The best paid week of my life

The week starts on Sunday here.  I did training on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  My Wednesday classes were canceled because the students are traveling home for National Day on Thursday.

In other words my work week was only three days... the same three days I did training.

Combine the training and my normal pay and I made $2500 this week.  And it was all in 3 days!  While I'm sitting here feeling good about myself my friend Rahul is probably thinking, "Umm, are you really bragging about making that much?  I've made that much responding to a text over lunch..."

True.  (If anything, it's probably an understatement for Rahul.)  But for a pedestrian teacher like me, we don't get these moments often (or ever).  $2500 for a three day work week?  Let's join hands and sing "kum-by-yah"!

*****
So what's the buzz-kill?  If you know me, there has to be something that made this week suck.  Today... the last day of my phenomenally well-paid week... I had a call asking why I hadn't done such-and-such in my visits with interns.  I had good reasons but rather than listen this was a call to say, "I don't care, get it done."  I didn't even have the chance to say, "And you don't think I'm trying?" before I heard the click on the other end.

After working for the ultimate micro-manager I appreciate working for a hands-off boss.  And I'm pretty sure I'm not in any serious trouble, but, wow, I did my best and have an e-mail trail and travel guide to prove I did my best but my boss doesn't care.  I failed to get something done that was out of my control and I got yelled at.

Yeah, not so fun.  If history proves anything, the next time I see him he'll be all warm and smiles.  "It's all taken care of?  Good."

*I* will be the one carrying a grudge.

OK, let me go back to my happy place... best paid week of life... and it was only 3 days!  Yippee!

True Blue Iowan

I was shocked at how much this picture affected me when I put it on the blog.  From a photographic point of view it is not as good as the other farm posts.

But as the kid who grew up at this place it took my breath away.  First, there's the few remaining rows or popcorn to be seen in the left.  To my generation of Kranz the legacy of Dad's popcorn is something we all carry with pride.

To the left of the grain bin is what we call the "cob house" because in my father's time this the place where corn cobs were kept to heat the house in winter.  Knowing I grew up in a house with central heating while Dad grew up in a place with cob house and a fireplace?  Wow, oh, wow.

In the center and right are two building we used as hog houses.  Before the era of mega-pork-farming it was common for farmers like us to have a couple hundred of hogs.  The pigs certainly didn't have a great life but when I see the pics of today's corporate hog farming I get sick... and wish I didn't love the taste of bacon as much as I do.

My day in the kandura

Despite my fears yesterday, it went pretty well.  The toughest part? Under the kandura is a t-shirt and something close to a flat bed sheet tied around the waist.  It's supposed to go around twice and the ends are tied off.  My tailor didn't give me the "fat American" size so mine only went around 1 3/4.  

The sheet - called a wizar - is supposed to be worn like a kilt, with nothing underneath.  I chose to be prudent and keep my underwear on.  As it dropped while walking across campus I was glad I was able to preserve a bit of dignity.  Had it dropped during class (and I wasn't wearing underwear) I'm not sure I could have faced that class again!

I tried stapling the sheet.  It didn't work.  What finally worked?  I stapled the sheet to my underwear.  Basically, the elasticity of my underwear kept it from falling again.  

Here I am with one of my classes.  A few things to note:  1.  I am the only one wearing the black bands on my head, called the egal.  As a professor it is more appropriate for me to wear this... also, learning how to tie up the gutra (headscarf) like my students was more than I could handle.  2.  Standing next to me is the one Japanese student at my university.  Every one else in the picture (as far as I know) are Arab Muslims.  Most of the students not wearing a kandura are non-Emirati.  Notice the guy wearing the jacket?  The temperature at the time of this pic was 85 degrees and I was sweating.

 A student in my first class wrote on the board, "One photo with me 10 Dh - Dr. Steve."

If I had done this I would have made a lot of money.  For each class I did a group photo and after that pretty much every student wanted a picture with me.  I had more pictures taken of me today than any day I can think of.

Abdulkarim was a student in my class last year.  He took me to his tailor and, in typical Emirati style, wouldn't let me buy any of it.  I'm pretty sure he spent about 250 Dh (about $70).  Now I have to think of a way to repay him that he can't simply give it back to me.    Probably bringing something back from the US that is uniquely US would be cool, but really, most cool things in the US are sold here.  Hmm.

He told the tailor that my wizar was not designed for me.  (He was too polite to say, "too small for the fat American.") but the tailor insisted it was the right size.

******
Thoughts:  I am glad I did it.   Yes, I freaked out last night, but it was worth it.  Will I have the balls to wear it in the US?  Very, very doubtful.

