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Mabrook,Mabrook
The minute I walked into the airport, I felt something different than usual. Everyone was happy! "No, they can't be THAT happy to leave this place," I thought to myself.The airport security staff ... were the most pleasant; and they are not going anywhere. Then it hit me! UAE won the Gulf Cup. Just to set the record straight, I am not a football fanatic. I am not even a fan. The only football match I watch is once every 4 years. The Fifa final. But when I heard about the UAE team victory, I was happy. It was a great moment. Though, I am not a UAE national and it should not mean a lot to me, but it did. It was great. UAE team kicked a** and I love them for it. So, here I was, walking through the various security checkpoints in Dubai Airport with literally EVERYONE working there saying mabrouk, congratulations and well done to each other. Immigration staff where cheering each other across counters and halls, having football small talk with everyone while stamping traveller's passports.
http://dubaiconsumermirror.blogspot.com

Highs and lows
It has been quite a few days for football lovers in Dubai. The UAE's wonderful triumph in the Gulf Cup Final for the first time in history was met with jubilant scenes all over the United Arab Emirates. Such a high was followed by a massive low when it was announced that Dubai International Capital (DIC)had decided to pull out in taking over Liverpool Football Club. Many fans in the UAE closely follow events in the English Premiership, with Liverpool being one of the best supported. So when it was announced that DIC were going to invest, many in the principality were enthusiastic to say the least!
http://www.thedubailife.com/

But all quiet in Oman
The football Gulf cup is not a cup watched in France. But in Oman it is a big event, especially when Oman is in the final against Emirates (UAE), like yesterday night.
Usually when Oman wins a game everybody takes their cars and goes around the city honking and brandishing the Oman flag. But unfortunately yesterday, UAE won, so the night has been quiet in Muscat streets.
http://omanexpat.blogspot.com

Sorry, sir
No I'm not about to give away my anonymity, I'm talking about those guests who for some reason believe they're god's gift to the hotel. Doesn't matter that it's a Thursday therefore the busiest night of the week. They want a table at your restaurant and THEY WANT IT NOW!!!
"Do you have a booking sir….of course not….unfortunately we're fully booked….yes I know you're staying in house….but we still don't have any tables…well it does say to book ahead….yes I know how much you're paying for the room…no it's not because you're Arab/Indian/American/Stupid (fill in the blank)….you're welcome to make a complaint but if you could lower your voice….I'm sorry the General Manager isn't here but you can send him a complaint…I'm sure your friend the CEO/President/Queen of England (fill in the blank) would be very interested to hear about this…we still don't have a table sir ...
http://bohindxb.wordpress.com/

One giant car park
Where else, I wonder, would you turn up to collect a car and find a collection like this in the car park?
These are the new 'high performance' version of the Maclaren Mercedes SLR, and there were seven of them lined up. For a fashion show!
Mind you, only the night before I saw my first Bugatti Veyron, the world's most expensive car, parked outside Nando's chicken takeaway in the Greens ... Gotta love this place.
http://eyeondubai.blogspot.com/index.html

Two seas?
Behind every name is a story. Living in the UAE, where Arabic is the official language and the places' names mainly in Arabic (many new developed places are named and only known in English), it must've occurred to most of the inquisitive non-Arabic speaking expatriates questioning what the places names mean.
I started learning the basics of the Arabic language almost a year and a half ago. From the basics, I began "decoding" some of the words and phrases that I often encounter. The Arabic language is really beautiful and its complexity is very fascinating. (A lot of children who are forced to study Arabic in their schools will highly disagree though.) And it's a very tough language to learn too. The first ever name of a place that I "decoded" was "bahrain". I thought of it after finishing my lessons in 'dual forms". Bahrain. Bahr - ain. "Bahr means sea, so adding the suffix ain would make it two seas?" I thought.
http://falapeno.blogspot.com/index.html

Brain drain
My work requires extensive travel. I find that every time I return to Lebanon, there are fewer and fewer of my friends left.
The war this summer forced out the majority of my friends. Since then, there's been a steady stream of departures. Another mass migration just occurred. The opposition's riots were the last straw.
Lebanon had a brain drain problem before the political instability, but many of us were resilient. We chose to put up with the burdens of overbearing families, paycheques lower than we can get abroad, overly expensive telecommunications, stiflingly bureucratic government – not to mention the post-Syrian political chaos. We chose to fight to build the country we want.
http://lebop.blogspot.com

History repeating…
My friend's father, who controlled his own militia during the Lebanese civil wars, once told me a story about sectarian violence in Lebanon.
He was standing in line at a bakery at about 7 o'clock at night. He was one of the few grown men there, most of the customers were women and children buying for their families. He himself was a soldier but few others knew that as he stood there with only a pistol hidden beneath his street clothes. Suddenly in the middle of a heavily crowded bakery a mortar went off.
When he saw the flash and heard the bang he dove down and after picking himself up he saw that everyone was dead except for himself and two others. Women and children were laying on the ground with their limbs blown off, decapitated, intestines spilled out and he, the only soldier in the bakery, was alive.
If that's what the Lebanese want again they are well on their way.
http://whisperofmadness.blogspot.com/