Dubai Trippin'

The last work week was kinda hectic. First of all, I think I had less sleep during the past so I'm doing all the sleeping I need this weekend. Last week I accompanied my friend Irish to look for a bedspace so we went strolling around the Bur Dubai area. The first shot on the left is from the walkway near Burjuman, one of the 'high-class' malls here. Irish treated me to this waffle place (damn I forgot the name), and the waffles were really good. I had this waffle with mocha ice cream placed in top of it, drizzled with caramel. It was simply superb. I still had the taste of the caramel waffle staying in the mouth even even when I arrived home. The following day I had to attend this press conference, or a forum perhaps, about the latest technologies that are introduced in the last year. Speakers from Panasonic, Nokia and other big known companies have their own takes speaking in the forum. The forum was held at Madinat Jumeirah, all the way in the Jumeirah area, near the Burj Al Arab. I took a picture of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (Yeah I know everything seems to be named Jumeirah), that's next to the Burj Al Arab. I also passed by the huge UAE flag in the area, and I remember Irish and me walking past the old villas and new ones being built, and you can see the new Dubai taking shape. This is such a facinating place. It's no wonder a lot of people, from all races flock to come here. Opportunities are great, and enough hard work would definitely get you to the top.

Dubai Festival City

With all the shopping malls around Dubai, it’s really getting dull seeing another one get built. So last week before attending the Panasonic event I had to go to, I passed by Dubai Festival City – another shopping mall near the area of Al Gharoud here in Dubai. While I was expecting shops and food courts everywhere, I was surprised because the mall is not designed for shopping but for relaxing. There were fountains and tress everywhere inside the mall. Even the roof was designed to let the sun shine through. It was definitely relaxing. Coupled with a nice mocha frappucino at my side, it was a good way to start the day.

Paintball

Last Thursday, I had the chance of joining my colleagues in a game of Paintball organized by our company as a means of relaxing and having fun for their employees. Heading over near Dubai Creek for the game, we immediately dressed up and started heading to our designated sides to start the game. There were three games: one was to shoot all opponents, second is we must take a white flag and take it our enemies’ base and lastly a game involves protecting our ‘king’ from getting shot. The first game went well, until I got caught and I had to surrender. The last two games were a blur. Even if I was all ready to shoot all the way, my googles keep fogging up, that's why I spent most of my time wiping them. Grr. Anyways, there's always a second time. After the game we had a little eat out, but I spent most of my time taking pictures with my colleagues. Here's some of them:

This is me getting ready, with Hazem looking from the back

Me, Hazem, Irish with Jamshed

The winners of the game

Mr. Bond and Spider-Man

The PC Magazine Editorial Team

With my crazy half Irish

Work, Home and Sleep

Wah! Work has been hard these past few days, with deadlines and pending reviews all over. Good thing Irish (PC Magazine's Staff Writer) is there to join me in my days when I (err, I mean We) get wacky. It's hard to find true people in this place, and I'm glad I found friends like her (Insert WooHooHoo comment here).

My grandparents recently wenk to the Philippines last weekend. They sure have missed 'Pinas' since they've spend the entire Christmas season in the United Kingdom. Dropping them off to the airport made me feel a little envious of everyone leaving, which made realize that it's almost time for me to plan my first vacation back home since entering the crazy world of being an OFW.

Which leads me to another random thought: Why in the world people from other countries mistake this place (Dubai, UAE) as a place of war? Sometimes people just assume places in general. With all the ongoing war and violence in neighboring countries here in the gulf, people always assume the entire Middle East is in that status - which is not. A thought comes to mind when my cousin asked me if there are terrorists here in Dubai or if I have met Bin Laden... It;s Dubai, people... Not Afganistan. For pete's sake, read a map... It isn't that hard to understand. Lastly, Dubai is not a country ok? It's a city/emirate... and it's part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

I can't wait to go home. I have lots of errands to finish when I get there and when I'm finally done, my time's up and I have to go back. Sometimes I'd wish that if only I had the same salary and position back in the Philippines, it would be much better... But I guess you can't have it all.

Even though I left the call center business because I can't get much sleep. I still deprived of sleep working here - waking up at 4:50am and sleeping at 10pm. Well, as I said, you can't have it all.