Pot committed

For a couple of hours I've been searching for the right metaphor to use in this story...

In poker you are "pot committed" when you are down to a few chips and you've already put most of what you had left in the pot.  The odds usually aren't good, but you pray for a miracle.

Long ago I committed to buying a traditional Emirati kandora (robe) and gutra (head scarf) and wearing them for National Day.

I've told my classes and tonight I finally assembled all the parts I am supposed to wear tomorrow.   I can't back down... in poker, I'm "all in..."

And?

I look stupid.  Not just a little stupid.  Really stupid.  Like, wearing a dress during homecoming week in high school is nothing compared to this.

My first mistake was going with the traditional white.  Against darker skin, white looks good.  With me, I look like a pale ghost about to eat your children.

No, my first mistake was having the idea to do this.  It simply went downhill from there.

My back is against the wall.  No turning back now.  There's little chance everything will be coming up roses, because when I wear the kandora I'm like a fish out of water.

The hall is rented and it's time for the world to see that I can't dance.

Update:
If I had the choice

1. Wear the kandora tomorrow or,
2. Picture me walking around Wal-mart wearing a grungy wife-beater two sizes too small with really tight frayed denim shorts.*

I'm not sure which I would pick.

* I hope that's a visual you can't get out of your head.

What does this chart make you think?

The chart shows after-tax profit as a percentage of national income.  (Put another way, how much are companies making compared to the rest of the US economy.)

Take a look.  A serious look.  Tell me what you think about... even if what you think is, "I don't know what to think..."  Give it your best shot.  I want to read comments to this post!

I'll post my thoughts in a few days.

Thanksgiving dedication

While I was home this summer I purchased two more sets of Coke silverware on ebay.  I now have 20 place settings here in the Emirates.  That's a bit crazy since Thanksgiving is the one and only time I will ever have more than 4-5 people over for dinner.

Last year for Thanksgiving I bought an electric carving knife.  I can't remember how much I paid.  The only time I have reason to use the bad boy is Thanksgiving so it is a pretty ridiculous buy for a once-a-year use... but, wow, once you've carved a turkey with one you'll never go back to a regular knife.  It makes carving a turkey so much fun I wish I liked the taste of turkey more.

For profit graduation rate: 22%

For-profit colleges across the country have to be happy this story came out at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday:  Only 22% of the students graduate.

Another statistic is equally as damning:  A student graduating from a state school has an average of just under $8000 in debt while a student graduating from for-profits graduate with $31,000in debt... almost 4x as much.

I have no problem with for-profit colleges.  The major player in Iowa is my former employer, Kaplan.  I know we had a much higher graduation rate.  I also know there are many mitigating factors that cause the debt level to be much higher for the for-profits.  Still, there's no positive way to spin this story.  Senator Harkin has called for increased scrutiny of for-profit colleges.  That's a good idea.

Long week

It's hard to believe we've been back from Nepal for a week.  Getting ready for the training sessions AND hosting Thanksgiving made the past seven days seem more like a month.

On Friday 15 friends came for Thanksgiving.  We held it on Friday because Thursday is the end of the week and many of us had to work.  I missed taking any pictures, but it is safe to say it was a success.  Cleanup was insane:  I've done four loads in the dishwasher and I'm still not done!

This week I have three more days of training sessions, but they are all repeats so there's no new prep.

*****
A Muslim named Mohammed tries to bomb a Christmas gathering in Portland?  So not helpful.

The "self-help" training session

Much of what I'm covering in the training sessions this week would called "self-help."

I am the right person to be doing this because nobody read more self-help books than I did in high school.

I am NOT the right person to be doing this because I think 90% of it bullshit.

New traffic light?

By 9:30 PM I am ready for my training session that starts at 8:30 AM tomorrow.  I must be getting soft to have it ready a whole 11 hours before I have to present...

That led me back to the internet to find this interesting item:

A new stoplight idea based on an hour-glass.

I think it is a good idea... in Iowa.  In this country it would be a very bad idea.  Here, an SUV would literally run over me just to beat the light.

Most interesting comment from today's training session

Today went well.  I am still not ready for tomorrow, but it will be the same group (and they're a good group) so I'm not worried.

During a break a guy asked if I'd be doing a session on stress.  The answer is that I have no idea... at the moment I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

This is going to sound more negative than how it came it out.  He very politely said, "You have it lucky.  You get to teach and have your students adore you.  If something goes wrong, big deal, right?  I work in IT.  When something goes wrong people are yelling us... many, many people.  We are on-call 24 hours a day and are expected to fix any problem immediately, even when the problem is beyond our control."

