Farewell time...

Today is the last day for us to fly back to our home countries. Some of us had left last night. I remember saying goodbye to Tehsheena (and Zahid? I don’t remember seeing him last night…), Dan, Roman, and Juan. Juan, he’s so funny. Last night, he shook hands with the guys, but kissed the girls cheek to cheek. It’s his culture. He’s about to do the same thing for me, if Golnoush hasn’t reminded him not to do that. Good thing that he can receive the advice in a good way. Actually, I don’t really mind. Since he’s such a nice guy and I’m quite sure that he won’t have a feeling for a woman, given the fact that he’s a gay. By the way, I personally don’t agree with such way of life. But I realize that I have no entitlement to prevent him for making decisions for his own life. Apart from the fact, I like him as a person, based on his personality, not on his sexual preference.

Finally.... final project!

Final project presentation! Finally, after a whole week trying to survive with the project preparation and dry-runs, we made it through eventually! Yes, it's a bit stressful at the beginning. Trying to manage all the differences of opinions and thinking methods, and thinking of the best way to organize and solve the problems. But it's even more stressful near the end, since we had to practice a damn lot to make the best presentation as as we can. I don't really see this as a competition with the other team, but more on the opportunity to show our capabilities in delivering the solutions to client and manage a good project. In a way, I was confident enough since our project manager is a very experienced and capable one. On the other hand, I wasn't quite sure on my own potentials. There were times when I felt so vacant, that I can't think of anything in my mind, and that made me feel so bad, since I was not being able to contribute a lot to my team. But then I realized that it was time for my PMS thing. So I managed to deal with it in a day or two. Still, I felt so nervous during the dry-runs, either with my team or in front of our instructor. I was even more nervous on our last dry-run together in a team, in Juan's room, where I can't say anything since I had a very dry throat, and Juan had to give me a glass of water to help me recover. Thanks God, I happened to managed all my fears during the actual presentation in front of some managers in UAE. *phiuh* You wouldn't know how ease I felt after that! All the loads had been taken off my shoulders, and I can breathe freely as before. We got some evaluations after that, though. But I guess that's the way it is, to make us better than we are now. So after the whole thing, which preceded by network failure and fire alarm, we present our instructor -Terry- a thank you card, with greetings in our own different languages. He didn't look very enthusiastic though, but I know that he's not a kind of sentimental person who like to take things personally. Back to the hotel, we received a gift from UAE office: a seven sands frame for each of us, which provoke a huge protests among us, since that's not something that we would expect as a gift from here. But for me, since I'm not really expecting the gift at the first place, it's just a bit of disappointing, but not that bad. Anyway, we had another dinner at Chili's tonight, and I had to cancel again the coffee invitation from Reggie and other Indonesian friends...

Safari trip

After all the frightening things happened this morning, I finally got something to release my tension: desert safari! We went together on a group on two Land Cruisers exploring the desert hills and valleys. It took about half an hour of heart-pounding experience in the speeding jeep. Then we were riding camels, strolling around, and taking photos (of course!). To make things more exciting, we climbed up the hill and skiing down the dunes with sandboard. Well, I think that's an appropriate way to call it, since it looked like snowboard, just that we were using it in the sand. So, after going though a very exhausting phase of climbing up, we were going downhill with the boards. Not as smooth and excited as we thought it would be, though. Just then, someone suggested us to try the Arabic traditional clothes: white robe with a kafiyeh for the guys, and full black clothes covering all parts of body from head to toes, even faces, for the ladies. Yeah right, taking pictures with our whole body including face covered with black clothes? Noone will ever recognize us then. Anyway, just to try something new, that's all. By the night time, we enjoy the belly dancing performance from a dancer, which I'm not really interested in (but still I took the pictures and videos for the performance!), and then having a dinner along with other groups attended the place. Until everything had to come to an end, and we had to go back to the hotel, and prepare for the next day (rest!), since tomorrow we will start working on the final project (Gosh! Please don't remind me on this one!). Anyway, have a nice dream, and enjoy the last night of having fun here.

A little terror in the city

What a frightening afternoon today! There were two guys following me while I was walking around Abu-Dhabi Mall and Abu-Dhabi Cooperative Society. It was started when I wanted to walk out of Abu-Dhabi Cooperative Society. There's one man, quite a clean one, without beard and mustache, saying hi to me. I just walked by and ignored him. Of course, why should I care? Until he followed me when I walked along the side of Abu-Dhabi Cooperative Society. He was calling me several times from my back, and I just walked straight, starting to feel threatened. In front of one store, I pretended to look at the things in the store's display, and glance to him. Gosh! He's still there, writing a message from his mobile phone, and glance to me as well. Ok, that was enough! I don't like being in such position. So I kept walking to Abu-Dhabi Mall, trying to be part of a crowd. It was the safest thing I can think of that time, since I walked along a quiet road, without anyone around me. And I was so suspicious of everyone who passed me by. So I went inside Abu-Dhabi Mall, and still no store was open. Then I walked down to the basement to the supermarket area. Feeling safer, I started to looked around for something to buy. But suddenly, I met another guy, different from the one who followed me outside Abu-Dhabi Cooperative Society. He was also followed me, and it was so clear that he intended to do that. I was turning left and back, and he followed me. So I decided to go out and back to the hotel as fast as I can. Fortunately I was directly get a taxi. But even as I entered the taxi, that guy was still following me. I was soooo frightened! And the miserable feeling continued as I am inside the taxi. I try not to have bad prejudice over the taxi driver, but the whole thing just haunted me so much. I kept suspicious to everyone I saw until I reached the hotel. Thanks God, I feel so much better now, eventhough the incident still haunted me. That was such a traumatic experience! I really don't want to walk outside alone anymore and should find someone to accompany me. So Fitri was right, the guys here are dangerous. I should be careful next time and watch myself out of bad people.

