Bol Dubai!

Bol Bangalore, not Dubai..

2007-05-08T11:46:00.000+04:00

No more Bol Dubai

2007-02-21T17:13:00.000+04:00

So that's it folks. I am leaving Dubai for good will not be updating this blog anymore.

It was great being part of the the Dubai blogging community, especially contributing to UAE Community and interacting with some fantastic people out there. Despite all the whining, I will be taking home some good memories, but not enough for a farewell speech. I will not be deleting Bol Dubai because people still come to my blog through search engines and hopefully they will find some useful information.

I will continue to visit UAE Community and blogs like Sam's One Big Construction Site, Prometheus' Moving Middle Finger, Secret Dubai Diary, Falapeno, Grapeshisha and the rest whom I have bookmarked.

I'm sure you still have a lot to talk about.

No more Bol Dubai?

2007-02-14T11:11:00.000+04:00

Bol Dubai is not being updated for personal reasons. I will have to decide whether to discontinue this blog or not in the coming 2 weeks time.

Meanwhile, I have been busy spicing up Mutiny.in where we are having a fantastic time, being nominated for the Best Group/Community Blog in the IndiBloggies 2006 edition.
If you have a minute, please click and caste your vote for The Great Indian Mutiny.

The Leaning Tower of UAE?

2007-01-08T09:43:00.000+04:00

One of the most high profile buildings in the capital, the ADIA tower situated at the Abu Dhabi Corniche remains unoccupied long after completion allegedly due to a 'tilting basement' besides problems with wiring and power supply.

The unique building, shaped to resemble 'shifting sand-dunes' and featuring a double-glazed facade curtained with automatic blinds took more than 5 years to complete and cost Dhs 500 million. But if the problems remain unresolved (reportedly it has sunk 3 inches and has had frequent fires due to short circuits), who knows, some world-renowned project consultants and architects might give us the world's first leaning tower where people actually work.

Hold on to your desks and bring a candle, folks!

Image courtesy : Skyscrapercity

The Hartal Way to ease your traffic woes

2007-01-07T09:49:00.000+04:00

Happy New Year to everyone! Let me begin 2007 in the true expat whining spirit.

My hopes of having a dubai-less holiday did not start on the right note after I found the UAE Labour Minister in my home town back in India.

The minister expressed his pleasant surprise at the sparse and orderly traffic over there (just like Dubai he said - pleasant, orderly traffic without a hint of irony. Good for him that the Dubai traffic situation is not front page news around the world), only to be wryly informed by an official that there was a 'hartal' in the city and drivers were wary of being pelted with stones by the protesters; black-tinted glasses being their obvious favourites.

Meanwhile, the possibilities of seeing free-flowing traffic in Sheikh Zayed Rd will remain as remote as a hartal organised by UAE's disgruntled labourers.

Monopoly Dubai Edition - Print & Play!

2006-12-03T08:33:00.000+04:00

After fiddling with the 'light' beta version of the Monopoly Dubai Edition game, I have decided to have a go at a full working version. This time I have created a completely vector pdf of the board for a start - so that it can be printed on any size and in good quality. Please have a look(300 dpi jpeg) or download the high resolution pdf(2.5 mb) for print.

Download from Sendspace

Download from Rapidshare

I would appreciate some feedback and creative input for the chance and community cards - something along the lines of 'Pay __ Dhs toll' or "You have won the DSF lottery.. " etc. I am working on the pdf's of the currency and the property cards which means it be ready for 'print and play' very soon(except the dice, ofcourse).

By the way, I am going on a holiday to the real melting(boiling, as some say) pot and will not be blogging regularly(or not blogging at all) this month. So, Merry Christmas and Eid Mubarak in advance and see you next year!

Petition against Torture

2006-11-28T17:19:00.001+04:00

Please sign this petition.

Referred attachment - Al Barari Gulf News Wrap Advert.

Dubai's Tunnel of Death

2006-11-28T13:27:00.000+04:00

After the infamous Russian tunnel video, Dubai's very own Rashidiya tunnel is getting YouTubed for all the wrong reasons.

And hey, this is not part of the "pre-plan-ned media campaign to tarnish the image of the country". Ok?

Who is she?

2006-11-28T12:55:00.000+04:00

You got to know who she is.

Or take a guess before you go to the Flickr page.

A Needle in the Number plate

2006-11-23T16:55:00.000+04:00

A red Range Rover's rather unusual license plate might have caught your eye for a reason, but the history of license plates in UAE is no less intriguing.

1940
In the year 1940, though the UAE was virtually non-existent, there existed license plates which looked like these according to some sources.

1962
By this time, the name of the Emirate started appearing on the number plates, mostly in Arabic and each emirate followed different standards as to their implementations for taxis, municipalities and for the members of the royal families.

1970
The vertical divider was introduced as English made an appearance and the practice is followed till date unlike in other Arab nations. This series was considered valid till 1985.

1976
All emirates except Dubai introduced a new layout often referred to as 'the quartered Arabic style'.

Dubai sticked to the 1970 series until they introduced their own version 2 years later.

1978
Although no radical changes were introduced by Dubai from the 1970-series a stardardisation took place in terms of manufacturing and customisation for other entities.

During the 80's, Dubai developed rapidly and for some reason a black on yellow segment was introduced for numbers plates above 100000. (Dubai Series 1)

1986

Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain now got rid of the horizontal divider on the left, thus making it 3 sections.

Fujeirah and Sharjah removed the horizontal divider altogether.

Abu Dhabi introduced the four-colour series inlcuding a grey left segment apart from the three shown here.

Until now these emirates have changed the formats very regularly often resorting to change in colours or layouts resulting in rather unusual number plates, many of them in good old Ras Al Khaimah. Not surprisingly, a fancy number fetched a record 18 Million Dirhams during an auction in RAK.

1992
A rather crude outline of the Al Fahidi Fortress was introduced with the introduction of red on white colouring.
(Dubai series 2)

2000
The Al Fahidi fortress outline was retained but the colour changed back to black on white as the numbering reached 300000. (Dubai series - 3)

2001
Dubai introduced the Burj Al Arab into the number plate starting the 4th series. This was considered to be a good change aesthetically but conspiracy theories and controversies surrounding Burj Al Arab's resemblance to the Christian cross always suggested a revision was due.

2004
The revision came in 2004 when the Burj Al Arab was removed without any explanation. The series numbering changed to alphabets. Looking at the current colourless format, a change is very much on the cards. I hope they dont have plans to put a needle in the number plate.

References and images:
http://www.olavsplates.com
http://plaque.free.fr

Catching Hamoors with a Gargoor on a Shasha

2006-11-20T14:06:00.000+04:00

That is not as bad as "Theres something Fishy about UAE", I'm sure. Now let's move on..

Before oil was discovered, the people living along the coastal regions of UAE depended on the sea for their livelihood. Maritime trade, boat building, fishing nets and trap fabrication, pearl fishing, fisheries thrived during the period.

Currently, there are more than 25,000 fishermen using 8000 fishing boats in the UAE.

It is illegal for to carry out fishing operations without a UAE national on board.

Fish traps locally known as Gargoor(pl. Gargeer) is a commonly used method though lines and hooks, beach line and gill nets are also used. Gargeer offers better chances of catching fresh fish than other methods.

A Gargoor is a hemispherical steel mesh fish trap (image via) with an opening which leads the fish towards the bait. Gargeer are specially designed to allow juvenile marine species to escape and can be procured only through a written permission. It also also prevents 'ghost fishing' whereby abandoned gargeer continues to entrap fishes. Besides, abandoned gargeer can adversely affect the marine life if it is not bio-degradable.
The Epinephelus Coioides or hamoor (ever tried finding hammour?) is considered to be the prime fish species by the local community. The rest of the world calls it 'grouper' (from the Portugese word 'garoupa') while it is 'groper' for the Aussies and the New Zealanders.
Sultan Ibrahim is the local name of a fish - the Red Mullet.

The 'Thorn Crown' starfish (image via) is considered to be one of the biggest threats to the coral reef in the UAE and special missions are undertaken by divers to eliminate them.

Traditionally, the central vein of the palm leaves were used to make gargeers and other parts of the palm tree were used to make the 'shasha' (image via) or the palm reed boat.

Do Buy! - An Interview with Omair Barkatullah

2006-11-19T09:06:00.000+04:00

First of all, congratulations on a very inspiring documentary film. Can you tell me briefly about your background and why you chose 'Dubai' as a subject for your documentary?
I took a course in Anthropological Documentary and this was my final film. I have always been interested in cities and their architecture, and how they affect people's lives. I am also interested in visual messages and how people manipulate them. Dubai is so concerned with its image and being modern and this is what makes so many go there. So Dubai seemed like an extreme example of a kind of capitalist theatre. I was interested in the strange results of the elite/natives (who people accuse of not having any culture or history) planning a city from scratch and the results of this big plan.

When you started filming 'Do Buy!', did you have a set process in mind about the message the film is going to deliver or it just evolved over a period of time?
I knew that I wanted to explore themes like:
a. Accessibility, which concerns elitism, workers and going to places in the city.
b. The mall as the only 'street' to meet other people and shopping as the only activity.
c. The fake and the real.
d. How people become anonymous in the metropolis.
e. The out-of-context things in Dubai and the sameness of all modern places.
f. Wealth, class and race groups and the narratives that surround it. And some others.

I don't know what the big conclusions in the film. I need to live in Dubai to make conclusions.

What were your initial impressions about Dubai, and is there something you found radically different from your perception about the place?
Malls are the only places to hang out. It is too hot or barren anywhere else. There is so much space and everything is so far that you need to drive. It is not a city for walking around like London.
There are more Indians/Pakistanis than I expected. Not all of Dubai is glossy and well built. There are parts that look like parts of Pakistan. So much of the architecture was strange to me, like the Police Headquarters and all the towers on Sheikh Zayed Road. It is not like anything 'Western' which people said it was. It is strange.

The people appearing in your documentary were instrumental in bringing forth the contradicting emotions that the city evokes. How did you achieve this and were people apprehensive to voice their opinions on record?
No one was apprehensive about talking to the camera. I think they trusted me because I'm of Indian roots and I'm Muslim, so there was an immediate link. People are very friendly unless they are treating you like a customer.

As for contradictions there are people who think Dubai exploits workers, but then some workers love it there. Some think it is the perfect city, and others who think it is a shallow place. There are narratives and myths about the UAE Arabs. I think the views I left in are the ones that highlight things that help us interpret the images.

What are your future plans and will we be seeing more films on similar lines based in the region?
I would like to do more in the UAE, unless they have seen the film and banned me from the country. It would be great to do a longer study and a longer film. I haven't interviewed any UAE Arabs, Europeans or Filipinos as the film wasn't about them. There are many layers of inter-race, inter-cultural relations that would be interesting to look at.

And finally, would you be surprised if the security guard at the Mall of Emirates pays the price for making some insightful observations?
I think he is beyond caring. He seemed like he was dying to get his opinions out. He is a really witty man and a good observer. It may be that he is just a really bitter character generally and found a good chance to rant. I would like to get hold of him and show him the film. I think he has a huge fan club now.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Watch the 3-part documentary here.
View Omair's another documentary film Typography School in You Tube and please drop in your feedback on his You Tube page.

How do you add life to life?

2006-11-16T10:06:00.000+04:00

So du has finally arrived. To add life to life apparently.

A double page spread including an advertorial on some major local newspapers. How innovative for a corporate launch campaign.

After spluttering more PR and marketing bull shit than what all the Dubai Govt companies has ever managed to publish since their origin, the chairman of du finally came to the point.
"As a campaign concept, we chose an analogy that best allowed us to express these attributes. This analogy is water. The call of water is heeded by everyone, bringing people together - as does communication"

Water huh? I cannot think of water bringing people together, unless there is a flood. And I cannot make much sense out a lady walking by a pool, a tree, an ocean wave, a crying baby either. Or what 'reflects our dreams', 'reflects our reality', 'powerful' and 'passionate' has to do with water or how it 'adds life to life'. Or what it has to do with the du brand.

du. You have screwed up. Im sure the folks at Etisalat (and their agency Fp7) are smiling. Now that you have found your perfect match, you both can get married and live happily ever after.

The Future of Brand UAE

2006-11-13T17:54:00.000+04:00

How well does your country perform as a brand?

According to a fascinating research report compiled by Futurebrand, a brand consulting and design agency which put Dubai on the world map, UAE has a long way to go before it can be classified as a successful tourism brand.

Despite it's ambitious forays into tourism, the UAE has never managed to clearly position itself as a tourism destination. Unlike many other countries which has used the diversity factor to their advantage, UAE has made no efforts so far, in terms of research or a long term marketing strategy.

The problems that UAE faces as a brand are manifold. Basking in the Arab-cosmopolitan shadow of Dubai might help UAE to bring in tourists who find the Middle East a volatile region on the short term. But as countries are increasingly consolidating their brand image as the report shows, the UAE is caught in a constant struggle between the Las Vegas of the Middle East and 6 unexplored regional identities.

