Connected Blogger to tumblr

Test... This should mean my blogs post to tumblr, and tumblr remains my photo log... Hopefully.

Edit: Tumblr remains photo, and video log.

London - Eurozone - Traders - Protests

Lots of things have happened since my last real blog post, tumblrs mostly been an image feed...

Ive been based in London for the past 3 months, and still have a few months left... Made me realize Im getting old... And indeed dying...

Not of anything in particular, but the reality of aging is in the mirror. Thank God Im not blind to that.

Not that my stay here has been depressing, or anything, but stop reading if you think this is going in that direction :-)

My timing here is interesting: Ive been sent to basically gain insight on markets in a semi-internship type job... and what Im seeing is interesting.

Ive seen the "Occupy London" protest go from an organized mess, to rank and file tents... Ive talked to commodity traders who had no business in physical commodities work in cross-asset arbitrage models... Ive talked to a former producer-trader whose hedging strategy included "rebalancing"...

The protests are there for a reason... And whether I liked it or not.... I learnt the "big money" trade, where the "strong hands" set fire to my industry.

Im a simple kind of guy, supply and demand is pretty easy to grasp... And in the world of speculating, you don't have to want oil/metals/food... You don't even have to take delivery of it...

But you do need to make money.

I was made out a fool by a trader who took my search for a physical consumer as revenue loss. The arbitrage is king in the world of models, and 3 month spreads.

The sad part is that he was right... To a point.

Eurozone crisis anyone?

Tumblr!

Am going to start posting on tumblr, which should turn up in a bar on this blog... I hope.

Obituary

Shaikh Saqr Al Qasimi has passed away. My heart goes out to the people of RAK, and hope that their future remains ever brighter.

A month ago...

Alot has changed in the world economy,.,. As they do. Gold prices hit record highs, germany did well, and the various currency are freaking out. Locally the Dubai bond issue was on the news... So was the DEWA 2 bond. So is the Axiom IPO.

So

"back from the brink of a depression", to quote US president Barrack Obama on the world econom at a UN gathering. Thats not to say there isnt any trouble.

If you had me commenting on the US, well, lets just Bernakake (chairman of the federal reserve) has his hands full. And its not much better here.

Food for thought:

- For an economy so soon out of a contraction, is it prudent to have an issuance of long-term debt (bonds) so soon?

- Why bonds, and not traditional loans?

- The last recession in Dubai lasted 5 years (different circumstances, I know)

Intresting post

An intresting discussion on mixed marriages on aethoughts.blogspot.com

Greetings from bahrain...

The last ten days...

During these last ren days of ramadan, a time of piety and calm, I want to shamelessly plug things on this blog. The first would be the financial blog, suqalmal.blogspot.com. The author Abu Arqala, has put me onto an article that hasnt recieved enough relevance in the mainstream media in my opinion. Its about the sale of the legacy assets of Dubai: Port Rashid and JAFZA among others.... These are Dubai's prized assets, with Port Rashid being one of Shk Rashid's, one of the founding fathers of the nation, greatest gifts to his flock. The link is www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67O22Z20100825, with more at www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67P2WJ20100826 .

 

This ramadan is a time of reflection, and indeed, prayer on moves such as this, and how things have changed. Which brings me to the next plug: the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). This is a cozy little majlis in old Bastakia where local volunteers teach expats about traditional UAE culture and Islam, and have been maintaining an outreach program since 1992. It has a few different programs, including an iftar that Ive been volunteering for the past 2 ramadans.  A link: http://www.dubai-online.com/attractions/smccu.htm, dont try their main site (its terrible).

 

So if anyone wants to hear my views in person this ramadan, come on over to Bastakia.

 

Also, being that ramadan is a time of giving, keep in mind that an appeal was put out this ramadan by the red crescent for funds. The Pakistan crisis is not going to get better, and their is alot of pain to put out. We might have our problems, but if you can read this blog, youve got electricity.

 

Ramadan kareem, and enjoy your eid too...

BB and other matters...

With everyone freaking out over the banning of blackeberrys (BB) in the UAE. Let me just throw a few facts and figures out there. Total Mideast figures for BB number less than 3 million off the top of my head. UAE and Saudi (the two GCC states planning on banning the BB) estimates are at 1.2 million users... Total worldwide usage? Somewhere in the region of 46 million users. In terms of smartphone operating systems, Google Android is the fastest growing as of late , Iphone IOS has a bigger slice the pie, whereas BB OS has the biggest chunk of the pie. Period.

So lets be clear that banning the BB is detrimental, as it denies access to a mature technology.

The thing is the UAE has one of the highest penetration rates of BB at 11% of total usage, with 500,000 units shipped here last year (off the top of my head again)

1.2 million handsets isnt a drop in the bucket for RIM, the manufacturer of the BB, and isnt something to be scoffed at by etisalat, where 11% of a market is a lot of money for what is essentially a monopoly.

The future will depend on who will hold out more?...

My fears aren't over your standard teenage, tween, or social freakonature with a BB. Im more worried about the impact on business standards. To remove the BB is to remove a business tool, as the the very structure of the BB lends itself well to business emails. Anyone who has used both will know what I am talking about. The standard business smartphone around the world is the BB, and what the TRA is doing is taking business back one tiny step backwards.

Lets make no bones about it, even if you argue alternatives are in place; the standard is being denied.

Hell, I didnt even like the BB.

Relationship managment

In this collective culture we have, Ive noticed that who you know counts. Its why majlises are around...

A majlis is not just a place to sit and talk. Its a place of thinking. Or at least its supposed to be IMO... This shouldn't be anything new to someone who has been here a few years, but every now and then I'm reminded of how deep it is.

Sitting with a friend yesterday he tells me of a majlis he was at where bigshots were discussing the future of our country. The day before that I was sitting with a friend who was telling me about meeting a man who could very well be a future minister... And that same day I considered going to a majlis where the "old gaurd's" children were probably watching the world cup.

Thinking out loud: We need more people to travel between the majlises. Staying at one tends to muddle thoughts. The point of a majlis is an exchange of ideas, which gets stale when the same people come to the same majlis.

Especially when things like the future of our country is being discussed...

Or the world cup

China

For all the good news that we have with our World Expo stand in China, and our trade deals with China...

I dont think we realize the depth of the Chinese business machine. After looking over some data, Im going to pose an interesting question: How much predatory business are we looking at from China?

I remember several months back, an article from Saudi about chinese dumping practices in the country were taking its toll. What about here...?

Im not saying this on heresay either, Ive seen data, and Ive sat with businesses. Ive even sat with colleagues, and I get the same reply... It has to go to the WTO.

I say, make it happen. In America there was a case where some Chinese manufacturers were dumping products with 10% margins... And the case started its way to the WTO...

How much do you think its here? and on a bigger issue: Why arent the statistics easily seen?

Start with the first question :-)

This week in quotes

 "(Although) he isn't my cousin, he is closely related to me". Al Ajmi tribal member on the Million's poet competition, where 40% of the winning vote was contributed by the individuals tribe. Tribalism vs logic.

 

"Honesty is a thing of the past", eldery relative's reply when pressed on whether he had read the business news. Which he didnt bother to.

 

"Dont let me die and Im burning", A manager after business hours. Taken from a discussion on the division of money and rights between shareholders. Ethics are always on duty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up again

What to talk about... The gulf bourses finally realizing they would be much better off consolidating? OR the babyface russian bomber? Or just blah...

Let the words flow, I suppose...

Its been 6 months since the dive in AD. If you looked at a map, I was right in the middle of the gulf. In the middle of nowhere. I saw hundreds of fish follow me as Id break the surface. I saw man with alot on his mind forgetting it all. He was both the humblest and the strangest adult Ive ever met. The man could just ask for anything, and he had the means to get it. Yet he slept on the ground when he travelled to poorer folks homes.

Awe-inspiring. I wouldve liked to know him better, just for the sake of learning his personality.

Its been awhile since Ive thought those thoughts. Ive met kings among men that looked like mice, and Ive met mice that roared like lions. I met a man, who was by all acounts a hulk of a man. Yet his fear of aging would show in his words, and his pettiness would show as he tried to hide and relive his youth. It was ironic that he was wisest when he looked oldest. I met a woman who would hide behind her children, hoping that through their innocence, she could hide her own materialism. I met a thief, and saw him relax around his victims, and starve himself because of his conscience. Ive met a man with a strong personality and a bad habit, resigned to its effect on his body and mind.

He was the strangest of them all. He was sharp, in the strangest ways. He was by all means, a great man. But he would willingly hurt himself because it was what he knew. He kept me up more than once. Habits are a dreadful thing. But to give up... Thats another matter.

Its too late too think like this... Gnight.

Tonight

Had trouble sleeping,

I was reading stones into schools, part two of the amazing story of Greg Mortenson, an american mountaineer who after nearly dying on K2 in Pakistan pledged to build schools, no matter what the hardship was, for the less well off people in life.

A heavy heart keeps me up. So ill write,.,.,

Its not enough to donate money, and small bits of your time to help someone. You have to donate a little peice of yourself. If you give the money, make sure it reaches the right people.

