There's no place like home!

After finally getting back to Carmen after an awesome adventure in Abu Dhabi it was back to the grind! And man did I get back to the grind! I worked for 60 days straight and 32 of those days were offshore!! It was a very good but tiring experience!

So after working 60 days straight and finally getting my visa stuff worked out, vacation finally arrived, and I could not wait to get back to NC! It was so stressful right before I left Mexico because I had not gotten my passport back from the immigration department and of course I had a lot of work stuff . . . however, I survived like always and got my passport back in time. Sometimes it is so easy to forget to trust God that everything will work out how it should, though not always how you want it.

I flew into Raleigh like normal and got to spend some quality time with Lizzie and the ever so changing Jake!! The first day I just hung out with Jake and gave him a lot of kisses to make up for time!! The next night was a very fun night!! I bought some pretty good seats for the Taylor Swift concert and took Lizzie and Becca for a little sister time. Lizzie and I even got to be up close to Scott McCreery!!  We had a blast and the concert ended up being pretty good/entertaining!! I am sooo thankful for the time I got to spend with my sisters and wish I could hang out with them more. That night ended up being one of the highlights of the trip being able to be with them!

The next day I spent some more quality time with Jake and Lizzie. Jake has grown sooo much since the last time I saw him, he was only 3 weeks old !! I can't believe that I did not get to see him until 6 months later :(. However, I was very thankful for every minute I had with him!! Besides hanging out with Jake, I got to go to 2 NC State football games!! I was not expecting wins for either but somehow we won both. We dominated the national ranked Clemson and then somehow came back from a 28 pt deficit against Maryland . . . maybe I was a good luck charm of something!!

Once the Clemson football game I went home for a couple of days and then headed down to Wilmington for my favorite holiday Thanksgiving. This year it was kind of different because Lizzie and Dan and my grandma were not there. My Papa also had to undergo heart surgery that week. Thankfully everything worked out fine and he is now doing get!! The first full day I was in charge of making dinner so I decided to bring a little Mexico back home to NC!! I cooked Arrachera (marinated flank steak), grilled onion and nopale cactus, queso fundido, roasted salsa picante, frijoles charros (mexican version of baked beans), and guacamole!! I think it turned out really well, and I think everyone liked it!!

Thanksgiving finally came around and it was great like always. We were a smaller group and not as much food as usually but the quality was still there!! We had one of the biggest turkeys I have ever seen and the pork shoulder was AMAZING!! I the deserts we had was a plus too!! Our family just spent the whole day outside, playing cornhole and of course eating.

 

Since this post is getting pretty long and I have so much more to tell about my great 2 weeks at home, I think I will just to start a new one. Lookout for the continuation is just a little bit!!

... to be continued

Oh just hanging out in Abu Dhabi!

A continuation of my trip to Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2011 . . .

Throughout my time in Abu Dhabi my class and I went out for dinner or did other entertaining things on the weekends since we pretty much lived in a compound and ate in a cafeteria throughout the week. We also had a couple of class dinners that we unbelievable. I think our class liked food a lot!! Many of the restaurants here are top notch and have high quality food. The 2 class dinners we had were buffets that were heaven. As a starter I would always get a plate of sushi that was soooo good (and dearly missed since I do not always trust the sushi in Mexico). After the sushi, I would then get a plate of main course and a plate of desert . . . by far the best buffets I have ever had in the world!! Thankfully I did not gain any weight but that was mainly due to playing basketball with a couple of instructors twice a week for 2 hrs at a time!

The pictures below are from the 2 class dinners . . . as you can see we are always serious and professional!!

Another place that we ended up going to a lot (of course a place to eat) was a restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel called Belguin Cafe. It was the first place I went with a group of people and it was also the last! I even had my birthday dinner there!! The service was great (one because we became friends with all the waitresses) but I kept going back for the french fries and homemade mayo!! I know it does not sound that sophisticated or appetizing but it was soooo good. Again the picture below shows us being veeerrry serious!

Besides eating we did do other things while we were in Abu Dhabi. One of the things Abu Dhabi is known for is its formula one race track in Yaz Island. Yaz Island is a man made island that has the race track, hotels, Ferrari world, and IKEA! Well when there are no races going on they use part of the track for go-karting. A group of us decided why no give it a whirl. Well, the whirl was awesome. These karts can go up to 35 mph which is not that fast put when you are in an open environment racing around these sharp turns it feels sooo much faster. It took a couple of laps for me to get my groove but I ended up getting 4th, beating all the guys in my class but 1!! Not such a bad night of racing if you don't ask me!!

Another non-food activity that I did was play golf one weekend. I looked online at a couple of courses and ended up finding a really good deal at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club which is home to one of the PGA events. I ended up paying for the green fees and getting the rented clubs free! It was a very beautiful though hot day, and I actually played really well which it made it even better!! The course was really interesting since most of the "rough" was actually desert!! You definitely do not see that very much in North Carolina!!

