tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71943799432576492122024-03-14T00:31:31.280-04:00You Say Dubai, I Say HelloThoughts from my internship adventure in DubaiChristopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-64700343348672341882012-08-25T17:07:00.000-04:002012-08-25T17:07:01.996-04:00Moving to chrisjennison.me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I won't be posting to this blog anymore- I've moved over to <a href="http://chrisjennison.me/">chrisjennison.me</a>. It's a work in progress as I combine this blog with my Tumblr, but I wanted one central blog to post my thoughts and interesting pictures/quotes/videos I find. Will be back-editing some posts and putting a new design on it, but check it out. <div>
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That's also where I'll post my observations and thoughts from the next week in Tampa at the 2012 Republican National Convention. </div>
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Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-2916297694025633202012-08-12T16:57:00.000-04:002012-08-13T05:57:25.149-04:00Final Thoughts from DubaiNot that there are that many people who read this- i think it may just be my dad- but i felt like i needed to wrap up this blog with some final thoughts. It's now been a little over a month since I've been back from Dubai. I can't believe it's already been that long since I was in the UAE, but time flies.
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I've caught up with a couple of friends who are still around my neighborhood in MD, and when I've visited the pool, parents that I knew from years past on the swim team stop to ask what I've been up to. I tell them that I followed up graduating from Syracuse by flying to Dubai for 6 weeks to intern with Ketchum Raad, a Cannes-award winning PR agency, and watch their jaws drop.
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In retrospect, I can't imagine having had a more incredible experience while there. The people I met, talked to, worked with, etc. were from all over the world and had experienced the amazing places that you only read about. The conversations I had about America, world politics, travel, war, PR practices, business, were all conversations that I had only really had in a theoretical setting in school.
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People often ask what was the best experience I had while in Dubai. There is no way I can limit it to just one... The whole time was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. That being said, there were a few times that I can think of: the day we dune-bashed in the desert, made friends with Pakistanis who had never met Americans, rode a camel, went to a night club on the Palm Island and made more friends in 4 Kuwaitis, who treated us like best friends; the day we met up with a friend from SU Ambulance, Momin Sherazi, who treated us to an amazing dinner and shared his experiences growing up in the UAE; and being treated to dinner by an Emirati, Hamad al Suwaidi, and his friend Sara, who ha found out about us through this blog- the hospitality they showed us was amazing, and I only wish we had met them sooner during our stay.
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There are a few people who I definitely need to thank for making this experience what it was. It wouldn't have been possible without the incredible faculty at Newhouse, especially Dean Branham and Professor O'Neill, who set up the program and worked with Ramzi Raad to make out stay amazing. At work, of course I have to thank Ramzi for welcoming us to his agency and funding a large part of our stay. In the Ketchum team, work wouldn't have been nearly as interesting or entertaining without Jamie Read's expertise and whimsical comments, Elissar's laughter at the smallest things, Abi providing laughs for Elissar throughout the day, and Rima's Britishisms and swears. And without Moe Shehebar from TBWA welcoming us as if we are family, we wouldn't have been able to experience the city as much as we did.
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Finally- I have to thank my travel partner, and partner in crime, Lisa. Though we didn't know each other well at all before our trip, it was great getting to know you, and I know well be friends for years to come. I couldn't have asked for a better person to travel with.
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I can't imagine not returning to Dubai at some point. I also can't imagine not traveling again to that extent, and repeatedly, so maybe I'll convert this blog to a general travel blog? I've got an idea for a trip I may make next summer- stay tuned for updates in the coming months.
