My friend D, a very wise and perceptive young lady, BBMd me the other day (have you noticed how people no longer call each other...they BBM?), saying that she was reading my blog, and that she was surprised that the last few posts have had a rather negative tone to them, and she asked me to write something more positive next time.
My friend D is right...I do use this blog as a venting platform whenever I'm unhappy about something...It's almost like an automatic reflex. But I did want to say this, loud and clear: I LOVE THE UAE. This place is definitely home to me, and right now, I do not see myself living anywhere else in the world. I mean yes, we all go through our "OMG I wish I lived in Europe/The States/Australia/South America" moments, but then you quickly realize that you can not live the way we live here anywhere else in the world.
So here's an incomplete list of the things I love about living here. Some are personal, some are more relevant to everyone out there. I urge you to add your own comments if you'd like to:
- I love living close to my parents. I get to see them every couple of weeks, and it beats seeing them 3 weeks out of 52, hands down! Home is where your family is.
- I love my friends. They're the best part of living here. I look forward to my weekends because of them...and this goes for both my groups of friends in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
- I love that I've known some of these friends for almost 2 decades now. OK now I feel old!!
- I love living with my sister (she'll kill me if I don't mention her here)
- I love the weather. I did the whole snow, ice, hail, wind, 4-seasons thing for 10 years. I'd rather 50-degree heat. Trust me.
- I love the beach. Some of the best beaches in the world are here.
- I love my pool. I think I have the awesomest pool in Dubai. Others will vouch for that.
- I love how easy life is. Admit it...you can't get a life this easy anywhere else in the world!
- I love my job and the people I work with.
- I love the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. The best free beach EVER!
- I love the fact that I live in the city that has the tallest building in the world...I know it's stupid...but it's kinda cool.
- I love that as a female, I usually get priority service at most governmental offices.
- I love the concerts in Abu Dhabi...Justin Timberlake, George Michael, Bon Jovi, The Killers, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay...to name a few!
- I love the restaurants in Dubai...Teatro, Zuma, Okku, Bice...again to name a few...yumm!
- I love that we get great weather almost 7 months a year
- I love the sound of the athan (prayer) when I sometimes wake up at 4AM for no reason whatsoever...It's so soothing.
- I love action-packed weekends...pool/beach, restaurants, clubs and bars (and then trying to catch up on sleep during weekdays)
- I love the shopping...not that I shop a lot but I like it when I do shop...
- I love how familiar Abu Dhabi feels. It's nice and cosy.
- I love camping on the beach.
- I love weekend getaways to Fujairah, Hatta and Musandam
- I love Yas Island and what it's becoming.
- I love what they're doing with Abu Dhabi.
- I love Christmastime in the UAE. I'll always associate that with vacation time and family gatherings.
- I love JBR Walk. Don't take advantage of it nearly enough though.
- I love boat trips.
- I love the sight of Burj al Arab.
- I love our coffee sessions at The ONE in Abu Dhabi. It's our local hangout.
- I love our chilled nights at a friend's place, playing charades.
- I love sunsets at the end of a beautiful weekend.
- I love the look of awe on my tourist friend's faces when they come visit.
- I love Sho Cho's (both Abu Dhabi and Dubai!). Rock shrimp salad? I could live on that stuff! Oh, and salmon sashimi too!
- I love how close we are to Europe, Asia, South Africa, and the rest of the Middle-East of course. Now if only North & South America and Australia would come closer to us...would be great.
- I love that I get 21 days off in a year (plus all the Eids and national holidays!)
- I love the feeling of "coming back home" when I'm away from the UAE for a little while.
........
There's more...there's definitely more...but let me know what you love about the UAE...
Showing posts with label Abu Dhabi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abu Dhabi. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Nothing is easy. Everything is complicated. And confused.
Don't know about you but it seems like this kind of crap only ever happens to me! (although, deep down, I know that that's not really the case, but still...)
In today's lesson, we will discuss renewing your driver's license, and how to drive a person to ultimate frustration.
First, the facts:
1) I've had a license for 10 years here.
2) It was time for it to be renewed.
3) It was originally issued in Abu Dhabi
4) I now live in Dubai (and my residence visa is issued there too).
Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi
I head to Abu Dhabi Muroor last week. This is where they inform me that they will complete the renewal procedure in Abu Dhabi but that I'll have to pick up my license in Dubai because that's where my visa is. Fair enough.
