30 April 2006

Calling all Angels

My dentist’s surgery in Dubai is my second home; I spend a lot of time there, or at least that’s how it feels to me!

On the plus side, it gives me the opportunity to read new publications that I haven’t seen before, and on the last visit, I found a little gem – the UAE Digest.

Although most of the articles are written with an essence of Hindlish and verbosity that my English teacher was so fond of accusing me of, there’s a wide range of interesting topics covered, mostly with reference to the UAE and the surrounding Middle Eastern countries.

In the April issue, there was even a 3 page spread on blogging in the UAE, featuring Gautam representing the Dubai Bloggers’ Group.

UAE Digest's publishing house, Sterling Publications has a website which promotes their other magazine, UAE Banking. I can’t see any links to the UAE Digest, so unfortunately I can’t link to a story written by Bindu Ganesh titled “Fujairah Angel”. However, while Googling for more info, it appears that it’s been covered by many publications, all of which appeared to have received the same Press Release and regurgitated it in some form!

Have you ever been to Fujairah and stared out to sea and seen the horizon dotted with dozens of ships? I thought that they were anchored there to wait their turn to enter the Arabian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. Wrong!

It turns out that off the East Coast, there is the world’s second largest ships’ bunker anchorage – a place where ships anchor and stay until they are called into service again. At any time, there may be between 100 to 150 ships out there – all with crews who can’t come ashore because their companies can’t afford/be bothered to ferry them the 15+ miles into the nearest port. I would imagine that there is also the concern that most sailors, once stepping foot on land, would desert their ships - never to be seen again.

Upwards of 2,000 sailors may be out there; unable to communicate with their families back home for weeks on end. Boredom and loneliness are only part of their frustration, and depression wouldn’t be far away for some of these men.

Enter the Mission to Seafarers in Dubai. As part of the international charitable organisation chartered to help all seafarers regardless of colour, race, or religion, the Dubai chapter recently launched its “The Angel Appeal” mission to help the sailors off Fujairah.

Their goal is to raise over US$1 million dollars before 2006 ends, to fund the building and equipping of a boat that will support some of the 140.000+ sailors using the anchorages off the east coast of the UAE each year.

Called the “Fujairah Angel”, the boat will be built by Albawardy Marine in Al Jadaf, Dubai. On board will be an internet café, a book and DVD library, a medical clinic and access to telecommunications so that ET can phone home. A welfare officer will also be onboard to offer pastoral and spiritual support to sailors in need.

The Fujairah Angel is anticipated to be ready to launch at the end of 2006 and will operate every week for 72 hours at a time – sailing between the anchored boats so that sailors can step aboard and spend some time relaxing and in communication with their families and friends back home.

The Fujairah Port Clinic which provides 24 hour medical aid to sailors has already pledged their support to the Angel Appeal, and will man the onboard clinic with paramedics.

As well, some major businesses such as Fujairah National Group, Lamnalco of Sharjah, National Bank of Dubai and Fairmont Dubai have chipped in to help.

If you would like to donate to The Angel Appeal, you can find out how by phoning (+971) 4 3441823.

28 April 2006

Just another laid back Friday

Today has been one of those days in Dubai that I love the most.

For a start, it’s the weekend!


As a bonus, the weather has been stunning – clear skies, warm, cool breeze blowing to take the edge of the heat – and best of all, the prevailing smog layer wasn’t so prevalent.


Here’s a shot taken of this evening’s sunset. The special thing about it is that the sun set at the horizon tonight. Normally it has disappeared behind the heat/smog/dust layer long before it gets anywhere near sinking into the sea.

25 April 2006

Good things take time

Luxury delivered.

So say the signs on the side of Damac’s Marina Terrace apartment tower in the Dubai Marina.

I imagine that the apartment owners wondered if they would ever get to see that luxury for themselves.

Construction on the tower took 11 months longer than expected. Originally given a highly unlikely 19 months to be completed, it was planned to be delivered in March 2005.

The keys weren’t handed over until January 2006. When given the keys, owners were also given a letter that stated they couldn’t stay the night in the tower until further notice! It turns out that the building had yet to receive a “final occupiers’ certificate” – notification from Civil Defense that the building is deemed to be safe and habitable.

