Having the opportunity to start a new adventure late in my career, I have decided to start this blog as a journal to record my thoughts and experiences while they are still fresh in my mind for myself as well as any family or friends that may have an interest.  I have named the title after a Mark Twain novel from 1869,”The Innocents Abroad”, a record of his travels through the Mediterranean and the Holy Lands.

So how, at age 57, did I find myself (along with my wife, who has always been a good sport about my adventures) selling our house, cars, and 90% of our worldly possessions and heading off to the Middle East?  It all started with a lawn treatment last spring that I didn’t ask for or want.  This led to a parking lot phone call at work that serendipously coincided with the arrival of a benchmarking team visit from the United Arab Emirates. I wound up getting involved in the meeting with them. They are in the process of building some nuclear plants and had an interest in the type of work I was involved in during the recent startup of Watts Bar Unit 2.  The timing was right, and after a bit of research about the area, we decided to make a go of it.  Flash forward six months and here we are.

I’ve been here a couple of months now and have learned a few interesting details about the country. These don’t hardly paint the picture with a full brush, but hey, it’s my blog.  Here ya go.

• The United Arab Emirates is comprised of seven emirates. It became an independent country in 1971 after years as a British protectorate. It was previously known as the Trucial States
• Abu Dhabi is by far the largest emirate (87% of the land mass) and the wealthiest, followed by Dubai, then five smaller emirates to the east near/on the Oman border.
• The country has over 9 million residents, but only about 1.5 million emirates. About half of the large expat community is made up of Indian and Pakistanis. The government website has a goal of a more balanced demographic mix by 2021.
• The currency is the dirham, which is pegged to the US dollar (3.67 dirham = $1). They operate a balanced budget, which for 2018 is 51.4 billion dirhams (about $14 billion).  General and higher education is the single largest expenditure at 17% of the budget.
• The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest manmade structure in the world at 2,722 feet.
• Pearl Oysters (Lulu) were a significant source of income in pre-oil days, dating back some 7,000 years. There are records of extensive pearl trading in Roman times. The industry reached a peak in the early 20^th century when about 1200 pearling boats harvested some $2 million in pearls.  The industry fell in decline with the advent of cultivated pearls by the Japanese.
• Women in the UAE account for 70% of university graduates and about 2/3 of the government workforce.
• Following the devastating 2011 tornadoes that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, the UAE government donated over $500,000 dollars to provide a laptop computer for every high school senior.
• ‘Ferrari World’ on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest indoor theme park and has the world’s fastest roller coaster, 0-150 mph in 5 seconds.
• When asked about the future of his emirate, the founding father of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid, replied that his grandfather and father rode camels, he drove a Mercedes, his son drives a Land Rover as will his grandson. But his great grandson will ride a camel.
• In 2013, 40% of the worlds physical gold trade took place in Dubai.
• According the World Economic Forum, the UAE is the second safest country in the world behind Finland. The US is 84^th.
• The UAE is the 6^th largest producer of aluminum in the world.
• There is no legal requirement to stop at stop signs in the UAE.
• The first dog park in the UAE recently opened in Ras Al Khaimah.
• The UAE is the largest marine terminal and port operator in the Middle East, operating 77 maritime ports around the world in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Cyprus, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
• Sand storms can happen a few times each year. They are typically no higher than 50 feet, but can be much higher (a mile or more) at high wind speeds. They can last from a few hours to a few days.
• Your address isn’t nearly as important as your cell phone. You provide your cell number for everything.  There aren’t zip codes, and you only have mail delivery by paying for a PO Box.  Anything else you get is arranged for delivery by a courier.  Who, of course, calls your cell phone.
• Although the UAE is very much dependent on the oil and gas industry for income, global warming is accepted as reality and a serious threat. They are building nuclear plants and incorporating natural gas buses into their public transportation to help reduce emissions.

That’s a start.  Lots more to learn and adventures to take.