Mission 2013's Travel Blog

Introduction

This blog follows the spring trip adventures of MIT’s Terrascope Program.  Terrascope is a learning program for MIT freshman.  Each year the program begins with the class (12.000 Solving Complex Problems, Mission 201x).  This year, Mission 2013 was charged with  developing a comprehensive plan to deal with the global rise in CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.  The students researched the problem and presented their solution in the form of a website as well as a public presentation followed by interrogation by a panel of experts.

In the Spring semester most Terrascope students take part in one or more of three activities.  These include: a hands-on class where the students work on designing, building and implementing solutions to their problem; Terrascope Radio, where the students produce a series of radio programs on their topic including the field trip; and lastly the Terrascope field experience. This year the field trip was focused on Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi.  Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Initiative is focused on sustainability and the development of renewable energy technologies. Carbon Capture and Sequestration is a key component of the Masdar Initiative and Terrascope students are getting an up-close look at the planning and execution of cutting-edge technologies.

Many people have helped to make this trip possible.  At Masdar, the complex logistics have been coordinated by Zarmineh Rab and Laurence De Baets.  At MIT Steve Griffiths and Pat Vargas of the MIT/Abu Dhabi Program, a part of the MIT Technology and Development Program, have been incredible in helping us arrange all aspects of the trip, and came to Abu Dhabi this week to make sure all went well. These four have have made this trip remarkable and we owe them all our thanks.

The Massiah Foundation generously supported the trip this year and we are all extremely grateful.

Slide Show

There's an MIT slideshow from the trip at the MIT News page. Check it out.

Sabkha Traverse

As part of the Terrascope team, I worked with the students enrolled in 12.000, teaching the students to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) that helped them address the complex problem of Carbon Storage and Sequetration (CSS).  Students in the Mission 2013 class used GIS to find the lowest cost routes from carbon sources (fossil fuel fired power plants) in the Boston area to possible sequestration sites in a deep saline formation in central New York.  The students also exported their data to Google Earth, a data visualization tool that most of the students were already familiar with.  Throughout the semester I worked with different teams that were developing aspects of the solution with spatial solutions.

During the Massiah Foundation-Terrascope field trip to Abu Dhabi, I collected information about the different sites that we visited.  As part of my work, I created this map which shows the traverse that the Terrascope team made across the sabkhas, extensive mud flats off the coast of Abu Dhabi, led by Stephen Lokier, a member of the Geology faculty of the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi.  As other bloggers on the Terrascope team have already described, we made a traverse across the microbial mat facies, which was hot, muddy, and very beautiful.  In many ways the sabkha is a modern analog to ancient environments that the oil Abu Dhabi pumps today from depths of 3000 feet, formed in.  Along the way, I used a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit  to collect data. Using the Google Map API, I then created the map. The map has markers indicating significant stops along our traverse.  If you click on a marker, you will see information about the stop and a picture of what we saw there.  The map you will find by clicking on this link uses the same base data available in Google Maps, an online mapping tool that many of the students are familar with.

You need to have Javascript enabled in your browser to see the map.

I also collected many of the routes we took across the United Arab Emirates.  I am compiling a map which will include these routes and information about all of the stops that we made during the field trip.  I will be posting it on this blog in a couple of days.

Daniel Sheehan

Better Together

Sitting in the London Airport with the return to Boston ever looming, I can't help but feel sentimental about the end of out trip.  This whirlwind week has been absolutely incredible, mostly due to the amazing friendships I've made, the thought provoking discussions I've had, and the memories we've all shared.  It probably explains why I choose Jack Johnson's song Better Together for my final post.

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart,
our dreams, and they are made out of real things
like a shoebox of photographs
with sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer
at least for most of the questions in my heart, like
Why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

Learning about Masdar, the mud flats, and getting a glimpse of the culture of the UAE was fascinating, yet what made the trip unforgettable was the incredible group of people I was fortunate enough to spend time with.  Even when the details of what specific types of material they are using to build Masdar and the exact amounts of electricity produced by the renewable energy technology they are using begin to blur, the memories of the people I've met and gotten a chance to know will always remain sharp and distinct for me to look back on and reminisce over.  Somehow, being away from home, isolated from our comfort zone, broke the ice of the group, allowing discussion and bonding in a way you couldn't have in the midst of problem sets and tests back at MIT.