Country Brand Index - How UAE fared

Rising Star - UAE is rated #3
Likely to become major tourist destinations in next five years

Resort/Lodging Options - UAE is rated #10
Wide variety and superior selection of accommodations

Conferences - UAE is rated #9
Preferred off-site/convention destinations

Shopping - UAE is rated rated #4
Accessible, abundant and diverse retail options

So what is UAE missing?
Authenticity, History, Art & Culture, Families, Natural Beauty, Off The Beaten Track/Exotic locations, Outdoor Activities/Sports etc for a start.

Take a look at the full report.

Encounters of the Dubai kind

2006-11-13T14:22:00.000+04:00

The man's eyes were undoubtedly fixed on me. Briefly he scoured the cars zipping by. There was a certain determination on his face that I found unnerving.

Maybe he is going to pull out a gun and start a shooting spree. But this is Dubai, so he would probably threaten me with a knife and demand to take out my wallet. I mentally counted the money in my purse - thankfully not enough make my months survival difficult but then not enough to make this man happy with his hunt either.

As I walked towards him, he glanced at the maroon Nissan Sunny parked nearby. Maybe he is a kidnapper. Or just some maniac. Holding my breath and pretending to be a Casino Royale toying with danger on a daily basis, I decided to walk on. As I swiftly walked past him with a new found courage, I couldn't catch his facial expression, but what he said was unmistakable.

"You want car lift?"

Ah the Irony!

2006-11-13T10:17:00.000+04:00

"But the irony of the whole issue at hand here is that HRW distributed its report and openly discussed its contents at a press conference, of all places, here in the UAE. "
Gulf News Editorial on a HRW report criticising the abuse of labourers in the UAE.

No. The irony is that a supposedly independent newspaper is so pained by such a report and the fact that it was 'openly' discussed, of all places in the UAE.

What do you suggest then? Ethiopia?

Flickr it!

2006-11-09T15:16:00.000+04:00

There are some spectacular photos of the UAE in Flickr - which we have been missing for too long, thanks to etisalat.
Check Hupaishi's gallery.

But then, nothing like home either.
As ezee as hell reminded me.

A huge leap for UAE, one baby step for democracy

2006-11-07T11:48:00.000+04:00

Congratulations if you are one among the 6689 people eligible to cast a vote to elect half of the 40-member Federal National Council of UAE. If you are one, good to know that there is a 17.77% chance that you are a woman. Though the ruling families gets to choose the 6689 voters and also 'the better half' of the council, I am sure the FNC will do a fantastic job as an advisory board with no legislative powers.

The last time I casted a vote, I had to choose between a communist poet, an agnostic christian, a hindu fundamentalist and my college mate who used an apple as his election symbol. Though I missed being poked on my finger with stamp ink, I did enjoy standing in the queue alongside a surprisingly sober toddy addict, a professional coconut tree climber(what else do you call them), a dozen communist activists and some muslim relatives marvelling at the electronic voting machine.

The light at the end of the tunnel is fortunately not an approaching train(we will have to wait longer for the Dubai metro, don't we?), but a lit-up matchstick. Atleast that is what Asda'a is trying to tell us.

A Jewel Thief in Dubai

2006-11-05T11:39:00.000+04:00

I wonder if aspirants of the National Novel Writing Month are considering action-thrillers. Maybe this will provide them with some inspiration.

Back in January 4, 2005, devoid of media helicopters and eager reporters, an unlikely raid was taking place at the Yohara offices in the Shangri La, Sheikh Zayed Road.

Maz Khan, a 34-year old Briton of Pakistani origin lead a fast life with 3 different passports and 2 expensive yachts including a 1.5 million Euro Ferrari boat apart from a $500,000 Ferrari car. He established himself in Dubai after successfully swindling millions of dollars from Norwegian and Irish investors, showing them plans and promotional material of fictitious projects.

But when CIDs from the Dubai Police tried to corner him at the hotel, he arranged his assistant to have coffee with the investigators while he sped away in his Ferrari to Abu Dhabi hoping to catch a Doha bound flight. Unfortunately for him, the police caught up, thanks to a flight delay and Maz Khan is all set to spend the rest of his life in a Dubai jail. Not long ago Maz Khan alias Maz Akhtar was seen delivering speeches and offering tips on 'safe investment' as an 'international property and investment specialist' at seminars.

Maz Khan used a fictitious project called 'The Jewel' often vaguely referring to an actual location. A high profile marketing campaign with a super expensive brochure and an extravagant video with Mummy-like special effects was enough to convince over-eager investors to part with millions of dirhams. The video is interesting - expecially considering that close to a million dollars was spent on people wearing Scream like attire watching gigantic monuments pop out of the desert.

Enjoy The Jewel.

A farce called Arabian Property Awards

2006-11-01T10:05:00.000+04:00

The past week saw some Dubai based property companies were celebrating their 'win' at the CNBC Arabian Property Awards with full page advertisements and press releases. Damac Properties, ETA Star, Trident, Le Rêve and the likes trumpeted their achievements on having won the 'oscars of the property industry'.

But have you wondered how these awards are judged and what is the criteria for winning? If you look beyond the 3-d generated renderings and glossy brochures this is what you see.

Best Architecture - Dubai (Single Unit)

Best Architecture - Dubai(Multiple Units)

Best Marina Development in Dubai

So where is the architecture in a pile of sand and some earth movers? And is the marina views about construction workers fixing concrete slabs?

The truth is, if you can donate $420 to the award organisers, put together an entry with your dream home (made with 3D Home Architect) and make it rotate, you can be the next recipient of the Arabian Property Award. Oh yes, and you can tell them you are planning to build it in Swaziland, in case they ask.

Construction photos courtesy : Skyscrapercity

Do Buy! - A fresh insight

2006-10-31T10:48:00.000+04:00

The contradicting emotions or the detachment you feel about Dubai, no matter which part of the world you are from, is almost impossible to express. Which is what makes Omair Barkatullah, a recently graduated documentary film maker based in UK, stand out from the typical 'dish-dash shake hands with a grey suit' films made my well-established film studios.

'Do Buy!' is an independent film made by Omair with a Canon XM2 miniDV camera which captures the true essence of Dubai and how people relate to it. Rather than being openly negative or brazenly appreciative about the city's new found metropolitan status, the film offers a fresh insight into what the city represents and leaves the rest to the viewer.

The film uses real people and some very interesting sound clips from an FM radio station to make a point. Listen to the Pakistani security guard who talks more sense than Dubai Holding's PR manager.

Part1:

Part2:

Part3:

Breaking Fast the Tonic Way

2006-10-30T09:29:00.000+04:00

Tonic Dubai's attempt to break away from the Moon & Zapfino Ramadan cliché turned out to be an insipid effort. So uninspiring that even the Danish cartoon paranoids did not find it interesting enough to be considered offensive.

A Brief History of Dubai

2006-10-26T08:48:00.000+04:00

Back in my schooldays, my 5 year long and tedious struggle with Indian history text books containing names of ancient cities, civilisations, kings, battles, religions, world wars, colonial powers, the league of nations, freedom struggles, presidents, prime ministers, chief ministers and what not left me a dazed man; and perhaps a 'dozed' man sometimes - which did not please Rev. Fr. J P, my history teacher, at all. Unconfirmed reports from my classmates that his remarkable pot-belly could be attributed to the disappearance of a globe in the staff room only brought mixed emotions to my face during his classes and kept me fascinated, or atleast awake more often.

I am sure I would have had a much better time with him in Dubai, if we had dealt exclusively in the regions history, considering most of the historical accounts in Dubai runs for a couple of paragraphs before it degrades into a fairy tale of artificial islands, cranes and skyscrapers. Walter M Weiss' 'The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World' which otherwise is an excellent read about ancient trade and markets in the Middle East, does not fare much better in terms of Dubai's history. But it certainly lead me to gather some interesting facts.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. United Arab Emirates, 1948 - 1949 Photo courtesy: Wilfred Thesiger

In 1833, 800 men from the Bani Yas tribe under the Al Maktoum family from Abu Dhabi settled in a tiny fishing village in Dubai and setup an independent sheikhdom which lead to the emergence of Dubai as a politically significant region. The British, constantly under attack from the settlers entered into a treaty with the tribal princes in the region which made way for a transformation from the notorious Pirate Coast to the Trucial Coast, a reference to the treaty itself.
Excavations in Al Qusais and Jumeirah has unearthed evidence of the Creek being a trading centre for desert caravans and seafarers 3000 years ago. But only a few ruined fortresses and rusty canons survived a Portugese onslaught in the 16th and 17th century.
At present there are hardly any buildings in the regions which dates back more than 100 years.
In the early 19th century Dubai experienced the 'Pearl Boom' reminiscent of the current real-estate boom when more than 7000 local divers equipped with bone nose clamps, wax ear plugs and lead weights(to pull them down the water quicker) could be found 65 feet below the Dubai waters risking their lives in search of pearls.
The emergence of Japanese cultured pearls destroyed the Dubai market in the late 1920's. However by then, Dubai had become a major port in the Gulf region with a population of atleast 10,000. The Deira Bazaar, with more than 350 shops was the biggest in the region.
The collapse of the pearl market paved way for the more profitable gold 're-export', a more respectable term for smuggling. The precious metal, imported from Europe were cast into gold bars and exported to the subcontinent in dhows at night, bypassing the authorities.
The oil boom, not just confined to Dubai, happened in the 1970's and funded the later infra-structural developments like the free-trade zones and the airport.

Not surprisingly, the local media and the official version conveniently ignores aspects like gold smuggling and the notorious power struggles which shaped the emirate.

Recommended online references:
UAE - A Walk ThroughTime
20th Century's Greatest Explorer -Wilfred Thesiger
The Future of Federalism in UAE - J E Peterson

How to create a Ramadan Ad in 4 easy steps

2006-10-17T11:17:00.000+04:00

Step1: Create a dark blue-black gradient taking up half of your work space.

Step 2: Put some white brush spots (stars) , create an intersection of two circles (the crescent) and add outer glow effect.

Step 3: Type 'Ramadan Kareem' in Zapfino Linotype font (or Monotype Corsiva if you are bit more outdated) preferably in 18 pointsize.

Step 4: Put your product on the other half of your workspace, preferably under an decorative arch to give it that 'Ramadan touch'.

Congratulations, your Ramadan advertisement is now ready to use. Dont forget to replace the 'year ' and the product picture next year if required.

Is it going to be a 2016 Dubai Olympics?

2006-10-11T15:15:00.000+04:00

The past week, I have been trying to examine Dubai's chances of making a successful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics against other candidates. Being the self-proclaimed sporting capital of the Middle East, Dubai is planning to make a strong bid for the Summer Games hoping the $2 Billion Dubai Sports City will impress the IOC.

But is Dubai ready to host the Greatest Show on Earth? Here are some postives and negatives to ponder.

+ Olympics or not, Sports City is scheduled to be completed in 4 years which means the basic infrastructure will be done to an extent.

+ Money - Even the IOC would like to believe that Dubai has a few money-trees hidden in the desert. No paranoia about looking for funding and investors unlike what happened for Athens - even it means absorbing huge financial losses. And money has won over the Olmpics Committee a few times. Think Atlanta 1996.

+ The Middle East has never hosted an Olympics - which will ensure Doha and Dubai will be given due consideration against the U.S cities which are tipped to be favourites.

+ Dubai's more cosmopolitan outlook compared to Doha will most likely win a few votes in its favour in the event of shortlisting one city from the region.

- Local participation- will be very limited considering the number of sporting disciplines(under a dozen disciplines on an average) that athletes from the region are considered competitive. 'The nominee must have a realistic chance to win against international candidates' is one of the criteria upon which the IOC will make a decision.

- The weather - The Summer Games will probably be held during the month of November which will not be a comfortable for the athletes unless someone here has a bright idea like conducting the marathon inside a shopping mall.

- The UAE Olympic Committee is a complete joke. According to their website, the Athens 2004 games is an upcoming event, using underage boys for camel races is a heritage sport and cites '1 participant only' as an international level sporting achievement.

- Dubai Sports City seems to be a project conceived solely on reeping profits out of selling residential apartments with sports facilities dangling like a 'freehold carrot' rather than showing some real commitment on encouraging sporting talents in U.A.E.

Big corporations in UAE treat sports as a past time of the rich rather than about finding talent, grooming them and converting them to world-class athletes. So sports like golf and tennis where there is little or no representation from UAE gets plenty of support, supposedly with the intention of attracting investments. Football gets a look-in because of the huge amount of followers, but has not materialised into anything productive. Cricket gets some mention here and there because of the sub-continental and British population's interest.

None of these are considered as a major Olympic sport. Besides having an oddly-shaped golf ball as the logo and boasting about a golf course being constructed does little to suggest any commitment towards sports in UAE.

This is when the very few who achieved Olympic glory is being portrayed as a contract killer in Bollywood movies.

Meanwhile, here is an analysis of the other possible bidding cities.

