Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
In The News: Italian architect plans the world's 1st 'building in motion' in Dubai
As if the architecture here wasn't already over the top enough, an Italian 'visionary' has announced the launch of the world's first rotating skyscraper. I received this article in my inbox today:
If I may interject again ... me thinks that if they actually had a site nailed down, they would be announcing that ... loudly ... that's part of the hype of Real Estate marketing. They don't have a site. Ya kinda need one of those if you're gonna build a building, dude! So if you don't yet have a site and you won't (or can't) announce when construction will begin, might be a bit premature to fire up the production line. And good luck with that 2010 completion date! I've seen the way things work here, won't even have permits by 2010.
And if the building is in Dubai, why is he announcing it in New York?
Back to the David Caruso article:
First of all, most building components are already fabricated in a shop somewhere and transported to site, especially in North America where pre-engineered steel and wood construction are common. Granted, this is less the case in the UAE where cast-in-place concrete is more commonly used so perhaps there is some merit to this but its hardly 'revolutionary' thinking.
Secondly, the aforementioned Times Residences which is the same damb concept -- a pre-fab, rotating structure -- was proposing the same damb idea 2 years ago. But for whatever reason, this 'Architect' has dubbed it "the Fisher Method" on his website which strikes me as a wee bit egotistical.
This building is being touted as an enviromental marvel with wind turbines and solar panels and I'm all for sustainable buildings. However, I've read that the effectiveness of what he's proposing is questionable and any carbon foot-print savings of fabricating virtually an entire building in a shop in Italy are negated when that building is subsequently transported around the world to it's final destination. But perhaps someone who is more eco-savvy than I can shed some light on that.
The conclusion of the article and the pièce de résistance:
Estimated construction cost: $700,000,000 according to the article (I would assume that's US$). Architects fees on a $700M project at, let's say 4% = $28M ... not too shabby! Not being a "real" Architect in Dubai is not an obstacle (I am an 'Architect' in Dubai but sadly, no 28 mil for me ... guess I shoulda fudged my CV.)
But there's more:
I would suggest that he has a sizable stake in this project. All he has to do now is convince a few other investors that this is a good thing and he's got himself a peach (whether the project flies or not)! After all, it's Dubai and real estate is hot hot hot!
An 80-storey building selling for $3000 per square foot (a pretty penny even in the UAE), the smallest suite being 1,330 sf studios. I did a little guestimating based on the fuzzy floor plan jpeg shown on the Dynamic Architecture website, I am conservatively estimating 12,000 square feet per floor of saleable space.
80 storeys X 12,000 sf per floor X $3000 per sf = $2,880,000,000. Yup, there's 10 digits there! Even when you deduct out the cost of the land (which I speculate does not yet exist) but *suppose* that doubled the up front costs to $1.4B, that is still more than 100% ROI.
Me thinks that this Dr. Fisher dude is a better economist than he is an 'Architect'. It all smells a little fishy but if he succeeds in finding capital and succeeds in getting "the world's first building in motion" actually built ... well, I'll believe it when I see it.
In the meantime, I will be doubling my hard earned dollars (and dirhams) by folding them in half and putting them back in my wallet. I've just invested an afternoon researching this blog post and that's as much of an investment as I am willing to make into this scam ... I mean, scheme.
Italian architect plans the world's 1st 'building in motion' in DubaiK, stop right there. A quick search on Google shows that this is not the first time a 'moving building' has been thought of; there is (apparently) a rotating building under construction in Dubai called Times Residences which is (apparently) scheduled for completion in 2009 as reported in The Gulf News . I have not heard about this until now so it may well have gotten as far as the announcement stage and then quietly ended up on the cutting room floor. An announcement is just that, an announcement and (surprise surprise!) not everything on the internet is true. But continuing on with the article:
By David Caruso
The Associated Press Tue Jun 24, 9:34 PM NEW YORK
Is it real or science fiction? An Italian architect said he is poised to start construction on a new skyscraper in Dubai that will be "the world's first building in motion," an 80-storey tower with revolving floors that give it an ever-shifting shape.Speaking at a news conference in New York on Tuesday, the building's designer, David Fisher, declared that his tower will revolutionize the way skyscrapers are made - a claim that might strike some as excessively bold.
Fisher declined to say exactly where in Dubai the tower will be built or when site work might begin. He insisted, however, that factory production is set to start within weeks and that the tower, which will contain office space, a luxury hotel and apartments, will be complete by 2010.
If I may interject again ... me thinks that if they actually had a site nailed down, they would be announcing that ... loudly ... that's part of the hype of Real Estate marketing. They don't have a site. Ya kinda need one of those if you're gonna build a building, dude! So if you don't yet have a site and you won't (or can't) announce when construction will begin, might be a bit premature to fire up the production line. And good luck with that 2010 completion date! I've seen the way things work here, won't even have permits by 2010.
And if the building is in Dubai, why is he announcing it in New York?
Fisher acknowledges that he is not well known, has never built a skyscraper before and hasn't practised architecture regularly in decades.Further down in the article, it says that he graduated from the University of Florence in 1976 so if he hasn't practiced Architecture in "decades" that means, well, pretty much most of his career. His bio on his website says:
Translation: he's not really an Architect.INFINITY Design company is Dr. Fisher's architectural office that is located in Florence however Dr. Fisher cannot be considered an architect in the traditional sense of the word.
Back to the David Caruso article:
Hmmm, he "feels" ready ... anyone getting the warm and fuzzies?But he insisted his lack of experience wouldn't stop him from completing the project, which has attracted top design talent, including Leslie Robertson, the structural engineer for the World Trade Center and the Shanghai World Financial Centre.
"I did not design skyscrapers, but I feel ready to do so," Fisher said.
Even the method of construction would be unorthodox. Fisher said each floor will be prefabricated in an Italian factory, then shipped to the site to be attached to the core.Unorthodox? Not really.
First of all, most building components are already fabricated in a shop somewhere and transported to site, especially in North America where pre-engineered steel and wood construction are common. Granted, this is less the case in the UAE where cast-in-place concrete is more commonly used so perhaps there is some merit to this but its hardly 'revolutionary' thinking.
