Out of sight, out of mind.

I have been in Libya for a month now and as far as I can tell, the vast majority of physical traces of Gaddafi's regime are gone. All the pictures that once plastered the country have now been removed and of course his fortress Bab AlAzizya crushed. Gaddafi is irrelevant here. Its so refreshing that there is a consensus amongst everyone to move forward and think only of the future. Very rarely do I hear people even discussing him. Conversations are filled with debates about the new governments composition or what the new Libya requires to thrive. No better way to put something behind you then to put it out of sight, thus making it out of mind. That is just what Libyans have done here with any remaining traces of Gaddafi.

Drive behind any car in Libya and you'll find one of two things: a license plate completely missing (which bothers me but I'll leave that for another post) or a license plate that has the words ''Jamahariya'' blacked out.

Libya Votes

Its been sixty years since Libyans were last able to lend their voices to shape the body that governs them. After a 42 year dictatorship and 1 epic revolution later Libyans are finally at the polls. Only 9 months after declaring complete liberation from Gaddafi's iron fist, Libyans queued in lines, single file may I add, for their chance to be heard. Although polls opened at 8am, lines began to form as early as 6am.

Zawia Part 2

The main battle for Zawia took place in the Meydan or square downtown. The damage around this area is nothing short of devastating. Buildings are in one of two states: demolished or beyond repair and need to be demolished. In the area of the Meydan I didn't see a single building that could simply be repaired, everything will need to be completely rebuilt.

Zawia Part 1

Zawia is a town 42 miles due West of Tripoli. It suffered attacks by Gaddafi troops on multiple occasions and had to be liberated twice. The beating it took was nothing short of devastating. Women were raped, hundreds martyred and the Gaddafi militas even demolished a Mosque. If you have not seen the report of SkyNews reporter Alex Crawford from March 9, 2011, 20 days into the revolution, you can find it here. By watching the video, you will better absorb how devastating the aftermath really is.

To enter the city of Zawia you must pass under this check point that was erected by liberation forces once the city was captured. Yes, it is made from shipping containers. This is the original check point and probably will remain. I presume an official structure of some sort will be built. Im not sure how ascetically pleasing shipping containers are.

Welcome To Libya

I dont even know how to start this post. I wrote three different intros, backspaced, and started again. I can't begin to explain my feelings. Libya is....is... nothing short of amazing. The second I saw the coastline, I started bawling; I couldn't help it. It all came rushing back to me, all the scenes of fallen youth, screams of women, and explosions. I thought how I was up in the sky flying just like those helicopters that used anti-aircraft bullets to kill civilians. I was filled with pride remembering the resiliences and determination of the Libyan people.

First glimpse of Libya from the air

Turkish Airlines

Three flights, 6 hours in-transit, 17 hours in flight, 3 disgusting airplane meals later I am in a Free Libya. Its amazing. Before I begin to explain how fast and hard I fell in Libya all over again, I want to take a minute to tell you about the long trip to get here.

When I was searching for tickets I was advised multiple times to fly Turkish Airlines. Three people on three different occasions told me how absolutely fantastic their food and service was. Im not going to lie, as a foodie I was excited to eat Turkish food. If you were to look up the word 'Fail' in the dictionary, my experience on Turkish Airlines would be there. Apparently with Turkish Airlines you have to pay extra for smiles and other pleasantries like ''Your welcome.''

Let it begin

I am finally packed. This has to be the most accomplished thing I've done this calendar year. I strategically listed, purchased, packed, and weighed all of the necessities to take to Libya. It was no easy task. There were hours of internal debate and dialogue as I mentally listed all of the things I could and could not live without. Left behind was fancy organic body washes  but I refused to go without bug spray and a Tide pen. I told myself I could live with only 4 pairs of shoes but I took 24 Hijabs.

There is a delicate balance when packing: take everything you can't get in Libya, mostly consumable goods, but don't go over 50lbs. I have to say, it took some skill and talent on part to compromise the two. Alhamdulilah the stress of that is finally over and Im ready to head to Libya.

My feelings and emotions are so mixed right now. I am equal parts excited and anxious mixed with some sadness. Excited to finally be able to get to Libya after the revolution, be on the ground, see a new Libya and be able to lend a hand and help build a better Libya. Anxious because Im not sure of the reception I will get as an expat Libyan. In the past this hasn't been an issue but I have heard of many incidences were Libyans looked down upon expats because they weren't physically in Libya during the revolution, thus not suffering as locals. Finally, I am sad because I will go to a Libya that did suffer so much. I am reminded of all the young men and women who lost their lives. The mothers who have no more sons. The wives that are left as widows, the children that are now orphans. As elated as I am for Libya's freedom, never will I forget the cost that was paid to insure it.

So this is it. Im packed, the car loaded and at 6am tomorrow morning I am off. Summer 2012 in Libya, let it begin!