Doha, Qatar
+ Infrastructure and facilities in place for 2006 Asian Games for which they have reportedly spent a massive $4 billion.
+ 50,000 seat Khalifa Stadium built for the Asian Games which will probably be upgraded to the level of an Olympic stadium.
+ No Arab/MiddleEast country has ever hosted the Olympics or a major international event for that matter. IOC will be keen to explore new avenues to widen the appeal of the games - whether it is Africa or the Middle East.

- Summer Games typically need to sell 4 million to 9 million tickets—and Qatar's population is less than 900,000. Crucial for the campaign in terms of volunteer support.
- Qatar's reputation buying athletes instead of grooming them in their home turf is not going to help them. But it will definitely make it easier for them to figure in the medal tally unlike UAE if it becomes the host.
- Location - IOC will always be wary of holding the Olympics in the Middle East because of terrorism concerns.
- Not exactly pleasant for the athletes, a problem for Dubai as well.
- Local participation will be limited.

The verdict : Has a good chance of becoming a candidate city if the Asian Games is a success, especially in terms of viewership and TV rights. But stands little chance in being the winner. First time applicants rarely did in the history of the games.

Tokyo, Japan
+ An early commitment towards the games campaign after a selection process inside Japan which eliminated .
+ Promises the most technologically advanced games ever. Don't be surprised if you see a robot lighting up the Olympic torch in the opening ceremony.
+ The most compact and efficient games ever is the Japanese claim. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics marked the first television program to cross the Pacific Ocean via a communication satellite. So you got to believe them.
+ Stresses on the environment aspect - a factor which is going to become vital by 2009, I think.
+ Estimated expenditure of 2.6 billion dollars including a 100,000 capacity new Olympic stadium besides renovating the present one.

- 'The most compact games ever' might not sound appealing enough to the IOC. This is the Olympic Games, for Gods sake. Not a freaking digital memory card.
- Has hosted the games in 1964 - and IOC might be keen on a new candidate. Besides, 2008-China and 2016 - Japan? Highly unlikely.
- Potential problems with North Korea. They are already quoted as saying the bid 'is enough to make a cat laugh'. The Japs would be praying that good ol' Kim is in a good mood by 2009.

The verdict : Likely to make the shortlist thanks to it's methodical approach to the campaign but little chance of winning because of the reasons mentioned above.

Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil
+ 2007 Pan Asian Games will ensure that some level of infrastructure is in place for the Olympics. The 45,000 capacity João Havelange Stadium and the 8,000 capacity Games Village for a start.
+ Has a great sporting culture and a high level local participation can be expected.

- Bid in 2004 and 2012, did not make the candidate city shortlist.
Rio is an overwhelming favourite for hosting the 2014 Fifa World cup, which would dampen the possibilities of Rio hosting two major events in such a short period.
- Rio's capabilities in organising such a big event has doubters. The Pan Asian Games would prove to be the testing ground for Rio as the Asian Games is for Doha.

The verdict : If it manages to sort out the confusion about the 2014 Fifa World Cup it has a reasonable chance of making a winning bid. If it does not, it might not even make the shortlist.

Istanbul, Turkey
+ In the best position in presenting the city as a moderate Muslim destination with a rich cultural heritage.
+ Successfully made the international shortlist in 2000 and 2008 which might see them being given preference over cities like Dubai and Doha when considered in the bracket of a Muslim nation.
+ The 82,000 capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium designed by Michel Macary and Aymeric Zublena, who also designed the "Stade de France" in Paris. Hosted the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final.

- Has pursued a dubious strategy of offering to bid for every Olympic Games since 1992 hoping that it will be successful one day.
- Much is at stake in how the political situation is like in 2008/2009 and how it's relations are with the EU. Considering that the Europea has minimal chance in bagging the 2016 Olympics, if Istanbul gets it's act right, Europe might rally behind them.
- Bad crowd behaviour in the past during football tournaments.

The verdict : Has a good chance of being selected if it makes a strong bid via addressing infrastructure and security concerns. Seventh time lucky perhaps?

United States of America
Since the last Olympics hosted by a U.S city was in 1996(Atlanta), the chances this time are very high unless there are glitches at the last moment. Security will be a key concern because of terrorist threats and will surely bite into the profit margins of the U.S Cities. Athens had to spend a staggering $14 Billion in infrastructure and security post 9/11 and took in only $3 Billion.

Chicago, USA
+ At the moment, Chicago seems to be the most committed of all the bidding cities, planning to spend a massive $2 billion in privately financed construction, including $300 million for the stadium and $1 billion for an Olympic Village. Revenue expected is between $5 and $10 Billion, creating as many as 80,000 jobs and welcoming 5 to 6 million visitors. The city mayor has already visited Beijing and other cities for inputs and is guaranteed to get their public relations right while making their bid.
+ Never hosted the Olympics before unlike Los Angeles and hence has a better chance of making the shortlist.
+ $300 Million Washington Park stadium with a capacity of 97,000 and a spectacular public space
+ Ambitious masterplan designed by SOM.

- Has to fight the 'Al Capone and Michael Jordan city' tag and has to cultivate a positive image internationally.
- Competition from Los Angeles and San Francisco might see them eliminated in the initial round itself.
- Raising huge amount of money as investment poses a big challenge.

The verdict : Has a very good chance of making the winning bid if it emerges as the best choice among the U.S cities.

Los Angeles
+ Arguably the best placed in terms of infrastructure and facilities already present.
+ Pioneers in many respects, including introduction of the concept of Olmypic Village in 1932.
+ An excellent choice of venues apart from the ones built for the 1984 games.
+ The 92,000 capacity Los Angeles Coliseum to be renovated for the bid.
+ Minimal spending - only $150 million required.
+ Likely to rope in some Hollywood celebrities for their campaign.

- Hosted the Olympics two times before - in 1932 and 1984 which reduces its chances to a great extent, especially considering possible strong bids from Chicago and San Francisco.
- Did not share the $225 million surplus from the 1984 games with the Olympic movement.

The verdict : Very little chance of making it to the shortlist even. However if the other two cities messes up their campaign, LA might still make a winning bid.

San Francisco
+ Has the edge over Chicago as far as international links are concerned.
+ Has the experience of bidding for the 2012 Games with the much hyped 'Ring of Gold', eventually losing out to NY inside the country. It is also planning to rectify the mistakes it commited last time around.
+ 85,000 capacity Stanford stadium exists though no concrete plans are yet outlined in terms of upgradation.
+ Only $200 Million overall spending for the Games.

- Lack of political support inside the city.
- No proper planning and commitment yet.
- Lags LA in terms of infrastructure already present.

The verdict: Solely depends on how Chicago's campaign is. Has a good chance if it shows more commitment and political will to win.

Africa
The IOC is very keen to have an African nation host the 2016 Olympics which means any African city which makes a strong bid has a very good chance of not only making the shortlist but winning itself.

Although Kenya, which at the moment has 2 stadiums which are rarely used has shown a fair amount of interest, the country's own Olympic chief is not so sure. Durban and Capetown has far better chances though Cape Town lost out to Athens in 2004. Any doubters of Cape Town's capabilities might do a rethink after taking a look at this website.

Asia
Asia's chances are very limited considering Beijing's successful bid for 2008, with only New Delhi, apart from Tokyo having any chance of making it to the shortlist. New Delhi has a good chance of making it to the shortlist especially if they manage to host 2010 Common Wealth Games successfully, for which India is spending a massive $1.2 Billion. Incidentally, the sports minister is not so impressed. Busan also seems to be in the race

Bangkok was also interested, though their chances are now practically wiped out.

Europe
London, having won the 2012 Games has dampened the chances of Madrid, Hamburg, Moscow, Lisbon, Rome and to some extent Istanbul of making a successful bid. Madrid and Hamburg are likely to make strong bids, but despitef a successful Barcelona Olympics, Spain might again have the misfortune of losing after making it to the final round like in 2012.

Rome's chances does not look bright while Moscow's chances depends on it's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Canada
Montréal and Toronto are considering bids, and their chances of one of them making it to the shortlist is very high, taking into account the multi-cultural population and international appeal. Though Montréal has hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics and Toronto was second placed in the 2008 bid, Vancouver which has bagged the 2010 Winter Olympics might play spoilsport.

Other bids are likely to come from Havana, Montorrey and Buenos Aires.

Final Verdict:
Here is my prediction though it is a bit early to give a fair judgement.

Shortlist : Chicago, Madrid, Cape Town, Rio De Janeiro, Doha, New Delhi, Dubai, Montréal

Winner: Chicago
2. Cape Town 3. Rio De Janeiro 4. Madrid 5. New Delhi 6. Dubai

The Tagging Conspiracy

2006-10-09T09:08:00.000+04:00

Woke, treads the Prometheus path to be a part of the Tagging Conspiracy - with absolute ignorance on what it is about though.

What is the best thing about my workplace?
It's got the largest freezer in Dubai.

What do I hate about my workplace?
And my brain is in there. Or whatever is remaining.

What small irritants at my workplace really annoys me?
Small irritants? Now, you are kidding me.

Describe the actions/quirks of the weirdest person I work with (can be a co-worker, employer, or a vendor if you are self employed):
"I am the King here. It is my money. So you all will do what I say."
No, I dont work for the Roman Empire. Pretty close though.

What is one thing that I would change at my workplace to make life a helluva lot better?
Find another one. (Not a part of the deal)

Pick five songs that I'd like played at my funeral......
1. 'Barbie Girl' - Aqua
2. 'Macarena' - You don't want to know.
3. 'Mysterious Girl' - Peter Andre
4. 'Cotton Eye Joe' - Rednex

Those of you who had wicked ideas to attend my funeral, thou shalt rot in hell.

5. Pigs(Three Different Ones) - Pink Floyd. (Make no mistake. That is one of my favourite songs. I would just like you to turn up the volume when they say..
"With your head head down in the pig bin,
Saying, "keep on digging."
Pig stain on your fat chin.
What do you hope to find?.."

Don't help them to bury the light

2006-10-05T15:40:00.000+04:00

Always remember, you are being watched.

Hey you,
Out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?

Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?

Hey you,
dont help them to bury the light.
Dont give in without a fight.
Hey you - Pink Floyd

The Great Solomon Mupesa of Dubai

2006-10-03T11:00:00.000+04:00

Have you ever felt so messed-up that you actually found time read through one of those scam emails?

Today morning, not only did I read through an email from a certain Mrs.Hilda Mupesa, wife of late Ndoga Mupesa of Chiweshe ward in Muzarabani, Mashonaland, but I googled for Mashonaland(Hell it exists!) and Hilda Mupesa as well. That is how I ended up at Africanscam.co.uk. No references to Hilda Mupesha to my disappointment, but her son was definitely within reach according to Craig McAteer – and here is the scoop, in Dubai of all places.

On 20th April 2003, Under the false name, Steve Arthur Thomson, Craig interacted with this Mupesa guy through emails (a must read), promised him the money (and an expensive watch) and even managed to meet him here in Dubai. Refer to the link for photos and details.

Although the Dubai Police was alerted, I presume nothing came of it and as far as I know the Mupesa guy is still at large from the email that I received today. Or perhaps this is a gang using the same method to fool people – not a well laid plan though.

So here is the guy. The Great Solomon Mupesa. If you happen to meet him somewhere in Dubai, you know what he is upto.
Btw isn't that the Dubai Creek in the background?

Busting the Dubai Bubble City

2006-10-01T13:27:00.000+04:00

At the height of the Dubai property boom, an advertising agency called The Creative Council proposed an idea to Damac Properties for the teaser launch of their project, Park Towers. The idea was simple enough - to create a spoof of The Gulf News business page using a two-sided page wrap which would serve as a teaser for the launch. Considering that Damac's idea creativity was always limited to putting their buildings in the middle of the Pacific Ocean or to show over-sized golden keys getting morphed into a tower, it was quite surprising that the idea was accepted and implemented.

The main heading in the advertorial was exciting to say the least - "Bubble City: Amazing New Project Launched" with a picture photoshopped badly enough to suggest that it was a spoof. The news items in the page also supplemented the idea with some ridiculous articles.

Little did the agency nor the developer imagine that a seemingly obvious spoof would become the most talked about project in the property industry. Being used to such announcements of bizarre projects, many of them failed to see the whole advertorial in the proper context and no one even remembered the advertised project.

I was amazed by some peoples reactions to this advertorial and how easy it is to spread wrong information in this region. Even today, this refuses to die down, even finding mention in the Washington Post, increasingly associating Dubai with real-estate projects which does not go beyond an artists impression. (Thanks to Grapeshisha for the scan)

Some of the reactions at various blogs, forums and websites regarding the launch of Bubble City..
"Arabian people are selfish guys they just spend money on these unwanted things..."

"Ummm, I think you meant $30 BILLION, not $30 million."

"Heh.. well, I always told people that ruling Dubai is like playing SimCity with the money cheat ;)"

"whoah. i thought that sorta thing happens only with the jetsons."

But this quote is a gem..

"2 words: STUPID" . Yes, you said it.

