Reflections

This is an old picture I discoved on my hard disk.

This was shot at Dubai Media City (DMC). Surrounded by several tall buildings, is this serene spot and very popular spot at DMC. There is a narrow ramp that leads up to structure placed right in the middle of the water and is probably one of the most tranquil spots in Dubai. I have seen so many people spend peaceful moments at this spot. The general feeling of quite and peace at this spot can be great way to recover after that terrible day at the office.

Read my other post and pictures of Dubai Media City here

Ramadan Kareem

RAMADAN KAREEM

Ready for the Metro

The sale of NOL cards started today. Only 21 days to go for the first metro train to roll out on 9th Sept. It will be interesting to see if people Q up to buy the NOL cards early. I think there will be early rush to get the cards as most residents will want to have the experience of using the metro. Even if they do not intend using the metro for their commute travel around the city. It may even become an 'evening out' event for some families for the next 1 - 2 months.

But more importantly, I was one of the early customers of the NOL cards. I got mine this morning from the RTA registration office in Barsha. The picture above is my own NOL card!!!! Everything went on well. There were no surprises at the counter and everyone seemed to be well informed. The lady at the counter was well trained and it looked like she had got a structured training. She used a well structured explanation of the NOL card and the entire transaction was glitch free.

The launch of the metro is probably one of the most important events in Dubai in recent years. Not for the glitz or the size (tallest/biggest) or for the attention it is getting across the world. The metro I believe will have the strongest impact on Dubai. It will change the city and the way the city travels. It will change the way the development of Dubai evolves.

I am excited about the long awaited introduction of Dubai Metro. Are you?

Fishy in Sharjah

Strongly recommended... the next time you need that grilled fillet of Kingfish, head down to Sharjah fish market.

Located close to Rolla, the Sharjah fish market is an interesting experience!!. It is more traditional, without air conditioning, a little bit more messy and always very crowded (unless you make an early morning visit like I did). I have started liking the Sharjah fish market over the one in Karama. It has a better variety of fish, very fresh and most importantly a better price for most types of fish.

Try out Sharjah fish market near Rolla the next time you plan for grilled tiger prawns at your weekend barbeque!.

Dragon Mart

This weekend saw me making my way to Dragon Mart, the place to be in Dubai for bargains and deals. Serving as the gateway to the Middle Eastern markets for Chinese goods, Dragon Mart houses hundreds of Chinese retailers selling everthing one can think of (at least everything I could think of). From hardware to acoustic equipement and from home furnishing to shoes, you can find it all at Dragon Mart. It is bit of a problem if you don't have your own car to get down there as getting public transport to Dragon Mart can be a bit of a challenge.

Here's what I purchased; a nice handy cordless drill machine, a few of the white plastic pipes to conceal the wires coming out of the home theatre system and a tap to replace one that has given way.

Yom-e-Istiqlal

The pride in his eyes could have moved mountains. I met Bak Munir Khan, an expatriate worker from Pakistan as he was celebrating Pakistan's independence day. Yom-e-Istiqlal (Pakistan Independence day) is celebrated on 14th August, the day on which Pakistan gained independence from British rule in 1947.

Bak Munir is employed with Sharjah Baladiya (municipality) where he attends to Sharjah's public gardens as a gardener. He was ecstatic when I complimented him on his beautifully decorated motorbike. He has placed several flags of Pakistan on the bike besides many green and white ribbons. I was surprised to find out that he had really no place to go but was only riding around Dubai on his motorbike to 'celebrate the important day'. As we spoke about his country, one could see the pride in his voice. Despite so many recent upheavals, he was hopeful of retiring and going back to a bright and prosperous Pakistan.

Here's wishing all Pakistani residents of Dubai, Happy Independence Day.

Vimto is here

Ramadan is just around the corner.

As Dubai gets ready to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, there are so many changes that announce it's imminent arrival. HR departments begin announcing shorter working hours, the retailers start screaming out Ramadan offers, food prices begin to take several columns space in newspapers, iftar tents start taking shape and good old Vimto takes centre stage!!

Vimto, a cordial of fruit juices is considered an important energy boosting accompaniment to the Iftar, the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast. It isn't surprising to find most supermarkets placing huge displays of Vimto at the store fronts as muslims in Dubai begin stocking up their favourite drink. Despite the high energy campaigns by the manufacturers in the past, I had not got myself to buy a bottle of the maroon drink. As I did my grocery shopping last evening, I finally got myself 2 bottles of the fine drink.

Read about the history of Vimto here

Jumeirah Mosque

Its kind of strange that after all these years in Dubai, I had never been to the famous Jumeirah Mosque. Jumeirah Mosque is extremely well known and is usually part of the normal tourist trail. I remember our relatives visitng us a few years back and being excited about seeing the Jumeirah Mosque. That we never got around to seeing it is another story.

