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Dubai At Random: July 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Monday, July 31, 2006. Mid-Day Break in the UAE. The newspapers have reported that some companies have been violating the mid-day break rule, but, at least where I live, it is honoured. Work starts promptly at 6:00 am, right outside my window, and continues until 12:30 pm, when it stops for the mid-day break. I haven't seen a single violation at this site. Whether this was for the benefit of the workers, or for the benefit of the more sensitive Western tourists isn’t ...
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Dubai At Random: February 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Tuesday, February 28, 2006. Justice in the UAE. We only get a few reports about the criminal justice system here, since the papers are not allowed to report anything about crime except what is handed to them in the official police reports. If there is a clear pattern in what the police choose to report, it has escaped me. Since my arrival, if there have been any executions, they have been private and unreported. There may have been none, or many. Sentences of two year...
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Dubai At Random: October 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Tuesday, October 31, 2006. It Started with Mink Oil. About a century ago, a man started a business selling mink oil. People who wanted jobs as salesmen had to pay him $81. When they sold jobs, they got to keep $27 of the $81 paid by their customers, and gave $54 to the first man. When the people who’d bought jobs from them sold jobs, they got to keep $18 of the $54 their customers gave them. And, to simplify matters, there wasn’t any mink oil. I was told they had a gr...
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Dubai At Random: September 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Saturday, September 30, 2006. In the West, around Christmas and Easter, TV stations put on special, seasonal shows. In the Middle East, normal programming is completely replaced for the month of Ramadan. The Arabic channels carry special Ramadan shows, related to the season. My first year in Dubai, the Dubai English language TV station had special programs on Islam, the life of The Prophet (PBUH), and the meaning of Ramadan. Replaced the TV series Lost. Alhambra spide...
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Dubai At Random: May 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Tuesday, May 30, 2006. A comment asked about how I met Ron, and if I meet more than my fair share of shady characters. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what share is fair. All of us get letters from Nigeria (I don't bother to post those), offers of cheap software, watches, medications, and other temptations. I try to report incidents that, I hope, are a little unusual. All are strictly factual. How much you give me for dis watch? I already have a watch, thanks.'. The secon...
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Dubai At Random: January 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Monday, January 30, 2006. And today is the first day of the first month of the year, New Year's Day, or Al Hijra, commemorating the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Medina. However, Dubai will celebrate New Year's on the third. Rather like, if, when Jan 1 came on a Wednesday, the West celebrated on Friday, Jan 3 to get a long weekend. So either today, tomorrow, or Wednesday, Happy New Year. Posted by Dubai@Random at 5:47 pm. Links to this post. Tuesday, January 24, 2006.
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Dubai At Random: August 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Thursday, August 31, 2006. Leasing Hotels with Farook. Farook called me Tuesday and said it was very important, so I went to his office. When I arrived, he told me he had a Brit who wanted a hotel. Since hotels must be owned by Citizens, the ex-pat who wants one has to lease it (or sub-lease it). Farook was hoping to lease a hotel for about 2,500,000, though (he said) the owner only wanted 2,000,000, so he would have a quick profit of 500,000. After another half hour,...
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Dubai At Random: April 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Sunday, April 30, 2006. Punjabi Thali at Madras Café. I didn't see any menus, as such, but there is a whiteboard with about 8 items. I asked for the Punjabi Thali. The waiter asked me a perfectly reasonable question. In Hindi. I naturally said, 'What,' as loudly as possible. I figure, if you're loud enough and forceful enough, these Orientals will respond in English. I'm sure there is a lesson here. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure there is a lesson here. One of ...
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Dubai At Random: March 2006
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Random thoughts about life in Dubai. Thursday, March 30, 2006. National Bird of Dubai. Claims that Dubai has 20% of the world's cranes. Given the size of Dubai relative to the entire world, I doubted this claim; however, one of them just nested next to my window. Now the 'For Rent' sign is gone, since my building is full with a waiting list. Rents are 1,500 a month. The carpark is always full. And the crane is hovering above the old dirt lot. Meanwhile, the fire alarm in my building was going off all las...