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Dubai based Airine
bloggers
TampaxTowers
Style High Club
The Trolley Dolly
Life,as I know it
(now Edmonton!)
Bjorn Moerman
James Nixon
TheEKSource
Jens
Krüger
Egypt
Sandmonkey
Hammonda.net
Thailand Blogs
Bangkok Noir
Bangkok Pundit
-
politics
Thai-blogs.com
- rather serious
2bangkok.com
-
yellow-tinged summary of Bangkok news
BKKOK.com
Thailand Voice
promoting blogs from Thailand
Thailand Golf
Thai-blogs
-Thailand life and culture
trythaifood -
thai recipes
CityLife Chiang Mai
Thailand Crisis not
updated but important in understanding 2006-2009.
Absolutely Bangkok
Bangkok Bugle
Thai
Girl The exotic adventures of a literary
sexagenarian.
Thailand Jumped the Shark
Thai Films
Siam Report
Thai ENews
- In Thai
Photo-journ -
news blog plus pics
Prachatai
- Thai news in English
New Mandala - new
perspectives on SE Asia
NewsInBangkok - another news blog
Thailand Intelligent News
- misleading title!
Political Prisoners in Thailand
GregToDiffer
Hua Hin Golf
Philip
Golingai (mainly Malaysia)
ThailandVoice
Musings
from Thailand
Women learning Thai
Vaitor
Ricefield Radio
Reporter
in Exile
Robert Amsterdam - Thailand
Somtow's world
Dirtii laundry
Thai Cables
Siam Voices
ThaiWomanTalks
Tasty Thailand
Asia Blogs
Banyan - The Economist
Asia Unbound - CFR
Zen Journalist
The Marmot's Hole - Korea
The writings of MD Nalapat
Democratic Voice of Burma
Ideas for India
Dubai Blogs
Mainly Photos; mainly from Dubai
- Gerald Donovan at work!
dxbae
- picture blog - also Gerald Donovan
UAE Community Blog
- uniting all UAE bloggers
Dubai informer
- news and events.
The Grapeshisha Blog
- commentary on a changing Dubai
One Big Construction Site
- a long term expat on life in Dubai
Secret Dubai Diary
- rather disillusioned expat commentary - sadly seems to have died - but
again worth keeping for some interesting recent history.
Dubai As It Used To be
- self explanatory - fascinating!
Kippreport - news and commentary
Life In Dubai - moved to Oz
Fake Plastic Souks
Dubai Astronomy Group
Gulf Photo Plus
Dubai Media Observer
The Gulf Blog
Dubai Construction Update
Dubai Race Night
Burj Khalifa
Grumpy
Goat
Ever changing lanes
Spontaneous
Euphoria
Christopher Saul - Dubai Blog
MattJDuffy
Sport360
The Hedonista
Dubai as it used to
be
Arabic affairs blogs
The Arabist
Felix Arabia
MidEastPosts
The Culturist
Pan
Arabian Enquirer
Doha News
Al Monitor
The
Gulf Blog
Al-Bab
Hong Kong Blogs
Digital
Life
- A Hong Kong picture blog - interesting pics
A Big
White Guy in Hong Kong - self
explanatory
Ordinary
Gweilo
Hemlock's Diary.
And people think I am opinionated - try this!
BigLychee
EastSouthWestNorth - commentary
Glutter.org
- Greater China democracy news and many great links
Hong
Kong Hustle
Hong Kong Paintings
Hong
Kong Outdoors
Hong
Kong and Macau Stuff
Hong Wrong
In China:
Danwei
- media and advertising news from China
Shanghaiist.com
The China Beat
- how the east is read.
Hong Kong Cinemagic
Shanghai Scrap
The Paper Tiger
Peking Duck
China Law Blog
China Rises
China Media Project
China in
Africa: The Real Story
LivinginChina.com
Sinocism
Chinageeks
Beijing Cream
China Daily Show
Ministry of Tofu
In Macau:
In Singapore:
The Singapore Daily
Xiaxue
- self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot!