Secondly, the aforementioned Times Residences which is the same damb concept -- a pre-fab, rotating structure -- was proposing the same damb idea 2 years ago. But for whatever reason, this 'Architect' has dubbed it "the Fisher Method" on his website which strikes me as a wee bit egotistical.
This building is being touted as an enviromental marvel with wind turbines and solar panels and I'm all for sustainable buildings. However, I've read that the effectiveness of what he's proposing is questionable and any carbon foot-print savings of fabricating virtually an entire building in a shop in Italy are negated when that building is subsequently transported around the world to it's final destination. But perhaps someone who is more eco-savvy than I can shed some light on that.
The conclusion of the article and the pièce de résistance:
Huh? An honorary doctorate in Economics?! But on second thought, its starting to make sense ... let's crunch some rough numbers here:Skeptics might question Fisher's credentials to pull off the job.
In a biography he had been distributing for months, he said he graduated from the University of Florence in 1976, came to New York in the mid-1980s and later developed hotels and ran a company that specialized in stone and prefabricated construction materials.
The biography also said he received an honorary doctorate from "the Prodeo Institute at Columbia University in New York." No such institution exists, however, and Columbia said it had never awarded Fisher an honorary degree.
Asked to explain the discrepancy, Fisher said, through his New York publicists, that he had been awarded the degree by the Catholic University of Rome during a ceremony in 1994 held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, which is near Columbia's campus.
Asked again to clarify the name of the school that conferred the degree, Fisher's publicists said in an e-mail that "Dr. Fisher did receive an honorary doctorate in economics from Pre Deo University, but it has been removed from his bio because he wants to be entirely accurate and cannot be with this information."
Estimated construction cost: $700,000,000 according to the article (I would assume that's US$). Architects fees on a $700M project at, let's say 4% = $28M ... not too shabby! Not being a "real" Architect in Dubai is not an obstacle (I am an 'Architect' in Dubai but sadly, no 28 mil for me ... guess I shoulda fudged my CV.)
But there's more:
I would suggest that he has a sizable stake in this project. All he has to do now is convince a few other investors that this is a good thing and he's got himself a peach (whether the project flies or not)! After all, it's Dubai and real estate is hot hot hot!
An 80-storey building selling for $3000 per square foot (a pretty penny even in the UAE), the smallest suite being 1,330 sf studios. I did a little guestimating based on the fuzzy floor plan jpeg shown on the Dynamic Architecture website, I am conservatively estimating 12,000 square feet per floor of saleable space.
80 storeys X 12,000 sf per floor X $3000 per sf = $2,880,000,000. Yup, there's 10 digits there! Even when you deduct out the cost of the land (which I speculate does not yet exist) but *suppose* that doubled the up front costs to $1.4B, that is still more than 100% ROI.
Me thinks that this Dr. Fisher dude is a better economist than he is an 'Architect'. It all smells a little fishy but if he succeeds in finding capital and succeeds in getting "the world's first building in motion" actually built ... well, I'll believe it when I see it.
In the meantime, I will be doubling my hard earned dollars (and dirhams) by folding them in half and putting them back in my wallet. I've just invested an afternoon researching this blog post and that's as much of an investment as I am willing to make into this scam ... I mean, scheme.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Borderless Workforce
Read the entire article on the Forbes website. Some excerpts ...
Manpower Inc. Research Reveals Competing Agendas of Employers and Jobseekers, With 37% of Individuals Willing to Relocate Anywhere in the World for a Better Career, While 31% of Employers Are Worried About Talent Migrating Abroad
Manpower Inc. Research Reveals Competing Agendas of Employers and Jobseekers, With 37% of Individuals Willing to Relocate Anywhere in the World for a Better Career, While 31% of Employers Are Worried About Talent Migrating Abroad
MILWAUKEE, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) released today the results of its Borderless Workforce survey of nearly 28,000 employers across 27 countries and territories revealing that 31% of employers worldwide are concerned about the impact on the labor market from talent leaving their country to work abroad. A parallel Relocating for Work survey by Manpower revealed that 37% of individuals would be willing to relocate anywhere in the world for a better career. The survey gathered responses from more than 31,000 people in 27 individual labor markets worldwide.
The Top 10 Preferred Destinations Top 10 Source Countries for for Work Foreign Talent 1. United States 1. China 2. United Kingdom 2. United States 3. Spain 3. India 4. Canada 4. United Kingdom 5. Australia 5. Germany 6. United Arab Emirates 6. Japan 7. France 7. Spain 8. Italy 8. France 9. Germany 9. Canada 10. Argentina 10. Poland Employers expressed concern about the potential negative impact on the labor market from talent leaving their country to work abroad. These concerns are most prevalent in: Peru (82%), Argentina (66%), South Africa (65%), Taiwan (64%), India (57%) and New Zealand (52%). The exodus of talent is least concerning to employers in China (1%), Ireland (7%), Switzerland (12%), Japan (12%), the Netherlands (13%) and the U.S. (14%).
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
My 3-month anniversary in UAE is coming up soon. Some reflections so far:
Top Five Good things about Dubai:
5: Petty crime is rare as is random violence. I feel pretty safe almost anywhere I go. Outside of Dubai is a bit less comfortable though, where the more traditional beliefs are the way of life. It can be a little unnerving when it is ALL men around the public places. I myself have not experienced anything dangerous but I've heard stories.
4: I am more up on the news in Canada than I was when I lived there! I make a point of checking the CBC website every day.
3: When the hot season is over, I think the weather will be nothing less than phenomenal!
2: Chivalry is not dead. Men will almost always hold the door open or, when leaving an elevator, the females always exit first. And forget about doing anything yourself! If there is even a hint that it may require some effort and there is a man in the vicinty, he will more than likely jump up to assist! It is quite nice.
1: Never a dull moment! Lovin' the adventure.
Top Five Not-So-Good things about Dubai:
5: The sun goes down at 7pm-ish. By the time I leave the office, the daylight is gone.
4: Work days are also longer than Canada - 9 hours. That extra hour makes the day seem a lot longer and I feel like I work way more than I did before.