A good example was faced by a relative. A worker came wailing that his mother died... So a sizable sum was given to arrange for an immediate ticket, and for the burial. Only later was it realized that he took money from two other relatives, and who knows what really happened with that money...

Good intentions go a long way. But oversight is a better way...

Another good example is from the book... A down coat given after the 2005 kashmir quake was used to warm the hind legs of a goat, rather than the back of a human... Because shelter for the livestock was needed, and the locals had no other way of warming them...

....

Meanwhile, weve got corrupt officials giving themselves 50 million in bonuses, stealing from the people. Weve got people who should be on the front lines of oversight in some of the biggest banks here.... brought up on charges of corruption.

Kudos to the unsung heroes (slowly) catching them.

.....

So dear reader, how can you and I help in oversight?

Down with a sickness

Been meaning to update for awhile now... Damn stomach bug got me, and has progressed slowly into a viscous unknown thingy...

Two weeks its had me down... Intrestingly, there are some trees that we just cut down, and my mother was blaming that as having a hand in this, especially since my bros got sick too...

Stupid bugs.

Although I have to admit...

It brings the fragile state of mortality to mind. Its not everyday that you think about how weak we are. How many unknowns could smother life out of you. Whether your life is truly your own...

Thank God for sickness...

And pray that we overcome our trials whatever they may be....

Corporate speak: prebaked

I'm sitting at this well-funded corporate dinner, complete with salsa,
and nearly nekkid carnivale dancers shaking like their lives depended
on it.

And I wonder, is this what the arabian corporation is about?

Where is the compliance (ethics) department? I bring this up because
that governs conduct in and out of the working environment. Think
about this one... How many local corporations have ethics laws. More
importantly why isn't it required by law. No wonder corruption takes
root... It festers till its a criminal act to be stopped.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Working and planning

This post is really one that I can look back on and say,,, wow, what a life.

I hate waking up for work. I want a freer schedule. Instead, I now have to plan my damn weekends.

I miss my hippy lifestyle.

I miss my long hair (Ill assume im losing mine now)

I miss not having to shave.

I miss not giving a damn.

Yesterday, I went to a beach party, in casual clothes according to the invitation.

Its a beach party right?

Well, the invitation was for dinner in the VIP section... The guy pulling up next to me was dressed for a gala night out...

While I was dressed in my sandals...

I now have to think about stuff like that. I now have to lock myself in.

I thought itd never happen :-)

Essential reading

Dubai World... Might not be bailed out by Dubai govt money, according
to minister of finance on dubai tv...

His thoughts were that its not a government company.
Read more:
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/.../Dubai-government-will-not-
guarantee-Dubai-Worlds-debts-says-top-finance-official.html

How should capitalism run its course?

I highly reccomend this article:

http://blogs.ft.com/maverecon/2009/11/the-intrinsic-unimportance-of-dubai-world-and-the-important-wider-message-it-conveys/

My personal opinion is to tread carefully, lest creditors stifle
cashflow to trade here. An irrational fear... Or is it?

--
Sent from my mobile device

Eid tomorrow,.,.

Havent had much chance to post lately as work has been intense... So many different things to talk about, the one thing ill stick to: Party safely.

Eid mubarak everyone.

The working class

So I finally started work as an analyst, woohoo... Right?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, its got the right mix of factors
for me. But one thing was a conversation I had with my coworkers on
pay. We work at an industrial plant, and therefore our company has a
natural emphasis on production. Unfortunately the pay structure isn't.

At my company we seperate employees by tiers, with each tier based on
a mix of experience, nationality (emiritisation issues) and years on
the job and pay them accordingly. But no mention of performance? Now
I'm not saying that performance doesn't factor in to our performance,
I'm saying that it isn't an explicit factor of performance.

I know for a fact that certain sharja govt jobs pay only increases
according to degrees attained, regardless of experience and
performance.

Dubai has some choice jobs in that line too (biased to something or
the other) why no standardization?

More on this as I find out...

--
Sent from my mobile device

Cityscape ... The saga continues

My curiosity is my downfall... That's what had me try the fish and
chips place at Dubai mall (Terrible)

Granted, it mightve been horrible, but that's what you get for
thinking greasy spoons could actually pass for a good meal.

Curiousity also took me to cityscape.. Here it is in 2 points of view:

1, The buyer / economist :
Luckily, the hype was toned down this year. Nonetheless you had the
wow-me factor in some of the stands, and prices... Of note was the
quiter nakheel stand, the crazy AD stands, and the general mood of the
place.

AD is building itself up a lot like Dxb did, and I'm looking at bloom
developers... They have a prime piece of property ala palm jumeira, a
premium pricing scheme ala palm jumeira, and phases 2 and 3 ala palm
deira and jebel ali, and was announced at the heart of the reccession
ala the universe .

Anyone see a trend?

I'm not saying it won't work, I'm saying bide your time. Don't launch
at the wrong time, scale it down properly (which to blooms credit they
did)... But the facts of a global recession are still clear, slow and
steady wins the race.

The marketing hype is still unreasonable. No supertowers, but a lot of
hardsells. My opinion is to follow Trump jrs. Train of thought on this
years cityscape, and tread carefully on a risk vs reward basis.

2: the social commentary:

Suprisingly Meeras had a stand up. This was a real upset for me, as
I live in Jumeira. Meeras hasn't been too popular among some local
circles since they would ask for your home in return for compensation.
Some locals don't want to move. Some locals don't want homes and
money. Some locals don't want another few years of messed up roads,
and churned up coastline.

Especially Jumeira, a place filled with history, there is a lot that
can be had focusing on its essential beauty: the people, the history,
the integration, than with another "new dubai" destination like dubai
marina.

Maybe there will be concessions for it, and ill get the best of both
worlds. But I doubt it.

It wasn't just the fish hurtin me...

--

Dubai Metro

Mattar Al Tayer once said that an investment in infrastructure is
never a waste. He is right, and for that I salute him. This is the
crowning glory of modern dubai in my opinion. Its not those towers,
its not the fancy cars.

Its this.

This is on the level of the creek being built, or shindagha tunnel
being opened... Let's just hope it doesn't take too long to get the
kinks out of the system.

After all, I remember shindagha getting flooded when it rained too hard :-)

--
Sent from my mobile device

Blackberry blues

Aside from CNN, and almost ALL local newspapers talking about the interceptor software on etisalat blackberries, its more popular than ever.

For some its a means of flirting. Yes, the days of bluetooth messaging
are dead. Long live Blackberry Messenger (BBM).

For some its for business emailing; Its intended purpose.

And for the rest its something in between. An alternative to the damnable iphone craze... Ugh.

Not that the blackberry is the lesser of two evils.

An intresting social experiment though. 2500 dhs for a smart phone(reccession any1?) , and you get flirts as part of your target market?

I wonder how much the next craze would cost...

I don't think the blackberry makers realized it, but they've struck gold here .

Oh, and I can blog from this thing too!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Ramadan Kareem

Its finally that time of the year where we can all slow down, and
think a little.

Take a few seconds and think about the less fortunate. Put yourself in their place... Better yourself.

--
Sent from my mobile device

The trouble with the UAE

This is the economist article that got the publication banned for this month.

Take a second to read it.

In a nutshell, the article outlines the economic situation in the UAE, and how Dubai particulary has been hit hard due to overzealous? decisions.

I make no bones that mistakes were made, this article is an eye-opener.

In this article they talk about Dubai's assets, and how if need be we can sell Emirates airlines, Dubal, etc etc.

And then there is talk of Abu Dhabi bailing Dubai out.

And then concluding that the Maktoums days are numbered.

,.,.,?

Without a doubt, there has to be transparency. Without a doubt, there are massive mistakes that decision-makers have to answer to. But to suggest the Maktoum's are to be swept aside on the basis of a damaged economy is flawed.

"Wealth is power" right?... This article contends (among other things) that with the decreased wealth of Dubai, there should be a corresponding weakness in power of the ruling family.

"Wealth is power": Expand that:

Power over what?

The great economist Adam Smith was very clear that "power" is not political power, though it may lead to it:

It is rather the purchasing power over forces of labor.

Even if our economy gets stuck, the people are "mollycoddled by benovelent rulers" (their words)... We have sponsorship laws, gauranteed land etc etc by the UAE government.

So despite the economists assertions about Dubai's political floor, the Maktoums are fine.

Ab'ha dreams.

Time alone puts things in perspective.

I get to see my devils, and my guilt at play... Therapy at its finest.

I thought I had troubles with marraige, listen to this guy.

Awww... He says what alot of guys think. Though I disagree with him on some points on marriage, hes ignoring social status and putting it on the backburner.

Social status will exist regardless of what you do. You cannot ignore it, you must work around it.

Other things.

This deserved a post of its own.

Education first, marriage second. Simple enough rule because priorities must be set straight on this one. Im not talking about getting educated for the sake of marriage, which is a damning prospect for society as whole.

While not a statistical measure by any means, I had a friend in AUS take a class that was filled with local girls. My friend is a local as well but doesnt look like one so he witnesses an intresting situation in the class which im relating to you in this blog. The teacher asks the local girls in particular why they were studying, and one girl says in no uncertain terms that she was doing it solely to get married. The teacher, taken aback, asks how many shared this opinion... And with the exception of one girl, they all raised their hands.

