Happy Easter!

[Buffacuse]

From scenic Abu Dhabi...where I live/work now eight+ months out of the year. Hope all is well with everyone's peeps.

[MarleysGh0st]

Abu Dhabi!? When did that happen?

[christie1111]

What Buff and Marley said

Happy Easter and WHAT?

[Buffacuse]

From scenic Abu Dhabi...where I live/work now eight+ months out of the year.

Oh, didn't I mention that?

Ok, so at the end of last year, coincident with the government shutdown, the contract I was working on for my employer was suspended...things didn't look good for it resuming. Two of my former bosses in government were putting together a team to run a training program here for folks in the same line of work, and since I had done training before, they contacted me and asked me to join. The combination of money and time off made it a no-brainer, and I started working here in mid-January. I'll be home at the end of May for two months, and back here from July-November (back week before Turkey day) for round two.

It's been a lot harder than I thought to be away from the family--the little Buffs miss their Daddy and it's incredibly mutual. But, this is their college, our retirement, and a bunch of other good stuff rolled into one package. Skype helps, but it's sort of bittersweet to watch our annual family Easter Egg hunt via Skype and not be there. I'm likely to be out here doing this for at least 3-5 years--and after that at age 60 can probably semi-retire and teach or do whatever we want. Of course, when I think about this compared to some 22 year old corporal in Afghanistan with a wife and baby at home, I whine a little less.

Abu Dhabi is a clean, pro-Western, relatively tolerant (for the region) country--you've never seen so many shopping malls in your life, the Grand Mosque is beautiful, I went golfing last weekend in 110 degree heat, and we've been snorkeling in the Gulf. Here are a couple of stories to demonstrate the cultural divide, however:

One of my counterpart trainers, Sayeed and I, were discussing our families...I told him the story of how I met Mrs. Buff at work, the courtship, etc., and when I paused he simply said: "I met my wife the day we got married."

One of my student, all of 20 years old, and I were talking about sports--he said he had a camel entered in a big race the following day and would bring in treats to celebrate if he won (finished 8th out of 21--I watched the race on TV--there are two camel racing channels). When I said, "hey, that's great Juma, you own a racing camel," he said, "no sir, 150 racing camels." When I said in surprise "your family owns 150 racing camels" he replied: "No sir, I own 150 racing camels."

[Bob Juch]

From scenic Abu Dhabi...where I live/work now eight+ months out of the year.

Oh, didn't I mention that?

Ok, so at the end of last year, coincident with the government shutdown, the contract I was working on for my employer was suspended...things didn't look good for it resuming. Two of my former bosses in government were putting together a team to run a training program here for folks in the same line of work, and since I had done training before, they contacted me and asked me to join. The combination of money and time off made it a no-brainer, and I started working here in mid-January. I'll be home at the end of May for two months, and back here from July-November (back week before Turkey day) for round two.

It's been a lot harder than I thought to be away from the family--the little Buffs miss their Daddy and it's incredibly mutual. But, this is their college, our retirement, and a bunch of other good stuff rolled into one package. Skype helps, but it's sort of bittersweet to watch our annual family Easter Egg hunt via Skype and not be there. I'm likely to be out here doing this for at least 3-5 years--and after that at age 60 can probably semi-retire and teach or do whatever we want. Of course, when I think about this compared to some 22 year old corporal in Afghanistan with a wife and baby at home, I whine a little less.

Abu Dhabi is a clean, pro-Western, relatively tolerant (for the region) country--you've never seen so many shopping malls in your life, the Grand Mosque is beautiful, I went golfing last weekend in 110 degree heat, and we've been snorkeling in the Gulf. Here are a couple of stories to demonstrate the cultural divide, however:

One of my counterpart trainers, Sayeed and I, were discussing our families...I told him the story of how I met Mrs. Buff at work, the courtship, etc., and when I paused he simply said: "I met my wife the day we got married."

One of my student, all of 20 years old, and I were talking about sports--he said he had a camel entered in a big race the following day and would bring in treats to celebrate if he won (finished 8th out of 21--I watched the race on TV--there are two camel racing channels). When I said, "hey, that's great Juma, you own a racing camel," he said, "no sir, 150 racing camels." When I said in surprise "your family owns 150 racing camels" he replied: "No sir, I own 150 racing camels."

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

[Vandal]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Sounds like it will soon be camel racing.

[Spock]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Oh, come on-you know the answer to that. He can't tell us, or he would have to kill us. Plus, does anyone really think he is in Abu Dhabi? My money is that he is on a secret moon base or something. If we don't have a secret moon base by now, I am going to be very disappointed.

[littlebeast13]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Sounds like it will soon be camel racing.

Do they hold the races on Wednesdays?

lb13

[Vandal]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Oh, come on-you know the answer to that. He can't tell us, or he would have to kill us. Plus, does anyone really think he is in Abu Dhabi? My money is that he is on a secret moon base or something. If we don't have a secret moon base by now, I am going to be very disappointed.

Of course we do:

Spoiler

[Buffacuse]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Oh, come on-you know the answer to that. He can't tell us, or he would have to kill us. Plus, does anyone really think he is in Abu Dhabi? My money is that he is on a secret moon base or something. If we don't have a secret moon base by now, I am going to be very disappointed.

Of course we do:

Spoiler

I'm the one with his back to the camera...

[Bob Juch]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Sounds like it will soon be camel racing.

Do they hold the races on Wednesdays?

lb13

Found it!

[MarleysGh0st]

Please refresh my ancient brain: What is your area of expertise?

Sounds like it will soon be camel racing.

Do they hold the races on Wednesdays?

lb13

Nice!

Your camels appear to be closely related to rainbow donkeys.

[MarleysGh0st]

Incidentally, camels from the Middle East only have one hump.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Incidentally, camels from the Middle East only have one hump.

Not after I sit my fat backside on them! It'll move over and become two!