I met Haile!

After months of working on the Dubai Marathon, it was an awesome surprise to run into Ethiopian athlete, world record holder, and Dubai Marathon winner Haile Gebrselassie. Yup, literally, ran into him as I was on my way to the post-marathon party. Amazing!!!!!

The Dubai Marathon - a huge success!!!

Hurray! After all the sweat and tears, the Dubai Marathon is finally over. It was a huge success and one of the greatest projects I have ever worked on.

This past Friday was the big day! The Dubai Marathon attracted thousands of runners for the full marathon, 10K, and 3K fun run.

Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie attempted to break his own world record and walk away with a million dollar bonus, but the 66 degree weather and a bad back didn't help his effort. He set his world record in Berlin in 2008, and failed to break it by a little over two minutes. He finished in 2hr 6min 9sec, while the record time is 2hr 3min 59sec. However, Haile still won his third successive Dubai Marathon with great fanfare. His ever-faithful fans stood at the finish line and cheered for hours in celebration of another great win in Dubai!

Henry and Joseph finished 16th overall in the 10K. Go H & J! To learn more about Henry and Joseph's amazing story, please read their story below. Henry is a blind Kenyan runner and olympic gold medalist. He runs tied by a tether at the wrist to his guide Joseph to raise awareness about preventable blindness. They are truly an inspiration!

It was a beautiful day with all the events running smoothly - interviews with all the elite athletes, finish-line activities including drummers, face painters, balloon benders and the biggest attraction, water walkers! I had an awesome team of volunteers. There was tons of music, food, and fancy-dress! Thanks to everyone who came out to make the day such a huge success.

I even had time to do the 3K 'Seeing is Believing' Run!

Henry and Joseph were proud. I've now promised them that I'd do a 10K in 2010! uh oh...

Pre-Marathon setup: fun times all hours of the night!

The night before set-up was stressful, but fun. It is always fun to see events that you are working on come together....and as always, there were glitches, but in this case, it didnt even matter because they were minor and we were all really excited for the next day. We finished setup around 2am and needed to be up again at 4:30am to start the day! Volunteers were arriving at 5am and crowds would start trickling in at 5:30am. Needless to say, there was lots of coffee.

Marathon - start time @ 6:30am

10K - start time @ 6:45am

3K - start time @ 11:00am

Here we go!

Henry Wanyoike & Joseph Kibunja arrive in Dubai!

This week, I'm hosting Henry Wanyoike and Joseph Kibunja. Henry is a blind Kenyan runner and gold medalist. He received his gold medals at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Paralympics and is the current world record holder for both events. I have been fortunate to host them before when they visited New York to run in the ING NYC marathon. It was like a homecoming to see them again, but this time in Dubai. Henry Wanyoike and Joseph Kibunja are the most inspiring people I have ever met. A brief summary of their story: Henry always wanted to be an athlete. As a child, he was groomed to join an elite corps of athletes that would represent Kenya in world-class races. He excelled at the 5,000 and 10,000-meter distances. However, at the age of 19, he went to sleep one night and suffered a stoke, which caused him to lose his sight. Despite many obstacles, Henry still ran. He learned to run with a guide and despite being blind, became a world champion runner. Henry actually was so fast he outran many of his guides and eventually convinced his childhood friend, Joseph Kibunja to run and race with him. Joseph wanted to make Henry's dreams come true and thus trained and now they are world record holders of the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the Paralympics. They are also the official Goodwill Ambassadors for ‘Seeing is Believing’, Standard Chartered's global initiative to tackle avoidable blindness through education and sight restoration projects. Henry and Joseph travel around the world and race in 10Ks and marathons, while also participating in many speaking platforms to raise awareness about Seeing is Believing. They are a true example of how through partnership, anything is possible. To learn more about Henry and Joseph, please click here.

During their visit, we went to Jumeirah College and Royal Dubai School. Henry and Joseph spoke to over 800 students. They were also interviewed by the National Newspaper, Khaleej times, Gulf news, CNN, and several other news outlets.

Check out these stories:

Blind runner inspires students in Dubai

Wanyoike keeps the dream alive

'I lost my sight, but i never lost my vision': blind runner aids others

Another day lost in Dubai

So. Sarah and I had to go to Royal Dubai School to drop off some presentation materials.... Again, since there is no official address system in Dubai that is useful for driving directions, a half hour drive turned into a 2+ hour drive. Here is the map we were working off of that was drawn by a gas station attendant. Sigh.