3: People have no qualms about butting into the queue. Just tonight at the gas station, I stopped to buy bottled water and some wealthy lookin' white dude steps right up to the front, waving his money at the clerk all the while talking on his mobile. I'd say it gives us white ex-pats a bad stereotype but people of all walks of life do it.
2: There is an inverse relationship between outside temperature and inside temperature -- the hotter the forecast, the more likely I will need my sweater. Air conditioning is a God-sent but goes a little overboard in compensating for the heat! Indoors gets down-right chilly!
1: Traffic. Especially traffic in and out of International City (the neighbourhood where I live.) There is only one way out so you can imagine the chaos at rush hour! But the chaos of leaving doesn't compare to the out-right mayhem of entering! Until recently, the only entry was a long and winding route behind the Dragonmart mall that funnelled three lanes of traffic down to one lane right at a speed bump ... very congested. Now there is a second, shorter route however this one runs right through the middle of a gas station! Don't know who thought that would be a good idea but it takes mayhem to a whole new level!
Top Five Quirky things about Dubai:
5: Time is a strange concept to the Emiratis. For meetings or appointments, they may show up late (or not at all), they answer their phone in the middle of a conversation. I believe it is attributed to their heritage. After all, only one generation ago, most Emiratis were tribes living in small villages or in the dessert or out at sea where time has no meaning.
4: There is a shortage of coins so anytime you buy something and pay with bills, if the change will require more than 2 dirham coins, the clerk will almost always ask if you have any change. If they don't have the right change in coinage, you may or may not get back the exact amount. Given that 1 dirham is about 30-odd cents, it really doesn't matter much. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less, it all comes out in the wash.
3: The wash-machine I have is a very small front-load model. One bath-towel by itself is one load. Even still, when it gets to the spin cycle, the big wet heavy towel is almost more than the machine can handle, the machine starts to vibrate and clang and jump around, sometimes bounces it's way right out into the kitchen!!! I call it the "mosh-machine" :-)
2: Some men gawk. An alien from Mars would probably get less stares than a tall blonde white woman. Driving along side a bus load of workers, there will be a row of curious faces all glued up against the windows.
1: Rarely do the UAE nationals mix with ex-pats. On the other hand, the Indian and Pakistani populations are vast and sociable and I work closely with a few Lebanese and Iraqis. I have learned as much or more about the cultures in India, Pakistan, Lebanon and Iraq than I have about the indigious peoples of UAE.
Top Five things I miss about home:
5: My dryer. I don't have one here, only the aforementioned "mosh-machine". My high-tech dryer consists of a wire rack and a towel where I lay out my laundry to air-dry. A couple of problems with this: things do not get soft and fresh, they are crunchy and musty (it is quite humid here now so things are slow to dry.) I rarely (if ever!) used my iron at home, I simply threw an article of clothing in the dryer for 5 minutes on high heat and ... voila! ... wrinkle free. Here I have to pull out the ironing board. Ugh!
4:My chiropractor. I needed an adjustment in a big way. But I went to see a chiropractor this morning who did a great job of cracking my bones. I think he's a keeper :-) He was trained in Canada and uses a lot of the same techniques as my last chiropractor (who was excellent -- Dr Cain, Fish Creek Chiropractic Clinic).
3: My hairdresser ... every 6 to 8 weeks.
2: My nephew and nieces. My nephew turned 10 on the weekend. I called a couple of times, he was out doing birthday stuff but I had a nice little chat with each of the girls. When we were about to hang up, my 7 year old niece said, "Bye Aunty. See you when I'm 9!"
1: My Sweetie. He's also a keeper :-) The distance creates some challenges but that's to be expected. We chat frequently on Yahoo and email. He is tentatively planning on coming for an extended visit this fall.
Top Five Good things about Dubai:
5: Petty crime is rare as is random violence. I feel pretty safe almost anywhere I go. Outside of Dubai is a bit less comfortable though, where the more traditional beliefs are the way of life. It can be a little unnerving when it is ALL men around the public places. I myself have not experienced anything dangerous but I've heard stories.
4: I am more up on the news in Canada than I was when I lived there! I make a point of checking the CBC website every day.
3: When the hot season is over, I think the weather will be nothing less than phenomenal!
2: Chivalry is not dead. Men will almost always hold the door open or, when leaving an elevator, the females always exit first. And forget about doing anything yourself! If there is even a hint that it may require some effort and there is a man in the vicinty, he will more than likely jump up to assist! It is quite nice.
1: Never a dull moment! Lovin' the adventure.
Top Five Not-So-Good things about Dubai:
5: The sun goes down at 7pm-ish. By the time I leave the office, the daylight is gone.
4: Work days are also longer than Canada - 9 hours. That extra hour makes the day seem a lot longer and I feel like I work way more than I did before.
3: People have no qualms about butting into the queue. Just tonight at the gas station, I stopped to buy bottled water and some wealthy lookin' white dude steps right up to the front, waving his money at the clerk all the while talking on his mobile. I'd say it gives us white ex-pats a bad stereotype but people of all walks of life do it.
2: There is an inverse relationship between outside temperature and inside temperature -- the hotter the forecast, the more likely I will need my sweater. Air conditioning is a God-sent but goes a little overboard in compensating for the heat! Indoors gets down-right chilly!
1: Traffic. Especially traffic in and out of International City (the neighbourhood where I live.) There is only one way out so you can imagine the chaos at rush hour! But the chaos of leaving doesn't compare to the out-right mayhem of entering! Until recently, the only entry was a long and winding route behind the Dragonmart mall that funnelled three lanes of traffic down to one lane right at a speed bump ... very congested. Now there is a second, shorter route however this one runs right through the middle of a gas station! Don't know who thought that would be a good idea but it takes mayhem to a whole new level!
Top Five Quirky things about Dubai:
5: Time is a strange concept to the Emiratis. For meetings or appointments, they may show up late (or not at all), they answer their phone in the middle of a conversation. I believe it is attributed to their heritage. After all, only one generation ago, most Emiratis were tribes living in small villages or in the dessert or out at sea where time has no meaning.
4: There is a shortage of coins so anytime you buy something and pay with bills, if the change will require more than 2 dirham coins, the clerk will almost always ask if you have any change. If they don't have the right change in coinage, you may or may not get back the exact amount. Given that 1 dirham is about 30-odd cents, it really doesn't matter much. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less, it all comes out in the wash.
