I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore

So my emotions wre running high a fwe hours ago. I will miss my wife, my kids, my mom, my dad, my brother and my friends. :-( I'm sure I will be able to talk and e-mail them but it won't be the same.......change of subject!.

Well, I zonked that first flight to London. We landed at the Gatwick International Airport. I guess they don't believe in air conditioners, walkways and manners. The airport is quite large but the ceilings are low, the smell is musty and the English are a rude bunch. We had to go through a security checkpoint again. Another line.

We boarded another plane. My seat was in the very last row of the plane. It was a row of three seats in the middle. As I approached, I noticed some bags on my seat and then discovered a small child travelling with his mom. As I looked down at the seat, the lady apologized for the bags and apologized again for me having to sit with a 2-year old next to me. She continued to say if I wanted to move seats, that she understood if I didn't want to sit next to them. There were some other seats on the plane, but further up and in the middle of people. I decided to stay. After all, Jon-Gabriel is only 3.

Well, my neighbor's name was Reef (as in the ocean). He was a sweet kid with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Like my Jon-Jon, he loved buttons. We spent plenty of time playing and passing the time away. The flight attendants were also a big help. He actually made several tours of the plane with them.....................The whole process was sort of like therapy for me since I couldn't be with Michael, Annalisa, or Jon-Gabriel. Plus I liked helping these two out, on their way to see Reef's dad in Dubai. He just landed a three-year contract there. Of all things, he is in conference management (just like me for the last 8 years!).

When we landed I helped get them to the baggage claim and retrieve their luggage. I really didn't mind. I felt that if Nora needs help sometime, and I'm not there, someone will be there to help her out. Kinda like a karma.

So getting into Dubai was interesting. We flew in at 7:00pm. Culture shock. Arabs everywhere, but what else would I be expecting? You could definitely see the "Western" influence everywhere.....from billboards to some people wearing jeans and button-up shirts or a cross between robes and suits. Then there are the women who are covered head to toe, even there faces....all in black. It will freak you out, like from a scary movie.

Well we all grouped up and took a special shuttle to our hotel. Once there, we had a meeting. I was really hoping to be able to stay at least a day or two in Dubai to catch up with rest and sleep and the fact that when I flew, I lost almost a day.....from Central Standard Time to local UAE time.

NO.................SUCH..................LUCK. We will be leaving tomorrow morning and have to be in the hotel lobby at 6:00am. It's already 10:00pm and I just got to my room. I'll have to get up at 4:30am to shower, eat and get ready before reporting. But I was restless so I thought I would sit down and type for a few minutes.

So here I am in Dubai on the other side of the world. Looking out my window at the skyline. It looks like many other cities in the U.S. but also.....different. I mean most building names are in English and Arabic but it's something more than that. The way the city is built or something.

I feel like I am in the twilight zone. Well I gotta get to bed. More tomorrow. I'll be in Iraq tomorrow.