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<br>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-31538058399900464542012-07-01T23:41:00.000-04:002012-07-01T23:41:27.985-04:00Back in the USA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few wrap up posts from the last week coming in the next few days, but just wanted to share this quote I saw.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #24130e; font-family: tk-minion-pro, serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; line-height: 25px;">“The debate of <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">whether</strong> or not democracy is compatible with Islam seems to be largely transforming into a debate about <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">how</strong> democracy is compatible with Islam.”</span></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-82299957063967310472012-06-25T05:33:00.001-04:002012-06-25T05:33:57.800-04:00Dubai Lifestyle [Pic]<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-47898587120211064642012-06-21T07:29:00.001-04:002012-06-21T07:29:49.989-04:00The Dark Side of Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html">Fascinating article</a> from The Independent</div>
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We met up with a rising sophomore from @SUAmbulance on Monday- he was born and raised in the UAE, so it was cool to meet up with him and pick his brain about life here.<br />
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-22679813474241140342012-06-20T09:00:00.000-04:002012-06-20T09:00:17.218-04:00Abu Dhabi Time Lapse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Absolutely amazing:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="213" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/23961607" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/23961607">ABU DHABI 2011 - time lapse film (shorter version)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/benosaradzic">Beno Saradzic</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-5875066213085097152012-06-18T09:00:00.000-04:002012-06-18T09:00:07.849-04:00Dubai Time Lapse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39882171" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/39882171">Dubai 2.0</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/richardbentley">Richard Bentley</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0Dubai - United Arab Emirates25.2644444 55.311666724.8049429 54.6799527 25.723945899999997 55.943380700000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-16475475644363664332012-06-18T08:07:00.000-04:002012-06-18T08:07:20.163-04:00Weekend Adventures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our weekend was planned out with precision: Friday- travel to Abu Dhabi with a LivingSocial beach resort stay, participate in a TBWA photoshoot at FerrariWorld on Saturday in exchange for free access, and then relaxing at the beach on Sunday. We had a long weekend due to Isra and Mi'raj, or the Ascension of the Prophet, so we figured a weekend trip would be a fun change of scenery. Well... the trip didn't end up as we planned, but it was still a pretty nice weekend.<br />
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The Beach Rotana, the hotel we were supposed to stay at:</div>
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FerrariWorld features the world's fastest roller coaster, take a look:</div>
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Here's what the weekend consisted of:<br />
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<li>Thursday night: we were both exhausted, so we decided to have a low-key night. We headed over to the Dubai Creek for a dinner cruise on one of the many Dhows. Pretty reasonable price, with a great meal.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Friday: The day we were looking forward to! After getting a late start to the bus station, due to the metro being closed before 1 p.m. due to the weekly "day of rest"being on Fridays. After a 2 hour hot-and-cramped bus ride that only cost about $7, we arrived in Abu Dhabi. Walking around, you can easily see what everyone means when they describe this Emirate as older, less polished, and less "young." It is the capital of the UAE, but it is very much old-business, with an older population. Regardless, we were excited. We headed over to <a href="http://www.timeoutabudhabi.com/restaurants/reviews/11293-al-arish">Al Arish</a>, a port side restaurant that came highly recommended, where we feasted on a buffet of traditional Lebanese and Arabic chicken, beef, fish, and desserts dishes. We then decided to head over to our hotel, but unfortunately we were not allowed to check in; we had given our passports to the agency so that our visa's could be renewed, and the hotel absolutely refused to let us check in without them. So... we headed back on a much nicer, cheaper, less crowded bus to Dubai, and headed to the movie experience of a lifetime. We went to the Platinum Suites in the Dubai Mall's theater, where we watched Men in Black 3 in style: in La-Z-Boy recliners, with pillows and blankets, and waitress service throughout the movie.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Saturday: We headed over to Wild Wadi Waterpark for the day. Highlights:</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The Burj Surge- A massive, whitewater slide that takes the rafts nearly vertical.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Tantrum Alley- Another, sister waterside that takes the raft on consecutive trips around what amounts to drains... you circle around it before dropping down into the next one.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Master Blasters- This intricate network of water raft slides shoots you around the whole park, for what amounts to about 20+ minutes at a time. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/Wild-Wadi-Dubai-Water-Park/Services--Facilities/FISHO/">FISHO</a>- the fish spa. The doctor fish (as gross as this sounds) suck on your feet and legs, "promoting new skin growth."</li>
