Art is back !

It has been a few months since Art blogged, I have been back in the UAE for 3 weeks as of today. I spent 2 and 1/2 months in the USA, loving every second of it. I guess I will start looking for a job soon, as this sitting around is getting a bit old. I have begun going back to my old beach area and I will be taking Marta there today. Today is her last day off, she has been off of work for the past 2 weeks and she could use the sun.

We have been taking a mini vacation to Dubai, the Atlantis resort and that was fun. Our new Apartment now has outdoor furniture on the large deck so I am sitting out here now with my feet up drinking my morning cuppa Joe (thank you Starbucks for being international) and watching the theatrics below. We have a FANTASTIC view of the Ocean and the Emerates Palace Hotel. Here is a link to the pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/eastmaninn/EarlyMorningAbuDhabiWalk#

This weekend is a huge GCC Gulf Countries Committee meetings where all the heads of states of the Gulf Arabs will meet (Saudi,Oman,Kuwait,Bahrain,UAE,Qatar,Iraq, and a few othere) so security has been tight. We were issued security passes as I guess their staff are staying at the Hotel in our Complex, the Khalidia Palace Hotel is part of our Apartment buildings. for the past 2 days there have been sniffer dogs at the entrance and today it starts and the Limos are lining up. There are police and Army units everywhere on our grounds. Our security men said for us to only use the car, carry our passports and don't walk around our grounds cause we will be stopped over and over again and our papers checked. We had to provide a copy of our Visa's our Passports, Our Car registration and Marta's work papers to the Security Teams and it is all on file and they can stop us any time.

They have all the streets around here blocked off and even the contruction site next door to us that runs 24/7 is completely silent for once. I see Army Patrols walking around it with dogs and Armor mounted Machine Gun vehicles roaming slowing up and down the street. They are just as afraid of a terrorist bombing as we are in the USA. I will try to take a few pictures a little later of all the happenings. I just don't wnat to get sniper shop cause I have a camera on my deck pointed at the Palace. All in all this is pretty cool. It is Sunday Morning and am going to play some Neil Young Acoustical music on my porch to show my supprt for the USA...'Southern Man' and some of the Boss's 'Born in the USA',. Marta thinks I will be arrested before this conference is over.....Last night during our walk around the Palace I kept egging her on about security and lets make a dash for the Palace walls, I would give her a 50 yard head start ...Ha Ha.

Well That's about it....next story about our trip to Dubai and the Gold and Jewelry Souks !