3: The wash-machine I have is a very small front-load model. One bath-towel by itself is one load. Even still, when it gets to the spin cycle, the big wet heavy towel is almost more than the machine can handle, the machine starts to vibrate and clang and jump around, sometimes bounces it's way right out into the kitchen!!! I call it the "mosh-machine" :-)
2: Some men gawk. An alien from Mars would probably get less stares than a tall blonde white woman. Driving along side a bus load of workers, there will be a row of curious faces all glued up against the windows.
1: Rarely do the UAE nationals mix with ex-pats. On the other hand, the Indian and Pakistani populations are vast and sociable and I work closely with a few Lebanese and Iraqis. I have learned as much or more about the cultures in India, Pakistan, Lebanon and Iraq than I have about the indigious peoples of UAE.
Top Five things I miss about home:
5: My dryer. I don't have one here, only the aforementioned "mosh-machine". My high-tech dryer consists of a wire rack and a towel where I lay out my laundry to air-dry. A couple of problems with this: things do not get soft and fresh, they are crunchy and musty (it is quite humid here now so things are slow to dry.) I rarely (if ever!) used my iron at home, I simply threw an article of clothing in the dryer for 5 minutes on high heat and ... voila! ... wrinkle free. Here I have to pull out the ironing board. Ugh!
4:My chiropractor. I needed an adjustment in a big way. But I went to see a chiropractor this morning who did a great job of cracking my bones. I think he's a keeper :-) He was trained in Canada and uses a lot of the same techniques as my last chiropractor (who was excellent -- Dr Cain, Fish Creek Chiropractic Clinic).
3: My hairdresser ... every 6 to 8 weeks.
2: My nephew and nieces. My nephew turned 10 on the weekend. I called a couple of times, he was out doing birthday stuff but I had a nice little chat with each of the girls. When we were about to hang up, my 7 year old niece said, "Bye Aunty. See you when I'm 9!"
1: My Sweetie. He's also a keeper :-) The distance creates some challenges but that's to be expected. We chat frequently on Yahoo and email. He is tentatively planning on coming for an extended visit this fall.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
To My Favorite Nephew ...
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Tyyyyylerrrrrrr!
Happy Birthday to you.
And many more!
Lots of love from Aunty in De-boo :-)
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Tyyyyylerrrrrrr!
Happy Birthday to you.
And many more!
Lots of love from Aunty in De-boo :-)
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Hoopoe
I was walking to work one morning and I spotted one of these interesting little creatures. In surfing around, I found out that it is a 'Hoopoe' because of the song it sings and it is a year round resident of these here parts. It was recently voted Israel's national bird to coincide with the 60th anniversary celebrations.
The one I saw was about the size of a robin so probably smaller than normal. I watched it for a few minutes, it did the usual bird things, puffed up its head crest when it saw me and eventually flew away. I read that it is capable of squirting fecal matter at intruders so next time I see one, note to self to keep out of range!
Wikipedia
MSNBC
Disclaimer: I did not take the photo above, I got it from the internet and I would give credit to whomever took the picture if I knew who that was.
Well, so much for that 50 Dirhams
In the office football (soccer) pool for the Euro2008, I got Portugal (it was a random draw, ya know that I wouldn't have a clue who to pick on my own.) I had high hopes but it was not to be. They were knocked out of the tournament yesterday by Germany. Bummer!
CBC Sports
CBC Sports
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Good Advice
I read an article today about a super-centarian, a 115-year old lady from the Netherlands. The quote at the end made me laugh:
Yahoo News
Asked what advice she would give to people who want to live a long time, she once quipped: "Keep breathing."'Nuff said.
Yahoo News
Monday, June 16, 2008
*** Updated*** In the News: 'Terrorism' threat in UAE high, UK says
Update June 18, 2008:
This announcement has been pretty much a non-event here. Seems the the UK was the only country to issue this warning and there doesn't seem to be much by way of credible evidence to justify the upgrade at this time. So all is well in the UAE ... for now.
The Gulf News interviews UK expats.
The Gulf News interviews UAE officials
And in other news (which I'm sure is completely unrelated to the recent warnings of terrorism), President George W. Bush is visiting the UK this week on his 'farewell tour'.
The Times Online
My original post:
This warning was issued by the UK and seems to be echoed by the Australians, at least that's what my preliminary research tells me. It is in the media here as well but not as much as you'd think.
The threat of terrorism in the UAE has been upgraded to "high" by the UK in guidance to citizens travelling and living abroad.
The guidance, last updated on Saturday, previously stated that there was a “general” threat.
"We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said on its website.
The FCO warned that terrorists could target places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.
"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time," it said.
The FCO said people should "maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places".
However, the FCO said the "vast majority" of visits to the UAE were "trouble-free", adding that the main type of incidents involving British nationals were arrests or detentions related to alcohol or drugs.
A British Embassy spokesperson told Arabian Business the UK was not advising people to change their travel plans.
“We issue travel guidance for every country and it is constantly updated,” Simon Goldsmith said in a telephone interview on Monday.
“Threat levels tend to go up and down and essentially what we are doing is advising British travellers and residents to maintain their level of security awareness.
"What we are not doing and I underline ‘not’, is advising people to change their travel plans.”
The FCO said there was "general" threat of terrorism in the other five Gulf states, except Saudi Arabia which also has a "high" terrorism threat level.
Excluding Saudi Arabia, terrorist attacks in the Gulf are rare. According to the FCO, the only incident of note was a suicide-bomb attack on March 19, 2005 outside the Doha Players’ Theatre in Qatar. One British national was killed and at least 12 other people were injured.
The Government of Canada website says there is "no official warning" for the UAE however it is rated as "Exercise High Degree of Caution" and goes on to say,
I'll admit, I'm a bit naive about these things (I bought the 9/11 report but never actually read it.) With the exception of September 11th, 'terrorism' is something that happens in far-away places. I guess it's a different story when that far-away place is home.