What stands out most in my mind are the philosophical discussions we were able to have, ranging from human nature to social responsibility, the laughs we shared while rolling in sand dunes, the unbelievable kindness and willingness of the people at Masdar to talk to us and share their knowledge with us, the late nights together on the beach under the stars.  It's these kind of moments that really remind you what's important.  It's so easy to get caught up in grades and school work and to forget about what makes life special.  It's the relationships that count, the moments you share with others really are the most valuable.

And now, it's time for all the thank yous.  So many people went into making this trip possible, and unfortunately words never seem to capture how appreciate I truly am for all those who have given of themselves for my benefit.  I can never express how thankful I am to those who have helped enable the opportunities I have had.  So to those at the Massiah Institute, MIT, and Masdar who made this trip possible - thank you.  To all the chaperons, organizers, and mentors involved with the class (Sam, Ari, Debra, Seth Erin, the alumni mentors, the UTFs) - I think I can speak for the whole class when I say it's people like you that make MIT the incredible community it is.  And I would be remiss not to thank my parents for encouraging me to reach for my dreams.  Thank you.

The one worry I have as our trip concludes (beyond the mounds to homework waiting my return) is that budget cuts will prevent future classes from having such incredible experiences.  The lasting connections I've made through Terrascope are something that can't be quantified, and are a large part of why I've considered my first year at MIT simply amazing.  I only fear that such value of programs like Terrascope will be overlooked when it comes to figuring out what to cut and that classes after mine will miss out on the incredible relations I've made and things I've learned through my Terrascope classmates.  I hope that's not the case.

I believe in memories (Visiting the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture)

they look so, so pretty when I sleep (Seth and Sam - not sure they look so pretty sleeping...)

Hey now, and when I wake up, (Visiting the Souk)

you look so pretty sleeping next to me (Shavi and Zach: aw)

But there is not enough time, (the world's tallest building)

There is no, no song I could sing (J.J. playing in the mud)

and there is no combination of words I could say (Oh the sand dunes - what fun)

but I will still tell you one thing
We're Better together

    Lauren

I hope there are buds on the trees in Boston

As we approach the end of our trip, I realize exactly how much reality has changed.  The past five days have been a dream—a swirl of sleep-deprived, late-night conversation, desert walks (with sand, with mud, with microbes); solar panels, construction, palaces galore; power points, young innovators, old money makers, microphones, questions, answers?

 

My legs are scratched, I’ve lost my voice, and my eyes are tired, but my mind is thriving. The colors, the patterns, the facial expressions; people’s mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, and curiosities—is this what I’m supposed to think about? I have been an anthropologist, a linguist, a philosopher, a logician, a physicist, an engineer, a political debater, a reporter, a representative.  I’ve realized that there is no “supposed to think;” these thoughts and the duties that come along with them are inseparable. It is all entangled in some web that someday I hope to be able to navigate. At least somewhat.  For us, dealing with clean energy means dealing with oil, and dealing with oil means dealing with the Middle East.  So by taking on engineering clean energy, we’ve also taken on the responsibility of learning cultures, languages, and different governments.

 

As always with trips like this one, there is as much internal reflection (as an individual, and as a group) as there is external exploration.  I’ve bridged the gap (if only a few times) between freshman and upper-classman, freshman and TA, freshman and professor (freshman and world?).  I don’t want to say Terrascope is a family (because that’s sappy and cliché and generally a very idealized view of the situation), but I will say we are a community, and a pretty darn strong one at that.  We have resources, man-power and collaboration.  We have common interests (yes, we love the earth) and conflicting view-points. Most of all, we’ve learned (really I should say “I’ve learned” but for the sake of parallelism of my sentence structure, and in favor of broad generalizations, I’ll say “we’ve learned”) that together we are more than when we are apart.

