Among some of my faculty colleagues in New York, NYU Abu Dhabi and the recreation of NYU as a Global Network University remain controversial, if not downright undesirable, projects. Some of my colleagues have gone so far as to engage in e-mail diatribes against those...
Definition: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action (from Merriam-Webster). Example: trying to recycle in Abu Dhabi. Recycling in Abu Dhabi involves taking this ......
As I write in the waning hours of June 20, we are still 3 hours from the June solstice, which (according to the Seasons Calculator at timeanddate.com) is due to take place locally at 3:08 GST on June 21. I grew up calling it the "summer solstice," but that, I now...
Abu Dhabi is a dusty city, not surprising given its location on the Arabian Peninsula. It's also a city with a penchant for building glass towers. Winter sandstorms, summer humidity, and year-round construction mean that the glass on the towers gets mighty dirty...
or, "Friday on the Corniche with George." [Avec l'iPhone 4s et un peu d'aide de Photoshop Elements et des excuses à Georges Seurat.]
It's exhilarating, but not a little strange, to be living in a country that's younger than I am. I turned 50 back in October; the United Arab Emirates turn 40 tomorrow. Every December 2, the country celebrates "National Day," which commemorates the day on which the...
In case you were wondering, those of you reading the blog back in the USA, yes, we do have cloudy days here in Abu Dhabi. Right now at 9:30 a.m., it's about 80 F, windy, and mostly cloudy. Very pleasant, actually, especially considering that it's the last day in...
This year's Thanksgiving animal of choice was the camel. No, we didn't eat one. In fact, we've deferred our celebratory Thanksgiving meal until Saturday, when we'll be joining a number of NYUAD colleagues here in Sama Tower. But we spent much of our day in search of...