Lebanon - no bravery ... only sadness

Was listening to my James Blunt CD in the car it struck me that the words of this song is really applicable to the current situation in Lebanon and its neighbour - and it is applicable to both sides - nice one oh mighty leaders of our world, hope you are really proud of the bravery you are showing in order to advance your own political, economical and religious agendas but remember the people on the ground, knows in Blunt's words 'Only sadness'.

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he's been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

Houses burnt beyond repair.
The smell of death is in the air.
A woman weeping in despair says,
He has been here.
Tracer lighting up the sky.
It's another families‚ turn to die.
A child afraid to even cry out says,
He has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
But no one asks the question why,
He has been here.
Old men kneel and accept their fate.
Wives and daughters cut and raped.
A generation drenched in hate.
Yes, he has been here.

And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness.

Click the following for The James Blunt web site.

Only in Dubai ...

Thought I saw everything in Dubai till this afternoon - 12:45 comming from Dubai side over the Garhoud bridge, direction Jebel Ali on out beloved Sheik Zahed Road.

As usual at that time of the day lots of traffic and the normal road works just before the bridge helps to create the normal confussion and bottleneck with the normal culprits in Sunny's and Landcruisers (maybe all car manufacturers should include an Introduction to driving course with their cars) weaving from lane to lane, when we where overtaken by a policeman on his bike, blue lights flashing. First though that crossed my mind that if there was an accident up ahead it would just stuff up the traffic completely - little did I know.

Just as I got off the bridge this scene out a Hollywood movie played it off in front off me
- Picture this - just the traffic gets released from the bottleneck that is the bridge and everybody is jockeying to get into position - as close as possible to the car in front, in the normal Dubai tradition when the Policeman mentioned earlier stop in the left hand lane - and proceeds to stop all five (or is it six) lanes of the high way to allow 2 female pedestrians standing on the middle lane of SZ to be able to cross. What happened next was like a slow motions replay - screeching tyres, smoke and cars swerving all over the road, glass flying and the net effect - a three car pile-up, a few thousand Dirhams damage, major traffic jam and a funny looking cop.

To the policeman - what were you thinking!!! But on the other hand - you where on hand to take the traffic accident details right there and then, no waiting for those involved - good work! By the way, did you fine the pedestrians for crossing a highway - sorry - stupid question.

All I can say is - Only in Dubai!

Back to house arrest

Yep - that time of the year - everybody that can afford it is fast leaving the UAE for the summer months, the rest of us is just surviving, minimizing the time we need to spend running from our houses to out cars to our offices and back again as its just too damn hot (hmm that is a catchy tune) . Nobody can actually believe the effect of 40C with a high humidity as we experience here.

So what happens here during summer - most of the expat wifes who are not working has moved of home, the left over husbands :) - I know- is just struggling to work and back, wipping the sweat from their brows and waiting for tjaila time so that they can take a taxi to the pub for a bit of re-hydration.

The building is continuing - workers can now rest(for a shorter peiod) during the middle of the day. Problem is - midnight it is still above 30 Celcius with humidity thatwould make a statue sweat - so the rest period is just so much help .... .

For the first few years I was quite impressed with the Summer Surprises - this year - buy more than AED200 and get a voucher to take part in a draw (Do I hear you ask about gambling) and no real discounts as previous.

Anyway - the family is gone, I have the villa to myself and it is really boring! Showtime ( a local Satelite provider) is showing the same series of Charmed now for at least the third time since I moved here... guys - I am paying good money for your sports deficient, world cup deficient (actually entertainment deficient) channels and this is the best you can show on the prime time 7-8 slot??!!

Anyway - traffic is slightly better, service stills sucks - weird how you can buy something from an electronics shop for more then $200US and the salesperson never speaks directly to you? WTF??? Hint to the people managers at these stores - we are spending good money to keep your business going, the lowest salary will get you a body who is not really an asset- employ people who have some sort of a personality at least!

The political games in organizations here far exceeds what I was used to back home - why? Just struck me - because of the competitive enviroment and the type of people who is attracted to this environment (where we are all just temps) causes people to climb over others even easier than in the corporate dogfights back home as it is everyone for himself - the mighty money god RULES!

