Routines

I am so sorry for not writing lately. I know that you are eagerly waiting for some news and stories ,but there are really not many. I will explain…

         When I came to UAE, I made time estimation for arranging all necessary things like job paperwork, apartment, car, sport facilities and basically everything I need for good living. I gave myself 6 months and for this time and I armed myself with extreme patience, because I knew it wouldn't be easy and pleasant to do it. Now I am here 10 weeks and I managed almost all of it. Good job JIRI!

         One of the last ones big issues I solved a week ago when I passed the driving test on the second attempt. So I can now drive legally again in UAE and as Ali the taxi driver said "Now headache over". I did much better than the last time. I wasn't that nervous, the RTA officer was also more cool and less strictly looking Arab guy, so after changing lane three times, 300 meters and 3 minutes I was done :) Easy right?

         Because I am one of two guys in the office who can drive manual cars (the rest have only automatic driving license) I can drive company Toyota Hilux pickup for a month and a half, until I get my own vehicleJ The truck is big, slow and thirsty, but I like the car. Actually I like it so much, that I had to put my mark on it…so I picked one column in the parking lot and lightly drove the doors into it. Now I have there a beautiful medium size scratch with a tiny dent J

          So nowadays it looks like this: At 7:30am I drive with Kamil 100km to Yas Island, work there from 8:30am to 5pm, than spend 1-2 hours on the way back (depends on the traffic). After work we go with Leo play tennis or I go running to the construction site and at midnight I am dead. As you see, that is a routine. But it’s not a boring routine…not yet J

          “But why are you not telling stories from weekend trips?” you would say. Well, there is one routine too, if it can be called routine. This routine is actually bordering on addiction. It’s not an addiction yet, but every time I go kitesurfing, and I do it every weekend all the weekend, it grows stronger. With every discovery of what I was doing wrong and why it isn’t behaving correctly, it’s getting stronger. With every successful ride it gets stronger. And with first jump I think it will become an addiction J  

          But don’t worry. Forecast for the next weekend is terrible. 24°C, sunny and no wind L So I will have to do something else…so stay tuned for a surprise!!

Jak na novy rok, tak po cely rok

Pity that I don’t know how to translate this Czech proverb. Basically it says that what you do on the New Year, that you will be doing during whole upcoming year.

And 2009 started very well with clear head and appointment for my first kite boarding training. I was thinking about trying it already back in Costa Rica because I found this sport exciting. I know windsurfing and kite seemed to offer more potential as snowboard offers over ski. Oh…orthodox skiers and windsurfers feel free to stone me J Here in Dubai I finally gathered enough courage to try to take off.

Around 12pm I got out from taxi and started walking along the beach under the watchful eye of the highest hotel in the world Burj Al Arab and I was looking for some kites in the air or on the ground. After 3 kilometers I finally saw a typical shape of a kite. My task that day was to find a spot where kiteboarders ride and maybe get some information about possible training.

So I sat into the sand and began to observe what they would do. After an hour, when wind was slowly getting stronger, started coming more people with colorful parachutes and boards. Among them a duo of a man looking like Vin Diesel and a youngster with glasses. After couple of minutes it was clear that the younger is a student, so in a moment when Vin went to the sea to try the wind, I asked him “Hi, are you trying to learn kite?”. “Yes, I am trying” he replied. “And this is your instructor?”, “No, he is my father!!”.

His name wasn’t Vin and he was not American. His name is Ahmed and he is Arab. “No problem. I can teach you…let’s see…I can give you an introductory lesson…hmm…take this small trainer kite and try to do like this…”. Before I could have even said a word and asked about a price and style of the training, I was already holding a kite steering bar and flying the two meter wide toy up and down. After an hour when he completely shifted his attention from his son to me we agreed that the real training we start next weekend. Actually I wasn’t surprised that such a kite addict as Ahmed is, he let his son who was obviously forced to the training and attend to a person on the same wave of enthusiasm J

This weekend was really fast. I went through almost all exercises. Launching, landing, diving the kite, safety release, water launching, packing, inflating…only thing missing was riding on the board. At the beginning Ahmed told me that I was progressing very fast, but after some failed launching and bad kite diving the rocket fast progress slowed down and I started thinking that maybe he was overestimating me. Friday evening after the training I was disappointed, sad and seriously thinking if I really want to do that, give it all my time and practice.

On Saturday according to Ahmed were the worst conditions for beginners. Right onshore wind and big waves. I was fighting the sea and wind for four hours and then finally I made it. I was standing on the board and sliding lightly on the sea surface. I felt the enormous power of the wind in the kite and with every successful dive my self-confidence and joy was rising. After 50 meters a wave hit my board and this time I successfully dived. But it couldn’t change my final decision.