So I do the eye test (20 dhs), pay for the renewal of my license (110 dhs) and get my picture taken, and they give me a bunch of papers and tell me to head to the last counter.
I go to the last counter and show them my papers and they hand me a driver's license (!!!). Slightly confused but not really thinking much about it, I head out of Muroor and get into the car. As we were about to hit the road, I get a call. From Muroor. Asking me to hand the license back because I need to get my license from Dubai.
OK fine, so I go back up the 100 steps of the Muroor building, hand over my short-lived license, and get a letter confirming the file transfer to Dubai.
Chapter 2: Dubai
Back in Dubai. I call RTA to find out where I can pick my license up. The man on the phone (sounding like he knows what he's talking about) tells me I need to go to Deira to get it. I get annoyed because the last time I went to Deira was probably 3 years ago...or something like that!.
Not satisfied with my answer, I call Tasjeel in Barsha to see if I can pick it up there. They say no but give me the number of the Bur Dubai Police station (which is located in Barsha right next to Tasjeel...go figure!). I call them and some woman says she has no idea but to call the RTA (she gives me another number). I call that number over and over again, but no one answers. I call Bur Dubai station again and the same woman picks up. When I complain that no one's answering, she says "well you know it's Ramadan, and we have Ramadan hours". I ask her what the Ramadan hours were and she says "9AM-2PM" (anyone know how I can get myself a 9-2 job? Please?). Mind you, it was 12PM when I called.
Anyway, I finally reach someone the next day who says that I can get my license at the Bur Dubai police station (in Barsha) which is a relief cause I actually know how to get there.
So I go the next day, and go straight to the information desk. The woman tells me I need a no objection letter, copy of passport, pictures, eye test...
Me: "No no you don't understand, I already did all that and gave the documents to Muroor in Abu Dhabi...I just need to pick up my license"
Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "But this letter here confirms the transfer...I do not have a no objection letter anymore because I gave the only copy I had to Abu Dhabi Muroor"
Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "Can I speak to a supervisor"
So I speak to a supervisor who confirms that "There is a misunderstanding between Abu Dhabi Muroor and Dubai Licensing Department...there is not transfer of files that actually takes place. You need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "But this is ridiculous, I already paid and did the eye test..."
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH.....F*&^ING HELL!
The man was nice enough to try to help me on the spot by saying that if I got someone to email the No Objection letter he would issue the license for me...But I knew that was a long shot because:
a) It was lunchtime and the odds of me finding someone from my HR department were slim to none
b) The letter needs to be issued by Media City, and needs a few days
So now I have to go back in a few day's time, once I have the stupid No Objection letter (what's with this whole no objection crap anyway??? Why would someone object to me having a driver's license? Is there any other country in the world that requires a friggin no objection letter to get a license???)
My father called Abu Dhabi Muroor to ask them to clarify, but of course, no ones there could give him an answer because they were simply clueless.
MORAL OF THE STORY: IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR SANITY, AVOID DEALING WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AT ALL COSTS!
Oh, and I am sooooooo looking forward to renewing my car registration next month!
Phew...That was a rant and a half!!! I feel much better now. Thank you for reading.
In today's lesson, we will discuss renewing your driver's license, and how to drive a person to ultimate frustration.
First, the facts:
1) I've had a license for 10 years here.
2) It was time for it to be renewed.
3) It was originally issued in Abu Dhabi
4) I now live in Dubai (and my residence visa is issued there too).
Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi
I head to Abu Dhabi Muroor last week. This is where they inform me that they will complete the renewal procedure in Abu Dhabi but that I'll have to pick up my license in Dubai because that's where my visa is. Fair enough.
So I do the eye test (20 dhs), pay for the renewal of my license (110 dhs) and get my picture taken, and they give me a bunch of papers and tell me to head to the last counter.
I go to the last counter and show them my papers and they hand me a driver's license (!!!). Slightly confused but not really thinking much about it, I head out of Muroor and get into the car. As we were about to hit the road, I get a call. From Muroor. Asking me to hand the license back because I need to get my license from Dubai.
OK fine, so I go back up the 100 steps of the Muroor building, hand over my short-lived license, and get a letter confirming the file transfer to Dubai.
Chapter 2: Dubai
Back in Dubai. I call RTA to find out where I can pick my license up. The man on the phone (sounding like he knows what he's talking about) tells me I need to go to Deira to get it. I get annoyed because the last time I went to Deira was probably 3 years ago...or something like that!.