Have passport Will travel

Alhamdulilah I got my Libyan passport today!

 It was just another exciting moment that reminds me of my journey! While it would seem like just a logistical step in getting to Libya, getting the passport actually meant a little bit more than that to me. I've decided to use Audioboo to explain.

listen to ‘Have passport. Will travel’ on Audioboo

New Adventures

Its has been over a year since I blogged last. It has been one crazy year, 2011 gave me a run for my money. I just went back and reread my last post and realized it was in January 2011. Little did I know that the next month my entire life would change. The revolution started in Libya and it was a tough, sad, frightening, exciting, depressing, blessed time in my life. The emotions of the revolution are ones I never thought I would experience and ones that I am likely never to forget. Alhamdulilah that is over and Libya is Gaddafi free.

InshaAllah in 10 days on June 23rd I will journey to a free Libya. I am a bundle of emotion. While this isn't my first time to Libya, it will be the most emotional and meaningful trip I'll ever make there. Like my Dubai adventures, I hope to document them. While I can only plan, I hope to travel to the different Libyan cities that made the ultimate sacrifices to ensure our freedom. I want to tell my story, the stories of the cities, the stories of those I meet while there.

I am excited to start blogging again. I missed it. That said, I would like to take a moment to remember my dear friend Kawthar (AllahiYarhumha) who passed away June 24, 2011. I remember her now because not only do I miss my friend every single day, many nights painfully so, but I remember her now because of her words of encouragement while I was blogging my Dubai trip. I will remember her as I write of my adventures because not only did she support my blogging but she was a supporter of Libya and a supporter of the liberation and freedom of Muslims&Arabs everywhere, especially in her native Palestine.

So here goes nothing. Another adventure and more blogging of Assia Abroad.

One lump or two?

In Dubai they have a massive ex-pat community which is heavily from the U.K. English customs and mannerisms, along with annoying things like spelling (realise, colour, globalisation, favourite), have saturated the UAE. There was one thing I was excited to experience though--Afternoon Tea. After years of reading Jane Austen and other period pieces, I always fascinated with the ritual of an almost mandatory afternoon cup. It seemed so foreign to me. Coffee has always been my drink of choice. It is the drink of productivity, makes me feel cosmopolitan as it comes from exotic lands, and most importantly after a party in Boston, it was the American drink of choice. If I did drink tea I only drank it one of two ways: cold with a wedge of lemon or hot with carnation milk and a tuna sandwich--the Libyan way.

The Brit's almost holy Afternoon Tea is served at almost every hotel and even a few tea shops have been set up to sell pots of exotic blends of tea and various cookies to satisfy the most sophisticated tea goer. When a few friends of mine came from the States to Dubai for a visit, we met up at the Ritz-Carlton for Afternoon Tea to see what it was all about. Our expectations were exceeded!

 

 We were seated on the terrace overlooking the Persian Gulf and each of us picked out what blend of tea we wanted, there must have been 25-30 to choose from! In what seemed like a blink of an eye, four employees came bearing a pot for each of us and a tea stand bearing all sorts of goodness.

  Scones with delicious jam and clotted cream, pound cake, amazingly simple, elegant, and scrupulous sandwiches with smoked salmon and cream cheese and cucumber.Mini tarts and pieces of cake were at the top. Each person had her own stand and it seemed there was no way we would eat through it all. The ''snacks'' were so delicious and the teas delicate and perfectly brewed. 

The two hour experience was so lovely. The Brits are really onto something with this. If you haven't gone out to ''Afternoon Tea'' I HIGHLY suggest it. Its now my goal to hit all the best rated tea places in Dubai. We'll see if anyone can top the Ritz!

Office Space

I haven't written a new blog entry in such a long time, I almost forgot my password! Unfortunately, I haven't had much to write about now that I'm an adult and work full time. I miss my days of being a bum. I would really miss it if it weren't for the fact that I had watched every season/episode to date of mad men, watched all the new movies, and find myself hard pressed to stay amused. Alhamdulilah, I have been had the great opportunity to intern with PwC here in Dubai. It has been an amazing experience. I've learned new things, met new people, and learned that apparently the British have a bunch of different spellings and grammar rules than Americans. I can't wait till I no longer have to write colour, globalisation, realise, favourite, or mum.

My days in my cubicle are filled with hours of facebook and finding great recipes on foodnetwork.com. As the intern, I'm usually left to my own devices till I am needed; which is fine by me. Some days my cubicle is my friend, sometimes I feel like its a dementor from Harry Potter and is literally sucking my soul from me. 5 days a week I sit down to the same sight: a cup of coffee, my company laptop, and facebook.

 

I work with such a multinational, multicultural group of people. Its like the UN with all the different faces and languages spoken. As the only American and only Libyan in my office, I find myself needing to represent both of the rich cultures that describe and define me. So I've pimped out my humble cubicle so there is no guessing or denying my background. 