The term "terrorist" is just a bit too vague for me. One of the articles mentioned Al Qaeda specifically but I generally tune out when I hear non-specific labels like "terrorists" and "the enemy" and dismiss it as scare-mongering by Dub-ya and company.
On the one hand I am surprised that Islamic 'terrorists' (whoever they are) would target Muslim nations; Saudi Arabia is also on high alert, THE most stringent Islamic nation anywhere hands down! I don't get it. However, I can conceive of Dubai as a target. It is the most liberal society in the region and that could attract the ire of the less tolerant for pandering to the West (and therefore less 'Muslim'). Dubai was described as the "lost sibling of the Emirates family" so apparently even the other Emirates are a little put off by Dubai's ambitions of wealth and notoriety.
This is a little disconcerting, I must say but all I can really do is heed the advice of the experts and be more aware of what's going on. Part of the reason I came to this part of the world was to understand other ways of thinking. One can try to understand the 'terrorists' without condoning terrorism.
A few more articles on the web ...
ABC News Australia website
Travelbite.co.uk
The Telegraph (another UK newspaper)
This announcement has been pretty much a non-event here. Seems the the UK was the only country to issue this warning and there doesn't seem to be much by way of credible evidence to justify the upgrade at this time. So all is well in the UAE ... for now.
The Gulf News interviews UK expats.
The Gulf News interviews UAE officials
And in other news (which I'm sure is completely unrelated to the recent warnings of terrorism), President George W. Bush is visiting the UK this week on his 'farewell tour'.
The Times Online
My original post:
This warning was issued by the UK and seems to be echoed by the Australians, at least that's what my preliminary research tells me. It is in the media here as well but not as much as you'd think.
'Terrorism' threat in UAE high, UK says
by Sean Cronin on Monday, 16 June 2008
From ArabianBusiness.com
The threat of terrorism in the UAE has been upgraded to "high" by the UK in guidance to citizens travelling and living abroad.
The guidance, last updated on Saturday, previously stated that there was a “general” threat.
"We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said on its website.
The FCO warned that terrorists could target places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.
"Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time," it said.
The FCO said people should "maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places".
However, the FCO said the "vast majority" of visits to the UAE were "trouble-free", adding that the main type of incidents involving British nationals were arrests or detentions related to alcohol or drugs.
A British Embassy spokesperson told Arabian Business the UK was not advising people to change their travel plans.
“We issue travel guidance for every country and it is constantly updated,” Simon Goldsmith said in a telephone interview on Monday.
“Threat levels tend to go up and down and essentially what we are doing is advising British travellers and residents to maintain their level of security awareness.
"What we are not doing and I underline ‘not’, is advising people to change their travel plans.”
The FCO said there was "general" threat of terrorism in the other five Gulf states, except Saudi Arabia which also has a "high" terrorism threat level.
Excluding Saudi Arabia, terrorist attacks in the Gulf are rare. According to the FCO, the only incident of note was a suicide-bomb attack on March 19, 2005 outside the Doha Players’ Theatre in Qatar. One British national was killed and at least 12 other people were injured.
The Government of Canada website says there is "no official warning" for the UAE however it is rated as "Exercise High Degree of Caution" and goes on to say,
There have been credible reports that terrorists may be planning attacks in the UAE, possibly against Westerners and/or Western interests.
Canadians are advised to maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times, particularly in areas frequented by foreigners, or at events or locations in which large numbers of foreigners may gather.
I'll admit, I'm a bit naive about these things (I bought the 9/11 report but never actually read it.) With the exception of September 11th, 'terrorism' is something that happens in far-away places. I guess it's a different story when that far-away place is home.
The term "terrorist" is just a bit too vague for me. One of the articles mentioned Al Qaeda specifically but I generally tune out when I hear non-specific labels like "terrorists" and "the enemy" and dismiss it as scare-mongering by Dub-ya and company.
On the one hand I am surprised that Islamic 'terrorists' (whoever they are) would target Muslim nations; Saudi Arabia is also on high alert, THE most stringent Islamic nation anywhere hands down! I don't get it. However, I can conceive of Dubai as a target. It is the most liberal society in the region and that could attract the ire of the less tolerant for pandering to the West (and therefore less 'Muslim'). Dubai was described as the "lost sibling of the Emirates family" so apparently even the other Emirates are a little put off by Dubai's ambitions of wealth and notoriety.
This is a little disconcerting, I must say but all I can really do is heed the advice of the experts and be more aware of what's going on. Part of the reason I came to this part of the world was to understand other ways of thinking. One can try to understand the 'terrorists' without condoning terrorism.
A few more articles on the web ...
ABC News Australia website
Travelbite.co.uk
The Telegraph (another UK newspaper)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Updated: Inspiration from Steve Jobs
Update: If you can't see the video here, go to You Tube and search for "Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address".
Wishing my sister huge congratulations on completing her Masters of Education at U of C. Way to go, Pam!
Wishing my sister huge congratulations on completing her Masters of Education at U of C. Way to go, Pam!
Friday, June 06, 2008
What ... ???
The English language (in its many renditions and accents) is quite prevalent in Dubai, almost more so than Arabic, much to the chagrin of the Emiratis. There are many non-English speaking nationalities all trying to communicate in a language that is not their first and many are "self taught". We have an Italian Engineer who went to Ireland to learn English - that's a unique accent! The Hindu-English combination is sometimes referred to as "Hing-lish".
I have been tasked at work with organizing and filing our product library. I had a visit last week from a supplier of acrylic products, two Indian sales reps introduced their products, samples and portfolio and their presentation included a letter of introduction:
To their credit, it must be difficult to do business (especially sales!) in a language that is not their native tongue so ya gotta cut them some slack.
I have been tasked at work with organizing and filing our product library. I had a visit last week from a supplier of acrylic products, two Indian sales reps introduced their products, samples and portfolio and their presentation included a letter of introduction:
"We request you to kindly let us have your enquiries to enable us to submit the product catalogues and samples to participate in your future creations and tenders."Huh?
To their credit, it must be difficult to do business (especially sales!) in a language that is not their native tongue so ya gotta cut them some slack.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
In the News: Shaikh Nasser dies in copter crash; UAE mourns
Shaikh Nasser dies in copter crash; UAE mourns
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz (Staff Reporter)
3 June 2008
ABU DHABI - President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday announced the death of Shaikh Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who died on Monday night when a helicopter carrying him and his colleagues crashed into the Gulf waters.
