Day 24 - Records of India. Day 3

Up early to see more of Delhi! We ate breakfast at the buffet provided by the hotel, what a spread! Waffle, omelet, and morning noodle stations! Knowing me it was al about the omelet! Mushroom, onion, tomato is my classic! Today was day two of Delhi city tour. We left the hotel around 8:30am and headed to Rajghat, the final resting place of Gandhi’s remains. The grounds had a large amount of grassland and vegetation. Shoes were not allowed as a sign of respect.

We made our way across town to Old Delhi and the Islamic Mosque. This mosque was a local prayer center. The men had to cover their legs and females had to cover all skin. This provided a good opportunity for a picture. Instead of white marble of the Taj Mahal the mosque was constructed from red sandstone. It had an open courtyard which would fill up during prayer hours. The courtyard stone got quite hot in the Indian sun, burning our feet as we walked around. Once again as we lined up the take pictures, locals quickly snapped pictures of our group.

Our next event was easily the highlight for the most of us. We all took a ride through the side streets of Old Delhi on a two person Rikshaw. A Rickshaw is a wagon like carriage attached to a bike, and serves at the equivalent to a taxi in India.

As all of our drivers raced through the busy streets we were exposed to many sights and smells that we were not accustomed to. Overwhelmed with beeping and shouting we momentarily found ourselves stuck in a traffic jam. The end of the Rikshaw ride left us at the gate of the Red Fort.
The Red Fort

This massive royal family fort was constructed in a mere 10 years. The fort lies along the Yamuna River which feed the moat surrounding the fort. Our tour guide has a lot to say about the fort. As we walked along the sweltering heat he explained how much of the fort is still in it original form. We walked through the Archeological Museum before we made our way back to the entrance to participate in more bargaining for souvenirs.

As we made our way to the airport we briefly stopped at Bengali, a local traditional sweets shop. Only Erin and I got off. How in the heck can you pass up a special stop for SWEET TREATS! We were the only non Indian people in the shop, but I felt surprisingly comfortable. Perhaps I feel most at home around sweets HAHA. Our tour guide Karan led the way as he suggested the best sweets to get. I decided to get “Atta Laduo” a compressed spiced sugar and flour ball that resembled the flavors of a peanut butter cookie. The crumbly sweet was slightly crunchy. My next item was “Peda” a dough-like disk shaped with pistachio flavors. There was a odd bitter aftertaste the took some getting used to. My last item was “Gungia” a tart like item with a cinnamon sugar and raisin mixture folded between pastry dough. Thanks to Karan’s direction we were greatly satisfied with the selection.


Arriving at the Delhi airport, strict security measures were enforced to just enter the airport. We said our final goodbyes to India as our plane departed back to Dubai just after 4pm. It was a trip I will never forget!

I hope everyone is doing well, thanks for following me through India, Sean.

Day 23 - Records of India. Day 2

In the morning, we had a breakfast buffet at the Gateway Hotel it was a nice setup the omelet station and fruit was calling me. We then boarded the bus for our long drive from Agra back to Delhi. Erin found a playmate during a bathroom break on our trip back to Delhi.

After arriving in Delhi, we went to the Qutab Minar Complex, initially ancient Hindu temples, the main tower is the tallest brick minaret in the world and has five distinct levels with balconies. Half way through our tour a security guard asked us to leave due to some kind of scare. Our tour guide tried to argue with him to let us stay…but no luck.

After getting lunch at the Rendezvous Café nearby (some of the best Indian food I have ever had) Mushrooms curry and tandoori was tasty! We then were on our way to Humayun’s Tomb. This site holds the remains of Mogul Emperor Humayun and members of his family. This building strikingly resembles the Taj Mahal, and was built before it. The Taj Mahal included changes that were needed in Humayun’s Tomb, a trial building. It had a lot more color and I personally enjoyed the site a little better than the Taj Mahal.

Our last site for the day was a Hindu temple, Shri Lakshmi Narain Temple. Shoes were not allowed to bring in our cameras or cell phones, unless we paid the fee. It was very valuable to see people practicing a different religion. Their gods were artfully displayed as followers showed their respects.