Mr Brown
- colourful commentary from Singapore
Singapore Democrats
The Online Citizen
Icarus flew too high
Bonjour Singapore
In Burma:
National League for Democracy
In Canada:
BlogTO
Now Toronto
Media:
On the Ground ND Kristof
Tabloid
Watch (UK)
The Diplomat - Asia Pacific
CJ Purcell
Foreign Policy
Vanity Fair
Watchdog reporting
Fleet Street Blues
Aviation:
Amadeus (airline schedules)
Airline
meals -
see it b4 you eat it!
Airliners
- aviation forum, trip reports and pix
archive
A
Captain's Blog - the routine of a California based 767
captain
FA Uniforms
- interesting collection of the old and new
Planenation
- commercial aviation news
Airchive
- a web museum of commercial aviation.
CrankyFlier - mainly US commentary
AvHerald - daily log of airliner incidents
RandPeck's blog
Rand Peck
- writing and photography from a US based 757 captain
PlaneBuzz
- airline financials
SmartCockpit
Sharjah -
1937
Boarding
Area business travel
World Airports
Flight Wisdom
ATC - Toronto (YYZ)
Today in the sky
Ask the pilot
The Flying Scotsman - A BA pilot blog
Key Magazines - UK
Crossing the Sky
Blogging at FL250
Flight Level 390
The wings stayed on
PilotOutlook
Birmingham Airport
Aviation Queen
LiveATC.net
AirplaneFood
Flight to Success
Routehappy
KPAE - Paine Field Blog
UxMilk (mainly Qantas)
World Stewardess Crews
Airways magazine blog
DubaiAirportsConnect
APEX Editor's Blog
In a Foreign Sky
Better on a Camel
Travel:
Johnny Jet
Paris photo blog
Business Traveller - Asia
Camels and Chocolate
GranTourismo
Legal
Nomads
Circle of Asia
Tales of Asia
Smart Travel Asia
Untraveller
The World and his TukTuk
News:
The Guardian
- UK
BBC World News
CNN Asia
Bangkok Post
Gulf News
Arabian
Business
CNNfan.com
scary fan site!
Twitmericks
vox - Research-based policy analysis
and commentary from leading economists
Next Media - news animation
SoupSoup
Bangkok info sites:
thailand.com
learningthai.com
sawadee.com
thailandstories
bangkok a-z
Worthy Sites:
Niall Ferguson
Rconversation - from Rebecca
MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger.
RGE Monitor -
macro-economic
analysis
Migrant Rights
Cricket Archive
Good
experience
Heresy
Corner
What
Matters - McKinsey
Golf Sites:
wei under par
The Christina Kim
Cricket sites:
Alternative
Cricket Almanac
99.94
Cricket with Balls
The Old Batsman
StumpedForADuck
The NightWatchman
Other Sports
Sulia.com - football
Fun Sites:
Fun signs
Urban Dictionary
Earth TV
Useful Sites:
World Time Clock
Cooking
Cooking Light
Technology Ideas:
Loose wire
Stuff -
gadgets
TechCrunch
Boing Boing
The Next Web
TNooz - Travel Tech
The Immedium Blog
ViralBlog
The Next Web
Now and Next
The Sports Scientists
FacebookStories
LiesDamnedLiesstatistics
Mixed Topics
Photography
unchartedphotography
Glen Calvin
Photography
GulfPhotoPlus
The Rest:
Black
Flamingo - recipes and life (no golf!)
Mixed Topics
Watford Mad (WFC)
BHappy - a
Watford Blog
Watford Legends
All
About Cricket
Brain Pickings
Ballpark-it.com - recipes
TV:
Northern Exposure
Previous months:
Nov - Dec 2012
Sept - Oct 2012
July - August 2012
May -June 2012
March-April 2012
Jan-Feb 2012
Nov - Dec 2011
Sept - Oct 2011
July - Aug 2011
May - June 2011
March - April 2011
Jan - Feb 2011
Nov - Dec 2010
Sept - Oct 2010
July - Aug 2010
May - June 2010
March - April 2010
Jan - Feb 2010
Nov - Dec 2009
Sept - Oct 2009
July - Aug 2009
May - June 2009
March - April 2009
Jan - Feb 2009
Nov - Dec 2008
Sept - Oct 2008
July - Aug 2008
May - June 2008
March - April 2008
Jan - Feb 2008
Nov - Dec 2007
Sept - Oct 2007
July - Aug 2007
May - June 2007
March - April 2007
Jan - Feb 2007
Nov - Dec 2006
Sept - Oct 2006
July - Aug 2006
May - June 2006
March - April 2006
Jan - Feb 2006
Nov - Dec 2005
Sept - Oct 2005
July - Aug 2005
May - June 2005
March - April 2005
Jan - Feb 2005
Nov - Dec 2004
Sept - Oct 2004
July - Aug 2004
April - June 2004
Jan - Feb 2004
Author
Robert Scott lives
and works in Dubai; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong
Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.