Modhesh Rocks Hollywood

2006-09-27T23:27:00.000+04:00

The horror-sequel genre remains the best bet for our super hero to make it big in Hollywood, I think. Do you agree?

The True Essence of Ramadan

2006-09-26T11:45:00.000+04:00

Even for a non-religious person like me, the message that Ramadan (word originated from 'ar-ramad' meaning 'scorching heat') offers goes beyond spiritual reflection and adherence to religious principles.

Setting aside a month every year 'to be a better person' may seem absurd to some, but for those of us who are lucky enough to indulge in some guilty pleasures of life, it serves as a timely reminder that there is a world out there that is struggling to survive without the basic needs like food, water and shelter. It is also about self-discipline, self restraint and generosity.

Having said that, Dubai offers a different perspective of Ramadan unlike my hometown where scores of desperately poor people visit Muslim homes expecting a few grains of rice or some money to get through another day or two. Despite witnessing the very many excesses in the sandlands, I was a little taken aback by this Emirates Palace advert which urges us to celebrate the Holy Month in it's 'lavish' settings 'indulging' in a buffet in the 'luxurious palace tents'. Or you can even 'unwind with sheesha', 'relax with a complimentary beverage' or to top it all, participate in a 'Lucky Draw' for a free nights stay at the hotel.

Not far away, a non-Muslim man must be trying to get on with his daily life munching a burger inside his car, hoping that the religious police is out of bounds.

Looking for Etisalat?

2006-09-21T15:57:00.000+04:00

Searching for the 'Etisalat Homepage' in Google can throw in some surprising results. Especially the first one.

Arabic Calligraphy - Words come to life

2006-09-21T10:55:00.000+04:00

The absence of figures in the visual culture of Muslims and artists based in Islamic countries has proved to be a blessing in disguise for Arabic Calligraphy, which has evolved into one of the most intricate artforms existing today.

The virtual barring of figures and it's representation among Muslims has always baffled me and to my knowledge, the Quran does not even endorse such a view. I have heard people quoting some verses in the 'hadith' to point out that hanging a painting in your home is 'undesirable' for a Muslim. However, I regard this as an outcome of 'Islamism' (a desire to impose an interpretation of an ideology) or a view which evolved out of a culture and later misinterpreted as a religious diktat.
Calligraphy which literally means 'beautiful writing' may not be fully appreciated without knowing the language that is used. However, Arabic Calligraphy has managed to transcend the language barrier, thanks to the unique aesthetic perfection it achieves and the efforts of various artists and the intricate skill developed over the centuries by proponents of this artform.

Contemporary Arabic Calligraphy reflects new experiments and brings in influences from other artforms, cultures and scripts. Beyond the banal 'dome -shaped arabic logos' being passed off as Arabic Calligraphic creations, the art scene is discovering talent of a different kind. They might not have achieved the same flair as what the traditional artists could do with the 'calamus', but artists like Hassan Massoudy are 'making words dance' indeed, not with reed pens and parchments but with 'opalescent washes, flows of emerald, monochromes of beiges enriched with deep wood tones and sandalwood fragrances'.

Googling the Google Logo

2006-09-18T08:56:00.000+04:00

There are few who reckon that the famous Google logo was done in Powerpoint which I think is a bit far fetched considering the drop shadow doesn't work all that well in the software designed to create the world's most irritating sentimental slideshows. But, nevertheless there is no doubting the amateurishness of the logo in terms of typography and graphic design. Save the unique Catull typeface designed by the versatile designer Gustav Jaegar, there is hardly anything in the logo which suggests professionalism. But whether it is a deliberate attempt to reflect the much hyped 'light-hearted simplicity' of Google or just plain deception is open for debate.

Besides the logo serving the purpose of reaffirming Google's self-styled image, it also gave 23-year old Korean Dennis Hwang a full-time job. The idea of graphic transformations worked wonderfully well for the logo and Dennis is the man behind all the creativity. The Van Gogh one is my personal favourite. Which is yours?

Where do you live?

2006-09-17T12:42:00.000+04:00

You live in a perfectly 'crafted' villa with an ancestral Puebloan façade, just like what the brochure said. The salesperson who couldn't pronounce 'Puebloan' reassured you that the villa 'reflects your identity' and you are now a part of an 'elite community'.

That is until you step out to look at another 100 of the perfectly crafted villas exactly matching yours and each of them reflecting their 'identities'. By that time, you can almost hear the salesperson laughing. Thankfully, I am not rich enough to hear him.

Many years ago back in my hometown, when my dad decided to add an odd looking orange coloured structure to our home, already burdened with his architectural exploits, the protests of a wannabe graphic designer in me was dismissed without much consideration. As years went by, I somehow started liking this 'orange circle' which stood like a hallmark of his identity and his profession.

In contrast as I looked around, Mr.P L's house looked like a 'lavender train', Mr A.F's home made me redefine the notion of a 'concrete jungle' within a house and Mr. H.T's house looked like a 'floating lighthouse'. But together we formed a community, comprising of many different, distinct 'identities'.

I could jump over to Mr. H. T's compound to taste the gooseberries or to Mr. P.L's house to fetch the cricket ball. Even today, the neighbourhood is always lively with conversation across the walls, the walls themselves rarely rising above your shoulder. Most of them know when I return from 'the Gulf' or how much weight I have put on since they saw me last. The cold 'how are you's?' are missing and so are the sweaty handshakes. But here I feel a part of a community, where I have much more than a Puebloan or a Mexican Hacyienda identity.

Everytime I visit one those 'self-sustainable' communities in Dubai like the Meadows, Springs and all things Keats, I wonder how they feel like. Whether they really smile like the perfect families in the royalty-free photos shown in the brochures. Whether they enjoy the safety, security and the dubillion features and facilities.

I'm sure it must be better than my old cramped apartment with 2000 more irrelevant, unrecognisable neighbours.

The Also-Rans

2006-09-14T10:00:00.000+04:00

Prometheus' hilarious take on all things e e cummings reminded me of the good old days when I considered myself worthy to be another of the 'scheming the rhyme with Roget' poet.

My early retirement from poetry came in the form of a certificate of recognition for the silliest among my wonderful works of art which got shortlisted among 4 other entries for a Poetry.com competition.

The excitement lasted only till I found out that a poem by a friend of mine which made Backstreet Boys' 'Show me the meaning of being lonely' look like a classic, also made the cut.

Here are my famous last words in Poetry.

Overheard on September 11, 2006

2006-09-10T18:11:00.000+04:00

The Best Corporate Logos in Dubai

2006-09-10T08:54:00.000+04:00

Now this is the difficult part. It is really not easy to judge a logo on how successful it is in terms of representing the brand identity, aesthetics, creativity, signifying the product category, impact on the customer depending on the type of the product and a regional relevance, if at all it is important for the product.
I did ponder on some of the more fanciful logos like that of City of Arabia (development by I & M Galadari ironically), Thuraya and Dubai World Central, but settled on these five. You are all welcome to differ.

5. i-mate
Not many of you would know that the 'i-mate' which is being marketed in over 100 countries is actually a 'Dubai brand'. The global appeal of such a brand is vital to the success of the product. i-mate went for a no-nonsense logo representing 'a modern and reliable brand' with a reasonable typographic uniqueness and clarity.
Agency: Created by Jim Morrisson, the CEO of i-Mate. (Thanks to Martin at FlipCorp for the update)

4. Burjuman
If the old Burjuman logo was all class with a typographic flourish, the new one broke away from the complicated and sometimes tacky logos of other malls in Dubai. A brand known for it's consistency and to some extent, creativety in advertising and marketing, Burjuman has got the basics right as far as their logo is concerned.
Agency: Team Y & R (B is for Burjuman, that is until Bloomingdales gets to Dubai)

3. Emirates Airlines
They can be excused for choosing an unimaginative name and a Calligraphic logo(they were one of the earliest ones though), but like Burjuman they got their basics right, they improvised (wisely avoided using the Arabic Calligraphy logo in the international market after 9/11) and were always consistent with their branding all the while maintaining the faintest of links to the region with the help of a beautifully designed custom typeface.
Agency: Impact BBDO (I am not quite sure)

2. Flip Media
'Unique and unexpected. Effective and business driven. Surprising with innovative technology.' - says Flipcorp. Atleast the logo tries to live up to the claim. Flip you will. But not the way they flipped Wordpress, I hope.
Agency: Designed by Dinesh Lalvani, founder and managing partner of Flip Corp. No one-eyed camels this time. Thanks to Martin at Flip Corp for the info.)

1. du
When the company has a name which sounds far more exciting than 'Etisalat' or 'another Burj in the name of Jumeirah', the branding agency is bound get carried away. Leo Burnett did not and the result is a logo which looks clean, professional and above all makes sense. Too early to say how well it will perform but having an image of Etisalat 2 wouldn't have helped them much in any case.
Agency : Leo Burnett (Kind of made of for their lacklustre effort with Dubai Holding).
Update: Turqouise, a UK-based branding agency seems to have created the logo. Thanks again to Martin for pointing it out.)

Dubai's Worst Corporate Logos

2006-09-07T09:56:00.000+04:00

Here is my personal list of the 5 worst logos of Dubai based companies/organisations. I might have missed out on a few other masterpieces - in which case do drop me a comment and I shall try to include them among the 'other five'.

5. National Bank of Dubai
There was a time when NBD was perceived as 'unfriendly' and 'arrogant' offering 'poor customer service'. Landor's million dollar solution came in the form of a curve with radio waves representing the 'willing-to-listen' change in their outlook. 6 years on NBD seems every bit arrogant as it was and the logo still reminds me of a dysfunctional speaker.
Agency - Landor - Depite the usual reviews claiming it creates a 'positive subconscious impact' on a customer, not their best work, I think.

4. DTCM
The first time someone sent me the DTCM logo to be used in an artwork, I mistook it for a badly scanned fax of a surreal painting. Fortunately, my fascination lasted only till I visited their website where they haven't displayed it too proudly either.
Agency - (Dan Brown or Da Vinci Code, whichever came first)

3. National Bonds
The circles are back again. This time, there are quite a few representing two arrows pointing upwards. Believe me, advertising agencies like Grey Worldwide have people who can convince that a silhouette of the World Trade Centre will make an ideal logo for an airline company.
Agency - Grey Worldwide (The supporting advertising campaign was equally unimaginative.)

2. Dubai eGovernment
What do you get when you make the 'e' which represents the worst software ever produced to resemble the monster in the world's most famous arcade game. The enigmatic Dubai eGovernment logo; not Monster Truck Madness, silly.
Creative Agency - Unknown (Their press release does not specify the agency but comes up with an interesting observation regarding the logo.)

And the winner is..

1. I & M Galadari Group
Whoever convinced I & M Galadari Group that a half-hearted attempt by a bored marketing manager to create two lines and a circle in Adobe Illustrator could represent their corporate identity must be lauded - because they still stick to this illogical piece of crap which is supposed to resemble the sun and the sea.
Agency - Unknown(My money is on the bored marketing manager or the chairman's kid.)

Secrets of the Arabian Canal

2006-09-05T09:44:00.000+04:00

In the land of twisted, stretched and rotating towers, matchbox communities, outrageous masterplans and artificial islands of all shapes and sizes, a project of epic proportions is taking shape without the usual fanfare. The largest man-made canal might not sound exciting to you, but when completed The Arabian Canal will shape the new Dubai.

Apart from some vague mentions in some websites and some company press releases, Nakheel has centred the spotlight on the Dubai Waterfront which itself will be the biggest waterfont development in the world extending the Dubai coastline by 820 km, 12 times the current length and housing 750,000 people (if they can find them). But Dubai Waterfront,which will be completed in 2010, is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the Arabian Canal.

So what is this enigmatic Arabian Canal that no one talks about?

When you look at the major masterplan developments in Dubai on this map, you can see that the Arabian Canal(marked in light blue) is massive in terms of scale - 80 km to be precise. But what makes it interesting is not this image but glimpses of another plan as inadvertently shown in the Dubai Waterfront Video. It has been said that the shape of Dubai as it will be in 2025 is already planned and well in place - but just look at the extent where the Canal extends to the whole mainland.

It will be hardly surprising if this plan does go through because there has been a mad scramble to increase the Dubai beachfront from a mere 45 km to an unbelievable 1500 km through the construction of artificial islands. Now options are getting limited because of lack of space and going inland with the canal extension might be the only way out to create more waterfront. Which is lucrative to the real-estate industry by the way if it will be able to sustain this momentum, considering that waterfront properties are priced a lot higher than inland properties and has several other advantages as well.

It is also important to keep the water running, in which case inland lakes are definitely out of the picture and the canal seems to be a viable solution. The other possibilities the canal offers are limitless - waterfront communities and other developments especially with the grid like extension as shown in the video. The Arabian Canal might not attain the legendary stature of the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal but is definitely destined to change the shape of Dubai when it is completed in 2013.

Internet Access in UAE - What to Expect in Future

2006-09-04T12:03:00.000+04:00

A few changes in the internet access policy and some info provided by some 'inside sources'.

