Cool Impression, Cool Issue

A very snowy white and cool impression of the Dubai Metro Line here. It’s already running, but not totally finished as far as I know. I bet there’s aircon onboard. With Dubai not much closer to the Equator than Cebu I felt confident about the temperature. But the extra 10 degrees here have made me feel uneasy a couple of days. That’s something one can’t see or feel looking at a model like this one. It seems summer here will last a couple of weeks more before the temperature will drop to a more modest and familiar level. Till then I’ll try to keep my head cool.

Snowed Under By Sand

After more than a week of walking around the city of Dubai, I’m still a novice what to wear to meet the local conditions and expectations. I’m used to hot temperatures, but the ‘desert climate’ here that drops on your shoulders like a blanket the moment you get outdoors is rather alien. Used to wear airy shorts, flip-flops and (occasionally) dresses, I got myself re-dressed a few times already even before leaving for work. And that’s more the local customs to blame for, and not the climate. I’m pretty sure a new pair of snow boots isn’t on top of my list of next purchase-to-be-done, although I might have a Xmas leave to Europe, but other covering-up’s such as long sleeve t-shirts and a bathing suit instead of my (rather modest revealing) bikini might be a necessity. Just to prevent to get the order of the boot prematurely.

One Wicked Woman, One Wicket Down

A driveway alarm won’t prevent a mishap like this one, but if it has a camera its video can be used for the insurance claim, later, much later for the family album and a big laugh as well. And of course: always get the handbags and shopping bags out of the car first before getting out the driver...that’s a very obvious thing to do...or isn’t it?

Down Upon A Driveway

And when you got your four wheeled Italian stallion approaching your currently moved home to a better location, I’m sure you’ve had the driveway alarm installed as well? Joking apart, even when that car and that home are a bit more on the modest side, such a safety measure isn’t by all means far fetched. And compared with the value of all things in and outside the house, and perhaps even a possible rewarding insurance deduction, and the comforting awareness that it’s all arranged properly, the costs for such an alarm are truly modest.

A Move To Match Misfortune

An option I didn’t think of: if you don’t want to sell your house and you know a cheaper location that will give shelter for the financial storm that’s heading to you...move the house!

To Flourish Under Foreclosures

Sure, it’s a sad and even appalling thing that people have to sell their home because of the worldwide financial crisis. The ones responsible for this outragous shame should be held face down and shakened till every coin dropped out of their pockets. On the other hand; life has to go on. And if other people are that fortunate that they’re still standing financially ‘on solid ground’ looking for a second home or investment, they could be double lucky with Outer Banks foreclosures. This string of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast doesn’t need any further introduction. The devastation caused by Katrina, just a bit more south in 2005 might have been much more evident and visible till this very day. An injection of new blood could stir up some (too) silent corners in NC.

A Horse Is A Horse, Of Course

‘That’s right’ indeed... a red car with a horse! Despite the extra horse power that this car has, I don’t think it has a chance to get its nose over the finish line first. If it gets that far, because its suspension might not hold.

The Monster From Modena

In my dreams I can ride a black stallion. Being a fully grown Amazon I can control this unsaddled thoroughbred with just a slight pressure of my bare legs and a whisper into its ears. With its manes entwined with mine we hover dunes and dales. So far the four legged animal. When it concerns the Monster from Modena, I truly wonder what kind of people are able to order the right Ferrari parts online and get them into the right place, and get it roaring. Single handed. Or are willing to do so. They must be some kind of a breed themselves.

From Cactus To Coffee

The origin of coffee tables might be a bit obscured, it doesn’t necessarily take an architect or carpenter to design one. Mother Nature provides beautiful shapes for conversation-over-a-cup-of-coffee-pieces as well.

The Compass Of Coffee Tables

There’s something funny about coffee tables. It’s the piece of furniture in almost everyone’s home that must be least meant, but first missed, if removed secretly. If you don’t believe me, try it, watch it, and have a laugh. Also its origin isn’t sharply outlined. The Orient and Japan have been mentioned. Possibly the officially recognized and higher tea tables got transformed through generations. My personal (wild) guess is that the opium table might have had a part in this story of transformation. Fact is that the contemporary coffee tables, as we know them, catched the first beam of daylight when furniture in general became affordable to millions thanks to industrial use of novel materials such as stainless steel, glass and plastic. And the scores of architects and designers that grabbed this opportunity to make a statement.

A Putt And A Prank

The international financial crisis was a domino effect on a very large scale. The ‘prank’ that brought so much for so few, got out of hand. With no security built in, the hardest blow (so far) was felt in all common homes. Watch this clip till the very end, and wonder who’ll clean up the mess in that home: the girls, or the....no, that would be telling.

To Cross Out The Crooks

The days that people could rely on a network of stable, affordable and trustworthy institutions like national health insurance organizations, banks and pension funds are gone. What we have got in return is an overall expected rise of premiums to be paid, of the number of exclusions, lay off’s of personnel and a growing uncertainty. And that’s just a first pick at random.