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<li>Sunday: I took off at about 11 am for the Jumeirah Beach Walk, to <a href="http://www.thegroomingco.com/1847/">1847</a>. It's named after the year that the safety razor was invented. After an awesome shave and haircut, I was off and back to meet Lisa at the Jumeirah Beach Park for the rest of the day. </li>
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Back to work for the short work week!</div>
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-37262292995093110202012-06-13T04:15:00.001-04:002012-06-13T04:15:06.631-04:00Food of Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can safely say that over the past few weeks, I have eaten extremely well. Two highlights:<br />
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<li>Last night, we went out to grab a quick bite. We ended up at <a href="http://www.timeoutdubai.com/restaurants/reviews/10937-zaina">Zaina</a>, only about a block from our hotel. Highlight: camel kabobs. A little sweet, very tender.</li>
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<li>After reading about it in one of our guides, I knew we had to check out <a href="http://www.timeoutdubai.com/restaurants/reviews/8098-al-bayt-al-baghdadi-restaurant">Al Bait Al Baghdadi</a>, or "The Baghdad House." It was featured on Anthony Bourdain's <i><a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/video/tony-tries-iraqi-food-in-dubai-11776">No Reservations</a>!</i></li>
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</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-86954073402127510582012-06-12T04:40:00.002-04:002012-06-12T04:40:51.574-04:00Most Expensive Billboard in the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We saw this billboard/exhibition the other day, and while I didn't think much of it other than that it was cool and not very surprising in a place like Dubai, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/worlds-most-expensive-bil_n_1586272.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003#s=more225117">we just found out that it is the most expensive billboard in the world, costing $500 a second</a>. The promoters said it would cost $1.3 billion to operate for a month.<br />
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-45137712056132476142012-06-11T02:06:00.000-04:002012-06-11T02:06:38.692-04:00#BeTheChange<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A little less fun, a little more work in this post...<br />
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For the past few weeks, I have been supporting the account for PepsiCo in the Middle East. Yesterday was the culmination of our efforts, as we hosted the PepsiCo CSR Youth Forum, a day of lectures, workshops, and discussions to encourage awareness of sustainability issues among youth in the Gulf region. Here are some highlights from the day:<br />
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<script src="http://storify.com/chrisjennison/pepsico-s-2nd-annual-csryouthforum.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="http://storify.com/chrisjennison/pepsico-s-2nd-annual-csryouthforum" target="_blank">View the story ".@PepsiCo's 2nd Annual #CSRYouthForum" on Storify</a>]</noscript>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-89629196570494108302012-06-10T22:06:00.000-04:002012-06-10T22:06:07.230-04:00Make It Count<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A friend shared this with me, and while it's not at all specific to Dubai or the Middle East, I wanted to pass it along. Enjoy.<br />
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-31677901229743817352012-06-08T03:13:00.000-04:002012-06-08T03:13:13.076-04:00Random Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Haven't posted in a bit, but a few thoughts from the week:<br />
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<li>Yep, it gets hot as hell here.</li>
<li>Met a Kenyan man at the Sheraton in Deira. He has been here for 6 months, and sold both Lisa and I on the necessity of visiting his country to see a lion in the wild... not kidding.</li>
<li>This city has to be one of the friendliest, its people the most welcoming.</li>
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And this photo is from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HumansOfTelAviv">Humans of Tel Aviv</a>, but I think it sums up the Middle East in general in a unique perspective:</div>
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</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-90056064893443503662012-06-06T03:47:00.001-04:002012-06-06T03:47:45.796-04:00Headlines of Arabia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although things are normal enough here, some of the laws and customs of the Arabic region continue to mystify me, including how people are treated for their "crimes."<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.emirates247.com/crime/region/i-want-to-be-executed-father-who-tortured-daughter-to-death-2012-06-04-1.461483">"I want to be executed: Father who tortured daughter to death"</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.7daysindubai.com/Nurse-court-birthday/story-16284057-detail/story.html">"Nurse in court for birthday text"</a></li>
<ul>
<li>A nurse could be jailed for up to a year for harassment after he sent a text message saying ‘Happy Birthday’ to a hospital patient.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/woman-stabs-neighbour-for-defaming-her-2012-06-04-1.461447">"Woman stabs neighbour for 'defaming' her"</a></li>