I am very happily married to Tai.
If you want to know
more you only need to ask!
ask.
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28 June 2013
This was never likely
to get constructed - and now confirmation that it is on hold - or more
likely wont ever happen:
Development of a $1bn
Real Madrid Resort Island planned for Ras Al Khaimah has been put on hold
indefinitely due to a lack of funding, sources have said.
The project, which is a joint venture between Spanish football team Real
Madrid, the government of Ras Al Khaimah and Luxembourg-based RAK Marjan
Island Football Investment Fund, was announced in March 2012.
Plans for the 50-hectare resort included a theme park, a stadium and a
museum dedicated to the Spanish club, sports facilities and residential
units and a luxury hotel. Construction has still not started and sources
said the original January 2015 opening date had now been scrapped.
Typical: announce with
great fanfare - and then retreat as discreetly as possible.
*****************************
In Geneva - well Divonee-les-Bains to be precise - and it is cold !
*****************************
Sometime denials get issued too quickly - this would have been worthy of a
full investigation before saying that it does not happen:
Emirates denies using headphones made by abused inmates.
24 June 2013
I had lunch yesterday
with Tai's first room mate/flat mate here in Dubai and the maid of honour
at our wedding; Bam.
Bam leaves Dubai on 5
July to start a new life; she will be married on 16 July.
Sadly I will not be
there to take pictures.
I don't think Bam ever
fully realised the strong and positive effect that she had on people she
met. She will be missed and it does feel a little the beginning of the end
of an important phase of our lives. The friends that we have made here are
starting to move on with their lives. To seek out new frontiers. Bammie
has been a great friend to us and she also taught Tai to cook for which I
will be forever grateful.
Her friends (and this
blog!) wish her every happiness and success.
23 June 2013
Enjoyed watching the
first series of "Person of Interest" on Emirates last night - interesting
how topical the program suddenly is with the recent NSA revelatios - here
is the introductory voiceover from the mysterious Mr. Finch:
"You are being watched.
The government has a secret system: a machine that spies on you every hour
of every day. I know because I built it. I designed the machine to detect
acts of terror, but it sees everything. Violent crimes involving ordinary
people, people like you. Crimes the government considered irrelevant. They
wouldn't act, so I decided I would. But I needed a partner, someone with
the skills to intervene. Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret.
You'll never find us, but victim or perpetrator, if your number's up...
we'll find you".
***************************
As for Bangkok - it was nice to be somewhere green and colourful for a few
days.
16 June 2013
Emirates A380s to the
USA - JFK was first; LAX already announced and after that IAH on 01-FEB-14
and SFO upgrade will be on 01-MAR-14.
**************************
A special treat for a few lucky crew - on 12 June Emirates B777-200LR
A6-EWC operated a Doha – Brasilia Charter
The flight positioned Dubai – Doha as EK8843 in the early hours of the
morning in order to operate a Doha – Brasilia charter as EK2263. The
aircraft then positioned Brasilia – Dubai as EK8264.
14 June 2013
The Airbus A350xwb made
its maiden flight from Toulouse this morning. Entry into service is
expected in late 2014.
***************************
Advice from Citibank: when you travel, some foreign merchants might give
you the option to pay in AED, rather than the local currency of the
country you're in. While this might seem like a better choice - especially
because you can see the total price in your currency - you'll actually be
paying more.
Paying in AED outside U.A.E. with your credit card subjects you to an
additional fee, which means you could be paying up to 4.2% per
transaction.
