My friend Eszter and I went to the beach yesterday, the first time this year. Weather is definitely getting nicer, the water was just perfect, all came with a gentle breeze, just what you need to feel the greatness of life.
Floating in warm water, we discussed our favorite beach topics (how boring baby blogs are, how boring life with kids can get, etc) (oh you guessed right, none of us have kids), when someone, who btw had extraordinary big ears,- said hello in Hungarian.
He said hello in a way how a friend would, so I looked at Eszter but she nodded to show she had not known him either. Having awful face memory, I searched for a clue whether I was supposed to recognize him. It turned out he is a tourist visiting Dubai for 11 days. He, his friends, and his extraordinary big ears.
He asked if we liked Dubai, and right there the second question, he asked if there was anything else apart of big bucks keeping us here. The third question was straight in the middle, asking how much our salaries were.
Khm. I love to travel places where I know someone. I love to get know new random people at places I travel to. I love to have advices from locals and non-local residents, who can tell me everything that is not written in the tourist guides.
If I were the guy I had taken the opportunity asking for recommendations on the best beach, best local restaurant, coolest place to go, ramadan habits, discuss some local weirdness that I noticed, etc.
No, he (and his extraordinary big ears) wanted to know the salary of a total stranger instead.
I told him "So I hope you will enjoy the rest of your holiday, Dubai is a great place" and he was laughing at my face with an expression "I cannot believe this" and "she is hysterical".
I bought a book the other day. It is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Some friends told me it is good and the new "hot one", but none of them could tell me clearly what was it about. So the audiobook version was displayed 100mm away my face on the counter at the shop where I bough something else, and suddenly I decided to check it out.
I am half way through, and have not decided yet whether it is worth to recommend or not. It is a kind of self-help book, based on positive thinking methods, telling you that all can be achieved what you want.
I realized most reasonable techniques described in the book as "ways to use The Secret" have already been applied by me in general, except I have never been thinking about them.
Some chapters are crap, like the "Imagine you make 100x more money next year and you will". Ehh. It actually takes much more than that.
But some is correct. A method that Rhonda Byrne mentions as basics to The Secret, is gratitude, to be grateful of what you already have, to say thank you and feel happy about your present situation.
Actually, I do stop time by time, have been doing it for 10+ years, look back, summarize where I am, notice the positive changes since my last summary, and feel happy about how I live and why I live. Rhonda reckons you should do it every day, I do it only occasionally, maybe every two months. Last time was about a week ago, I went to a huge building site near Abu Dhabi, which is just a piece of flat desert now, and by 2009-2010 it will be an operational district of the city. I drove through, parked at the massive big site office, walked in, and was truly happy to be part of this development.
Beach also often makes me think about rainy London and turns me truly grateful.
Back to the guy with his extraordinary big ears, he said he was working in London. He never mentioned what he does, but as Muegyetem, the name of the most famous Hungarian university did not ring a bell to him, I assume he never had the chance to enter higher education. Yet he was probably working hard and he could afford an 11-day holiday in Dubai, where there are no hostels and hotels cost a fortune. Yet he had the beach after rainy London with nice warm water and gentle breeze.
Why cannot you stop, look back, and be grateful of what you achieved? Why do you need to worry about the salaries of total strangers?
And why you are not the only Hungarian who could die for learning what other people make, in jobs totally irrelevant to your life?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Especially in India
I just had this car in front of me at a red light and found it funny.
Update.
I need to add an explanation as I talked to friends since I posted it and figured that although most of them found it funny, based on cultural background, they found it funny for all different reasons.
I heard that it is funny because "This little van wants to drive all the way through India" and because "The business owner must be from India, otherwise one could not give significance to India" (I had to disagree, most expats here are from India, there is a business sense in it.) and "Why would one deliver flowers from the desert to India, which is full of native flowers"
No, none of these. It is purely funny to me because I would have thought India is part of "anywhere". Such as Luxembourg, Chile or Iceland are part, hence they are not listed...
Update.
I need to add an explanation as I talked to friends since I posted it and figured that although most of them found it funny, based on cultural background, they found it funny for all different reasons.
I heard that it is funny because "This little van wants to drive all the way through India" and because "The business owner must be from India, otherwise one could not give significance to India" (I had to disagree, most expats here are from India, there is a business sense in it.) and "Why would one deliver flowers from the desert to India, which is full of native flowers"
No, none of these. It is purely funny to me because I would have thought India is part of "anywhere". Such as Luxembourg, Chile or Iceland are part, hence they are not listed...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Humidity
Some days in Dubai are 100% humidity level days. Usually mornings, when temperature is a little lower. It feels like being in the steam room, except steam is not 75+ Celsius only around 30-35.
This morning was one of those days. I was driving to work and it seemed like winter fog in Hungary. I set the aircon to 15 Celsius and could completely fool myself that I am "driving in the snowy countryside in December back in Hungary".
To add a facade specialist's note, all the single glazing goes completely disgusting on those high humidity days. Look at this petrol station enclosure. It is moist on the outside. Sometimes restaurants and hotels think that they need a cool frameless glass door, single glazed of course, and then you need to touch the poor moist thing... very posh.
The glass is supposed to be totally clear, it is just covered with condensed vapour.
This morning was one of those days. I was driving to work and it seemed like winter fog in Hungary. I set the aircon to 15 Celsius and could completely fool myself that I am "driving in the snowy countryside in December back in Hungary".
To add a facade specialist's note, all the single glazing goes completely disgusting on those high humidity days. Look at this petrol station enclosure. It is moist on the outside. Sometimes restaurants and hotels think that they need a cool frameless glass door, single glazed of course, and then you need to touch the poor moist thing... very posh.
The glass is supposed to be totally clear, it is just covered with condensed vapour.
Date pie
Nah akkor most mondja' olyat amit nem lehet datolyabol fozni...
Is there anything that you cannot make out of dates?
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Justifying expectations
There is a thing in Dubai, that one gets used to very quickly: most buildings have gym and swimming pool. These can range poor- to well equipped, small to large, basement to elegant rooftop location. But I am telling you, the most poorly equipped gym I saw in Dubai beats all the gyms of most London 4-5 star hotels.
I remember before I moved here I was looking for accommodation in Dubai on the Internet and noticed that many buildings feature swimming pools. That time I was reasoning that I might not need a swimming pool as I never had before, and expected those pool-less buildings be cheaper. Well, it was not the case. Those "without" buildings either do not exist or you have to compromise a lot on your comfort level and tolerance towards unpleasant neighbors and their unexpected house pets to move there.
The health club in the Dubai Marina building where I lived till this June was on the 35th floor rooftop, with fabulous view. I loved the pool and the jacuzzi, they relaxed me after stressful days. Gym - well, I am not the fanatic type, I only went 5-6 times when I hurt my spine due to lack of knowledge on what to do in a gym, and ended up in an emergency room and with a 3-month argument to get my insurance company pay my medical bills. Good thing about it that the only way I could ease my back pain was to float my body on water, so I spent an extremely pleasant 4 day sick leave in the pool area and went back to work stunningly tanned. Best sick leave ever.
So now I decided to get a personal trainer and go working out regularly. I have been doing it for 7 weeks. I hate it, you would guess if you now me, correctly.
My first personal trainer gave up on me after 10 sessions. He could not understand that I will never love working out. I lost my temper with him regularly and he transferred me to a fellow trainer. A typical session with him was as follows:
- Come on, you will like the CrossTrainer.
- I will do it but do not expect me to like it.
- So, do you like it?
- No, I hate it. Please do not ask it again, I do not like the gym but I will still come because I decided to do it.
- You will see, you will love it.
- Beleive me, I will not.
- But remember, you must have liked PE classes at high school, everyone did.
- Actually I went to special mathematics high school and we were only 6 girls and the coach let us study for physics and mathematics tests instead of useless stupid PE.
- ...So, what do you think about the Chest Press, we increased the weights, it means you started liking it.
- No, I still hate it. Increasing the weight only means that I have more reason hating it now.
And then we go home. And the following session he would ask whether I liked the gym.