Not satisfied with my answer, I call Tasjeel in Barsha to see if I can pick it up there. They say no but give me the number of the Bur Dubai Police station (which is located in Barsha right next to Tasjeel...go figure!). I call them and some woman says she has no idea but to call the RTA (she gives me another number). I call that number over and over again, but no one answers. I call Bur Dubai station again and the same woman picks up. When I complain that no one's answering, she says "well you know it's Ramadan, and we have Ramadan hours". I ask her what the Ramadan hours were and she says "9AM-2PM" (anyone know how I can get myself a 9-2 job? Please?). Mind you, it was 12PM when I called.
Anyway, I finally reach someone the next day who says that I can get my license at the Bur Dubai police station (in Barsha) which is a relief cause I actually know how to get there.
So I go the next day, and go straight to the information desk. The woman tells me I need a no objection letter, copy of passport, pictures, eye test...
Me: "No no you don't understand, I already did all that and gave the documents to Muroor in Abu Dhabi...I just need to pick up my license"
Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "But this letter here confirms the transfer...I do not have a no objection letter anymore because I gave the only copy I had to Abu Dhabi Muroor"
Her: "No I'm sorry you need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "Can I speak to a supervisor"
So I speak to a supervisor who confirms that "There is a misunderstanding between Abu Dhabi Muroor and Dubai Licensing Department...there is not transfer of files that actually takes place. You need to do the whole procedure all over again"
Me: "But this is ridiculous, I already paid and did the eye test..."
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH.....F*&^ING HELL!
The man was nice enough to try to help me on the spot by saying that if I got someone to email the No Objection letter he would issue the license for me...But I knew that was a long shot because:
a) It was lunchtime and the odds of me finding someone from my HR department were slim to none
b) The letter needs to be issued by Media City, and needs a few days
So now I have to go back in a few day's time, once I have the stupid No Objection letter (what's with this whole no objection crap anyway??? Why would someone object to me having a driver's license? Is there any other country in the world that requires a friggin no objection letter to get a license???)
My father called Abu Dhabi Muroor to ask them to clarify, but of course, no ones there could give him an answer because they were simply clueless.
MORAL OF THE STORY: IN ORDER TO SAVE YOUR SANITY, AVOID DEALING WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AT ALL COSTS!
Oh, and I am sooooooo looking forward to renewing my car registration next month!
Phew...That was a rant and a half!!! I feel much better now. Thank you for reading.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Consistency is key!
I flew on Etihad for the first time last year, on a trip to Paris. The experience was impressive to say the least. I had heard a lot of negative comments about Etihad and their planes from many people, but I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Planes were new, service was good and so was the food.
I flew Etihad again recently on a trip to Beirut, and it felt like it was a different airline! On the way there, we were on one of those old planes that have the TV in the middle of the aisle...no individual TVs. Food was OK...airplane food. But on the way back, it was even worse! There was NO TV! I honestly cannot remember the last time I was on a flight where there was not a single screen!
The flight attendants actually had to demonstrate the safety instructions manually...the way they used to do it around 15 years ago!
But then the worst part was the baggage claim. I cleared customs quickly (have I mentioned that I love e-gate?), and waited for my luggage. I saw a family friend waiting for his luggage as well, and he got his around 15 minutes later. I was still waiting...and waiting...and waiting...
A few suitcases would drop down onto the carousel, and then the belt would stop. And then a few more. And then stop again. This went on for about an hour, until I realized that the bags that started dropping down were for the next flight, not mine!
There were still quite a few people waiting for their bags, and a few of us dashed over to the lost baggage counter. I was FUMING!
Luckily, a young man told me to wait again at the carousel, because the Etihad luggage was still arriving...so I went back, waited a bit longer, and FINALLY, around an hour and 20 minutes after my flight landed, I got my suitcase.
Another case in point is that my friend flew Etihad the day before I did, from Beirut. He got to Beirut airport 2 hours before his flight, only to find out that his flight was delayed 3 hours. Poor guy had to roam around Beirut airport for 5 hours before he finally got on his flight!
All this to say that if an airline is to establish itself as the "country's national airline", then it should do a better job at being consistent with its service. That is the only way a brand will survive in the long run.