Familiar names doing unfamiliar things, such as Blue Cross NC, with apparantly more than 1.4 billion dollars on hand imposes an increase of rate to its customers (who paid for all that money) that are already in big problems. Investment banks like Goldman Sachs, (accused by pension funds that aren’t exactly innocent souls themselves) after taking billions of dollars of federal bailout money, aren’t willing to refund accordingly. Again, I’m no expert, but a very common person with pretty much no money, till recently. Makes me feel kind of fortunate these last few months. But there’s still an old score to be settled. It better be soon. But I doubt it. Makes my stomach turn.

A Scribble And A Sky-Scraper

The cherry on top of the Dubai cake, the Khalifa, I haven’t visited yet. Nor the Burj. But by the looks of this clip their interiors can’t be called a bore as well. For now, my time is pretty much all spent on finding decent and affordable housing. Finding my way. And a few lines for you all.

Pumps With A Punch

One of the first things that I noticed here in Dubai, is the omnipresence of water. If I don’t see, hear or smell it, there’s at least the feeling it’s never far away. It’s a sign of a smooth running water system. With the sheer endless high rise buildings all supplied well, as far as I know, they clearly are master of the situation. Perhaps most eye catching are the numerous fountains, ponds and other small waterworks, in and outdoors, just for the cooling sensation. I don’t have the slightest idea of how many or how big a pond pumps they’re using here. If they use them, it very likely will be solar pond pumps. If not, that would surprise me. But I’m sure the number of them must be as staggering as the city itself.

The Burj Khalifa Bundles In

It’s different down here. No doubt. I haven’t seen much of it, yet. Not even the tallest building of this entire world. Must have had an airliner seat at the wrong side. One of the things I did notice, if not been flattened out on my bed, was the far better quality of tv signal compared with what I was used to at home.

A Snippet Of A Signal

Thinking of pamper yourself and your family with one of those fancy 3D flat TV’s? Make sure the whole line of the equipment: TV, tuner, antenna, satellite dish and cables, are of the same comparable quality. Like all chains, it’s the weakest part that makes the difference. There’s still one problem. And I should know (for other reasons). It’s location, location, and again, location. HDTV sounds very high tech, but basically it’s still not much more than a signal that might get scrambled and even obstructed by (ancient) mountains, (less ancient) buildings or sheer distance.

I’m not the Techno Cat you might be looking for, but the antenna reviews you’ll find online are of great help. The typical indoor and outdoor antenna issue might become solved for you downthere. So will the multi-directional antennas for the ones among us that live remote. However, it will remain a huge puzzle to find the best fitting pieces, but rewarding at the end. Oh, one more thing: if you still have to buy the whole lot, get yourself a TV with built-in tuner. It saves you a lot of dusting. And the less components, the better. The chain, remember?

Drought Or Drain In Dubai?

That the world can spin round like an umbrella in a friendly breeze, and the umbrella has left its stiff image and has become more wordly, fun and fasionable again shows this clip. I’m so pretty sure I won’t need one in the Drought of Dubai that I gave away mine. Will I be punished for it?

The Ubiquity Of Umbrellas

Trying to unravel the origin of parasols brought me back to the days that humans discovered the palmtree leaves. In short: millennia ago. To stumble upon the first appearance of the umbrella not much sooner than the 18th century, almost got my eyes pierced out of surprise. Something that was less hard to distinguish was the ubiquity of promotional umbrellas on tv lately with all the golf tournaments and grand prix races. (again: I was having pockets of laidback lazyness, remember?). Perhaps it was just me, being fixed to anything vaguely related to the shape of umbrellas in these past few days, like dishes (don’t ask me why), shells (obvious), and oh yes, the light modifier at the photographer’s for getting a set of passport pictures (me in an airliner seat, possibly right now, is nothing but explicable).

Wheels And Wings

When you read this, a New Dawn had come for me already. Perhaps I won’t be that many Miles From Home, yet. Except the one mile on the taxi-strip of Cebu Airport? With wheels and wings in perfect condition: the next post will be from Dubai. For obvious reasons I don’t know when that will be.

A Treatment With A Trigger

Fortunately, I’m not familiar with drugs. I’ve overheard a few stories about people who got addicted and their, most of the time, sad and bad wheelin’ and dealin’. The thing that got buried in my mind is the very likely never-to-end-threat to all people who realize they need a treatment (which is an achievement on its own and can take years). And whatever treatment they’ll ever get; a traditional opiate detox, including drugs like methadone, or the rapid detox done under anesthesia, and no matter what long ‘lasting’ success of a normal life they’re leading, the slightest unfortunate mishap will give them and their family a serious relapse. Again. To me, not the pain to gain is the darkest side of this story, but it’s this constant and never ending threat to more than one life.

Baggage To The Brim

What’s charged for extra luggage at airports is staggering. So are the solutions to avoid those rip offs that some people have in mind...or should I say: in the region a bit lower?