The second one is less enthusiastic, that helps. His name is Roger. Every session he tells me that he wants to live in London and asks me how is it there. So every each time I tell him that it is expensive, it is a rip off, people are unfriendly and careless, all the places he could rent are very small and badly maintained, and crime rate is high. And every each session he says:
- Really?
And then we both go home, and next time he would tell me about his plans to live in London and ask me how it is there. And when I tell him, he will say:
- Really?
And guess what we speak about the session after that... Maybe next time I should tell him London is twice as cheap as Dubai, it would not make a difference. (Really?)
Well, there is a saying about sportsmen having underdeveloped brain... (Yeah, both of them are Philippinos, but let's not go back to that...)
I cannot really compare this gym to any other facilities worldwide as I always tried to avoid gyms so there is nothing to compare to. This gym is supposed to be the best here, branch of Fitness First international network. However, I do not have the feeling that the personal trainers are really professional and would have an understanding of how the body and muscles work and how each individual body are different. They just make the very same exercises with anybody, over and over. I recently heard from friends about the importance of keeping the heart rate on level, well, he never measures my hearth rate. The music in the gym is selected by the (khmm... Philippina) receptionists... they are the Brian Adams type let's sleep immediately songs. Nothing energetic or powerful that would help doing the stupid cardios. I am not sure that she realizes that she works for a gym not for a coffee shop.
This happens quite often in Dubai. You have fantastic facilities, operated by cheap and consequentially undertrained staff.
Restaurants are the same... beautiful setting, designer environment, and just dare to ask a simple question about the food.. like "is it a cream soup or a clear soup?". You are lucky if he says " I am not sure ma'am." More chance that he will not admit that he does not even understand the question or does not now anything about their food and he says
- Yes ma'am.
- Yes what?
- (imagine a very stupid looking face here)
- I tried to ask if it is was cream soup, the one that looks white, or clear?
- White ma'am, white. (wow, he caught a word)
You can bet it will be a clear soup. If not tomato based red soup.
To be fair with Philippinos, most restaurant staff are Indian.
You know, some here say they wanna leave Dubai because they just got tired of dumb people. I am not saying it is easy to take. But nothing is free. You get luxury services here in Dubai for peanuts, like manual car wash, manicure, massage, cocktail served at the beach, free valet parking, clean toilets at public pop concerts, etc And if you appreciate those - you have to appreciate the dumb people who deliver it to you. Or you can leave. Do not complain, just leave.
That is why I do not fire my personal trainer and why I tip the cleaning lady even when she folds my dirty laundry and puts it back to my wardrobe. For the record, a PT makes 2800 AED and a cleaning lady makes 800. In London a PT would take home 1800 GBP and a cleaning lady 1200 GBP. The exchange rate is 7.4. Comparing the expectations? Go and figure.
I remember before I moved here I was looking for accommodation in Dubai on the Internet and noticed that many buildings feature swimming pools. That time I was reasoning that I might not need a swimming pool as I never had before, and expected those pool-less buildings be cheaper. Well, it was not the case. Those "without" buildings either do not exist or you have to compromise a lot on your comfort level and tolerance towards unpleasant neighbors and their unexpected house pets to move there.
The health club in the Dubai Marina building where I lived till this June was on the 35th floor rooftop, with fabulous view. I loved the pool and the jacuzzi, they relaxed me after stressful days. Gym - well, I am not the fanatic type, I only went 5-6 times when I hurt my spine due to lack of knowledge on what to do in a gym, and ended up in an emergency room and with a 3-month argument to get my insurance company pay my medical bills. Good thing about it that the only way I could ease my back pain was to float my body on water, so I spent an extremely pleasant 4 day sick leave in the pool area and went back to work stunningly tanned. Best sick leave ever.
So now I decided to get a personal trainer and go working out regularly. I have been doing it for 7 weeks. I hate it, you would guess if you now me, correctly.
My first personal trainer gave up on me after 10 sessions. He could not understand that I will never love working out. I lost my temper with him regularly and he transferred me to a fellow trainer. A typical session with him was as follows:
- Come on, you will like the CrossTrainer.
- I will do it but do not expect me to like it.
- So, do you like it?
- No, I hate it. Please do not ask it again, I do not like the gym but I will still come because I decided to do it.
- You will see, you will love it.
- Beleive me, I will not.
- But remember, you must have liked PE classes at high school, everyone did.
- Actually I went to special mathematics high school and we were only 6 girls and the coach let us study for physics and mathematics tests instead of useless stupid PE.
- ...So, what do you think about the Chest Press, we increased the weights, it means you started liking it.
- No, I still hate it. Increasing the weight only means that I have more reason hating it now.
And then we go home. And the following session he would ask whether I liked the gym.
The second one is less enthusiastic, that helps. His name is Roger. Every session he tells me that he wants to live in London and asks me how is it there. So every each time I tell him that it is expensive, it is a rip off, people are unfriendly and careless, all the places he could rent are very small and badly maintained, and crime rate is high. And every each session he says:
- Really?
And then we both go home, and next time he would tell me about his plans to live in London and ask me how it is there. And when I tell him, he will say:
- Really?
And guess what we speak about the session after that... Maybe next time I should tell him London is twice as cheap as Dubai, it would not make a difference. (Really?)
Well, there is a saying about sportsmen having underdeveloped brain... (Yeah, both of them are Philippinos, but let's not go back to that...)
I cannot really compare this gym to any other facilities worldwide as I always tried to avoid gyms so there is nothing to compare to. This gym is supposed to be the best here, branch of Fitness First international network. However, I do not have the feeling that the personal trainers are really professional and would have an understanding of how the body and muscles work and how each individual body are different. They just make the very same exercises with anybody, over and over. I recently heard from friends about the importance of keeping the heart rate on level, well, he never measures my hearth rate. The music in the gym is selected by the (khmm... Philippina) receptionists... they are the Brian Adams type let's sleep immediately songs. Nothing energetic or powerful that would help doing the stupid cardios. I am not sure that she realizes that she works for a gym not for a coffee shop.
This happens quite often in Dubai. You have fantastic facilities, operated by cheap and consequentially undertrained staff.
Restaurants are the same... beautiful setting, designer environment, and just dare to ask a simple question about the food.. like "is it a cream soup or a clear soup?". You are lucky if he says " I am not sure ma'am." More chance that he will not admit that he does not even understand the question or does not now anything about their food and he says
- Yes ma'am.
- Yes what?
- (imagine a very stupid looking face here)
- I tried to ask if it is was cream soup, the one that looks white, or clear?
- White ma'am, white. (wow, he caught a word)
You can bet it will be a clear soup. If not tomato based red soup.
To be fair with Philippinos, most restaurant staff are Indian.
You know, some here say they wanna leave Dubai because they just got tired of dumb people. I am not saying it is easy to take. But nothing is free. You get luxury services here in Dubai for peanuts, like manual car wash, manicure, massage, cocktail served at the beach, free valet parking, clean toilets at public pop concerts, etc And if you appreciate those - you have to appreciate the dumb people who deliver it to you. Or you can leave. Do not complain, just leave.
That is why I do not fire my personal trainer and why I tip the cleaning lady even when she folds my dirty laundry and puts it back to my wardrobe. For the record, a PT makes 2800 AED and a cleaning lady makes 800. In London a PT would take home 1800 GBP and a cleaning lady 1200 GBP. The exchange rate is 7.4. Comparing the expectations? Go and figure.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Being fat
'So tell me what is soo very interesting here for (fools like) you?' he did not actually add the part in brackets but certainly suggested by the tone of his voice.
I just did not feel like explaining.
'Well, things are interesting for some people.' and I moved away.
'So you do not want to speak to me? .... You know you have a huge fat ass!! You are really fat!! Ha-ha.You should lose weight first!' he shouted after me, even when we were around the corner already.
Update on Heathrow
This is a follow up on a previous post
This time at the first security check point at Heathrow Departures Check-In, I catched the following conversation. A woman with a relatively big, but not enormously big trolley bag tried to pass. Security person, on relaxed low tone voice:
'Excuse me, this bag might be too big for handluggage.'
'I need to keep it.'
'Ma'am, could you please come with me... measure the bag here yourself, see if it fits to the size allowance.'
'I really need to keep it.'
