missing in action.

it's been awhile.

sorry about that.

it certainly isn't for lack of adventures, that's for sure.

since i've written last i left italy, spent the summer in the states, moved to the uae in august and have survived six months in the sandbox that is dubai.

and i've gotta say, i love dubai.

compared to italy, life is so easy. everything is just a phone call or delivery away.

and i'm reveling in that ease.

so here's a few pics to help give a little insight into my new life.

my new school booked me on a direct boston to dubai flight.

so about 14 hours later, i finally made it.

you can hire someone to help you through customs, passport control and such. it's the marhaba service and was nice not to have to think about anything after the long flight.

while she waited for my bags, i went to duty free. dubai and the uae are not dry, but you can not buy alcohol in every store.

i had two duffles, a back pack, and the ever present and amazing swatch bag. (this is mine and another co-worker's luggage.)

from here we met two of our school administrators who delivered us to our apartments, which are right across from the school.

here's a glimpse of my apartment, furnished, but basically empty.

the school pays for your housing here. while i expected the housing to be bigger, i'm quite used to the small size as it is basically the same as my apartment in milan.

there is a washer in the kitchen. no dryer, kids. i'm already used to it, but always interesting to see how many countries aren't keen on soft towels.

we were also given a microwave, toaster, iron and other small appliances.

this is the view looking back to the front door.

there is a half bath right at the front of the apartment. 

hotel style sinks.

looking down the hall towards the bedroom. bathroom on the right.

bedding was also provided.

this view looks back towards the main part of the apartment. the longer hallways have proven useful.

dual shower heads. since my shower is rectangular, i'm really happy. seven years of square (or smaller) box showers lets me really enjoy the extra space.

and what blog post wouldn't be complete without a toilet picture? but do notice that we've left the world of bidets and have moved to bum guns.

in a future post, i'll share some pictures of what my apartment looks like now that i've really moved in...including all 37 boxes that were shipped from italy.

thanks for reading. if you have any questions about life in dubai, leave them in the comments.