I replied, "Good point.  I do appreciate my job."  I thought (but didn't say), "I also get paid less than almost all of my friends from college."

Teaching something I enjoy at the college level is a very good gig.  I need to remember that more often.

Why, Thank you!

I ran into a student from last semester.  He said,

"Mr. Steve, you are fat again!"

Ironically, I weighed myself this morning for the first time since I returned.  I clocked in at 208... so, yeah, I've gained about 10 pounds since last spring but I'm still 20 pounds lighter than a year ago.

But the student is right; I feel and look more fat than the scale would indicate.  Maybe the scale is broken.

Time... I need more time.

I'm ready for tomorrow's training session.  It's preparing for Wednesday's that has had me in knots.  I had a breakthrough idea... a really good idea, if I do say so myself...  The problem?  Doing all the prep I need to do before Wednesday will be virtually impossible given that I have to the workbook material done by 8AM Tuesday (11 hours from now).  My solution?  Punt.  If I have the materials printed myself I extend my deadline by 24 hours.

My recurring question tonight:  Was it more stupid to agree to do this two days after a vacation or was it more stupid to actually go on vacation after agreeing to do this two days after vacation?

A prof loses it over a yawn

It’s rare that a video can make me smile and cringe at the same time:

Seeing someone else have a meltdown does not bring me any pleasure… however, I have a few thoughts:

1.  This guy would be eaten alive if he tried teaching here.  (That made me smile.)

2.  My explosion at my students would have made for a much more humorous (for everyone but me) video.  (That made me cringe.)

And back to work

I have 2-four hour training sessions to prepare for this week.  First will be Tuesday morning and the second on Wednesday.  I have to have the materials in to be printed by noon on Monday (16 hours from now).  I know I'll get in done... I thrive on deadlines... but it's safe to say I have not much time for anything else.

As much as I'd like to think I could have had this done by if I hadn't gone to Nepal the reality is that I'd probably still be working on it.

It was a good first day back at work.  I had to present boring material and got through it without anyone falling asleep.  

Home

This is a stretch of road everyone from Benton county is familiar with.  It is a flat piece of paved road that goes on for more than a mile.  I know at one time it was popular place to drag race.  I wonder if that's still popular in the age of the internet.

Home

Have you noticed how much grass is in all of the pictures I've posted?  Mowing is a six+ hour event each week.

This is the same frame as the top picture but taken a hundred feet up and zoomed in a bit.

Home

This is the cob house.  It's appropriately named because it used to be the place where corn cobs were stored and used as fuel to heat the house for my grandparents.  In my lifetime it's been used as a storage shed.

In the lower right side of this picture is where we burn our trash.  On a farm we have no garbage service or dumpster.  Metal cans and glass have to separated to be taken to the big city of Newhall.  (Population: 955) The large cylinder to the left is the corn grain bin.  Corn has a much higher yield than soybeans - 3-4 times as much - so the corn bin is much larger.  What you can't see in this picture is either of the two large fans that pump air through the bin to dry the corn.  (But you can see the control boxes that run the fans.)  Corn comes in very wet from the fields and has to be dried.  My parents would routinely have $400 - $500 electricity bills October - December.  If they didn't dry the corn would mold.  And, yes, that is bad.

Last night in Nepal

While I was out and about yesterday in Pokhara my hotel door was unlocked.  I hadn't forgotten to lock, it was an odd lock, that, yes, I should have checked before leaving.  I had money stolen.  I'm not sure how much but it was well over $100. 

Yippee.

Today the weather was bad (unusual for this time of the year) and with the rain we were not sure if we'd be able to fly out of Pokhara to Kathmandu.  We were told the flight would probably not go and we started investigating other options - a hired car, bus, etc.  The trip is on scary mountain roads.  I remember it being beautiful and scary two years ago when we went to the Chitwan jungle.  The thought of traveling 6-8 hours mostly in the dark was not very appealing. 

Somewhere in the scramble from hotel, airport, checking buses, back to hotel for advice, and back to the airport I lost my small camera.  I am absolutely perplexed because we couldn't find it at the hotel or the taxis we rode in.  Losing the camera doesn't bother me.  Losing all the pictures almost brought me to tears.

Flight after flight was canceled and people started emptying out of the small, crowded airport.  Our plane arrived at dusk.  I can't describe the plane.  I think airlines in the 1950's in the US had better planes.  Most of the passengers were trekkers and had lots of luggage.  Every seat was full.  The plane powered up to the max before releasing the brake.  We traveled the length of the runway and were barely off the ground before the end.

