How crazy is this world? Have we all lost our minds? Dubai, a city and emirate indebted to pretty much everyone around and especially its neighbors here in Abu Dhabi, has seen its stock exchange loose 30 billion US dollars last week while some of the biggest real estate related companies have fired hundreds of people lately and cancelled about 45 projects just two weeks ago. But hey, this is Dubai and parties, celebrations, shows and especially doing the “biggest, bestest, most expensive” stuff is a must.
Thus, they have decided to throw the most extravagant party ever, to celebrate the opening of a “7 star hotel”. I certainly have a few things to say about it, and I will restrain from commenting about that ridiculous amount of stars… just because I don’t have the energy to complain about it all…
The grand opening of the Atlantis hotel has cost an enormous amount of money –somewhere between $20 million and $35 million dollars, yes, US dollars ladies and gentlemen. The celebration included what was supposed to be the most amazing firework-show ever, several times bigger and longer than the one prepared by the Chinese for the opening of the Olympics. The organizers claim, and I really doubt it, that the show was seen from space. More than a million fireworks were launched in nine minutes, for a cost of … $14 million!
To give you an idea, about 2000 people, I mean VIPs and stars, were invited to the celebration, and none of them was an employee of Kerzner International (owner of the hotel, in partnership with Nakheel, aka the Dubai Government). Apparently “Kerzner personally goes over the guest list with a fine-tooth comb vetting the guests and nothing is left to chance. Only those who serve a purpose are invited, even senior managers in his company are only allowed to come to the party if they make themselves useful by serving food and drinks.” Unbelievable!
Those fortunate guests, who obviously don’t give a crap about the crisis or the starving people around the world… sorry… I mean they don’t see their lives affected by the world financial crisis… were treated to a banquet prepared by several Michelin-rated chefs, only after they had gone through three security checkpoints in their vehicles and another on foot. In case they got too tired or thirsty from it, plenty of champagne was waiting for them, apparently Mr Kerzner had tried to buy the entire world stock of £500-a-bottle Cristal champagne for the launch – but he was turned down because “the mass order would send world champagne prices skyrocketing”.
I am happy to say that Ben Affleck didn’t attend and instead flew to visit refugee camps in Congo – I am not into gossip, but I thought this one was worth being mentioned.
Mr Kezner recently compared the Olympic Games to this party, as they both promote cities, countries or territories. “You can ask why for the Olympics do people spend what they spend and do what they do. It’s there to promote the host country. And I think the scale of this is such that the opening, which will cost about $20 million relative to our investment of $1.5 billion... put in that context hopefully will give us huge coverage throughout the world. Atlantis represents so much of what has happened in this area.”
Bla bla bla Mr Kezner… allow me to say that this is a stupid and unfair comparison. Spending over $20 millions is to me a sin. Moreover, it should be illegal if we take into account that you have just fired 800 employees from your Atlantis resort in Bahamas. Rumor is next will be Dubai employees…. However, it is true you attracted a lot of attention to your hotel, but let me remind you that common people are affected by the crisis and I certainly hope they don’t come to your hotel.
I just wish some other events did attract as much attention and media coverage as yours. A great example isjust next door, in Abu Dhabi, where just a week ago the 6th MENA Special Olympics kicked off, and they have lasted for a whole week during which over 1,500 athletes representing 23 countries from the entire MENA region have competed in 12 games. This was the biggest and the largest event in the history of the regional games, since their first edition in Cairo in 1999.
It is sad to say that these games are difficult to hold because of a huge lack of sponsorships from the private sector. However, good news is the Government of Abu Dhabi decided to not let these kids and teenagers down, and itself sponsored the whole event. Airplane tickets, accommodation, food, transportation inside the country, tours and other expenses were taken care by the Government.
Some of these kids were staying in my hotel, and they were noisy, it is true, and they probably made a mess of their rooms also. I know they painted walls and destroyed carpets, but if you had seen their happiness in their eyes you would understand. I had the chance to share the lift with many of them several times over the last week, and when they unzipped their jackets to show me their medals, god how proud I felt of this Emirate. I had tears in my eyes, just like they did.
Unfortunately no one has heard about this event, because people would rather hear about parties, champagne, fireworks and celebrities, than about the Special Olympics. Such is life.
I am amazed at this video. To be honest it is not so much about the turkeys-yep, well, turkeys have to die for all of you to eat them at your Thanks Giving dinners...-. WhatI don't understand is why she chose to conduct the interview right there right then? What motivated such a choice? What was the need?