<ul>
<li>A 30-year-old Moroccan clerk, KL, allegedly stabbed her neighbour in revenge for revealing her debt. </li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.emirates247.com/crime/local/child-who-escaped-death-by-torture-still-cries-in-her-sleep-2012-06-06-1.461835">"Child who escaped death by torture still cries in her sleep"</a></li>
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<li>Mira was taken to hospital after police discovered she and her eight-year-old sister, Wadima, had been systematically tortured by their father and his girl friend. Wadima died of torture and was buried by her father in an isolated desert area before her body was exhumed by police and buried by family this week.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/woman-thrown-out-of-mall-for-nail-polish-2012-05-27-1.460375">"Woman thrown out of mall for nail polish"</a></li>
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<li>Saudi Arabia’s feared religious police expelled a local woman from a major shopping mall for having polish on her nails after a heated encounter.</li>
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</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-9792481726313615822012-06-06T02:57:00.001-04:002012-06-06T02:57:37.831-04:00Bucket List, Updated<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've been in country now for 17 days out of 42. Here's a look at the bucket list so far:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Ski Dubai: Indoor ski, tubing and snow pa</strike><strike>rk</strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"> First weekend!</span></span></li>
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<li><strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Scuba Diving, in an Aquarium, in a Mall</span></strike></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> //Found out it's ridiculously expensive to do if not certified. Note to self: get certified in the states\\</span></ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Desert Safari: 4x4ing, dune boarding, etc., likely this weekend</strike></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> This past weekend</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Rooftop movie at the gardens in Wafi: seeing Inception this Sunday </strike></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Awesome movie and awesome time</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Rugby: Matching up the top 5 teams in Asia, the Asian 5 Nations International Rugby Tournament this Friday (possibly UAE v. Hong Kong or Kazakhstan)</strike> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Didn't end up going cause of the heat, but it's getting too hot now to go to another.</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Drinks at the Souk Al Bahar, overseeing the Dubai Fountains downtown</strike></span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dhow dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Brunch on a Friday (first day of the weekend here; brunch is a big deal here)</strike>, then drinks at the Irish Village nearby</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dubai Aquarium</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Diving at the Palm (Jumeirah Beach)</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tour at the Jumeirah Mosque, the only mosque in the city open to non-Muslims.</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Ride a camel</strike></span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Explore the Gold Souk</strike></span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Visit the Al Ain Wildlife Park</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Set foot on the World (islands)</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wild Wadi waterpark</span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strike>Travel to the top of the Burj Khalifa</strike></span></li>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Travel to Oman for the day</span></li>
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</span></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-66322842937081038592012-06-05T07:00:00.000-04:002012-06-05T07:00:03.914-04:00Qatari Artificial Cloud for 2022 World Cup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just goes to show how outrageous some of the Gulf countries are- this video shows the artificial cloud that I was talking about in that last post.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0idC5I7aDnI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-72936277902013706312012-06-05T06:38:00.002-04:002012-06-05T06:40:59.814-04:00Simple lunch, sidetracked.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is how most of the more interesting experiences have happened while here- not turning down invites, seeing how things happen.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lisa and I decided we were going to go across the bridge to the other half of our office complex and have an easy lunch of some appetizers, hummus dishes, etc. While waiting at the elevator, one of the guys asks where we are going to lunch, and if we would like to join him instead for a "traditional Arabic lunch." We go along, and it turns out that this is more like a traditional shisha session... Everyone ordered their shisha before they even order drinks.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With the two of us, its 6 in total- a Lebanese man from TBWA, two Brits from that side, and a Palestinian from Ketchum, my side. Topics from lunch:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Palestine v. Israel: The borders from different years, the international recognition of Israel, occupation of cities over the years, settlements in the territories, etc.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Football vs. American football vs. baseball: How American sports are terrible, because of instant replay and how it's not the referees call.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How I Met Your Mother: Ted vs. Barney, with several references thrown in.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The invention of artificial clouds for the 2022 World Cup... say what?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A few English language semantics lessons from the Lebanese guy to the Palestinian.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." -Michael Crichton </i></span></span></div>