Weird place - a can of coke will be US25c while a hambuger can be up to $5 at McDonalds? Cars are just as or even cheaper than in the US, roads are wide with lots of lanes and you still have some idiot in a Nissan Sunny insisting on be traveling at 80Km/h in the seconds fastest lane while talking on his mobile, oblivious of the cars flashing past him on either side! It would be funny if it was not so tragic! And then when he wakes up at his exit he will just cut accross 4 lanes to exit the highway - once again oblivious to the chaos he leaves in his wake.

Six year work contacts! Great work IOM!!!

A bleeding Heart Organization, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has seen fit to start working on the plight of people migrating for work to the GCC.

The quoted article from the Gulf News announces the fact that 2 Million unskilled workers will now be able to stay for a maximum period of 6 years. I am sure they are dancing in the streets for the great advance you have bough in their lives - NOT!!!! If this becomes a reality millions of people - both here and in their home countries wil be adversly affected. Also see Article in the NewIndPress - UAE may grant 6-yr residence visa to unskilled foreign labour.

I am sure they really appreciate the hard work you are doing on their behalf, dear people of the IOM as they can now lose the ability to work for longer terms in the UAE.

• When you decided to embark upon these issues out of the kindness of your heart, have you actually spoken to these people, tried tounderstand their issues, problems, opportunities?
• Do you understand that they also wish to have longer term employment contracts and build relationships with their employers?
• That they would like to receive in job training and advance in their careers - which is not possible with short term contracts?
• That they will just have to migrate to another country where they will have to start afresh as there is no employment available in their home countries?
• Do you understand what they go through to find these jobs and what it costs them in financial and personal terms to get here?
• Did you actually think this through? DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK!!!

Maybe - next time - before you think up these great humanitarian life saving efforts try and understand the bigger picture - get out of your nice Geneva office and understand that some people are already in the UAE for more than 10-15 years and they earn a half decent living, have at least some sort of career and has built relationships with their employers and is able to send money back home to educate their children, support their parents and siblings as opposed to be workless beggars in their home countries. If they have to leave - it will be for another GCC country where this process will just start from the beginning - where they will have to pay another unscupulous agent to get a visa, start working from the bottom rung again, make new friends - to get to know new people, new rules, new laws etc. etc. etc. Iwonder - do you have any idea what you are doing!

A good idea could be for you to change the reasons why they had to migrate for work in the first place such as lack of economic growth, no work opportunities, civil war, political instability etc. before you ruin the lives they currently have.

_____________________________

Unskilled workers can stay for 6 years: Al Ka abi

By Samir Salama, Bureau Chief

Abu Dhabi:
Unskilled foreign workers and domestic help will be allowed a maximum stay of six years in the UAE, the Minister of Labour said yesterday.

Speaking to Gulf News from Geneva, Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi said a total of 2 million unskilled workers will be considered "temporary contractual workers under an agreement with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)".

"The UAE will receive an official document from the IOM recognising the change of the orkers' position from being immigrants to temporary contractual workers," Al Ka'abi said.

"This will allow the country to proceed with rules making the maximum stay of workers six years an initial stay of 3 years to be renewed only once for a similar period," he said.

______________________________

Going to the movies ....

Went to watch some very forgetable movie - 'American Dreamz' - and it is typical American - quite forgetfull except maybe for the twist in the tail - it included Hugh Grant playing Hugh Grant. I like the guy but he plays this one role - I guess just like he is in real life. Mandy Moore is the female lead - also a sightly weird casting choice something about her ...

Anyway - I usually go to morning or afternoon sessions and it is always nice and quiet - people are civilized even if you go and watch 'Ice Age 2' with the mommy and daddy squad. However - this time we decided to attend the 19:00 show and what a different experience it was.