Has Mrs Palin realized that the reason the media talk about her is just and only because she is entertaining? she is shocking, she is dumb, she is easy to laugh at.... and if you take all that away she is not too interesting you see. So in order for people to not forget her, she might need to do this kind of stuff once in a while... so get ready for what might come in the next couple years...
I am in Omanspending the weekend, and I stay at this 5-star hotel that stinks like tourist and expat, mainly Brits and Germans, and surprisingly also many French. Many of them live here or in the UAE and they usually spend their weekends with their families in resorts. Then you have the tourists who come to the Gulf and they lock themselves in luxurious hotels. They might think they will get the flavor of the Gulf by talking to waiters?? Unfortunately most of them are from Pakistan, India or the Philippines.
It annoys me quite badly. Those people who come here and they go straight from the airport to their hotel, usually using the shuttle service of the place they stay at. They spend most of their time by the pool or in private beaches drinking beer and cocktails, like they would back in Europe. Some of them will be brave enough to leave the hotel and visit the souk and the palace of the Sultan, but they will go and return by taxi and most probably won’t exchange a single word with anyone, not even the driver. Breakfast, lunch and dinner back at the resort, it might not be safe to eat out…
Don’t get me wrong, I do love the luxury and services of nice hotels, but I like it just as much as I dislike these people who are not interested in interacting with locals, and learn about their culture.
I am in the hotel thinking all of the above, and I suddenly feel this urgency to get out of here. I talk to this Mohamed guy who became my friend last night when I checked in, and with the concierge, and we plan my day so that I can see and do as many things as possible, keeping in mind it is Friday. Friday means it is prayer and family day, not too many places open today, and most of those that do will remain closed until 4 pm. No museums today and of course forget about visiting the Grand Mosque. But I am here today, not tomorrow, nor yesterday, and I will make the best of it.
My driver is this young guy, who speaks really good English. I ask him what the word is for that hat Omanis wear, and he answers cap, but what I want is the Arabic word. It is kimah, pronounced like keema, with a long i. I tell him I prefer the kimah to the headscarf that Emiratis wear, because the neighbors seem more arrogant. He smiles, but doesn’t say much. Omanis have mixed feelings about their neighbors; there is some admiration, almost jealousy, because of what they have achieved. The UAE after all is a very similar country, both have plenty of oil, surrounded by the sea and the desert… and even though Oman has grown and developed in a quite amazing way in the last 30 years, not too many people outside the Gulf know about their country, because they have no 7-star hotels, no fake islands, and no ridiculously tall buildings. Some other Omanis are happy with their country and don’t envy the Emirates at all, they have maintained their identity, their culture, their customs, and that is a must for them.
As soon as I get out of the car I realize I like this place. It is much more than what I had expected. It reminds me to the Northern Emirates, in the neighboring country. The mountains that surround Muscat are gray, almost silver. The sky is bright blue, and so is the sea.I see no desert around me, but I can foretell it is not far, because of the colors of the houses, the streets, their clothes. The mosques are beautiful, I have always liked them, and there are many here.
I am amazed with the greeneries and plants and flowers all over the place. That is, all over the place around the palace of the Sultan. It is absolutely beautiful. But what truly surprises me is the amount of birds I see. There are so many, everywhere. They are all different, in color, size and shape, and they sing. I can’t remember if I have ever heard a bird singing in my 10 months in the UAE….
I decide to take a walk around the palace, and I suddenly leave behind the nicely paved streets to get to dusty and tiny ones, surrounded by houses that don’t look as beautiful and luxurious as the ones I could see just by the palace. These are real houses, for real people. I only see men in the streets, and not too many. There are also kids; one of them has spent the last three minutes looking under a car. When I get closer I realize he is trying to catch a wise cat that is hiding there. When the kid hears me he turns around and just then the cat runs away. I try telling him, and he keeps repeating cat, cat! But he obviously doesn’t understand. He then asks me for some money, but I won’t give him any. However, I have candy in my purse, and I offer some to him. His eyes shine but he repeats one rial please. I don’t have any change, and I offer candy again, his eyes still shining, he decides to go for it. Just then some older kids join us and they also want candy, so I give it all to them.
