cinemas. The woman who was directly in front of me came to an abrupt halt and waited a second before tentatively stepping on to the escalator. This immediately brought Kerry to mind - not much with the depth perception our girl - and brought on a strong pang of homesick.
Next I went to another one of the cinemas we are using and met up with Mukesh. He's one of our box office staff who is the middle east version of a lovely young lad who works for the Toronto festival named Jonathan Goldsbie. When he came for his initial interview Lindy and I were both struck by the similarity. Until today I didn't even bother learning Mukesh's name because I just called him Goldsbie in my head. I've since told him the story which he finds amusing. I must print a picture of Jonathan so he can see it..... again, more homesick.
I went to the last cinema and the local stray cat - it's a little orange kitty - was chasing a butterfly out by the bushes. This made me think of Hank and again with the homesick.
I pity Lindy in another week or so.
The Muffin Man can't get here soon enough!
BTW Muffin Man the box office staff has been instructed to call you that during the festival .... the legend continues!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thing to Look Forward To ....
You get into a routine when you're 6000 miles from home and are pretty much working or hanging out in your hotel room. It gives you tonnes to time to think about the things that you miss and things you're looking foward to. I've started a list:
I'm Looking Forward To:
Seeing Lucy, Drew, Mikki and Mekai. I probably won't recognize any of them!
Petting my kitties (which is not dirty - jeez)
Giving big hugs to all my friends
Calling Kerry at more sensible hours
The Muffin Man visiting Dubai
Visiting my favourite expat Simon in San Fran
Drinks with Abaya Barbie, Lindy and the other TIFF/DIFFs in T.O.
Sad as it may seem ... CPOF
Arthur's crazy frisbee hoarding
Seeing the slightly crazy lifeguard at the rec centre by work - she misses me and Maunique when we don't go for a few days.
Lying on my couch with my crazy Christmas lights all over my livingroom. Although I now have this luxury in Dubai - it's just not the same.
Soon .... so soon
I'm Looking Forward To:
Seeing Lucy, Drew, Mikki and Mekai. I probably won't recognize any of them!
Petting my kitties (which is not dirty - jeez)
Giving big hugs to all my friends
Calling Kerry at more sensible hours
The Muffin Man visiting Dubai
Visiting my favourite expat Simon in San Fran
Drinks with Abaya Barbie, Lindy and the other TIFF/DIFFs in T.O.
Sad as it may seem ... CPOF
Arthur's crazy frisbee hoarding
Seeing the slightly crazy lifeguard at the rec centre by work - she misses me and Maunique when we don't go for a few days.
Lying on my couch with my crazy Christmas lights all over my livingroom. Although I now have this luxury in Dubai - it's just not the same.
Soon .... so soon
Time, Time ... what is Time?
So we've finished our official training sessions and learned, once again, that time has no meaning in Dubai.
The first session was due to start at noon. At 12:30pm we we're still missing a good number of people. During the session they arrived in dribs and drabs and as per usual - no apologies. Lindy decided this would be a good time to give the you can be late once - the second time will be your last shift at DIFF speech. You would think that this would inspire them to be on time for the training on day two. Wouldn't you?
Well if you did you'd be a giant moron because, of course, the majority of the kids were late. Not 5 minutes but 1/2 hour to and hour late. Despite the lateness the training sessions seemed to go well and I think we have a stellar group of folks working for us.
In pure, Human Capital (HC) fashion we were given survey sheets for the kids to fill out to tell HC how the training was. They were asked to rate us and give criticism/comments and then hand the sheets - with their names on them - back to us. Yeah, they're probably gonna get an accurate account of what the kids though with that system. Jeez.
Today we're just getting little things done. I went and gave a briefing to the Call Centre for Tecom which is the government entity that oversees DIFF. The most exciting part about this is that I got to go back to the Sparkly Building. It's like a big concrete and marble Tickle Me Elmo. You can't walk into this building and be surrounded by the glittery, sparkly goodness and not smile a little. I tried to take a picture of the floor but it didn't turn out. Maybe when the Muffin Man comes to Dubai I will ask him to try and capture it. So awesome!
Speaking of "Awesome" I'm begging each and every one of you to whack me across the nose with a rolled up newspaper every time I say this word. I obviously say it waaaay too much. Praveen and Aldrich, two of the lovely folks I work with here giggle every time I say it and then imitate me. Not that I want to kill their joy but come on!