'Ma'am, I only try to help you.' (still relaxed and relatively kind)
'I cannot check it in, there are important items in.. blabla...'
I could see from the corner of my eyes that it is too late. An other security person hurried from the other end of the room, shouting from 30 meters distance:
'YOU CANNOT KEEP THAT BAG, CHECK IT IN, CANNOT YOU READ THE RULES'
'But I need the..the.. items....'
'YOU ARE KEEPING THE LINE UP, MOVE OUT'- and he dragged her out.
Wow, poor first security guy must have been fired that night. He was too humanitarian for this job.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Shoes
This morning in the changing room of my gym an other woman came to me and asked:
"Excuse me, I really like your shoes. Did you buy them here or abroad?"
I mean, again, this is typical Dubai. Let's look at it again.
It happened in a gym. You have to be a member, and it was in the suburbs. Not a place where tourists would go. So we can assume everyone in the changing room was Dubai residents.
Dubai has all the big chains and designer shops. You can buy here absolutely everything.
And yet, her initial assumption is that it is more likely that I bought them abroad than here. Therefore she put the question that way.
And she could have been right. The pants I have today I got from the US, the shirt is from the UK, the scarf and the shoes UAE. And all of us in that changing room were probably wearing a similar combination.
Is there an other place on Earth where it would have happened?
"Excuse me, I really like your shoes. Did you buy them here or abroad?"
I mean, again, this is typical Dubai. Let's look at it again.
It happened in a gym. You have to be a member, and it was in the suburbs. Not a place where tourists would go. So we can assume everyone in the changing room was Dubai residents.
Dubai has all the big chains and designer shops. You can buy here absolutely everything.
And yet, her initial assumption is that it is more likely that I bought them abroad than here. Therefore she put the question that way.
And she could have been right. The pants I have today I got from the US, the shirt is from the UK, the scarf and the shoes UAE. And all of us in that changing room were probably wearing a similar combination.
Is there an other place on Earth where it would have happened?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Company car
I took this picture almost two years ago, but the point is still valid. Porsche Cayenne as a company car, with company logo sticker on the side doors... only in Dubai.
Little blurry, sorry, we were both in motion.
Little blurry, sorry, we were both in motion.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Home
There is wide literature on the internet on expatriots, third world kids, repatriating immigrants, etc. On people who lived abroad for an extended duration at one point in their life or in the majority of their life. The main argument is always about "where is Home". Some opinions say there will be no Home anymore, others say the origin country, or the parent's origin culture remains always Home. Some says - and I came to the conclusion of supporting this approach - that all those countries will be Home.
I was in the UK on business in June, and one Sunday I felt I should visit back to Bath, where I had not been since 2004, but lived there for one and half years before. One of my old time friends is still there, so I gave Joanna a call. And we had excellent good time!
The experience of going back to Bath was overwhelming. At one point, I told Joanna that I felt at home. I had the same feeling in different other cities as well. So here is a list what defines Home in my opinion.
And I am quite confident having multiple Homes.
Whenever I feel homesick, it is actually a longing for one of these places. Sometimes it is for Budapest, but most of the time it is not. When I watch some American program on TV - and this is quite frequent, as so many movies are made there - I am crying to go back to the USA. Then I smell something, that triggers memories from my childhood in Turkey. And so on.
Twice every week, I want to leave Dubai. But I know I would miss it a big time.
As most of my friends reading this blog are experienced in abroad living, please feel free to suggest items to my Home definition list.
I was in the UK on business in June, and one Sunday I felt I should visit back to Bath, where I had not been since 2004, but lived there for one and half years before. One of my old time friends is still there, so I gave Joanna a call. And we had excellent good time!
The experience of going back to Bath was overwhelming. At one point, I told Joanna that I felt at home. I had the same feeling in different other cities as well. So here is a list what defines Home in my opinion.
- Have friends in that city. Friends with common memories of the times you spent together in the city.
- Know what is around the corner. Know the bus lines. Know at least 5 different location outlets from the same chain.
- Have a memory of the city. Be able to say "oh, this pizza place used to be a bookshop before" or "how come they are changing the road here again, they just created this roundabout a couple of years ago".
And I am quite confident having multiple Homes.
Whenever I feel homesick, it is actually a longing for one of these places. Sometimes it is for Budapest, but most of the time it is not. When I watch some American program on TV - and this is quite frequent, as so many movies are made there - I am crying to go back to the USA. Then I smell something, that triggers memories from my childhood in Turkey. And so on.
Twice every week, I want to leave Dubai. But I know I would miss it a big time.
As most of my friends reading this blog are experienced in abroad living, please feel free to suggest items to my Home definition list.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Captivating Contrasts
This is in reference to my first ever post. There is a new short movie that I saw on Saudi TV MBC, almost at each commercial break, advertising Dubai as the City of Captivating Contrasts. Ehh. What contrast do they exactly mean? A contrast of this?
Workers waiting for their company provided lunch in Dubai Festival City construction site.
Amara Spa at Park Hyatt Dubai. Spa Teatment 1290 AED/ half day. (This picture is from the net, but I have a similar one that I took, will change later when I get my computer out of storage.)
Captivating.
Workers waiting for their company provided lunch in Dubai Festival City construction site.
Amara Spa at Park Hyatt Dubai. Spa Teatment 1290 AED/ half day. (This picture is from the net, but I have a similar one that I took, will change later when I get my computer out of storage.)
Captivating.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Finland
Just some random photos from my Finland trip. It was actually a conference in Tampere, but I used the opportunity to also visit my friend Kati. The conference was on glass and was actually very good. I am sure it sounds equally exciting for all of you, yeah, what can be more joy than attending presentations on float glass production, glass processing, glass engineering, glass performance, glass fixing systems. Ok, so back to pictures on Finland.
Finland has lakes.
And more lakes.
Not surprizing, Kati's place is also at a lake!
This is Kati. She is on the phone with her boyfriend a lot. Ok, not always. She does not do it when Tero (the boyfriend) is around. (this is mean, I know...)
This is me with Kati. The picture was taken by Tero, hence no phone! :)
Other random observations:
I love saunas. Finnish ones. Good thing that it is quite common to have one that opens from your bathroom if you are in Finland. So of course Kati had one, hurray! What I found surprizing: it is uncommon to have a bathtub in Finland. Although it does make perfect sense, most of us (bathtub owners) very rarely or never use it. There is actually a lot of sense in Finnish home furnishing. I also love the dish dryer grill above the sink. It is like a normal cabinet, with doors, but with grill instead of shelves. Water can drain to the sink below, but dishes are concealed behind the cabinet door rather than exhibited overnight (or for days, as in my case...). But as much as I was happy with home design, looking at shop windows and people on the street, Finnish fashion seems to be a little bit out of space. Fashion items have nothing to do with current trends, and most surprizingly, the streets of Tampere are full of youngsters dressed in gothic rock punk style. I saw at least two of them every day! Did not that style die out last century?? I felt nostalgic.
Finland has lakes.
And more lakes.
Not surprizing, Kati's place is also at a lake!
This is Kati. She is on the phone with her boyfriend a lot. Ok, not always. She does not do it when Tero (the boyfriend) is around. (this is mean, I know...)
This is me with Kati. The picture was taken by Tero, hence no phone! :)
Other random observations:
I love saunas. Finnish ones. Good thing that it is quite common to have one that opens from your bathroom if you are in Finland. So of course Kati had one, hurray! What I found surprizing: it is uncommon to have a bathtub in Finland. Although it does make perfect sense, most of us (bathtub owners) very rarely or never use it. There is actually a lot of sense in Finnish home furnishing. I also love the dish dryer grill above the sink. It is like a normal cabinet, with doors, but with grill instead of shelves. Water can drain to the sink below, but dishes are concealed behind the cabinet door rather than exhibited overnight (or for days, as in my case...). But as much as I was happy with home design, looking at shop windows and people on the street, Finnish fashion seems to be a little bit out of space. Fashion items have nothing to do with current trends, and most surprizingly, the streets of Tampere are full of youngsters dressed in gothic rock punk style. I saw at least two of them every day! Did not that style die out last century?? I felt nostalgic.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Heated atmosphere at Heathrow
I have been fascinated by airports since early childhood. What attracts me is the dynamism of an airport. The different flows in motion. Flows of people, flows of luggage, flows of boxed food or boxed trash, outgoing and incoming, outgoing to different destinations and incoming from an other set of places. All these needs to be arranged, controlled and maintained simultaneously, in a very efficient way. These flows merge and cross and branch. The fine line in between chaos and order.