From this month onwards, Etisala' will lose the right to block sites directly. From now on Etisala' will have to send a recommendation to TRA and TRA will decide on whether to block the web site or not after an evaluation process.
TRA does not appear to be a bunch of friendly folks - so not exactly exciting news.

du will have to undertake the same procedure when they start their service. All websites blocked by Etisala' previously will remain so. Which essentially means websites blocked by Etisala' will also be blocked by other service providers(if there are any in future).
So those people who do not like Etisalat and is thinking of switching over to du, you know what to expect.

du is also a semi-government company in case you thought otherwise. The recent blocking of Skype and other VOiP services inside Media City was initiated by du after they officially took over the telecom service control from Media City.
Et tu du?
Incase you want a website to be unblocked- you will not be able to contact TRA directly but will have to request the service provider (Etisala' or du) who will then forward the same to TRA for approval.
Which further complicates the process and a sensible outcome less likely.
Etisala' actually has a separate department which monitors websites. The websites which gets most no:of hits are monitored selectively apart from a standard automated monitoring process - which means that the more popular 'undesirable' websites are more likely to be blocked than less popular ones with almost the same type of content.
Google Video and the rest, here comes Big Daddy.

Bleak, indeed.

Overheard on September 3, 2006

2006-08-31T17:52:00.000+04:00

'Overheard ' will be an attempt to brush up some of my barely existent cartooning and sketching skills and more importantly to highlight some issues relevant to the region.

Too lazy to use the pen and paper and being not a great fan of scanned drawings, I am doing the 'vector' way in Adobe Illustrator. Who knows, maybe I can invent a particular sketching style out of this ;-)

Some of my earlier experiments with 'vectors' can be viewed here, here , here and here.

More Invitations

2006-08-31T15:46:00.000+04:00

Emaar is one of the companies in Dubai who has experimented a lot in terms of advertising, marketing and communications. Which doesn't necessarily mean that they have built up a successful brand image. Almost all of the creative agencies in Dubai, big or small seem to have worked with them and all have them have produced works which are everything from shoddy to outstanding.

During those good old Unreal Estate days in Dubai, Emaar used to spend some big money when it came to product launches. During the launch of Park Island, not their most well known project, a DM campaign was launched which I found particularly interesting.

Potential buyers(NBD customers) received a sleek and elegant box with a message 'Experience the Pleasure of Designer Living'. Men who expected a collecters edition of Playb*y magazine were disappointed to find four bottles of fragrances titled 'Calming', 'Rejuvenating', 'Relaxing' and 'Invigorating'.

Though this was not a path breaking idea, I thought it was a nice touch. Especially, comparing with the rather cold Burj Dubai Black Box with a ruler in it.

The idea of using real objects which can be associated with the projects has been done before. Victory Heights with a good branding platform undertaken by Futurebrand also produced a similar 'boxy invitation' with four objects which represented each of the branding elements.

Aldar's Message in a Bottle

2006-08-31T11:30:00.000+04:00

Real-estate companies in Dubai often send out some really fancy invitations to VIPs during project launches. Here are a few I came across.

So there is decorative blue box made of card paper delivered to you which says "Somewhere in the world there's a palace with your name on it".

A map, a magnifying lens and Da Vincique instruction awaits you inside the box.

Unfold the map and if you have a rough idea of where the UAE (and you do not have to be precise at all) is, on a badly vectorised world map; you can find a sentence in small type which says "Mr.Your Name's Palace".

Which makes you wonder why they have provided the magnifying lens, since the type is very much readable. Either they found a compass too expensive or they think by the time you become rich enough to buy an apartment in the Grandeur Residences (and not the whole palace, mind you) you will be too old and half-blind.

I like the personalised 'name' touch. The idea of playing with the filthy rich's ego is not a bad idea in the Middle East. Emaar has done it before with a launch campaign when they announced one of their projects by actually resorting to a customised print of some VIP individuals names on Gulf News wraps. Imagine the surprise when you pick up the morning newspaper and find your name in the front page saying "Dear Mr. Yourname, ..".

Great idea indeed.

The Grandeur Residences' attempt at personalisation fails misreably on the execution front. And the latitude-longitude message, the lens and the almost-antique map seems all too farcical with no real purpose. Which is sad, because the building looks lovely and the rendering house has done a fantastic job in making it one of the most realistic renderings done in Dubai.
_________________________________________________________

Aldar has spent a fortune in the UAE building their brand, ruining it, re-stablishing it and at present diluting it with some project launches with no real co-ordination or synergy. So if they send you a small suspicious looking wooden box, you can either freak out like a paranoid traveller or you can find a paper tag saying "The Gulf's Most Spectacular New Address" reassuring enough because you have heard that line a more than 100 times before.

Believe me, the agency has taken the extra-mile to make sure there is some originality to the whole process of opening the box, untying the rope and spending half an hour in trying to take out the small piece of paper tucked inside the bottle.
I don't reckon this message in a bottle will make your day but it is definitely interesting enough to make you attend another of those beach front property launches.

Carrying that box along is not advisable though.

Coming up: Emaar takes to a different kind of bottle

Jumeirah and all that Burj

2006-08-30T12:48:00.000+04:00

When it comes to a company which own the likes of Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah and The Emirates Towers, cutting the 'International' out of it's name and acquiring a new identity does not come cheap.

$8 Million to be precise.

The expectations could have been enormous, but I thought Gregg Sedgwick did a decent job in developing the new identity. Consolidating the Jumeirah brand especially when considering the larger-than-life projects were already well-established was never going to be easy.

So is the Burj Al Arab really too big to do any marketing? I decided to find out.

If you are one among the lucky few who has got hold of a Burj Al Arab Brochure or managed to have a good look at it (it is said that only a few copies were printed and a reprint is highly unlikely) you will wonder if you are 'that' lucky.
There is some great photography and lots of gold, but nothing to suggest that you are reading about an architectural wonder or that it costs 250 Dhs just to have a close to look at it. The opulence in the photos itself is a bit hard for the eyes, which is probably why the creative agency decided to avoid more design elements.

I was never a fan of the Burj Al Arab logo (which reminds me of the belly of a clumsy pregnant woman). The copy is a bit flowery too, understatements not being the norm in this part of the world.

All said and done, no amount of advertising can beat a Tiger Woods playing a tee shot or an Andre Agassi vs Roger Federer on the hotel helipad.

I am taking a look at the Madinat Jumeirah and a few other high profile projects on how they do their marketing, how they send VIP invitations and the thought processes behind it.

Of Kingsize Brochures And Glossy Papers

2006-08-27T17:04:00.000+04:00

Brochures produced by some Dubai based companies are fascinating to look at. That is if you can manage to hold a 45 cm x 32 cm brochure weighing not less than 4 kg long enough to have a good look at it, before it breaks your bones and blinds your eyes.

In Dubai, creativity does not get you further than your creative directors trash bin. Even if it does, once it reaches the clients meeting table it is trashed away followed by the eternal question being asked in Dubai more often than not- "Where is the Big (and Flashy) idea?"

So when Fortune Promoseven was briefed by Emaar to create a brochure for Dubai Mall and Burj Dubai, they pretty much knew what 'needs to be done'. I am sure many will be impressed 70 pages of stock photographs of models( I swear you can see more models appearing in FTV for one whole month) mixed with a dozen ice-cold 3-d renderings and some very inspiring copy like 'Dubai - City of Dreams'. Half a million well-spent.

But where is the brand?

Dubai women create history

2006-08-24T10:21:00.000+04:00

Keralites might not be the most popular people in Dubai, but a group of 10 Dubai-based women certainly is, in God's Own Country after they won the legendary Alleppey Boat Race.
Looking fairly comfortable in the traditional 'mundum neriyathum', the women, mostly expatriates settled in Dubai won the women's race event after a tight finish.

The team is composed of members of the Dubai-based Mountain High Adventure Club. A participant, Sharon Codyre said "We had to row very hard. At one time, I felt we would be overtaken. And we won in split seconds. It was the most exhilarating race I ever participated."

Photos/Info Via Sepia Mutiny and Rediff.com

The Sand Lovers

2006-08-20T12:22:00.000+04:00

There was this little poem which appeared in a poetry appreciation book which I had in school that got stuck in my mind ever since.

I wonder if this makes sense to you as it did to me(with a bit of experimental typography from my side).

From the Gardens to Ibn Battuta

2006-08-17T08:43:00.000+04:00

How would you describe a company whose portfolio looks like fantasies of an overambitious kid in the Dubai Monopoly game. Despite $30 Billion worth of projects under construction and some unabashed Dubai Government backing and facilitation, Nakheel has never managed to break away from the shackles of internal squabbling, bureaucracy and the seemingly unending shadow of its rogue little brother's marketing expertise.

So when Nakheel was busy putting the Dubai on the Map(and vice versa), little brother Emaar ran away with all the applause for its matchbox properties near artificial lakes and golf courses - thanks to the entrepreneurial skills and vision of its Chairman, Mohamed Al Abbar.

Futurebrand was hired to resurrect Nakheel as a recognizable brand and were successful to an extent in doing so as they did for Emaar. Aided by limitless marketing budgets and extensive outdoor advertising, people in the UAE finally got to know the company behind all those ‘funny-shaped islands’. But for the international community, Nakheel was still ‘the palm company’ or a sometimes a virtual non-entity as they thought Emaar was behind all projects that happened in Dubai.

Nakheel always had a problem with positioning and associating themselves with their projects. The paranoia they have for negative publicity has lead them to fire their PR agency, Hill & Knowlton and using government influence in forcing the UAE media to refrain from publishing articles against their projects.

How the Gardens Mall became Ibn Battuta Mall
When Nakheel embarked on a unique shopping mall project themed on the travel routes of the a 13th century traveller, they could have got it terribly wrong again; had they gone with the name of ‘Gardens Shopping Mall’ and positioning it as just another mall which made peoples eyes light up the minute they hear names like the springs, meadows, gardens, lilies and all things Keats in the sandlands. Fortunately, someone (apparently from the PR agency itself) had far more foresight and the mall was renamed Ibn Battuta Mall. Not that easy to pronounce and wild theories of people actually thinking IBN is some software company tying up with a local guy fondly called ‘Battuta’ to build a big shopping mall – the name did take them a long way in positioning the brand as it ought to be.

Here are some photos which reflect the architectural details of the mall. Callison Architecture,
Dewan Al Emara and a host of other consultants has done a great job in going a level above a mere imitation.

Conspiracy Theories and Photoshop

2006-08-07T20:23:00.000+04:00

When you are trying to prove a point too hard, the lines blur between mere speculation and methodical analysis. So when the analysis go against your estimate, some resort to dirty tricks to push the case further.

Like this website, which attempts to make an expert analysis of a Reuters photo which shows three missiles from an Israeli warplane. From the very same photographer, Adnan Hajj who digitally manipulated his photo to add some 'punch'. Fair enough, you have reasons to suspect all his photos to be manipulated in the same way. So the PS experts of MyPetJawa takes the photo and analyses the photo up close pixel by pixel. And what did they find? They do not match. Which means they are 3 different flares. Now thats not fair is it? So they create another magnified image, this time with three identical flares (hoping nobody will notice - afterall how many of you know Photoshop and even if you do, how many of you will take the trouble to make such lengthy pixel-bypixel comparison to prove that a discredited photographer has one photo which is genuine?) and concludes that the image is manipulated. Another expert even does a matte difference check to add to the speculation.

First things first. The original photograph submitted would normally be, say a 300 dpi 6000x4500 image which the Reuters website has converted to 72 dpi - 350x 232 pixels for the web. This essentially means that this resized low resolution image is not fit for such analysis.

Secondly, to manipulate the resized image to suit your conspiracy theory is criminal. I might be wrong and the photo may have been manipulated afterall. But until we have conclusive proof, it is not wise to take such theories into consideration.

Update: Now Reuters has confirmed that the flares were indeed manipulated. Thanks to Sam for the link. However I am not convinced that such a conclusion could be drawn from the low resolution jpegs posted in the Reuters website on technical grounds.

Finding Hammour

2006-08-05T08:33:00.000+04:00

Looks like the not-so-tasteful Found Nemo! joke has caught on in Dubai as well - but with a twist. I was quite surprised to see a teaser ad resembling a Finding Nemo poster with a a slight modification in the title. Nemo was ofcourse missing and the title said - Finding Hammour. How imaginative.

Anyone knows about the ad Im talking about? I have to click a picture next time I see it.

Update: Apparently, this execution was done earlier by Saatchi & Saatchi and won a Cannes Gold Lion in the direct marketing category. The Dubai version as I later found out is done for Burger King whose 'originality' has won them an award for branding excellence in the UAE.
Looking forward to scan of the ad in UAE Creatives.

The Emirates Towers - Photos

2006-08-03T17:13:00.000+04:00

They must be the oddest couple on earth. Depending on the location from where you are looking at The Emirates Towers, they seem to share anything from a cold distant share to a warm union.