Shaikh Nasser was the brother of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced three days official mourning starting Tuesday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also declared a three-day mourning period starting on Tuesday in Dubai.
During the period of mourning for Shaikh Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan, work in all government departments and in the rest of the public and private sectors will continue as normal, and there will be no closure of offices, it has been announced by an authorised source at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
Funeral prayers for Shaikh Nasser and his colleagues will be performed at the Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed mosque in Al Bateen. President Shaikh Khalifa will receive condolences at his Mushrif Palace after the funeral service on Tuesday.
Khaleej Times
The Gulf News
By Ahmed Abdul Aziz (Staff Reporter)
3 June 2008
ABU DHABI - President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday announced the death of Shaikh Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who died on Monday night when a helicopter carrying him and his colleagues crashed into the Gulf waters.
Shaikh Nasser was the brother of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced three days official mourning starting Tuesday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also declared a three-day mourning period starting on Tuesday in Dubai.
During the period of mourning for Shaikh Nasser bin Zayed Al Nahyan, work in all government departments and in the rest of the public and private sectors will continue as normal, and there will be no closure of offices, it has been announced by an authorised source at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
Funeral prayers for Shaikh Nasser and his colleagues will be performed at the Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed mosque in Al Bateen. President Shaikh Khalifa will receive condolences at his Mushrif Palace after the funeral service on Tuesday.
Khaleej Times
The Gulf News
Soccer Pool
There are 2 sports that are big here that I never really paid much attention to back home. I’ve watched a bit of cricket on TV and had it briefly explained to me but I don’t get it ... its like baseball ... kinda sorta but not really. Today my co-worker started a football (soccer) pool for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. Even though I know almost nothing about football (soccer), I threw in my 50 dirhams (about $14CDN) and in the random draw of teams, I got Portugal which (I’m told) have a pretty good shot at it. Woohoo! First match is June 7 against Turkey. Whoever's team wins the championship gets the 800 dirham pot (about $218CDN) ... Go Portugal!!!
Euro2008 Official Website
Wikipedia ... gotta love Wikipedia :-)
Euro2008 Official Website
Wikipedia ... gotta love Wikipedia :-)
Monday, June 02, 2008
Life goes on
I woke up this morning feeling tired and gloomy. Then it occurred to me that waking up in the morning is a privilege not to be taken for granted. So life goes on. I may write more about my co-worker and last week’s events but I'll do that some other time. To dwell on the sadness only perpetuates the ripple effect that is felt even this far away.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Waterbugs and Dragonflies
Waterbugs and Dragonflies
by Doris Stickney
Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were
very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.
"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went ... Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return ...
"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second. "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.
No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."
"We promise", they said solemnly.
One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.
When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before.
The dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water ... "I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."
And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air .......
by Doris Stickney
Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were
very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.
"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went ... Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return ...
"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second. "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.
No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."
"We promise", they said solemnly.
One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.
When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before.
The dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water ... "I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."
And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air .......
Thursday, May 29, 2008
In the News: Tragedy a world away but so close to home
Wow, I can hardly believe what I just read on the CBC news website! I saw an article yesterday about a family in Calgary found dead but the baby had survived. I thought at the time what a sad story. I came home tonight and read that the media has unofficially listed the names of the family and I am thoroughly stunned ...
CBC website is down but here's a link to the National Post story
I worked with Joshua for a number of years at Cohos Evamy, I knew him fairly well. I can hardly believe what I am reading! He was an incredible person, truly a class act. Anytime you asked about his daughters he would beam and tell you about their school or the places they went on the weekend or the gate he replaced in the back yard because the old one was just not safe for them. No matter how tight our deadlines were a the office, he made sure to be home in time to see his girls before they went to bed. He was very proud of his home. We often compared notes on home renos and tools and remedies to pesky mould issues common in older houses. I didn't know his wife well except at the Christmas parties but they seemed so wonderful.
He was very much involved with the disabled community and was genuinely passionate about making Calgary a better place for people of all ages and abilities. He had started a committee at Cohos Evamy to study architectural design and universal accessibility, I was on that committee with him for a time. He was a co-recipient of the Cohos Evamy "Iris" award for his work in that area. He crossed my mind a few times since I came to Dubai; accessibility is woefully poor here and I thought I might email him, tap into some of his expertise that could be useful here. He was someone who was going places and doing good things.
I called my old boss to see if this was actually "our Josh" because it is so out of character. My boss confirmed that indeed it is our colleague and friend. There's not much more information available at this time so one cannot speculate as to what transpired. I'm sure the investigators will do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
One small ray of hope is the daughter that survived. God bless her and keep her safe. As she grows up, she will have a lot of questions I'm sure. I only hope she will come to know her father and family not as a grisly crime scene but as the beautiful people that they were.
And to Joshua, my friend and colleague: you were an inspiration and a pleasure to work with. People like you don't come along very often. May your legacy be the good work you did and the friends you had.
Canada.com
Another one from Canada.com
Another National Post article
The Toronto Star
Calgary social services caring for baby found at death scene
Date : Thursday, May 29, 2008
A one-year-old girl found alive in the northwest Calgary home where three adults and two young girls were found dead was being cared for by social services on Thursday.
Police found the girl crying in her crib at the house on Dalhart Hill in the community of Dalhousie. In the same home were the bodies of a couple in their 30s, their female tenant, and their two daughters.
Police were withholding names of the dead, but friends and neighbours told CBC News that they are Joshua Lall, 34, his wife, Alison, 35, and their daughters Kristen, 5-1/2, and Rochelle, 3-1/2. The tenant was not identified.
CBC website is down but here's a link to the National Post story
I worked with Joshua for a number of years at Cohos Evamy, I knew him fairly well. I can hardly believe what I am reading! He was an incredible person, truly a class act. Anytime you asked about his daughters he would beam and tell you about their school or the places they went on the weekend or the gate he replaced in the back yard because the old one was just not safe for them. No matter how tight our deadlines were a the office, he made sure to be home in time to see his girls before they went to bed. He was very proud of his home. We often compared notes on home renos and tools and remedies to pesky mould issues common in older houses. I didn't know his wife well except at the Christmas parties but they seemed so wonderful.
