In today's issue
Blogosphere: May 22, 2007
Gulf News web editor Adam Flinter plunges headlong into the blogosphere to find out what bloggers from the Middle East and beyond have on their minds.
- By Adam Flinter, Web Editor
- Published: 13:31 October 29, 2008
- Image Credit: Asghar Khan/Gulf News
- The dreaded BurJuman roadworks.
Gulf News web editor Adam Flinter plunges headlong into the blogosphere to find out what bloggers from the Middle East and beyond have on their minds.
Pick of the week: Traffic, traffic and traffic
The first part of the Metro rail system which is under construction in Dubai is due to open in 2009, Inshallah, and it can't happen soon enough. At the moment getting around Dubai is a nightmare. The car is king and the roads can't cope with the volume of traffic.
Everywhere is a wall to wall traffic jam, the BurJuman roundabout is one of the scariest places on earth, particularly if you're a pedestrian, public transport is virtually non-existent. Taxis refuse to take passengers because according to a couple of drivers who've refused to take me over the Creek, they end up spending too long in traffic jams. (Ha? I don't get that reasoning either. The meter is ticking while they're stuck in the queue, the longer the delay the more they get paid.) Of course, that's if you can even get a taxi!
http://carolynn-dubailife.blogspot.com/
The Ghaf question
It appears that a little tree is causing some commotion in property-crazy Dubai.. People don't know if they should Ghaf On or Ghaf Off!
Gulf News: "A couple of trees in Al Barsha are holding developers and residents hostage: they refuse to cut them down because of rumours of a curse... The trees have not been cut down because Dubai Municipality promises to protect the UAE's indigenous ghaf tree, but residents think there is another reason."
Reminds me of our own Mirdif Haunted House of the 1990s hehe.
http://bujassem.blogspot.com/
Life in the big city
As I finished my meal at Beit Al Mandy in Sharjah I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. All of a sudden I heard a squirting noise and felt something moist smelling good. It scared the hell out of me seeing as I was alone and had no idea where that came from!
As I looked up I noticed this little device on the wall. Being from Sweden where we do not have what seems to be a timed room
refresher, timed to squirt every 20 minutes, I felt like a country girl arriving in the city for the first time! Well you learn something new everyday, ey?
http://albaal.blogspot.com/
Dress code
Oh dear… I'm not sure management at the Kempinski Dubai REALLY thought this one through, did they? Management have been refusing entry into Apres Restaurant to GCC nationals wearing the traditional kandura, citing local liquor laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol to Muslims. Though apparently if a Muslim customer was to try and enter wearing "normal clothes", then it wouldn't be a problem.
There are so many things wrong with this I don't even know where to start.
http://bohindxb.wordpress.com/
Home again
Isn't it sad that I am happy to be back "home" — a home which is zillions of light years away from where my heart is?
I am back to the safety and comfort of my pad in Canada and I can say I am content and happy here. I strangely feel safe and secure. I am also more in touch with Bahrain virtually and as I write this I am listening to eMoodz blabbering about Bahraini politics... sigh!
I also have all my sisters and friends online ... and they are actually making the effort to chat to me. Even my nephews and nieces are talking to me and giving me undivided attention as they speak directly into the mic...
My 4-year-old niece had the nerve to tell me that although she fully understands my Bahraini accent, she will not speak it. She explained to me that I say: nadheef (clean) and not nedheef! That I say erjoool (leg) and not iryool! That I say wajed (a lot) and not wayed!! and the list goes on!
As a compromise, she said we better communicate in English from now onwards ... as that is a common language we both understand. Give the brat a few more years, and she will have a go at me discussing whether it is vase or vase or tomato or tomato! What a world we live in!
http://sillybahrainigirl.blogspot.com/
Job frustration
I sometimes wish I could blog about my work ... I'd rather not for confidentiality purposes ... and also because I'd rather this blog remains anonymous (except for the few people who know me and who know that I write this blog).
But I really, really wish I was at liberty to discuss some conversations or meetings I have with my clients, and some of the things that come out of their mouths sometimes. If only you knew the number of times I've stared at my phone in disbelief while my client is babbling away ... Or the number of times I've gotten out of meetings so frustrated, that the only thing I can do is laugh about it ...
http://dxbsunshine.blogspot.com/
A trip to the souq
The Goat and his Beloved went down the Deira gold souq the other evening. Traffic in Bur Dubai being — well — Dubai, we took the taxi and abra option and then spent the next couple of hours checking out the bling.
If you've not done so lately, take a nocturnal abra trip before the summer weather gets too sticky. As for the taxi, we got as far as the British Embassy and then I told the driver to slow down and cease and desist his tailgating, or else stop and let us out. It was very pleasant to walk along the Creekside.
http://grumpygoat.blogspot.com/
Lucky cats
There are many hundreds, probably thousands of stray cats in Dubai. They are generally skinny, ragged looking things. The lucky ones get "adopted" by individuals or businesses and maybe get a meal a day or someones scraps, the unlucky ones become a meal ... But that is another story!
There is one that lives around the bottom of our building that we refer to as "Pizza Cat". She is fed each day by the pizza shop downstairs. She likes to lie on/under our car.
Pizza Cat is certainly not the most attractive thing we have ever laid eyes on ...
For some reason though, my not-usually-superstitious husband seems to think if he sees her in the morning he will have a good day ...
http://wendyswanderings81.blogspot.com/
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