Despite the not-so-cost-effective idea of using a triangle as the architectural design base and it's similarities with another structure , this building never ceases to amaze me. The sense of geometry and style becomes evident as you explore each and every corner of this unique Dubai landmark. Some photos I took on such a visit can be found here.

Monopoly Dubai Edition - Beta release

2006-08-02T18:32:00.000+04:00

So I finally got somewhere making Monopoly Dubai Edition. As SD said, it is quite impossible to classify Dubai in terms of streets, because they are either unheard of, or they are just called Street 100 A, 100 B etc. Besides my familiarity with the places in Dubai is often limited to the mega projects which will get completed in the next 50 years.

I am also trying to put in a little trivia about each location. Hopefully I will learn something new after completing this dubious excercise.

Naif Road
For a while, I thought Naif is actually ‘knife’ which a gentleman living in Dubai for the last 35 years failed to contradict. Later I found that it actually means “mess” in Dublish (Nah, not the Dublin one).

As a spurned lover would say, “You made my life a Naif Road” is a perfect way to end a tragical love story.

Hor Al Anz
My ignorance of Arabic and the local places continued, because the taxi drivers mislead me into thinking it was “Hor lands”. This time I didn’t ask them the spelling.

To be continued..

The New Etisalat Home Page

2006-07-29T16:47:00.000+04:00

So do you see a possibility of Etisalat getting impressed by my redesign proposal for their homepage and thereby letting me access YouTube again?

Or will I have keep on waiting for some competition only to say Et Tu Du?

Project Dooble Earth

2006-07-27T11:05:00.000+04:00

The possibilities that Google Earth offers are virtually limitless. I have been trying to put together a super high resolution image of key locations in Dubai from several low resolution images available from the application.

It took around 4 hours and more than 40 screen resolution images to create this high resolution satellite picture of Sheikh Zayed Road area which can be printed as a 1 metre wide poster. At this rate, I would need roughly 130 man-hours, a 17x 17 m printing area and lots of ink to complete Project Dooble Earth - A Super High Resolution image of the whole of Dubai. That is if I will be able to keep my sanity and my disc intact after what I increasingly suspect to be a rather pointless and tedious task. But I have not given up yet.

To have a closer look, you can download the actual high resolution image here(8mb).

Think before you reach out

2006-07-23T10:07:00.000+04:00

BatesPanGulf attempts something innovative for Dubai Autism Centre 's campaign to raise awareness of an often-overlooked disorder which affects every 1 in 166 children born in the US. Yosef Khouwes seems to have done a good job with the art direction and the idea is executed quite well too, but I wonder if they did enough research about the dramatic after-effects that many autistic children exhibit to even the slightest touch.

A case of an advertising agency keen on 'making it look good' rather than sending the right message, figuratively. Oddly enough, it has been considered worthy enough to be copied according to this website, especially when the 'blending with the bag' idea is being experimented by every agency in town.

Image sources: Ads of the World and Advertising Goodness

The Modhesh Mystery Solved

2006-07-20T16:51:00.000+04:00

Now this 16-year old fellow has a sharp eye, I tell you. He has pointed out the mystery behind my modheshannoya (a critical variation of the dreaded Modhesh-fatigue).
I just knew the mix wasn't right. Have a Modhesh weekend, everyone!

That Scrambled Word Game

2006-07-20T12:08:00.000+04:00

This poster reminded me of those good old days when Henri Arnold and Michael Argirion cheered me up with some humorous and fairly entertaining(and most importantly, easier to solve) Jumbles after toiling endlessly with some cryptic crosswords that lived up to the adjective more often than not.
Well, then came the internet, and now all you need to do is to type in the word in a text box and suddenly the Jumble Empire seems to collapse. But yes, you can still indulge in some good old fun and the surprise answer always makes it worthwhile.

Syd's long walk home

2006-07-18T09:01:00.000+04:00

If the distance between insanity and genius was measured by success, Syd Barrett would have to go a long way to cover the distance. Not that he cared.

It is amazing how a schizophrenic drug addict who inspired a whole generation of artists and the most memorable of songs passed away spending his last years in reclusive anonymity. Roger Water's song writing in Pink Floyd's later albums was synonymous with references to their loss of this 'crazy diamond' and are lines which every listener can relate to.

The following lines were written by David Gilmour (the man who replaced Syd Barrett when the band members got enough of Barrett wandering around aimlessly during stage performances without playing the guitar) and with no direct reference to Barrett but gimpses of the genius of Pink Floyd and Syd himself, very much evident.

While you are wasting your time on your enemies
Engulfed in a fever of spite
Beyond your tunnel vision reality fades
Like shadows into the night

Brand Dubai and the Rest

2006-07-16T16:21:00.000+04:00

'The heart means different things to different people and is symbolic of the courage and dynamism shown by our leaders in creating a trade and tourism destination unlike any other,' DTCM Director Operations and Marketing, Mr. Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb said, during the launch of a high profile marketing launch of the ‘Dubai Heart’ campaign in May 2005.

A destination like no other, for sure. The trouble is atleast half a dozen other destinations thinks so too, none more significant than Milton Glaser's I love NY, which celebrates the metropolitan pride of the city.

I must say the Dubai heart logo is appealing and clever in a way, but I am not convinced with the explanation that the red colored heart represents ‘courage’ and ‘dynamism’ of leaders in the region. Ask any person in Dubai, whether local or an expat whether they associate the image of the ‘red calligraphic heart’ with what Dubai stands for, I doubt any of them will answer on the affirmative.

Destination branding is no enviable task, as I found out during the past week when I went through hundreds of websites, brochures, articles and a couple of books. More so for a nation as varied as the United Arab Emirates, where identifying a unique characteristic which can generate a positive emotional response from a person is only a part of the task; but also involves addressing issues like the volatility of the middle-east and cultural sensibilities.

Nations has increasingly resorted to the “We have everything” or a “We are different” angle which did nothing more than to get fairly easy approvals from governments and other decision-making bodies. Among Uniquely Singapore, Incredible India, Enchanting Finland, Wonderful Greece, Magical Kenya, Dynamic Korea, Naturally Nepal, Uruguay Natural, Wow Philippines, which one will actually generate a positive human response from a citizen or a tourist is debatable. Others have resorted to their regional significance – Tanzania claiming to be ‘Authentic Africa’ while Rwanda urges you to ‘Discover a new African Dawn’(featuring a Gorilla naming ceremony!) and Zambia reckons you can ‘Experience the Real Africa’, Samoa is ‘The treasured island of the South Pacific’, Grenada is the ‘Spice of the Caribbean’ while Dominica is ‘The Nature Island of the Caribbean’, Malta is the ‘Heart of the Mediterranean’ while Croatia is ‘The Mediterranean as it once was’.

Still more get philosophical and poetic- Macedonia is the ‘Cradle of Culture, land of nature’, Maldives claims to be ‘The sunny side of life’, Nicaragua is ‘A country with heart’(Sorry Dubai), Cayman Islands is ‘Close to home, Far from expected’, Niue Islands is ‘Undiscovered Unspoiled Unbelievable’, Thailand offers you ‘Happiness on Earth’, Vietnam is ‘The Hidden Charm’ while Panama takes up the clichéd ‘The road less travelled’ tag.

Others can simply be mistaken with products like mineral water, television or even shoes - like Seychelles claiming to be ‘As pure as it gets’ (or sometimes a little less) while New Zealand is ‘100% Pure’, South Africa says ‘It is possible’, Hungary has a ‘Talent for entertaining’.

Only a few has managed to stand out and make an impact– either due to their long-term vision or with the help of a bit of creativity shown while making their identities, executing campaigns and ensuring some level of consistency. Malaysia's ‘Truly Asia’, despite its obvious simplicity has proved to be a winner. Alaksa, which has a predictable tagline, ‘Beyond your dreams, Within your reach’ came up with an excellent Alaska B4UDIE campaign to boost tourism revenue. Ethiopia’s questionable ‘13 months of sunshine’ may not have prompted a huge tourist influx, but is nevertheless unique, but has not been marketed well. Latvias ‘Land that Sings’ is delightful, Cyprus’ ‘The golden apple’ is intriguing, Ireland’s ‘Your own Ireland’ works well combined with its identity, Jamaica’s ‘One Love’ is representative of the nations fun-filled outlook.

Australia emerges the winner of the pack with excitement always present in its identity and campaigns that generate discussion, not to mention the popularity of the destination itself. Poland used a plumber and a nurse to inject some fresh lease of life into the tourism industry. Bahamas has a unique and contemporary logo, but it is doubtful whether it portrays a national identity as well as Spain’s does.

Britain, one of the first countries to take destination branding seriously did not create much excitement in terms of creativity. ‘Visit Britain’ promised to be as boring as the country was perceived to be, while the pretentious ‘UK OK’ was typically unimaginative. And in case if you were wondering who was behind Saudi Arabia’s innovative tourism strategy, you are welcome to the lovingly named ‘Supreme commission for Tourism’.

40 seconds of Blindness

2006-07-13T08:43:00.000+04:00

The character and the perspective that we possess today is a manifestation of thousands of experiences and interactions that has happened during our lifetime. Ideally, what we really want to be, is shaped by a process of slow evolution of opinions, thoughts, actions, evaluations and inferences on what is right and what is wrong for us.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Most of us have our ‘40 seconds of blindness’ – when we ponder on a thought, which is completely contradicting basic rationale and pure thinking process. Often in a deliberate way, we imbibe some attributes or viewpoints and in later stages mould them in a way, when whatever counter-arguments that crop up in our minds is quashed by our clouding prejudice.

For Muslims in India and in the rest of the world, this 40 seconds of blindness often comes in the form of a man who proclaims a careless remark which suddenly becomes a turning point in their lives. It might be as trivial as statements like “Hindus worship devils” or “Christians are trying to wipe out Islam”. Being brought up as a Muslim, I have heard such statements more than once and it was there in the back of my mind as I grew up, interacted with people, made friends(incidentally, most of them were Hindus) and without myself knowing it, those seemingly innocuous remarks were wiped out from my mind as rubbish. It is important to note that it is not a philosophical evaluation or the need for strong ideals, which results in such a development. It is just basic human nature of choosing what you think is right rather than having to refer to a book or a person who claims to be knowledgeable on distinguishing between the right and wrong.

It is rather unfortunate and disappointing to admit, atleast from my personal experience that, many Muslims do sympathize with Muslim terrorists. It is amazing how the very fact that these people who actually “kill” is overlooked by a less obvious fact that they are Muslims. If McDonalds has managed to appeal to the health-conscious just by putting a few ads of slim and healthy looking people, then we shouldn’t be very surprised on how these cold-blooded criminals were successful in positioning themselves as saviours or martyrs of Islam.

Every man without a purpose in life, with access to weapons and susceptible to the ‘40 seconds of blindness’ is a potential terrorist. Shoot down 10 of them and the 20 who are watching will only take up the cause. I believe, if we take initiatives on providing these people with opportunities and a good cause to live, the chances of them pursuing violence is minimal. And ofcourse, while teaching our children the values of our religion, they should be told that the shock and revulsion that they feel when they see a bleeding man, whichever religion he belongs to, is because killing a person is wrong. No cause can justify that.

600 Billion Dhs skyscraper announced

2006-07-12T11:30:00.000+04:00

New entrants to the booming and busting Dubai real-estate market, Bottomless has announced a 600 Billion Dhs skyscraper targeted at low-income residents in the UAE.

Featuring spectacular views of the Dubai traffic, a unique roof-top heating system and intermittent shower system, the structure is expected to further consolidate Dubai's position as a pioneer in innovative architecture and sustainable social communities.

Interested buyers are requested to approach the Bottomless sales offices with a 50% payment advance before our "Sold Out" double spread advert which appears next week.

The Ultimate Cure

2006-07-06T10:29:00.000+04:00

Azad Bhai is no Dallas Austin. Infact he would rarely associate himself with a rapper whose hit singles include ‘Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg’ and ‘Silly Ho’.

Possibly that is why, somewhere during his 35 year old struggle in the UAE, he decided to become a 'doctor'. The ‘doctor’ or the ‘Vaidyan’ as per a South Asian terminology, interestingly never carries a stethoscope. He looks pretty innocuous, until someone flashes a couple of 10 Dhs notes and that is when Azad Bhai will reveal his armoury, a full array of illicit liquor bottles concealed under his worn-out shirt. There are thousands of ‘doctors’ like Azad Bhai in UAE who make a living out of selling illicit liquor. And there is never a dearth of ‘patients’ either whose monthly salary will not be enough to pay a days bill in one of Dubai’s exclusive bars.

Years and years of eluding the Dubai Police and late night handling of bottle deliveries have taken a toll on Azad Bhai and now retirement seems imminent. But he is all too well aware that there are more than enough promising ‘doctors’ out there to carry forward his legacy. Besides for a man like him, an official pardon doesn't seem too likely either.