A foggy morning

Waking up to see a fog covered surroundings made me remember the game Silent Hill, where the creepy world is covered by mysterious creatures all hidden in the fog. Well, it seems Dubai never fails to amaze me. This shot was taken about 5:55am on my way to work. I actually running becuase the place really creeped me out.

Dubai sunrise

Traffic is too much here in Dubai that normally the time it takes for me to go my work (which is about 10 minutes) takes about an hour and a half, and that's if you've been able to catch a bus...

Public transport here is so irregular, and that's the only I hate about this place. I just hope something can be done. And knowing Dubai, I'm sure they'll find solutions and deliver results immediately.

Here is a shot of the sun just about to rise on the City of Dubai. It's a relaxing sight, amidst all of the traffic that crawl all through the city.

And yes, I leave that early. My work starts at 9am... and I leave my place at 6am, just to evade the traffic. It seems that they've gotten obsessed in developing this city that its turning into one big construction site. Are they that excited? What can I do, I'm just an expat here trying to make a living...

The irregularities of public transport

Wow I never realized I’d let week pass by without posting a blog entry. I immersed myself at work, keeping myself busy with reviewing things and at the same time enjoying what I do. Yesterday though was a hassle, not because of work, but due to the time I spent waiting for a bus to go home. Imagine this: I went out at exactly 5:10pm, so I may be able to catch the 5:30pm bus (I still have to walk a long way to the bus stop). To my surprise, not even one bus (that passes through my home) came by… and it’s already pass 7pm. Wow! I never imagined to wait that long! Finally, I just decided to walk, thinking I would arrive at my destination faster than any vehicles around… (Even if you got on a bus, intense traffic will still cost you more time). This is the only thing I hate about this place, the irregularity of public transport. The RTA said they would want people to consider alternate modes of transport, but how can people adjust to that scheme if we would spend hours just waiting for a bus. Now, they’ve tried reasoning that the Dubai Metro is on its way to becoming a reality… but that is still a few years away. Additionally, I can now take a tour of the city free with every bus ride. Why? Due to the enormous detours the bus has to take. I mean, why is everyone in a hurry to develop this city? They want Dubai to be a major tourist destination in the Middle East, they keep populating this place. *Sigh* I just wish something could be done immediately.

A poem from Dubai

Here's a nice (and funny) poem I found on the net about Pinoys going to Dubai (it's in Filipino):

Dubai...
titik at likha ni ka noel malicdem

Sa'n bang punta kabayan at ika'y nakaporma
Di naman siguro sa tsik mong maganda
Baka naman sa airport dala ang visit visa
Papuntang Dubai baka sakaling trabaho ay makakita.

Di naman masama ang mangibang bansa
Mangarap mabigyan kaginhawaan ang pamilya
Kesa ang manatili gutom naman ang sikmura
Bayang walang nang pag-asa dahil puro politika.

Pagdating sa Dubai ay iyong nakita
Tunay na buhay malayo sa bansa
Ang maghanap ng trabaho bago ma-expire ang visit visa
Nababahala dahil baka kapusin dalang pera.

Mamuhay sa Dubai ay di biro
Maraming naloloko dahil di naman legal ang pagparito
Sa pagkain at upa ng bahay ubos na ang sweldo
Malas mo pa kapag iyong amo ay di ka pa pinasweldo.

Ang payo ko lang bago ikaw ay pumarito
Huwag maniwala sa sinasabi ng mga galing na dito
Dahil ang kapalaran di naman pare-pareho
Baka ang kitain halos pambayad lang ng utang mo.

Sana nga kabayan pagpunta mo rito
Panalangin ko'y makahanap ka agad ng trabaho
Upang ikaw ay di mapahamak sa hirap ng buhay dito
Huwag lang mahiya magtanong sa kabayan mo.

Buhay sa Dubai may kasamang sakripisyo
Konting tiis lang makakaraos sa pagsisikap mo
Dalang pangarap maaabot mo ito
Sa tamang panahon may pagbabago buhay mo.