First Come, First Served

The preparation for the car boot sale last week made me realize I wasn’t doing much else than what some wholesale distributors do. At the day it was obvious I wasn’t charging any sales tax or wholesale tax and that the goods were non-returnable. Although, for some of them I felt weak in the stomach having to say goodbye to. I had to fight the idea of slipping back a few items into the bag, which isn’t a typical wholesale thing to do. It was really a closeout because of relocation. It was also First Come, First Served. I didn’t get to Zero Inventory by the way. I gave the last items away, light hearted and able to close my suitcase without sitting on top of it.

To Be Or Not To Be

Even being an online student, you’ll still have to deal with teachers; people made out of flesh and blood. What they stand for, how good they are to inform you, inspire you, support you. The tools might change, but the chemistry won’t. It’s there, or it’s not.

Airliner Seats And Online Schools

In between hectic hours, there are pockets of silence and inactivity. I’m in one of those pockets right now. It’s hard to imagine, but I’ll find myself in Dubai coming weekend. My stay there will be a long one. And next to a regular income I’ll have time plenty (deprived from family and friends) to get myself enlisted with one of those online schools. I don’t know which study to take, but I’m sure it has to be at least an accredited school, department or program. Perhaps my employer or the job itself will show me the best choice. But let’s get a farewell party and a comfortable airliner seat first.

Bright With A Bite

Just to switch off old ideas about lighting, this clip that gives a glimpse of twenty-first century ideas of very bright lamps with a bite.

On The Level With Lights

Flicking over the pages of magazines always has been one of my habits. To kill time at railway stations, airports or dentist’s waiting rooms. With zmags on the rise I can flip through zillions of pages at home. Some have even the swish sound of turning pages. And all with a tip of the finger. Some others, like Maxim lighting with several catalogs ranging from a hundred to fivehundred pages, are harder to navigate. Their Table of Contents can’t be used, nor is there a short way if you’ll like to go to a particular page. For people who are hooked to mansion-like homes and the like, it might not be a problem to see the endless tiny variations that are available. It might make them as pleased as Punch. But I got myself elsewhere after roughly twenty pages. Light heeled as I am.

A Hoo-Ha Hostess And Holiday Hostages

At first, nothing seems to be wrong, till it trickles down that you might be on your way to a holiday destination you’ll never forget the rest of your life. The promised magnificent commodities disappear one by one into thin air, till your mind got blank and empty like the seats of this airliner.

There’s A Time For Tan

With tens of millions of visitors each year it’s more than likely that one of your friends, or a member of your family has visited the Orlando region. Or perhaps it’s you who might know some inside information of the latest Orlando vacation packages? My point is; with that much on offer, it’s hard to make the choice. And to hear from someone you know well in which direction to look for a great stay in the Sunny State, and when, seems to me part of the whole fun. One could spend hours online, and still remain indecisive, or call or mail some people you know. You might find yourself packing before you can say Tan.

A Wookie’s Witty

That not all noisy shopping doors have to be annoying and make you run away like hell (to purgatory, perhaps?), could even be fun, shows this clip. I’ve heard doors that sounded like a whale, but this Japanese door sounding like Wookie is pretty witty.

A Push To Purgatory

No matter if one prefers to shop online with the legs crossed or give those same legs a real swing to the shopping mall, there’s one thing that won’t make any difference. A decisive moment remains the second you enter. Or try to. A loud squeaking door that has to be pushed open is not a sign of welcome. Nor is an instant loss for sense of direction, after you rubbed that painful shoulder. And I kept on rubbing after having visited buy.com lately. Entering was a disturbing experience to my eyes. For some time I didn’t know where to look. The following discovery that there was no possibility to listen to some cd’s I was interested in and that the given price tag wasn’t appealing as well, made me shrug the still painful shoulder, and move out of this virtual purgatory.

Patients With Phones Can Be Prats

What medical assistants might bump into are prank loving patients. When it remains a prank it’s ok. But I leave it up to you to make up your mind about this one.

Mediator Between Medics And Men

For the faint hearted among us, with not that very much of a Florence Nightingale running in the body, but have the natural and insatiable drive to help people and are very good at office work duties, the idea to become a medical assistant and start a course at a medical assistant school could prove to be beneficial. For sure with the expected booming of jobs in the next decade, due to advances in medicine and further aging of populations, worldwide that is. Even me, almost packed and heading for going abroad, will keep this opportunity in mind to become a sort of mediator between medics and men one day.

A Suitable Suitcase

Is there a better day than today; the birthday of Louis Vuitton (1821) the man who made the suitcase as we still know it today, and also the day that it’s believed Dom Perignon ‘invented’ champagne (1693) to announce the near approach of my departure to Dubai? After weeks, months perhaps, of running back and forth (and I don’t mean Walkathons this time), filling in papers and sleeping between cardboard boxes the visa and ticket dropped on my doormat. I’ve packed and re-packed my suitcase, but I still have to organize a kind of carboot sale to get rid off a number of things I can’t use anymore. And it better be fast, because when I put my ear on the ground I can hear the beat of running camels already. But I sure wish I could take with me certain people as flexible as the girl in this clip.