Of intelligent bindis and a mutiny

2006-07-05T08:25:00.000+04:00

I was trying to work out some web/logo identity concepts for Mutiny.in when I came across these photos. The beautiful 'bindi', the model is wearing here is actually embedded with an integrated chip with intelligent charging capabilities.

MindTree which is a software development consultancy firm based in India is behind the idea.

Coming back to the Mutiny.in identity concepts, below are some options that I was trying to work out. Do drop in your feedback.

We are Number One

2006-07-02T14:21:00.000+04:00

Looks like some UAE publications has turned to aggressive tactics to contradict the claims of circulation of it's rivals.
This ad, presumably of 'What's On', appeared in a Campaign Middle-East Report.
So who is willing to take on 'My Favourite No:1 Newspaper' now?

The Land of Wind Towers

2006-06-29T12:48:00.000+04:00

You have seen them at the Creek, on over-sized villas in Satwa, in the 3-d generated renderings of multi-billion dirhams community projects and prominently at the Madinat Jumeirah. Almost all architects and builders are busy associating these mostly brownish, sometimes rugged and rarely functional vertical openings with some rods sticking out, to the architectural and cultural heritage of Dubai.

So I decided to find out a little more about the most ancient form of air-conditioning and its origin. Early in the 18th century, with the new found wealth out of pearl trade in countries like Bahrain, merchants built houses bringing with them some respective regional architectural aspects. One of the such features was the 'baghdeer' or a natural ventilation system. The hawaya is one of the three types of baghdeer, says Catnaps.org, an excellent resource in Islamic architecture. The Burj Al Hawwa or the Wind Towers we refer to today, was meant to take advantage of the prevailing winds allowing the air to funnel into the interiors. The mangrove poles which were often sticking out of the structure provided the much needed tensile strength.

The easy accessibility and availability in the region has rendered this cumbersome natural air cooling system useless over the years. But the revival of these wind towers came from an unlikely place, where people have been exhibiting the Burj Al Hawwa merely as a decorative element; the mangrove poles replaced by concrete rods painted a darker shade of brown.

Illustration courtesy : www.catnaps.org

How do you feel?

2006-06-28T10:40:00.000+04:00

I feel like the spontaniety is lacking in everything I say and do. How do you feel?

Every few minutes, Wefeelfine.org "searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling". When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). Because blogs are structured in largely standard ways, the age, gender, and geographical location of the author can often be extracted and saved along with the sentence, as can the local weather conditions at the time the sentence was written. All of this information is saved."

A very unique concept. Try it out.
Thanks to Leilouta for the link.

The World Cup Branding Story

2006-06-27T12:42:00.000+04:00

Since sulking about not being able to watch the FIFA World cup in the comfort of my room wasn’t helping me much, I decided to divert my attention to what went behind the branding and mascot design for the big event.

‘Goleo’, the trouserless furry lion is drawing flak from all quarters, especially in Germany where one of the most respected designer and typographer Erik Spiekermann points out that ‘Goleo’ in its name and form does not represent Germany in any respect. He goes on to say, “We have eagles, gnomes and garden dwarves and what have you, but we don't have lions. That's English or French.”.
So where did the Lion come from? From a British branding agency, ofcourse. In 1998, when a man called Chris Lightfoot was heading the London based brand agency, Interbrand, they were selected to design the logo for FIFA. Since then, he has worked as the primary creative director for FIFA Marketing and has started Whitestone International, which was responsible for branding the Japan-South Korea 2002 World Cup as well.

It seems the German Football Association was so impressed with the 2002 logo that they hired Whitestone to design the 2006 version. Whitestone came up with 'Celebrating Faces Of Football', which I think is quite successful in being ‘friendly’ and ‘contemporary’. However, the negative is that it is trying to tell too many things, especially with the German tricolour swish looking like a last-minute add-on. It is highly unlikely that this cheerful logo from Whitestone will be remembered in the years to come.

As for the ludicrous German lion, I just wish Goleo pay a visit to Dubai to gobble up that ugly yellow caterpillar with a fake smile that makes 47 degree Celsius seem like 60 during the Dubai Summer Shockers. Too bad, the company behind Goleo has gone bankrupt.

Dubizzled!

2006-06-25T13:05:00.000+04:00

Dubizzle is one weird establishment.
According to their website "Dubizzle (pronounced doo-biz-zull) stems from an ancient Greek word, dubizelius, meaning: really-awesome-and-easy-to-use-community -portal-for-Dubai- that-will-be-displayed-and-accessed- through-a-futuristic-device-called-a-computer- that-won't-be-invented-for-another-2-3-thousand-years (rough translation). "
Despite their attempts at bad humour, I searched for 'dubizelius' on Websters and they suggested 'dubiously' which was fine by me, considering the brain behind their corporate logo. I wonder which agency burnt their heads on coming up with such a masterpiece.

But the Oh My Dubai Photos made up for all the wizardry. Somewhat.

Sleeping under the Stairs

2006-06-21T09:09:00.000+04:00

1 Dhs per hour. That is what the companies in UAE, which are making windfall profits compared to the rest of the world pay a labourer for working overtime, according to Gulf News Property Weekly article. Not that it is surprising. Every day we come across press releases saying "XXX Billion Dollar Project Launched". Don't they have a few more dirhams to spare for these struggling labourers who are giving Dubai the competitive advantage over the rest of the world?

Dubai's missing Guiness entry

2006-06-19T16:05:00.000+04:00

According to Falapeno, Dubai was robbed off from a distinctive Guinness book entry. Here is what happened.

GG1: "Guinness Book office. Can I help you?"

PM: "Yes. I am calling from Dubai and I've got 50 cranes lined up together in one site. Can you put this in the next Guinness edition?"

GG1: "50 cranes? In a lake or something?"

PM(excitedly): "In a desert!"

GG1: "Huh. Ok. Hold on for a second please"

GG1 to GG2: "Hey theres this dude from Dubai who claims hes got 50 cranes lined up in a desert and he wants an entry into the Guinness Book"

GG2: "Must be the desert heat being hard on him. You know it"

GG1(back on the phone) : "50 cranes you said? But no goose?"

PM: "Goose? No..I mean.. these are cranes all weighing more than 12 tonnes.."

Click.

Sorry, Dubai

2006-06-18T15:24:00.000+04:00

If Etisalat was swift in blocking Sorry Dubai for what it called objectionable content (read criticism of Etisalat) last year, it obviously does not find anything wrong with the new version which has some interesting messages for Dubai-ans.

Wake up, idiots who think dubai is the best.Cauz any of you havent seen anywhere else like Deutschland,Großbritannien,Amerika,Europa usw.
Whole heartedlyF*** u all
posted by Ahmedinejad at 4:11 PM

Future of dubai?

What is the future of dubai!!Well if it has any!!
IN 40 yrs they run out of oil and thaey can't do anything about it.lol

posted by Ahmedinejad at 4:37 AM

Nice.

The First Strike

2006-06-15T10:57:00.000+04:00

We need to get rid of this guy who represents and advocates everything that a cultured civilisation is not. And I do not mean the 7 foot bulk-heads (with exceptions, ofcourse) who just do what their masters ask them to do. It is the corporations, the companies and the authorities whose deep-rooted ignorance and prejudice that is undermining the very existence of a multi-cultural society.

Gulf News' claims of playing the activist medium against racial discrimination might be a little overstated, but this is defintely step on the right direction.

FYI: You can register complaints against the DTCM, Dubai or Dubai based establishments here.

The Peoples Game

2006-06-14T10:58:00.000+04:00

With each passing game, my frustration on not being able to watch the FIFA World Cup 2006 is growing. E-Vision, ART ...all of you suck. Bigtime.

With apologies to the original Adidas advert.

Wonder of Wonders - The Falcons Crotch

2006-06-13T16:38:00.000+04:00

A mention of Dubai in the in the present day media is unmistakeably accompanied by references to the rebuilding of the seven wonders of the world. Salim AlMoosa enterprises, with apparently 30 years of experience making castles in the sand has taken up this ambitious (Now, isn't that an understatement) project. If Dubai's architectural vision and capabilities are to be evaluated in 10 years time with a 'landmark' like this, the city has some serious issues to tackle.

Besides the ingenuity of making the project in the shape of the favourite bird of the UAE, the developers have done what no other company or architect has managed to do - make the Eiffel Tower stick out of the Falcon's crotch. Buildings as phallic symbols (unintentionally, I assume) are not very new in the world of architecture, but this one is really going to take the cake. But the real entertainment is on their website - a poetic essay on the vision behind the project and design rationale. Someone please tell me what the following means.

"The objective of Dubai Eiffel Tower [sic] is to provide prestigious units for the elits that are architecuraly sensitive and responsive to the context through using the original Eiffel tower historical statues and worldwide fame, while maximizing the net revenues associated with net development of the project."
"envisioning privacy and intigration in the same time seperation in both horizontal and vertical movement..."
Full text is available here and here.

Silence of the lambs

2006-06-10T21:18:00.000+04:00

"There is no accountability and nobody questions the system because there are no political rights," said Mohammed al-Roken, a human rights lawyer and the former head of the Emirates' Jurists Association. "The elites are buying the allegiance of their citizens."

Being been banned indefinitely from writing in local newspapers, having public speeches frequently cancelled at the last minute and being refused permission to set up a human rights organisaion in not exactly the change he was hoping for. As The Guardian finds out..

Although the Washington Post looks at the both sides, the Human Rights Watch minces no words in its analysis of Dubai.

Builder of Big Dreams

2006-06-06T17:14:00.000+04:00

TIM E magazine has listed the CEO of Dubai Inc. as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in it's May 2006 issue. The article also described Dubai as his 'family run city' and reckons that his subjects fondly call him Sheikh Mo. But what I liked about the article was this rather remarkable illustration above done by Thomas Reis.

Free World Cup Tickets!

2006-06-05T13:19:00.000+04:00

I bet you got as excited as the UAE scribes were when they received this offer from the company which claims to light up the world.
As Dubai Media Observer says about the UAE journalists, "Just because they are cheap and hardly competent, doesn't mean you should point it out to their face". Campaign ME did a good job of convincing readers that they were mortified hearing about this offer. They seem to be quite convinced that Phillips is not going to advertise in Campaign anytime in the near future; but to be fair to them, the magazine is a good read.
Kudos to the UAE media fraternity who stood up against this deplorable act.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky

2006-06-04T11:40:00.000+04:00

Now here is an advertising agency that fires clients instead of the other way round. From the Subservient Chicken to the Unboring Ikea lamp, Crispin Porter + Bogusky has a less complicated approach to advertising and marketing than their name suggests - make news and more news. Their relentless pursuit towards this approach has made them the most sought after agency in recent times raising profile of companies ranging from Volkswagen to Coca Cola.
The edgy and often eccentric ideas have drawn criticism from different quarters; has however produced admirable results in terms of product sales and they have been hugely successful in engaging consumers through usage of media like web and TV. Here is Business Week gushing about the people who made advertisements the discussion topic in cocktail parties.

Is it illegal to sit in a car with a lady?

2006-06-04T10:39:00.000+04:00

'Emirates Evening Post' a seemingly obscure newspaper, with a not-so-remarkable editorial content, has again raised some uncomfortable questions, albeit unintentionally through their 'Ask your Lawyer' column.
A man and a woman, not legally related (can be friends, colleagues etc) are "not supposed to sit together in a car, or go for movies, or to restaurants etc.. " says the matter-of-fact lawyer to a bizarre question.
Wonder why some half-dressed male and female models clinging together in a showroom opening of an international brand as seen on a popular newspaper doesnt make the cut.

TIME for Opus Dei

2006-06-03T17:13:00.000+04:00

No, I havent seen the movie yet. But the barrrage of criticism has convinced me that I can sit through 'Da Vinci Code' without strangling the film distributor. Ever since the dubious distinction of being the most popular 'lost and found' item from trains was bestowed upon this book, it has become not-so-fashionable to say that you are a Dan Brown fan. It is akin to admitting that you listen to Backstreet Boys(I heard they are back again- Backstreets back, allright- dont get me started ok?).
If you are having frequent heaches trying to find out about the unending mysteries and clues associated with the book, this TIME magazine article about the 'evil' Opus Dei is going to make it worse. There was a report about Opus Dei spending millions of dollars in a PR campaign to strengthen their public image after the book gave them nightmares. Looks like it is working.
Here are some scans from the TIME article. Worth a read.

Culture & Heritage for AED 50 Billion

2006-06-01T13:12:00.000+04:00

The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning "to cultivate", generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity.

Egyptian Culture has 5000 years history of flourishing art, architecture, religion, literature and language. Indian culture is one of the oldest and has retained much of its illustrious art, architectural and musical heritage till date. Almost 1200 years of Roman culture and heritage is considered instrumental in shaping the social structure and civilization we see today.

So when a UAE government-funded property developer gives another-drop-your-jaws- here-is-another-press-release which says that“Culture City will offer the cultural soul that Dubai deserves”, I begin to wonder if you can really buy culture and heritage for 50 billion Dirhams. The not-so-distinguishable clichéd wind-tower(which itself has its origins in Iran and Bahrain) logo makes me all the more skeptical.