           

Particularly, I’ve learned something very valuable about what distinguishes MIT (one of many distinctions): though we are nerdy and socially strange (not necessarily awkward), we can (or are learning) to laugh at ourselves, to embrace our unusualities and use them to our advantage. I’ve learned some of the power behind the three letters I adopted one year ago, only half-knowing what I was committing to.  I have begun to experience the power, the opportunity, the progress that is associated with MIT.

 

So I’d like to start from the bottom and work my way up the tree of people that made this happen.  First, my peers.  As freshman, if we hadn’t worked ourselves senseless first semester (thank god for pass/no record), we wouldn’t be here.  Our lovely UTFs, wonderful TAs, your support was invaluable.  Sam Bowring, however, deserves a standing ovation.  I don’t think any of us realized what an amazing trip we were going on until we were here.  I still don’t know how to properly thank you.  Thank you for making freshman year worthwhile, for spending time getting funding for our trip, and for loving geology, because visiting the mudflats yesterday was awesome! Thank you to the Massiah Foundation who generously sponsored us on our trip here, and Thank you to MIT for believing that such a program is worthwhile.  As the institute considers budget cuts, I can’t help but wonder if Terrascope’s funding will get cut, but until I have my own income, I’m afraid all I can do is hope. 

 

Now, it’s back to the old (really not that old to me), relatively chilly Cambridge, to the routine of MIT that I’m just getting used to.  It’s silly to get sentimental about such a short trip, but it was amazing, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s journey.

 

Julia

Almost Over

Yesterday, our visit to the mud flats was great.  After hours of lectures the previous day, getting outside was wonderful.  The wind was blowing and it wasn’t unbearably hot.  The desert surrounded us with a few shrubs, and oil rig, and mirages off in the distance.  We took off our shoes, rolled up our pants, and sunk into the mud. I haven’t felt so childlike in a long time, and it felt great.  Though it was mentioned in jest, I think the mud between my toes was therapeutic. All the course 12s tried to convince us to be EAPS because of the amazing field work we would get to do.  I’m naturally curious, and walking over 20-year-old tracks form seismic measurement trucks was astounding, but geology isn’t my thing (and I don’t think the rest of EAPS is either).

 

Today was a little difficult.  I think the combination of the heat and the accumulated lack of sleep hit me (and others) harder than was expected.  We went to Dubai and first we visited the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, ICBA, where they are developing plants that can grow without fresh water.  We got to go into a cold room (a very cold room) where they house the seeds of plants from all around the world and seeds from strains they had bred.  Next we went to a greenhouse where they were experimenting with the salinity level of the water and different fertilizers on two plant types.  From there we went into the blistering hot sun and saw the 2.5 hectares of planted land that ICBA has. 

Being from Vermont (with Lake Champlain), lack of fresh water never hit home for me, but here, where it is a problem, it is really relevant.  Drinking bottled water at home (even though I don’t do it) doesn’t seem like a big deal (a waste o money, but that’s besides the point).  But here, where I drank it every day and oil is cheaper than water (to produce, but water is subsidized by the government), I became concerned.  At least they are addressing the issue by experimenting with these plants to see if they can create agriculture that will grow in this natural environment.  The 2012 UTFs (sophomores) seemed to enjoy this part too because of its correlation to last year’s Mission, water quality in the Midwest (of the US).

 

After ICBA we went to some street-side stalls (where I got a pashmina scarf) and the

Dubai Museum, and then … the BURJ KALIFA.  The Burj (no, not you Seth) Kalifa is the tallest building in the world, 800 something meters tall, and opened in January.  It already closed because the elevators were malfunctioning…however, it is certainly a feat of architecture. And of engineering too, but its carbon footprint alone is enough to make Masdar a drop in the bucket.  While walking through the mall to get to the Buj Kalifa (passing an aquarium, a skate rink, and multiple-floor fountains), that same uneasiness that I had in Abu Dhabi came to me.  It’s hard to stomach the grandiosity of each building in Dubai knowing that their construction is only contributing to the global problem we, and Masdar and trying to solve.  (Not even solve, we learned last semester that this was way beyond our control alone.)  How can I support such development?  The conflict between my love for architecture and my love for the environment remains unsettled. I would still give anything to be able o go to the very top of the Burj Kalifa (the highest viewing spot is halfway up).