Tomorrow is the big press conference for DIFF. It's at the crazy hotel we stayed at in 2004. I'm hoping I won't have PTS flashbacks during it. Nobody likes having a howling maniac in the background when they're trying to announce their films.
I'm looking forward to heading home. I really miss everyone. Give yourselves a big hug from me. No really. DO IT!
Dubai Temp: 34C Time: 4:54pm
The first session was due to start at noon. At 12:30pm we we're still missing a good number of people. During the session they arrived in dribs and drabs and as per usual - no apologies. Lindy decided this would be a good time to give the you can be late once - the second time will be your last shift at DIFF speech. You would think that this would inspire them to be on time for the training on day two. Wouldn't you?
Well if you did you'd be a giant moron because, of course, the majority of the kids were late. Not 5 minutes but 1/2 hour to and hour late. Despite the lateness the training sessions seemed to go well and I think we have a stellar group of folks working for us.
In pure, Human Capital (HC) fashion we were given survey sheets for the kids to fill out to tell HC how the training was. They were asked to rate us and give criticism/comments and then hand the sheets - with their names on them - back to us. Yeah, they're probably gonna get an accurate account of what the kids though with that system. Jeez.
Today we're just getting little things done. I went and gave a briefing to the Call Centre for Tecom which is the government entity that oversees DIFF. The most exciting part about this is that I got to go back to the Sparkly Building. It's like a big concrete and marble Tickle Me Elmo. You can't walk into this building and be surrounded by the glittery, sparkly goodness and not smile a little. I tried to take a picture of the floor but it didn't turn out. Maybe when the Muffin Man comes to Dubai I will ask him to try and capture it. So awesome!
Speaking of "Awesome" I'm begging each and every one of you to whack me across the nose with a rolled up newspaper every time I say this word. I obviously say it waaaay too much. Praveen and Aldrich, two of the lovely folks I work with here giggle every time I say it and then imitate me. Not that I want to kill their joy but come on!
Tomorrow is the big press conference for DIFF. It's at the crazy hotel we stayed at in 2004. I'm hoping I won't have PTS flashbacks during it. Nobody likes having a howling maniac in the background when they're trying to announce their films.
I'm looking forward to heading home. I really miss everyone. Give yourselves a big hug from me. No really. DO IT!
Dubai Temp: 34C Time: 4:54pm
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Catching Up
Okay so it's been many days since I wrote an entry which just means that things are starting to pick up at the office. We're having a pretty easy time of it so far (knock wood - lotsa wood). We have a lot of returning staff and tomorrow we begin our official training sessions.
Some observations from the last few days:
Dubai is weird. It has been foggy quite often in the morning over the past week or so. It usually clears up fairly quickly but when it's here it's thick. Personally, I think by build The Palms and The World they've changed the local weather patterns. Mother nature does not like to be Fucked with. Either that or we're just getting some residual ick from the cyclone. Anyhow foggy or not it's still damn hot.
Speaking of hot .... I tan here. That's right TAN! Okay it's really just freckles growing together but it's kinda cool. Thank you Arabian sun.
I hate HTML code. HATE. IT. Just built all the web events in the ticketing system and am happy to say they're done. Now it's just all the other stuff ..... urg.
I have to learn that Ass Clown cannot be a regular part of my vocabulary when I'm in Dubai. I guess, it's kinda shocking in a place where you can be arrested for flipping someone the bird when they cut you off in traffic. Will miss Ass Clown. Such good words ..... Alas.
The concept of time in Dubai is not the same as the rest of the world. All the documentation in the hotel (brochures, guest guide, interactive TV information tells me that the gym/pool opens at 6:30am every day. The nice girl who always shows up at about 7:10am tells me that it opens at 7:00am. Weird. Also, When we have kids scheduled for interviews it's not unusual for someone to show up 45 minutes late or to have 1/2 the scheduled interviewees not show up at all. The ones who show up late never apologize they just kinda look at you and say "it's hard to find parking in Dubai". Soooo not kidding.
Human Capital (Dubai version of Human Resources) is incredibly bad at what they do. I've said this before but it's worth saying again. We have our staff settled but I'm fairly sure I can hear the quiet weeping of the Theatres Dept. Management right now.
DIFF is currently obtaining their ISO standing. This means they must document every SINGLE process. Normally I would encourage this. It makes everyone look at the things they do and really have to think through them. That said, it's not good when we are only a couple of weeks away from putting up a film festival and documenting processes is supposed to be everyone's priority. All I can say is "yeah, that's gonna happen".