 

I know I will not be able to do these kind of things forever, but I am very thankful for all the experiences, good and bad. God is good all the time!

Kayaking in the Mangroves of Abu Dhabi!

So I am still really behind on my posts so here is one that I meant to post 2 months ago!!

So one of the last weekends I was looking for things to do on the internet that we have not already done that we could do in Abu Dhabi. Well I started searching things that I like to do in normal places and have not done in a while and came across a website via Google. I knew right away I wanted to do this but I was not sure that I would be able to get any of the guys to go with me! Well after some begging and organizing I got all the Latinos and Paolo to go with me kayaking in the Mangroves in Abu Dhabi. We ended up going at 10 am on a Saturday since the tour that we wanted to go on at night (full moon tour) was booked. The guys complained for a bit but then started to like it a little more once they got in the kayaks!

We were definitely a mismatched group that for sure did not look like we knew what we were doing but we still had fun doing it. Also, thinking back on it know I think I had less clothes on that day then any other . . . out of respect of their culture I really did not feel comfortable wearing shorts or tank tops outside in public though there are enough internationals there that do! For this I thought it was an exception and of course had pants and a t-shirt waiting for me back onshore!!

 

In all we paddled around for 2 hours which was the perfect amount of time since it was pretty hot out and we were all out of shape!! It was sooo refreshing being on the water and being around God's creation. It was sooo interesting because we were in shallow water within trees but yet surrounded by huge modern buildings! I was thankful for a time to just be quiet and look and listen and smell the freshness of my surroundings. Sometimes you just need to be reminded of the little things!

I am still alive!!

So I have kept saying that I would finishing writing about my adventures in Abu Dhabi over the past weeks but have not done so yet. One reason for that is I have worked for 55 days straight now and of those 55 days I was offshore for 31!! It has been a very tiring but interesting past 2 months to say the least!!

My last adventure offshore I had the privilege of being on a big ship that has a crane and space for 100+ people. The ship was brand new and there were accommodations for women and the food was great. The downside of the ship was that it was new . . . meaning that all the people were new and did not know what they were doing and it lacked a lot of things to be able to do the job. This means lots of time waiting to do your job because you need the support of those people!

Other than that issue everything thing went well with the job. The jobs had a potential to go horribly wrong since we were pumping a treatment that is a lot like cement which means there is a possibility of getting stuck. After the cement job we were supposed to then run a memory logging tool and then shot guns downhole but then 3 storms arrived. Since we were on a boat we could not work because to get to the platform you have to ride on the crane. When the wind is really strong or there is big waves the crane moves too much which causes the human basket to start swinging like a pendulum. Below is a picture of the human basket! You are just holding on and riding up 3-5 stories high!!

I ended up spending 9 days doing nothing waiting to go to the platform. It was nice for a little while especially because I was getting sick but after about 3 days of doing nothing I was time to start working again. One because that is why I am there and two it helps the time go by quicker. I ended up making a schedule for those bad weather days . . . waking up at 7:30, going to the client office to hear the program for the day and have coffee/sweet bread, email the base/home, work on some work stuff, eat lunch, check in with client again, go outside and look at the ocean/practice my Spanish with whoever wants to talk, watch a movie or tv show, eat dinner, email/call the base again, watch a movie or tv show, go to sleep around 10, repeat!! All this time the ship is moving about all the time. When you eating everything is moving on the table . . . when you sleep you are moving from side to side. Thankfully I never got seasick!!

By the time we were able to work again I already had 15 days offshore (usually the limit is 14 days). Since the weather was still not perfect there were no boats to go back to Cd. del Carmen, so I worked for a couple more days. By the 18th day of being offshore I finally came down from the platform/boat by helicopter which is always a bonus!!

Here are some more pictures of the platform.

 Me being a good supervisor . . . delegating what to do!!

Since being back down on earth I have just kept chugging along. I have been working in the office and trying to catch up with all the things I needed to do while offshore all the while getting more things handed to me and having to deal with problems with the units you are in charge of. All I know right now is that I am that much closer to going home!! My ticket is bought and now I am just wanting to get my permission to leave the country and re-enter since I will not be able to get my visa in time to go home. Hopefully all will go to plan!!

Oh and Feliz Cumpleaños to my favorite big sister Lizzie . . . hope you had a great one!!

Dubai!

So far being here in Abu Dhabi and now Dubai, the architecture is unbelievable. If you like crazy modern buildings then come to the UAE. There are so many buildings being built, and they are all trying to be taller than the other and the most extreme. They do not like just plain old square buildings. It is all about being flashy here . . . to show your wealth. This can be seen by the cars that are here and what type of stores you see in all the malls. The malls alone are crazy . . . having ski slopes, skating rinks, bowling alleys, crazy fountains, etc.