Now I just related the gist of an intresting social experiment in a university class, but apply that answer to the "real world", (dont you just love that phrase?)

I ask anyone who reads this blog, ALL 3 of you, to pass this message on as best you can.

Education, work, and any other noble deed should be for their own sakes. Not for that hot guy around the corner, not for dad's mercedes: It should be because you can make a difference.

Marriage UAE style.

"my way or the highway"

That sums up the bulk of what Im seeing in UAE marriages. Ive talked about this countless times, especially when I first started up this blog, but now its getting more relevant.
Some people think I have what it takes to get married.

Or do I?

Marriage here in the UAE is a social affair on a few levels. If you were working, you almost always invite your colleagues, being an eastern culture, and all. But that's the thing.

Im not assimilated per se into UAE society. I like to think that I take the good, and leave out the bad mixing and matching to produce the bearded caveman that I am.

Unfortunately, as I still happily live in the UAE I have to look at the rulebook thrown at me. I have to have a house. Not an apartment, not a rental... A villa.

Then the marriage, that has to be scaled to your percieved status in society, and no family wants their daughter to look cheap. All this to save a local girl from being a spinster.

I might be painting the women with unfairly large brushstrokes, but they chose the paint. In all fairness, its really not up to the girls sometimes, but the widespread complacency with it is appaling.

I would rather build my home with my wife, than have it ready for us the second we are hitched. Id rather have my marraige a close family affair with a few extra tables than a wedding for 2500 strangers.

At the end of it all, I want to build a solid relationship built on us, and not on the empty promises of newly built house thats not a home, the stench of a new car, or the sparkle of a dress worn only once.

Capitalism.

Well, visiting america is quite an eye opener these days. Last time I came here was pre- 911, and I was quite young.

A few things are apparent, and I wish I was more eloquent to put what Im realizing into words. The american economy despite its massive downturn, is very strange. Im here on a mini- mission for dad: looking for investments.

Im not the only one, as the business bestseller shelf in borders is piled with John Grahams classic "the intelligent investor", and "rich dad, poor dad". So some are trying to look at fundamentals ala Warren Buffet.

But strangely, Im not seeing the fundamentals shine through. Its like there is a thick haze... Blurred by advertisments, and bloated promises.

I was suggested to look at GE stocks by a guy I met in the gym, a cpa with a masters in real estate.

And I did, 10 percent dividend return. An amazing return, even if we werent in a downturn economy. Compare that to a fixed rate intrest of 10 years (I think) in the 4s at bank of america
and all goes well in my mini- mission.

Not really, a little checking, and I dont know how GE can sustain those dividends (true my calculations might be off, but still). Too risky.

But if I were to believe him, 10 percent was the be-all, end-all. I would be smooth sailing with GE. an ad.

Real estate fared no better. Haze is there too. Despite falling prices plastered on the news, the two place I visited had strangely high prices for what I was looking.

There are too many middlemen. Too much advertisment.

Not to vsay you cant find, there are some real bargains there. But the more I see, the more skeptical I am.

Inshalla Ill find something, but even if I dont it was worth looking.

and the hohos rock.

The state of education

Here, you will find an intresting article on education in the UAE.

Im a product of our educational system, and have argued more than once for a reform. In particular, A proper reform of our high-schools. My brother is getting carrots compared to what could be offered. Though I will concede its better than what it was in my day.

Case in point: I participated in political rallies at my school... The kind where we are all pulled out of class to burn flags.

Not my idea of a balanced education.

The epic hunt

I, being the genius that most have come to love, have decided the time has come. Yes, I couldnt take it anymore, my days of partying will dry up, and it would be solemn drudgery for the next few weeks, months, maybe years.

I have decided to look for a job.

And a finance degree in times of a financial crises is my ticket in.

Any takers? We shall see!

:-)

The crash and the response.

Ive delibiratly left off posting like a nutter on the matter of that "healthy correction" (Abaars words) that weve been having.

I was intrested in seeing the effects, both good and bad, of a market correction such as this. The older traders say its happened before in the late 70s, but yet alot of them were puring money in.

Then the gong sounded, and speculative buyers fled. Thousands of expats left. A number off the top of my head is 70000 filipinos (GNews). If we account for a population of 1.2M in Dubai, thats about 5% of our population. Thats just Filipinos.

So speculation moved. From freehold property sales, to rentals. No wonder people were running.

Then some fellow from RERA (the real estate authourity) decided that we didnt need rent caps because "2009 is a tough year".

The actions of the speculators on both our stocks and real estate markets not a lesson? Emaar is at 2.05 Dhs today.

LUCKILY, and the sole reason I am posting this is because of hope: Sheikh Mohamed issues a decree in effect saf-gaurding consumers from high rents, and RERA issues a market rent index

Oh, and Obama, the first black president of the United States was inaugrated today.

Change has come?

Gaza, and its entrails

I dont need to say anything about the atrocities there. Do what you can for them.

Its intresting that GulfNews is actively shaming the arabs. Shame that the writers wont own up it with their names.

Oh well. Give the audience what they want?

Islamic Banks

Me being the curious soul that I am have decided to shun conventional banking. To make way for what is "sharia compliant"... There isnt much that is really sharia compliant is my conclusion. Alot of it is semantics, and profit exercises. The asset backed, profit/loss/ risk sharing is there in theory, its there on paper: but an islamic bank is meant to be ISLAMIC: No sukuks for sinful ventures. No SPVs to hedge (which is pretty much unislamic)

Deutsche bank: Im looking at you

But the sad part is that its the local banks here that are following: Look at balance sheets, and look for interest income (transfer of interest)... Just a quick observation, which CAN be validated. but should it be?

Food for thought

The end of an era?

The end of an era? Or the start of a new one?

The growth of Dubai, and the UAE in general needs no elaborating on: In the few years we have been pushing for business, we have rapidly grown into a booming economy.

Ive written before on excessive growth, and unsustainable growth, but never on emigration. Ive always thought about the danger of too many immigrants to the UAE, and the dilution of the culture and values as a consequence.

What if the locals started leaving?

What if the locals crying on the radio about ends not meeting decided to pack up and leave? What If it wasnt feasible to live in my beautiful UAE anymore?

Today was the first time I had the conversation opened on the lunch table, and it was a haunting thought. My parents noted it happened before: back when the UAE didnt have proper infrastructure to support its citizens, a great many locals (with the means) studied abroad, and STAYED abroad... The problem now is not with a lack of infrastructure, its deeper than that...

Time will tell. One things for sure though, Im going to give it my best to fix this problem...

Peg, Peg, Peg

Score for the Anti-dollar bunch:

Suwaidi , Wheres your name? I dont see it in this article? Why isnt the central bank governor be it Sultan AlSuwaidi (or someone else?) in probably the most influential national article of the month?

Given, this is the umpteenth (1, 2 , 3) time its mentioned this year. I want to call him out: YES foreign investment is good. YES, tourism / oil sectors would favor lower dollars, BUT what about the booming trade sector? what about the local businesses? What about the food basket? How is lower-income sector going to eat with prices of cooking oil going up by 13 percent (if I remember correctly) ?

I want to see a board voting on this, with published opinions and positions, because the random mumblings of one man to influence a nations ENTIRE currency peg is odd.

On a lighter note: I find it smart that most of the mumblings are in the arabic newspapers not the english ones, that way the international community doesnt freak out at what he has to say? (dont know if thats just a fluke or not :-p)

A new blog...

Erm,,, Once again there is this looong abscence between my posts. But for good reason.

Im opening a new blog with an intresting twist. Check back here :-)

the update

Havent posted 4 about 2 weeks...

Ill fix that:

2 issues really need to be brought up in this post:

1- The wafi heist... EVERYONE is talking about it. According to Lt. Dahi Khalfan, investigators arrived within three minutes. Bullshit.

Im sorry Dahi, but that was stupid, unprofessional, and an intresting window into your world given that you talk to the media like that. It took more than 20 minutes. But you better thank God they didnt reach in time: Why do you respond to a robbery with automatic machine guns by sending cops holding 9mm pistols? Im dissappointed. (NOTE: Ive heard some of the robbers have already been caught)

But I dont really blame you, what with the tongue- lashing Shkh Mohamed Bin Rashid doled out to the ministers yesterday, my second point...

Praise is needed, where praise is deserved, and Shkh Mohamed surely deserves it. He took the ministers one by one, and started burning them for their weaknesses in their respective departments, and RIGHTLY so. Hes brought up a visit to the courts in Dubai... And pointed out the incompetency he saw. Then he brought up the lack of an updated pool of medical knowledge, and then the education curriclum, and the dire need for it to be changed. He pointed out some of the biggest problems I have been screaming about on this blog, and threw them back at the ministers.

All of this, in front of all the other sheikhs. I wouldve brought popcorn.

Maroon 5 - makes you wonder

A little annoying

Ok, one thing that seriously annoys me.

To be black isnt very good here in the UAE. There I said it. Rascism is rampant.