I flew Etihad again recently on a trip to Beirut, and it felt like it was a different airline! On the way there, we were on one of those old planes that have the TV in the middle of the aisle...no individual TVs. Food was OK...airplane food. But on the way back, it was even worse! There was NO TV! I honestly cannot remember the last time I was on a flight where there was not a single screen!
The flight attendants actually had to demonstrate the safety instructions manually...the way they used to do it around 15 years ago!
But then the worst part was the baggage claim. I cleared customs quickly (have I mentioned that I love e-gate?), and waited for my luggage. I saw a family friend waiting for his luggage as well, and he got his around 15 minutes later. I was still waiting...and waiting...and waiting...
A few suitcases would drop down onto the carousel, and then the belt would stop. And then a few more. And then stop again. This went on for about an hour, until I realized that the bags that started dropping down were for the next flight, not mine!
There were still quite a few people waiting for their bags, and a few of us dashed over to the lost baggage counter. I was FUMING!
Luckily, a young man told me to wait again at the carousel, because the Etihad luggage was still arriving...so I went back, waited a bit longer, and FINALLY, around an hour and 20 minutes after my flight landed, I got my suitcase.
Another case in point is that my friend flew Etihad the day before I did, from Beirut. He got to Beirut airport 2 hours before his flight, only to find out that his flight was delayed 3 hours. Poor guy had to roam around Beirut airport for 5 hours before he finally got on his flight!
All this to say that if an airline is to establish itself as the "country's national airline", then it should do a better job at being consistent with its service. That is the only way a brand will survive in the long run.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Coldplay
I was at the Coldplay concert last Saturday, and all I can say is WOW! What a show!
We got there early so we could secure good spots...and what amazing spots they ended up being! Chris Martin was so close, we could almost touch him!
The rain, lightning and thunder show that accompanied the band only made the whole experience even better in my opinion.
The band was incredible...they looked like they were having fun on stage, they interacted with the crowd, they improvised, and they sang their lungs out! Their rendition of "I'm a believer" was amazing, and Chris often burst out into spontaneous rain-related songs such as "Why does it always rain on me" and "Raindrops keep falling on my head".
He even invited a girl to go up on stage with him to celebrate her birthday. Lucky b*&^h :)
The venue at the Emirates Palace was perfect once again (although more traffic on the way out this time around, and it seems that the wristband section was a bit more chaotic).
Abu Dhabi has proven once again that when it comes to attracting the big names and putting on a show, it beats Dubai hands down!
We got there early so we could secure good spots...and what amazing spots they ended up being! Chris Martin was so close, we could almost touch him!
The rain, lightning and thunder show that accompanied the band only made the whole experience even better in my opinion.
The band was incredible...they looked like they were having fun on stage, they interacted with the crowd, they improvised, and they sang their lungs out! Their rendition of "I'm a believer" was amazing, and Chris often burst out into spontaneous rain-related songs such as "Why does it always rain on me" and "Raindrops keep falling on my head".
He even invited a girl to go up on stage with him to celebrate her birthday. Lucky b*&^h :)
The venue at the Emirates Palace was perfect once again (although more traffic on the way out this time around, and it seems that the wristband section was a bit more chaotic).
Abu Dhabi has proven once again that when it comes to attracting the big names and putting on a show, it beats Dubai hands down!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Where's my North?
It seems that every time I come back to Dubai after a vacation, something's changed. A new road, a new building, or a blocked road...or a building that's been demolished...
This time is no different. Maybe I just hadn't noticed before but apparently all the road signs that used to indicate "Abu Dhabi" or "Dubai" have now been switched to "South" or "North"...And so we now have "Sheikh Zayed Road North" or "Sheikh Zayed Road South".
Why is that? Does anyone know the reason the reason behind this change?
The whole North/South thing is a bit confusing if you ask me... Today was my first time encountering the new signage, and I headed North thinking I was going towards Abu Dhabi, only to find out that I actually needed to be heading South (I am very directionally challenged by the way...always have been and always will be!). I don't think I'll make that mistake ever again but I will have to think twice whether I need to head North or South from now on.
Bring back Abu Dhabi and Dubai! I don't like this North/South bullsh*t!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Abu Dhabi vs. Dubai - The Rivalry
This article in the Telegraph is one of the only articles I've read that touches upon the unspoken rivalry between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
It comes after the recent announcement that the Abu Dhabi government has bought the Manchester City football club AND invested 500 million pounds into Warner Brothers.