After the temple, we boarded the bus for the Shangri La Hotel in New Delhi. This five-star hotel had a stunning golden entryway, had several different restaurants on the upper floors. The gym, pool, and gardens provided some jaw dropping views. We went to dinner at an Asian restaurant which had a confusing menu. We decided on a table menu which came with enough food for at least 12… so the interns had to do our best to eat it all…we did not succeed. So I tried just about every dish, my highlights was the jumbo shrimp (cooked to perfection), the fried sesame mushrooms, and the eggplant stir fry (the best dish of the night). This dish inspired me to learn how to cook eggplant this summer.
Full and tired we headed up to the luxury rooms which were equipped with a odd window from the shower to the bedroom…I fount this really weird…I later realized that it was for tv watching form the bath tub. Haha. We had a good time joking around that the use of it was viewing pleasure of whoever was showering. Haha It of course had a curtain. So Mike and I found the robes and proceeded to be silly and take a few photos. Exploring India will continue tomorrow.



Thanks for following my adventure, Sean

Day 22 - Records of India. Day 1

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of postings in the last week, I will attempt the catch up in the next few days. Here is my records of my first day in India. Enjoy!!

After our Midterm it was time for India! We took the evening off to recuperate from the exam. We left fop the airport at 2am! After not sleeping till out flight at 4:30 I was able to sleep the entire flight. It was Thursday (6.2.11) morning when we landed in landed in Delhi, India. We met up with out tour guide, Karan. Through the trip we became quite close to Karan. We then started what was suppose to be a four hour trip to Augra, but turned out to be more like six hours with all the traffic. The second we entered India the extreme poverty and mass population issues became obvious. It was a huge culture shock to see villages, such extreme poverty, hunger and over population. I sent a lot of time just absorbing all the images of the Indian city streets filled with people, cows and garbage. I really had no Idea the magnitude of the poverty and the dire situation the country is in. Of course India is a quite large and we only saw a small part of Northern India. Through all the saddening images I enjoyed the occasional monkey and all the colorful outdoor markets which sold fresh fruit and vegetables in an open air environment. I am a big fan of farmer’s markets at home. When I say driving is chaotic, it is a huge understatement. Traffic laws are non existent and the honking of the streets began to be white noise as the trip went on. The roads were filled with cows, honking, buses weaving, pedestrians, and motorized scooters. I was surprised we made it the entire trip without an accident.

Once we arrived in Agra, we checked-in at the Gateway Hotel. The main reason for visiting Agra was to see the Taj Mahal. As we made our way through the front gates, one of the Seven Wonders of the World cam slowly into sight. This dramatic effect was previously thought about the designer and created a sense of suspense and u began to see the all whit structure.Our tour guide continued to recite including how the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the building in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their 14th child. I was impressed with the quality and detail of wor which was all completed in the15th-century. We got so lucky with our visit, the weather was mild (for India that is 96 deg F), it was off season , so crows were limited and it was sun set which provided a sandy red glow to reflect off the white marble as the sun dipped below. The group at the Taj Mahal
Hand laid marble detailing in the Taj Mahal.


After a wonderful visit we returned to the hotel and ready to eat. We all decide Indian food was a must, so moat of us feasted on a sample dish that could easily feed three. I didn’t have much lunch so I ate for three, haha. I decided on the veggie sampler and took everyone’s tandoori fish. So good! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. My platter consisted of three types of nan, curry mixed veggies (type 1), fried cottage cheese & spices, bean & chickpeas and curry type 2, green bean and curry (type 3)!!! I left a happy camper with a full stomach and ready to play cards for the rest of the night. We let all the food digest as 6 of us play Phase 10 till 1am. GREAT FIRST DAY!

Home from India

I am now safely back in Dubai after my amazing trip to India. It was a humbling experience filled with beautiful views and new foods.

I will share more on my trip in the coming days.
Here are a few pictures in the meantime.

Taj Mahel - We went on the perfect day. Mild tempratures, low crowds, and sunset!!!

View behing the Taj Mahel

Northern India Veggie Sample Platter, all for me...YUM and I finished it all!! Then didn't have to ear for the next half day. HAHA

We all got some good sleep after our long days touring India.

High Five! We saw monkeys all over the place. NEAT-O!

Typical side street of Old Delhi

Bengali - Well known Indian sweet treat shop! A highlight of my trip.

Day 19, 20 - Burj Al Salam Day 1&2

Up and out early. Today we visited the Burj Al Salam (translation the tower of Salam). This building is located on the Sheikh Zayed road, one of the, if not the most popular road of Dubai. The Burj Al Salam project is a mixed use high rise building it is a 202 meter tower and 50 meter tall car park. DCC took over construction on the 6th floor and was awarded the project for a contract value of 850 million AED $231 million, with a contract duration of 31 months.

