They Think It's All Over... Mabrouk UAE! - #152

Last night the UAE secured a magnificent victory over Oman in the Gulf Cup. This was a huge achievement and the first time in the cup and the UAE's history they have won this trophy.

The above photo is of a pristine white BMW suitably decorated in the national colours. In the UK this would be the work of vandals, here it is the proud owner's work.

The city went fairly crazy with the traditional celebration being to drive like a complete overclocking maniac.

Still - Mabrouk To The Emiratis!



Go Team UAE.

The Burj Eiffel - #151

Dubai is renowned for it's building projects. Some are great, some are awesome and some are just stupid.

The Falcon City Of Wonders is the latter. A city of apartment blocks of so called wonders of the world including the Eiffel Tower, The Pyramids, The Coliseum and others.

I really don't know who will want to stay in these eyesores.

Night Scene 1 - #150

An abstract of Dubai at night.

Taken from seat 38K at about 3.30am this morning.

It's so good to be back.

Chillin In Oud Metha - #149

A very pleasant guy kicking back in Oud Metha.

I'm on my way back to DXB from London and had to use a back up photo as I'm fighting with technology and the technoman is giving me a kicking...

DXB spotted in WC1 - #148

On my wanderings in Londinium town I have seen quite a few references to my current home of Dubai.

More then almost any other place I think. I think there is a small obsession in the UK with Dubai... for now at least...

Dubai I guess is pretty obsessed with the UK too, especially sport. Dubai sponsors Arsenal for a huge amount and is also trying to buy Liverpool...

Mr Sandman, Build Me A Dream - #147

You've heard of The Palm and The World - this is how they do it.

Ships pumping out millions of tonnes of sand.

Up, Up And Away - #146

Here is a shot of Dubai and its neighbouring emirate of Sharjah. This is the area called Deira and in the distance is Sharjah.

This was taken from seat 46K on a flight from Dubai to London. And that is where I am right now... cold but splendid London (Hi to Ham - I wish I had time to hook up...)

I hope to keep the posts coming - will be back in DXB in a few days time.

Thanks for all the comments on the desert series - I'm sure to feature some more sand soon!

Where Did You Have Lunch? - #145

This is where we had a bite to eat. Some barbeque items, some chicken breasts with piri piri, lamb with mint, humous, egyptian bread, tabouleh etc. Splendid...

And then back to the big uns....

Apols that you can see the joins - please click for bigger - but I thought it was worth it for such a vista...

Waves - #144

The analogy is too easy...

The exact precision of the crest of the dune was really stunning.

On Top Of The World - #143

One thing about desert driving is the fact that you will get stuck.

A simple stuck may mean just a push out of the sand. Then you get other stucks.

One of which is called beaching. This is a classic beaching. You will notice that all four wheels are not touching the sand, the car is resting on its underside.

To top this off you may also notice we are (at a guess) well over 150 feet (approx 70 metres) up on easily the highest dune on the horizon.



And here is the otherside...

They Went That Way... -#142

Desert driving is like no other driving condition I can think of. It's like driving on a mixture of snow, oil and gravel. It moves, it lives, there are mini avalanches, it sticks, it spins out, it GETS EVERYWHERE... It's all about the momentum and gravity. It's a little like surfing I like to think.

So here we are on the crest of a wave.

Only one way, but down... and whatever you do - keep going straight and try not to hit that brake.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines - #141

At the start of the desert adventure. All within a day trip from Dubai. So perhaps bending the rules a little...

However I hope there will be things of interest along the way. This is day one of a series of desert shots.

Hope you like them. Bluey.

The Cycle Of Life - #140

One animal dies and a carpet of flowers spring up in the desert...

... an example of the cycle of life desert style.

Invasion! - #139

BEHIND YOU!

MH Queen Of The Desert - #138

A shot of my friend and kite surf buddy MH's beast... She digs out cars twice the size, tows out any stucks and rescues big burly blokes from the sand. Her car goes anywhere and does anything to anything. And she sometimes drinks beer for breakfast.

Very, Very Frightening - #137

As part of Dubai Shopping Festival there are fireworks every night at 8:30pm over the Creek.

Along with Edwin I guess it's a firework's kind of week...

Creek At Night - #136

It's a mini night series I think...

Here is a shot of the Creek from near Maktoum Bridge (The Morlock's Abode).

The Morlocks Abode - #135

This evening I happened to wander into what appears to be the entrance to the Morlocks Abode.

So, my dear Eloi, please beware - beneath the Maktoum Bridge, for here the Morlocks dwell.

Two Thousand Yard Stare - #134

I keep seeing people in Dubai with a thousand yard stare going on.

A definition of the phrase "Thousand Yard Stare" : Corporal Joe Houle said he saw no emotion in the eyes of his new squad: "The look in their eyes was like the life was sucked out of them."

See also: In the movie Full Metal Jacket, there is an exchange between Marines Payback and greenhorn Stars and Stripes photographer Rafterman, on the eve of the Tet offensive where Payback explains about the thousand-yard stare that "a grunt gets it when he's been in the shit too long" and that "it's like you're really seeing beyond."

See also Searchin

All The Glitters Is Not Gold - #134

Oil, gold, import, export, hotel, tourist, tradition, modernism.... money.

A scene on SZR. View towards Business Bay area. These apartments are called Executive Towers and are going for a lot of money. A 2 bed costs approx US$450,000 or so.

