Womad Abu Dhabi 2010...World Music Festival

Opening Act, of the Concert, a local sat in with an UK group
2 stages allowed for continous music as we went back and forth between sets

This group was from North Africa, they had a variety of music, notice all the bald white men in attendance.

The last act for this African Band called Rango...he had the crowd swaying and a singing

The warm breezy evening was just perfect for the venue on the sand...kids and adults alike swam in the Arabian Sea, boats had pulled up to listen to the music

This weekend is the 3 day Abu Dhabi World Music and Arts Festival, I believe there are 45 or so groups playing on 2 Main Stages and 3 smaller Tented stages each evening. It is a lot cooler in the evening, just perfect and the music is fantastic. This North African Band from Egypt and Sudan had a variety of singers. This guy stole the show as he closed out the set. I did not stay til the 1:30 am ending, but I saw 3 different bands. Another awesome weekend here with free entertainment. I continue to want all my USA friends to continue driving their gas hog cars so that my temporary country keeps making tons of $$ to support these weekely free events....Take a Spring drive, use up an extra tankful...I will appreciate it a lot !!!!!

Arts new Job

I have started A new job as a consultant/contractor working for Al Mafraq hospital in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. It is a 45 minute drive - KM out towards Al Ain in the suburbs. It is all desert and 2 huge tracts of land that is being developed to house up to 250,000 people in the future. All large villa compounds of several houses enclosed by a tall wall . Each villa compound is about 1/3 the size of a normal US city block. Then you have several lots being empty, then another compound of villas. This goes on for like 20 miles in all directions, there are sewer plants, water plants, some new shoppng malls and some schools and a lot of sand....the hospital is about the same size as Marta's hospital and they have just broke ground on a brand new hospital with 3 large towers.

I am consulting on the Patient Financial System's front end of Admitting departments. It is challenging and we have a new computer system going in later this year. I will enjoy it.

The drive is fairly easy, a straight shot down 1 road about 20 Km, then 1 turn to a different highway for 10 Km, then the offramp and I am at the hospital..Cars race up to 120 mph all the time. Keep out of the fast lane, I read about the arrest of a kid doing 230 KM per mile in his Ferrari, they impounded his car as this was not the first time he got caught speeding.

So no more laying around the house in my pajamas and going to the beach every day....I am happy

Sunset in Abu Dhabi

Today we awoke to a storm a brewin...the bottom picture shows the white sand being blown from the beach...then later on we had a beautiful sunset I caught the sunset just about perfectly. I also took a movie and I may upload it in a bit.

White sand being blown accross the breakwater onto the island. For about 1 hour the wind howled, the building cranes accross behind our flat were secured into the wind and evacuated. When I saw the workers running for cover, I thought one may have been ready to roll, but I think they were trying to get out of the blowing sand getting in their eyes

A Better view of the Flat we are trying to rent

This is a great shot of the Flat we are trying to rent. I took this during the Air Races (obviously), from the breakwater sandspit accross the bay. Looking back towards the Emerates Palace. On the Left the domed building is the Royal Entrance to the Palace Hotel. It alone is about 8 stories high and is basically just an entry way Arch (and this is the side view) the front view has a huge Arch. Behind that are 2 of the 3 new Apartment towers just about complete. There is a 2 bedroom up several floors on the End. The end of that building faces the Ocean and the main Emerates Hotel. The Flat we want is just even with the nose of the plane. I did not know I had made that shot until I was looking at these last night.

The Apt we like and hope to get soon !

We think we found an apartment we like that is in our price range...This one sits on the Corniche also, directly behind the Emerates Palace Hotel. I think I have mentioned the 7 Star Emerates Palace..probably one of the finest hotels in the world..This is the living room to the apt. There are 2 models, a 2 storey one and a 1 storey on the end...Either one will do as they both have tremendous views.

This is the view from the Master Bedroom, Beside the Emerates Hotel, the Ruling Sheikh is building a new Palace, that will be plainly visible below us and will not block our view.

This is the view from the living room balconey facing the ocean. The apt is kinda on a penninsula so there is an ocean view from 3 sides if we get the one on the end of the building. This is a brand new structure available in about 30 days...

Another view from the point / end of the balcony, you can plainly see the Emerates Palace Hotel. I can see myself sitting on the balconey at night watching the coming and goings of the ultra rich (rooms are up to $17,000 per night, start at about $1500 per night) Valentines Special for 1 week was $ 1 million included private jet to anywhere in the middle east. Smoking a Cigar and drinking a Mojito...

Now we only have the get the ever frustrating paperwork in order..the hospital requires about 6 forms to be filled out. And we have to pay a 5% commission on the yearly rental. Here you pay rent by the YEAR...1 check in advance for the whole year, but we pay the commission to the real estate agent. This is another difference then the USA, here you pay a realtor to show you an apt for RENT...you never speak to the owners as the Royal Family and their extended families own almost ALL the property in Abu Dhabi. It is a good thing we get our housing paid for as the yearly rent is more then the total cost of my first house..We will let you know if we get it and YOU are invited to our open house !

Driving in Abu Dhabi

Notice in pic above how in parking lots, if all the spaces are full, u just park in the middle of the parking lot and leave ur cell phone number on the dash so the cars u are blocking can call u to move ur car. This is done in every parking lot, so many people back in to have a better chance of getting out.

We rented a small Nissan Tiida for a month and I don't drive, I let Art do all the driving as it is pretty crazy and very very deadly dangerous. So in Art's words, here is his first day experience...

I picked up the car and drove to Marta's work, parked and when I tried to leave I found that I was pretty much blocked in ..I had to bump the car behind me to make him move..The cutoff seems to be the main driving tactic used here. When someone wants to change lanes, they edge just slightly ahead of you and then they move into your lane..so I discovered that you always need to be just a nose ahead of the next driver..I drive with 1 foot on the gas and 1 on the brake as the cutting in and out is constant. Stop signs are meaningless...You NEVER stop for a stop sign. EVER..I noticed the taxis all NEVER stopping and NO one stops..u do slow down to observe cross traffic, but you just merge into the flow as needed. I don't know why they waste time with the signs..Pedestrians are optional traffic obstacles.. They do NOT have the right of way. If you cross in a cross walk you need to yeild to cars..They never stop for a person in the crosswalk NEVER...so don't even try to think u can get accross. We were at a Left turn lane, waiting to turn left with the arrow, but here evey one else in the FAST lane to your right can Also turn LEFT from that lane AND make U turns..so anyway my first night taking Marta home, we were going to make a Left Turn from the turn lane, but the driver in the fast lane to our right decided to make a U turn, thereby cutting us off and forcing me to make a last minute U turn with him..he just laughed..he was a nose ahead of me so it now makes sense why everyone speeds, u control the flow of traffic when u are in front. So I have made it 4 days and have not had an accident...I will leave that for another entry as I am sure it will happen eventually.

We found a beautiful apt. on the water, overlooking the Emerates Palace Hotel...it is in our price range, now we just have to go through the 3 months of paperwork to get it done....wish us luck