</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-33086485465935300002012-06-04T08:57:00.002-04:002012-06-04T08:57:44.229-04:00Both Sides of Intolerance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://psychographism.squarespace.com/storage/Ethics%20and%20Citizenship%20Movement%20.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1338727885462" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://psychographism.squarespace.com/storage/Ethics%20and%20Citizenship%20Movement%20.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1338727885462" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-15986736298468940642012-06-04T02:18:00.000-04:002012-06-05T06:42:01.399-04:00Weekend #2 (Sparknotes Edition)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey! So it's already the second day of the third week of work, but I realized I needed to share what my weekend consisted of:<br />
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<li>Thursday: </li>
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<li>After wandering around the Dubai Fountain, unable to find the restaurant that we had planned on going to with 2 for 1 dinner, we ended up at a Lebanese restaurant overlooking the fountain again. I'm telling you, every time the fountain goes off, it is astounding.</li>
<li>At 8:15, we headed over to the "Top of the World" at the Burj Khalifa. This is the path up to the observation deck. Absolutely amazing view, at the 124th floor, 38 floors higher than the Empire State building.</li>
<li>We went to Karma Kafe, a bar and lounge in the Souk Al Bahar. After having a drink there in what was a surprisingly relaxed setting, we wanted to head over to the Library Bar, a place that has been billed as one of the top cigar bars in the world, just to see what the hype was about. After hopping in a taxi and heading to the Ritz-Carlton, we realized we ended up at the wrong hotel, and went wandering around, finally ending up in the "DFC"- Dubai Festival City. We found one of the top bars for young workers in the city, Caramel. Called it an early but successful night.</li>
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Karma Kafe:</div>
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Caramel:</div>
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Dubai Festival City:</div>
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<li>Friday:</li>
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<li>After waking, doing my Latin, and getting in a quick workout, we headed to brunch at Long's Bar in the Towers Rotana. Brunch is a huge deal, apparently. Delicious food.</li>
<li>In the late afternoon, we were picked up by DRT, our desert safari tour company, from the Mall of the Emirates. After an hour drive out of the city, we pulled over at the side of the road, when three SUVs pulled up next to us in the sand. We switched from our 15-passenger van to the SUV's, which were outfitted with roll bars along the inside roof. We quickly sped off, drifting down the dunes, fishtailing, having an amazing time. We eventually ended up at the "bedouin" camp, where we were able to ride a camel (so cool!), watch belly dancing, and eat a feast of Middle Eastern food. We sat with three Pakistanis from our bus, who were some of the friendliest guys of this trip yet. They told us that they had never been to the States, and that we were actually the first Americans they had ever met. Unfortunately, when I updated my phone's software, I lost both pictures and videos from the trip, as well as the email from one of the guys, so I lost their names and any way to contact them...</li>
<li>After returning and taking a quick shower, we decided to head out for a bit. On a whim, we decided to head to Atlantis, on the Palm Jumeirah (the palm-tree shaped island). We were going to check out the closing party for Nasimi beach, b/c it was featured on TimeOutDubai.com, but ended up at N'Dulge night club instead. After a slow start when we got there (about 11 p.m.), the place got crowded around midnight. We got curious when the staff started bringing out bottles with sparklers lit in them, so I asked- they were bottles of Dom Perignon that went for 3500 Dhs, or about $1000. Lisa asked one group of four guys what they were celebrating- they were just here in Dubai for the weekend to get away from Kuwait, where they work. They invited us to join the group, and it was a pretty amazing night.</li>
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<li>Saturday: </li>
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<li>We went to the Jumeirah Beach Park for the day. $1.25 equivalent to enter a paradise of white beaches, clear and refreshing oceans, and an amazing day. Slept, read, relaxed, and decided that I would be ok with living in Dubai.</li>
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All in all, an amazing second weekend.</div>