The next obstacle was climbing to 10,000 feet to get over the mountains.  We had to circle to gain enough altitude before heading to Kathmandu.  I watched the altimeter rise and held my breath.  (The altimeter was easy to see as my knees were 6 inches from the co-pilots back.)

In the rain and clouds there was virtually no visibility for most of the flight.  As we finally cleared the last mountain and made into the Kathmandu valley we went into a holding pattern because traffic was backed up at the airport.  We were told it would be 10-15 minutes until we could land. 

Five minutes later an alarm went off.  I suspect it was a fuel warning... anyhow, right after that we circled back and landed. 

It's been an emotional day.

Home

I wish I were more of a morning person.  There's no doubt the farm looks the best at sunrise.

This is pretty much the same picture as the one above it... just zoomed in.

Home!

In my last week in Iowa I had the pleasure of picking a ton a lot of popcorn.  Spending the week outside with my loyal dog nearby?  Yeah, it doesn't get any better than this.

Home

The first building on the left was called the chicken house, because, well, it used to hold chickens.  Raising chickens went corporate a long time ago.  When I was a kid this building sat empty and later it was converted into a hog house. (Farmers don't use hog houses like this anymore, either.  It, too, has gone corporate.)  The grain bin in the middle is for soybeans.  I like this picture for the way the auger shadow curves around the bin.  On the left is a machine shed that housed the farm equipment.

Update from Nepal

It's been a different trip than two years ago... and after spending eight hours in the Kathmandu airport waiting to fly to Pokhara I was definitely wondering why on earth I came back to this country.

We made it to Pokhara in the early evening and life seems much better.  Tomorrow we are planning on driving to a mountain top and paragliding down.  It's something I've always wanted to do.  We could also go up in an ultra-light but I think this will be exciting enough.


It's shorts and t-shirt weather in Kathmandu with it being a little cool in the morning.  When we arrived in Pokhara it was in the mid-80's and a little sticky.  Oh, the sacrifices to be made on vacation.  I'm sure I'd have had much better weather if I had come home to Iowa.

Home

This the farm where I grew up.  In the past decade Dad has literally painted and re-roofed every building.  It is a beautiful farmstead.  And for me, it will always be home.

Home

Barns are part of the heritage of Iowa farms.  Sadly many now look like this.  I know I cried when Dad tore down the barn on our farm... even though it was certainly the right thing to do (it served no purpose anymore and would probably look like this by now if he hadn't done it.)

By the way, I took this picture out the passenger window while driving.  It's the second best picture I've taken this way.  Here's the best.

Home

I am in Nepal this week and will probably not be able to add much to the blog.  Instead I will have daily updates with pictures of where I grew up.

This is about a mile away from home.  Check out the pole just right of center.  It's our local emergency action siren.  I think it was initially installed because we are within a 10 mile radius of a nuclear power plant.  Now it goes off for tornado warnings.

A neighbor.  In the country "neighbor" is anyone living within 4-5 miles.

Write the caption

Today I ran into a student in the mall.  I asked, "So what did you do today?"  

The reply, "My friend and I killed two sheep for our families."

I grew up on a farm in Iowa.  I can't recall ever hearing someone say, "My friend and I killed two sheep for our families."  

Our break next week is a religious holiday where killing a sheep and sharing the meat with the poor is part of the ritual.  Remember the sheep riding in the trunk of a Lexus?

A Facebook friend posted this cartoon.  I have no idea what is written in Arabic but I get the idea the sheep are performing to keep from being slaughtered.  If I had any creative braincells tonight (which I don't) I would write my own caption.  I'll hope some of my readers can come up with one.

Gifts from Nepal?

Yak wool hats or mittens... Eyes of Nepal coin purses... Pashmina (super soft) scarfs... a Nepal t-shirt...  On my first trip I went on a shopping bonanza.  Everything was so cheap I couldn't help myself.  I'm going to try to be more restrained on this trip, but I'm happy to take requests.

If there is anything you would like please don't hesitate to ask.  Even if it is to re-gift, as in, "I'd like everyone in Adam's 2nd grade class to have the coin purse"  Just let me know.  

If you'd like anything and/or would like updates during the trip send an e-mail to trueblueiowan@gmail.com  

I may not be able to update the blog during the trip... internet access in Nepal is available but slow.  

I'm hoping to use the ridiculous amount of pent-up energy I'm feeling right now to create a post for each day next week with pictures of Iowa taken just before I left.

I will not have pre-trip anxiety... I will not have pre-trip anxiety...

