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Highlights of
December 2014
See what we were
reading in December 2014
Autodesk University
At Autodesk's annual user conference,
Autodesk University, Jon's team helped
with a number of events, including the Leadership Forum, for our top customers.
 
 
 
 
 
Brunch at Doug and Anh's
We had an early December brunch at our friend Doug and Anh's with Vietnamese
cooking and Care visiting Titus, their dog.
 
Aquarium of the Bay
Jon's team held their holiday lunch at a restaurant near the
Aquarium of the Bay. After lunch we
toured the aquarium and a couple of the team became aquatic wildlife
entertaining the rest of us.
 
 
 
Dubai
The week before Christmas, Jon was scheduled to speak AUx Dubai. Care
accompanied him for a quick mini-vacation in the Middle East. We flew an
Emirates A380 on a direct flight over the pole. It was Care's first trip on the
A380 and all the amenities made the 16 hour trip pass quickly.
 
 
  Photos
courtesy Autodesk Middle East
The Conrad Hotel was a nice metropolitan experience including its
central location and a fabulous pool.
While Jon was busy with AUx Dubai, Care wasted no time and started exploring Dubai.
Since Dubai is not a city made for walking, her main means of transportation was
the RTA Metro. The station in front of the hotel was perfectly situated
for initiating her travels about town.
 
 
December 16.
After a relaxing breakfast, it was time to visit the old city of Dubai clustered
around the Dubai Creek. The Dubai Museum (Al Fahidi Fort) and the
neighboring buildings including the sites of the Heritage Village are some of
the oldest parts of the city in the Al Fahidi Historic district
 
 
Care hailed a private boat to cross the creek and visit the souk markets: spice
and gold.
 
December 17. As any good visitor to Dubai would do - its time to visit the Malls.
(Isn't that what the locals do?) First stop is The Dubai Mall, the
world's largest shopping mall, over 1000 shops, and an entertainment complex.
Shopping malls are the entertainment centers in Dubai. Within the mall, is the ice ring, the aquarium and underwater
zoo. Construction is every where. Next stop was the Mall of the
Emirates, another mega-mall with 520 stores and an indoor ski-slope.
 
 
 
December 18.
Prior to changing our hotel to the beach, Care visited the only local mosque
permitting non-Muslims visitation, Jumeirah Mosque. It provides cultural
tours for those who want to learn more about the Muslim faith and its practice.
 
 
The Mosque architecture is an example of modern Islamic design built in 1998.
The tallest minaret is determined by how far the call to prayer (5 times daily)
is to be heard.
 
 
 
Prior to entering the mosque, we received a demonstration of the body cleansing
required.
 
Prayers are conducted in the Mosque where Muslims pray on a traditional mat
toward Mecca.
  
Returning to the Dubai Mall the following day, Jon and I spent time exploring the exterior
and outdoor spaces. Our eyes are drawn to the
Burg Khalifa - the world's
tallest building. The view from the 148th floor was pretty impressive.
 
Our eyes are drawn to the
Burg Khalifa - the world's
tallest building. The view from the 148th floor was pretty impressive.
 
 
  
 
  
 
We then checked into the new Four Seasons on the Persian Gulf.
 
 
 
 
While enjoying the beach and pool, we also had the opportunity to attend the
grand opening of the hotel's ultra-trendy rooftop bar with its spectacular
nighttime view of the skyline.
 
December 19. Friday is the start of the weekend for the Emiratis. We spent
the afternoon visiting the Madinat Jumeirah, a beachfront complex themed as an
Arabian souk. There are 2 anchor hotels, lots of shops and a canal for
Venice style cruising. The view of the Burj Al Arab is stunning.
 
 
 
We topped our day off with dinner at the Buddha Bar, a well known watering hole
and night spot.
December 20. We made arrangement at the
Burj El
Arab for high tea. Completed in 1999, it is an exclusive all-suite
hotel with a helipad on the 28th floor and a restaurant at 1,053. The
vocabulary of the exterior form is a billowing sail of a traditional dhow.
The interior surfaces are bathed in gold leaf with a maize of geometric
patterns. Since our visit was pre-Christmas, the hotel was decorated
for the holidays.
 
 
  
  
  
 
Christmas
Back in the USA....
 
Among the nicer gifts Jon got, was a Bauhaus chess set by Josef Hartwig. It is
beautifully crafted from hardwood and very modernist. Each chess piece is very
simple and it reflects the kinds of moves one can make. It came in a wooden case
and the arrangement of the pieces is designed, too.
 
 
See our Holiday Card
Ai Weiwei
Right before New Years, we went to Alcatraz for an art exhibit by Chinese
dissident artist Ai Weiwei. It was an interesting juxtaposition of the prison
and his art - which was mostly about political prisoners the world-over. The
exhibit was in areas of Alcatraz that are customarily closed to the public - New
Industries Building, Cellblock A, and the Hospital so, in addition to the
exhibit, we saw new parts of the prison.
 
 
 
@Large Ai Weiwei On Alcatraz. A special exhibit of work that is both art
and activism. Weiwei, an active critic of the Chinese government has
personally been detained in his homeland for tax evasion and criticism of the
government. Ironically, Weiwei
worked closely with the FOR-SITE Foundation from his studio in Beijing, creating
the site-specific installation in a location he could not visit
since he is forbidden to travel outside of China.
The exhibit expresses awareness of those people around the world who have been
deprived of their freedom of beliefs as has Weiwei. There are four main
areas of the exhibition. In the New Industries Building, "With Wind" greets
visitors in the form of a traditional Chinese Dragon Kite, themed with quotes
regarding freedoms.
 
 
 
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In the same building is "Trace". The faces of over 175 people from around
the world who have been detained for their beliefs or associations are
represented in over 1.2 Legos. The stark contrast of the prison walls and
the vibrant color of the artist's work is noteworthy.
 
 
 
 
"Refraction" situated on second floor of the New Industries Building is viewed
from the gun gallery, the walkway in which the guards patrolled the prisoners
from above the work area. The room contains a massive sculpture of a
bird's wing. Feathers are reflective panels used on solar cookers in Tibet
while Tibetan teapots are perched atop of the joints. The flight
metaphor is within the prison confines.
 
Cellhouse - A Block, another new visitation area, featured sounds of music,
poetry and spoken words of those who have been detained for their beliefs.
The Cellhouse Dining Hall housed
“Yours Truly” an area that
invited visitors to select a postcard to an individual prisoner and have it sent
through the exhibit management.
 
The Cellhouse Hospital housed "Blossom" the fragile, beautiful porcelain
flower parts displayed in the most utilitarian of locations.
"Illumination" used sounds of Tibetan and Hopi Native Americans to express their
long term repression.
 
It was a cold, windy day on the bay, so we had to dress warmly. Care wore long
underwear and the rat hat.
 
 
Happy New Year! On to an even better 2015
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