Always Nice to Get Kudos...

Dubai Photo Story posted this today. This is the content from DPS's post:

Alex McNabb, Dubai's new media man has put together a list of Dubai's top blog for Catboy@Breakfast on Dubai 92. And guess who made it to the list?
Here is the list of Dubai's top blogs put together by the prophet himself.
http://www.motherinferiordubai.wordpress.com
http://discoballbreaker.com/
http://www.dxbsunshine.blogspot.com/
http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com/
http://fadfada-online.blogspot.com/
http://maiandsara.blogspot.com/
http://rupertbumfrey.blogspot.com/
http://mideast.blogs.time.com/
http://dubaithoughts.blogspot.com/
http://some-like-it-not.blogspot.com/
http://grumpygoat.blogspot.com/
http://www.momentaryawe.com/blog/
http://blogs.sun.com/christophersaul/
http://onebigconstructionsite.blogspot.com/
http://sandman-files.blogspot.com/
http://dubaiphotostory.blogspot.com/
http://emirateseconomist.blogspot.com/
http://dubai-jazz.blogspot.com/
http://louisefareed.blogspot.com/
http://carolynn-dubailife.blogspot.com/
http://auhgal.blogspot.com/
http://dubaiconsumermirror.blogspot.com/
http://blog.grapeshisha.com/
http://www.the-media-junkie.com/
http://thefatexpat.blogspot.com
http://fakeplasticsouks.blogspot.com

Construction Gone Wrong

Try and ignore the fact that two out of three of these are out of focus!

When I was looking for a place to live last autumn the pickings were slim. Unoccupied villas were being subdivided (often illegally) to accommodate the growing need for 1 and 2 bedroom units. Greedy owners and landlords (not unlike my own) were scrambling to subdivide at the lowest cost with the plans of obscenely inflated rents. In the case of my building, they brought in highly unskilled yokes to do (or not do) the job. Take a look at the finished product:

In the photo above you're looking at the door from the bedroom to the main living area. The bedroom was originally meant to be a kitchen. Since that was a tiled room, they opted to cover the tile with over an inch of drywall. Now, the door can't open completely. Other features of the kitchen turned bedroom: a fan cut into the window and a drain on the floor. I should consider myself lucky. My floor was re-tiled to hide the drain. My neighbour, on the other hand, has watched coffee grounds erupt from her bedroom floor. Good times.

These two shots were taken in the bathroom. You are looking at the finished product. All that goop was left on the walls. The floors can't actually ever look clean because of the cement/grout combination they used. That plastic drainpipe seen below is evidence of just how cheap the work really is. That 'pipe' is what drains the sink.

The British Council

The British Council has a long history of English language teaching, its roots being in the imperialistic spread of the language. With locations around the globe, it's used as a place for language learning, the study of language learning, and its libraries. This photo was taken at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at the BC's booth.

Another Subway Shot

A few months back I posted a shot of the 'subway' (just an underground walkway) located at the Hilton on the corniche. This is another image in that same tunnel. During this time of the year the tunnel provides a bit of shelter from the blazing hot sun. It also provides safe passage. Earlier in the year a pedestrian was allegedly decapitated as he tried to cross the actual road in front of the Hilton.

How'd You Like to Live Here?

A billboard in Khalidiya advertising a housing complex that has yet to be built