I think I was 6 months old when first traveled by air. We do have a family history of living abroad and traveling. My grandma loves air travel as well, she loves the part when the plane takes off. And the bigger the plane is, the more fascinating the take off is. It is all about beating gravity. It is about the 'Fuck you normal life, I am flying again!!' feeling.
So needless to say, I was very excited when I first arrived to Heathrow. It was when I moved back from the US, and due to delays, my Washington-Frankfurt-Budapest Lufthansa flight was rerouted as Washington-London-Budapest with British Airways. It was well before 9/11, in the good old times when airlines were friends and airport staff were at your service.
That excitement evaporated. These days I just hate Heathrow. I love some other airports, but I hate Heathrow. Just the whole place is unpleasant. The long walk in dark damp tunnels, parts of them are always under construction. Then the rude airport staff. Then the small waiting area. And wifi access is not free.
And all the new "necessary precautions", the multiple security screening points (to make sure by the time you put your belt and hairclip on, you can strip again), the small plastic bag for your toothpaste and eye drops, the fact they make you discard your coke, larger than 100ml perfumes, lipsticks... You might say these are not special, other airports are introducing the same rules. Oh yeah. The difference is:
Other airport staff: "Ma'am, unfortunately I will have to ask you to drink that coke before you go through the gate. I am really sorry, but this is the new rule."
Heathrow specially trained staff: (shouting)"I SAID THROW THAT BOTTLE OUT!! CANNOT YOU HEAR ME PEOPLE, OR WHAT?"
And the other difference is that some airport (like San Francisco) actually have the option that you can put your weapons of destruction, such as nail files and lipsticks into a self addressed envelope and mail them home. No, not Heathrow!
But on top of all, now they managed to introduce the most ridiculous rule, combined with especially rude treatment, beating all earlier ones. It says "Only one piece of cabin luggage is allowed." Oh yeah. When I arrived I passed by the connecting flights transfer area. Or I wanted to pass, but the scene I saw made me stop and stare. It was like in a concentration camp. Poor folks coming from different airports with eg. (scandalously!!!) a laptop bag AND a small lady's purse, oh what an offense!!! Five security staff was walking up and down the line, shouting "ONE PIECE ONLY, ONLY ONE PIECE IS ALLOWED! YOU EITHER DISCARD THE OTHER OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PASS. I REPEAT BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND. AS I SAID, ONLY ONE PIECE." And they indeed had huge trash cans. I saw this security guy pulling aside a scared five member family, and shouting at them, as they had 9 pieces of luggage, including small waist bags, purses, pink kid's barbie backpacks, umbrellas. Scandal!! They have to be treated as criminals for this!! Terrorist!! They try to flood the cabin with waist bags, but now these culprits are stopped!! They deserve to be shouted at!! Humiliate them!!
When I said, after being sent back 5 times to take off more clothing, even though the gate did not beep at all, so when I quietly noted "This is the world's most ridiculous airport!", the security officer shouted back "You have obviously never been to the US!". Oh, yeah.... Please advise me more.
Airport staff is not at your help any more. You are not the customer any more. You are lucky that you can enter the airport, and if you do not line up nicely, strip when instructed, let your belongings taken, follow orders, then you will face consequences. And do not you dare to complain.
Really, the only positive thing about Heathrow is that they always have HSBC ads on the walls, which I like. It is always a pair of photos, with captions, and then the same pair, with switched captions. The whole thing is about connotations. But you know what, I do not need to go to the airport to see them! They are here, click on Download to see what I mean: http://www.yourpointofview.com/hsbcads_airport.aspx
I think I was 6 months old when first traveled by air. We do have a family history of living abroad and traveling. My grandma loves air travel as well, she loves the part when the plane takes off. And the bigger the plane is, the more fascinating the take off is. It is all about beating gravity. It is about the 'Fuck you normal life, I am flying again!!' feeling.
So needless to say, I was very excited when I first arrived to Heathrow. It was when I moved back from the US, and due to delays, my Washington-Frankfurt-Budapest Lufthansa flight was rerouted as Washington-London-Budapest with British Airways. It was well before 9/11, in the good old times when airlines were friends and airport staff were at your service.
That excitement evaporated. These days I just hate Heathrow. I love some other airports, but I hate Heathrow. Just the whole place is unpleasant. The long walk in dark damp tunnels, parts of them are always under construction. Then the rude airport staff. Then the small waiting area. And wifi access is not free.
And all the new "necessary precautions", the multiple security screening points (to make sure by the time you put your belt and hairclip on, you can strip again), the small plastic bag for your toothpaste and eye drops, the fact they make you discard your coke, larger than 100ml perfumes, lipsticks... You might say these are not special, other airports are introducing the same rules. Oh yeah. The difference is:
Other airport staff: "Ma'am, unfortunately I will have to ask you to drink that coke before you go through the gate. I am really sorry, but this is the new rule."
Heathrow specially trained staff: (shouting)"I SAID THROW THAT BOTTLE OUT!! CANNOT YOU HEAR ME PEOPLE, OR WHAT?"
And the other difference is that some airport (like San Francisco) actually have the option that you can put your weapons of destruction, such as nail files and lipsticks into a self addressed envelope and mail them home. No, not Heathrow!
But on top of all, now they managed to introduce the most ridiculous rule, combined with especially rude treatment, beating all earlier ones. It says "Only one piece of cabin luggage is allowed." Oh yeah. When I arrived I passed by the connecting flights transfer area. Or I wanted to pass, but the scene I saw made me stop and stare. It was like in a concentration camp. Poor folks coming from different airports with eg. (scandalously!!!) a laptop bag AND a small lady's purse, oh what an offense!!! Five security staff was walking up and down the line, shouting "ONE PIECE ONLY, ONLY ONE PIECE IS ALLOWED! YOU EITHER DISCARD THE OTHER OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PASS. I REPEAT BECAUSE YOU DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND. AS I SAID, ONLY ONE PIECE." And they indeed had huge trash cans. I saw this security guy pulling aside a scared five member family, and shouting at them, as they had 9 pieces of luggage, including small waist bags, purses, pink kid's barbie backpacks, umbrellas. Scandal!! They have to be treated as criminals for this!! Terrorist!! They try to flood the cabin with waist bags, but now these culprits are stopped!! They deserve to be shouted at!! Humiliate them!!
When I said, after being sent back 5 times to take off more clothing, even though the gate did not beep at all, so when I quietly noted "This is the world's most ridiculous airport!", the security officer shouted back "You have obviously never been to the US!". Oh, yeah.... Please advise me more.
Airport staff is not at your help any more. You are not the customer any more. You are lucky that you can enter the airport, and if you do not line up nicely, strip when instructed, let your belongings taken, follow orders, then you will face consequences. And do not you dare to complain.
Really, the only positive thing about Heathrow is that they always have HSBC ads on the walls, which I like. It is always a pair of photos, with captions, and then the same pair, with switched captions. The whole thing is about connotations. But you know what, I do not need to go to the airport to see them! They are here, click on Download to see what I mean: http://www.yourpointofview.com/hsbcads_airport.aspx
Singapore
I was often daydreaming about my post-resignation period. And what I really planned is to have two months off, and go backpacking to Japan. Maybe four months, and that would include Japan and Australia. Or six, and I can add some fun time in the US.
Back to reality, I went to Singapore for 5 (five) days. Including travel. Oh yeah, life is tough.
I picked Singapore because Singapore Airlines had a good offer. It came as a package, airfare, airport transfer, 4 star hotel, sightseeing trips. All to celebrate their 60th birthday. As I had not been there before, I though I should go for it.
To conclude my observations: Singapore is surprisingly green. Tropical plants everywhere. Do I want to live there? There are things that I would enjoy better. Like the plants. I spent a whole afternoon in the Botanical Gardens. But all in all, it does not seem to offer enough to make me move.