After 2 weeks of class we had a long weekend so a big group of us from my class and the Frac class went to Dubai Thursday night and stayed for 2 nights. Dubai is a very interesting city . . . there are sooo many tall buildings but it is really spread out. There is a tram but it is really slow and does not work during the morning most days. And actually it is pretty expensive so you definitely need a car or use taxis every where.

The first night we all just hung out with each other and it was a lot of fun getting to know the Frac class more. Again I just sat back and thought to myself how crazy it was to be in the place that I was with the people I was with! Venezuelans, an Italian, a girl from Vietnam, a guy from China, Americans, and so many more cultures!

The next day ended up being a great but really long day!! The Latinos, Paolo and I went to Sky Dubai which is an indoor snow park where you can ski and snowboard. You think it would get boring since there was really only 3 runs but for not having snowboarded in years it was great practice for when I go see my best friend Sarah in Colorado this winter! It was crazy going from over 100 degree weather to 40 degree weather. It was actually a nice break from the crazy heat and ended up being a really fun time watching the other guys fall all the time on their skis . . . they couldn't help that it was their first time!!

After skiing and snowboarding for some time we went to a beer fest that was going on in town! It was so fun to go and see all the internationals that live in Dubai come together and celebrate good Irish food and great music! However it was a little overwhelming with all the people that were there!! You barely had any room to stand let alone move which usually freaks me out some but the atmosphere was just so great I did not mind to much!! After a couple of hours there the group of us went to the biggest more there which would take days to go to all the stores to see the fountain and light show. Next to this mall happens to be the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, that words cannot even express. I never got to go up the building since you have to have a reservation and you do not even get to go to the very top!

The show was nice but the best part was after when we went for a late night dinner at a Lebanese restaurant looking over the fountains! We ordered a sampler since we were not that hungry. When the food came out it looked so good and it was really good. We stuffed ourselves and then the waiter came out with more!! We probably had enough food for 8 people but there was only 4 of us!! We ended up not finishing everything but it was a beautiful night and overall an unforgettable day!!

The next day I got back on the bus in the morning to go back to Abu Dhabi early since I had a test the next day. I wish I could have had a little more time there to see all the things that the city has to offer!! Maybe next time!

Behind!

So I wanted to write something once a week when I was in UAE but of course after my last post my class got really crazy with lots of work and projects. When I finally got back to Mexico, my parents and sister came visit so that has made me even further behind. (That is not to say that them visiting me was a hinderance!!) Now I am starting work again so hopefully I will get back to my routine and finish all the posts that I have started!! However that routine will be a little slow because it seems that I am now about to go offshore!

All that to say be patient with my tardiness and soon all the stories from my adventures will be written about soon . . . I hope :)

Quarter of a Century!!

I can not believe that I am a quarter of a century already!! To be honest I do not feel any different at all . . . it is just another number now! However, I now can rent cars without any issues. I guess I am truly an adult now!

Looking back on the years I have realized that I have had my birthday in some very strange and interesting places. I probably only had my birthday 10 of my 25 years actually at my house. I have been at the beach, at camp (as a camper and staff), the bayou of Mississippi, Spain, Guatemala, a rig in Mexico, and now United Arab Emirates :) So many people asked if I wished I was home for my birthday, and I told them that it was normal not being there. This is not to say that I did not want to be with my family especially since they were all hanging out at the beach without me!!

The day of my birthday I did not really do much since Sunday is a work day here. The weekend is Friday and Saturday so Sunday is actually what our Monday is. Saturday was the day I ended up celebrating it with everyone and had a blast! Another unusually birthday that I will never forget!

I had a test in the morning that I got a 100 on which started the day off great! After that the Latinos from my class and I went to Ferrari World! It is an indoor amusement park with a Ferrari theme. Another example of how the UAE is all about the high class objects. One of the things that the park is known for is having the fastest roller coaster in the world. And in the end it was worth ever penny to ride that ride!!

The ride was crazy . . . you went from 0 to 240 kph (~150 mph)  in 4.9 seconds. You definitely felt all the Gs and your mouth wiggled uncontrollably! The park even made you wear goggles because part of the ride was outside and sand blowing into your eyes would not be a good thing! After the ride I looked a little tattered which you can see below. My hair was crazy, and I thought my clothes were going to ripe off . . . next time I know just to wear a t-shirt when riding this ride!

After spending a few hours at the park, Gustavo and I left to go out to eat at Belgian Cafe at the Intercontinental hotel in Abu Dhabi where we met up with Souhaibe. Though most of my class did not make it out the 3 of us had a great time eating good food and having good conversations. This is the second time that we went here but I love it and would not hesitate to go back again. The environment is my type of place . . . good food in a not so formal setting!

  

I guess when I went to the bathroom, the guys told the waitresses that it was my birthday so when I got back they brought me out this yummy chocolate tiramisu thing and sang to me!!

 

Here is a picture of our waitress friends that we have made over our last 2 visits!!

And right after the dessert, the rest of the gang showed up to hang out! One because it was my birthday and two because the next day was going to be the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month, which I will talk about in a later post!!