Located along the beach road, it is one of the largest in Dubai. Jumeirah Mosque was built along medieval Fatimid lines and is today probably the most photographed mosque in Dubai. It is also the only mosque opening to non muslims. Visitors who wish to visit the mosque need to join one of the Jumeirah Mosque tours coordinated by the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding.

GeekFest, Dubai

Geeks, bloggers and twitterers of Dubai came in all shapes (???) and sizes last evening as they made their way to Geek Fest Dubai at Dubai's funky spot Shelter.

For a completely out of place novice like me it was an interesting experience. I got to learn a

a bit more of geek speak and finally figure out Twitter (hopefully). I am yet to try out some of the new stuff I heard about!.

I loved the absolutely casual atmosphere and genuinely friendly crowd around the place. Every other guy was eager to share his experiences.

Thank you Alex, Saadia and Simone. Looking forward to the next one!!!!

Happy Anniversary.....

..... to Dubai Photo Story.

About a little over a year ago, my knowledge of blogs was as much as it is of rockets today. Little did I realise that a casual suggestion by a friend would take me down the road to what is today 'Dubai Photo Story'.








Dubai Photo Story has completed a little over a year since the first post and its been a journey of fun and learning. The concept of Dubai Photo Story made me even more interested in everything about Dubai and I have learnt so much over the year. But what has been most satisfying has been the feedback, comments and e-mails I have received from the readers.As the blog completes a year, I made my way back to the Abra jetty to meet up with abra no 146 which has been the face of Dubai Photo Story. The number plate of Abra no. 146 has been my identity and what better way to commemorate the anniversary!!.



As abra no. 146 made it's way to the jetty, I felt nostalgia. The picture of abra no 146 was the first picture I clicked for this blog (though it eventually did not make it to any post).



Noor Mohammad has been the 'captain' of the abra for several years now. An expat from Bangladesh, Noor has lived in Dubai for 6 years and steering the abra is the only job he has known. We talked for a while as I took a ride across the creek in what is probably going to my favourite abra in Dubai!!!



Happy Anniversary to Dubai Photo Story!!!

Bur Dubai Souk

I have always loved to go down to Bur Dubai and simply experience the old world charm that it offers. Located on the western banks of the creek, Bur Dubai is a mix of residential and commercial activities. Besides being a popular residential area for the Asian expatriate population, Bur Dubai is also home to one of Dubai's oldest souks.

This picture was taken at the souk outside the Abra station. The high ceilings and designs coupled with the beautiful wood work give the visitors an authentic arabic experience.

Read about Abras here

Dubai's blue sky

Its not very often that one can mention 'blue sky' in Dubai.

This was shot over Dubai airspace only a few minutes before landing at Dubai's airport. The sky looked divine. Almost magical.

See another picture of Dubai's blue sky here

I have always been fascinated by the various types of dhows that one sees in the arabian waters. They are a very important part of the traditional trade in the arabian gulf. For many centuries the dhows sailed right across the Indian ocean to India and the East African coast using only the sail as a means of propulsion.

The dhow was known for two distinctive features. First of all, it's triangular or lateen sail, and secondly, for it's stitched construction. Stitched boats were made by sewing the hull boards together with fibers, cords or thongs.

This picture is of a dhow displayed outside the Al Fahidi fort in Bur Dubai

Read about Al Fahidi fort here.

The humble bicycle

Got this picture a few days back while I was down in Bur Dubai.

I found this cycle along one of the many bylanes of Bur Dubai. Resting along the side of the building, the cycle was securely chained to the water pipe. It was rusting in many places and had probably been used for many years by its owner.

And amidst all of Dubai's glitzy and shiny cars, I was instantly drawn to this humble bicycle. It was as if time had stood still.

Also read:

The hand carts of Bur Dubai

The only Hindu Temple in Dubai

Misty Dubai

Or dusty Dubai? Got this picture 2 days back while going down Sheikh Zayed Road early in the morning. Dubai has been experiencing mild dust storms in the last few days giving the city a dull hazy look.

Dubai's best...

Alex McNabb, Dubai's new media guru has put together a list of Dubai's top blog for Catboy@Breakfast on Dubai 92. And guess who made it to the list?