I will get some used equipment and I will practice every hour I can. I really want to learn this J It will be so much fun…next Friday I will hopefully finish my training and add “License of an independent kiteboarder” to my collection J

Black&White kaleidoscope of the year's end

Same story like Christmas. I almost didn’t notice that 2008 was about to end. There were so many other things to think about and do than remembering how the last year was or giving myself some New Year resolutions. Everything went straight to the new episode.

Almost means that I was invited to Rune’s New Year party. It was a rather small reunion of three pairs and me in Rune’s apartment. Luckily we didn’t buy tickets to some official celebration in a hotel or club, because the mighty sheikh of UAE forbad celebrate the New Year as a gesture of sympathy for Palestine!!! But private parties are something else so we proceeded J

When I saw Rune wearing a shirt and Nicolai even a tie I thought it would be a serious family celebration but as usually happens where a right liquid support is provided, my worries were soon forgotten and the New Year started as every year should. Here is a proof J

Before....during....and after...how convenient :)

Somebody told me that me posts are fine, but there is a lack of Arabic world. OK..you got it. This is my Arabic world. One of the most important things for surviving is an internet connection. In Dubai as a commercial hub of Middle East they offer this service and it is provided by two companies Etisalat and DU. Both are state enterprises, they have divided market to not to compete and created a monopoly environment. My house is a DU house so I went to DU store on 1.12. to buy a 4Mbs connection. 450Dhs/month..ouch!! What can I do L The technician came to my house to install it on Saturday 6.12., but because there was some problem with a router, they didn’t finish the installation and told me that in three days somebody would call me and make a new appointment. Pity, but what can I do.

I waited three days, four…I waited one week. Nothing. “The router is probably not working still, but let’s check it out” I thought and went to the store again to ask. “We apologize sir” was a kind answer of the girl in the store. “I will write them an email and in 48 hours they will call you back”. I waited 48 hours, 72 hours, even 96 hours. Nothing! “ I need to push them bit harder” I decided and went back. “We apologize sir” sweet answer melted my rising anger. “I will write them an official complain through our system and in 48 hours they call you back”.

“We apologize sir” I heard again when after deaf 48 hours I was back. “The router is already fine is the answer to your last complain”. “What!!! I almost shouted. “I will make an official request for your new inslallation……..”. “Yeah, yeah and they will call me back” I said already walking out.

Of course nothing. So I armed bigger caliber. DU customer service on the phone. “We apologize sir” sounded like a bad joke from the phone. “I contacted our technical department and in 24 hours they call you back”.

“We apologize sir”…..”We apologize sir”….”Call you back”…..”Call you back”…I started to call them every day. Same answer, same solution. My anger was overwhelmed by despair.

After three weeks I got different answer “There is a problem in the main server room, we need to change whole cable”. “They have to be kidding me” I thought and went look from the balcony where 15 Indians were digging a trench!! “It will take forever”. I conceded calling them again and resigned to ever having internet.

But miracles sometimes happen. Two days before the New Year somebody competent got to my file of at least 20 complains and requests and suddenly out of nowhere a technician came on 31.12. I got finally online!!

I stated before that 80% of happiness here is a car. I cannot say that I am unhappy, but a car would definitely a bonus. But first I need a driving license. You already know that Czech Republic is not on the list so I had to choose an official way. A driving school. Yes dears. I went to the driving school again. At least I was able to go directly to the road test and didn’t need to do any driving classes after 10 years of driving.

So on 31.12. at 7:30am I stood along with a crowd of Pakistanis and Filipinos in the foggy Wednesday morning. “Visibility is bad. We have to wait” said RTA Arab officer and went to the office to fill his pipe. After 2 hours of waiting the fog went out. By that time all lady drivers were done and beginners with lurching Toyotas were out for training.

I was in the car with two Indians and one Filipino. Filipino got through two roundabouts with only speeding, putting hand behind co-driver’s seat when reversing, bad signaling and not listening to the officer. First Indian went 10 meters until he drove out of the road then turning the car. I was far the best out of them all, but I was terribly nervous, not focusing and driving as I normally do so I got among others not signaling at all, releasing the clutch to quickly causing lurching, swings too wide, stalls the car, continually drives in two lanes..etc.

The last Indian who knew only how to push the throttle unfortunately had to drive back. So we got almost hit by a car at the first roundabout and turned over at the second. Results? Terrible L We all failed!!

But next time I will be prepared. I have to do 8 driving classes and then I go again J