Greetings dear readers.
Eid greetings come multiplied... First of all Eid Mubarak on the occasion of Eid Al Adha where the faithful walk in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohamad (PBUH) who walked in the footsteps of the Father of the Prophets - Abraham (PBUH).
May your times be happy and your meals delicious (but healthy!)
We're about to approach another Eid (celebration) in two days.. anyone excited about National Day?
I'm looking forward to participating in the huge procession at Emaar Boulevard :-)
Monday, 30 November 2009
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Dubai Airshow 2009
Dear Reader,
I know it's been a while since my last post, but life's spare time allocator has been unkind to me of late. As thus, I have to make do with less time online as I'd like. However, there is a certain plus to this, because I have been able to buy and read more books in the meantime.
A well-read blogger is certainly a better blogger!
Anyway, I had the good fortune of being invited to Dubai's Airshow for this year, and I went a little bit overboard with my camera. Like a Japanese tourist let loose with a gazillion megapixel camera in the middle of the Vatican's miles-long museums!
Here is a story better told by more pictures and less words:
1- The beautiful and graceful new Airbus A380
Probably the largest civilian jet ever made. The first to ever have two levels of passenger seats throughout the length of the plane. Very graceful and elegant. If you were there on 19 Nov 2009, you'd notice how amazingly skilful the test-pilot was in manoeuvring this mammoth at very low airspeeds without stalling!
2-The beauty of the wingspan
Don't you just love panoramic shots? Please click on the picture below to enlarge to appreciate its beauty.
3- Armed Forces
Can't say much except I didn't really feel their presence added much to our dear UAE.
Good old tax-dollars paying for a few posers.
4-Idiots were spotted inside
The queue to get into the airshow on the last day was immense. Probably half a kilometer long. The security was tight with metal detectors and xray machines. However, there was no minimum requirements for the IQ of the persons allowed in. This is a great shame. You had idiots like those below sitting on a helicopter drone thinking that they are cool. Perhaps they need to be reunited with their mothers and their playstations. There were even bigger idiots that I couldn't get myself to photograph who decided to sit inside a jet engine. That is complete fucking nuts. You have around a metre of "metal" between the tip of a jet engine and the rotating blades, and these idiots managed to sit in that narrow strip. They could easily cause damage worth tens of thousands of dirhams and even more if they lent on the blades. I wished if I could start up the engines and take them to full throttle only to suck these idiots into the engine and dissect them in a blink of the eye. However, the engine is worth more than the idiots combined, and plus I didn't have access to that particular cockpit. Darn!
5- UAE Armed Forces
Always lovely to see a UAE flag on some military hardware. Well-done boys!
6- Italian Tricolore 10-plane acrobatic team
As you might know, the Italians have an excellent acrobatic team that is of a similar calibre to the UK's Red Arrows. Fortunately the aeroplani italiani were on display that day and they were absolutely brilliant. Italians are fiercely proud of their "tricolore" flag, or the flag with three colours: Red, White and Green. Most spectators probably thought that the colours were for the UAE flag (which is a fortunate coincidence). However, ignorance is rife, and in this case can be possibly overlooked.
The Italians however did put up an excellent display, especially when they criss-crossed and looked as if they were going to crash into each other as shown in the picture!
7- See you in 2011!
This exclusive event is held every 2 years, so see you in 730 days or so inshalla!
إن شاء الله
لو ما زلنا أحياء نرزق
So long!
BuJ
I know it's been a while since my last post, but life's spare time allocator has been unkind to me of late. As thus, I have to make do with less time online as I'd like. However, there is a certain plus to this, because I have been able to buy and read more books in the meantime.
A well-read blogger is certainly a better blogger!
Anyway, I had the good fortune of being invited to Dubai's Airshow for this year, and I went a little bit overboard with my camera. Like a Japanese tourist let loose with a gazillion megapixel camera in the middle of the Vatican's miles-long museums!
Here is a story better told by more pictures and less words:
1- The beautiful and graceful new Airbus A380
Probably the largest civilian jet ever made. The first to ever have two levels of passenger seats throughout the length of the plane. Very graceful and elegant. If you were there on 19 Nov 2009, you'd notice how amazingly skilful the test-pilot was in manoeuvring this mammoth at very low airspeeds without stalling!
2-The beauty of the wingspan
Don't you just love panoramic shots? Please click on the picture below to enlarge to appreciate its beauty.
3- Armed Forces
Can't say much except I didn't really feel their presence added much to our dear UAE.
Good old tax-dollars paying for a few posers.
