I'm 22!

This was the most enjoyable birthday I've had in awhile. I had a whole bunch of love and support and I'd like to thank everyone for coming. The company and the food at Red Lobster was awesome. I had two people offer to give rides, so no one had to ride the metro or take a taxi to the mall.

Although Boudoir was SUPER crowded because of Eid, I still had fun. I still have so many clubs to visit. 

On my actually birthday, the 8th, I went to dinner at Organic Foods & Cafe, with my first Cali friend. I had      pancakes and apple oatmeal (too much carbs I Know). I was tasty. She enjoyed it as well. She's into organic food, which is hard to find here.

Today we are going to Jumeirah Mosque for a class project. For my Islamic Art and Architecture class, we have to visit a mosque, and compare the architectural details to mosques we've studied in class. It's due December 1st, but since I failed the first exam (don’t judge me!), I'm trying to make sure I get an A on this paper by not procrastinating. 

We were going to go to Burj al Arab, but they're a bit pricey. We'll go later if we can get someone else to treat us (I love Dubai).  I hope this mosque is interesting. It's so hard for me to write about a topic that I'm not passionate about.

I was supposed to go to Internet City today to handout my CV, but I haven't finished the necessary research to prepare, so I’ll go Sunday morning. It’s hard to go to sleep early. When I go out at night, even if it’s just to JBR, I’ll get in at 1 or 2 am.

My goal is to have an interview by the end of next week. I will be visiting a lot of places, and my 1^st Cali friend has arranged for us to have a meeting with the CEO of Bayt, so I feel like my chances are high.  39 days to find a job (I counted wrong earlier)!

Dubai is a Very Traumatic Place

Very bad things have happened to my friends, and many of them want to leave. The latest incident was a car crash. A group of study abroad students were heading to Oman for Eid. They had been planning the trip since the beginning of the semester. Low and behold, some idiot rammed into the back of their taxi. They ended up going to the hospital and cancelling their trip. Luckily, everyone’s fine (physically at least).

Dubai Driving is a topic that I’ve wanted to discuss for some time now, but I need a video to show you exactly what I’m talking about. I plan on making a video while in a cab, sometime during the break. I really think that if I die in Dubai, it will be from a car crash, but we’ll talk about that later.

Weekend recap

Thursday: Crystale Club

Friday: Dry Night, clubs closed- went to JBR

Saturday: Motorcycle Ride, dinner at Dubai Marina

Sunday: Drove friend’s car

Right now, I have a ten day break for Eid al Adha. As you can see, I did not go to Egypt as I planned, but I’m still having the time of my life.  I had so much fun at Crystale, and am meeting new people just about everyday. Tomorrow’s my birthday, but I’m celebrating tonight. I’m going to Red Lobster at Dubai Mall, then to Boudoir again. I’m blow-drying my hair as we speak.

Gotta get ready now…I love this place! Eid Mubarak!

Dreams Are Real, All You Have to Do Is Just Believe

I finally went to the Burj al Arab Friday! I went at 9am, before it got too hot. It’s been so long since I had to wake up that early. I’m so spoiled now. Working full time is going to be such a challenge when the time comes.

I stayed at the beach until about 12pm, and went to the Dome Restaurant for pancakes. Not every restaurant has pancakes, so I had been craving theirs for a while. Afterwards, I went to Deira to get some leave-in conditioner for my hair. It was really close to Dome, so I figured I’d save some time and money by going then. WRONG!

It was about 1:30, when I arrived, and it was FRIDAY. I forgot that places don’t open until the evening on Friday. The whole neighborhood was closed. They didn’t open until 4:00. I just went home. I was so angry with myself.

When I start living here, I’m going to buy my hair products in bulk. I get tired of going so far away to get hair products. Even when I’m driving, I won’t want to do it. Boy do I miss the black hair stores in America.

I was supposed to go jet skiing Friday evening, but it didn’t work out, so my first Cali friend and I went to Buddha bar. It’s an upscale lounge at JBR. I enjoyed it. I especially liked the fact that I could sit down all night.

They had a fire show at 2:00 a.m. I felt the heat every time they blew fire, and they kept dropping the bottles. It was scary!

We met some cool people, which included some Brits. We went to “dinner” with them when the club closed and ate some Arabic food. We ended up staying out until 6am. I’ve never done that before. We may go out with them again. Who knows?

My friend and I forgot to take a pic before we left :-(

One thing I do know is that it’s time to explore Dubai night-life. This is the new Lara. The outgoing Lara. I will no longer be a “grandma” or a couch potato. I will not let going to the movies be my favorite thing to do. It’s time to go out and have fun.

I had and exam on Sunday in Arabic, and two exams in Islamic Art and Architecture on Tuesday and Thursday. I’m swamped! My job search is on halt and I cant wait to get some sleep. I miss my 2^nd Cali friend. I hope to see her this weekend!

I met with an accounting professor today. He's going to recommend me for a part-time job in Dubai. My intention was to not work so I could enjoy and explore, and interview, but if a job falls into my lap, I can't refuse it. I hope I get it! We'll see.