I put pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/akoltay/Singapore/photo#s5073967345988716546
And only after 3 weeks that I left Singapore, had I have the chance to learn the most amazing fact that I missed to notice while there: Chewing Gum is banned over there! Read it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum_ban_in_Singapore
Only in Singapore are they dare enough to do it.
Back to reality, I went to Singapore for 5 (five) days. Including travel. Oh yeah, life is tough.
I picked Singapore because Singapore Airlines had a good offer. It came as a package, airfare, airport transfer, 4 star hotel, sightseeing trips. All to celebrate their 60th birthday. As I had not been there before, I though I should go for it.
To conclude my observations: Singapore is surprisingly green. Tropical plants everywhere. Do I want to live there? There are things that I would enjoy better. Like the plants. I spent a whole afternoon in the Botanical Gardens. But all in all, it does not seem to offer enough to make me move.
I put pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com
And only after 3 weeks that I left Singapore, had I have the chance to learn the most amazing fact that I missed to notice while there: Chewing Gum is banned over there! Read it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum_ban_in_Singapore
Only in Singapore are they dare enough to do it.
Friday, May 11, 2007
No, I have not given up
Changing jobs are not easy.
Actually, it is very emotional, on top of the exhausting part. This is because I love what I do and because I was here with this office from the very beginning, growing from 2 people to 14.
And I claim a part of this growth.
Making longterm decisions without having a full set of information of "what could happen if I do it this way" is the hard part. And I am going through a whole series of longterm decisions.
First I decided to leave our Dubai office. Then I decided whether to take a job with an other office of us, or look for something else. Actually, I never started looking. Offers came. And when I decided to take one of them, an other good one came. So I am still in the process, bear with me. I am finishing with my company on the 15th of May, but I will have nothing new confirmed before the end of May.
This whole thing coincides with leaving my apartment and search for a new one. Finally I booked a flat in a building which was my project, facade consultancy for the architect. This will only be ready in August, so I am basically on the street from 14th May till the end of Aug, staying with friends, in hotels, and travelling. It might seem strange but I do not mind being homeless for a while. I need freedom now, and furniture, flat and stuff more than what fits into a suitcase do restrict you and limit your freedom. I do look forward to put everything into storage and have only a week's clothing with me and a few technical reference books in the trunk of my car, in case I have to start a job sooner than August.
And of course, on top of changing job and flat, I have been considering changing countries as well. But I decided to stay. London is too depressive, Australia is too low paid. US/Canada was not an option now.
So that is why I have no posts these days. I hope it explains...
Actually, it is very emotional, on top of the exhausting part. This is because I love what I do and because I was here with this office from the very beginning, growing from 2 people to 14.
And I claim a part of this growth.
Making longterm decisions without having a full set of information of "what could happen if I do it this way" is the hard part. And I am going through a whole series of longterm decisions.
First I decided to leave our Dubai office. Then I decided whether to take a job with an other office of us, or look for something else. Actually, I never started looking. Offers came. And when I decided to take one of them, an other good one came. So I am still in the process, bear with me. I am finishing with my company on the 15th of May, but I will have nothing new confirmed before the end of May.
This whole thing coincides with leaving my apartment and search for a new one. Finally I booked a flat in a building which was my project, facade consultancy for the architect. This will only be ready in August, so I am basically on the street from 14th May till the end of Aug, staying with friends, in hotels, and travelling. It might seem strange but I do not mind being homeless for a while. I need freedom now, and furniture, flat and stuff more than what fits into a suitcase do restrict you and limit your freedom. I do look forward to put everything into storage and have only a week's clothing with me and a few technical reference books in the trunk of my car, in case I have to start a job sooner than August.
And of course, on top of changing job and flat, I have been considering changing countries as well. But I decided to stay. London is too depressive, Australia is too low paid. US/Canada was not an option now.
So that is why I have no posts these days. I hope it explains...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Questions
Ok, this blog posting business requires too much effort... I have been busy and stressed these days. I cannot even sleep properly for weeks. I have not had time to try Krispy Kreme either.
The other day I was reminded to one of my "only in Dubai" observations I had a year ago, it is time to share it.
I noticed there is a main difference in the startup conversation questions
of the places I lived in. Which reflects the way of thinking of that society.
After What is your name, you are asked:
US: So where are you living now?
UK: Where are you from?
Dubai: How long will you stay in Dubai?
Think about it.
The other day I was reminded to one of my "only in Dubai" observations I had a year ago, it is time to share it.
I noticed there is a main difference in the startup conversation questions
of the places I lived in. Which reflects the way of thinking of that society.
After What is your name, you are asked:
US: So where are you living now?
UK: Where are you from?
Dubai: How long will you stay in Dubai?
Think about it.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Krispy Kreme
There is a Hungarian saying "Bearanyoztak a reggelem" which literary translates "my morning had been coated with gold". I guess it is coming from the feeling that you see the first reddish-golden rays of the morning Sun and turn happy. It is used when your day has an outstandingly good start. That is what happened today. I saw this on my way to a meeting:
Wahaha! Krispy Kreme is coming, Krispy Kreme is coming to town.
Krispy Kreme was one of my favorite chains in the US. It is really nothing special, but doughnuts with overdosed sugar, typical southern states' taste. The good thing is Krispy Kreme allows you to see their machines and doughnut manufacturing lines through windows. Or maybe that was only the Raleigh outlet and they do not do that everywhere. And OK , I admit this is only a "good thing" if you are under age 10 or a big kid like me. Maybe there's absolutely nothing good in Krispy Kreme, but I still love it!
Krispy Kreme brought up many memories from the US. Working late night in the studios and the professor arriving at midnight with a tray of Krispy Kreme to encourage us finishing the assignment. Buying doughnuts with various friends. But my favorite story is the following:
In the US, I lived in an international dorm, called Alexander House. The main concept was to pair up a graduating American student with an international one, put them into a room, and wait until they start admire eachother's culture. Because multicultural knowledge makes you more. And actually this is true, and their concept worked great. The dorm had approx. 80 rooms and they organized great social events.
Anyway, at the end of the year there was a dorm meeting and a survey on how to spend the remaining allowance. The student body suggested three options for voting:
1. Remodel the shared kitchen area.
2. Build a bigger laundry room with new machines.
3. Buy trays of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to everyone.
Considering that half of the students living in the dorm were about to graduate and the other half were on exchange programs from other countries, what do you think the outcome of the voting was? Oh yeah, 100% for Option 3.
This is a good example of how misinterpreted democracy can screw up decisions which would be beneficial to the society / community but might not be beneficial to certain individuals.
So for weeks, each room got a full (24 piece) tray of Krispy Kreme iced dougnuts. After a few weeks, everyone was so fed up with eating sweet doughnuts that we ended up playing on the corridors by throwing dry doughnuts to eachother. Doughnut fights lasted long days...
To be fair with the management, they either got extra money from somewhere, or the leftover money was more than the cost of a few hundred trays of Krispy Kreme, because they did build a new laundry room. It was completed just before we left, I even remember getting free detergents when they opened it.
Wahaha! Krispy Kreme is coming, Krispy Kreme is coming to town.Krispy Kreme was one of my favorite chains in the US. It is really nothing special, but doughnuts with overdosed sugar, typical southern states' taste. The good thing is Krispy Kreme allows you to see their machines and doughnut manufacturing lines through windows. Or maybe that was only the Raleigh outlet and they do not do that everywhere. And OK , I admit this is only a "good thing" if you are under age 10 or a big kid like me. Maybe there's absolutely nothing good in Krispy Kreme, but I still love it!
Krispy Kreme brought up many memories from the US. Working late night in the studios and the professor arriving at midnight with a tray of Krispy Kreme to encourage us finishing the assignment. Buying doughnuts with various friends. But my favorite story is the following:
In the US, I lived in an international dorm, called Alexander House. The main concept was to pair up a graduating American student with an international one, put them into a room, and wait until they start admire eachother's culture. Because multicultural knowledge makes you more. And actually this is true, and their concept worked great. The dorm had approx. 80 rooms and they organized great social events.