He was very much involved with the disabled community and was genuinely passionate about making Calgary a better place for people of all ages and abilities. He had started a committee at Cohos Evamy to study architectural design and universal accessibility, I was on that committee with him for a time. He was a co-recipient of the Cohos Evamy "Iris" award for his work in that area. He crossed my mind a few times since I came to Dubai; accessibility is woefully poor here and I thought I might email him, tap into some of his expertise that could be useful here. He was someone who was going places and doing good things.
I called my old boss to see if this was actually "our Josh" because it is so out of character. My boss confirmed that indeed it is our colleague and friend. There's not much more information available at this time so one cannot speculate as to what transpired. I'm sure the investigators will do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
One small ray of hope is the daughter that survived. God bless her and keep her safe. As she grows up, she will have a lot of questions I'm sure. I only hope she will come to know her father and family not as a grisly crime scene but as the beautiful people that they were.
And to Joshua, my friend and colleague: you were an inspiration and a pleasure to work with. People like you don't come along very often. May your legacy be the good work you did and the friends you had.
Canada.com
Another one from Canada.com
Another National Post article
The Toronto Star
Saturday, May 24, 2008
This Week in the News: Carpooling
Sometimes things here are well-intended but just need a bit more thought.
First, a short story as a segway into the news: a few weeks ago, before I got my car, I was standing on the street in the morning trying to catch a taxi to work. I had been waiting for 45 minutes, traffic was crawling past at a snail’s pace and what few taxis came by already had a fare. Just so happened that my boss, who lives nearby, was crawling along in said traffic, beeped his horn, I hopped in and that was my ride to work that day. I discovered this week that that incident could have resulted in a 5000 Dirham fine (about $1360CDN)! There's a reason carpooling has not caught on here ... it's illegal! Or should I say “smuggling of passengers”, as the RTA likes to call it. Quote from the Khaleej Times (full article is below for your reading pleasure):
Now, luckily I did not give any money for the ride; to offer to pay for some of the gas or buy him a coffee for his troubles would most definitely have clinched the crime! In reality it is the illegal unlicensed taxis that they are targeting, citing safety concerns (but reading between the lines, is more about lost profits for Dubai Taxi, the government run taxi company and the only [legal] game in town.) None the less, some motorists only suspected of this heinous act of “passenger smuggling” have been slapped with the fine anyway read that story here
Interestingly, one of the articles I read this week (which I can’t seem to find now) quoted one of the RTA officials who listed all the areas of town where these illegal taxis are known to operate. So if I didn’t know before where to find a taxi when I need one, now I do! Gotta love the media.
This week’s news was that, presumably the RTA has realized the silliness of outlawing shared rides and announced that they will be loosening the rules. Their new initiative is to have those who are into "the carpooling practice" register up to 4 people to their vehicle and apply for a permit via a new website to be launched next month. The radio talk-shows are all abuzz, seems nobody (including the RTA) is really clear on how this will all work ...
For a city where rush hour traffic is by all accounts, horrendous, and parking is equally bad, one would think that any policy that benefits commuters would be a good thing; happy car poolers = fewer cars on the road. Any system to make commuters happy should be simple and easy so as to encourage commuters to use it (one would think)! Nearly every other city on the planet with similar traffic challenges has already figgered this one out. But when I said that car pooling hasn’t really caught on here, it's not carpooling per say that hasn't caught on, it’s the policy-makers who haven‘t quite caught on. I'll give them an E for “effort” but I will drive myself to work.
First, a short story as a segway into the news: a few weeks ago, before I got my car, I was standing on the street in the morning trying to catch a taxi to work. I had been waiting for 45 minutes, traffic was crawling past at a snail’s pace and what few taxis came by already had a fare. Just so happened that my boss, who lives nearby, was crawling along in said traffic, beeped his horn, I hopped in and that was my ride to work that day. I discovered this week that that incident could have resulted in a 5000 Dirham fine (about $1360CDN)! There's a reason carpooling has not caught on here ... it's illegal! Or should I say “smuggling of passengers”, as the RTA likes to call it. Quote from the Khaleej Times (full article is below for your reading pleasure):
Sept 2,2007
The Road and Traffic Authority in Dubai has doubled the fine imposed against motorists who illegally transport passengers without a livery permit. Residents from low-income background decried such measures saying that this is making transportation difficult for them.
Many residents of Dubai and the northern emirates benefit from these illegal taxis, as their prices are low compared to the licensed ones.
Another widely used form of transportation, which is also punishable by law, is the car pool. It is a system in which office workers with cars pick up their colleagues from their homes and drop them at work and vice versa for a fixed amount of money.
Now, luckily I did not give any money for the ride; to offer to pay for some of the gas or buy him a coffee for his troubles would most definitely have clinched the crime! In reality it is the illegal unlicensed taxis that they are targeting, citing safety concerns (but reading between the lines, is more about lost profits for Dubai Taxi, the government run taxi company and the only [legal] game in town.) None the less, some motorists only suspected of this heinous act of “passenger smuggling” have been slapped with the fine anyway read that story here
Interestingly, one of the articles I read this week (which I can’t seem to find now) quoted one of the RTA officials who listed all the areas of town where these illegal taxis are known to operate. So if I didn’t know before where to find a taxi when I need one, now I do! Gotta love the media.
This week’s news was that, presumably the RTA has realized the silliness of outlawing shared rides and announced that they will be loosening the rules. Their new initiative is to have those who are into "the carpooling practice" register up to 4 people to their vehicle and apply for a permit via a new website to be launched next month. The radio talk-shows are all abuzz, seems nobody (including the RTA) is really clear on how this will all work ...
RTA web page for car pooling service in June
By Joy Sengupta (Our staff reporter)
20 May 2008
DUBAI — The web page for the registration of car pooling service would be introduced from early next month, a senior Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said yesterday.
Khalid Hashim, Director of Planning and Business Development at the Public Transport Agency of the RTA, said the people who wish to go for the car pooling service could register themselves on the webpage.
