What's Been and What's Ben

I am posting this with my new 32GB iPod touch! I think these things are awesome and someday these iPods might catch on. I got this thing in Dubai.

I made it back. Things will be detailed later such as flying on a discount Saudi airplane never again taking an unlicensed taxi living in class at the York Hotel swimming in the Persian Gulf the tallest structure in the world skiing in the desert on sand skiing in the desert on snow seeing a [...]

Dubai is fun. We left Abu Dhabi from the airport. The first hotel we stayed in was a joke. The current one is great. On Thursday I swam in the Persian Gulf at a nice beach. On Friday we just hung out, as Ramadan shuts many things down for the day. It is a blast [...]

Tomorrow I leave for Dubai for a week. Life at KAUST can be very cool, even though it is very hot here. I love my classes. My research seems like it will be really awesome. The team  I am on seems to be a fun group doing some awesome things with crystals. Dissatisfaction with certain [...]

I am going to Abu Dhabi and Dubai next week in The UAE! We are going to have an awesome time as this coincides with Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. They have a giant festival there every year. It is a huge holiday here and we get the week off! It is cheap to [...]

In the future, nuclear power will be seen as unethical for its destruction of innocent atoms.

…and I am in Saudi Arabia. Something I would never have thought at the time. I spent tonight at a preliminary planning meeting for a student council planning meeting. Part of the administration has refused to answer anybody’s email and seem unwilling to listen to student viewpoints – their job. I assume they play computer [...]

From the world of science, which I am starting to think is just a fad, there were two cool things on the intertubes today air-compression microprocessor from Ann Arbor human hair  solar cells from Nepal On the KAUST front, my building started on fire a little bit again, and again. A fellow motorcycle-enthusiast student at [...]

This is important, if it is true, that a magnetic monopole has been found.

KAUST came out with a helpline for problems. Larger problems about school policy that was sprung on us at the last hour still loom over our heads. I will keep updates about the progress as it unfolds. A cleaning crew did come in a give my place a once over and removed most of the [...]

My apartment building lightly on fire today. This guy Dan is living with me because his apartment is not done. We were sitting around when the deafening fire alarm went off. We went out towards the balcony to avoid the noise, when we noticed smoking coming from below. Adrenaline. Keys. Wallet. Cellphone. Is my laptop [...]

It has been the best and worst of time. The research I will be working on with Dr. Ooi sounds very exciting. The labs will not be up and running until after I graduate. This is the heart of my life at KAUST. The age of foolishness: I moved into my “apartment” two days ago. [...]

Today I got my KAUST living assignment. Tomorrow I move in. All in right with the world. I am excited about future research. Best of all, I got a pocket bike for 750 SAR ($200).