So its like OMG if you called someone black or '7al in arabic. So ppl resort to calling there local friends asmar: tanned... When they are black!

Screw that, just let us get that messed up thought about ppl of color from our minds, and that way we can call people who are black... black!.

Within Temptation - What have you done

The fair pt. 2

After the experience at the Sharjah career fair, I had hoped to see improvement at the Dubai fair, which was many many times larger than any career fair that had taken place thus far.

It was bitter.

Let me give you a little story:

I went to Procter and Gamble playing the role of obnoxious, rascist local in search of an internship ( I was actually there to test their mettle)

Two ppl at the stand: an eygptian lady, making herself out to be a local, and a half - local girl who was far too sparkly to be at a career fair. (NOTE: This isnt word for word, but rather a summary of the juicy bits)

Me: What makes you better than unilever?

Them: We are #1! (with a smile)

Me: So how many locals do you have working there?

Them: not many... but Sparkle girl is local. But shes an intern.

Me: (To sparkle girl) Yourean intern... Doesnt count, Im wondering about employees.

Me ---> I kept this attitude up, much to eygpt girl's chagrine... I could almost pinpoint the moment she went defensive. Sparkle girl to her credit stayed cool.

Me: So if I were to have an internship with you guys, what will I go through?

Eygpt: Well first we would have to see how you qualify, then we would see.

Me: Well the thing is, I was already accepted for an internship by you people last summer... I passed your exam, along with 15 other guys... You never got back to us.

Eygpt: oh yeah,,, In June.

Me ---> At this point I chose to stay silent than to verbally chop her to pieces, and gave her my resume.

Her: Oh yeah, I remember you

Me ---> Still holding my tongue.

Her: ok then, just send me an email with your phone number, and details...

Me: ( in absolute shock at her stupidity) I just gave you my resume.

Her ---> excuse about having so many resumes that she would forget our pleasant conversation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Much of the career fair was spent in this fashion, but there was a shining moment: At Unilever, the "#2", I was downright rude with the lady there, and she didnt flinch. Her behaviour was quite simply top - notch, with my rascist questions being answered with tactfulness and a smile ( I wont post the conversation, email me for more on that)

Only 3 other things need to be mentioned, the competition between the etisalat and Du stands was apparent. In my opinion, Du won since Etisalat tried throwing its weight around by having some of the khaleej cup players at the stand, while Du had good old-fashioned quality workers at its stand.

General Electric also did well under a grilling by me, despite only having ONE person at the stand (compared to the 8 at ABN - AMRO)

Nakheel had a tiny hole - in - the wall stand, especially considering emaar came out full force. And the design of that stand, and all the other next to it (including Jebel Ali freezone @ Gulfpearl) was terrible do to the flimsy plastic - panel floors with what I believed was broken glass under them... It was downright freaky walking there.

So... Thats my review of the fair... Disappointing overall despite the bright spots.

Stone Sour - 30/30 150

internships,,, my spin

Today I visited the career show in the Republic of Shaja (aka city of Sharjah) looking for a one or two month internship ...

Lame,.,. Every stand had between 5 - 10 girls and 1 - 2 guys... Now the what I want to know is why are there so many people in each stand?

Highly unprofessional.

The guy at Barclays was shocked that my english was better than his, the guy at Finance house didnt know that buying futures is against sharia, and the girl at Dubai Bank was hitting on me and my friend.

Highly unprofessional

Hopefully the one in Dubai is better...

Massive attack - I want you

Are we losing our culture?

After reading a comment by UaeBlondie (see the last post), I decided to elaborate on this topic. Now I have always been of the opinion that Dubai is losing sight due to the influx of expats.

Now dont get me wrong, expats built the country with us, and deserve to be appreciated and respected. But with the expansion of Dxb and the UAE in general, both economically and socially, we are heading to an intresting situation.

I believe the the ideology behind the influx of foreigners is for our economic gain (pretty much the only reason I can see so far). Arguably, this great increase in foreigners is wanted and needed by our country so we could get richer? Proof of this is in the words of Sheikh Mohamed, ruler of Dubai: "If the cart is politics and the horse is the economy then we have to put the horse before the cart and not the other way around."

If our economy, being the will of the people, is leading our polotics, then at face value that seems great right?
NO its not, because the collective will of the people in the nation is changing with the increase in foreigners who have their own requirements and wants.

Our economy will lead our politics,,, But it will no longer represent the original inhabitants of this place. We will be rich, but we wont be together.

It is grim, but prove me it isnt so.

Creed - is this the end

Land, mans trophy of sand

For all those expats out there...

How do you think locals get those chunks of free land you keep hearing about? Well, they apply for it at a government program obviously. But What you probably didnt hear about was the gruelling process to get the said land. Ive heard stories of people waiting years to get their land (which incidentally usually comes with some start-up money to get things going, if you want).

So recently Im sitting with family and they are talking about land in Warqa... Government built homes for sale to the average local. Shaikh Mohamed apparently has commisioned homes to be built and sold to locals at fairly cheap prices. This is intresting, cause locals can either wait years for their land, Or buy this one... Depends on their patience I suppose.

But I hope this doesnt mean a gradual phasing out of the free land.

Nickelback - If everyone cared

Not again...

Internet is messed up... and half the people on the links are vacationing or inactive :-).

AD style

Visting AD today was a majestic experience (Aka Adinamorato) ... Its sooo different there.

Calmer, Quiter, Bigger roads... If I had enough money, I would split my time between dxb and Ad.

In 10 years time, mark my words, AD will be the place to relax. The projects underway now such as a branch of the Iconic Louvre Museum, The Zayed Mosque, The Ferrari City, along with other cultural and business attractions will make Abu Dhabi the place where the rich of Dubai, go to relax after a long week of work... Good job AD.

PS dont forget the upcoming F1 race there :-)

Chris Daughtry - Its not over

We won?!

O M G

O M G

O M G

We won the gulf cup

I had lost all faith, and I mean all faith in our team, but after tonight, Im going to start watching again.

I can hear the cars from my house, its crazy at the parade... See you there :-)

Daft Punk - Veridi quo

The monopoly of etisalat

Deceptive business practices? Is this what we are paying for?

Welcome sultan, to the world of blogging, and good job shedding light on etisalat

Sex Pence None the richer - kiss me

Understanding your limits

Local guys have this thing,,, They have an issue with what personal space is.
Ever see 2 locals holding hands? Chances are they arent homosexual, but rather 2 very hetrosexual individuals who think its fine to be that close to each other...

BUT, the lines are a bit odd when it comes to personal belongings. If one guy told his friend that his watch was nice, in certain circles the friend would offer him the watch as a gift, in others a simple "thank you" would suffice.

So where do you cross the line?

I say it depends on the person, how close you are, and how fast you can say sorry.

(Cold - When angels fly away)

Days of the chequered flag

Dubai autodrome has an intresting experience for those who think they can race. There is a Karting circuit in the coumpound, with Karts boasting top speeds of approximately 100 km/hr.

But dont try this if you have a penchant for spinning out of control, like me :-)

(worst lap was 4:15 seconds... compared to a best time of 0:59 seconds)

Guano Apes - Open your eyes

Brand me

Brand names...

Now as is evident by the shops in Mall of the emirates and other mega-malls, most big brands are here... But what about the niche brands?

Cars like the track-aimed Caterham 7 arent sold here? And What about Krispy Kreme, the donut specialists (Dunkin Donuts is NOT aimed at selling donuts, but rather breakfast and coffee in the US)? How about fashion? Tons of brands not here yet. Note that while phat farm is here, Sean Combs, the arguably better designer, hast opened here yet.

I think we are heading in the right direction though, theyll be here eventually :-)

Twarres - She couldnt laugh

Starbucks

After finally have a great meal (with equally great service) If Dubai is supposed to be gearing itself towards a service-based economy, as is touted in the newspapers, then surely customer service here shouldve taken a turn for the better, right?

Apparently not... How many restaurants can you name with truly good service?

Ive only had it at a number of them, and even the expensive ones came up lacking...

So i challenge you, the reader, can you name more good restaurants than bad ones?

Dumping of the elderly...

A serious problem arising here in the UAE is with the amount of elderly being given over to senior citizen homes (which is an evil thing no matter how you look at it), but the worst problem is that we dont have enough of these homes to cope with the situation! Whats worse? being shipped away from your family, or discovering that youre family sent you without checking availability?

ma yst7oon

Flaw - Best I am

FNC issue...

The one thing that truly bothers me up to this point, is the fact that its not general elections per se, but rather 5000 selected individuals (pretty much the educated ones of us) are to vote this time around. Although I believe next time around it will be a truly general election... Still,,, I wanted to vote...

I would vote for Dr Meshgan Al Awar, Shehab Gargash, Or Dr Amal Al Qubaisi...

Im boycotting them

How dare they define who is lower-caste... Ibn Battuta

Disturbed - Deify

FNC

Shkh Khalifa (Allah y6wl 3mra) said that the FNC elections are not the only element in a democratic process, but part of a system. With these words, I think the country is heading in the right direction. For those who dont know, the FNC elections allow every emirate to elect the advisory council to the ruling body, click me.