Sensible.
13 June 2013
Robert Peston of the
BBC on twitter - "Am also told that undisclosed reasons for Murdoch
divorcing Deng are jaw-dropping - & hate myself for wanting to know what
they are".....
Now we all want to
know....
Though now that he has
announced his divorce I do hope the press respect the privacy of Rupert
Murdoch. I'm sure he would in similar circumstances.
Somehow I feel the
divorce has to be connected with this fishing expedition in last weekend's
Mail on Sunday - No.10 rocked by secret love affair: 'Stunned' PM
holds crisis talks over fears tryst will 'blow political agenda out of the
water'
****************************
Cebu Pacific of the Philippines today took delivery of its first Airbus
A330-300. The airline has four on order, and this is their first widebody.
Cebu plans to open up routes to Middle East and "wherever there is a
Filippino community". What's unusual about their A330's is the
configuration, in 436 all-economy. Yes, 436 ! Most operators fly with
around 300 seats, usually in two classes. The current highest density is
396 offered by AirAsia X and Thomas Cook (Scandinavia).
Not far behind Cebu's offering is Philippine Airlines, who plan to fly
their soon-to-be-delivered A330-300's in a 414 all-economy layout.
That is one very very
cramped A330.
12 June 2013
This can only help
promote Dubai into the Chinese market: 'Switch' - a Chinese 'James Bond'
style action film and the biggest budget Chinese film produced to date has
opened today in Hong Kong and China.
The action/spy movie involves Special agent Xiao Jinhan (Andy Lau - he
must be getting too old for this) and insurance company employee Lin Yuyan
(Zhang Jingchu), on a mission to protect the world-famous drawing "Fu Chun
Shan Ju Tu", which is the target of a Japanese gangster (Tong Dawei).
For the first time,
Filmworks managed to get Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, Atlantis AND Emirates
Towers all into the same film!
Andy Lau gets to do a
car stunt at the Atlantis, run down the private beach of the Burj Al Arab,
cruise in a high-speed boat off Dubai Marina and take a plunge from the
828-metre-high Burj Khalifa.
**********************************
Austerity seems to have no limit in Greece where the government has shut
down the tv and radio stations of the state broadcaster - the Hellenic
Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) - leaving many thousands of people
unemployed and the national broadcaster off the air.
A hundred million euros
a year will be saved.
**********************************
The organisers of the proposed Thai Grand Prix are focusing on relocating
the race to Phuket after plans to host it in Bangkok were dashed by a new
law.
A month after a layout was approved by the Sports Authority of Thailand,
the Thai government introduced a law in May banning racing in the cultural
quarter of Bangkok. Having initially feared that the race could be
cancelled as a result, Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak says
there is still time for a new venue to be found, with Phuket top of the
list at present.
"I can confirm that we cannot hold a Grand Prix on Ratchadamnoen Avenue,"
Somsak is quoted as telling the Bangkok Post. "The law, which took effect
last month, prohibits a car racing event in inner Bangkok.
"Phuket should be an ideal venue which meets our target to promote
tourism. We still have time to prepare for the race."
*************************************
India's Oberoi Group announced yesterday that it has opened The Oberoi,
Dubai, its first property in the UAE.
The luxury hotel group said the Oberoi Dubai, which overlooks the iconic
Burj Khalifa, has a total of 252 rooms and suites.
Overlooks the Burj
Khalifa - from a kilometre away !!
Restaurants at The Oberoi, Dubai include UMAI, a contemporary Pan Asian
restaurant, NINE7ONE, an all day dining restaurant, and ANANTA, an Indian
specialty restaurant.
Maybe there is some
life coming to Business Bay. Slowly.
11 June 2013
Good news from Japan.
And maybe this is a result of Tai's spending during our vacation a couple
of weeks ago.
NHK reports that
Japan's government will relax visa rules to attract more tourists from
fast-growing Southeast Asia.
An action plan to draw more foreign tourists was adopted at a meeting of
relevant ministers on Tuesday.
The visa issuance rules could be eased as early as July.