 

 

On a different note, the end of the trip is approaching, encroaching upon us. And it has changed our attitudes—there’s almost a sense of maturity that wasn’t there before.  Instead of having young and eager eyes, we have weary ones.  There’s still a glimmer in the corner, but we are definitely run down.  Last night, as we sat around the dinner tables after an amazing buffet on the beach, I felt like we were older.  And after dinner, we sat around a different table, relaxing and talking, more like our parents’ generation than our own.  I didn’t want the trip to end, I thought it could go on forever, but now I understand that for it to be what it was, it had to be this short (or this long, it’s all relative). As we head back to the hotel, I am trying to absorb as much as I can of the culture, the people, my attitude, before we leave for all that is (semi-)known.

 

Mighty Fine Blues

Feeling mighty fine
Feeling mighty fine at this time, yes I am
Feeling mighty fine
Feeling mighty fine at this time, yes indeed

I really couldn’t describe the mood any better.  Not only does the Mighty Fine Blues by the Eels capture how amazing yesterday, along with the whole past week, was, it also has the added bonus of being from the soundtrack of the movie Holes.  That might not seem like anything special or important, but when we were on our geology trip to the mud flats, digging holes in the middle of the desert to study how the ocean level had progressed over time, the reminisce to the book (and movie) Holes could not be ignored.  I just had to use the song.

Yesterday, we traveled to the Sabkha, a coastal area where the tide levels change, leaving behind a chronological soil layering record.  After a long drive into the middle of nowhere, we hoped off the bus, to the surprising crunch of gastropod shells under our feet.  In the midst of the desert, under the hot sun, with sand in all directions you don’t expect to find seashells.

Our geologist guide explained how, depending on the time of year, the water (which wasn’t even visible on the horizon) would actually reach the area where we were standing.  We then embarked out onto the mud flats or salt flats depending on who you asked.  Both terms were tossed around so much yesterday, I’m not sure where the distinction lies.  I suppose we could just say muddy salt flats, or salty mud flats, or I guess just flats would circumvent the entire issue.  Alright then, we headed out onto the flats.

The geologist explained the different layers of the flats, the hard ground, microbial mat, anhydride layers, gypsum, and many more whose technical names I would butcher if I even attempted to spell them.  It was extremely fascinating, especially after learning that this area would eventually be an oil field.  You’d just have to wait several hundred thousand years for the microbial mats to build up with other layers.  It was like going back long before humans had tramped across the area, let alone started drilling, and seeing the very beginnings of how our oil and petroleum dependence formed.  Learning about all the geology helped make our trip seem like a full circle.  We’d already seen one way in which our oil dependence could lead us, to a society more respectful and aware of the planet we share – more appreciative of the natural beauty of the flats that gave rise to the oil we currently crave, and now we had a chance to see how it all began.  It still seems crazy that it all started out with some mud.

Microbial Mats - what pretty polygons they form

Salty Mud Flats/Muddy Salt Flats

 

Digging some holes

Learning about all the geology of the area was extremely interesting, and definitely made course 12 (earth atmosphere and planetary science) seem especially appealing, but just as much fun was frolicking about in the knee high mud and simply getting covered in grit and slime.  It was the perfect balance between my inner 5 year old, craving the natural outdoor griminess, and, what I like to think is the curiosity of my MIT student side, craving to learn.  Somehow, the squish of mud between my toes just makes me feel mighty fine.

Fun in the mud

 

Yeah, we're that cool

After a wonderful day under the hot sun (with thankfully little sunburn), we returned to our hotel with a wonderful encasing shell of dried mud and an interesting aroma.  We spent what remained of the afternoon splashing in the ocean and just enjoying one another’s company.  We capped the day off with a barbecue on the beach and stayed up late under the stars for our last real night together.  It was slightly bittersweet, knowing our trip was reaching its end, yet I could not have asked for better company to pass the night with.