According to Dr. Anwar Gargash, the Minister of state spearheading the FNC initiative the "political programme is all inclusive" and stated that "We will reach full elections.". Broad strokes for a country so young. But truly, is there any objection? This system seems to be the will of the people, and everyone is anticipating it, I know I am...

Question is: Are you?

Who are you voting for?

Flaw - recognize

Hmph... fools

So, there I was, depressed, broken, and sitting in the Marina...

And there I see some idiot showing off with his falcon... In the marina.

Now what kind of a fool brings a falcon and sits with it at the marina? Part of arabic traditions, and islamic ones for that manner is being humble.

He obviously wants to showoff that he is traditional but dude, trust me, thats not the way.

Another thing that bothered me was the way the guys there were acting. There was 1 group of girls in the restaurant minding there own business, and the poor girls were being slowly surrounded by like 50 other guys (including Mr. gana9). I mean, why do the guys insult themselves so willingly?

Just as youve come to have a meal, so have they, so why suffocate them?

Justin Timberlake - What goes around...

Why do I disagree with the handicaped olympics?

Now, for people who think the handicap olympics is a great idea...

It isnt.

My brother volunteered to help out in the initaitive, and he quit after the first day. The poeple working around him didnt truly have the handicapped peoples benefits at heart. There really needed to be better orginization for the project as well, since it was lacking in certain respects.

It doesnt sound too good to critisize this project, but honestly it needs work.

mana3 S3eed - Sarmad ilail

the bus driver who could

So, a local man pulls over a pakistani bus driver for turning on him... Thats road rage...

The bus driver then proceeds to accelarate into him, and drags him 7 meters... Thats premeditated murder.

To round it off, the pakistani ran for three days...

If I were in the locals place, I would try to get the death penalty for the accused.

Driving in the UAE isnt safe, since this morning, Three guys swerved in front of me, a six-wheel truck, a landcruiser, and a corrolla,,, all recieving their respective flashing and horn-bashing...

Driving in Dxb is better though since Shkh Mohamed (Allah y6wl 3mra) has put those laws in force,,, Its working I suppose, but he cant fix the road manners... That needs morals, and how do you do that?! :-)


To avoid the truth Id rather just go blind - flaw

Did you see it?

Anyone walk by dubai marina recently?

I did, and I was humbled... I remember when beach centre first came up, and that was the BOMB. Last night, I ditch my friends to walk around there, and what can I say... Im scared.

Its not my Dubai, its big, bold, high, and mighty... Where are the days when I drive to my beautiful beaches at night? Those beaches now have towers looking down on them.

Its still beautiful....
and I suppose its for the better, just leave dxbs soul intact...

(BTW Wiseman this is something majroo7 jmeirah would say)

Tagged

Tagged By Biz,,,

Now:
Height: 170cm
Color: um, tanned/white.
Piercing: nope
Tattoos: hope not
Time Right Now: 6:01 pm , I changed this 3 times so far
Mood: not good

Taste: High

Weather: cool

Bad habit: No persistence when it is needed

Current crush: nope,, Dont believe in crushes,,, I believe in infatuation :-)

Biggest regret: Not keeping my promises

Perfume(s): Dihn 3ood actually

Things I want to do: Go to heaven

Favorites

Tv shows: Everybody loves raymond

Book: Princess

Nonalcoholic drink: Mango and bannana cocktail

Milk Drink: hot chocolate

Brand: Cartier

Colour: black and silver

Emblem: Anything with a skull in it

Perfume: Ralph Lauren Safari

Designer: Ralph Lauren

Chocolate: Godiva,,, AND Lindt

Have I broken the law: More than I should

missused credit cards: No

skipped school: Never :-p

fell asleep in shower/bath: I tried to once, didnt work

had children: in my daydreams

been in love: I dont know...

Been hurt: on many levels

Random

Have a job: actually, I have many :-p

My cd player is playing: n/a, dont have one

If i were a crayon: i would be the black one

What makes me happy: Sitting on the beach at night with friends laughing amongst ourselves

When/what was the last time you

Got a real letter: 3 weeks ago

Got an email: one hour ago

Thing I purchased: Lunch

Tv program I watched: dont remember, its been so long

Movie: The departed

Hugged: my mother

place I was 1 hr ago: at another pc, doing HW

Song Heard: Tonic - If you could only

phone call: my brother (actually my friend) telling me hez busy with girls,,, the nerve

depressed: yesterday

What comes to mind when you hear:

Car: manly

Murder: evil

cape: Don Juan marquez,,, I dont know who that is, but its the first thing that came to mind

cell: matter

Fun: paintball

shoes: manolo blahnik

crush: ...

music: three days grace - let it die

love: wife

chalk: calcium

I tag: whoever reads this blog and has their own blog,,, ON A CONDITION THEY COMMENT!

The middle ground.

recently, I meet this friend I havent seen in a long time, and to my surprise, he was religous (a 180-degree change)... So I thought: "great, good for him!"...

To my dismay, I didnt know the whole truth.

He was religous, but he had extremist views. It truly broke my heart when I found out, and I noticed that no matter how hard I tried, he was just too hard-headed. Reflecting on this, Ive noticed that it is an increasin trend in the UAE to not follow the middle ground, but rather be on either extreme. Take the example of local women, its either that they marry the perfect guy: tall, smart, RICHHH, RICHHH, RICHHH, from so- and -so family or tribe.... OR they dont get married... Im not saying thats its their fault they arent getting married, Im just saying thats the way it is... There are stories to the contrary, but verrrry few.

Think about it, you can see it in nearly all aspects of life here in the UAE two extremes but little or no middle ground.

Jump the Gun

Why is there controversy over this illustration?

I mean, so what if students see a cartoon representing the ever-dwindling number of locals compared to expats?

Isnt that the truth?

If so, then why the uproar and the "humiliation"? This is an example of us locals jumping the gun on what we deem scandalous... Its stated in the article that ill be confused over my national identity? WHAT?

This is ridiclous.

creationism is relative?

Scientific theory and its advocates have always viewed creationism, which is basically a belief that the origin of earth is miracoulous. My question to everyone at odds with intelligent design creationism is this: 2000 years ago, how did we truly know the world was round?

I ask this question, and bring to light that the Quran has stated this in its scripture at a time when the world was thought to be flat: Wouldnt that be considered scientifically absurd?

My favorite argument is about the theory of evolution. It doesnt have to be touted the way it is ... What if it was the other way round, and apes came from humans? And the the fossils to prove this havent been found?

My point is that there is LOT of finger-pointing, name-calling and mockery,,, But the facts dont all pop out at once, It takes a little time, ESPECIALLY when it comes to complicated matters such as the origin of earth... Im just saying that intelligent design creationism can be related to scientific theories, its just not been been proved yet.

(PS check out my last hyperlink, my copy of the pastafarian gospel is on its way for laughs!)

(((NOTE: THINGS IN RED HAVE BEEN ADDED LATER + HYPERLINKS ARE FIXED),))

Unified Currency!

Hmm,,, Apparently, We have some progress on unifying GCC currencies.

But is that a good thing?

I believe it would raise our land prices... like the Euro

And it would change prices of consumer goods.... like the Euro

AND it would lead to economic issues that havent been forseen... like the Euro (Germany?)

All in all though, if its going to be implemented like the article says it will be, and has proper people heading this initiative, I believe it would be a good move in the long run (for some reason, I have faith in this cause).

Time will tell? (I really should elaborate, but I just dont feel like it)

ITALY?!

Why did zidane headbutt that dude?

honestly, I dont view the italians as worthy of winning the cup if they had to provoke Zidane into a red card,,, Yes it was wrong of zidane, but it was also wrong of the player who started it...

Kudos for getting all the penalty shots though!

I dare you to reply

About a week ago, I was talking about the problems facing the youth getting married, and ive heard a man asking for a dowry of a Quran for his daughters hand, and it inspired this article. Now
I am not kidding here, Ive seen weddings worth at least 2 million dirhams... and that was not even one of the most extravegant. So whats the story? Does it prove that you will have a better marriage? Do you think he loves you more?

Not a chance

Look, I want any local girl reading this post to think about it for a second... If you truly loved the man, and he truly loved you back, do you think money would matter?
I know that a great deal of the blame lies with the parents in setting the dowry, for a mentality here is that "my daughter is not cheap" or "we have a family name to uphold", but a happy marriage is priceless.

But there is an argument for having a high dowry... A woman should be a princess on her marriage night, and she deserves a night like that, and a dowry sweetens the deal. But what if the guy, though perfect in every respect, was not rich? Would you accept a marriage for nothing? better yet, would your parents?

I dont have daughters, but I feel I would be doing the right thing by giving her away to a proper man, regardless of whether he was rich or not.

semper fidelis

Once again everyone

"Analysts say the downward trend is likely to continue as long as speculators dominate the markets and Iran's defiance on the UN's nuclear demands may make investors jittery." (gulf news 29/4/06)

We need proper analysts.

Two days ago, the exact opposite was said. Something about the market being only in a temporary slump?

WE NEED PROPER ANALYSTS.

