Day 3 - Work Starts

Today was our first day of work with Dubai Contracting Company. All 12 interns had to be in the cars and ready for work at 7:45am. The ride to work takes us through the city where even on the brightest day shadows are cast over the highway. Once at work we were assigned our working groups (3 SU and 3 LAU students), desks, laptop and personal protection equipment. After we got acquainted with our new work environment we were taken on a tour of the office facilities. We visited the various departments and became familiar with the type of work DCC is in involved in.

Directly after our tour we attended our first lecture. We gathered in a classroom environment to have a DC project manager teach us about DCC policies and construction safety. DCC is know to have very clean construction sites. This standard of work helps all trades be more productive during the working hours and promotes safety. Soon after the lecture we were given our first pop quiz…Yikes! Our advisor did mention how Mr. Yabroudi likes to keep us on our toes. I’m assuming we all preformed well because Mr. Yabroudi rewarded us with some very nice GUESS watches!!! This instantly put us all in a good mood.

We finished up at work early and were home in enough time to fit in a nice workout and sit by the pool. Once the evening rolled around I felt like doing something before dinner. Due to the fact that the tall building next door had now covered our pool area in shade, Katelyn, Mike, Rachael, and I decided to take a taxi to JBM Beach (Jumeirah Beach Residence). What a great decision on our part!! The water was clear, warm, and had a city skyline from the future. This was totally a “where am I right now…” moment. All four of us snapped may pictures as the sun set over the horizon. With our stomach growling we ventured off the beach to the marina to eat at Tche Ehct, a grill style café. I got a tuna salad with a mango strawberry crème smoothie for dessert. The moment we arrived back home we headed directly to bed, in anticipation for our next day at work. Thanks for following and talk to you soon, Sean. (Pictures coming soon)

Day 2 - The First full Day

Soon after we received our bags we were meet by a representative of Dubai Contracting Company who welcomed us to Dubai and handed us our new work phones. The concept of getting a work phone for the first time was fairly exciting. Walking through the double doors of the airport we were hit by the wall of hot 90 degree weather. Surprisingly, it was a nice change from the chilly norm of Syracuse. Once in the company van we made our way over to our living quarters for the next 5 weeks, the Topaz Court Apartments. On our way our driver made a detour to Sheikh Palace where we saw peacocks soaking up the morning sun.

Our rooms were quite nice complete with 2.5 bathrooms, a kitchen, family room and 3 beds. My roommates and I were excited with all the space and nice quarters. After a little rest we went across the street to the Mall of the Emirates (one of the biggest mall in the world) to get exchange currency get some lunch and pick up a few things from the grocery store. Soon after we got back to the apartment, Dr. Clemence called all of us up to his room to meet the internship founder, Mr. Abdallah Yabroudi and the other six student from Lebanese American University (LAU). During our time in the office and on the job site we will be working in teams with both SU and LAU students

Mr. Yabroudi took all of out to dinner at high end buffet with mind blowing food. Since I like to try all kinds of food I filled my plate with food recommended by the Lebanese student. They did me well, suggesting that I get a heavy portion of hummus. I could not disagree, knowing that I love my hummus. Filling my plate to max capacity with new food I enjoyed a the cuisine of different regions. After enjoying dinner I went directly for the dessert table...always room for dessert! My favorite bites were dark chocolate moose, backlava, and caramel spice cupcake. Dinner was a nice opportunity to get to know the other students form LAU. We were all dead tired after dinner not being fully adjusted to the time change yet. Off to bed...first day of work tomorrow! All in all, the first full day if my adventure was even better than I imagined it being. THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!

Day 1 - Travel

And so my journey begins.

Early early flight leaving Syracuse. We arrived at the airport around 4:30 am with little to no sleep. The lack of sleep did not have the slightest effect on my mood, for I was far too excited for the experience that is to come.

The CREW:

Travel was filled many smiles and laughs. Even the 12 hour flight was enjoyable. The luxurious environment provided many comforts and sources of entertainment. With the time we were not sleeping we played some intense games of battleship, watched movies, and tracked our flight progress on the personal TVs. Many of us had troubles sleeping on the flight....except for ME! I believe slept for about 9-10 hours. This earned me the title of "senior citizen," because I woke up only to eat, watch a show, and to go to the bathroom.

The flight was fully equipped with exterior cameras to document the views from outside the plane. This feature provided our first glimpse of Dubai (our home for the next 5 weeks). Nearing the end of the flight we all were awake and filled with anticipation of stepping foot in Dubai. As we exited the plane there was a sign that read "Welcome to Dubai (the same words were below in Arabic)" it was at this moment that the magnitude of the situation began to settle in. The first sights of the airport were clean and flashy. As we made our way to the baggage claim the series of mirror filled walls and large indoor waterfalls kept us in awe. It was now 8:00am and the start of our first full day in Dubai.

30 Inspirational Photos

Object Limerick

MEMORIES:

These objects simply have no price,

They are considered my happy memories devise.


They are books that tell stories about my life,

Each page reminds me of time without strife.


Each experience runs around my mind like little mice.

By: Sean Kenney

Connective Objects