... too late.  I promised I wouldn't blog about my travel anxieties as much... so let's just say I've packed a week's worth of the necessities in both my carry-on and my checked bag.  Tonight I did an ear lavage - a nice way of saying I pumped tons of water in my ears to clear out the ear wax.  It makes the flight easier.  I'm sure many of you are thinking TMI and you're probably right.  I do it every time before I fly but what made tonight noteworthy is that my left ear got plugged.  Nothing I could do could get it unplugged.  I panicked, "Do I need to see a doctor?  We have to leave at 8AM... what do I need to do?"  It wasn't painful, just plugged so I decided to let it go.  Three hours later it popped and I felt the water drain out of my ear.

I hope I eventually travel enough that I have no pre-flight anxieties, but given my personality that is not likely.

Dibba, Dhaid, and Fujairah, oh my!

Shortly after I arrived in the UAE in 2008 Ann and I went to Fujairah for a weekend.  Today was the first time I've gone back.  Although it is only about a hundred miles away this eastern Emirate looks and feels very different than Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

First there's the landscape that resembles the Badlands in South Dakota more than the desert I live in.

Second, I live in the rich Emirate.  To my knowledge there are no two lane highways here.  To actually meet oncoming traffic is a rare experience... but notice that even here lights line the highway.  I have become so used to this that it was weird this summer to drive in rural Iowa at night.

I made a giant circle today and drove over 300 miles tracking down students in internships.

I took more time to take better pictures during our first trip in 2008.  You can see those posts here.

Meridien

On the visit two years ago Ann brought me to a hotel that has a fantastic view of the Indian Ocean.  I stopped today to rejuvenate with a cup of coffee to take this picture:

The observation lounge was empty.  A polite waitress asked if I wanted anything and after I said, "Coffee" she asked which room I was staying in.  I said, "Oh, I'm just passing through. I'm not staying in the hotel."

She brought the coffee and I gulped it down while gazing out the window.  I also hurried because she was standing about ten feet away seeming to wait for me to be done.  When I asked for the check she said, "I'm sorry, sir, this lounge is for hotel guests only.  I can only charge it to a room."

I placed Dh 20 ($5) on the table and said, "Thank you not kicking me out!"

Twenty years ago today...

... I spoke to the largest crowd I've ever addressed.  I was a senior in college and asked to give the Veteran's Day speech at my high school.  Benton Community brings all of the elementary, middle school and high school students together for the event.  Combined with the community people there were about 1500 in attendance.

This speech - given during Operation Desert Shield - was difficult, though certainly not the toughest speech I've ever given.  Trying to create a speech that was pro-military while not sounding like a cheerleader for Bush Sr. was tough, but that wasn't the hardest part.

So what made the speech so difficult to deliver?  Knowing my kindergarten teacher was in the audience.  Mrs. Daniels was an amazingly kind woman... I was lucky to have had the model kindergarten teacher.  While I was giving the speech, however, I couldn't help but think, "The woman who wiped snot from your nose and had to tie your shoe laces because you didn't learn that skill until first grade is sitting to your left... don't look over there... don't look over there."

The speech was a success.  How do I know?  Before the speech my former teachers stayed away and gazed at me warily.  Had I screwed the pooch they'd have gone back to the teachers' lounge and talked about how they all knew it would happen.  Instead, many rushed up to congratulate me afterwards.

In the group was Mrs. Daniels.  She was as nice as ever - although noticeably shorter than I remember her from kindergarten.  I couldn't help but check to see if my shoes were tied.

Not the lesson I was going for

About once a week I stop by a restaurant "Al Noor Grilled & Restaurant." (I love the name.)  The food is good and they have the best moutabal.

(The moutabal is in the lower right side of the picture.)

Almost two years ago I there with a group and the waiter brought us a fish that none of us had ordered.  The fish was $11 and we sent it back.  A few minutes later the guy appeared at our table looking like death.  He got out his wallet and handed me Dh 40 ($11) and said, "Please just say you ordered it."

Mistakes happen and this mistake would cost the guy several days' wages.  I felt really bad for him.  So I left him a Dh 50 tip... The look of relief on his face was unbelievable... think of Oprah's fans who win a car.

Since then I always get this guy as my waiter.  (I swear he never gets a day off.)  Over the years he has given great service.  He always brings me extra carrots and cucumbers and the moutabal is delivered shortly after I arrive.  I appreciate good service so I don't think twice about tipping Dh 10-15 ($2.70 - $4) on a meal that is about $10.

And now to tonight...

