Beyond Samarkand

Ash arrived yesterday morning. I was able to get the visa just the day before that. The visa process is a story that will need some writing and explaining. I'll also write up a guide for other expats out there. Knowing the process and what to expect will make things much less stressful, for them at least. In other good news got a short e-mail from my brother, Chip, on facebook. Looks like he is taking first steps to join the internet age. Hopefully we'll be in better contact from now on, though if he's like the rest of my family I doubt the whole internet thing will really catch on with him. Sigh.

One of the many nice things about Abu Dhabi is we have real internet. The system I am on is fiberoptic, though the speeds don't match up to the speeds I had in Japan three years ago, they are good. And after Saudi Arabia they are fantastic. So, internet gaming is a valid hobby from here, as is playing Assassins Creed: Brotherhood on the Xbox. With the summer heat already turning on, indoor hobbies will be a must for the next couple of months. Of course, it's fall I'm really looking forward to with the release of the new Star Wars MMO, "The Old Republic".

Yesterday was the lasts hang-up in getting Ash's visa, the form returned to me for incomplete information that the person I submitted it through told me was fine not to include. The form went from him, two days ago, to another person in the company. That person, rather than call me as he could have easily done, you know, to help out a fellow company employee and all, sent the form back. This would have cost me two days in application procedure and have made me need to book another plane ticket. Instead, I found out there is express service available that gets the visa back in two days, it does cost 100 dirhams, about $30. I paid the fee, and concealed my annoyance they didn't tell me that in the first place. If all goes well Ash will be out here in Abu Dhabi next Wednesday morning. The house has some basic furniture and, of course, it has two cats. So life will be back to normal finally. Our household stuff should arrive by the end of the month, and then we'll have everyt