Sorry to kick of another rant but why

• arrive ten minutes late, climb al over me and then have the gall to say - you can't see a thing? Just in case you people did not know it - if you arrive before the movie starts - they actually have the lights on in the theater and you can find a seat at your own sweet time, settle in, lining up the popcorn, cooldrink and Nachos, a quick chat on teh mobile or with the entourage and be ready for when the movie start - they even throw in some trailers which I know you haven't seen it yet as you always arrive well into the movie. Try it - you will like it!
• Which brings me to my next point - who thought up the natchos idea in movies in Dubai - HELOOOOO!!! it does not work to put some artificial cheese gunk and some tomato and chilly concotions in a flimsy plastic container filled with some corn chips and expect people not to mess!!! (especially if they walk in after the lights are off)
• arrive late and use their mobiles as torches - next one who shines his torch mobile in my face will leave the theater looking like a firefly - and hopefully you all understand which end of a firefly the light comes from.
• talk on their mobiles - you have paid AED30 for the movie (and by the way so have I) and you sit nattering away on your mobile in the movies - get a grip!
• have long drawn out discussion with your friend while the movie is playing. Slight hint - go to Starbucks, order a Late (less than AED30), get a seat and chat to your hearts content with your little friend - you can at the same time watch the passers by - I am sure you are as interested in them as you were in the movie.
• Throw your rubbish al over the floor - that is the right of business passengers on airlines only -who do you think you are?
• and finaly - what is this any seat policy - got too much trouble becuase some people can't understand seat arrangements or do you just have a crap computer system?

And then - Mall of the Emirates parking is a nightmare at night - a yield sigh means exactly that and to all you bloody idiots who do not understand that, hand back your drivers licenses or remove the illegal tint from your windows so that you can see the damn signa! Which gets is another observation - why do Abu Dabi drivers totally loose all driving manners when in Dubai - back home they drive fairly ok (which is a big compliment in the Middle East by the way) but when they get to Dubai!

Frequent Flyer Syndrome

Flying often because of job requirements I am becoming more and more irritated with peoples stupidity and their lack of respect for other people

Why

• do people push their ^&$))*&^ trolly right next to the the carousel when waiting for their luggage - stand back idiots, it is much easier and allows other people also to see when their precious suitcase arrives and allow them to wrestle it onto their trolleys without killing or maiming someone in the tightly packed throng next to the carousel
• do airlines, inspite of their own regulations allow people to board with oversized or even worse more than one piece of hand luggage? Firstly there is never enough overhead storage and when they board the people already sitting gets hit around the head, face and upper body with backpacks, cabin and laptop bags. I do not even want to think about the weight implications. People of flights to Egypt - you know who you are.
• inspite of repeated request - are people still allowed to board late? The times I have been delayed because some stupid idiot could not read his watch. Empty threats are just ignored afer a while. Maybe the passengers already boarded should be asked to give the late arrivals a piece of their minds when they board
• why do airlines (Emirates) still ask people to board in row specific order when nobody does it anyway and it is not enforced? People in this region have no idea of what it means to stand in a row - just tell them to rush the plane - they will do it anyway.
• take over more than their fair share of the armrest - I do not appreciate your elbow in my ribs although the cat and mouse game for possesion of the armrest takes some of the boredom out of intercontinetal flights
• not make allowances for big people - I hate it when the guy next to me spills over on to my space because he is either too big or too fat to fit into the seat designed for Joe Average. I really hate making body contact with the person next to me for a full flight if he or she is not a close friend or relative. Exceptions can be made for super models but they are so stick thin it would not happen anyway.
• hand out full size newspapers when it is impossible to read it without invading the space of the person next to you. And why do the person who actually take one to read it thinks I want his hand or newspaper waving in my face?
• design seats to recline in a way that it becomes impossible to tilt the entertainment sreen to an angle where you can view it.
• inspite of planes been able to take off and land without intervention from a pilot are we still delayed by misty conditions?

A final word to airlines - please do not ever, ever, ever allow moble phones to be used on planes. Some idiots will spend the whole flight nattering on their mobiles irritating the shit out of their neighbours. Which brings me to another question - given that handset designers spend billions to ensure their equipment has the capabilities tot handle low volume speech, do people still talk at the top of their voices when using mobile phones? Why do they think I need or care to listen to their discussion with a mate, wife, business partner, enemy, wrong number, service provider etc.

Gulf News: High time to pay housing fee

Every now and again I have to remind myself of the promises that was made to me when I decided to relocate to Dubai - one of them was no tax (Yes I did believe it at the time - silly me!)

