It's been awhile...

Hello everyone!

I must apologize that I have not updated the blog in quite some time. My new wife is certainly keeping me busy!

Since arriving in early October, we have visited nearly every big mall in Dubai and have yet to choose a favorite, though we visit the one with Ikea the most. Ikea here is the same Ikea we all know, but unfortunately I've grown to dislike this mega-store. Kate and I simply visited it far too many times in the last month or so. We attempted to purchase a new mattress from Ikea (the university allocated mattress was too hard), but the in-store model was far different than the delivered model. Fortunately we managed to return it but received only an in-store credit. We used part of this credit to buy a TV stand which proved to be lacking of the correct pieces. As a result I've decided to take a break from Ikea for a while. In time I'll be able to step through its hallowed aisles once again without getting frustrated.

The good news is that we bought a new 42" LCD TV to put on that Ikea TV stand. (We finally got the correct pieces after going back to Ikea yet again) The TV is wonderful but the cable reception in this country is certainly lacking. I've heard that satellite reception is near-HD quality but the channel selection is weak. Thankfully I have my trusty PS3 to keep me happy.

Last weekend we visited a popular beach in Dubai. Contrary to popular belief, there were plenty of itsy-bitsy-bikinis and big men in speedos to go around. Frankly the average proportion of bare skin to clothing was on par with Miami Beach. We were able to rent two beach chairs and an umbrella for about $12, which is pretty cheap and totally worth it. There is an entrance fee of less than $2 per person to get to this beach, but it is meant to keep the unskilled workers from flocking to the beaches and taking photos of the scantily-clad tourists. I'm still surprised that $2 is a sufficient price to manage this, but I'm often reminded to keep the cost of labor here in perspective. For instance, the maids that work on campus here make enough money to afford a house and a maid of their own back home, even though this is less than $5 an hour.

More to come later.

Ben