4-Idiots were spotted inside
The queue to get into the airshow on the last day was immense. Probably half a kilometer long. The security was tight with metal detectors and xray machines. However, there was no minimum requirements for the IQ of the persons allowed in. This is a great shame. You had idiots like those below sitting on a helicopter drone thinking that they are cool. Perhaps they need to be reunited with their mothers and their playstations. There were even bigger idiots that I couldn't get myself to photograph who decided to sit inside a jet engine. That is complete fucking nuts. You have around a metre of "metal" between the tip of a jet engine and the rotating blades, and these idiots managed to sit in that narrow strip. They could easily cause damage worth tens of thousands of dirhams and even more if they lent on the blades. I wished if I could start up the engines and take them to full throttle only to suck these idiots into the engine and dissect them in a blink of the eye. However, the engine is worth more than the idiots combined, and plus I didn't have access to that particular cockpit. Darn!
5- UAE Armed Forces
Always lovely to see a UAE flag on some military hardware. Well-done boys!
6- Italian Tricolore 10-plane acrobatic team
As you might know, the Italians have an excellent acrobatic team that is of a similar calibre to the UK's Red Arrows. Fortunately the aeroplani italiani were on display that day and they were absolutely brilliant. Italians are fiercely proud of their "tricolore" flag, or the flag with three colours: Red, White and Green. Most spectators probably thought that the colours were for the UAE flag (which is a fortunate coincidence). However, ignorance is rife, and in this case can be possibly overlooked.
The Italians however did put up an excellent display, especially when they criss-crossed and looked as if they were going to crash into each other as shown in the picture!
7- See you in 2011!
This exclusive event is held every 2 years, so see you in 730 days or so inshalla!
إن شاء الله
لو ما زلنا أحياء نرزق
So long!
BuJ
Monday, 2 November 2009
F1 Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit
Let me write a few words about the recent Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi. The event was an absolute joy and I wish I had more time to write a bit of a longer post about this event, but I guess it's a welcome departure from my favourite pastime on this blog, which is exposing Israeli crimes.
The F1 Circuit was very well-designed and built from an engineering standpoint (oh, DJ, I remembered I should write a metro post from an engineering viewpoint). This is great because it still felt like a proper F1 track even though it doesn't have the history of Silverstone or the feel of Monaco, but it just felt right, even though we were sitting practically in the middle of the desert in an island out of all places.
Plus points:
- Loads of volunteers.
- Loads of free busses.
- Crowds were very decent, high-quality people (i don't like crowds).
- Food/Drink were really above amazing!
- Very little traffic jams near the circuit.
- Free earplugs were given out.
- Amazing flying jets.
- Police did a great job.
- Overall great fun and worth the long drive from Dubai.
Minus points:
- Parking was put very far from the circuit.
- Loads of VIP parking spaces near the circuit were left empty. a waste.
- The security guys were dumb and didn't speak good Arabic or English.
- THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH CRASHES ON THE CIRCUIT!!!!
I will leave you with some pictures :-)
The F1 Circuit was very well-designed and built from an engineering standpoint (oh, DJ, I remembered I should write a metro post from an engineering viewpoint). This is great because it still felt like a proper F1 track even though it doesn't have the history of Silverstone or the feel of Monaco, but it just felt right, even though we were sitting practically in the middle of the desert in an island out of all places.
Plus points:
- Loads of volunteers.
- Loads of free busses.
- Crowds were very decent, high-quality people (i don't like crowds).
- Food/Drink were really above amazing!
- Very little traffic jams near the circuit.
- Free earplugs were given out.
- Amazing flying jets.
- Police did a great job.
- Overall great fun and worth the long drive from Dubai.
Minus points:
- Parking was put very far from the circuit.
- Loads of VIP parking spaces near the circuit were left empty. a waste.
- The security guys were dumb and didn't speak good Arabic or English.
- THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH CRASHES ON THE CIRCUIT!!!!
I will leave you with some pictures :-)
For My Arab Readers
A Homsi Joke...
(sorry non-Arab readers, this is very hard to translate, while retaining funnyness, into English)
في مرّة دخّلوا حمصي على ضابط في الشرطة
قالوا له هذا الحمصي قتل 26 شخص بسيارته
الضابط ما اقتنع بالقصة راح وسأل الحمصي
قال له الضابط : كيف قتلت 26 زلمة ؟
رد عليه بكل أدب وثقة بالنفس : إسمعني ياحضرة الضابط ، أنت رجال
فهمان ومتعلم وان شاء الله راح تفهم القصة ؟
انبسط الضابط من ردّو وقالو : طيّب قلي كيف ؟
قال : شوف يا حضرة الضابط ، أنا هلأ طاير على الاتوستراد ، حلو الكلام ؟
قال الضابط : حلو .