The solace of the sand

I grew up in a land of cousins and brothers
Where in Public, men never kissed their mothers

I learnt early on that staying silent was having grace
Yet passion's call does not allow for saving face

I sensed it was a forbidden love as I held her hand
Now in my heart's desert, I seek the solace of the sand

With the writing this poem I called forth an unjust shame
For my lonely night knows no forgiveness, remembering her name

Semper Fidelis

(I dont know whats gotten into me, but I had to write this... dont read into it)

Oh my God.

Yesterday as I was flipping through an arabic newspaper in the University coffee shop I noticed an article that has chilled my very heart...

This article was basically probing local traders opinions about the upcoming free trade agreements in the UAE. These agreements seek to break the current system of exclusive dealerships, and allow for a more free-flowing and competitive market place that would be open to foreign investment. Nearly every single trader in the article was talking about the benefits of these agreements, and how it wouldnt have a very negative impact on the current system if you were conducting your business properly... Save one man: Fardan Al Fardan.

I have always respected his opinions, and with this comment he summed up my fears:"who will protect the national (citizen)?"... While the rest of the traders were going on and on about how the increased productivity would benefit them, none of them stopped to think about whats protecting their investments... No one.

Most of the exclusive dealerships here are held by local families, so who is going to protect them? We are already grossly outnumbered by our foreign compatriots in our own country, and losing the one leverage locals have here in the UAE, the big businesses (which are mostly bsed on foundations of exclusive dealerships), would be a staggering blow.

My point is that even in America, "the land of the free", there are limitations to what foreign investors can own. Case in point: In the early 90's Prince Waleed Bin Talal, an investor in many companies in the US, was not allowed to maintain a 15% stake in Citibank, even though his investment was saving Citibank, a banking giant, from bankruptcy!

Where are those limitations here? Why arent they in place?

All I know is that when the American billionares decimate the businesses here, my reaction would be to close my eyes in sadness... And wonder why the ministers hadnt read my blog.

Sprucing Up?

I need to improve on the look of the awareness,.,. The current "all-black" theme is not going down too well,.,.

Anyways, As the topic I chose is sprucing up, I have a solution to the obesity problem here in the UAE... A national initiative that starts at school!

Think about it,,, If kids were given a mandatory 1-hour awarness lesson, be it PE or just something to keep them active, would be extremely beneficial to our students.

Hmmm, But first lets improve on the standards of education first?

(sigh)

If only the minister of education was reading my blog.... Oh the wonders that could be achieved :-)

realization of time

As I look into the eyes of my past generations, I see a perched bird of trials unspoken of.
Feathers of innocence form its wings of love, and sense its worth is known in the heavens above.
I hear its sweet song of agony, and I fall to my knees crying tears for its undying love.
Though it will fly away, I will always hold in my heart a vividly white dove.



Semper Fidelis

The Invasion of the different

It was 1 am and my friends got the bright idea to go to Dhiyafa which, to all the ignorant people out there, is the city's original flirting street... You expect cars filled with guys and girls TRYING to work out their "groove thang"

Now, since this was a weekend (last Wed) traffic was expected... But not the kind of traffic we saw.... Let me clarify, we werent there for flirting. We were pretty much spectators to the fiasco, who incidentally were looking for proper fruit cocktails... And what we saw, was rather unnerving...

Having a few gay people out flirting is expected... But I counted 5 cars at 1:30 Full of gay guys, who were basically sloooowly undressing us with their eyes (no ma7'fee [tint]). Previously, gay people would never EVER flaunt the fact that they are gay... And that was just the half of it.

The girls were even worse probably since they have always been allowed to flirt like no tommorrow... BUT what confused me is "why now?"

Why are the collective primal urges of our youth coming to a head now?!!!

Is it because of new found freedoms ? Or is it because people are finally realising exactly what can be gotten away with?

I honestly dont know

I hope this craziness goes away... But I doubt my hopes would come to fruition.

....

On another note: Radars suck

sleepless 2

Im sooooo sleepy, so Im just going to write anything, and hope it turns out fine... Apparently, I have a thing for late-night posts, but then again the blog is called DXB nights after all...

Who would you consider incomplete without? Have you found that significant other? How do you know he/she is not on speed-dial on your phone?

Some would think Im talking of love, of a love who lights up the night,,, But they are wrong. The only light comes from true friends...
All those songs about the heart's love, cannot compare to what we should owe true friends ,,, because the sheer pureness of their friendship burns me.

I just have to end with this (it wont make much sense because its sooo random):
A poet said: " ya 7abeeb ilgalb 3athbt il7esha"...

nightmare

God, its too late to talk about anything worthwhile,,, so why not talk about nightmares?

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the worst nightmares exsist while we are awake,,, The once peaceful Iraq is being torn to peices from its insides, and everyone is suffering... The blood flows in rivers there, and I havent even started on the flow of tears... To think that we fear the darkness of nightmares, when we really should be fearing the darkness of our fellow men is tragic. But why do I stray so far? The thoughts I weave do not do justice to the blackness right here in the UAE... Labourers with no food, and no water... Orphans fearing for their futures... and the ghost of a growing ignorance grasping this great nation...

All I can do is pray for us all... and I hope you pray for us too.

Protection

This is probably one of the more paranoid comments I will post on this blog... (so proceed with that in mind)

Did you know that the security for important personalities here in the UAE is pathetic? Im not talking about in official events, when bodyguards are a must, Im talking about in the day-to-day life of important personalities like the top Sheikhs of the 7 emirates... Sheikh Mohamed walks around with barely any security at times... Sheikhs of Fuijairah also need a LOT more security, especially when it comes to their majlises and the like . And security for foreign dignitaries needs some help too... Just yesterday I saw emir Sultan of Saudi Arabia (who is the crown prince) with no security whatsoever,,,

Whether there is a need for such security is debatable, since it makes the Sheikhs less accessible, BUT what needs to be feared is not the local population, its the influx of foreigners coming into this country, which is bound to increase crime rates, and as a result, the risk to the leaders we cherish.

END OF PARANOIA

sorry

Ive been away for a while without warning, and for that I must apologize. Um, ok, onwards to something worthwhile! Anyone read about Sheikh Hamad of Fuijairah trying to help that poor kid? I think it was absoulutely frightning to think about the level of medical malpractice in Fuijairah... Not knowing a diagnoses means you call for outside help,,, not naming the situation "an unknown illness"... This kid deserved better, ESPECIALLY since this was something that could have avoided. I hope that whoever responsible sitting there in that Fuijarah hospital with his fake Degrees gets proper seeing to, so that this NEVER happens again... We are living in a modern country, things have changed,,,So should the quality of healthcare.

On a happier note... Sheikh Mohamed has boosted the government budget for education!!! That is quite simply amazing news IF it gets spent right (fingers crossed).

On another note... Im on spring break, so I might not post for a few days :-p

DP world

Now, I have delibirately stayed away from the DP world subject for a while now, thinking that it was just petty name-calling, and that it would die down in the US.

Then, I read this on yahoo news: "The House Appropriations Committee voted 62-2 on Wednesday to block the deal, and GOP congressional leaders privately informed the president Thursday morning that the Senate would inevitably follow suit. Senate Democrats clamored for a vote, increasing pressure on Senate Republicans to abandon the president." (D. espo, A. Taylor / AP)

I realized that its much deeper: Its rascism from a country touting equality.

Pathetic.

Who the hell do they think they are to view us as terrorists? I could just as well view them as ignorant; but the difference is I never generalize. And then I hear some crazy theories on how we could have potential for al-qaeda cells. My answer: more likely in the US, than here. We had an Israeli delegation here for the WTO meetings a while back, and no cells popped up there? We had Dr. Condoleezza Rice here, and still no threats whatsoever (from "potential" cells).
I think that public opinion is quite frankly, extremely biased in the US. But Im not worried, with China coming up at the rate that it is, and the way India is shaping up, the US will regret falling from our graces someday.

Fighting Change

"Education or freedom?"

Recently, I was posed with this very question... Would I prioritize education over freedom?

In a heartbeat.

The idea of having freedom becomes ever-so fleeting if you cant place value on it, and that can only be achieved through education. After all, wasnt education but an idea in one mans head?
The importance of education cannot be put on the back-burner for any other cause, for with education, all is possible.
Which takes me to my next point: The current education system.
The system in place here is backwards. The government schools expect you to memorize work, rather than understand, and rate you accordingly. Private schools, with the exception of a handful, are worse.
There is some effort by the Mohd Bin Rashid establishment for young business leaders and similar groups to get more education out there, but I believe it needs to be on a much, much, larger scale.
Wide-Scale reforms, and analyses of the effectivness of our tutoring must be undertaken, for there is no other way to truly realize the dream of a perfect United Arab Emirates.

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# plates

A Spooky fact is that a number here can go for as much as 1.5 million dirhams while people in Sudan die of hunger.

The fascination with number plates is a pretty big one here in the UAE, with the arrangement of numbers on the plates playing a major factor in determining its worth.

Now, Im ok with owning a number plate thats nice, but blowing 300,000 Dirhamson digits is just wrong. There are actually businesses based on the selling and buying of number plates, and from what I can tell, their success has been phenomenal.