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</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-15374656962557825582012-06-03T08:11:00.000-04:002012-06-03T08:11:17.457-04:00Lottery Ticket<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My parents joke around about how I should buy a lottery ticket, because I'm so lucky; my friend Dan commented yesterday that I've done pretty well for myself, and it's paying off.<br />
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I do have a pretty damn good life.<br />
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<span id="goog_2144708592"></span><span id="goog_2144708593"></span></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-47988255245282217462012-06-02T02:04:00.001-04:002012-06-02T02:04:49.217-04:00Americans are dumb.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Don't get me wrong- I love America, our history, our freedoms to do what we want and express what we want. But Americans are dumb... And I'm no exception.<br />
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I had this idea back when I went to Israel talking to a student from the Interdisciplinary Center. He was accompanying our group on the trip, was a former medic unit commander in the IDF, and was studying law. We stood at a bar on the beach, talking about American politics, and he knew absolutely everything.<br />
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The people that I've met here echo that- they are some of the most educated people I've ever met, be it at Ketchum RAAD or on the street. They all know multiple languages, they know more about the world and history and current events and culture than I've ever even heard or seen.<br />
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In conclusion:<br />
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-28199239272201925092012-05-30T02:29:00.001-04:002012-05-30T02:29:20.728-04:00Click Click Click<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This post is a bit off-topic, as it's not so much about my time in Dubai. However, I find it very appropriate, given that Chancellor Cantor's speech at the 2012 Commencement was about the "click click click" and the interference of technology in everyday interaction.<br />
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While doing research for Cartoon Network Arabic, one of our clients, I was looking into the effects of laughter on the development of children. I came across a companion editorial to a study which showed that fast-paced cartoons hurt the executive function of the children who have grown up in a "digital-native society," and it included the following statement:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">"Deficits in executive function, whether transient or permanent, have social implications as well. I recently encountered 2 college students who were sitting outside a café in an urban mall. As they soaked in the rare Seattle sunshine, I noticed that one of them was talking on her cell phone and the other was texting. I could not help but feel that the technology that we all carry in our pockets is tearing at the social fabric of society. What 10 (or maybe 5) years ago would have been an interpersonal interaction in which each young adult had the other's undivided attention was suddenly an ongoing conversation with dozens or possibly hundreds of other “friends.” Indeed “undivided attention” is difficult to come by today, but it is central to being authentically present. Focusing on what one's friends have to say is central to friendship, and multitasking friendship by allowing other people or things to intercalate themselves into encounters would seem to undercut it."</span><br />
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<br /></div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-90908486694985224892012-05-29T07:14:00.002-04:002012-05-29T07:14:44.659-04:00New site<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey all- I'm playing around with a new website, <a href="http://chrisjennison.me/">chrisjennison.me</a>. Give it a look, though it's a work in progress. I'll keep posting on here for the time being.</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194379943257649212.post-47144109527199712452012-05-29T02:59:00.000-04:002012-05-29T02:59:22.442-04:00Humans of Dubai #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges..." and diversity of thought begins with diversity of people and communication between them.</div>
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People I've met this week:<div>
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<li>Ahmed, a 12 year old Emirati, who rode the chairlift at Ski Dubai with me. He then proceeded to kick my ass in a race down the hill... who knew that there were good Emirati skiers?</li>
<li>Imran- Pakistani security guard at TBWA\RAAD for the night shift, he has been in the UAE for 6 months. He started the conversation, and asked me questions about America and about my perspective of the Middle East for almost 40 minutes. </li>
<li>Conan- a Brit who works on the TBWA side, he has only worked at the agency for about 8 months, and has been very open to doing activities and things with us on weekends since he's newer too.</li>
<li>Sana- a young Moroccan woman who has only been in the UAE for a year and only been with TBWA for a month. Her undergrad degree in Morocco was in communications, and she's been getting her Master's in the UAE in communications with a focus on PR. She was asking me all about the Newhouse curriculum in PR, and was telling me that she is contemplating getting her PhD in communications.</li>
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The people, buildings and sights here are truly like a dream sequence.</div>
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</div>Christopher Jennisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02509914843643254891noreply@blogger.com0