Shopping time... and a gay guy

This morning I woke up very late. 9 o'clock in the morning, I guess. Had a breakfast (sure, how can I missed that!), and make some plans to go shopping. "Ah, girls!", that's what Sean said this morning when he heard about our plan to go for shopping. Well yeah, why not? It's a normal thing, and not only for girls, boys are also go for shopping, right? And if you think that all the girls like to shop for things that they don't really need, well I have to tell you that not all the girls like to do that. So please don't make such a silly generalization.
OK then, so we went to Madinat Zayed shopping centre, myself and Mai. And we just walking around without really found anything that attract our interests. So we went to another building, Madinat Zayed Gold Center, where we finally found gold for both of our mothers. Of course, after a lot of exploring among the bulk of gold stores in the building, and a lot of asking and bargaining and arguing. Ah, so relieve that we finally bought something! Great. Now see... there's so many other things to buy. Something for my sister, my friends, my brothers and sisters in law, my colleagues, neighbours, relatives..... Aaarrgghhh...... It's so hard to be a part of a big family and a big society, isn't it?
Ah, I also got one interesting fact today. That one of my colleagues in this course is actually a gay. Hmm... interesting. I never really know any gay guy before. He is so nice, and gentle. He's not really like other guys who like to watch footballs and that kind of stuffs. He took such wonderful pictures of his country. Very nice pictures. Like a professional. Well, maybe he is, who knows. Surely I can't tell that he's a gay. Who can anyway? But I think the country where he lives now is quite supportive to such kind of preference. So it might be the reason why he moved from his original country.
Anyway.... I'm so tired tonight. Tomorrow I will go for the desert safari, which cost me quite a lot. But I really hope it would be nice and worth the cost. So, good night!

Another fancy dinner and a birthday

Last night we had a field trip for this course: dinner at the revolving restaurant, Royal Meridien Hotel, Abu-Dhabi. Not quite suitable for the name, don't you think? I was expecting a kind of a trip at first, to the dunes, desert safari, outskirting the city, or anything adventurous. But if the purpose is to make us together as a group, then this is supposed to be a good choice, since we all can sit down together in one table, and of course, taking group pictures! :) The food itself was in a very nice shape and arrangement. The taste is just so, nothing so special about it. But overall, I would say I like it.

After that, we had a very special surprise birthday party for Tehsheena. Looks so mature and beautiful at her 23. A very intelligent and independent lady. Salute her for that. And then, of course, chocolate cake! A delicious one, with chocolate ice cream inside. It was her sister's idea. I didn't even realize the plan until Peggy told me and asked all of the girls to gather together in front of her room. Yes it's a girl's style suprise birthday party, and I'm sure that it was very impressive for the birthday girl. Well, Happy Birthday Tehsheena.... may all the joy and success be with you (which may add more colours to your already joyful and successful life :) ).

Thai fancy dinner

Today, eight of us had a wonderful dinner in a Thai restaurant, Le Meridien Hotel, Abu-Dhabi. *yumm* Veeerryyy nice foods, very delicious, rather spicy, but a little bit sweet; good service, such a nice view and great athmosphere, you can see the beach as you eat, watch the boats as they sailed to the sea, and feel the cold windy breeze. A perfect dinner. Quite expensive, yeah, but it's worth the price. Thanks to Tip who arranged the whole thing. She's so good at this.

Thanks God It's Wednesday!

TGIF! Hmm... that term doesn't supposed to work here. Maybe TGIW (Thanks God It's Wednesday) would be more appropriate, since holiday times here are from Thursday to Friday, so Wednesday evening would be a great time since the day after that is holiday! *yippie* But unfortunately, Friday here is just like a dead city :( No life. Life's just started at 5pm. Before that, until all the guys finished with Jumat prayer and other things after that, then all stores are open and that's when the actual life for the day starts. Soo... .today, we went to Madinat Zayed, a place where (finally) people selling stuffs that are not quite like ordinary malls! Just found out today that the Souqs are not exist anymore. All of them have been demolished. Well at least that's what the taxi driver told and showed us. Haven't found anything that really interest me in Madinat Zayed, but hopefully I can come back again next time to find some souvenirs for friends and family.