Lauren

A Field of...Sunlight?

The past couple of days have been quite different from the first.  Lots of lectures, lots of learning. Learning about what we're supposed to be learning, not about all the random strange things that we've thought about along the way.  That's not to say that all of the the extra bonus conversations we've had haven't been worthwhile... We went to Masdar and we've learned about almost every alternative technology being developed today.  I won't go into all the details, but the amount of research that is happening is incredible.  And that's saying a lot, considering MIT is a pretty happening place. 

Highlights from yesterday were seeing the technologies that we've been researching so extensively actually being implemented.  We saw a 10 megawatt field of photovoltaic solar panels (5MW of thin-film and 5MW of crystalline cells) and the magnitude of such a proposition became clear.   Row after row of sun-speckled panels lined the desert floor like engineered vegetation.  The technology made the area flourish.  As we studied the panels, we noticed a gadget moving slowly across the top of one row of panels, wiping the sand off the shiny surfaces.  To our surprise, it was manually run by two workers, not the high-tech robot we expected.  Next month they plan to have a competition to design a robotic alternative, but you can't argue against carbon neutrality.

At night, speaking to current students of Masdar, we heard what it was actually like to be a part of Masdar.  They seemed excited to be apart of such an empowering movement, yet there was perhaps some apprehension about the university being so young.  The program has a lot of room to grow, but as the students mentioned, they had the opportunity to give feedback and have their input considered in the development of the university.

Today we had a lot of lectures (someone even said it was worse than MIT!), but it was incredible to be so close to people doing all of the research we hear about everyday but feel so removed from.  We even got to speak with the US embassador of the UAE.  His knowledge of the relationship the US has with the UAE brought a more global perspective to our topic.  This larger view was echoed in many of our lectures today, one of which focused on Mubadala. Mubadala, as their website says, "brings together and manages a multi-billion dollar portfolio of local, regional, and international investments." Basically, they are in charge of government money and fund projects in oil and gas exploration, alternative energies, health care, and a slew of other areas. 

My first impression of them, I have to admit, was a little close-minded.  I figured the only reason they would be investing so much money in the amazing technologies we saw was because they were at risk of losing everything.  They managed to convince me that, though they are concerned with money, as it is a company, they also have the people's best interest in mind. What made the most sense to me was that there is incentive for them to invest, even if all of their money from oil wont run out in the near future.  The benefits of having diversified investments, and energy from multiple sources, makes their funding worthwhile. 

Another exciting moment for Lauren and I came when one of the professors mentioned something about the cementitious properties of the ash from his waste-to-energy process.  A little background: For 1.016, Lauren, Marcela, and I are working on creating carbon neutral (or even carbon negative) bricks that could replace the the cinder blocks made with portland cement.  Currently we are searching for waste products that could be cementitious.  We might even get a chance to take a sample back home of the ash to test for cementitious properties! I don't know what customs will think of that...

Lastly, we went to the Marina Mall, your average shopping center.  But I think it was a little more exciting for me than for everyone else.  I had the chance of meeting a family friend (that I had previously never met) who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 10 years.  Meeting her gave me such an interesting view on the life of a resident in the UAE, because my knowledge about the locals is very limited.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Today was such a stark contrast from the extravagance and wealth we saw yesterday in Abu Dhabi.  Our day was devoted to learning about Masdar, a government funded initiative that is pursuing various means to increase sustainability and renewable energy technology in the United Arab Emirates.  Comprised of five branches (City, Power, Carbon, Institute, and Venture Capital), Masdar's most forward thinking project involves building a zero carbon, zero waste city.

Through a series of presentations by various Masdar folk and a tour of the initial building stages of Masdar, we learned a lot about the initiative.  Aiming to be "the city of the future and the role model of the world," Masdar is really taking the first stab at creating an entirely carbon neutral city.  Carbon neutrality is being achieved by synthesizing various methods, including sustainable construction techniques (creating close set buildings, maximizing shade, enhancing ventilation through wind towers, etc.), carbon capture and sequestration, and renewable energy technologies.  A lot of emphasis is also being placed on using green construction materials, which not only are less carbon intensive than traditional building materials, but also incorporate waste products as a means of recycling and reuse.

