And breathe...deep breath in, deep breath out
Trip Start
Mar 21, 2005
1
17
33
Trip End
Ongoing
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Story #2 of the day: I am in the process of collecting books for a book drive going on downtown. All the proceeds benefit a nonprofit organization that provides medical care for the needy around the world. I printed fliers, collected boxes, and went to talk to some head-honcho man to make sure it would be ok for me to place 5 relatively small boxes around campus, one particularly outside the library as it is the most frequently used area on campus - second only to the cafeteria. He informed me that the box outside the library would not be possible for aesthetic reasons. I could, however, put the boxes in areas that are not so easily viewable such as the photocopy rooms (and, you know, dark rooms, closets, alleys, behind curtains, perhaps in a locker or placed in a bush but only if the bush is completely covering the box so that nobody can see it. right.). I hinted at the fact that *cough* it kind of defeats the purpose of having a collection box huh? The campus adopts the same policy with trash bins...most of which are not conveniently located on campus creating a large liter problem. Perhaps the aesthetically pleasing look they are going for is inspired by the chaotic works of Basquiat, Pollock or my favorite, Anselm Kiefer. I'm going to pretend this is the case...that makes me smile.
Story #3, however, topped them all in that this one required me to bring out the deep breathing techniques I learned from my public speaking professor at penn state. I departed from the university in a jolly mood with a smile on my face as I was on my way to a seminar about writing and book publication in an area called Knowledge Village (AUD is located in Media City and Internet City which borders Knowledge Village. Media City and Internet City include businesses that relate to the media and the internet. duh. Similarly, Knowledge Village houses bookstores, temp agencies, universities, training schools, etc. It's your one-stop-shop for knowledge...or something like that...). By my calculations, Knowledge Village should be a 20 minute walk TOPS. As I was walking out of Media city and onto Jumeirah Beach Road, I encountered The Palm Jumeirah construction. For those of you who are unfamiliar, The Palm is an island being built to house resorts, shops, restaurants and residencies. And yes...the island is in the shape of a palm tree. Cute huh? (not really...) So continuing with the story, being slightly confused as to where a pedestrian is permitted to walk, I stopped a security guard and asked. "No ma'am, only taxi." Well that was not about to happen. First of all, I could see Knowledge Village - an estimated 5 minute walk away at that point. There was no way I was going to get in a taxi for a 5 minute walk. Secondly, I like to walk, I wanted to walk and by golly I was going to do it! I recall myself sounding like my mother: "It's the principal behind it." Thinking this way, I created my own path (probably not the most intelligent act as the locals drive like maniacs). Getting from point A to point B was a difficult task which required some strategic planning. Crossing the street was an adventure in itself as Jumeirah Beach Road is busy. Toss rush-hour traffic into the mix and it was a live Frogger game in which I was the frog and the Atari joystick was slightly delayed in responding. After dodging traffic and making it to the other side, I had to walk along the side of the road for roughly 50 feet until I came upon an intersection. I breathed a sign of relief when I saw the crosswalks, but soon reverted to the deep breathing techniques I spoke about earlier when I realized that either every driver was blind or they simply saw crosswalks as suggestions - only if one is in that "feel good, do good" mood. Whether it was visual impairment or a pms holiday, I switched into Frogger mode and progressed. My deep breathing was halted when I came across a path created for pedestrians. Woo hoo! Although the path required climbing up a step and sandy hill, I regained faith in the government's view of city walkers. This was of course lost when I reached the end of the 50 feet path and realized that, well, it ended. On the positive side, there was another path. Unfortunately, it was on the other side of the road. Frogger mode again - dodging traffic, horns blaring, people shouting vulgarities and words you might only hear in a Psych ward and finally I made it. And hence my bitterness. (don't worry, my next post will be a positive one)