It was a long morning due to being extra tired, due to a alte night studying for the midterm. We had a three hours to study for the midterm prior to taking the exam. There was a ton of information we were responsible so I spent just about the entire time to review, with the exception or having a quick lunch.

Here are some pictures or the construction site, Enjoy:

Thanks for following, Sean.

Day 18 - Long but Knowledge Filled Day

Today my team was back in Abu Dhabi visiting the ADNEC building again. To let out some of my inner nerd, today we learned that post-tension slabs (floors) were preferable in this project because this system works bests in larger spans. Post tension slabs concrete is pored over steel cables which are then tightened in tension to create compression in the floor. This creates a slight camber (bend) in the floor allowing the applied loads to equal out the force created from tension. The owner decided to add two extra floors of penthouses at the top of the 27 floor structure. Due to a very low water table here in Dubai. Water protection and dewatering systems were of high importance. The pumps will be used until the structure reaches floor 24 floor because the building weight will counteract the buoyancy uplift force of the water. Out team did some manual labor and laid cement wall blocking in the ADNEC building. Was a lot tougher than the workers make it look. We are so proud of our baby wall! haha



After a nice lunch at the Holiday in, our group went to the Guardian towers in Abu Dhabi. The towers are located near the ADNEC building. A detailed tour was provided by Mr. Jihad, the project manager for the Guardian Towers. The towers were completed earlier this month. It was a nice to see the building in its completed stage. The finish of the multi use building was stunning. Marble and granite was used in several locations. Both polished and unpolished versions provided the building a clean and contemporary finish. The ground floor connects the two towers. A special feature of this project is that it uses an expansion joint spanning the width of the building to allow for the building’s material to expand and contract without educing failures. Apartment kitchen of finished Guardian Towers in Abu Dhabi...Ill take one!



On our way home we made a quick visit to the mosque of Sheik Zayed, one of the largest mosques in the world. It was stunning!! The craftsmanship on the building was incomparable.




AUTHORS NOTE:
Dear Followers,
I will be heading to India for a little vacation with the other interns and program teachers. I am so excited for this unexpected journey. Here is a brief outline of our 3 day trip. Arrive in Delhi Thursday morning, drive to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, drive back to Delhi and explore the city (Friday). I will not be taking my computer, so I will take avid notes in order to update the blog upon my arrival.
Thanks for following,
Sean

Day 17 - Stressful Day but Great Dinner

Today was the most stressful day so far. Our mental capacities are getting tested and people are on edge. At least half of every day is occupied with either a site visit or a classroom lecture. This gives us very little to complete the assignment and study for pop quizzes. Unfortunately, most of the students have to as possible. Most of my morning was spent on doing the blog specifically about the internship, typing job site notes and writing my technical report. In terms of the internship blog, its contents are followed daily by faculty at SU. Talking about faculty at SU, at the end of the program the Syracuse University chancellor and board of trustees will make the trip to Dubai to attend our graduation ceremony. SWEET!!!

The better par of the day came in the evening, where Jaene, Katelyn’s sister in law’s sister took Mike Katelyn and I out to a Italian dinner. The restaurant “Prego’s” was located in a hotel about 10 minuets from the hotel. They did a lot of things well there. First off I really liked how they immediately brought a hot loaf of bread to the table along with a garlic aioli sauce, oil & vinegar and parmesan reggiano cheese. Here in the UAE alcohol can only be bought in hotels, odd, I know, but the way it is. Jaene is a fan of wine and we decided to share a bottle. We couldn’t decide what red looked good until I say my Dad’s favorite wine listen on the menu. We decided on a 2007 Gabbiano Chianti Classico!!! I knew it would be great with the hardy Italian meal. The 3 grape wine is aged in oak to soften the tannins giving a off bold and spicy flavors. Thanks dad for all the wine knowledge! Haha.For dinner I greatly enjoyed the waiter recommended Capricciosa pizza (tomato, mozzarella, mushroom, artichoke, black olives and spinach). Always room for dessert, the plate of three crème brulee was my choice (pistachio, hazelnut and vanilla flavors). GOOD CHOICE SEAN!! After a great meal and good conversation it was back to the apartment to finish up some work before bed and an early morning.

