Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Disc-Shaped Building in Al Raha, At Night
I posted pictures of a disc-shaped building in Al Raha before on this blog (18 July 2010 Post). I believe the building is now open to a few tenants. There is still construction going on around the building grounds. It is hard to miss this building at night along the Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway, especially now that it is lit up. I decided to stop by to take a few pictures at night. The building is next to Al Raha Mall, just outside Abu Dhabi, and the mall parking lot is a good venue for taking pictures of this building.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Go Seahawks!
I've followed the Seattle Seahawks religiously since the team's inception in 1976. I watched the football games on TV on Sunday mornings/afternoons and the occasional Monday Night appearances. I have followed them as they changed their home field to the Kingdome, a short foray to the Husky Stadium, and then to their current home at Qwest Field. I have lived through the painful early years of coaches Patera and McCormack, the team's first successes with coach Chuck Knox, and the team's ups and downs with coaches Flores, Erickson, and Holmgren. I followed the team during their inaugural year in the NFC West in 1976, which after that season they were moved to the AFC West. After building up rivalries against Oakland, Denver, KC, and San Diego in the AFC West, I was disappointed when the NFL moved the Seahawks back to NFC West in 2002 because of league realignment. However, the Seahawks enjoyed divisional successes after the most recent realignment.
I have been overseas for the past six years. I was able to follow the team in 2005, while I was working in Iraq, thanks to Armed Forces Network (AFN) providing live televised games. I continued to follow the team during the same season that led to their only Super Bowl appearance, again thanks to AFN, when I was in Bosnia. The last four years while in Germany, I have not been able to follow the team as much because of the lack of coverage. I have only followed them thru internet updates and the occasional televised games. So I have missed most of the later years of coach Holmgren and the forgettable year of coach Mora.
This season, with coach Carroll, I was able to watch a few games during the early morning hours while in Abu Dhabi. I watched the last few games of the season on TV while in was back in Seattle, in which they stumbled to a 2-3 record in their last five games. It has not been a great season, but the Seahawks managed to win the weak NFC West with a sub .500 record. Not only did this qualify them for the post-season, but with a division title they hosted a wild card playoff game. They accomplished the almost improbable by beating the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints. They are in Chicago today playing the Bears for the right to host the Green Bay Packers for the NFC title next week.
In the morning of 5 Dec 2010, still four to five hours before the Seahawks were about to host the Carolina Panthers, a few of my nieces, nephews, a family friend and I were headed north of Seattle to do Christmas shopping at an outlet center. We stopped at a Starbucks coffee shop near Qwest Field to get java drinks for the road. After picking up my order, I noticed this little girl dressed and painted up in Seahawks regalia. I asked her and her father, if I could take her picture. She happily complied. The Seahawks ended up winning that game, later that day. So in wishing success to the Seahawks for today's game, I post this picture of the little girl. Go Seahawks!
I have been overseas for the past six years. I was able to follow the team in 2005, while I was working in Iraq, thanks to Armed Forces Network (AFN) providing live televised games. I continued to follow the team during the same season that led to their only Super Bowl appearance, again thanks to AFN, when I was in Bosnia. The last four years while in Germany, I have not been able to follow the team as much because of the lack of coverage. I have only followed them thru internet updates and the occasional televised games. So I have missed most of the later years of coach Holmgren and the forgettable year of coach Mora.
This season, with coach Carroll, I was able to watch a few games during the early morning hours while in Abu Dhabi. I watched the last few games of the season on TV while in was back in Seattle, in which they stumbled to a 2-3 record in their last five games. It has not been a great season, but the Seahawks managed to win the weak NFC West with a sub .500 record. Not only did this qualify them for the post-season, but with a division title they hosted a wild card playoff game. They accomplished the almost improbable by beating the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints. They are in Chicago today playing the Bears for the right to host the Green Bay Packers for the NFC title next week.
In the morning of 5 Dec 2010, still four to five hours before the Seahawks were about to host the Carolina Panthers, a few of my nieces, nephews, a family friend and I were headed north of Seattle to do Christmas shopping at an outlet center. We stopped at a Starbucks coffee shop near Qwest Field to get java drinks for the road. After picking up my order, I noticed this little girl dressed and painted up in Seahawks regalia. I asked her and her father, if I could take her picture. She happily complied. The Seahawks ended up winning that game, later that day. So in wishing success to the Seahawks for today's game, I post this picture of the little girl. Go Seahawks!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Directions to and out of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin
Back in May 2008, a friend and I traveled to various places in Scotland and Ireland from Germany. The trip ended in Dublin. One of the sights we saw in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse. For some strange reason, in Ireland a brewery is not able to host public visitors for tours. That is why the Guinness public tours are held in a "storehouse" instead of a brewery. We noticed another brewery that we wanted to tour in Cork, Ireland earlier in the trip, and for the same reason, they did not hold tours.
The brewery is nearby, but separate from the storehouse. The storehouse holds an impressive tour of the place showing you the history of the beer and how it became popular worldwide, as well the process in making the dry stout. The self guided tour finishes with a free pint of Guinness at the top (seventh floor) of the building in the Gravity Bar. A great view of the city is afforded from Gravity Bar. Anyway, I documented, via pictures, the way into and out of the Guinness Storehouse. The pictures only show the way in and out of the storehouse. I will post photos from the tour and inside the storehouse in my flickr account (Guinness Storehouse and Tour Photos).
The brewery is nearby, but separate from the storehouse. The storehouse holds an impressive tour of the place showing you the history of the beer and how it became popular worldwide, as well the process in making the dry stout. The self guided tour finishes with a free pint of Guinness at the top (seventh floor) of the building in the Gravity Bar. A great view of the city is afforded from Gravity Bar. Anyway, I documented, via pictures, the way into and out of the Guinness Storehouse. The pictures only show the way in and out of the storehouse. I will post photos from the tour and inside the storehouse in my flickr account (Guinness Storehouse and Tour Photos).
Friday, January 7, 2011
Welcome Back Treats
I am back in Abu Dhabi after being away for about 40 days. I left my house in Seattle at 4:45AM on 3 Jan and arrived at my apartment in Abu Dhabi at 9PM on 4 Jan. That is a total of 29+ hours of travel time -- Seattle to Dallas, Dallas to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi, and a couple of layover wait in Dallas and Frankfurt.
I am somewhat glad to be back. I have roughly 2 1/2 months to finish out here in Abu Dhabi before I return to Seattle. It was nice to have treats (chocolates, cookies, and marzipan stollen or german bread) awaiting on my dining room table.
It's been tough the first two days of work because of the adjustment to the time difference of 12 hours between Seattle and Abu Dhabi. Luckily, I have Friday and Saturday off to fully adjust.
I am somewhat glad to be back. I have roughly 2 1/2 months to finish out here in Abu Dhabi before I return to Seattle. It was nice to have treats (chocolates, cookies, and marzipan stollen or german bread) awaiting on my dining room table.
It's been tough the first two days of work because of the adjustment to the time difference of 12 hours between Seattle and Abu Dhabi. Luckily, I have Friday and Saturday off to fully adjust.
Friday, December 31, 2010
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