More poems here: PINOYexpats
(Credits to the poem go to the author above)

The word ‘VAGUE’

The past week has been hectic. Job interviews from different companies, running errands, answering calls from here and there. It was definitely tiring but fortunately rewarding. As all of these events are happening, the inevitable happened: The PC crashed and won’t start (This thing caused delays in posting my blog entries so… sorry). Luckily, I was able to repair it, hehe. Piece of cake. Well now that we’ve gotten that out, many of you now wonder the significance of my blog entry title. Vague, as Webster puts it as ‘not clearly defined, grasped, or understood’. This is what I have been feeling for the last week. Even in my job interviews and some current discussions with my peers, I always include that word. Maybe what I’m feeling at the moment literally speaks out on every word that I say. To be honest (and I know who’s reading this), there are times when I think if all of this was worth it. Well now I can absolutely say it is. And even if I have said this for a couple of times already, I still marvel at this place’ awesome landscapes. So l took my camera with me and took a couple of shots (I’ll give the link when I’ve uploaded the pictures). I got to finally see the Burj Al Arab, currently the tallest hotel in the world. I saw a LOT of hotels, from the Hilton to the Fairmont, this place is overflowing with luxurious hotels that line up the shores of Dubai. I finally got to see the palm islands, though it’s much better to see it from a tall place. This truly is the ‘Manhattan’ of the East. The following day I got to go back to the Mall of the Emirates. It was huge; I now get to admire the place more… and seeing that Ski Dubai literally sends me ‘chills’ all throughout the time. I finally got the chance to see Ocean’s Thirteen (review after this post) and see some stunning gadgets and electronics… Probably I should do a post on my most wanted gizmos. Hehe. The day ended with us driving back to the hotel and now I am eating my cheesecake. Hmm, cheesecake… Ah, that’s why I’m gaining a few pounds these days. What a ‘vague’ thing to ponder. See? I’m using that word again!

Head hurts.

I recently went to the Citi Centre (again) to watch Pirates 3 (Title too long, review after this post). And now my head hurts, to which I do not know the reason. Probably I went from the cold insides of the mall to the warm outside of the city, or probably I have not eaten yet, or probably I have just too many things to think about. I do hope all is still well. Still prayin' that I would land a decent job here. I can do it, I know I can. This is my now as Jordin (American Idol) said. Aye, captain!

Slowly stepping down the road to... BOREDOM

As days are passing by awaiting the results of my job applications, it is evident that I am getting bored. Bored in a way that all I have to do is wait. But that's the way it is, I have to wait, until eventually I would land a job here, be stable and have a decent life here. I'm excited, as I get to restart my life in a new country. Wish me luck guys. I couldn't be more excited and happy that I am finally getting the chance to be independent. The picture on the right shows the sunset here in Dubai. While it may seem calm and relaxing, that picture was taken amidst the intense traffic and smoldering heat (it's 48 degrees). Still, the city was great, and I'm enjoying every bit of my stay here. Till my next blog entry, see yah!

In a foreign land

Well, I just arrived here in Dubai yesterday. It was tiring, the flight was quite long and I had to wait 4 hours from the HK International Airport. Though the good thing is that I was able to see the airport. Since this is my first time to travel, I was really excited. So excited that I never got to sleep inside the plane. Now I'm here in Dubai. Work is my priority while being here, though I can't help but marvel at this city's landscapes. It is so clean (as Monica puts it), hardly any garbage to be seen (unlike the Philippines). I do hope I get a job soon. I'm excited to explore this whole new world (sounds familiar?). Cheers guys! I'll definitely be missing the Philippines.

Random things

I still can't get over Spider-Man 3. While Part 2 is still the best for me, this is one of the best movies I've seen this year. And now that I’ve seen the film I’ve waited for 3 years, my whole going to Dubai thing is starting to sink in. I feel somewhat depressed; I’ll be leaving a lot here when I go there. I will surely miss everything I’ve had here in the Philippines. But still, I’m excited, this is something new for me. I get to life out my life and start something new. As I have always prayed, I do hope everything falls in its right place.

Last night was also the time I get to bond once more with my (ex) co-workers. They were great, and they have been a big part of my life as I entered the world of call centers (though I say to myself I won’t go to any call center anymore… graveyard shifts almost killed me). We watched Spider-Man (for the 3rd time for me… hehe) and had a late dinner. Great people, I’ll surely miss them. I have pictures uploaded in my Flickr albums.

By the way, I've also change my blog title from 'In the realm of random thought' to 'Realms of random thought'. Just wanted to keep it short and simple.