Thanks for following my adventure, Sean

Day 16 - Abu Dhabi Construction

Today we were up and out of the door early. We had a hour and a half drive to the ADNEC building in Abu Dhabi. I think we all took the car time to catch up on some sleep. The program has me and the other interns working day and night, in order to stay on top of the material and up to expectations. I have to say I am absorbing information at a faster rate than ever before.

The drive was smooth until we got pulled over by UAE police. We apparently were driving in the wrong lane on the highway. In stead of staying in the car our driver immediately got out of the car to talk to the officials. In the US I believe you can be arrested for an act like that…I guess that’s not the case here. Haha. Once our driver got back into the car he simply said “no problem, no problem, cash money, no problem.” We al thought this was hilarious and it has continued as a running joke between the interns.

ADNEC Building - currently 68 days ahead of schedule and pooring concret on the 19th floor

Once we arrived to the ADNEC building site we were greeted by the Project Manager. He briefed us on the building and its progress. Once we are briefed on the building we go and walk the job site, stopping along the way to view different aspects of the buildings or any specific issues that have come up. Job site visits are always hectic because in the extreme heat with we are taking notes like mad men. Ever word that comes out of the managers mouth seems to be worthy of noting. We have the challenge of trying to hear over the construction and through language accents. After working up a heavy sweat during our full morning on the job site, it was lunch time.

We enjoy the buffet supplied at the Holiday Inn, a neighboring hotel. Another good lunch! Great salad bar and delicious grilled veggie sandwiched. I never can turn down hummus so I put some of that on my sandwiches, was a nice add. Then it came time for dessert. I always have room for dessert, as lways say dessert act like masonry in the stomach, it fills all the cracks. I helped myself to some vanilla ice cream with pistachio vanilla cookies. Yummmm!
Back to the job site after lunch. We did some manual labor and laid some brick block work for the apartment walls. It was a lot tougher than the workers make it look. Apparently, some of our work was not good enough… when we visited our wall later in the day parts were taken down due to poor construction. Haha.

Sweet batherooms in the Holiday Inn (check out thr floating sinks


We got back home late, time for workout, make dinner and write my notes on the site visit.
We are keeping busy here but learning lots. Thank you all for following, Sean
Due to computer problems uploading pictures is proving to be difficult. Will do my best.

Day 15 - Fujairah Day 2

Friday was another relaxing and sun filled day. We started off the day with a lovely buffet in the hotel. They had an omelet bar so I had to make use of it! Also the nan pancakes were different but a tasty substitution as the middle eastern version of a buttermilk pancake. Directly after breakfast it was right back to the beach until we all meet for lunch. I chose to go back to the buffet for another pleasant meal. It was all about the veggies and hummus! I think I had like three plates and each of them had some kind of different veggie and a side of hummus. For dessert I had to hit the home made waffle cones and ice cream bar. Vanilla with oreo and peanut M&ms all the way!


After my meal was digested it was back to the beach again. This time the waves were a lot bigger than previously. The larger waves were no problem for Mike and I, but Katelyn had some trouble. It was ok because her guardian angels (Mike and I) were close by. Haha
When 4pm rolled around it was time to head back to Dubai. Within a short amount of time everyone was sleeping. I spent most of the car ride observing the environment, writing my journal, and doing a wonderful crossword puzzle (Thank You Ellen!).


Back in Dubai all sun kissed and rejuvenated the group of interns went to the mall with the intention of seeing a movie, but they were all sold out. The mall was packed so half the group decided to go get groceries for the week and grab some dinner at TGIFridays (the nicest I have ever seen). I didn’t eat anything because I was still nice and full from my delicious lunch and ice cream.


The funniest thing happened on our walk back to the hotel. Before we exited the mall we noticed a 13 year old boy stuck in the seating area of a shopping cart! I took his parents and a security guard about 5 minuets to pry the boy out. Quite entertaining and provided a good laugh. I bet that the last time he wishes to get in the shopping cart.
Well it back to the grind tomorrow. Tomorrow it’s off to Abu Dhabi for a construction site visit.

Thanks for following and my apologies for the delayed posts and lack of pictures my computer is having some issues. Hope to get thing figured out soon. Best wished – Sean

Day 14 - Off to Fujairah!