Anyway, at the end of the year there was a dorm meeting and a survey on how to spend the remaining allowance. The student body suggested three options for voting:
1. Remodel the shared kitchen area.
2. Build a bigger laundry room with new machines.
3. Buy trays of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to everyone.
Considering that half of the students living in the dorm were about to graduate and the other half were on exchange programs from other countries, what do you think the outcome of the voting was? Oh yeah, 100% for Option 3.
This is a good example of how misinterpreted democracy can screw up decisions which would be beneficial to the society / community but might not be beneficial to certain individuals.
So for weeks, each room got a full (24 piece) tray of Krispy Kreme iced dougnuts. After a few weeks, everyone was so fed up with eating sweet doughnuts that we ended up playing on the corridors by throwing dry doughnuts to eachother. Doughnut fights lasted long days...
To be fair with the management, they either got extra money from somewhere, or the leftover money was more than the cost of a few hundred trays of Krispy Kreme, because they did build a new laundry room. It was completed just before we left, I even remember getting free detergents when they opened it.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Wahiba crossing
Ok, now I tell you everything in detail about my last weekend. This was quite a typical one, we do trips like this quite often. Trips that are only possible here.
I got Thursday off last weekend. Or I tried. To get that, I basically worked every day till 9-10pm, and I even worked a few hours Thursday morning... Anyway, the reason why I did it is that I wanted to join a trip to cross Wahiba desert in Oman. The plan was to start crossing it from North to South, and then drive slightly Eastward until we hit the coast, after which we would follow the coastline back South. The whole loop route in sand would be approx. 220km.
Other guys took Wednesday off as well and me and a guy from Al Ain were supposed to meet them in Al Mintirib, Oman on Thursday evening. Al Mintirib is approx 700km from Dubai... So I got up on Thursday, packed the car with all the offroad and camping stuff, rushed to wor
k, rushed to a supermarket to fill my coolbox, bought a petrol can in Ace Hardware (it was on sale, only 99AED!), get it filled at a petrol station (I opened it and closed it myself this time) and fought my way out of Dubai through the Thursday midday traffic jam. I have to mention that I also bought at Ace a small screwdriver with 4 little baby screws, the whole thing comes a tiny box like 40mm by 20mm. I think it is to fix specs, but it is so cute I could not leave there. I show you a really bad picture on it, taken by my phone right now. I am not sure what will I do with the tiny screwdriver, especially considering the fact that I am wearing contacts, but it seems very useful and I am sure it was well worth the 5 dirhams.
Anyway, I made it to Al Ain, then we made it to Al Mintirib, where we met the others, deflated our tires and ventured towards the sand dunes. (You have to deflate the tires to get better traction on sand). We spent the night at Al Raha Desert Camp, which was quite basic, small cabins with a concrete (!) bed and small bathroom with steel door. It looked like this:
After breakfast we got some GPS coordinates from the resort owner, named Ali. He showed us the tracks he is usually taking, and also a place where sand is so tricky he needs 8 hours to drive 20kms. (Guess what, we went right there later...) With all the new coordinates added to our already loaded GPSs, we left the camp. Which is not entirely true, I had no time during the week to input the coordinates to mine, so I used the excuse of Garmin not producing software for Mac. (Yeah, I am a Mac user). In the reality, I could have used my work PC, but I was too busy with working overtime on projects (that btw noone on Earth appreciates) and I knew that the other guys would have their GPSs loaded plus the tracks printed, so I figured I can just follow them, lazy me.
There is a track through a major portion of Wahiba desert, and you can drive at 60-70km/hours steadily on it. Moreover, you cannot drive anywhere else, the offtrack area has grassy bumps everywhere, which require you to drive slowly and possible change your wheels a few times as the grass bumps can tear the rubber off the rim. So it is not really a choice, isn't it. The scene is like this, all the 70-80 kms.
After all this we got bored with the track and the guys were disappointed on having no "actions" only easy track driving. So we looked for the place where Ali, the experienced local guy wanted us not to go... That area had no grass but white dunes. And we topped his record. We drove like 500 meters in an hour! The sand is tricky there, one spot is hard, the other 5 meters away is liquid like soft. It is difficult to find the right change of speed: liquid like sand requires more power. Multiple cars got stuck right after the other. Yeah, that includes me as well. The following picture shows two cars, both temporarily stuck, while one tried to tow the other.
Then we got enough of digging and went back to the grassy red sand area. Drove for an other hour, this time towards the coast, perpendicular to the dunes. It had no track. And then, unexpectedly, the small grassy dunes switched to big big white dunes with the ocean in the background. It was such a nice view, we had to stop to take pictures. Pictures on us, brave people who crossed Wahiba Desert.
I really liked these big coastal dunes, they were gentle and tender and real fun. With those dunes with sharp ridges, I can never know what comes on the other side. It might be a 2 meter straight fall as well as a plane area. But these dunes here were huge and nicely curved. It was really just driving up and down and to play with them.
After the coastal dunes, eventually we reached the coast. I believe we were very lucky with the spot where we ended up, as the coast is mostly flat and sandy, but this area had these nice fringe like rocks.
It was around 4pm and we started to look for a place where we can camp. We drove by some really backward village-kinda places, with edifices put together with plastic boards and wire mesh. I am not sure how can someone live a whole life in such a remote isolated place. One of the guys made a joke, saying the Event of the Year in this village should be when Abdullah arrives from town with a mobile top up card. And the Event of the Following Year is when Abdullah brings the phone for it... Not to mention that they will have a signal in five years after that...
Yeah, you wonder what these sheep can eat. Me too. Sand? Fish? Order pizza?
We put up our tents right at the seaside and started our barbeque. I checked out the sea as well, but it seemed too cold. Not long after that, an old Landcruiser truck drove by, the driver waved. We waved back, which made him stop and come to see us. He hardly spoke English and we hardly spoke Arabic. He had two packs of brand new fishing nets with him, that he ordered from Dubai, and also some plant that he collected, those small bushes we saw on our way. He explained the tiny flowers of that plant are edible, he made us to try. It is sour and I was not really keen on it. We made him taste some of the home made cookies we had with us, he liked it. Then he asked us if we had enough money, and (!!) offered us some money! Again, this is something that can only happen here... Six people, with five cars, packed with stuff, and some local guy offers us money... terrific. I actually really like the people of Oman. They are not artificial like Dubai locals. They are genuine. They work hard and they are realistic about expectations from life. I really regret that I have not taken a picture with him.
Nor did I take a picture on our self-made camp, so I have to skip that one as well. I went to sleep early, as I was tired from the whole week's stuff. Other guys went on drinking and chatting much longer.
In the morning it was calm, sunny and unrealistic. Waking up by the sea, in the middle of nowhere. We had breakfast and started packing when we noticed one of my wheels was flat. Great. We changed it, it went quickly. Finished packing and drove approx 5 kms on the coast. It was low tide and the flat wet sand makes an excellent highway. It is a great experience to drive along the coastline, makes you smile, like running down on a blossoming hillside field at summer, same deep happiness.
There was a coastal village nearby, with a few basic workshops, like a wheel fixing place. It was a great place, with good reputation from clients with high end fashionable cars, like this ancient Landcruiser truck... And this truck was not the only one around, we saw a few others, and then some more in other villages.
They pumped air into my flat tire and put saliva on the valve. Then they decided it was fixed. Probably we did not seem convinced, because he put even more saliva, fresh out of his mouth. Then he looked at us and offered to "put water". We cherished the idea, that was a big mistake. 'Aha, water!' -they said, and pulled the wooden cover from a pit filled with some really stinky liquid. One of them stirred it with his hand. I expected his hand to dissolve, but I guess he is immune. My best guess is that the liquid contained 30% urine, 30% used engine oil and 10% water, with the remaining 30% being some mysterious secret ingredient that boosts the smell. He submerged my wheel before I could thank his efforts. Whatever this 'test' should have shown, it totally convinced me that my wheel was fixed and I felt ready to continue our trip.
We drove through some more villages, these are some random pictures.