Anyway the following article from Gulf news contain some real screamers! See my quotes in bold - Italic.

One Questions though- every tenant - is that equal to every expat tenant? Just asking!

Gulf News: High time to pay housing fee

High time to pay housing fee

By Ashfaq Ahmed and Jay B. Hilotin, Staff Reporters

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has asked all real estate agencies to provide data about their tenants as part of its plans to ensure collection of five per cent housing fee on tenancy contracts, said a civic body official.

The step is being taken to ensure that every tenant in Dubai register his tenancy contract with the municipality and pay five per cent housing fee. Subsequently, an online registration facility will also be launched for tenants and landlords.

"We have chalked out a plan to get every tenant on board because they are bound by law to pay five per cent fee on tenancy contracts," said Abdul Karim Al Haj, Head of the General Revenues Section at the Dubai Municipality.

The civic body had started collecting housing fees through utility bills of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority since January last year.

The housing fee is applicable to all residents and commercial establishments.

However, fees on tenancy contracts of commercial establishments and shops are collected by the Dubai Economic Department at the time of licensing.

In return, the municipality provides a host of services, such as keeping the streets clean, clearing the garbage, undertaking pest control measures, and landscaping and beautification projects, among others. Al Haj said: "The new steps are being taken just to make sure that everyone pays it."

The municipality started collected housing fees since January last year with the DEWA bills. "First it was started with the new tenants applying for electricity and water connection but now all the tenants new and old in Dubai will be registered to ensure collection from everyone," said Al Haj.

While residents who applied for new Dewa connections pay the housing fee, many old residents who have not registered their tenancy contract do not. The municipality is registering new tenancy contracts at a rate of 200 per day. There are an estimated 250,000 tenants in the city, he said.

Conservatively speaking, if the average rent in Dubai is Dh35,000, five per cent fee will be Dh1,750, the civic body will collect around Dh437.5 million from the estimated registered contracts.

"All tenants must register their tenancy contract at a special counter the municipality opened in Dewa offices," the official said.

He said residents who deliberately delay the registration of their tenancy contract [to avoid paying the full housing fee] might be slapped with a fine. Off-site registration counters will also be installed in other Dewa branches by May, said Al Haj.

"It is unfair for those who are already paying the fees if the old tenants keep dodging it by failing to register with us," said the official.

For many years, the General Revenue Section of the Dubai Municipality has charged a flat housing fee from companies for each employee ranging from Dh300 to Dh1,000, depending on their designation.

None of you business

After plans was announced plans to build two six-lane highways through the luxury developments in the Emirates Hill Area the following was published in in 7DAYS and I quote:

7Days - No Stopping Roads

"Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of Dubai’s Road and Transportation Authority, said last night the plans were now finalised, but that residents were welcome to write down their thoughts and leave them in a suggestion box.

The Interim Steering Committee (ISC), which represents residents in the luxury developments, had been hoping to meet the road authority to discuss the controversial plans.

Al Tayer said last night that his staff would be happy to meet the ISC to explain the scheme, but would not ask for their opinions or change the plans because it’s “none of their business”.

“We are not in America or Europe where approval for projects can take up to five years because everyone has to be consulted,” he told 7DAYS last night. The authority had consulted developer Emaar, as well as Nakheel and Dubai Holdings, before going ahead with the scheme, he said."

“We only deal with the developers who own the land and I’m sure they informed their residents. It’s not our job to ask for every resident’s permission,” Al Tayer added."

____________________________________

Thanks for that little wakeup call - I guess the Zillions of Dirhams people spent on villas in the area is 'none their business'?

And I am not going to say anything else ...

This is not a joke!

We discussed the other day how to get traffic to you site and this seems to be a good idea - will keep you posted as to how it actually goes (stole these words from one of the so called sites that knows what the 500 top search terms are and no - there is not 500 terms here - I had to take out some not so acceptable words ... think the list provider site also did some clean up ). Weird some of the tiles - why would people serach for ' wired magazine' as one of the top tiles? Or for 'Simple plan', ' Anna Nicol Smith'? Some of the terms could of course get my blog banned in our pretty part of the world. (start 1193 - finish 14XX)

Paris dunst

Experiment ended :).