Its all pretty dull but a priceless experience nonetheless. I finish the internship at the end of January and Insha'Allah will be home in March. That leaves the month of February to get back to being a tourist, finish up my Dubai ''to-do'' list and start the blog back up. Thank you to my loyal readers. Sorry its been so long. Good things happen to those who wait!

New Plan

I've been in Dubai for what seems to be a lifetime; really its only been a little under three months. I've traveled to far away lands, drunk camel milk, and frequented the worlds largest shopping mall. My trip was to draw to a close on November 29th, but something came up. I was given the opportunity to intern at a consulting firm here in Dubai. With similar opportunities in the States being nearly nonexistent, I knew it would be a waste to pass it up. So I've signed on to stay for an additional three months making my tentative return to America sometime in February.

 Of course this has its advantages, such as avoiding freezing and dreary winter weather, but also its disadvantages. I really miss my family and my friends. Mentally, I was prepared to come home at the end of November. I am very lucky to have an opportunity such as this, but I can't help think of all the things I will miss out on. My friend is getting married, the undie run at the end of the semester, and Christmas lights. I love Christmas. People are always so nice and there seems to be a general air of good will about. All that aside, I will put on a happy face and just start a new count down!

So now that I'm all employed and what not, I'll try my best to continue to blog. Frequency will probably drop as I won't have time to be exploring as much as I was. Hopefully there will be new things to talk about like winter in Dubai and New Years.

The Dubai Fountain

Where the back of Dubai Mall there and the Front of Burj Al-Khaleefa meet there is a "lake". Really its just a 900ft long, 4 foot deep chlorine pool. Nightly, from 6 to 11, there is a fountain show that goes off every 30 mins. It is the world's LARGEST dancing fountain (just another 'world's largest' Dubai can boast) shooting 22,000 gallons of water 500ft in the air.

 Last night we had dinner at a delicious water front Italian restaurant and watched 3 shows all showcasing 3 different pieces of music and ensembles. It was SPECTACULAR. If you are in Dubai YOU MUST SEE THESE FOUNTAINS. I can't explain how majestic it was, so I'll just show you a video. 

                                                      Part 1

                                                                          Part 2

Economy...FAIL!

For the last two or so years, it has become a guarantee that when you read or watch the news, US or international, you will hear about crumbling economic conditions. This has become a very real and apparent situation in Dubai. This city-state, founded on speculation and investment on the promise of large future returns, was hit very hard by the economic turn down. A few months ago Dubai's economic struggle almost became one of epic proportions when it nearly failed to pay its first installments on massive loans. A default of this size would be disastrous not only to Dubai but to other economies as well.

Signs of the turn down aren't only apparent to those who follow economics or the news, but can be seen just driving down the street.

Only a year ago, cranes use to cram the skyline. Buildings were going up as fast as was humanly possibly. Today, only few dot the view. Construction equipment, like those above, sit in endless rows, unused filling empty parking lots. Tens of thousands of laborers, engineers, and construction workers were sent home.

Massive projects slated to begin were halted. Below is the proposed "Dubailand" Universal Studios amusement park that only got as far as an entrance arch. The project is suppose to resume when funding is available. Till then, the acres of land sit sandy and empty.

Universal Studios archway

It is however projected that the economy of Dubai has the worse behind it. It should start to make slow but gradual incline. By 2015 everything should be right back where it was.  As for the American economy, thats another story.

Old McDonald had a Farm

Through out my blogs I keep saying how I have learned and experienced so much while abroad. I've become more aware of not only different places and faces, but I've been exposed to things that have made me learn new things not just about different countries, but also about the U.S.

Today, Hend and I were grocery shopping and she bought this huge bag of oranges. I didn't understand why she would buy so many when I was sure they weren't going to be ripe. I told her "Hend, its not the season, they wont be sweet."  Winter is the season for oranges, everyone knows that. She shrugged and told me "Its Winter somewhere." It was true, the oranges came from South Africa and they were delicious. 

One of the things that has become very salient to me is how protected the American agricultural business and American farmers really are. The American agricultural business is essentially under lock and key to foreign markets. American farmers are very protected. With few exceptions of South American products, most fruits and vegetables are home grown. The reasons behind this are many, but fall under two categories: National Pride or Economics. 

Being the desert, Dubai has to ship in all of their resources, but there is a benefit to all this. I've become a world citizen vis-a-vis the grocery store. I've eaten apples from Brazil, watermelon from Iran, tomatoes from Malaysia, onions from Holland, potatoes from Jordan, grapes from Italy, broccoli from the US, carrots from India, and peaches from Morocco. Its amazing to taste all these fruits and vegetables from different places. The varieties are slightly different than ones grown in America. 