Remember the classic song "D.I.S.C.O." - the theme tune for Dubai right now could be "C.R.A.S.H."

I'm Lovin' It - #133

I just like the blend of cultures in this shot.

Burjuman Glass Ceiling - #132

Another mall, another lattice glass ceiling - however, who's to complain when they look as good as this?

This is the new section of Burjuman. A nice mall, good restaurants, nice fashionable outlets though at the pricier end of the shopping spectrum. Not Wafi, but higher than City Center for a Dubai mall cost comparision scale...

See also the Mall Of The Emirates atrium.

Dumping On The Beach - #131

I couldn't post this shot on New Years Day, however it was taken on New Years Day morning... it's a little bit sad. As referenced in this post.

Dubai Pole Dancer... - #130

maybe a dance remix of Dolly Parten's "9 to 5" plays in the background, and just maybe after Bluey took this shot, the dancer turned around and wrapped his leg around the pole, slowly slid to the ground and started to crawl lasciviously towards the camera...

Bluey wondered how on earth he'd found himself in Dubai's underground sex souk... panicked, he swiftly carried on into Dubai's far more salubrious souks and figured about how to fit this into his photoblogette and also how to stop talking in third party cliches on things that were all a strange twist of the fevered Bluey brow... oh, just publish and be damned Bluey...

Going Underground - #129

A rare example of sensible Urban Arabian planning, a pedestrian underpass.

As an added bonus a bright orange shirt.

Cirque Du Abstract - #128

A little abstract shot. Taken tonight at the premiere of Quidam, the after show party.

I'd never been to a Cirque Du Soleil show before. WOW, what a great show. I've seen some very good circus / performance before with Del La Guardia and shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. Quidam really is very good, intelligent and dramatic.

A double Bluey thumbs up.

Cold Bento - #127

Have I mentioned just how culinary multicultural Dubai is? And pretty reasonably priced too.

I can't help but love my food.

I don't normally do this, but I really recommend checking out this blog for more thoughts on being an expat in Dubai and great foodie things...

Half Man Half Beer

How To Solve Dubai's Traffic Problem - #126

Dubai has a much publicised traffic problem. Simple trips take hours as you just sit there in a traffic jam / parking lot. People usually think that it is because there is too many cars...

I think I have the solution... The solution to Dubai's traffic problem is to release the controller from this small cell which is located on a street corner in Deira.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond - #125

Night shot of the mosque at Zabeel taken on the way home from work tonight...

In the background you can see some buildings on the Sheikh Zayed Road. On the left are the Emirates Towers and the building first left is the Fairmont Hotel and the far right is the World Trade Center building.

Deira BW Portrait - #124

A friendly guy, taken near Dubai Municipality in Deira by the Creek.

The Best Of Last Year - #123

Happy New Year!

To start the year we have our monthly theme day and this time the theme is the best shot of 2006. This is my personal favourite, I only posted it recently so it's a little weird posting it again so quickly, but it really is my favourite shot of the year!

The 2 runner up shots were:

Blooop x 1,000

and

Langdons Cascade

Wishing you the very best for 2007.

Bluey

52 Daily Photo sites are participating in the 1st January theme, "My best photograph from last year", please use the links to below to visit them.

Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.

1 (Porto (Portugal) ) -2 (Albuquerque, NM (USA) ) -3 (St. Paul, (USA) Kate ) -4 (Greenville,SC (USA) ) -5 (Stayton, OR (USA) ) -6 (Szentes (Hungary) ) -7 (Hyde (UK) ) -8 (London (UK) ) -9 (Dubai (UAE) ) -10 (Buenos Aires (Argentina) ) -11 (Shanghai (China) ) -12 (Nelson (New Zealand) ) -13 (Twin Cities, MN (USA) ) -14 (Joplin MO (USA) ) -15 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -16 (Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) ) -17 (Not Strictly Seattle, WA (USA) ) -18 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -19 (Auckland (New Zealand) ) -20 (Sharon, CT (USA) ) -21 (Evry (France) ) -22 ((Aust) John ) -23 (Newcastle upon Tyne (England) ) -24 (Paris (France) ) -25 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -26 (Brussels (Belgium) ) -27 (Minneapolis MN (USA) ) -28 (Aliso Viejo, CA (USA) ) -29 (Seattle, WA (USA) ) -30 (Budapest (Hungary) ) -31 (Singapore by Zannnie (Singapore) ) -32 (Tenerife (Spain) ) -33 (Santa Clara, CA (USA) ) -34 (Houston, TX (USA) ) -35 (Sydney by Nathalie (Aust) ) -36 (San Diego, CA (USA) ) -37 (Vancouver, BC (Canada) ) -38 (Singapore by KeropokMan (Singapore) ) -39 (East Lansing, MI (USA) ) -40 (Sydney by Sally (Australia) ) -41 (Tucson, AZ (USA) ) -42 (Nottingham (UK) ) -43 (Sequim, by Norma ) -44 (Hong Kong ) -45 (Vantaa, Finland ) -46 (Kyoto (Japan) ) -47 (Tokyo (Japan) ) -48 (Chattanooga ) -49 (Santiago (Chile) ) -50 (erlin (Germany) ) -51 (Trondheim (Norway) ) -52 (Delta, CO (USA))