One of the integral components of Masdar is the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.  The institute, as the physical center of the city, is an integral component of the initiative.  Not only does Masdar reflect the desire for sustainability, but the institute illustrates the commitment to continued energy progress.

A small solar farm used for testing at the Masdar Institute

The beginnings of Masdar city.

Masdar itself is very thought provoking.  Essentially, it is one massive experiment.  Granted, there appear to be some practical issues (such as the reliance of all the tenants of the city to buy into the philosophy of sustainability and resource reduction) and the definition of zero carbon is always blurry.  How far upstream do you go to consider the carbon costs of a material/product?  Sure, there are no cars in the city, but should you count the carbon emissions from the cars of the 50,000 commuters necessary to get over half the work force to the city?  (Masdar's answer to this last question is essentially no.  Only the area within the city walls counts, although it is noteworthy that the materials and products used in the city are restricted based on their carbon costs.)  Yet such questions can not negate the fact that Masdar is the first penguin when it comes to building sustainable cities - it has taken on the challenge of being the first to test out the waters of carbon neutrality.

What is extremely thought provoking is the fact that the UAE is sponsoring such an effort.  For an area built by the wealth of the oil industry to not only recognize the importance of sustainable development, but take a leading role in the path toward innovative energy solutions creates a large statement - and creates a wonderful lead into my song of the day: a Bob Dylan classic, The Times They Are A-Changin'.  The juxtaposition of such over-the-top development in Abu Dhabi we witnessed yesterday and the progressive, sustainable oriented Masdar project hint toward a new direction for the country.  In many ways, Masdar is a call to the world for change.

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

While today was largely focused on the science of Masdar, it also sparked some very interesting discussions about motivation.  When you look at a project as large and costly as Masdar, you have to wonder what is the drive behind it.  I like to hope that it is the internal motivation to do what is right that is powering the project, yet it would seem as though more often than not, our world is built upon the external motivation for money.  So is Masdar the UAE's recognition that our current way of life is threatening the place we call home, or is it the realization that the oil industry cannot last forever and an effort to lead the energy sector in order to maintain the high standard of living of the area?  In the end, does the motivation matter?

In the evening, we had the opportunity to interact with the students of the Masdar Institute over dinner.  The discussions we had varied from the culture of Islam and the region, to the research we have been working on and the message Masdar is sending to the world.  It really was an incredible opportunity to meet with others who are as interested in and committed to the issues of energy the world is grappling with as we are.  I know the conversations I had this evening are one's I'll remember.  For all of us, it is quite apparent: The times they are a-changin'.

Lauren

Day One: Abu Dhabi itself

Today the fun really began.   First the breakfast.  It was buffet style, and of course I had to take a little bit of everything.  There were pancakes, sausages, a french-toast-like cassarole. There were dumplings with soy sauce, indian rice cakes, beans, and an unidentified white pudding.  There was fresh orange juice, watermelon, a white fruit with black seeds (reminiscent of a kiwi).  And there was even good old milk and cereal.  After our decadent meal, we set off--Day one: Seeing Abu Dhabi. Lauren wrote up an overview, so I'll go through my highlights.

The Mosque

...in all its glory.  It was beautiful; I've always enjoyed architecture, but this wasn't just architecture. In terms of places of worship that I've seen, it falls second only to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, but that could be my soft spot for Gaudí.  It was much different than western architecture, and western prayer spaces.  From far away, the domes dominated the scene--small, and rounder than the russian onion domes.  Closer up, the pillars were inlayed with stones, some semi-precious. Almost like hiding money in the walls.  When we were in the sun in the main courtyard, I couldn't help but dwell on the sharp contrast between white--the tiles below our feet, the walls and domes surrounding us, the glare of the sun--and the black--the robes and scarves we were draped in.  The sun seeped into my abaya and I couldn't help but feel like the warmth came from the glowing mosque.