Plans include waiving visa requirements for Thai and Malaysian tourists
for certain lengths of stay.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the plan should be implemented quickly. He
said Japan should soon meet its target of attracting 10 million foreign
visitors per year, and then aim for the 20 million mark.
Now maybe the UK,
Canada, the UAE and the Schengen countries could do the same thing.
Visa rules are
antiquated ad basically racist.
10 Japan 2013
Slowly I realise one of
my biggest flaws - I really do not like being on my own for an extended
period of time.
When Tai was away on a
long flight and I was working it was OK - but 5 days home alone is
unhealthy.
I should use the time
to do useful things. To exercise. To learn something new. But it is some
of my most unproductive time.
*****************************
“The Sandy Hook shooter used 30-round magazines. He fired 154 bullets in
four minutes, murdering 20 children and six adults.”
And nothing has
changed.
Obama has failed. I
hate that. He could have done so much. He promised so much. The killings
continue.
It makes me so angry.
It makes me so sad.
If you read nothing
else today - read this.
After Newtown shooting, mourning parents enter into the lonely quiet
8 June 2013
Gerald Donovan's Dubai
panorama from the very tip of the Burj Khalifa really is outstanding -
if you have never seen it - follow the link - give it time to load - zoom
in and explore.
7 June 2013
Here is why I sometimes
worry about Emirates: there was an engine problem on a flight to Milan a
few days ago. Rightly the crew diverted to the nearest available airport.
This is standard operating procedure.
The details are that
Boeing 777-300, registration A6-EMR performing flight EK-51 from Dubai
(United Arab Emirates) to Munich (Germany) with 360 passengers and 17
crew, was enroute at FL340 about 200nm southeast of Trabzon (Turkey) when
the crew reported an engine (Trent 895) had been shut down and diverted to
Trabzon for a safe landing.
But what follows on
avherald.com is interesting - a passenger on that flight notes:
"I was on that plane.
The captain did a good job in landing the plane. The communication before
and after the landing was very disturbing. The crew members acted very
nervously and I had the impression they had not be trained sufficiently
enough for handling a situation like this. It took a very long time to
receive information from the cockpit about just what was happening. After
the landing I detected smoke near the right wing, as I wanted to alert the
stewardess she just yelled at me to sit down. I still insisted her to come
to my seat and see the smoke for herself. A flight officer came and said
not to worry since it was only the overheated brakes that smoked. After
that we had to wait a long time and were finally transferred to a
terminal."
The concern is that
Emirates has many young, inexperienced crew especially flying in large
numbers in economy. They have been trained in safety procedures. But they
are not experienced flyers and are not experienced team workers.
Compare the young
Emirates crew members with the much more experienced crews that you see on
US and most European airlines.
In August 2005 an Air
France A340 (flight 358) overshot the runway at Toronto; ending in a ditch
300 yards after the runway. Fire broke out. But the crew evacuated all 297
passengers safely including 12 who were seriously injured within 90
seconds despite four exits being unusable due to fire or damage.
Having completely
f***ed up the landing, in weather where they should have diverted or
aborted, some 3 years after the accident, Air France filed a lawsuit
against the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, NAV Canada, and the
Canadian Federal Government for $180 million. In the statement of claim
filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Air France alleged that
the "GTAA failed to provide a safe environment for the conduct of civil
air operations." The statement also claims that "The overrun and the
consequent injuries to persons and damage to property were caused solely
by the negligence of the defendants".
Dear Air France that is
a bit embarrassing really.
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1 June 2013
Tim Robinson has posted
an interesting interview with Tim Clark, President of Emirates, from the
Royal Aeronautical Societys annual dinner a couple of weeks ago.
The interview is here. It is interesting and Tim Clark is always
articulate about both his company and the industry.
Observations:
TC insists that his airline operates completely independently of the Dubai
government. Then he says that his order for the 777X requires ultimate
approval of the Ruler of Dubai. That was a surprise. Not so independent
then.
He underplays the problems with capacity at DXB. The very nature of the
hub operation means there are peak hours for landings and departures - and
those peak hours are already over crowded with arriving planes burning
fuel over the holds west and east of Dubai. The two existing runways are
too close to allow simultaneous landings or take-offs.