What to do? There must have been some homeless Marina Terrace owners wandering around Dubai; wondering how long it would be before they could move into their apartments. Relief came in early February with another, and this time, apologetic letter from Damac telling them that it was now possible for them to live there.

A few questions arise for me that I know are silly to ask in Dubai, but is it legal to hand over the keys to owners when the building isn’t yet certified? Did they get the owners’ signatures on the hand-over papers before giving them the letter that said, “Oh by the way, you can’t live there yet.”? This is a reputable property development company, one of the big 3 in Dubai, not some shifty fly-by-night operator working out of his car.

Now that the residents are moving in, the building isn’t without its little foibles. You can read more about it on ITP’s Construction Week website.

22 April 2006

It ain't half hot, Mum

J’s boys have been with us for the past 10 days over spring vacation, and we’ve (well, mostly J) been run ragged taking them to places in an effort to keep them amused – Khasab for the dhow ride; MOE for the snow; Ibn Battuta for pizza and the movies; Wild Wadi for the fake tattoos. In between, they’ve been swimming in the apartment pool, and yesterday morning we took them fishing under the marina bridge. The first time fishing for them, and it was a success – one little fish caught and then let go!

They’ve gone home now, and the apartment is silent without the kids' noises. No PC/Gameboy sounds generated by the older one, and no Madagascar on DVD for the younger for the hundredth time, and no "Mutti, Mutti, Mutti" (German for mum) every 5 seconds!


This is one of my favourite images of the two of them and was taken in the height of summer last year.

On the way to the Arabian Wildlife Center in Sharjah, we went offroad to show them the desert. More like 50m off the tarseal really!

Excitedly they exited the car to run up the small sand dune, only to come to a screaming stop as they realised that the sand trickling into their sandals was a gazillion degrees and their feet were burning. Punctuated with cries of pain, the race back was done in half the time, as J and I chuckled sadistically in the cool confines of the Honda!

See you next time, boys. Wir lieben euch!

No children, animals or parents were harmed during the making of this vacation, but the sanity of the adults was severely tested.

13 April 2006

The only 7 star hotel in the world

When we meet new people overseas and they learn that we live in Dubai, we get one of 3 reactions.
1. They don’t know where it is, or;
2. They say, "Oh yeah - the US ports deal." or;
3.
They say, “Is that where the amazing hotel shaped like a sail is located?”

The Burj Al Arab hotel is a very distinctive landmark on Jumeirah Beach. You know when you've acclimatised into Dubai life when you stop looking for it from Sheikh Zayed Road!


Built on its man-made island, the 321m building (the Eiffel Tower in Paris is only 300m) is deceptive in appearance as there’s really no other building around it to give it scale. At present, it’s the second tallest building in Dubai aft
er the 355m Emirates’ Office Tower.

The closest building in proximity to the BAA is the 26-storey 104m Jumeirah Beach Hotel (JBH), and this amazing piece of architecture, (we actually think that it’s technically more brilliant than the Burj Al Arab), looks insignificant next to the white towering sail.

The curved front of the Burj is covered in canvas. At night, the hotel is usually lit up by colourful lights shining on the canvas, and which change colour every few minutes. Every hour or so, a little light show takes place. As well as the coloured floodlights, 4 towers outside the front entrance shoot gas-powered flames high into the air, and rows of white lights race up and down the outer frame. The JBH responds with a show of its own.


Inside the Burj Al Arab, the 3-sided structure is hollow, with the sail taking up one side, and the suites built around the 2 other outer edges of the building. Every hour, the central indoor fountain shoots a spurt of water high up into the air. To the sides of the 2 escalators that transport people to and from the main floor of the hotel, there are 2 HUGE saltwater aquariums.

There is an abundance of gold plating, chandeliers and wealth. It’s all very civilised, although we've recently noticed that with the package tours (special 7 night deals giving nights in the JBH, Burj and Bab al Shams hotels), being offered by the hotels’ parent company Jumeirah, there is now a more “Tommy Tourist” class of guest, instead of it being only for wealthy businessmen and people who look as if they were born rich.

The 2 outer elevators located at the back corner quickly rise to the Al Muntaha restaurant and bar on what is officially known as the 27th floor, but in reality is more like the 60th floor.