Khaleej Times had reported on April 1 that those intending to go in for car pooling would have to register themselves with the RTA.
"People can log on to the RTA web site and view the registration page. They will have to fill in their details along with the details of three others working in the same organisation. There would be slots for the details of the vehicle as well. One can also come to the RTA office and get a hard copy of the registration form. Once they have done it, the RTA will issue them with a permit which allows them to go in for the car pooling service.
"The permit would be given after an investigation to avoid any impersonation. If an RTA inspector stops the car on suspicion that it is an illegal taxi, the occupants must show the permit. There will be a mechanism to verify the permit by the inspector," Hashim said.
Earlier, Issa Al Dossari, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, had told Khaleej Times that the agency would develop a link on the RTA web site or create a completely new web site to help those who are into the car pooling practice.
There has been a rise in cases of motorists being fined for giving lifts to passengers. In some cases, the motorists were fined even when they were giving lifts to their friends.
Hashim said they had directed the inspectors not to fine motorists without proper investigation.
For a city where rush hour traffic is by all accounts, horrendous, and parking is equally bad, one would think that any policy that benefits commuters would be a good thing; happy car poolers = fewer cars on the road. Any system to make commuters happy should be simple and easy so as to encourage commuters to use it (one would think)! Nearly every other city on the planet with similar traffic challenges has already figgered this one out. But when I said that car pooling hasn’t really caught on here, it's not carpooling per say that hasn't caught on, it’s the policy-makers who haven‘t quite caught on. I'll give them an E for “effort” but I will drive myself to work.
Sept 2,2007
The Road and Traffic Authority in Dubai has doubled the fine imposed against motorists who illegally transport passengers without a livery permit. Residents from low-income background decried such measures saying that this is making transportation difficult for them.
Many residents of Dubai and the northern emirates benefit from these illegal taxis, as their prices are low compared to the licensed ones.
Another widely used form of transportation, which is also punishable by law, is the car pool. It is a system in which office workers with cars pick up their colleagues from their homes and drop them at work and vice versa for a fixed amount of money. The car pool is heavily advertised in the classified pages of the local newspapers.
These illegal systems benefit commuters who have no alternative means of transport other than expensive taxis or irregular buses. Dubai, which is revamping its public transportation system by adding hundreds of new buses, is considered better than the neighboring emirates that do not have such systems in place.
Mohammed Obaid Al-Mulla, CEO of Public Transport Agency at the authority, stated that the fine has been raised to AED5,000 from AED2,500.
“Statistics gathered from a series of field campaigns launched since 2004 up to July 2007 show that this phenomenon has several characteristics; namely: it is widely practiced and virtually covers all areas in the emirate of Dubai. However, it is noticed that passenger smuggling is habitual in certain locations well known to both smugglers and passengers, but rarely does it take place at sides of main roads. Moreover, these locations are constantly being changed to avoid reporting campaigns. In fact, it is rather difficult to assess the actual magnitude of this practice as it involves several categories of vehicles, at the top of which come private vehicles, rented cars, commercial transport vehicles and private-companies vehicles,” commented Al-Mulla.
Informed sources at the Public Transport Agency revealed that Franchise and Performance Control Section at the agency launched a new campaign aimed at heightening the awareness about passenger-smuggling in Dubai with a view to curb this phenomenon, which is inflicting heavy losses on the public transport sector.
He also noted that this practice retracts when reporting campaigns and fines are announced, but is usually matched with the entry of fresh smugglers, while those who were in the business return after a short break. He further added: “It is noted that upon streamlining of taxi activity in other emirates, taxi drivers switched their vehicles as private vehicles and deployed them in passenger-smuggling business in Dubai. More drivers are expected to engage in this practice following streamlining of transportation activities in various parts of the UAE.”
As to the losses inflicted by this practice on Dubai Taxi Agency, Al-Mulla stressed that it results in material losses to the agency as well as jeopardizes the standing of the agency as a service-providing body seeking to deliver optimum services in innovative methods in line with the best global practices applicable in this vital field. “Smuggling of passengers is viewed as an uncivilized practice incompatible with the standing of Dubai as a commercial and economic center in the region. Such a phenomenon is capable of undermining the efforts of the RTA to expand and develop the transport sector, let alone the resulting losses suffered by various service, tourist, social and other sectors,” added Al-Mulla.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Canadianese
A work-mate told me today how much she loves my "Canadian accent" haha It never really occured to me until then that I had an accent! I thought it was everyone else.
The Shades
I have to make a small correction to one of my previous posts. The residential tower that I am now working on has already been launched and pre-sold, apparently it sold out in 30 minutes (not 2 hours). About 340 flats ... that's more than a flat a minute! Yup, it's a frenzied market! For now all I have are some links on the internet, I'll post more on this later.
The National
Zawya
Arabian Business
The Architect who is designing this project is a tiny little Lebenese lady, probably in her early 30's. Very passionate, very high-energy. Late last week, her father's health was deteriorating and she had to suddenly leave to be with him and the rest of her family. Apparently her father is having open heart surgery today so it's quite serious.
As you have probably seen on the news, Lebanon is an extremely volatile place the last few weeks so on top of the usual stresses of having an ill family member, she was facing a few additional challenges -- getting on the first flight to Beirut seemed like a no brainer except that the airport there was shut down. The hospital they wanted to take their father to is a first rate facility but unfortunately its smack-dab in the middle of the fighting! We Canadians may sometimes complain about our health care system but at least we are at peace.
The National
Zawya
Arabian Business
The Architect who is designing this project is a tiny little Lebenese lady, probably in her early 30's. Very passionate, very high-energy. Late last week, her father's health was deteriorating and she had to suddenly leave to be with him and the rest of her family. Apparently her father is having open heart surgery today so it's quite serious.
As you have probably seen on the news, Lebanon is an extremely volatile place the last few weeks so on top of the usual stresses of having an ill family member, she was facing a few additional challenges -- getting on the first flight to Beirut seemed like a no brainer except that the airport there was shut down. The hospital they wanted to take their father to is a first rate facility but unfortunately its smack-dab in the middle of the fighting! We Canadians may sometimes complain about our health care system but at least we are at peace.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
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