There is stll no master plan or timetable for DXB and Maktoum
International and it remains unclear whether Dubai will operate in the
future with both airports or whether DXB will close and Emirates move all
its operations to Al Maktoum (that is at least 10 years away).
Runway repairs at DXB in Summer 2014 will mean that Dubai operates as a
single runway airfield for 3 months. That may give Maktoum International
some traction.
TC is misleading about the airline's use of social media. It is not
engaged. It is active as a one way broadcast that is basically limited to
facebook and google+. Emirates does not use social media for customer
service or support. The interviewer was very gentle with TC here. Ask if
Emirates is active on twitter. It is not.
Expect both Emirates and Dubai Airports to make a big deal out of the 2013
Dubai AirShow - the first to be held at Maktoum International (four years
later than originally planned). Expect new orders of maybe 30 77Ws to fill
the developing minibus/classic T7 void; also a big launch order for the
new 77X. Some of the current 350 orders may be converted into additional
HGW A380s.
31 May 2013
Eurozone unemployment
rate ticks up to 12.2%. If this isn't a crises level I don't know what is.
Lowest rate is in Austria (4.9) and the highest is in Greece (27)
Worse. The youth
unemployment rate in the Euro Zone is 24.4%. Spain's rate is a shameful
56.4%! You have to worry about a lost generation.
I know all the
arguments about structural reform and cutting deficits. But soon the
biggest worry will be how to prevent unrest.
******************************
Arrived back in Dubai at 4.30am this morning - almost 11 hours and 20
minutes from Tokyo - and the strangest southerly routing - via the
Taiwanese east coast and over HKG and BKK and onto Dubai.
******************************
It is a Friday and EMAAR have had an auger hammering away on Emaar
Boulevard since 7am this morning. This is meant to be the day of rest for
everyone.
Will be upset if they
have a 24hr building license. How to upset the nearby residents.
29 May 2013
See what happens when I
go on holiday - nothing gets written!
********************************
Bed Supper Club in Bangkok will close on 31 August this year. Only a cynic
would suggest that a condo development will be constructed there in very
short order.
*********************************
Notes from Japan:
Most things are small!
Something that is
described as New was new once; it is not now!
Hokkaido looks like a
mix of Devon and Scotland - some small farming communities; mountains and
fishing villages.
The aging Japanese
population is very noticeable as soon as you leave the cities.
And domestic tourism is
predominantly for retirees.
Chinese tourists are
coming in large numbers and if they ever had any manners they left them
behind - loud and rude.
I like Sapporo. It
feels like a North American - Great Lakes city centre but Japanese.
You can over-dose on
Japanese food.
They drive small cars
very slowly.
Roadworks are hugely
overstaffed with people waving signs!
The DoTo expressway is
everything but. Two lanes. No passing for extended kms. Stuck behind a
slow truck and it is a misery.
No one in Japan appears
to read newspapers anymore. On the subways I saw just one newspaper
reader. Everyone else is playing on their mobile.
16 May 2013
Emirates crew already
hit by no profit share will be underwhelmed at their 2013 pay review.
In an email to crew
Emirates said "those who were employed during the financial crisis in
2008, will remember that pay increases are not guaranteed. The decision to
increase salaries during difficult times is a clear demonstration of
appreciation by the company for your hard work over the last 12 months."
So much for the Dubai
has bounced back stories - the biggest company in Dubai has compared the
financial situation to the crisis of 2008!
The pay review for
cabin and cockpit crew is 0.5%.
Emirates does appear to
be doing all it can to demotivate as many crew as possible!
15 May 2013
Back in Dubai after a
very hot and humid few days in Bangkok.
Flew over to BKK on
10th May and spent 11th at BNH Hospital having my first full medical for
some years.
Seemed like a good time
to do this after our recent IVF procedures and the stress than came with
that.
The good news is that
everything seems to be in pretty good condition. Nothing significant to
worry about - my distance vision has deteriorated a little. But that might
have just been an excuse to spend some time with the very nice eye doctor
lady.
Meanwhile another young
doctor took some wax out of my right ear - while showing me the whole
thing on a big monitor above me. Lovely. It looked like something from
deep in middle earth. Gross.