قال الحمصي: تخيّل على الرصيف اللي على اليمين واحد قاعد،
وعلى الرصيف اللي على يساري 25 شخص قاعدين.
قال الضابط : طيب.
قال الحمصي: وعلى يسار الطريق فيه قصر أفراح ، وال25 رجّال رايحين عالصالة ،
اتّضحت الصورة؟
قال الضابط : لهلأ كلامك معقول.
قال الحمصي: فجأة وأنا ماشي طق الدولاب، والسيارة تروح يا يمين يا يسار .
قال الضابط : أي نعم.
قال الحمصي: يعني فيه خيارين ، يا أدعس الرجّال ياللي لحالو ،
يا أدعس الخمسة والعشرين رجال التانين ، صح والا أنا غلطان ؟
قال الضابط : فعل الموقف محرج .
قال الحمصي: طيب يا حضرة الضابط ، أنت رجّال عاقل وواعي ،
وانحطيت لا قدّر الله بمتل هاد الموقف ، شو راح يكون تصرّفك ؟
قال الضابط : والله أنا بدعس الرجّال ياللي لحالو مضطر.
قال الحمصي: عين العقل ، أنا فكّرت نفس تفكيرك وقلت بدعس الرجّال اللي لحالو.
قال الضابط : طيّب كيف قتلت الباقين ؟
قال الحمصي: خلّيك معي يا حضرة الضابط لا تستعجل ،
أنا قرّرت لفّ على الرجّال اللي لحالو،
بس ابن الكلب راح هرب عالجهة التانية يالي فيا الخمسة وعشرين زلمة , وأنا إلحقو وهو يهرب وما دعستو غير لحتى اندعسو الخمسة وعشرين واحد... بس جبتو بالآخر!!
(sorry non-Arab readers, this is very hard to translate, while retaining funnyness, into English)
في مرّة دخّلوا حمصي على ضابط في الشرطة
قالوا له هذا الحمصي قتل 26 شخص بسيارته
الضابط ما اقتنع بالقصة راح وسأل الحمصي
قال له الضابط : كيف قتلت 26 زلمة ؟
رد عليه بكل أدب وثقة بالنفس : إسمعني ياحضرة الضابط ، أنت رجال
فهمان ومتعلم وان شاء الله راح تفهم القصة ؟
انبسط الضابط من ردّو وقالو : طيّب قلي كيف ؟
قال : شوف يا حضرة الضابط ، أنا هلأ طاير على الاتوستراد ، حلو الكلام ؟
قال الضابط : حلو .
قال الحمصي: تخيّل على الرصيف اللي على اليمين واحد قاعد،
وعلى الرصيف اللي على يساري 25 شخص قاعدين.
قال الضابط : طيب.
قال الحمصي: وعلى يسار الطريق فيه قصر أفراح ، وال25 رجّال رايحين عالصالة ،
اتّضحت الصورة؟
قال الضابط : لهلأ كلامك معقول.
قال الحمصي: فجأة وأنا ماشي طق الدولاب، والسيارة تروح يا يمين يا يسار .
قال الضابط : أي نعم.
قال الحمصي: يعني فيه خيارين ، يا أدعس الرجّال ياللي لحالو ،
يا أدعس الخمسة والعشرين رجال التانين ، صح والا أنا غلطان ؟
قال الضابط : فعل الموقف محرج .
قال الحمصي: طيب يا حضرة الضابط ، أنت رجّال عاقل وواعي ،
وانحطيت لا قدّر الله بمتل هاد الموقف ، شو راح يكون تصرّفك ؟
قال الضابط : والله أنا بدعس الرجّال ياللي لحالو مضطر.
قال الحمصي: عين العقل ، أنا فكّرت نفس تفكيرك وقلت بدعس الرجّال اللي لحالو.
قال الضابط : طيّب كيف قتلت الباقين ؟
قال الحمصي: خلّيك معي يا حضرة الضابط لا تستعجل ،
أنا قرّرت لفّ على الرجّال اللي لحالو،
بس ابن الكلب راح هرب عالجهة التانية يالي فيا الخمسة وعشرين زلمة , وأنا إلحقو وهو يهرب وما دعستو غير لحتى اندعسو الخمسة وعشرين واحد... بس جبتو بالآخر!!
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