But all of Abu Dhabi's recent investments into art, culture, sports and movies are not an attempt to mimic Dubai's growth formula, because Abu Dhabi doesn't need the cash as badly as Dubai does apparently:
The article also touches upon the personal feud that fuels the rivalry between the 2 cities, which I was also unaware of:
An interesting read that made me wonder what's in store for Abu Dhabi in the coming years. Will it really be able to differentiate itself from Dubai? Will it really do things differently? Will it be better?
Only time will tell I guess...
It comes after the recent announcement that the Abu Dhabi government has bought the Manchester City football club AND invested 500 million pounds into Warner Brothers.
But all of Abu Dhabi's recent investments into art, culture, sports and movies are not an attempt to mimic Dubai's growth formula, because Abu Dhabi doesn't need the cash as badly as Dubai does apparently:
On the surface, what’s happening in Abu Dhabi mirrors Dubai. But what’s driving its growth is different. Dubai is a story of survival, of how one small city that is running out of oil – it has less than one per cent of Abu Dhabi’s reserves – is saving itself with a mixture of tourism and commercialism, hookahs and hookers. Thanks to oil, Abu Dhabi is not in a rush. It wants to build itself into a global city-state, but is determined to do it with none of the crassness (think prostitution, drunkenness and financial scandal) that is now beginning to tarnish Dubai’s image.
The article also touches upon the personal feud that fuels the rivalry between the 2 cities, which I was also unaware of:
The Nahyans and the ruling Maktoums of Dubai are cousins. They are cordial in public, but compete furiously behind each others’ dishdashas. The Nayhans are irked that poorer Dubai has so far attracted most of the foreign investment, five-star resorts and high-spending tourists in the UAE. They are running fast to catch up.
An interesting read that made me wonder what's in store for Abu Dhabi in the coming years. Will it really be able to differentiate itself from Dubai? Will it really do things differently? Will it be better?
Only time will tell I guess...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Abu Dhabi always seems to get it right
I was at the Bon Jovi concert last night at the Emirates Palace, and yet again, the organization was flawless. This was also the case at the Justin Timerblake concert last December (and apparently at the Elton John concert in January, which I did not attend).
It took all of 15 minutes to get to the Emirates Palace, parking was widely available, we walked to the wristband exchange area, got our wristbands in 7 minutes, and walked into the venue. A far cry from the Shakira concert last year.
The police were there, directing traffic, making sure there was no congestion. Security was efficient and quick. Service at the VIP hospitality tent was impeccable. The Emirates Palace is really ideal for such an event, thanks to its immense lawn which easily accommodated over 19,000 fans last night.
The concert itself was also incredible. I went there with no expectations, but came out of the concert truly impressed (and with a slight crush on Jon...)
Bon Jovi are real performers, and although I'm not too fond of their newer stuff, they did belt out a lot of their classics such as Living on a prayer, I'll be there for you, Bed of roses, Keep the faith and In these arms (but no Blaze of Glory or Always unfortunately).
Yet again, Abu Dhabi has proven itself as a city that can attract big names and organize great events. So who's next?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Carnage
This scares the shit out of me because it could have been me...or one of my friends or family members.
I drive that road practically every Sunday morning as I head back from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, and this Sunday the fog was bad. As bad as I've ever seen it. The road was OK until I halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is where what can only be described as a wall of fog appeared in front of me. Visibility was close to non-existent. Really bad.
Some drivers felt the need to put their hazard lights on, while others decided that no lights was a better option.
Today's accident is simply horrible. No other words to describe it. Pure carnage.
I drive that road practically every Sunday morning as I head back from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, and this Sunday the fog was bad. As bad as I've ever seen it. The road was OK until I halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is where what can only be described as a wall of fog appeared in front of me. Visibility was close to non-existent. Really bad.
Some drivers felt the need to put their hazard lights on, while others decided that no lights was a better option.
Today's accident is simply horrible. No other words to describe it. Pure carnage.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Leave our islands alone!
We've been going to the Abu Dhabi islands for as long as I can remember. Every since we were very young, we've been going to Bahrani island (or to Peanut Island, or some other small island around Abu Dhabi) to spend a day or fun in the sun, or for an overnight camping trip.
This weekend we spent an afternoon on Bahrani, but on the way there, I noticed that many islands had a "no trespassing allowed" sign on them...While others were littered with construction machinery. Some islands already have some private resorts built on them.