I went with a friend and we sat for at least ten minutes.  I thought we were invisible because other people came and were waited on.  Finally my normal waiter arrived and all was well.

As he delivered the bill he said, "Please, sir, no extra.  Just pay the bill."

"What?  You are telling me not leave a tip?" I replied with disbelief.

Fortunately, my friend speaks Arabic and he was able to explain:  We weren't invisible when we arrived.  The others saw us and they don't like me because I give good tips to my normal waiter.  Apparently they make his life hell for getting good tips!

Customer service is terrible in this country.  When I find a waiter who actually gives good customer service I'm excited.  I hoped the lesson would be:  Good customer service = Good tip.

But that's obviously not the lesson here.  Here it is more like, "No good deed goes unpunished."

******
Normally writing this blog is my therapy; it gives me a way to process my world.  Not tonight. At the restaurant I was so baffled by the events that I had no reaction.  Now I am angry and left wondering what, if anything, I can do.  Any suggestions?

World's last chance!

The reason I added ads to the blog is not for the money... although I am up to $12 now.  They'll mail a check when it reaches $100.

The reason is that I wanted to see what ads they'd give me.  Most are boring but the one I got today cracks me up!

Update:
He-he... two hours later I got this.

I love Google but I question the program that picks the ads.

Update #2
It just gets better.  What is Google trying to tell me? Err, don't answer that.

Good news and bad news

The good news:  I've been asked to expand the training sessions I've been doing.  (It pays very well.)

The bad news:  I've been asked to expand the training sessions I've been doing.  (It's a lot of work to develop these from scratch.)

I have to have an 8 hour workshop designed and ready to deliver in two weeks.  

Have I mentioned that we're going to Nepal on Saturday?

So I'm happy, really happy, to be able to make a lot of money doing something I enjoy... but before I can get to the part I like I have a lot of prep work to do... 

Timing

It seems lately that I write a post that takes on a whole new meaning the next day.  A day after writing about low self esteem...

Well, I have a new definition of awkward.  I apparently have a very close neighbor who is interested in me.  It's been so long since anyone has flirted with me that it took me a bit to realize.  She's very nice and very interesting.  And tonight was very awkward.  

Before commenting keep in mind that I'm in a Muslim country. The "Oh, honey, that's so sweet but..." is not something I can do.  Please also keep in mind that this blog (and its comments) are read by a shocking number of people in this country.  

Anyhow, my low self esteem is what caused me to miss all the signals...

******
On a more positive note, I had a great day in Dubai tracking down my students.  I forgot my map at home but was able to navigate from memory.  Visiting different companies and talking to managers is something I loved doing at Hamilton and I love it here.

Behold the power of low self-esteem

A former student asked me a question via FB and added a line about how he, along with everyone else, loves me.  I replied that I gave a midterm to my current classes and the scores weren't that good.  In this culture love = A, not "did I learn something in the class?"

He replied, "Seriously, your reputation is very good among students that it makes me sometimes jealous of you .. and you deserve it."

I appreciate the comment.  Before coming here I couldn't fathom anyone, anywhere being jealous of me.  Since I've come to see the laborers working in horrible conditions for $200/month I realize that, yeah, they might be jealous of me.

As a guy who is broke, single (dateless for 20 years) and balding?  Yeah, it's hard for me to imagine anyone being jealous of me.

Joe Roadmap

I like to think of myself as Joe Roadmap.  All those early years with no friends but playing with maps and my globe (best 8th birthday present possible)... I know how to read maps and find my way around.

As I'm preparing to enter the undiscovered areas of Dubai tomorrow I'm excited to be planning such a trip... but in the back of my mind I keep thinking, "Farm kid, big city... farm kid, big city..."

So let's see if the farmkid can conquer the big city.

Spring 2011

Next semester I have no 8AM classes (which is good).  I also have no male classes... for which I'm ambivalent.  Guys are much more difficult, and as I wrote yesterday, at least once per semester they send me over the top.  Still, as a male I will never be able to get a discussion going like I can with the guys.

In the summer of 2009 I taught only women and it was easy... very easy... but boring.

******

Tomorrow I will be in Dubai all day.  I'm leaving before 6AM to take a friend to the airport and then I will spend the rest of the day trying to find my students' internship sites.  I wish I could explain why it is so difficult to navigate Dubai.  First, major arteries have names but many streets do not.  Maps are outdated because the roads change quickly.  The construction just adds to the confusion.  From 8AM to 4PM I have to try to make it to five places.  

Don't be surprised if you don't hear from me tomorrow; It'll probably be past midnight before I make it back...

