Dubai Day 8: Group Modeling
We were originally supposed to visit the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi- that's right- the Cleveland Clinic has partnered with the UAE!! So, so cool! However, the four hour traveling days were a bit much so this morning was cancelled for us to catch up on some work.
I have been very lucky in that we all work really well together. Nothing is perfect, but the ability to compromise and make decisions together has been really impressive. We slept in a little bit later today and then met for breakfast where we decided how we were going to proceed with our project. I love being efficient so anytime I can do two things at once, I'm really happy. Meetings over meals are my favorite.
After our meeting, we had about an hour before we were going to meet up for lunch. Ebby has been fantastic- everytime I want to go somewhere, she's game. So, not knowing if we were going to be able to get to the beach again, she headed out there with me.... at noon.... in the Middle East...omg, so so hot.
When we first arrived, all I could think of was how beautiful the water was and how badly I wanted to get in it. We didn't really have time for that so we just took a few minutes to walk in the sand and put our feet in the water. After about 5 minutes, I told Ebby I was hot....really hot. I wasn't complaining....just facting. About 5 minutes after that, I told her we were going to have to go. I was sweating like a man. Like a gross man. You could actually wring sweat from my shirt and my face was sweating so much I probably could have drank my own face. Lol, it was a lot.
After our little beach excursion we left for IN5- this was a really cool innovation center in Dubai located in internet city. Something I am very intrigued by is the way they have the city set up- and for many reasons it makes a lot of sense. They have an "internet city"- which is basically a cluster of buildings that are devoted to internet companies; "media city"; "healthcare city"; etc. They do this for efficiecy and collaboration- which I love. In every room they have inspiring quotes and their steps are covered with book titles of pieces made to help advance you as a person.
After In5, we went to BH Architects: a Canadian architecture firm in Dubai. It was really interesting hearing about all the different rules and regulations that go into building here. They mentioned that once a new building goes up, everyone likes to move from their original office to the newest and most modern building. The problem with that is that the other buildings are being left unoccupied. After our meeting with them, they invited us to a Canadian Network Happy Hour at the JW Marriott Downtown.
Funny story- Michelle decided at some point that we all needed to start taking better pictures. She used to model so she is very good at placing people. There were these beautiful flowers in the lobby of the hotel and as we came in she actually forced me to stand next to these flowers to take a picture. She told me I needed to take a sexy picture for Ben (a lot of the trip was teaching Ayo how to be sexy.... don't ask.....) and I insisted that sexy pictures were not possible. So she made me stand in this lobby and actually picked up my limbs and placed them for this picture- I felt like an idiot- but it was really entertaining. My "sexiness" - or really lack thereof- became a joke.
The funny part though, is that, at the end of the evening. When we were walking out of the hotel to go home, Michelle was telling Ayo he needed to go take a sexy picture by the flowers- he is an intelligent man, and also tried to refuse Michelle. I tried to be funny and said, "Here Ayo- as we learned, I'm REALLY good (ladled with sarcasm) at taking sexy pictures- let me remind you how its done." So I went over to the flowers and was being dramatic and when I lifted my foot as Michelle made me do before, I accidentally kicked some older gentleman who insisted I hurt him very very badly and that I should be careful. Michelle did not ask for any more sexy pictures after that :).
But the reception????... holy schmoly that was incredible. They had salads on a spoon, sliders, fritter things, curry fries... so yummy. We also got to meet a lot of really interesting people. So, so fun and so grateful for the opportunity. We let Michelle turn us into "models" for a while and took a thousand pictures of a thousand poses near the window.
During our little "group modeling session," the restaurant photographer came over and insisted on bringing his special light so we could take a really great picture. It was also there that we took, what we deem as, our presidential picture. Future leaders of America people:
I have been very lucky in that we all work really well together. Nothing is perfect, but the ability to compromise and make decisions together has been really impressive. We slept in a little bit later today and then met for breakfast where we decided how we were going to proceed with our project. I love being efficient so anytime I can do two things at once, I'm really happy. Meetings over meals are my favorite.
After our meeting, we had about an hour before we were going to meet up for lunch. Ebby has been fantastic- everytime I want to go somewhere, she's game. So, not knowing if we were going to be able to get to the beach again, she headed out there with me.... at noon.... in the Middle East...omg, so so hot.
When we first arrived, all I could think of was how beautiful the water was and how badly I wanted to get in it. We didn't really have time for that so we just took a few minutes to walk in the sand and put our feet in the water. After about 5 minutes, I told Ebby I was hot....really hot. I wasn't complaining....just facting. About 5 minutes after that, I told her we were going to have to go. I was sweating like a man. Like a gross man. You could actually wring sweat from my shirt and my face was sweating so much I probably could have drank my own face. Lol, it was a lot.
After our little beach excursion we left for IN5- this was a really cool innovation center in Dubai located in internet city. Something I am very intrigued by is the way they have the city set up- and for many reasons it makes a lot of sense. They have an "internet city"- which is basically a cluster of buildings that are devoted to internet companies; "media city"; "healthcare city"; etc. They do this for efficiecy and collaboration- which I love. In every room they have inspiring quotes and their steps are covered with book titles of pieces made to help advance you as a person.
After In5, we went to BH Architects: a Canadian architecture firm in Dubai. It was really interesting hearing about all the different rules and regulations that go into building here. They mentioned that once a new building goes up, everyone likes to move from their original office to the newest and most modern building. The problem with that is that the other buildings are being left unoccupied. After our meeting with them, they invited us to a Canadian Network Happy Hour at the JW Marriott Downtown.
Funny story- Michelle decided at some point that we all needed to start taking better pictures. She used to model so she is very good at placing people. There were these beautiful flowers in the lobby of the hotel and as we came in she actually forced me to stand next to these flowers to take a picture. She told me I needed to take a sexy picture for Ben (a lot of the trip was teaching Ayo how to be sexy.... don't ask.....) and I insisted that sexy pictures were not possible. So she made me stand in this lobby and actually picked up my limbs and placed them for this picture- I felt like an idiot- but it was really entertaining. My "sexiness" - or really lack thereof- became a joke.
The funny part though, is that, at the end of the evening. When we were walking out of the hotel to go home, Michelle was telling Ayo he needed to go take a sexy picture by the flowers- he is an intelligent man, and also tried to refuse Michelle. I tried to be funny and said, "Here Ayo- as we learned, I'm REALLY good (ladled with sarcasm) at taking sexy pictures- let me remind you how its done." So I went over to the flowers and was being dramatic and when I lifted my foot as Michelle made me do before, I accidentally kicked some older gentleman who insisted I hurt him very very badly and that I should be careful. Michelle did not ask for any more sexy pictures after that :).
But the reception????... holy schmoly that was incredible. They had salads on a spoon, sliders, fritter things, curry fries... so yummy. We also got to meet a lot of really interesting people. So, so fun and so grateful for the opportunity. We let Michelle turn us into "models" for a while and took a thousand pictures of a thousand poses near the window.
During our little "group modeling session," the restaurant photographer came over and insisted on bringing his special light so we could take a really great picture. It was also there that we took, what we deem as, our presidential picture. Future leaders of America people:
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