**************************
The choice of new movies on Emirates this month is the worst that I have
ever seen.
***************************
Went to see Star Trek - this is movie number 12 - and has some fun
references to the original TV series and to movies 2 and 3. Brendan
Cumberbatch is a very effective bad guy - although he sounds
disconcertingly like Jeremy Irons.
****************************
It is far too hot and humid in BKK right now - after only a short walk the
sweat starts to trickle down your back and lower...yuck. Makes it very
hard to want to go anywhere.
*****************************
One evening out with Mr. Dennis - vegetarian Indian for dinner and some
proper pool in a proper pool hall without distraction....
*****************************
You do now Bangkok too well when the sight of a cockroach or a humungous
rat seems perfectly normal and leaves you unmoved.
*****************************
Watford v Leicester - Championship play off semi final second leg.
Stunning finish.
But you would expect a
bar called Penalty Spot to be showing the match on its multiple tv
screens. No. It was showing the Shanghai F1 grand prix.
The only tv screen with
the Watford match meant sitting outside the bar on the Sukhumvit Road
pavement in 35C heat - with no commentary other then my own.
Fail.
11 May 2013
Reasons to love
football: - FA Cup final:
Manchester City 0 Wigan
1
Wigan FC first XI:
£11.5million: Man City FC first XI: £187million.
Wigan still get
relegated and they will not be back in the Premiership is any great hurry.
9 May 2013
We saw Iron Man 3 today
- rather dull; largely because it feels like Iron Man 1 adn 2 repeated. We
watched in 3D. Don't really like 3D. It feels too artificial
8 May 2013
More departures from
the Emirates fleet: Withdrawn Emirates A340-300 A6-ERS departed Dubai this
morning positioning Dubai – Lourdes as EK2015. The aircraft will become
N139WL for Willis Air Lease.
That is the third A340
to leave the fleet in a month.
Emirates A330-200
A6-EAP has also been withdrawn from service.
4 May 2013
Tough news today.
though guess it was only confirming what we knew on Thursday. Our
IVF was unsuccessful.
It is a blow. The
clinic gave us every reason to be optimistic.
It was a tough month so
we will take a while to recover and then decide how and if we want to try
again.
2 May 2013
The story of Omar and
his two friends - the Emirati actors expelled from Saudi for being "too
handsome" - made news around the world.
Back in Dubai, journalists say this was only half the story. The problem
started because they were suspected of being gay - a criminal offence -
and the "handsomeness" story was a diplomatic way for everyone to save
face.
Possible?
1 May 2013
Late last night I was
watching "The stoning of Soraya M" on Fox TV.
Just as a sidenote it
will always be strange that a tame kiss has to be edited out of a movie
while an extended execution scene is perfectly acceptable.
The film is based on a
true story from a small Iranian community in 1986 - but rather heavy
handedly the film is too eager to extrapolate the martyrdom of an innocent
woman into a broader condemnation of the Muslim world.
But this should not be
about any one religion - the story reflects the global dimensions of
abuse, persecution, and even the executions of women in any society.
The story is as much
about Soraya's aunt, Zahra, as about the tragic Soraya. Zahra’s passionate
and articulate voice counters the stereotype of the voiceless Muslim
women. Zahra is independent, educated, and world-wise. She is not afraid
of authority or of speaking up.
It is Zahra who exposes
the tragic story of Soraya to the world, not in a move against Islam, but
against men who misinterpret their religion to institutionalize misogyny.
The stoning is hard to
watch. Soraya M is drenched in blood and crumpled on the ground, her
mutilated face partially obscured by a mass of dark hair. Over an
excruciating seven-and-a-half minutes, she has been disowned by her
family, buried to her waist in a hole at the centre of the village square
and finally reduced to tattered rags of flesh by a baying mob hurling
stones.
Awful. Yet is still
happens. And it takes a movie, rather than governments and world leaders,
to tell us that this is wrong.
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Emirates will launch Second Daily A380 service to Bangkok starting 27
October 2013.
Emirates will add 3rd
daily nonstop Dubai - Hong Kong service from 27OCT13 with A330-200
aircraft; will switch to 777-300ER from 01FEB14
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