Update:  I spent two hours trying to map out my itinerary for tomorrow.  I was pretty successful in that I can find a reasonable route to get from one place to another, but finding something on a map and finding it in reality are two different things while traveling in Dubai.

And one is simply impossible.  I am supposed to find a bank in the Al Barsha district.  Neither the U or their website has any details.  That's like saying, find XX bank on the NE side of Cedar Rapids.  You could drive around for days and still not find it...

The semester ritual

Today I lost it with a class that wouldn't shut up.  I was explaining the steps to complete a project and by the third attempt many still didn't know what was going on because of all of the talking.  When I lose my temper it is not a pretty sight.  Oddly, losing your temper works here.  It's like students realize, "Oh, he's serious about asking us to shut up this time..."  In the past I've simply packed up my stuff and walked out.  I didn't do that today because there was material I had to get done before our break next week.

Later I thought, "Had to?"  If I didn't get it covered today they'd have less time to get their semester project done... which would be their fault not mine.  I should have walked out.

Higher gas prices? Get used to it.

2008 was a crazy year for the world.  (For me, too, but hey, that's not the point of this post.)

Oil hit $147/barrel in July.  The financial system crashed and it hit a low in December of $33/barrel.  Gas prices went from over $4/gallon to a buck-fifty in less than six months.

The low price of oil was short-lived.  For the past 18 months oil has traded in a range of $65-$85 per barrel.  Why?  OPEC decided it was a good idea to have price stability to help the world economy.  At $147/barrel countries like the US and Japan might do something crazy like find alternative forms of energy.  OPEC is basically saying, "So let's keep the price high enough to make a lot of money and low enough that they don't consider weening themselves off of oil."

Now several OPEC nations have signaled a desire to push the price higher.  The poorer countries like Iran and Libya always push for higher prices.  That's nothing new.  Now the 800 pound Gorilla (aka Saudia Arabia) also wants higher prices.  In OPEC, what Saudi wants, Saudi gets.

If you happen to click on the article you'll see that the UAE is one of the few countries arguing to keep the price lower.  It's unusual for this country to disagree with its big brother from the south... but given how much this country has become dependent on tourism and foreign capital it kinda makes sense.

New unemployment numbers

I don't have much time but today's unemployment news is very good... More than 150,000 new jobs and August and September revised up by 100,000.. And average hours worked ticked up. It may be temporary, so it will rake a couple more months with numbers like these to confirm a trend.

I have it better than you

(It's only about the weather....)

Today I was talking with a friend from southern Illinois.  He remarked that our last day at 100 degrees was two weeks ago... and that it fell on the day 100 days before the end of the semester.  (He keeps track of these things the way I monitor the latest Coke products.)

We had this discussion while sitting in the shade outside at mid-day.  In the evening I was at the top of our nearby mountain and I was cold.  Cold at the top of a mountain and sitting outside during the day?  That's fantastic!  As a geek following the NWS, I know it's been a remarkably nice fall in Iowa but there's no question that for the next five months it is better here.

Don't be jealous, come visit and see for yourself.

Flying first class

In my first year I had a student who drew pictures in class rather then take notes.  The pictures were his way of studying.  I've kept in touch with him because he's one of the most creative students I've ever had.

As I got to know him I found out he's from a rich & powerful family.  We met for coffee today (in a small mall owned by his father).*  We discussed his summer trip to Europe with his family.  They flew Emirates Airline first class to Germany.  He said, "There are seven in my family and Emirates first class has 8 suites so my father purchased the 8th seat.."  The reason? To protect his wife and daughters.  

Tonight I checked the the Emirates website to see the price of first class round trip tickets.  Each ticket costs $6,338.  Buying 8 tickets is just over $50,000.  

And that's just the price of the tickets to Germany... The month traveling around Europe was on top of that... and trust me, they didn't stay at the Budget Inn...

*I paid for the coffee.

Bribes

In my first semester I received a couple of bribe offers.  One - "My father owns a pharmacy he can get you any drugs you want..."  was backed up later by a call from the father reiterating the son's point.  Another was an offer of cash for a better grade.  I didn't ask how much because, well, I don't take bribes.

As I was thinking about the student above I thought, "I'm surprised I don't get more bribe offers."  Offering me several hundred or even several thousand dollars would be mere pocket change for this family.

I'm not disappointed, just surprised.

The good

Yes, we had our hats handed to us.  In fact, today I think it's ironic that yesterday I wrote a post titled, "Screwed the pooch"...

