al wifaq

the first thing people always ask me....how hot is it? When I arrived for a visit back in 2005, we got off the plane to board a bus to the terminal...this was in October mind you and I thought I was standing behind the engine and that they hadn't turned it off...then I realized....I was in front of the plane. Well when I came out of the terminal this time I was prepared....and there it was...the familiar jet engine blast....ahhhhh....I had arrived! WHERE IS THE AIR CONDITIONED CAR!?!? So...as you can imagine, exposure to the heat is minimal as one jumps from their AC House to AC Car to AC Office etc.

The office - let me tell you about the office and a curious thing about the UAE - the addressing system. There really isn't one - at least not a very sophisticated one. So they do have central Post Offices and PO Boxes. Fine. But what if you need to receive a Fed Ex Package??? On my first business trip for this project, Marasy I was ending the trip with a visit to "Cityscape" where our project was being featured. I ran out of business cards. I called my colleague in my office in Boston and asked if he could FedEx me more cards. I gave him the only address on the Hotels brochure/pens/paper pad in the room - a PO Box number. Well as you can imagine - I got the e-mail from him telling me "FedEx won't deliver to a PO Box - can you give us another address?" I explained to him the situation to him and he told me "what should I tell them? Give it to the guy next to the Palm Tree?" I called the concierge to ask for a physical address and she told me "Hotel Rotana, Tourist Club Area next to the Abu Dhabi Mall." I called back - "Dan....you are not going to believe this..." So that is it...addressing is by means of the nearest Landmark. In the case of our office (which we share with CRJA) it is Al Ghaith Holding Tower, Airport Road next to Akai Building (as in electronics). But nowhere on the building does it say Al Ghaith. One finance company has the only exterior signage on the building named Al Wifaq. Imagine hearing the office manager explain that to a delivery person. "Al Wifaq.....Wifaq.......WE FAKK" I'm sure we do.

Back to the heat....so I ask CRJA's Office Manager May where is the closest place to grab lunch?...she explains "it's the next building over" I think OK...I go downstairs and walk out into the heat...about 119F that day so it is a jet engine day with not as much breeze. I walk....and walk...next building over...next to that....again...until I get there. I am not sure how many buildings away because I am fairly sure I am about to pass out. You can be damned sure I will count on my way back so I can let May know what she should be telling people. So I order a salad and an iced coffee and start my journey back to "Al Wifaq." 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 ,6...buildings...oh my...7, 8, 9, 10...holy crap...but wait...I have a tasty frosty beverage....so I go to take a sip from my iced coffee and as my lips touch the red straw sitting in ice only 4 inches away...it burns....well almost. The straw was noticeably hot as it touched my lips..HOT. It is in ICE and it is hot. That is intense.

Maybe it is my ancestral physiology kicking in but it now is actually not as horrible but it is intense. In many ways it is a real buzz because it is so overwhelming and consuming. Oh..how far was Al Wifaq? 15 buildings May FIFTEEN....not "the next building over." 

Wifaq.....I'm sure.