Dubai, UAE: My former apartment building (the Al Feris) catches fire.

I'm pretty sure that I didn't leave a lamb kabob in the oven when I left the UAE, at least I think so. A friend of mine, still living in Dubai, sent me pictures of a fire that occurred in my former apartment building (when I was working in the Dubai, UAE). Evidently it was a Christmas Day blaze, no known cause yet, my friend has since been allowed back in the building. Knowing the building, "electrical" issues would not surprise me.

Last Minute Holiday Shopping in Downtown Portland, Oregon

We finally ventured out to finish our shopping today...

Clearing the streets of ice and snow in Downtown.

Bernadette in front of Pioneer Courthouse.

The Nines Hotel.

Shopping near Pioneer Place.

Pioneer Square.

More Pioneer Square.

Land Rover Charity and Christmas Tree Outing

This year we joined Land Rover Portland and about 30-35 other Land Rover owners in a charity food drive for the Oregon Food Bank. After dropping off the food we collected for the local charity 30+ Land Rover owners all caravaned out to a Molalla Oregon Christmas tree farm for lunch in their barn and harvesting Christmas trees. It was quite a sight to see so many Land Rovers driving together to a destination.

Our long line of Land Rover making its way into Lake Oswego.

.....and the line extended behind us.

We made it!

Parking the Rovers in a field on the farm.

More than 30+ Rovers attended. Old 110's, Range Rover Classics, Discovery I and II's, new Range Rover's. Land Rover III's (foreground), Freelanders, and Land Rover II's.

A hearty lunch in the barn.

Our Christmas tree freshly cut and loaded on top of our LRIII.

Loading up others trees as well... in the rain and mud. It got cold pretty fast.

A 4AM layover in Paris from Dubai

After a midnight flight from Dubai, UAE I arrived in Paris, France at the Charles de Gaul airport. A remodel and addition to the airport has been going on for atleast the last 10 years that I'm aware of and it was nice to finally see a part of the terminal that was finished. My layover was supposed to be only 4 hours but quickly turned into 10. I now regret not hopping in a taxi or on the Metro and heading into Paris for a bit but there is always next time.

Newly finished arrival gates, you can smell the fresh wood on the ceiling.

The "usual" seating in the waiting area....

Cool lounge seating in the new waiting area, very comfortable and modern I might add....

The glass "smoking room"...

A great little new cafe. It didn't open until 6AM, but what a breakfast it was! Very French.A cyber cafe, a great place to check your email while you wait.

2008 July, Leaving the Dubi Airport

Dubai is such an international port-of-call. Inside the airport you can find every nationality and every country represented in just about every terminal. The following images were taken on the way to my gate from Dubai. My next flight is bound for Rome for a two weeks vacation after being in Dubai for the past month.

2008 August Mall of the Emirates (Part 2)

Continuing from earlier, what can I say, I went skiing in the Middle East. Indoors no less. The whole experience was quite surreal. All clothes, ski's hats, and gloves are provided and "Ski Dubai" as its known even has lockers for that big shopping bag with the purchases that you made at Dolce & Gabbana.

In approaching Ski Dubai the glass at the mall level provides quite a sight when you juxtapose traditionally dressed Arabs on one side of the glass and children building snowmen on then other. There is really not much more to say, you'll just have to see the pictures for yourself.

August 2008 Dubai Textile Souk

This weekends outing took me down to the textile souk in Al Shindagha. The market is much the same as the other Souks. Piles and pile of cloth goods are everywhere. Bolts of silk fabrics, linen, cotton, and dyes. There are also your usual assortment of tee shirts, knock-offs, and nick-knacks but the souk is always packed in the evening as it is in the pictures below.