Inside, with our shoes off, the sun was forgotten, and the colors began to creap in.  The walls of the entryway had marble leaves and flowers jutting out from the marble backgroud.  The leaves were maybe as big as my hand, and the stalks ran all the way up the room.  This was beatiful, especially after lots of white, but the next room was clearly the main draw.  The chandelier was what drew my eye first. By instinct, I walked right under it and looked up at it through its center. It radiated all around me, I could have been underwater, I could have been in the sky, I could have been dreaming.  There's a feeling that I still don't totally understand that I get from things like that--it could be religion, or spirituality; I'm still discovering it, whatever it is.

About the abayas we had to wear, thought hot, they certainly made me think.  I appreciated the cool more when I wore them, I noticed my friends hair and jewelry more when they took of their robes.  I like seeing just their face, hands, and bare feet.  Somehow keeping my body covered made it seem like I treasured it more.

Emirates Palace Hotel

Interesting facts: The population of the UAE is split between emirates citizens and foreigners; the split is about 15/85 emirates to immigrants.  Because most of the immigrants come to work (because Abu Dhabi has lots of contructuion work, and money, to offer to people from areas like India), this skews the male/female ratio to 70/30.

The Palace was, yet again, stunning.  The stones, the domes, the gold.  Yet my feelings weren't sheer wonderment anymore.  I couldn't see the intense beaty without thinking about the behind-the-scenes goings-on.  Our tour guide told us that to keep the sand to a satisfactory shade of white, they import new sand from Algeria weekly.  This contributes to the appeal--makes the appeal--but from a sustainable standpoint, it is sickening. And what about the employees that are working around the clock to maintain its perfection, like keeping the marble floors polished so much that you can see your reflection in them?

The Palace also had an exhibit about a series of cultural centers that will be built to enhance the city's world prominance.  The proposed buildings, including a Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Lovre Abu Dhabi, are designed by architects from around the world and represent the five continents.  The Guggenheim will be designed by our beloved (chuckle) Frank Gehry and looks much like MIT's Stata Center, but bigger (much bigger), and with influence of the local environment.  The Louvre's main component is a huge shallow dome, or cap, that covers an area with small builings that would hold artwork.  The ingenious part is the pattern on the dome.  Start with an octagon and make each edge the bottom of an equilateral triangle.  This is the basic pattern. This gets repeated on smaller and smaller levels (each smaller level fitting into the space of two of the previous level's trianges (a bowtie shape)), to slowly fill in the majority of the dome in a fractal-esque manner.  The finished product was mostly a solid dome, with lots of small shapes cut out to let the light in.  Math is beautiful.

The third piece was to house concert halls and the shape was inspired by a desert flower.  Again, it was intriguing, but not as fascinating to me.  The last piece, however, was almost as clever as the Louvre.  It's main component was a shape that I cannot possible describe to you adequatly, but that was so much more than on first glance.  It seems to be an arch cut out of a rectangle, yet it is twisted and asymetrical that is fascinating and mind-boggling.  The complexity in such a simple shape is wonderful.  This was part of a tribute to the maritime world, so there was also this cool walkway out into the water--actually going down, under the water. Overall, the buildings reminded me how much I love architecture. And how architecture can be a reflection of one's surroundings.

After a quick, freshen-up at the hotel we went of for a night on the desert. 

The dunebashing...like a natural rollercoaster. And yes, there are equations to model the patterns that the sand on the dunes make. And yes, for those of you from the north, it is much like drifting in the snow.

The camel riding...like horseback-riding, just exotic.  And when the camel stands up and sits down, be ready for some unexpected forward and backward jostling.

The sandboarding...not like snowboarding. Actually sand-sledding proved more fun. And even better than that, just logrolling down. And we further discussed the mathematics and physics of sand's movement.

The sodas...not much different, but there was strawberry fanta.

The henna...done much more pro than in the states.  We'll see how long it lasts.

The food...tasty. Hummous, pita, shishkabobs, and, (unfortunately,) french fries.