So what do you think? Is this the real culture and heritage of Dubai?

Singing Carrots

2006-05-31T13:08:00.000+04:00

Exciting things happen outside Dubai too. Like this dubious animal rights group declaring this equally dubious musician, the sexiest vegetarian in the world. Reportedly some other vegetarians(as seen in the photo) expressed their disappointment for having missed out.
This is the same man whose overflowing intelligence prompted him to change his name to a unpronounceable symbol to take "The first step towards the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me.." in his own words. Sick.

Tale of two cities

2006-05-30T21:07:00.000+04:00

Good news for frustrated drivers spending half their life in Dubai traffic and the other half looking for parking space. The Road Transport Authority of Dubai is framing policies to encourage bicycles on Dubai roads to reduce traffic woes. Now you dont need to spend endless hours in your car manouvering, honking and cursing; you can enjoy pedalling in the 45 degree summer heat in all it's glory. And incase you plan to pass the dreaded Dubai-Sharjah border, make sure you gear up for some weight-lifting too since bicycles are banned in the land of no return.

To du or Etisalat?

2006-05-30T16:06:00.000+04:00

It is a bit like ‘The Black Eyed Peas’ arriving where Westlife has been singing ‘Seasons in the Sun’ for 25 years. Not a revolution but a welcome change nevertheless in the UAE telecom sector from a company whose greatest innovation was to paint telephone cards in green and red besides its commitment to rescue us from nefarious websites like MySpace, Flickr and Babelfish Translation(something to do with fishy babes perhaps?) .

The start couldn’t have been better for du, atleast in terms of branding but it is highly unlikely that it will cause a price war between the two and the customer benefiting out of it. The simple but interesting name - du, minus the gimmicks and their message of being ‘friendly’, ‘honest’ and ‘service-oriented’ is everything what Etisalat is not.

Etisalat must be feeling a little edgy, so much that they felt they needed a new identity. It is still early days to judge how it will work for them assuming they will not change their overall approach. But my first impression was that that ‘reach’ is not going to help Etisalat much in the long run.

Open Adobe Illustrator -> Choose a nice shape from a downloaded shape library - > Distort the shape -> Choose 2 colours from the ‘youthful’ colour palette -> Ask the copywriter to write two paragraphs of bullshit about the logo and bingo you got an identity. There are agencies which does research, put some thought and then ask the designer to work on a logo based on their inferences. There are others which ask the designers to make a ‘nice looking’ logo and then ask the copywriter to give an explanation to the design. It is obvious who took each of these approaches.

All credit to Turquoise (And not Leo Burnett, as I thought previously) in executing a fantastic branding idea while in their typical dodgy fashion Etisalat has failed to identify their creative agency in the press release where they claim "The new identity reflects Etisalat's values of transparency, optimism, openness, simplicity and reliability. The green colour in the logo signifies life, growth and renewal. Green is the national colour of the UAE, and Etisalat has a long and close association with its home nation- the UAE."
Transparency and openness for god's sake.
FYI: in case you are interested, the Etisalat rebranding was done by Fortune Promoseven in association with Rareform London (after a four-way pitch against JWT, Impact BBDO and Team Y&R in April). Looks like Fp7's new creative director Marc Lineveldt, who joined the agency last month after leaving Team Y&R will have lots of challenges ahead of him.

Vanity Fair's take on Dubai

2006-05-29T11:58:00.000+04:00

The latest issue of Vanity Fair has some interesting insights about Dubai. From it's logic-defying real estate projects, the 'Cyclone experience' to the labour(or labor as they say) issues , it would have caused a flutter, or perhaps even be censored, had the people in Dubai spent some more time reading.
Some good photos as well, like the oft-used tennis on the Burj-Al-Arab helipad.
Click here to download the the 21-page article(pdf) or just drop me an email(wokeupjustnow@gmail.com) if the link doesn't work.

Con Land

2006-05-23T10:35:00.000+04:00

A few months back while I was admiring a large hoarding of 'The World' in Shekh Zayed Rd, the taxi driver driver turned to me and said "Do you know who is going live in these palms and islands?".
When I did not offer any answer he remarked with a straight face, "All the world's richest criminals and drug dealers".
"Yeah?".
"Well, can you think of a safer place for people like that to live where nobody (Interpol, FBI etc) can hunt them down?".
If there was no hint of surprise in my face, it would probably because Dubai had a bad reputation of being a safe haven for criminals; and really rich ones at that. But times have changed, and Dubai has more responsibility being in the spotlight for much better reasons. So I was quite surprised after seeing this article in ProperT.ae magazine.

It briefly talks about the Sales and Marketing Director of MED(Middle East Development), Mr. Nigel K Russell who apparently ' brought the concept of Apartment Residences in the UAE' and and was 'a pioneer in selling condos in the US during the 80's'. Pioneer he was, according to this website which states he is a wanted man for non-payment to his clients, deception, assault and other cases. There is even a Yahoo group set up by people who has been cheated by this pioneer. For all those who are planning to embrace MEDs concept of 'Apartment Residences', I wish you all the luck in the world; especially since he got fired from another reputed real-estate company in UAE an year back after they found out about his illustrious career.

UPDATE: Apparently Nigel has been fired from MED last week and has disappeared again. Probably to the UK.

Good News and Khaleej Whines

2006-04-30T16:01:00.000+04:00

Reading newspapers in the UAE can be an enlightening experience. According to Good News , the government is doing so much for the people that when all the labour related newsreports that is cropping up with an invisible tagline 'hope they dont read it and ask us to close shop' are .."fishy aims behind the organised campaign against the UAE." I am not sure if the UAE has instituted some journalism awards for fearless reporting, but if there is, I'm sure this guy will be on the shortlist.
Talking about 'fearless reporting', your favourite no:1 newspaper in the UAE (shut up you idiot, it is your favourite no:1 newspaper, we know) has no time for such insights. They are busy with injecting some social responsibility into the mindset of UAE citizens.
And I do not know how much difference this would make for the underpaid, overworked construction workers in the UAE, but give it a try.
Thanks to Secret Dubai Diary for some references.

In Excess

2006-04-18T16:47:00.000+04:00

The Lagoons is the latest property offering in the land of excess which is 'strategically located' in the 'heart of Dubai' aimed at 'a self-sustainable community' providing 'lush greenery' and 'tranquil waterfront' where 'nature may flourish' and 'encourage modern living'. Enough cliches to choke you to death.

Every development in every seemingly uninhabitable part of the city trumpets such adjectives through glossy brochures and hyper expensive 3-d renderings and animations. Every apartment, every villa, every bedroom features 'luxury at it's best' if they are to be believed - never mind some hapless residents in Dubai Marina who paid an astonishingly high price only to look out from congested apartments to noisy neighbouring airconditioners in the balcony and some Emaar 'green-communities' turning to 'water-logged communities'.

The lack of proper regulations and guidelines in a comparitively immature Dubai real-estate market has meant that for every high-class development executed with proper planning, there are 100 developments coming up which are over-hyped, makes no business sense or doesnt meet any requirements and makes a variety of false claims.

No wonder, some investors view Dubai with suspicion. With promises like these, they have to think 10 times to see if the projects are for real.

Dancing in Dubai

2006-04-18T13:03:00.000+04:00

So the question is, 'Why is Saif Ali Khan dancing in the US?'. I seriously have no idea. I am sure the Gulf News Tabloid writer is among the 5 million people in Dubai who waited with bated breath to see this son of a Tiger dance to a remix featured in the Bollywood Top 3750 list.
We have all heard of the British tabloids being the most nonsensical ever to appear on print- so what if the UAE newspapers cannot impersonate the page 3 nud*s or celebrities smoking pot. They have found different ways to capture the attention of disgruntled readers. Here the gulf news writer has found a scoop where Mr.Saif was found dancing in a stage show in US after 'walking slowly, smiling weakly and speaking softly' in Dubai. So the writer asks you a genuine question. Are you Angry? Upset?

So we should be. If all the UAE newspapers refrain from publishing such enlightening articles in the name of a tabloid interlaced with spoon-fed PR crap we would be much less angry and upset. Saying that, Gulf News is one of the betters newspapers in this region, especially compared to "your favourite No:1 newspaper in the UAE." where every article is a masterpiece by itself and worthy of 8 pages of review. I heard Uncle Sam is looking to graduate from 'physical torture' to 'mental torture' in Abu Ghuraib. It wouldn't be a bad idea to make the colonels read out Khaleej Times to the prisoners as the part of the procedure.

Beam me up Scotty! (There's no intelligent life here)

2006-04-18T09:42:00.000+04:00

Greyworldwide's Middle East & Africa homepage starts with an awkward animation that appears like some infected flies converging towards a piece of mud or perhaps something far worse."Constantly growing, very much alive. Just like the amoeba" is their dreary explanation that accompanies the same.
Huh.

Lack of imagination is very much part of Grey's latest marketing campaign for National Bonds Corporation which shows 'retouched' ordinary people looking at yachts, lamborghinis and oversized villas with a not so captivating tagline "Stop dreaming. Start saving" (For those who have not yet managed to read what it says it is nothing as mystical as it lead you to think) in the most illegible typefaces ever used in an advert. The logo is even more baffling with a series of red and brown circles pointing upwards accompanied by 'National Bonds' written in red Eurostile font. How, one of the world's leading advertising firms can get away with such nonsense is beyond comprehension.

Plug 'n Pray

2006-04-12T13:48:00.000+04:00

Holy Corporation wants install a new religion into your mind.

Before you start scratching your head, they do say in their website "Plug'n'Pray kits are not yet available... ;-) but you can become a Plug'n'Pray supporter: buy a Plug'n'Pray Tshirt". The wink says it all.

USB Twigs!

2006-04-12T13:24:00.000+04:00

Here is some imaginative stuff from a Dutch design house, OOMS. The usability remains a question and the so-called design houses never makes things that are cheap. But check out their other products, some of them are quite cool - especially these handmade 'USB twigs' as they call it.
Thanks to Inhabitat for spotting them.

Why are we corrupt?

2006-04-12T12:11:00.000+04:00

The Rang De Basanti magic is fast fading. Few indian motorists gave diabetic 80-year old ministers a second look while manouvering the unending array of potholes. Decades of our indifference and apathy has made corruption and bribe a necessary evil in our country. On one hand you curse a corrupt building contractor who used sub-standard materials to cut corners (and make potholes), while on the other hand you are paying the electrician a 100 rupee 'tip' to make sure he fixes the power connection in time for the cricket match telecast. It is time we realise that corruption is not something inflicted upon us by the government, our predecessors or the beureaucracy- it is very much within ourselves.

What Martin Luther King rightfully pointed out in the context of racism can be extended to how we look at corruption in our country – “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” The very definition of honesty and values is being redefined in our nation. Every time ambition, greed and pure necessity drives me and you to do something that makes corruption gather more foothold in our society, we need to pause and give it a thought. Everytime we accept the loss with silence, which perhaps the outside world will never come to know of or appreciate, a precedent is being set towards a society which regards giving bribe as a criminal activity.

So, those of you who watched the Aamir Khan starrer with clenched fists might as well not let the new sense of resposibility be dampened by a coke bottle (marketed by the very same man) that is on your left hand. It is going to be difficult, because for some, such forays means more headlines and for others the incentives are far less enticing.

Learning to blog

2006-01-23T12:25:00.000+04:00

So it is like 12:30 pm here in Dubai and my back hurts. Not an auspicious occasion to start my first blog. But let me start it anyway, since it is not going to get much better in the near future nor do I think Microsoft Word spellchecker will kill that red headless snake under the most talked-about addition in the English dictionary.
What does 100's of hours of browsing pointless internet websites, idiotic games and silly online conversations give you after a few years? A slip disc. You might like that techy touch to it - though I swear you wouldn't find anything enjoyable in lying down in bed and staring at the roof endlessly or walking like a dysfunctional experimental Aibo.

For the incorrigible geeks, a slip disc(never mind the k and the c) has nothing to do with Seagate or Intel Corporation as I found out.
A disc prolapse (slipped disc) is the result of too much pressure on the intervertebral disc. Typically, pressure on the front part of the disc squeezes it backwards causing it to rupture. The core of the damaged disc then sometimes presses against a nerve root. Since this squeezing of the disc is associated with a forward bending of the spine, patients are often advised to avoid bending forwards.

Let me put my finger into the blog soup with the superlatives - pointless, idiotic and silly eternally attached to all those people whose existence in the real world is confined to bathrooms and my beloved disc that slipped alongwith. And I swear, my next blog, if ever it happens will be free from such baloney(Source: www.dictionary.com ; apparently means nonsense) and will be around Advertising , Graphic design, Typography and last and most certainly the least, Dubai and it's zillion sheikh-the-world real estate projects. Before you frown at the bad puns, that was just a hint for all those americans who ask "dubai huh?" whenever I reluctantly answer the last part of the question that the internet is haunted with so long - a/s/l please?