Cracking....

The marathon is in 3 days. I'm not gonna lie, there is so much to do and I am definitely sleep deprived and starting to crack. note ridiculous photos. i am running away from the room in the last one. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

what am i dressed as you ask? a cheer stick! or some may call them boom sticks, noisemakers, bangers. click here to see normal looking ones.

on the bright side - the marathon is doing really well with race organizers shutting down registration because we are completely at maximum capacity - the highest showing the marathon has ever see in its 10 years of existence. Hurray! Read the full article by clicking here.

An Emirati Wedding

Thursday night I was lucky enough to attend an Emirati Wedding. My friend works for a design house which specializes in Emirati wedding gowns so I was able to go and witness a real local celebration: the marriage of Omran & Nawal. I realized that attending a wedding really is the best way to learn about a culture. It really taught me a great deal about the traditions and customs of the people here.

An interesting fact to know is that the UAE gives nationals Dh70,000 to get married. That is approximately $19,000. This is called the Marriage Fund and it was started in 1992 to encourage nationals to get married. However, the wedding event is apparently so expensive that the $19,000 is not sufficient.

The wedding comprises of several events:

Engagement party: This is held only for women. The bride receives her dowry (this amount ranges but in a recent article it is approximately Dh10,000) plus jewelry, perfume, fabrics, etc.

Henna night: This is two nights before the wedding. The bride is decorated with henna designs.

Last night of the wedding: The men have dinner separately and have their own event. The women gather on the last day and have a huge party which includes the biggest event, the unveiling of the bride in her gown. There is a lot of food, dancing, and gift offerings. At the end of the night, the groom arrives with his father, brothers, and the bride's father and brothers. The night ends with the couple leaving together as man and wife.

I got to attend the last night. It was a very lavish occasion. The giant ballroom held approximately 500 women. There was a huge stage like a real fashion show runway that was in the middle of the room with an ornate backdrop. The women close to the bride all wore bright and bejeweled gowns and they danced back and forth on the stage. The rest of the room was filled with friends and family of the bride and most were dressed in Islamic cloaks or abayas. The buffet was the largest and most delicious buffet i have ever been to. there was lots of tahini. Throughout the night you are served tons of different drinks - coffee, tea, green tea, rose water milk, you name it. There was also endless trays of sweets and chocolates.

The bride entered the room at about 10pm and she did a slow procession by herself to the stage. Her dress was off-white and had a great deal of beadwork and crystals on the bodice. The skirt was heavily pleated and designers helped arrange the train as she walked across the room. It was really stunning, too bad no photos are allowed at the wedding. Dancing continued on the stage while everyone goes up individually to greet the bride and wish her well. The bride is only really at the wedding for about 2 hours.

The men arrived at midnight and the women stopped dancing on stage. The groom greeted the bride and it was very interesting to see as this was probably the first time he saw her without her abaya.

Anyway, it was great to see a wedding that was so different than a western wedding. I was very fortunate to be included since the handful of designers and I were really the only non-Emirati people present at the event. neat.

Dubai ramblings..

Pro: Many free unlimited drinking deals during the week, especially for the ladies. Free tuesday champagne, free thursday frozen margs, free wine....This weekend however, i did still find it necessary to add another shot of tequila to my free marg. silly girl.

Con: I can't buy liquor for my apartment because I dont have a residence visa and that is what you need to get a liquor license. Luckily, liquor is served in hotels and nightclubs and since there are many of those, it isnt really a problem. ***Tip: Buy liquor @ duty free when arriving at the airport *** That means you Brak. bring me my liquor...I believe 2 bottles is the max though so choose wisely.

Pro: There are lots of modes of transportation. It isn't difficult to get a ride as taxis are plentiful.

Con: There is no standard address system in Dubai. Seriously. This definitely causes some problems when initially trying to get around or when you are trying to mail something and understand where its going. Most establishments whether it is a home or a business mostly have P.O. boxes as their addresses and no street names as a reference point. Also, I have noticed that wherever there are numbered street names....they don't go in any kind of order. There will literally be a 11b street with a 4c right after and then a 7a street. There is no logic.

This also makes it really challenging to tell a taxi where to go, you end up becoming really good with landmarks here. For example, I got to the school i needed to visit the other day by saying " The school is on the street after the Arabian Center, but before the roundabout. Go past the mosque and make a U turn and it will be on the left." There are also TONS of roundabouts and U turns here. If you miss a turn, you'll end up adding another 20 minutes to your trip to get back on track again.

