Maddog Through the Smog: We’re Here!

We made it! Considering Friday started off with a hectic waddle-sprint to the train with my bags, the rest of the travel was, thankfully, uneventful. After 16 hours in a plane with very little sleep, at least for me, we landed, purchased the requisite limit of alcohol/person duty free (you can’t buy in the city), and split a cab to JBR, the area we are all staying in. The taxis have an alarm that dings anytime the car goes above 120km/hr, a warning readily ignored by our driver. We have already managed to make fools of ourselves by really awkwardly walking into a random person’s apartment after transposing the digits, but have finally arrived on the correct floor to take in the view.

First impressions: the endless concrete of Los Angeles, the dense skyscrapers of Hong Kong, and the flashing lights of Tokyo.

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So far English is prevalent, which is not surprising, but a little disappointing because communicating through gestures is always fun.

Airport architecture.

The temperature is pleasantly cool in the evenings this time of year, it seems, but it’s hazy out – hard to say whether it’s smog or dust. It’s probably smog and I just think it’s dust because I watched Interstellar on the plane.

The view.

My apartment mates: Sally is working, Cree is reading Yelp reviews, Ness has disappeared to her room, and Jessi hasn’t yet arrived. We need to be up in time for a 6:45am throwing sesh on the fields (that’s 9:45pm  on the East Coast, for your reference)* so it’s time for me to stalk the girls I coach one more time (they’re at a tournament) and head to bed.

*Editor’s note: Anna wrote this on Saturday evening, Dubai time.