But really?  I was bracing for worse.  Given the state of the economy it could have been worse.  FDR was lucky that Hoover was president for three years of the Great Depression before he became president.  Obama became president while we were still in the nosedive.  (I regret not blogging about the economy more but I know how much it puts readers to sleep.)

"Good" is that Barney Frank survived his challenge.  He's the best spokesperson for sanity and I might have cried like future speaker Boehner if Barney had lost.

"Good" is that Iowa Democrats were able to hold on to our three Democratic House members.  If Republicans could have a do-over I'm pretty sure they'd have come up with better candidates against Braley and Boswell.

I also belong to the camp that believes the best thing that happened to Obama's re-election chances is the election of a Republican House.   For a reference see Clinton, Bill, circa 1994.  This group is going to make Newt Gingrich look like a moderate.  At the moment, this feels like icing on a turd pie...

Which brings me to...

The bad

Not sure where to start.  Most of the results were pre-ordained so there were very few surprises in the House or Senate.  All that means is that I have had plenty of time to get used to the Republicans winning the House and gaining 7-8 seats in the Senate.

The "bad" is marijuana losing in California and the 21 ordinance winning in Iowa City.  Both measures seem like a step backwards in trying to have sane substance abuse laws.

The "bad" is that Sarah Palin is looking like a nominee-in-waiting for the Republicans.  That's good for my party but certainly bad for the country.

Bad would also include Russ Feingold losing.  After Paul Wellstone's death, Feingold was the moral conscience of my party.  I don't always agree with him (like his no vote on financial regulation reform) but he was certainly right on his no vote on the Patriot Act and the Iraq war.

I guess Branstad winning is a bad but I don't hate Branstad and I didn't love Culver so I can't say I'm losing sleep over this one.  Actually, I think if Branstad had been governor for the past four years Iowa would have a higher gas tax and the roads would be much better.

I can't see major upsets in the Iowa Senate so I think Democrats have retained it.  Why is this so important?  They can be the firewall from having gay marriage come up for a vote.

Which brings me to...

The ugly

Nothing is uglier than Iowa's vote on the Supreme Court.  As my friend Jacob wrote on FB, "Iowa judges will no longer seek retention, but re-election.  This became a party issue and is absolutely not good for our judicial system."

All 3 justices up for "retention" were voted out.  Why?  Because they interpreted Iowa's progressive constitution as giving gays the right to marry.  It doesn't mean they were pro-gay marriage.  It means they interpreted the constitution of the State of Iowa.  Never mind that the verdict was unanimous and written by a Branstad (read:  Republican) appointee...

This was absolutely a shocker for me.  I thought Iowans had more common sense than this.

Which is a better source?

For most of the morning I've been watching the close race for congress in Iowa's first congressional district. The Gazette had more votes in and precincts reporting than the Secretary of State's website... and that's odd because I'd think that the Secretary of State should be the first to have the official results.

The hours passed and the Democrat was lingering to a slim lead but the Gazette and Sec. of State still had 30% of the precincts not reporting.  In other words, it could still go for the Republican once all votes are counted.

While looking up other stuff I saw MSNBC had the race called with 98% of the precincts in.  They even had a great county-by-county breakdown of the race.

I didn't expect a national website to have more information about Iowa than Iowa websites.

Screwed the pooch

I have spent the day giving and grading midterms.  A student who scored a B on his first quiz bombed the midterm:  41%.  He asked how he did and my first thought was, "Well, you screwed the pooch on this one..."

Of course, I didn't say it and even if I had he wouldn't have understood the vulgar meaning.  Later I wondered, "Where does that phrase come from?"

By the power of Google I found the answer in less than 10 seconds.  Reading that it came from The Right Stuff made it sensible that I'd remember it; I loved that movie.

Coming home (not)

Let's just say that some bills have presented themselves that make coming home fiscally irresponsible... but, hey, I'm a Democrat so why should that stop me?  (That joke was for you, Karey.)

I'm disturbed at how many of my posts are dedicated to traveler's angst.  For a guy living in a foreign land I rarely go anywhere or really do anything but I spend way too much worrying about the possibilities.

Worldometers

Here's an interesting website.  It has many stats about the world we live in... several of them depressing.  I had no idea there are twice as many bikes made than cars.  Living in rural Iowa I'd say the number of cars/trucks far exceeded the number of bikes!

The "net population growth for the day" was the most depressing statistic to me.  This planet has enough people.  I've always been concerned about world population but since I came here it's on my mind all the time.  Afghanis, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis do absolutely awful jobs here for virtually no money.  Why?  It's better than what they could get back home.

Having said that, as the fifth child I'm glad my parents didn't feel the way I do...