Here is the list of Dubai's top blogs put together by the guru himself.

http://www.motherinferiordubai.wordpress.com

http://discoballbreaker.com/
http://www.dxbsunshine.blogspot.com/
http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com/
http://fadfada-online.blogspot.com/
http://maiandsara.blogspot.com/
http://rupertbumfrey.blogspot.com/
http://mideast.blogs.time.com/
http://dubaithoughts.blogspot.com/
http://some-like-it-not.blogspot.com/
http://grumpygoat.blogspot.com/
http://www.momentaryawe.com/blog/
http://blogs.sun.com/christophersaul/
http://onebigconstructionsite.blogspot.com/
http://sandman-files.blogspot.com/
http://dubaiphotostory.blogspot.com/
http://emirateseconomist.blogspot.com/
http://dubai-jazz.blogspot.com/
http://louisefareed.blogspot.com/
http://carolynn-dubailife.blogspot.com/
http://auhgal.blogspot.com/
http://dubaiconsumermirror.blogspot.com/
http://blog.grapeshisha.com/
http://www.the-media-junkie.com/
http://thefatexpat.blogspot.com
http://fakeplasticsouks.blogspot.com

REST IN PEACE

REST IN PEACE MICHAEL

Al Khawaneej

As is my habit over a weekend, I set out to explore a new part of Dubai I hadn't visited before. As I drove eastward down the D89, Al Khawaneej seemed like an interesting place for a pit stop.

The pictures above are of the main roundabout in Al Khawaneej.

Camels on Dubai roads?

You can imagine my surprise to find these camels grazing off the lawns of a roundabout!!!

Found these fellows walking about freely and getting stunned looks from drivers zooming down the road. You can see the cars in some of the pictures. One of them walked right up to me and almost kissed my camera!

The train souq

This is an old picture that I found while browsing though some old files. Located in Sharjah, the Central Souq is also commonly referred to as 'train souq' on account of its shape that resembes a train.

It houses a thriving gold market in one wing and an odd mix of electronic shops, imitation jewellery shops and others in the other wing. Its a popular stop along the tourist trails in Sharjah.

Also read about Al Qasba in Sharjah here

Yet another perspective

My last post on Buheirah Corniche sparked off a lot of interest in Sharjah.

Here is another pic of the Buheirah Corniche shot during the day. The water gives Sharjah a new feel!

A mosque in Jumeirah

This beautiful mosque is located at the junction of Al Abaari Street and Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah 3

I was once told about this very famous 'Jumeirah Mosque' by a visiting releative from Canada. And having lived for a few years here, I must conceed that I had never heard of it yet. So when she landed here, the first thing we did was to go out and visit the famous Jumeirah mosque.

But this post is about the 'other mosque' in Jumeirah. I think this mosque is extremely beautiful and is probably the best design in terms of its architecture. This mosque is located at beach road in Jumeirah. Surprisingly I have not had a post about the Jumeirah mosque yet.

My other post on a mosque.

The art of making a Mushaltat

Loneliness...

Loneliness is probably one of the largest issues that plagues the expatriate work force here in Dubai. I spotted this worker sitting alone at the beach in Jumeirah. He lives in Dubai while the rest of his family has remained back. On this particular day, his other mates were away at work while he enjoyed his weekly day off. Enjoyed? He spent most of the day sitting alone in this spot with loneliness for company.

Parking fine?

I wonder if there is something wrong here?

This is a picture I shot at some palce in Al Qouz. The guy from Officemart in fact walked over and asked to move my car. I wonder if the no parking sign was installed by the RTA in the first place. And if so, is it within the law to let the officemart guys now block it out by sticking their own instructions here?

I was told that parking here is 'not fine'.

Good intentions gone bad...

It is fashionable these days to be seen as concious about the environment and seen to be doing your own little bit to save it. It is also not uncommon to see many of the well known names around the city use every other opportunity to ride the bandwagon.

I've been keeping a watch on this recycling centre located at Dubai Knowledge Village. This centre may have been opened with much fanfare but obviously has since been forgotten about. I'm not very confident that the garbage from here is recycled. But I am sure about one thing. Nobody has been here to collect the garbage since about a fortnight now.

And like many others, here is another good intention gone bad.

Corniche by night

I happened to be in Sharjah the other day and got the opportunity to capture a picture of Buheirah Corniche by night. Almost the entire Corniche is lined with small stretches of lawn and rows of date palms. This makes an ideal setting for families to come out in the evenings and spend time together.

This area is very popular with local families who come out with their chairs and tables and spend time together

Also read Al Qasba

Lovers at Dubai Creek

Spotted this beautiful couple at Dubai creek a few days back. They seemed to enjoy their time together as they sat atop the buoy. They were oblivious to the noise and chaos around them. They didn't even notice the abras and various other boats going past them. They had probably not even heard of the Dubai property market woes.

They continued to cuddle each other. They seemed to be so much in love.

Other Dubai Creek related posts here:

Seagulls are Dubai Creek

Abras