Yet another opportunity in Dubai, I wouldn't have in the US! 

How can I not help you?

As an American Passport holder, I get an automatic entrance visa into the U.A.E. for 30 days. If I wish to stay longer, I have to exit the U.A.E. and reenter to get an additional 30 days. I can continue to do this with no limits imposed and  until I leave for good; it is free of cost. So here is my question; if they aren't going to charge me a fee and will automatically unlimitedly renew my visa, why hassle me in exiting and reentering? I can see no benefit. Since I can't personally restructure the policies of U.A.E. tourism I'll simply comply. Today I headed out to Oman to exit and reenter to obtain an additional 30 days.

It was a 54 mile drive that had some of the most spectacular views, it was almost worth the hassle. The difference in geography between the U.A.E. and Oman is crazy. Where the U.A.E. is crazy national geographic sand dunes, Oman is mountainous like the Rockies.

 Oman also has  a lot of  "Wadi" which are valleys. Currently because of the hot summer months they are dried up, but once the rain season starts they will fill with lots of water. It can be dangerous sometimes because the water over flows and can run into the roadway and catching motorists in the flow.

Can't say we didn't warn you!

Driving to Oman, and away from the bustling city, I began to really feel like I was in an Arab country. With the modern feel of Dubai, you forget you aren't in the Western world. With every mile we drove, it was as if we were going back 10 years.  I felt like I was in Geryan, my hometown in Libya. Humble homes, small  mom and pop shops, old cars (most are stalled), and hand made pottery being sold on the street all made me feel like I was in a place I already knew.

It was a great drive and a neat mini-adventure. I now have one more visa stamp in my passport and an additional 30 days to enjoy the U.A.E.

Until next month....

Slow Down

So far in my trip I have had an amazing time Al-Hamdulilah. I've seen so much, eaten crazy stuff, and finally went to a water park. I am half way through my trip and the rate of seeing new things is slowing quickly. Dubai has begun to feel normal or homey to me. The glitz and adventure have worn down a bit. It seems I keep doing the same things over again, eating at awesome restaurants, going to obscenely large shopping malls, and spotting $300,000 cars everyday.

I'm finding its harder to find things to blog about. I've completely run out of pictures. If you were waiting for me to get back home so you can see my photos, tough luck. There are a few things on the horizon, but it will be a bit flat line for awhile. Know that I haven't neglected my blog, I simply don't have anything to write about. I've spent the last few days watch Mad Men.

More adventures are coming Insha'Allah!  Soon, I'll have to start a count down for coming home, eeek!

Tomato Tomahto

Dubai has a lot to offer tourists, one of the most alluring attractions is the beautiful beach.

Now, depending on who you ask, the name of the body of water of Dubai's coast may get two different answers. Arabs call it the Arab Gulf, but according to Wikipedia historically and internationally (AKA The West) it is know as the Persian gulf. Its a case of "tomato tomahto", who cares? Its all arbitrary anyway. I digress. Dubai's beach front is breathtaking.

 The sand is so white and clean. I can't explain how mad I get when I go to a beach and people have discarded their trash on the sand. Chicken bones, diapers, cigarette butts,  and empty cans do not belong on the "Shut" (beach). The water is very still. Only small waves occur as the water hits the sand. The still water really made it possible to create the man made islands of The Palm and The World.

The water is also ALWAYS warm, actually it could almost be called hot. I have yet to swim in the gulf because it is so hot outside. Unlike the dumb British tourists, I am uninterested in 2nd degree burns and becoming a lobster. I'm happy to come early morning with a cup of coffee, before the oppressive sun comes out in full force, and enjoy the scene.

Wild Wadi!

 The biggest allure of Dubai for me is how women friendly it is. By that I mean, as a Muslim women that wears Hijab, sometimes my options  of things to do are limited. In Dubai, they have taken care to ensure that both men and women can enjoy attractions. A prime is example is Wild Wadi.

Wild Wadi  is an outdoor water park with a heated/cooled wave pool, multiple water slides and two artificial surfing machines. Wild Wadi has the largest water slide outside of North America.

It was the SCARIEST thing I've ever been on in my life. This slide is 80ft high and as you slide down, you gain speed of up to 50MPH!!! At some point your body is actually suspended in mid-air. It kind of feels like that stomach drop at during a roller coaster ride. I forced myself to keep my eyes open and according to Hend, I was screaming the whole way down; I don't remember that part.

I had such an amazing time on all the different rides. It was the first time I had ever been to a water park. I use to always look at the giant water parks in America with envy. I knew I was missing out, and I was right. It doesn't matter if you're an adult or a kid, people LOVE playing in water.

Mosques of Dubai

My favorite part of being in a Muslim country is seeing the different Masajid, or Mosques. The Masajid in Dubai are really beautiful. The only thing is they all pretty much look the same. But hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it.