After a while we reached the tarmac road and drove slowly back home to Dubai, arriving at 11pm. On my way home I stopped at the petrol station bakery and bought some Maple Pecan Danishes. I picked it because there were three pieces displayed. I made the guy's day...
That was my weekend. I love these offroad trips.
I got Thursday off last weekend. Or I tried. To get that, I basically worked every day till 9-10pm, and I even worked a few hours Thursday morning... Anyway, the reason why I did it is that I wanted to join a trip to cross Wahiba desert in Oman. The plan was to start crossing it from North to South, and then drive slightly Eastward until we hit the coast, after which we would follow the coastline back South. The whole loop route in sand would be approx. 220km.
Other guys took Wednesday off as well and me and a guy from Al Ain were supposed to meet them in Al Mintirib, Oman on Thursday evening. Al Mintirib is approx 700km from Dubai... So I got up on Thursday, packed the car with all the offroad and camping stuff, rushed to wor
k, rushed to a supermarket to fill my coolbox, bought a petrol can in Ace Hardware (it was on sale, only 99AED!), get it filled at a petrol station (I opened it and closed it myself this time) and fought my way out of Dubai through the Thursday midday traffic jam. I have to mention that I also bought at Ace a small screwdriver with 4 little baby screws, the whole thing comes a tiny box like 40mm by 20mm. I think it is to fix specs, but it is so cute I could not leave there. I show you a really bad picture on it, taken by my phone right now. I am not sure what will I do with the tiny screwdriver, especially considering the fact that I am wearing contacts, but it seems very useful and I am sure it was well worth the 5 dirhams.Anyway, I made it to Al Ain, then we made it to Al Mintirib, where we met the others, deflated our tires and ventured towards the sand dunes. (You have to deflate the tires to get better traction on sand). We spent the night at Al Raha Desert Camp, which was quite basic, small cabins with a concrete (!) bed and small bathroom with steel door. It looked like this:
After breakfast we got some GPS coordinates from the resort owner, named Ali. He showed us the tracks he is usually taking, and also a place where sand is so tricky he needs 8 hours to drive 20kms. (Guess what, we went right there later...) With all the new coordinates added to our already loaded GPSs, we left the camp. Which is not entirely true, I had no time during the week to input the coordinates to mine, so I used the excuse of Garmin not producing software for Mac. (Yeah, I am a Mac user). In the reality, I could have used my work PC, but I was too busy with working overtime on projects (that btw noone on Earth appreciates) and I knew that the other guys would have their GPSs loaded plus the tracks printed, so I figured I can just follow them, lazy me.There is a track through a major portion of Wahiba desert, and you can drive at 60-70km/hours steadily on it. Moreover, you cannot drive anywhere else, the offtrack area has grassy bumps everywhere, which require you to drive slowly and possible change your wheels a few times as the grass bumps can tear the rubber off the rim. So it is not really a choice, isn't it. The scene is like this, all the 70-80 kms.
After all this we got bored with the track and the guys were disappointed on having no "actions" only easy track driving. So we looked for the place where Ali, the experienced local guy wanted us not to go... That area had no grass but white dunes. And we topped his record. We drove like 500 meters in an hour! The sand is tricky there, one spot is hard, the other 5 meters away is liquid like soft. It is difficult to find the right change of speed: liquid like sand requires more power. Multiple cars got stuck right after the other. Yeah, that includes me as well. The following picture shows two cars, both temporarily stuck, while one tried to tow the other.
Then we got enough of digging and went back to the grassy red sand area. Drove for an other hour, this time towards the coast, perpendicular to the dunes. It had no track. And then, unexpectedly, the small grassy dunes switched to big big white dunes with the ocean in the background. It was such a nice view, we had to stop to take pictures. Pictures on us, brave people who crossed Wahiba Desert.
I really liked these big coastal dunes, they were gentle and tender and real fun. With those dunes with sharp ridges, I can never know what comes on the other side. It might be a 2 meter straight fall as well as a plane area. But these dunes here were huge and nicely curved. It was really just driving up and down and to play with them.After the coastal dunes, eventually we reached the coast. I believe we were very lucky with the spot where we ended up, as the coast is mostly flat and sandy, but this area had these nice fringe like rocks.
It was around 4pm and we started to look for a place where we can camp. We drove by some really backward village-kinda places, with edifices put together with plastic boards and wire mesh. I am not sure how can someone live a whole life in such a remote isolated place. One of the guys made a joke, saying the Event of the Year in this village should be when Abdullah arrives from town with a mobile top up card. And the Event of the Following Year is when Abdullah brings the phone for it... Not to mention that they will have a signal in five years after that...
Yeah, you wonder what these sheep can eat. Me too. Sand? Fish? Order pizza?We put up our tents right at the seaside and started our barbeque. I checked out the sea as well, but it seemed too cold. Not long after that, an old Landcruiser truck drove by, the driver waved. We waved back, which made him stop and come to see us. He hardly spoke English and we hardly spoke Arabic. He had two packs of brand new fishing nets with him, that he ordered from Dubai, and also some plant that he collected, those small bushes we saw on our way. He explained the tiny flowers of that plant are edible, he made us to try. It is sour and I was not really keen on it. We made him taste some of the home made cookies we had with us, he liked it. Then he asked us if we had enough money, and (!!) offered us some money! Again, this is something that can only happen here... Six people, with five cars, packed with stuff, and some local guy offers us money... terrific. I actually really like the people of Oman. They are not artificial like Dubai locals. They are genuine. They work hard and they are realistic about expectations from life. I really regret that I have not taken a picture with him.
Nor did I take a picture on our self-made camp, so I have to skip that one as well. I went to sleep early, as I was tired from the whole week's stuff. Other guys went on drinking and chatting much longer.
In the morning it was calm, sunny and unrealistic. Waking up by the sea, in the middle of nowhere. We had breakfast and started packing when we noticed one of my wheels was flat. Great. We changed it, it went quickly. Finished packing and drove approx 5 kms on the coast. It was low tide and the flat wet sand makes an excellent highway. It is a great experience to drive along the coastline, makes you smile, like running down on a blossoming hillside field at summer, same deep happiness.
There was a coastal village nearby, with a few basic workshops, like a wheel fixing place. It was a great place, with good reputation from clients with high end fashionable cars, like this ancient Landcruiser truck... And this truck was not the only one around, we saw a few others, and then some more in other villages.
They pumped air into my flat tire and put saliva on the valve. Then they decided it was fixed. Probably we did not seem convinced, because he put even more saliva, fresh out of his mouth. Then he looked at us and offered to "put water". We cherished the idea, that was a big mistake. 'Aha, water!' -they said, and pulled the wooden cover from a pit filled with some really stinky liquid. One of them stirred it with his hand. I expected his hand to dissolve, but I guess he is immune. My best guess is that the liquid contained 30% urine, 30% used engine oil and 10% water, with the remaining 30% being some mysterious secret ingredient that boosts the smell. He submerged my wheel before I could thank his efforts. Whatever this 'test' should have shown, it totally convinced me that my wheel was fixed and I felt ready to continue our trip.We drove through some more villages, these are some random pictures.
After a while we reached the tarmac road and drove slowly back home to Dubai, arriving at 11pm. On my way home I stopped at the petrol station bakery and bought some Maple Pecan Danishes. I picked it because there were three pieces displayed. I made the guy's day...That was my weekend. I love these offroad trips.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Damaged can
The other day I went to the petrol station. Not only to fill my tank, but also to fill the jerry can that I carry while offroading in the desert, just in case. The petrol station assistant, Indian or Pakistani guy, surprisingly enough from a pump assistant, had never seen a jerry can before. Even more surprisingly, he decided not to share his small secret with me. Rather, he decided to force the cap open, by bending it with his maximum force. It was too late by the time I noticed the trick, and of corse however he twisted it, the cap has not closed the can properly any more. I got quite angry as that can was 150 dirhams, not to mention the extra trip I would now need to the hardware store.
Driven by European habits, I asked for the manager. He arrived. I requested him to explain me how could I complain. I learned I could not. There is no form to fill. There is no Headquarter's phone number to call. There is no customer service to mail to. There is no way to get a reimbursement from the company. There is no way the company would stand for the faults of their individual workers.