It must be their mum who suddenly appears through the door of a house a few meters down the street, she starts yelling and they all disappear in a second. She stares at me with a look that I fear, so I turn around to leave, but then she says do you want tea? And even though I am sure she is not talking to me, I turn around, only to discover that she is now much closer, offering her hand. I grab it and follow her. The house is very humble, and it seems to me like her husband must be a fisherman. There are nets in the entrance and it smells like fish. There are old carpets in the ground and she invites me to take off my shoes and sit in one of them.The picture of the Sultan is framed and up on the main wallof the living room. Her English is very basic, and she is happy to learn that I am not American because then my English cant perfect either. I choose to use a broken English to talk to her, so that she doesn’t feel bad about hers.
Her feet and hand are swollen; the rest of her body is covered by her abaya. I can also see her face, but I can’t tell how old she is. Her eyes are brown, and she has used henna to emphasize them. Our conversation is really basic while she pours some tea in a couple glasses. We both drink and it is very hot, just like the day. It is 95 degrees outside. She explains to me that the hot tea will keep my body cooler, and then I can keep walking around. Once I am ready to go I offer her some money, and I say it is for the kids, but she refuses to take it and she says that now we are friends. I think she is also saying that one day I can pay her back, when she comes to Spain. We both know that will never happen.
I keep walking, not towards the cornice. Every car that drives by hunks at me, they must think I am lost. The city wall is on my way and it certainly looks like it has been built recently, probably for tourists. There are some stairs that I climb only to discover a beautiful view. While there a soldier with uniform and a gun comes to talk to me. He is happy I am Spanish and he starts asking questions about football –soccer-, because he really likes Barcelona. He seems a bit embarrassed when I tell him I am from Madrid, but he quickly realized I don’t mind that he prefers the rival city. I am actually quite amazed that everyone knows my country and some of the cities, even if it is just because of football. The truth is in Spain not many people would know where Oman is, and imagine asking them about the capital!
Along the cornice I see many men just walking around or simply talking to each other. There are not too many women around but I am not surprised about it, I know this is how it usually is. There are also kids with their dads fishing, they are no fishermen, they are just enjoying time with each otherand probably do it for fun, even though it would be great to catch a nice fish for dinner.
The smell of the sea is very strong and intense, and the water is fierce. The heat is starting to really heat my head now, after over 30 minutes walking around, but that tea did help, I could have been feeling this way earlier.
I can see ahead a group of Pakistanis laughing quite hard and when I get closer to them they show me a huge sea urchin that looks really annoyed. They are all taking pictures of it and I wonder if they know that in France people eat them and they are supposed to be delicious….
When I get back to my hotel I go straight to the beach, the public beach, because I don’t want to be sitting in deck chairs surrounded by all the expats and their loud kids running all over the place. When I get there I am absolutely astonished by what I see: the tide has gone out and all I can see are guys playing football. There are hundreds of them, everywhere, left and right, of all ages and different nationalities, but no Europeans. Most of them even have the full gear, with shirts and pants of Barcelona, Madrid, ManU, Arsenal or Brazil. They all seem to be having a great time, laughing and running around.
And as such, I am the only woman in the beach and none of them has even realized. They are just enjoying themselves, while I enjoy looking at them. The sun is coming down, and as the light is fading I realize I love this place.
Could seem like it's a bit too short, not even one day, true. But it's like everything else, it depends on how you look at it, and what you make of it.
*Taxi to and from the airport (twice), 255dhs.
*Candy and chocolates to welcome you, 45dhs.
*Banana pancakes, coffee and juice for breakfast, 85dhs.
*CDs: Jack Johnson -it's always better when we are together- Ben Harper -morning yearning- and Norah Jones -come away with me-, 215dhs.
*Arsenal-ManU game -with Arsenal's victory-, an Arsenal hat and some Stella, 275dhs.
*Dinner in one of the best places in town, 555dhs.
*Having you for myself for 23 straight hours, PRICELESS!
Many numbers have caught my attention today... and i love numbers....
I would start with the number of people registered to vote: over 153 million! this is the largest amount since 1920, that is, since WWI!
On the other hand, the number of people that have voted in advance is also the largest in history: over24 millionfor sure, many to be added, which represent 1/3of the electorate!!
As for the campaign, it was certainly the most expensive ever, and the numbers say it all: Obama has raised as of today over $640 million, Mc Cain only $36o...
But my favorite is this one: whoever wins will become the 44thUS President, elected on the 11.4, this is 11x4which equals.... 44! and sure enough Obama is not 44, he is 47... close enough for me.