I hear Colin Firth is not coming to Dubai anymore. I will mourn the news later even though it gives me much more time to help Lindy now that my stalking schedule has been severly cut down.
I'm gonna post some more pics on my Facebook page of the office and the beach area.
The Land of Sand remains, as ever, Crazy!
Dubai Temp: 33C Time: 7:17pm
Some observations from the last few days:
Dubai is weird. It has been foggy quite often in the morning over the past week or so. It usually clears up fairly quickly but when it's here it's thick. Personally, I think by build The Palms and The World they've changed the local weather patterns. Mother nature does not like to be Fucked with. Either that or we're just getting some residual ick from the cyclone. Anyhow foggy or not it's still damn hot.
Speaking of hot .... I tan here. That's right TAN! Okay it's really just freckles growing together but it's kinda cool. Thank you Arabian sun.
I hate HTML code. HATE. IT. Just built all the web events in the ticketing system and am happy to say they're done. Now it's just all the other stuff ..... urg.
I have to learn that Ass Clown cannot be a regular part of my vocabulary when I'm in Dubai. I guess, it's kinda shocking in a place where you can be arrested for flipping someone the bird when they cut you off in traffic. Will miss Ass Clown. Such good words ..... Alas.
The concept of time in Dubai is not the same as the rest of the world. All the documentation in the hotel (brochures, guest guide, interactive TV information tells me that the gym/pool opens at 6:30am every day. The nice girl who always shows up at about 7:10am tells me that it opens at 7:00am. Weird. Also, When we have kids scheduled for interviews it's not unusual for someone to show up 45 minutes late or to have 1/2 the scheduled interviewees not show up at all. The ones who show up late never apologize they just kinda look at you and say "it's hard to find parking in Dubai". Soooo not kidding.
Human Capital (Dubai version of Human Resources) is incredibly bad at what they do. I've said this before but it's worth saying again. We have our staff settled but I'm fairly sure I can hear the quiet weeping of the Theatres Dept. Management right now.
DIFF is currently obtaining their ISO standing. This means they must document every SINGLE process. Normally I would encourage this. It makes everyone look at the things they do and really have to think through them. That said, it's not good when we are only a couple of weeks away from putting up a film festival and documenting processes is supposed to be everyone's priority. All I can say is "yeah, that's gonna happen".
I hear Colin Firth is not coming to Dubai anymore. I will mourn the news later even though it gives me much more time to help Lindy now that my stalking schedule has been severly cut down.
I'm gonna post some more pics on my Facebook page of the office and the beach area.
The Land of Sand remains, as ever, Crazy!
Dubai Temp: 33C Time: 7:17pm
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Beirut in Dubai
It was insanely foggy here this morning. The fog was so dense that I couldn't see a single construction crane which is impossible here.
On the way to work we drove in the back way and there are a lot of unfinished buildings on the way.. Through the fog everything looked kind of bombed out. It was like we took a wrong turn and ended up Beirut. Very creepy.
Dubai has this weird habit of naming their subdivisions according to a theme. We work in Dubai Media City. The finance building is in Dubai Internet City. There is a Sports City being built. There is a Knowledge Village, Irish Village, Century Village. It's all very weird and theme parky. Anyhow - tonight Lindy and Cheryl otherwise known as those Wacky Jews (in Dubai - weird huh?) are making a new map of Dubai and adding the cities that should be here. Apathetic City, Underwear City and I'm sure a host of others. I'm looking forward to the unveiling tomorrow morning.
Never a dull moment here in the Land of Sand.
Now off to Dubai Bed City
On the way to work we drove in the back way and there are a lot of unfinished buildings on the way.. Through the fog everything looked kind of bombed out. It was like we took a wrong turn and ended up Beirut. Very creepy.
Dubai has this weird habit of naming their subdivisions according to a theme. We work in Dubai Media City. The finance building is in Dubai Internet City. There is a Sports City being built. There is a Knowledge Village, Irish Village, Century Village. It's all very weird and theme parky. Anyhow - tonight Lindy and Cheryl otherwise known as those Wacky Jews (in Dubai - weird huh?) are making a new map of Dubai and adding the cities that should be here. Apathetic City, Underwear City and I'm sure a host of others. I'm looking forward to the unveiling tomorrow morning.
Never a dull moment here in the Land of Sand.
Now off to Dubai Bed City
Colin Firth Rocks My World
Okay there are a number of stars I would happily stalk but Colin Firth ranks right near the top. Why is the fabulous Colin on my mind? Bridget Jones' Diary has been playing over and over on one of the movie channels and of course, I've been watching it. It's either that or the really not good version of Pride and Prejudice. Which I probably don't like because unlike the BBC version this one does not contain Colin Firth.
