One inch away from winning!!

So during my weekend in Abu Dhabi, one night we went to Marina Mall to eat dinner. During that day there happened to be a festival for one of the stops for the Volvo Ocean Race (a sailing race around the world). We missed seeing the sailboats leave the port by a couple of hours but there were still booths open so we decided to go for a little bit and see what it was all about.

One of the booths happened to be a golf booth. The next weekend happened to be the HSBC Championships (golf tournament at the Abu Dhabi ) where all the big names in golf were going to be there. The point of the booth was to chip the ball into the hole on an island floating in the water. You had two chances and if you holed it then you would win a week vacation to an island resort in China (another stop in the Ocean Race)!!

My first chance was actually not bad at all . . . I was a couple feet right of the hole. I was so nervous because there were a lot of people watching, and I was using a club that I am not used to. Plus the helper at the booth asked if I new how to use the club which kindof irked me a little bit (gender profiling anyone)!! I then asked him what degree club it was and he had know idea, hahaha!!

The second try I was less nervous and now understood the wind and the roll on the island. When I hit the shot it felt sooooo good and everyone was silent! The ball hit about 2 yards in front and left of the hole and then it started to roll directly towards the hole. Many people started to encourage the ball into the hole but it ended up 1 to 2 inches on the left side of the hole!! How sweet it would have been to hole that shot!! So much for the vacation to China!! To be honest I probably would not had time to go anyway, however it would have been a nice present to someone!!

 My beautiful golf swing!!

Watching my shot miss by an inch!! Look at that follow thru!!

I do work!

So many times my blog is of my travels and the fun things I do but I really do study and work when I am at a course, hahaha!! To prove it hear are a couple of pictures of me working on the fiber optic tool!!

Working with the Colombians, Carlos and Edwin, on the CT head!

Kind of funny that the 2 Mexicans were the ones stuck working inside the small reel for a couple of hours!! Thankfully the reel that I have to work in is a lot bigger and I can actually fit into it!

Instructor Cabe assessing our work!

Oh, and I have to say I look pretty good in orange don't I ;) Who would have thought I would ever be in an orange jumpsuit!

Oh just hanging out in Abu Dhabi . . . part 3

So I have finally gotten used to traveling from the airport to the training center in Abu Dhabi!! I finally know I was not cheated by the taxi driver because I knew actually where I was going and could tell him what exits to take!! It is about time I figured all that out, I mean it is just my third time going through this process!! 

This time around my trip to Abu Dhabi was for 4 weeks. I thought that it might have been a little repetitive and boring but it actually was the most fun I had of the all 3 trips. This was mainly due to the fact that there were other people in the class that wanted to do/see things and did not mind planning things for the group . . . I finally did not have to be the mother of the group, hahahaha!! In all there was 8 of us in the class . . . myself, an American that works in Saudi Arabia, an American that works in the US, two Colombians, a Mexican that works in Abu Dhabi, a guy from Bahrain who works in Saudi, and my friend Gustavo who I worked with in Reynosa.

Every weekend we would go on an adventure . . . first weekend Abu Dhabi, second weekend Dubai, and lastly in the last weekend some of us went to Oman! Besides the weekends a group of us would go to a new restaurant and had some REALLY good food!! It was nice being around others that appreciate good food and good company!!

For the Abu Dhabi weekend we went to the mosque which I had already been too but it was nice to go again. When I was there I learned how to wrap the head scarf correctly!! It was also interesting people watching. There were people from all over the world, some tourists like me and some using the mosque the way it should be used.

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Stylin in the head scraf again!!

Having some fun playing with our camera settings on a beautiful day and beautiful place.

 

The group outside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque 

We also went to Ferrari World which I had already done before as well but again it was great. It helped that there was a lot less people then the first time I went on my birthday so we were able to ride the fastest roller coaster in the world a lot of times without ever really waiting in line!

Gustavo and I sitting up front ready to go on the fastest rollercoaster.

After some fun at Ferrari World we went to eat at one of the hotels on Yaz Island and then decided to walk to the Yaz Marina. It ended up taking almost an hour but it was a beautiful day. It was so different than the last time since the last time it was the middle of the summer and you would melt if you were outside that long! By the time we made it to the marina where there is also a really interesting looking hotel and the Yaz Island Formula-1 race track which actually goes underneath the hotel, the sun was setting. It was a nice end to a nice weekend!!

 Yaz Island Marina at sunset.

The adventurous gang eating at one of our favorite finds . . . Prego's in the Beach Rotana