So why is there such a huge fan base for "special" numbers? Its because there is an opinion that the rarer your number, the more powerful you are, a notion that is widely spread among the local community here.

The only truly "special" numbers in my eyes are the police numbers:

Now these past 3 days I have seen way too many police number plates on normal {non-police} cars, about 8 cars at last count. These plates are reserved for police and CID but Sheikhs and their friends, and people who are on good terms high up can get them.

# plates starting with 8xxx and 50xxx, codes A and B, are police/ CID. The idea of seeing so many on the streets is rather unsettling, but I guess that just means that there is some leniency with their numbers.

IPO craze

Tonight, Dubai TV interviewed the acting CEO of Tamweel, Adel Al Shirawi, about his company's IPO. Now, Tamweels IPO (which is when the comapny is basically going to be put up onto the stock market) is coming up very fast indeed, and Shirawi was on today to dispel any fears about it.

Lets just say he got me thinking...

Investors here like to throw money at every IPO that sprouts up. Now, Tamweel is a pretty solid company, and is expected to do well, but is that always the case?
Does every IPO have to hit record figures? Is it always a safe bet to put money on an IPO?
The answer is no, and the actions of the small investors here needs some form of control, because they obviously got the wrong idea, as shown with previous IPOs.

Oh well,.,. Live and let live?

No Candles 4 me

Im officially 18 years old today... Its time I started to be a little more responsible.

Sweets for everyone!!!

Society

An in depth examination of the UAE social structure is out of place this late at night, I will post more on the subject later.
But I will say this,.,.

Socially, the country is split into a few large groups: The 3eemis, the Arabs, The balushis, and the mtjanseen.

3eemis tend to be educated and open-minded (varies from person to person). The basic definition of 3eemi in arabic is foriegner; Owing to the widely acknowledged fact that they originated from Iran. As a result, many 3eemis are considered very fair (colour - wise) in this land. Most 3eemis came from Iran as traders, but some Arabs, whom I will explain about shortly, are also considered 3eemi if they went to (and lived in) Iran for trading activities. Many prominent trading families here in the UAE are 3eemi.

Arabs, are usually the ones driving the culture of the UAE. The Sheikhs of the UAE (and their tribes) are considered to be Arabs. Before the oil boom, most Arabs where bedouins, living off the land (and the sea), and where divided into tribes. These tribes still exsist and dwell in the UAE. In the past, due to their nomadic lifestyles, Arabs werent really that educated, but due to modernisation, education is starting to be widely accepted among Arabs. The bedouin lifestyle is not totally obsolete though, many Arabs still hold bedouin values and traditions in the UAE.
The bedouin Arabs here usually have views that are in a western view will be both very comendable but a little backwards at the same time. For example, many bedouins are brutally honest in what they say, but sometimes brutal honesty is,.,. Brutal. Personally, I view a true bedouin friend one of the best a man could have, since they are a very loyal bunch.

Next up, are the balushis,.,. They are pretty much 3eemi, but with a twist. They are not as educated as the 3eemis, and originally come from Balochistan, a land between Pakistan and Iran .

Finally, the mtjanseen, are foreigners who have been given UAE passports, usually because they offered some great service to the country.

Now, the problem we are facing here in the UAE, is that every group thinks his is the best, causing serious rifts in the society.,.,. And the results of this train-of-thought are group-specific marriages, 3eemi families dont marry into arab families and vice versa, Balushi families stick to their own community, and mtjanseen are basically stuck with no one to marry (since they are so few).
I believe that this train of thought is destructive to the nation and to muslims as a whole. period.
Where is the logic in not letting your daughter marry a man whos familly is a little different than yours? Change should be embraced.
The problem is deeply racial in my view, and is a plague, a poison, and a darkness in this fair land.

I will discuss more about this later on, when im more awake :-)

Forgot to mention

Yea,,, while people were partying it up at the maseera... Me and a friend were driving around the backroads of Shk Zayed road trying to get to that damn emarat petrol station,.,.What we found astounded both me and my friend...

Behind Shk Zayed road they are mainly these chapras (warehouses) and cargo areas for the various dealers of goods in the country,,, Strangly enough we past by a GLOWING chapra,.,. Im talking flashy lights, with music spilling out to the streets,.,.Im talking about 15 valets/ security guards for a chapra! And guess what they had beamed on the walls of that particular chapra?

Dom Perignon!
(google it, if you dont know what it is)

Seems the maseera was not the only party going on tonight (it was just getting started, and I just reached home!)

Maseera!

Tonight, UAE won a match against Oman in a 1 - 0 game in al nasr stadium.
This caused mass chaos in the minds of most teens here, and as a matter of fact, had even me, a guy who thought the UAE had no chance against Oman, smile...

Though I was not personally there ( I was half-way across the city at Mall of the Emirates) my friends were at the mini-parade in Dubai,.,. and from what I here It was amazing!

As one of my friends put it: "We are the UAEs soldiers" :-)

Maseeras rock,.,.

Madinat Jumeirah

ok,,, so there I was at madinat jumeirah (and mina salaam), with loads of free time,.,. I work out at mina salaam and today I felt exceptionally bored SO I decide to check out the tourist trap's shops and see what they have to offer... No Ipod nanos on sale as usual, and I ended being cheated on a msba7 I bought (there was a 200 dhs difference between two shops)

Sickened by the fact that I was cheated on msba7s, I head back to the (mixed) gym and have an intresting workout... At the end of it, a train of local girls walk in and start gawking at me (the only local in the place). Let me describe it : I was a complete wreck, I havent cut my hair in a while, and was chatting up the trainers there about how come they are not married yet,., suddenly, I see like 10 black clad girls (1 wasnt) walk in, and I quickly desist my ranting over the unmarried trainers... then foolishly thinking they are gone, go work my abs out close to the entrance. To my utter and complete horror, they came back,,, with two of em no longer clad in the abayas they sooo dearly cherish (i think they were doing a project)... let me say this much I was lying on the ground with literally two others right in front of me, and let me tell you, IT WAS AWKWARD, (I also think they got my face on camera)!

weird day,.,.

On Honor,.,.

Friend asked: "Would you let your teenage sister go out without a m7ram (escort)?" and it inspired this article...

Recently, A Newsweek article by Fareed Zakaria caught my attention; the article argued that western thinking, which instantly brings to mind democracy and freedom of speech, have issues penetrating the Islamic world.

After much thought on how this issue relates to me and the community here, I came to an intresting conclusion. To be truly open-minded (in the western sense) here in the UAE is not possible, unless you want to risk alienating yourself from all that you (should) hold dear to you.
The reason for this, is that there is a deep sense of honor here, and honor has no place for freedoms, period. I believe that to truly understand honor you would have to have a train of thought that is (probably) the flipside of that held by most people reading this very article.

Though honor sounds like something that is holding the community back,.,. lt is quite the opposite. I feel that because most people here are changing their beliefs of honor, the countries true potential suffers. Nowadays, people either totally ignore honor, or they apply honor to things of no value. For instance, you have the progressive local who thinks that being honor has no place in his "freedoms". Or you could have a bedouin who thinks that educating his daughter would comprimise her virtue, and therefore lower his family's name (in the community). Both these people would be gravely mistaken; I disagree with the progressive guy because I strongly, and deeply believe that honor is integral in having peace of mind, body, and soul. Also, I would disagree with the bedouin man, because of two things: First, he intrepreted honor in the wrong way, and as a result, he over-exagerated his sense of honor. Honor should be placed on things of value: To have an educated daughter, in my eyes, is to be truly honorable.

In conclusion:

- People should not overlook honor, nor should they exaggerate it.
- Remember that honor applies to everyone, whether they ignore it or not.

The Stock Market

Stock market related opinion:

Want to trade on the DFM (Dubai Financial Market) eh? Listen up then, this advice will help,.,.
The UAE stock market is a cause of great pain and great joy for many people here in the UAE. Unfortunately, small investors here are (largely) amatures with no sense whatsoever of stock market strategies. NEVER be swayed by rumors, EVER.

To be a credible small investor, look at the long run benefits of the cash statements , perform an indepedent analysis of both your stocks and the market as a whole to get the big picture when making the decision to invest. Otherwise dont bother investing, your damaging yourself, and the credibility of the market. I say this because the over-reaction to anything happening to Emaar runs deeper than just the stock price being affected. Short-term small investors here have no idea how to adapt properly to market develpments, and it takes time to do so, therefore, if you plan to invest, plan for the long-term with contingency plans (very important, contingency plans).

I say this because I see too many people running around like headless chickens in our stock markets, especially with the recent dividends from emaar, which investors took in a bad way, expecting bonus stocks. Anyone who truly knows what they are doing, understands that bonus stocks are basically cutting the pie into smaller pieces (which means that you get no real value added), at least with dividends, you get money!

In addition, the way emaar is being treated these days is a big mistake by investors,.,. Its either a play by kbareeya (big fish) to make more money, or it is truly being undervalued by the average joe, which is a bad play on his part (or both :-p).