There is a rumour out there that he may be attending the Dubai Film Festival this year which puts Lindy in a bad situation because I will obviously be lurking in the general vicinity of Colin and my phone will be off. Nothing gives away a stalker like a mis-timed cell phone call. Of course, I'm kidding about stalking him. Whenever I meet a star that I genuinely adore my conversational skills regress to a time when I was incapable of speech. Who knows maybe he's really in to incoherent grunts. Cue dream sequence music .....
I really must get back to Bridget Jones now.
Oh yeah Dubai Temp: 28 degrees at 9:38pm ..... so chilly
There is a rumour out there that he may be attending the Dubai Film Festival this year which puts Lindy in a bad situation because I will obviously be lurking in the general vicinity of Colin and my phone will be off. Nothing gives away a stalker like a mis-timed cell phone call. Of course, I'm kidding about stalking him. Whenever I meet a star that I genuinely adore my conversational skills regress to a time when I was incapable of speech. Who knows maybe he's really in to incoherent grunts. Cue dream sequence music .....
I really must get back to Bridget Jones now.
Oh yeah Dubai Temp: 28 degrees at 9:38pm ..... so chilly
Tipsy in Al Barsha
So Thursday night was blow off a little steam night. This involved walking across the street to the mall and going to the special part of one of the restaurants that allows drinking - sort of a no no here. By special part I mean it's divided off from the main dining area by a big curtain - tipsy people are to be hidden. It was quite lovely actually and had a great view of Ski Dubai (that's a whole other post!).
So a little group of us went to the drinking place and well .... drank. We got a little stupid and Jane (nice British lady ... okay maybe not Lady) showed us how to make napkin penis'. Which we did ... a lot. Tom kinda hit on the waiter - at least, that's how the waiter saw it. I think Tom is hoping to be imprisoned because that would be less stressful than his job!
Napkin penis' are awesome fun especially after the 4th bottle of wine (there were 5 of us!). To make a one you fold the napkin in half then fold the edges down towards the centre so you have a kind of pyramid shap. Next take the tip of the pyramid and fold it under. Now from the top of the pyramid that's left roll the edges of the napkin in towards each other/you. Now imagine 5 people doing this. Now imagine it with a ski hill in front of you. That was pretty much our evening.
Lindy and I decided we needed to relax the following day so we went to the beach again. It was really quite lovely. For those of you who know me well I've added yet another location I can fall asleep in - face down on the public beach in Dubai. Thank goodness Dubai still has an ozone layer. Today I'm just a mass of freckles instead of lobster-like.
After the beach we hit the mall again and did pre crazy festival food shopping. One of our stops was the Lulu Hypermarket. The best part of this outing was finding the elusive Birka Barbie. Actually, it's Barbie's friend Fulla. She comes with many different types of Abayas. My personal favourite is the Morning Prayer Fulla. We still haven't found Dishdasha Ken but it gives us something else to concentrate on.
The search continues!
So a little group of us went to the drinking place and well .... drank. We got a little stupid and Jane (nice British lady ... okay maybe not Lady) showed us how to make napkin penis'. Which we did ... a lot. Tom kinda hit on the waiter - at least, that's how the waiter saw it. I think Tom is hoping to be imprisoned because that would be less stressful than his job!
Napkin penis' are awesome fun especially after the 4th bottle of wine (there were 5 of us!). To make a one you fold the napkin in half then fold the edges down towards the centre so you have a kind of pyramid shap. Next take the tip of the pyramid and fold it under. Now from the top of the pyramid that's left roll the edges of the napkin in towards each other/you. Now imagine 5 people doing this. Now imagine it with a ski hill in front of you. That was pretty much our evening.
Lindy and I decided we needed to relax the following day so we went to the beach again. It was really quite lovely. For those of you who know me well I've added yet another location I can fall asleep in - face down on the public beach in Dubai. Thank goodness Dubai still has an ozone layer. Today I'm just a mass of freckles instead of lobster-like.
After the beach we hit the mall again and did pre crazy festival food shopping. One of our stops was the Lulu Hypermarket. The best part of this outing was finding the elusive Birka Barbie. Actually, it's Barbie's friend Fulla. She comes with many different types of Abayas. My personal favourite is the Morning Prayer Fulla. We still haven't found Dishdasha Ken but it gives us something else to concentrate on.
The search continues!
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