The décor at the top is amazing – a cross between a 70s disco and the movie “Tron”. The view is spectacular – the Jumeirah Palm and the World are visible on less hazy days, as is the financial district with the distinctive Emirates Towers. Directly below your feet, you can see the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the marina.

Yes, the round huge helipad at the top is where Tiger Woods hit golf balls into the Arabian Gulf, and where Roger Federer and André Agassi played exhibition tennis. All in the name of promotion, and it worked. Just about everyone we talk to overseas has seen TV coverage or still photos of these events, or the Emirates Airlines' ad where the elderly woman is being taken for a helicopter ride from the helipad.


What about the 7 stars? They are self-awarded. Yet another Dubai publicity machine creation, and one star for each of the 7 emirates that make up the UAE!

10 April 2006

Me unplugged

This time, Dubai Sunshine tagged me courtesy of her sister Sky, who was ”encouraged” by Moryarti to make an ordinary post into a tag!

I am not: the Girl from Ipanema
I love: scuba diving
I hate: cold wind and cold water
I fear: my computer hard-drive crashing
I hope: that when it does crash, that I have just backed-up all my important files including my Outlook pst file
I hear: songs in my head often just before they’re played on the radio
I crave: hot mango achar
I regret: not learning languages or how to read music

I cry: out of frustration, overtiredness, or upon hearing the national anthem of any country, and I pretty much cried through the whole Valley of the Wolves Iraq movie on Sunday night
I care: about my family and loved ones
I always: smile and greet people in elevators, and I also stay to watch the entire credits of movies that I like, because the people who make them deserve that respect

I feel alone: sometimes, but not lonely
I listen: more than I talk
I hide: my feelings when I know that I shouldn’t – but I have got better
I drive: assertively, not aggressively - and in Dubai, very defensively
I dance: with gay abandon and not often enough
I write: too many emails
I act: like me
I miss: weekend breakfasts in our favourite café on Kohi Beach in Auckland, NZ and seeing my family more than I do now
I learn: because it challenges me
I feel: blessed
I know: that I am loved
I sleep: next to a sheet-stealing restless octopus
I wonder: how my name got to be on a USA outging No-Fly List that makes them double-check my passport every time I try to leave America, but never on the way into it!
I want: a Canon 5D camera, or the next best thing that Canon will release at Photokina in September
I worry: about trivial things
I have: to lose weight
I fight: my weight
I need: to lose weight
I am: what I am
I think: too much

I tag: anyone who wants to do some lighthearted analysis into themselves!

7 April 2006

Mauritius - Très Magnifique!

What drama has unfolded while we’ve been away – Lurpak is back on the shelves and Sharjah has banned bicycles.

It makes us wish that we had been in Dubai instead of sunning, swimming, snorkelling and sight-seeing in Mauritius!

What a beautiful island, and aside from the French influence, it reminded M very much of her birthplace: Fiji.

It was awesome to catch up with some good friends who manage one of the better hotels on the island – the Oberoi Mauritius. Much fun was had!

Mauritius is only 6 hours away on an Emirates’ flight, the same timezone as the UAE, and a great place to vacation. M felt so much at home driving again on the left side of the road!

We didn’t get to see everything, as this holiday was mostly about relaxation (which also meant no computers!), but we did manage to stir ourselves off the sun loungers on a couple of occasions to venture further than the hotel gate.

Here are some images of our time there which you can click to enlarge them in your browser.

The 7 coloured earth at Chamarel:


The waterfall at Chamarel:


The mountains behind the capital, Port Louis:


Looking back towards Flic en Flac:


The Sugar Museum - L'Aventure du Sucre - is a must-see for a complete history of Mauritius:


The Botanical Gardens at Pamplemousse are gorgeous. It's free to enter them, and our advice is to pick up a licensed guide from just inside the entrance. For 50 Mauritian rupees per person, (about 6 dirhams), they'll take you on a 45min tour to show you all the different plants that are growing in the gardens. Our guide, Marie, was fantastic. She would pick up seed pods and leaves, and by getting us to smell them, she would have us guess which plant they were from! We learnt a lot from her that we wouldn't have otherwise gotten to know.


From our loungers on the beach, this is what we saw - when we weren't snorkelling or swimming!