Yes Qatari and Kuwaiti stocks look good at the moment, but who wouldnt want to be part of the biggest real-estate company in the world?! (which by the way drives all the other stocks up and down, in case you didnt know) and the fact that its being undervalued makes the pie all the more sweeter.

(just dont forget to strategize)

galbi...valentines!

Ok, its valentines tomorrow, and the waves of self-pity are washing over me! Im sheepishly single :-D

Unfortunately, I will be too busy to look for true love since I am currently swamped with work (as you can probably tell by the times I post) but here is where the intresting and evil side of this blog comes to life!
Ok, now tomorrow, I want anyone living in the UAE to notice the way other peoples eyes move, especially the love-starved teens (Im not included: work),.,. Ten - to - one, you will eventually catch someone staring, either at you, or at someone else,.,. GOD flirting here is weird!

Whatever happened to simple conversation, followed by "hey, Im 3li by the way,.,." ?

but nooo, you have to have poetry with an active bluetooth search to get a number these days!

Let give you an idea what it is like with me: I am scared out of my mind when turning on bluetooth! I have only ONCE put my number as my bluetooth name (on eid incedentally) as a dare with my friend, I thankfully took it off before it was recognized, but my friend was called by a gay guy called "haza3" wanting to "know him better",.,.spooky

The wind cries

The blood of worshippers is all over the mosque, the screams are unholy and out of place, and the cries,.,. the cries seem to come from the very winds themselves...
that is not the way religion is supposed to work. But that seems to be the result of differences between shia and sunni all over the newspapers nowadays.

My mind darkens upon seeing these things, but then I think of the situation with some of my countrymen and my very soul is darkened. The tolerance for the shia minority here is a strange thing; you dont know whether a shia man will be shunned or embraced by his peers for admitting his beliefs in most circumstances. So what does the average Shia guy do? He keeps quite. The shia should be proud, and hold their heads up high and refuse to hide this fact in their own MUSLIM country,.,. We are all muslims here (btw I am sunni)

The stigma that sunnis hold here, comes from a deep-rooted belief that starts with the grandparents, and I know this for a fact. But I have this to say to every sunni man and woman out there: "see for yourself". Make your own opinions, decide for yourselves rather than just accepting something as true,.,. The hate here must fade away, lest the winds cry for us, as well.

m6arzi? (the plague of people)

The greatest mistake that people make about others is forgetting that they are humans,,, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve (Adam w 7awa). Our young Sheikhs are normal people trying to do what they think is right, so why is that I see people chasing after our Sheikhs?,.,. With my own eyes I see some students crowding some of the Sheikhs studying with us, dont they have any mercy on them? They are just normal guys in extraordinary circumstances.

By chasing after them, I mean becoming their "friends" for a reason other than being a true-blue friend, which many of them do (otherwise they wouldnt be chasing them :-p).

These people Im talking about are probably young and dont know better, but then again they are in university and should either like people for who they are and not what they are. I wont say they are a type of m6arzi, which is a grave thing to call a man, but I will say this: your personality is a part of you, it reflects who you are; dont degrade it,.,.

And most importantly learn RESPECT: by chasing after people without good intentions, especially our Sheikhs, you disrespect them,.,. and you disrespect yourself.

Denmark!!!

Pray tell, how come we found out about those cartoons six months after it was printed?!
I really think its about time we, as a people, come together FASTER,.,. Perhaps if we had a commitee to tackle such problems? But then again, the money would probably be better used in more worth-while projects sorry such as a truly balanced education,.,. In my opinion, If we fix ourselves first, then we have the right to have a go at the critics.

Can I change the world?

I had an intresting experience yesterday,.,.A mini debate over whether or not I, as a single individual, should be able to change the country (even a little)...His train of thought stated that one man can do no good, whether that one man's ideas are good ones or not, since the collective mind of this country will never pay attention to what he has to say, and he will always be overuled by his elders,.,.,. Now, I thought about this for a while, and came to the conclusion that if I dont try to change my country (or anything else for that matter) though I am one person, then I have failed as a human being and a muslim.,.,.the tides of change are within ones soul

The problem is, the perception of the community dulls ambitions of change.,.,.How many entrepeneurs can you name from the new generation? How many UAE students have become millionares from the ground-up?

Its all because of fear

Sermons.,.,.,

At the friday sermon yestertday, the preacher started on an intresting topic.,.,.apathy

apathy is when someone doesnt care whether his fellow humans life is in danger: when he shows no intrest of helping a child in need, or when he drives by a serious car accident without looking back,.,..,and its prevalent here. I dont know why this is the case since this is more or less a collectivist country, a country with a strong sense of community, so the roots of it must be somewhere darker,.,., I think that there should be some kind of a drive within the local community to spread awareness about the dangers of apathy, since it is not just a social thing, but rather a religious one, and Islam is quite clear on this matter,.,.

yay!!!

akheeran, wslna nhayat ilesboo3... As I am writing this (in uni) my friend is getting ready to go to the cinema with me.,..and for the first time in a long time we contemplated going to that new kuwaiti film showing at the theatre,.,.,.although we will probably go to the science-fiction film zathura, The fact that there is actually a khaleeji film at the cinema to compete for our money makes me proud... Its about a little creativity got out of the gulf!

On that point, I bring to attention Freij, the first UAE 3d cartoon ever, courtesy of an intresting start-up company called Lammtara.,.,.,.I believe their pilot episode is going to be in the coming ramadan, and since it is truly original (therefore not liable to be shut down like g63t 13 owing to the likeness shared with the Southpark series) please watch it and patronize the local arts!

EDIT: Apparently, the khaleeji film is actually produced in the UAE, and its based on "the count of monte cristo" (Im serious),.,..,. check out www.lammtown.com for more on freij

jw abraD!!!

I dont know why, but i feel that im colder than I have ever been all year! weather is going haywire~~~! On a dark note: I was reading the news today and saw that the Kuwaiti nation is going through a tough time trying to sort out their new leadership,.,.,. this in itself is dangerous on many levels and I do hope they can speed things up before they cause irreparable damage.

Now: what is the deal with people dressing up like gangsters from brooklyn? just yesterday me and my friends saw ppl like that in uni w -=ng3na min il 9'7k=- (we laughed alot) ,.,. I mean is the kandoura so bad that we have to copy other societies? then we have some of the girls at uni who think its cool to dye their hair briiiiiiiiiiiiiiight colors and wear foundation by the tonne. dont get me wrong, i think its good to change from time to time, because thats part of life, right? I think that looking beutiful is one thing, but looking like paris hilton is another.,.,.What scared me the most is that Ive actually seen a naturally blonde girl dye her hair a brighter shade of blonde,..,.spooooooky

University

University driving me mad,,,,no time to breathe,,,just started yesterday,.,.,.already need to go out!

damn ppl there are so rude,.,. Ppl pay money (at the american university) but the service their is terrible! there is this one iraqi woman working there who was badmouthing the uni while ppl were in line,,,

oh well, at least i can make fun of freshmen!

(note: listen to massari - real love urban mix <----cool song)

3nglish or 3rabic?

hmmm, dont know whether I would be better off continuing the blog in english or in arabic (but then again my pc doesnt write arabic!)

:-l

jw baaaaared (cold weather)

The cold gripped me today, a cold that hasnt embraced me for some time now....it was the cold of acceptance,.,..,.My friend was not who I thought he was. I have an average take on life (which of course includes friendship): "ana insan 3ala gad 7ali, la abale3' wala agaser fee shai",,,,but now I feel like im not giving him my full friendship. The winds of change are a normal part of being a human and a good friend endures the winds in the hopes that either they cease or he flows with them.,.,., my next step is a dangerous one. TBC

ana yom fakart fil salfa, la79't ina ilrabe3 ma ytmoon 3ala 7alhm lilabad w hatha m9dar mshakil fil 3alaqat bayn ilnas,,, iltfkeer il3am ygool: law rbee3k gam ykhtrb (min na7yt akhlaqah w af3ala) ya t7awel tt3'ayerh aw etwadrh l2nah by2thr 3ala 7ayatk,.,.,. bas ilsalfa mb sehla chee
"the world is not black and white" kaif nfrq bain ilkhair wil shar min rab3na?! ma ngdar!
w ilmshkila ina ilnas dom yt7roon inl tafreeq bain ilnas shai sehl...

lilasaf

This being my last weekend before university, I decided to head to a different spot rather than my usual umm spiem hideaway... mimzar.

Everything u heard about it being the #1 spot for lowth (sad individuals) is true; I was there at 11:00 and already people were throwing their numbers at each other... 7aram 3liekum guys, I know that most guys and girls go crazy when they dont talk to each other, bas mb chee 3ad. and I thought chillis jmeirah was bad!

there must be some line you should not cross.,.,.,. wla shoo raykom? hal ana '3al6an fee kalami? ( am I wrong?)

Still testing

hmmm,,,, kinda getting the hang of this... but wont post until I know some1 is actually gonna read this stuff ( Ok Im slightly vain,,,slightly!)

My heartfelt condolences to our Kuwaiti brothers, we know all to well what you are going through what with the recent passing of Sheikh Maktoum,