Alcohol consumption is something you have to work at, here in Abu Dhabi. Muslim country, alcohol technically illegal … Drunkenness is a fairly serious crime, and if you have any alcohol in your system and you are involved in an auto accident … you’re going to spend some time in the Abu Dhabi Graybar Hotel. […]

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We get 21 television stations here in the hotel/apartment, 10 of them in English. Setting aside the news stations, the English-language stations are the usual collection of ancient reruns, third-tier movies, amateurish Canadian prime-time fare and the random reality show out of Australia. Stuff so bad we can go days without even turning on the […]

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Holidays here perplex me. If I stay long enough, I’m sure I will figure it out. Meantime … We are in the midst of what apparently is up to 10 consecutive off days for government workers in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates. Not that this applies to journalists. […]

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Noticed this the other day. While studying the list of 32 qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. An enormous swath of territory, extending from eastern Europe across nearly the breadth of Asia has … zero … teams in the World Cup. From the eastern borders of Slovakia and Serbia and Greece … […]

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Just out walking around a week ago, took some photos of the environs. Where we have been for the last six weeks. Some of you have asked about photos. Finally, we have some. Here is the link.

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I always was a fan of Edgar Martinez, Seattle Mariners DH. He looked like a really regular guy, and generally acted like one, too, but he tended to hit what appeared to be an almost effortless .320, .330 with 40 doubles and 80-plus RBI, in years he wasn’t hurt. Now, Edgar is up for Hall […]

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What’s next for Landon Donovan? Way back in March, after coming back to SoCal after his loan to Bayern Munich, Landon told me he wanted to play in Europe after the 2009 Major League Soccer season. Given that he just won the MVP award and was, of course, voted into the MLS top XI … […]

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Arabic is going to be a tough go. The language situation here is similar to the place we were in a year ago: In a country where we can’t read the native tongue, where English is commonly understood  and where I work in something rather like an English-language bubble. The local language is difficult, and […]

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This got a little weird, which apparently is par for the course in renting a place. In Abu Dhabi. In the UAE. In the world? Imagine all the trouble you have with real estate agents back in your country of origin … and then multiply them by three or four … and add in language […]

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The holiday that expatriate Americans miss most? Thanksgiving. And, from my experience, whatever holiday is second … isn’t close. Fourth of July? Once you get past fireworks, you’re just missing some barbecue.  Christmas? It goes on pretty much everywhere (even here, it seems), though you might miss mom, dad and the cousins. But Thanksgiving? It […]

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