I am back in Dubai after a nice 2 days in Fujairah. On Thursday the 26 we departed at 10 am for a vacation to another Emirate, Fujairah. We were told it was only a 2 hour drive but it ended up being around 3. It still was a fun filled bus ride. All of the interns were ready for a few days of rest and relaxation. The bus ride took us through some of the very small and poor towns of the UAE. It was a little depressing seeing a series of shack style neighborhoods. There seems to be a vast separation between the wealthy Dubai and Abu Dahbi cities and the surrounding neighborhoods. We stopped once for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs. Only 5 of us ended getting out due to the fact that the bathroom was simply a hole in the ground. Yuck! More interestingly was the fresh fruit market as far as the eye can see. The second we got off the bus we were swarmed by locals forcefully pushing their fruit on us. It got a little carried away went a man grabbed me by the arm to pull me to his fruit stand. I simply brushed his hand off and refused to go his way. After walking along the fruit market I decide to bargain with a man for some apples. I was successful in getting three apples for half his asking price of 10AED. 3 apples for $1.50 not bad… The apples tasted ok but I personally like my apples nice and cold. Haha. The view behind the market was a vast mountain range, the fist mountains I have seen on my trip…ooo…aaaa! I only sleep for about 15-30 min due the huge speed bumps that came too frequently. It felt like we were back on the dessert adventure riding over the sand dunes. This time it wasn’t as fun because I mistakenly sat in the back of the van, so I felt every little bump the car went over.

Mr. Yabroudi had kindly set up and financed our entire vacation. Once we arrived to Fujairah we quickly found our hotel Le Meridian resort, eager to get to the beach and pool! Man o man it was nice! The beach front resort seemed to be in the middle of nowhere with the Indian ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. We were placed on the 16th floor in the club level with a balcony facing the Indian Ocean. Our floor had a lounge with a 4 story window looking out into the ocean. Our rooms were decked out with a great bed, nice bath tub, and the greatest showers! There was a nice perk where at several times through the day the lounge served mini sandwiches and fruit. There seem to be enough to do at the resort, during the day that is... talk about a ghost town after 10. There was min-golf, human seized checkers, a HUGE pool (with a swim up bar), multiple restraints, beach acess and more. Unfortunately when we arrived around 12:30 our rooms were not ready yet. In the meantime we found some lunch. Some went to the Italian restaurant but I felt like something different. I decide to check out the pool bar menu. They had a decent menu with grilled sandwiches but the bruchetta caught my eye, must have it!



After my stomach was nice ad full off the beach with Marieke and Tom. My first swim in the Indian Ocean was fantastic! The water was quite pleasant and the waves were nice. Soon after, the crew from the Italian restaurant caught up with us at the beach. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging, relaxing and swimming around the pool and beach. Aaaaa..some much needed rest and relaxation.

All of the interns attended happy hour in the hotel where the bartender was generous and supplied us with stiff drinks. We then proceeded to dinner at a Thai restraint where I ordered a mixed seafood dish. Delish! After dinner we got our bathing suits again expecting the pool to be open. Unfortunately, they close the pool after 7pm…what’s up with that? So we then thought to go swim in the ocean but that was closed as well. We settled for a short after dinner nap on the beach chairs. Was quite relaxing the sound of the water crashing and the warm breeze. It practically put me to sleep.

Here are some pictures from the day ENJOY








Thank for following and sorry for the late post. It has been a very hectic week at the office and my personal computer is ofically dead...C:Drive issues...uggg. Talk to you soon, Sean

Day 13 - Secret Trip 1 and 2!!!

So today was the first site visit of the trip. We try to get an extra early start on these days to avoid the extreme heat. We arrived at the Conrad Hotel located on Sheikh Zayed road around 8:10. What an awesome structure! It is projected to be a 7 star hotel with a few floors of for commercial use. The interior finishes in the mock up rooms were stunning. There is a ridiculous amount of marble in the hotel. There are a total of 50 floors and the structural work has been all completed. They are currently adding the exterior glass panels, called the curtain wall. This wall has no structural purpose it simply hangs off the core structure. This allows for a nice smooth exterior, and is very popular in Dubai.

50 floor Conrad Hotel! WOW so pretty.


The view from the top floor. If you look closely you can see the man made islands shaped like the world. Neat-O!

Funny story I got in a conversation with the Senior Project Engineer and he said it takes about 30 min to walk down 50 floors. I joking asked him if I could try to make it down in a quicker time. He was going to allow me to try but he wanted all us to see the steel structure that supports the 3 floor s of ball rooms. Darn! Walking the job site was a blast. It’s so awesome to see the engineering we learn in the classroom applied to actually build a world class building. Was fairly hot but I have a feeling it’s gonna get a lot worse…darn.



