Snow Skiing in the Middle East

Woke up in the hotel and went for a great breakfast buffet that was included in the room.  I ate outside on a grassy area that overlooks the lagoon.  It was simply spectacular.  The weather was around 80 degrees as people started meandering by the pool.  I went with a friend and went snow skiing.  Skiing in the Middle East are you serious?  Yes, it’s a place called Ski Dubai which is an indoor ski slope, which is actually pretty big and its also in a gigantic mall.  The 2-hour lift ticket covered ski rental and clothes.  We put on some sort of ski outfit.  This place had a snow play area where most of the other people went.  Most people just don’t know how to ski here, go figure.  So it was mainly ex-pats on the slopes.  It had a four person chair lift and also a tow rope.  It actually went pretty high.  The snow wasn’t icy, but a lot of fresh man-made powder.  It took about five minutes to get to the bottom of the slope and about ten minutes to ride up the lift.  The last time I was skiing was with my daughter four years ago when I lived in Dublin, CA, before I moved to Saudi.  So skiing today was loads of fun but it also brought back some pretty harsh realities.  That day I had skiing with my daughter was pretty special.  I’m not sure when I’m ever going to get that back again.  X has her believing some pretty horrific lies about me that my daughter will eventually figure out, but in the mean time my relationship is so strained.  I really was a great dad at one point and now I can’t even talk to my children, they don’t call and don’t take my calls.  I hope this changes soon.  I miss them so. 

It was interesting on the chair lift up.  I met some really interesting people.  We had these short 10 minute conversations that were pretty fascinating.  One guy was from Italy and we talked about Italian film directors, like Guiseppie Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) and the Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone.  Then I met an Egyptian who hadn’t been skiing for 15 years because the last time he skied he torn ligaments in his leg in a bad accident.  The ride up with me was his first ride, so he was a little nervous testing out his leg again.  Its like falling off a horse, you just have to get back on eventually.  A met a few other interesting people.  I didn’t realize how good I was on the slopes.  Skiing always used to scare me as a kid.  But I’ve been doing it for so long, I think I have the hang of it finally.  I emailed my daughter trying to get her to come out a visit. I offered to take her skiing in the Swiss Alps.   If the kids do come visit, like I hope and pray that they will…I will let them pick out one country in Europe, Asia, or Africa that they’d like to visit and we’d go there.  I know my daughter always liked Venice or Paris…but mainly she wanted to go Italy for the Pasta.  She’s a pastaterian…or at least she used to be.  It was a strange sensation being in the Middle East and then being in a building where you could see your breath.  It was quite cool actually-pun intended. 

Im trying to hurry up and write so I can post this.  My 24 hour internet connection ends in a couple of minutes and Im trying to post so I don’t have to subscribe again because Im leaving in the morning at 6 am.  Im taking the early flight back so I won’t have to miss my acting classes.  I feel such a responsibility to my students.  They are paying a lot of money and I want to be sure they get the best education possible.  I have been working six day work weeks since the classes started, but luckily no burnout yet, these side trips help a bit with that.  We have a local quasi-celebrity coming to class tomorrow.  There is a radio-TV deejay named Krazy Kevin.  Apparently he’s pretty popular on the island especially amongst the kids.  He’s going to be hosting his TV show from our classes tomorrow.  It should provide some pretty good publicity.  After skiing, I went back to the hotel and laid out by the pool for awhile.  That’s quite a weather contrast.  While I was relaxing in this luxurious setting, it just made me long for a mate to be able to share this with.  I have a pretty good life right now, and to be able to share these romantic experience I think would be divine.  I do have a prospect out there.  When the time is right, I’ll introduce her to you.

Oh yeah afterwards went to the film festival and screened several films.  I wish I could have met the filmmakers to help their films be better.  Some of them were really bad but there were a couple of decent ones.  Met up with Khalifa at the festival and then we went to dinner.  He’s an interesting man with a lot of stories.  I’ll have to tell you about his father the pearl diver at a later date. 

 OK..im going to post.  I hope I beat the deadline.