Is this going to be the trend from now on? Will there be no more islands for us to go to? Will the real estate sharks destroy the natural beauty of our islands?
I hope not! A day on one of these islands is simply breathtaking...The wind, the sun, the perfect white sands and beautiful blue beaches are simply priceless. I still want to be able to spend a fun day on our islands 5, 10 or 15 years from now.
Save our islands!
This weekend we spent an afternoon on Bahrani, but on the way there, I noticed that many islands had a "no trespassing allowed" sign on them...While others were littered with construction machinery. Some islands already have some private resorts built on them.
Is this going to be the trend from now on? Will there be no more islands for us to go to? Will the real estate sharks destroy the natural beauty of our islands?
I hope not! A day on one of these islands is simply breathtaking...The wind, the sun, the perfect white sands and beautiful blue beaches are simply priceless. I still want to be able to spend a fun day on our islands 5, 10 or 15 years from now.
Save our islands!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Random thoughts....
I know I've probably discussed this subject to death, but I still don't understand this whole public holidays system here.
Israa wal Mi3raj is today. Some of our clients had the day off yesterday. Some will have the day off on Sunday. The government sector will not have any days off apparently, so it's weird in this case that the private sector has been given some days off. My company has not given us any days off, which sucks! I could have really used a long weekend!
On another note, I keep getting this message on my cell phone from "HHIE Survey" which says the following:
Determining the minimum wage limit and securing a satisfactory standard of living are major goals of the Expenditure and Income Survey.
Okay.....Umm...3 things:
1) What does that mean?
2) What am I supposed to do with this message
and 3) Why have I received this SAME message over 5 times now?
And finally, my vacation is now 14 days away. I can't WAIT! I can't wait to be away from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I can't wait to be away from the heat, and I can't wait to be away from work.
Israa wal Mi3raj is today. Some of our clients had the day off yesterday. Some will have the day off on Sunday. The government sector will not have any days off apparently, so it's weird in this case that the private sector has been given some days off. My company has not given us any days off, which sucks! I could have really used a long weekend!
On another note, I keep getting this message on my cell phone from "HHIE Survey" which says the following:
Determining the minimum wage limit and securing a satisfactory standard of living are major goals of the Expenditure and Income Survey.
Okay.....Umm...3 things:
1) What does that mean?
2) What am I supposed to do with this message
and 3) Why have I received this SAME message over 5 times now?
And finally, my vacation is now 14 days away. I can't WAIT! I can't wait to be away from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I can't wait to be away from the heat, and I can't wait to be away from work.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Boys and their toys
A very interesting and amusing documentary about 4 of the richest men in the Middle East and how they live. Click here to view it.
I still can't, for the life of me, figure out how to embed videos on my blog. I've tried with YouTube, I've tried with Google Video...to no avail! Can someone attempt to explain to me what I'm doing wrong? I'm not that technologically inept!
Anyway, back to the documentary...It follows the lives of 4 filthy rich men:
I still can't, for the life of me, figure out how to embed videos on my blog. I've tried with YouTube, I've tried with Google Video...to no avail! Can someone attempt to explain to me what I'm doing wrong? I'm not that technologically inept!
Anyway, back to the documentary...It follows the lives of 4 filthy rich men:
- Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum al Maktoum, a member of the Dubai ruling family, who brought the A1 race to Dubai.
- Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan, known as the "Rainbow Sheikh", a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, whose eccentric vehicle designs are out of this world.
- Mohammad bin Sulayem, the famous Dubai rallye-driver, whose car collection is worth more than 10 million dollars.
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Issa al Jaber, the self-made Saudi billionnaire hotelier, with luxury properties all around Europe and parts of the middle-east.
It's like "Lifestyles of the rich and famous"...the Arab edition! Check it out...it's quite mind-boggling...and entertaining.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Aida
I attended the Aida Monumental Opera on Fire last night. The event took place at the gardens of the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.
When we reached Emirates Palace, there was a huge lineup of cars, and in my head, I thought "here we go...this is Shakira all over again!". But with some creative maneuvering from my dad, we managed to find a parking spot rather quickly. But it seems that the parking area and the opera area were not the same...We had to take a bus that would take us to the place where the opera was taking place. So we waited in line, behind a few other people. There was already a bus waiting there, but it was full. The bus left, and we waited for the next one. And waited. And waited.