Apparently, in the past year they have re-vamped the system and there is a movement more towards road names versus P.O. boxes. Maps have been printed with areas divided up into sections like districts to help better identify certain parts of Dubai. Hurray! Hopefully this system catches on. I seriously saw a little map drawn on a piece of mail the other day next to the P.O. address. it had an arrow pointing to the street after the grocery store.

basically, dont take your address and how easy you can get mail for granted!

A Walk Along Shindagha Waterfront

The gang and I took a water bus up the Dubai Creek from the Al Seef station to the Bur Dubai station. It's a pretty ride at night and you get to see all the buildings lit up on both the Bur Dubai and Deira side.

After the boat ride, we walked along the waterfront of Shindagha, which is located at the mouth of the Dubai Creek. The Heritage and Diving Village is located here which showcases Bedouin village life and has displays about boat building and pearl diving. The waterfront is full of locals and visitors relaxing outside and smoking sheesha at Kan Zaman, a restaurant with outside seating and a view of the creek.

Since it's the "winter" time right now the evenings are really pleasant and everyone takes advantage of being outside in the great weather!

*** Summer in Dubai is June to September. It is apparently unbearable with extreme heat and over 80% humidity....and that's why everyone escapes indoors to the malls. It is even gross outside in the evenings during this period. The best time to visit Dubai and its high season for tourism is between December and March. ***

School visits!

Thursday was my first Dubai school visit. For the marathon, elite blind runner Henry Wanyoike will be participating in the 10K. Henry is also a Seeing is Believing ambassador, raising awareness about preventable blindness around the world by running tied to his childhood friend and guide, Joseph. Henry also inspires through many speaking platforms and particularly enjoys meeting with children at local schools. We are working with GEMS Education, which has an extensive network of international schools especially in Dubai.

It was a great day meeting with teachers and working on hopefully a fun and insightful program for the kids!

More Marathon Mania!

13 days to go until the marathon.

Things are somewhat on track and there's more ads out now online and all over town too. The bus stations look great and this week we launched a bridge banner! It's exciting. Here are some snapshots.

Again, if you haven't registered, visit www.dubaimarathon.org and also join our "Fancy Dress" contest! Favorite costumes that I've seen are: whoopie cushions, sheep, and bananas. go crazy.

The Bastakiya Quarter & the Dubai Museum

I live in Bur Dubai and many parts of it is filled with hotels, office blocks and incomplete residential buildings, but along the Creek is where you get a glimpse of all the history of old Dubai.

The Bastakiya quarter has gone under major renovation so although it represents old Dubai, it actually looks brand new. All the buildings have been restored to their original state with Arabic decor and wind towers. Check out the photo of the camel design panel!

I spent the afternoon @ Dubai Museum, which is actually housed in Al Fahidi Fort. The fort used to be the main defense outpost in Dubai along the Creek. The museum is a must see for people who are visiting Dubai for the first time. It really gives visitors a sense of the culture and Dubai's history as a trading city. There is also a really good exhibit about the desert, irrigation systems, and Dubai "souks", or open-air marketplaces.

Karama Square Shopping

knock-offs galore. let me add....GOOD QUALITY knock-offs! Karama Square has hundreds of stores with hidden back rooms filled with clothing, watches, bags, belts, wallets, Arabian crafts, you name it. it's a must visit for anyone who likes to shop and its definitely the perfect place to practice haggling. remember, start at half the price and be aggressive!!!!

and yes, i know i look crazy in the Christian Audigier zipup. and in case you can't see, that's Omar in the teeny tiny "fitting room" behind that wall...after shopping, wander around to find $1 falafel and other tasty treats.

New Year's Party on Palm Island

New Year's Eve started with a pitstop at McDonald's. Once we fueled up, we were off to say goodbye to 2009!

In addition to the Atlantis, Palm Island is filled with gigantic vacation homes and residences. Instead of dealing with long lines and crowds at the clubs, we decided to go to a party being hosted on the Palm, a villa located on Frond E to be exact:)

It was an awesome setup. The organizers rented a huge villa that had its own private beach and pool. There were bouncers, a DJ, a caterer, fully stocked bar, and some Sheesha lounges set up on the beach. it really was a gorgeous night with a lot of fun people and fireworks at midnight.

The night flew by with a lot of drinks, sheesha smoking, awkward PDA, and of course, swimming in our fancy-dress. surprisingly, the water was not that cold.