The belly dancing...    ....

Actually the belly dancing confused some of us because of the modestly that women are normally expected to have.  We didn't quite understand how the celebration of the women's body, and how it moves, could be accepted if women wear headscarves and robes everyday to cover themselves.

The stargazing... nice, but not as good as Vermont (I'm biased). We saw orion and caseopeia.

The carride back... most people passed out. However a few conversations from the day concluded themselves. Thoughts on the cause for motivation, the appeal of wealth, the duty to work, and the ways that bodning is accelerated between people (i.e. this trip).

The swimming pool... warm and a perfect way to wash off the sand. I've forgotten the simple pleasure of moving through liquid.

My bed... calling to me now. (Hopefully adrenaline will compensate for my lack of sleep.)

-Julia

A Whole New World

A dazzling place I never knew

That's really the best description of our first full day in Abu Dhabi.  Despite the cheesiness, our day's activities really are best summarized through the classic magic carpet ride song from Aladdin.  Plus, given that a lot of what we did today was rather touristy, I figured using a Disney song from a movie centered in this region of the world was fitting.

So the day started off with a guided tour of several parts of Abu Dhabi.  We started the morning at the world's third largest mosque, the Shiekh Zayed.  To give you an idea of how large it is, the mosque can hold 40,000 people for prayer and is larger than 5 soccer pitches.  Not only is it impressive in sheer size, but the architecture and ornateness of the structure is incredible.  It's just one of those buildings you look at and the little piece of you that wants to be an architect just starts to yearn.

While the whole mosque was too large to fit in on picture, this gives a little perspective of its size.

Out of respect, all females were required to wear abayas and shelas.

All of the shoes outside of the pray room.

After the breathtaking tour of the mosque, we moved on to Heritage Village, a small recreation of what life was like in Abu Dhabi prior to the discovery of oil.  There were several replications of traditional Emirate houses, constructed either of palm leaves or stone, depending on the region where they were located.  Walking around through the small dwellings, it's mind boggling to realize that this was what life was like in Abu Dhabi just over 50 years ago.  The transformation the region went through following the sudden wealth oil brought to the area is insane.  It's unthinkable that within a lifetime the area went from small, modest hand-built dwellings to the metropolitan metropolis it is today.

Inside one of the traditional Emirate dwellings.

Next stop on the trip: Emirates Palace Hotel.  It's hard to even describe this hotel, other than the epitome of luxury.  Everything was grand and beautiful.  The walls were painted with gold (yes, 24 karat gold) and the immense attention to detail, from the way you were greeted at the door to the yearly importation of sand for the private beach, was striking.  While gorgeous, such ostentatious extravagance also made me question our materialistic tendencies.

Outside the Emirates Palace Hotel

Inside the hotel, we also visited an exposition on the 5 new cultural centers being built in Abu Dhabi in the upcoming years.  In an effort to turn the city into a culture hub, Abu Dhabi is constructing several museums, theaters, and cultural centers, designed by architects from around the globe.

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feelings
Boarding, tumbling, dune bashing
Through an endless desert sky

Alright, so I modified the lyrics just a touch, but now they fully capture the incredible evening we spent on a safari in the middle of the desert.  After our day of touring, we headed off to the middle of nowhere where we had an amazing night connecting with our inner 5 year olds.  We had the chance to go dune bashing (essentially four wheeling in the desert), ride camels, and attempt to belly dance.  My personal favorite was running, rolling, sliding, and sand boarding around in the sand dunes.  I mean, what could be better.  It was basically just a sand box only bigger and with no confinements.  The whole evening, was incredible.  Sitting on top of a sand dune, watching the sun set across the rolling mounds of beige and lying around as the evening sky emerged with twinkling stars is how I wish I could end every day.  It's about as close as I'll get to a real magic carpet ride.

Climbing a sand dune.

Watching the sunset

Seth and Ari racing on the sand boards.  Question for Seth: Riding the sand board like a bull, was that really the best strategy?  Apparently wisdom is gained with age.

And a perfect ending

Lauren