Yes, tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow, already today in this side of the world, the future of billions of people will be decided. However it will take weeks until the newly elected President goes into the White House, and then add some more months for things to start happening.
No matter what your ideas and ideals are, tomorrow you have to vote. Your voice counts, every voice does. And hopefully you will vote for the right party! ... not saying there is a wrong one ... well maybe ...
Just look back and remember where the US was back in 2000. The economy was at its best, the Dollar was strong, the international relations were fine. Where do you stand right now? and your country? what is the international perception of the United Sates of America? fine you might not care about this one... but how about the fall of the Dollar, credit crunch, recession, unemployment....?
Make sure tomorrow you have your say. Yes, YOU can, you can make a difference, you can give the victory to Obama or Mc Cain, one vote does count, and you should make sure yours is counted.
All I can say right now is.... good nite and good luck!
Apparently Mrs Sarah Palin "is not doing this for naught"... Is she already thinking about the 2012 elections, and does she see herself as the GOP presidential candidate? Is Palin distancing herself from her pal Mr. Mc Cain and assuring she would be more aggressive and, even better, more efficient against Mr. Obama, so that she can remind us about it in 4 years time? Apparently, yes.
It is somehow scary to think that she might have a chance to become the US Presidentin just a few years. Polls show that about 60% of the US thinks she is not prepared to be the VP, let alone to be the President. However, we have seen it before. George W Bush and SarahPlain have a lot in common, and I would start the list with the fact that most people believe they are not capable of doing the job.
They both come from oil-rich states, they are average achievers because they are not too bright, and they are both creationists and religious fundamentalists. None of them has travelled much, they don’t know either about international relations or about economy. But is seems they both understand what it takes to win an election, to make people like them. And so far Sarah Palin has been successful attracting those people who massively voted for Bush, twice. Twice.
Maybe it is because they both represent the next door neighbor idea, because they are, well, quite average. They are populists, and might even represent the American Dream. I guess for a normal citizen it is way easier to identify with them than with, let’s say, Barack Obama. Sarah Palin is far from being a strong candidate, but think about it: She has what it takes. People like her on stage, not what she says, just her. And that cannot be taught, you either have it or not. She will find someone to write great speeches for her, and she will take care of the rest.
Palin is able to attract thousands of people to listen to her speeches, because they like what they see. They get excited, they clap, they stand up, they laugh. They love it. She might be more entertaining than inspiring to most of us, but to many others it is the other way around. Even though not every right-wing audience reacts to her script with the same enthusiasm, one thing is clear: the far right really likes Palin.
Also, let’s not forget that Palin was a complete unknown outside Alaska just three months ago. And look at what she has achieved since then! Imagine what she could do, with the right help, in the next 4 years!People like her poise, her confidence, her determination and her humor. And that is, unfortunately, most of what it takes to attract millions of Americans. Or at least millions from the Deep America, the one mainly responsible for the 8 years of the George W Bush’s Administration.
You might think I am crazy, but you should keep in eye on her….
This seems to be a good way to start with this blog. Let's be clear about it, I am not American, but my kids might be. So yes, what happens next Tuesday will definitely affect me and my future. Furthermore, it will affect the future of the world.
These elections are a big deal to millions of people in the US, and to billions around the globe. This year a massive amount of voters are expected: 130 million. And you are one of those. Go and vote. I would say vote Democrat, but the truth is all that counts is that you get out there and make your voice heard. The more people vote, the better democracy works, and it is all about democracy in America, isn't it?
The grand opening of the Atlantis hotel has cost an enormous amount of money –somewhere between $20 million and $35 million dollars, yes, US dollars ladies and gentlemen. The celebration included what was supposed to be the most amazing firework-show ever, several times bigger and longer than the one prepared by the Chinese for the opening of the Olympics. The organizers claim, and I really doubt it, that the show was seen from space. More than a million fireworks were launched in nine minutes, for a cost of … $14 million!
I just wish some other events did attract as much attention and media coverage as yours. A great example is just next door, in 
Some of these kids were staying in my hotel, and they were noisy, it is true, and they probably made a mess of their rooms also. I know they painted walls and destroyed carpets, but if you had seen their happiness in their eyes you would understand. I had the chance to share the lift with many of them several times over the last week, and when they unzipped their jackets to show me their medals, god how proud I felt of this Emirate. I had tears in my eyes, just like they did.
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