Fifteen minutes later, we decided to walk, because we heard an Emirates Palace employee telling someone: "it's a 5 minute walk towards the hotel". So a bunch of us start walking, then another employee sees us and says: "what are you doing? The opera is in the opposite direction, and you can't walk there it's too far, you need the bus".
So we head back to the ever-expanding line, and wait, and wait...and wait some more. Finally, 3 buses show up, and they stop towards the middle of the line. People were being disrespectful and rude, with everyone rushing towards the buses, rather than wait calmly in line like civilized people. We were at the front of the line, but by the time we made it to the bus, there were almost no seats left! But thankfully, at the last moment, we managed to make it on the bus.
The bus took us out of the hotel, and back into the traffic jam of people trying to find parking...ridiculous! But we made it through eventually, and reached the opera area.
Once we got there, we made it through security and ticketing quickly, and managed to find our seats. We had to walk through some sandy areas, which is not ideal when you're wearing high-healed sandals, but it was OK (hey, at least it wasn't a new pair of shoes!).
Unfortunately for us, the weather conditions were not ideal for an outdoor opera that involves pyrotechnic effects. Because of the wind, the backdrop could not be lowered, and the special fire effects were cancelled due to security reasons. And it was so windy, that we actually decided to leave halfway through the performance, because we couldn't take the cold anymore.
The show itself was good (well, the first half at least...). I'd never been to an opera before, and I initially throught that I'd be annoyed by all the high-pitched singing, but I wasn't...As a matter of fact, I was really into the whole thing, and the story of star-crossed lovers Aida and Radames was intriguing. The only thing is that our seats were a bit far, and the subtitles on the screens could have been a little bigger to make them easier to read.
I just really wish we could have toughed it out till the end...But I'm glad to see that Abu Dhabi is taking a step in the right direction by bringing some arts and culture to the city. And it was cool to see so many Dubai people coming to Abu Dhabi to attend an event for a change, rather than the other way round!
When we reached Emirates Palace, there was a huge lineup of cars, and in my head, I thought "here we go...this is Shakira all over again!". But with some creative maneuvering from my dad, we managed to find a parking spot rather quickly. But it seems that the parking area and the opera area were not the same...We had to take a bus that would take us to the place where the opera was taking place. So we waited in line, behind a few other people. There was already a bus waiting there, but it was full. The bus left, and we waited for the next one. And waited. And waited.
Fifteen minutes later, we decided to walk, because we heard an Emirates Palace employee telling someone: "it's a 5 minute walk towards the hotel". So a bunch of us start walking, then another employee sees us and says: "what are you doing? The opera is in the opposite direction, and you can't walk there it's too far, you need the bus".
So we head back to the ever-expanding line, and wait, and wait...and wait some more. Finally, 3 buses show up, and they stop towards the middle of the line. People were being disrespectful and rude, with everyone rushing towards the buses, rather than wait calmly in line like civilized people. We were at the front of the line, but by the time we made it to the bus, there were almost no seats left! But thankfully, at the last moment, we managed to make it on the bus.
The bus took us out of the hotel, and back into the traffic jam of people trying to find parking...ridiculous! But we made it through eventually, and reached the opera area.
Once we got there, we made it through security and ticketing quickly, and managed to find our seats. We had to walk through some sandy areas, which is not ideal when you're wearing high-healed sandals, but it was OK (hey, at least it wasn't a new pair of shoes!).
Unfortunately for us, the weather conditions were not ideal for an outdoor opera that involves pyrotechnic effects. Because of the wind, the backdrop could not be lowered, and the special fire effects were cancelled due to security reasons. And it was so windy, that we actually decided to leave halfway through the performance, because we couldn't take the cold anymore.
The show itself was good (well, the first half at least...). I'd never been to an opera before, and I initially throught that I'd be annoyed by all the high-pitched singing, but I wasn't...As a matter of fact, I was really into the whole thing, and the story of star-crossed lovers Aida and Radames was intriguing. The only thing is that our seats were a bit far, and the subtitles on the screens could have been a little bigger to make them easier to read.
I just really wish we could have toughed it out till the end...But I'm glad to see that Abu Dhabi is taking a step in the right direction by bringing some arts and culture to the city. And it was cool to see so many Dubai people coming to Abu Dhabi to attend an event for a change, rather than the other way round!
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