'So what can I do?'- I asked desperately.
'Ma'm, just buy a new can, bring the receipt and he will pay for it.'
'Who?'
'Him'- pointed the manager to the pump assistant.
Well, that immediately cooled me. I mean, having the huge rich oil company pay my can and then the manager educating the guy on how jerry cans operate -after the customer had left- would be something you would expect. Worst case, if he repeatedly causes damage to the company, a small salary deduction. But making him pay for the full damage? And what if he damages my 100.000 dirham car? They give me him as a slave for life?
'How much he earns?'
'He makes 800.'
Fuck. There is no way I would make a guy earning 800, spending 300 for a filthy bedshare, eating steamed rice every bloody day for years and years and sending 300 home to his numerous relatives, to pay 150 for my damned can. No way.
So basically that is it. That is the story. It is about the lack of Worker's Union and the lack of Customer's Rights Associations. It is about Dubai.
Driven by European habits, I asked for the manager. He arrived. I requested him to explain me how could I complain. I learned I could not. There is no form to fill. There is no Headquarter's phone number to call. There is no customer service to mail to. There is no way to get a reimbursement from the company. There is no way the company would stand for the faults of their individual workers.
'So what can I do?'- I asked desperately.
'Ma'm, just buy a new can, bring the receipt and he will pay for it.'
'Who?'
'Him'- pointed the manager to the pump assistant.
Well, that immediately cooled me. I mean, having the huge rich oil company pay my can and then the manager educating the guy on how jerry cans operate -after the customer had left- would be something you would expect. Worst case, if he repeatedly causes damage to the company, a small salary deduction. But making him pay for the full damage? And what if he damages my 100.000 dirham car? They give me him as a slave for life?
'How much he earns?'
'He makes 800.'
Fuck. There is no way I would make a guy earning 800, spending 300 for a filthy bedshare, eating steamed rice every bloody day for years and years and sending 300 home to his numerous relatives, to pay 150 for my damned can. No way.
So basically that is it. That is the story. It is about the lack of Worker's Union and the lack of Customer's Rights Associations. It is about Dubai.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
They won, environment lost
As everyone urges me to post pictures, here we go.
Last weekend locals went almost crazy. Apparently the UAE team won the Gulf Football Cup, first time in the event's 18 years of history. I cannot see why, but this made them feeling a strong urge to paint their cars in national colors and create massive traffic jams
. Sitting in traffic, it is obvious that one has to honk, sit on top of their cars, shout, play load music and throw finely chopped colored paper pieces everywhere. That is exactly what happened. I took some pictures entering towards Trade Center Roundabout. In an hour we were only 600 meters away and it got dark so I could not take pictures on the outraged crazy people any more.
Btw, the Sheikh was so happy about them that he decided to present each player a villa. They also got half a million dirhams each. (In case you are considering a quick career change, for any of you to become a world class football player is more likely than to get UAE citizenship, which is totally impossible. So forget about it.)
You know, I just could not be happy. Not because I am totally not interested in football, or because a bunch of people beating an other bunch of people in any sport does not change my life the slightest. But because I cannot feel good while tacking multiple stickers onto a car that someone needs to remove in a few days, or popping out colored paper pieces to the grass, that again someone needs to pick up the following day.
For New Years Eve we went to camp in a wadi (dry rocky riverbed) in Oman, in the middle of nowhere, dancing all night under the sky. We had everything with us, barbecue, speakers and music, drinks. I actually had a good time and even got drunk quite early that obviously helped enjoying myself even further. Until at midnight a friend of mine pulled out some popper tubes and covered the whole wadi with pink, red, green, purple, blue and yellow paper confettis. I could not be drunk enough to feel peaced about it. In the morning I spent 2 hours picking up them. Some fall to the small stream and colored the water. Sure fish were happy about it, they must love paint chemicals. It was a hopeless fight though, you cannot believe how many small paper pieces can fit into one of those popper tubes. Almost half of them are still in the wadi... I have to add my friend did feel bad about them as well and picked some up. Basically, I think all of us felt bad about it.
Littering is actually an increasing problem in the UAE. In the middle of the desert, in beautiful wadis, - trash everywhere. Not too many folk seem to pick up the remainders of their barbecue, plastic bags, toilet papers, soft drink cans, etc after themselves. The most disappointing are the rain water filled pools: you swim into, pass in between the rocks, one pool to the other, water is soft and clear, it is quiet, you hear your echo, you are happy and satisfied with life placing you to Planet Earth, and then... you enter deeper towards the last pool... hmmm... it smells pee... and hmmm... it is trash everywhere... even more trash... and yukkk... it is disgusting, am I swimming in a sawage pit?
Having no National Parks or any authority seriously enforcing environmental awareness has both advantages and disadvantages. From my personal point of view, it is really comfortable that I can enter and fun drive in the desert and in wadis everywhere. Also, I can camp everywhere without asking permission from anyone or paying any fees, how nice. On the other hand it is just not good in a long term. Beauties of nature should be kept clean and untouched... After I saw them...
Oh, this weekend I should go to the used car market place. I am sure there are good deals for brand new Landcruisers for peanuts. Except they are painted weird and have millions of heavy duty stickers on...
Last weekend locals went almost crazy. Apparently the UAE team won the Gulf Football Cup, first time in the event's 18 years of history. I cannot see why, but this made them feeling a strong urge to paint their cars in national colors and create massive traffic jams
. Sitting in traffic, it is obvious that one has to honk, sit on top of their cars, shout, play load music and throw finely chopped colored paper pieces everywhere. That is exactly what happened. I took some pictures entering towards Trade Center Roundabout. In an hour we were only 600 meters away and it got dark so I could not take pictures on the outraged crazy people any more.
Btw, the Sheikh was so happy about them that he decided to present each player a villa. They also got half a million dirhams each. (In case you are considering a quick career change, for any of you to become a world class football player is more likely than to get UAE citizenship, which is totally impossible. So forget about it.)
You know, I just could not be happy. Not because I am totally not interested in football, or because a bunch of people beating an other bunch of people in any sport does not change my life the slightest. But because I cannot feel good while tacking multiple stickers onto a car that someone needs to remove in a few days, or popping out colored paper pieces to the grass, that again someone needs to pick up the following day.
For New Years Eve we went to camp in a wadi (dry rocky riverbed) in Oman, in the middle of nowhere, dancing all night under the sky. We had everything with us, barbecue, speakers and music, drinks. I actually had a good time and even got drunk quite early that obviously helped enjoying myself even further. Until at midnight a friend of mine pulled out some popper tubes and covered the whole wadi with pink, red, green, purple, blue and yellow paper confettis. I could not be drunk enough to feel peaced about it. In the morning I spent 2 hours picking up them. Some fall to the small stream and colored the water. Sure fish were happy about it, they must love paint chemicals. It was a hopeless fight though, you cannot believe how many small paper pieces can fit into one of those popper tubes. Almost half of them are still in the wadi... I have to add my friend did feel bad about them as well and picked some up. Basically, I think all of us felt bad about it.
Littering is actually an increasing problem in the UAE. In the middle of the desert, in beautiful wadis, - trash everywhere. Not too many folk seem to pick up the remainders of their barbecue, plastic bags, toilet papers, soft drink cans, etc after themselves. The most disappointing are the rain water filled pools: you swim into, pass in between the rocks, one pool to the other, water is soft and clear, it is quiet, you hear your echo, you are happy and satisfied with life placing you to Planet Earth, and then... you enter deeper towards the last pool... hmmm... it smells pee... and hmmm... it is trash everywhere... even more trash... and yukkk... it is disgusting, am I swimming in a sawage pit?
Having no National Parks or any authority seriously enforcing environmental awareness has both advantages and disadvantages. From my personal point of view, it is really comfortable that I can enter and fun drive in the desert and in wadis everywhere. Also, I can camp everywhere without asking permission from anyone or paying any fees, how nice. On the other hand it is just not good in a long term. Beauties of nature should be kept clean and untouched... After I saw them...
Oh, this weekend I should go to the used car market place. I am sure there are good deals for brand new Landcruisers for peanuts. Except they are painted weird and have millions of heavy duty stickers on...
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