Once back at the office we had a wonderful surprise!!!!! We originally have a mystery weekend vacation this weekend. Instead Mr. Yabroudi decided to take us to Fujairah (one of the UAE Emirates)TOMORROW!!! Surprise!!! I like luxurious surprises. Well it gets better… for a bigger surprise he is deciding to take us to INDIA for 3 days after our midterm exam!! We were all so excited. Jumping with joy!! Wahooo. There is now in a little rush to get our Visa’s, but everything is still on schedule. This trip is turning out to be more than a adventure of a life time.
Ended the night in with movies, cards, computer games and blogging. Fun times!

We leave for India on June 2nd! I'll be going here! This is unreal!
Thanks for following and talk to you soon, Sean

PS I'm not sure I'll have internet in the hotel in Fujairah, so if you don't see blogs in the next few days I'll update once I'm back in Dubai. Take care everyone!

Day 12 - Slow Day

This morning we continued on cost estimating and pricing. After yet another mediocre lunch, we were given our final assignment. At the end of the program we are required to submit a technical report on all the job sites we will be visiting. After our project briefing we were given some time to start our reports and get a good feel of what will be expected of us.
Home for a workout and lounging by the pool with Mike, Katelyn, Rodregue, and Anthony. For dinner cooked up some eggs and toast topped with tomato marinara. Some may think it’s kinda gross but I like it! Haha. Ultimately, a low key day, but still loving my time in Dubai. Thanks for following, missing those at home, Sean


Here is a fun picture to enjoy because I didn't take any today.

Day 11 - ARCHITECTURE!!! and Birthday!!

First off, today is Dr. Clemence's Birthday!!! (our advisor of the program). This morning we had yet another quiz… on yesterday’s material. Once the quizzes were complete, off to the classroom for another lecture on project cost estimation. For a little background, after an architect gets the conceptual and aesthetic design drawings approved by the owner, an additional set of drawings, called tender (bid) drawings are sent out to contractors to place a bid on a project. A bid is a document submitted to the owner that states the amount of money that a contractor can complete the project. So today we learned the steps of making a bid and how to estimate project coasts. We had a brief cost estimating activity to further develop the skills. New and valuable skills! YEH!

In the afternoon we visited ERGA architects, an associating company of DCC. Let me first say that I WANT TO WORK HERE SOME DAY… well maybe a little closer to home. They have done and are doing some amazing work with DCC! Like the stunning 014 building (see below, also called the Swiss cheese building. A few other projects include the Rolex Tower, Al Manara Villa, and the Guardian Towers. The ERGA offices are beautifully designed with splashes of color amongst all glass walls and wood fixtures and furniture. I got excited just walking through the offices. As we entered the building all we could hear was a endless clicking of key boards and mouses. Everyone was had at work drafting on AutoCAD and analyzing structures with SAP2000 (structural analysis program). I was good to see the some of the programs I'm familiar with being used in their professional environment. Thanks for following my adventure, Sean




014 Building! WOW, right!! Definitely a groundbreaking building with it intricate exterior structure with hundreds of different holes in it.

ERGA designer creating foundation systems.

ERGA scale model! I would enjoy trying to complete somthing like this someday!

Our day finished up early so we were home by 3:30. Perfect!, time for a good workout prior to a celebration for Dr. Clememce's Birthday. Let me add that Dr. Clemence living proof of how maintaining a mentally and physically fit literally adds years onto life. He is what I want to be at his age. Haha. So to celebrate, Mr. Yabroudi took us out to Cafe Havana. As we entered the restaurant it was obvious that business was slow. This did not dictate the quality of the food! Our meal was so tasty. They served calamari and coconut shrimp as a appetizer. I was a happy camper! The second I saw grilled salmon on the menu I knew I had to get it. Everyone was happy with their food. The baked lasagna that Pierre got looked killer, and he had no problem finishing the large serving. My salmon was good, I do love my fish! Although it was slightly overcooked and still not as good as my Dad's salmon, it was enjoyable. Conversation at dinner was fun and scattered with stories and jokes told by Dr. Clemence. For dessert, Mr. Yabroudi brought a strawberry creme cake! It was a yellow cake with custard layer filling, topped with a light butter creme frosting and fresh strawberries. Was
the perfect end to to a great meal and birthday celebration!

It was nice drive back to the apartments. Some amazing buildings here!!