Big Red - #272

A little hill in the sand... this is the biggest dune near Dubai and has the knick name Big Red.

There are various quad bike areas around here that are fun for an half hour or so - or you can over crank your short wheel base Nissan Patrol and blast to the top...

The Sign Of Good Taste - #271

I tend to think marketing in the UAE is no where near world class.

I do quite like the use of the bus benches... at least they're useful and colourful!

Crane And Car ECGs - #270

A long exposure over the roofs and through the cranes...

I particularly like the ECG trails of cars and lights.

Oud Metha, Dubai. 2007.

Al Badia Club House - Festival City - #269

Do I live in a desert?

This is one of the latest golf course developments. I grew up where the game of golf originated and now it seems I live in the country that has become golf obsessed.

There are courses and developments here that are designed by Colin Montgomery, The Great White Shark, Ernie Els and of course, Tiger Woods happening now. It's big business...

Abstract 42 a/k/a Dance Of The Neon Plumb Amoeba - #268

Zeros and ones in a continuing series. A view of Dubai.

The Beginning Of Retailisation - #267

Hang on...? I just came back from NY.... Saks Fifth Avenue? In Dubai...

Is this globalisation gone mad... is this the beginning of retailisation?

Falcon At Sunset - #266

Taken out on the dunes just about sunset.

Emarati's traditionally have cared for and used three animals in particular - camels, horses and falcons.

Ridge Racer - #265

One more from the same area / trip.

Roads? Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads... - #264

A slight redux / dip in to the achieve... today's shot comes from a thrilling and fantastic dune drive earlier this year.

There is nothing quite like this terrain. Anywhere.

Good times and good friends...

I Don't Care as Long As It's A Cold One - #263

Pre-Summer Blues a/k/a The Battle Of The Handedness - #262

The hats have it! Why did all the people wearing hats sit to the left?

I have been studying the lefty and righty phenomenon... and generally lefties are odd. (oddly, I'm pretty ambidextrous).

Reason for this post? Summer hits too hard here - it's so weird, in most countries of the world we all look forward to the summer, the heat, the holidays etc... even in hot countries like Aus, the summer is great! Well... here is an exception. It's hitting well into the 40+ C now so this shot may be the last of the beach for the next few months...

How Do You Build A Raised Metro System? - #261

Why, with one of these babies of course... how these things balance, I'll never know. Any structural engineers out there to explain these things further?

Dubai is constructing a large urban metro system with both under and over ground sections. The raised sections are starting to rally take shape and once finished they will be a massive improvement for Dubai.

Plus they look pretty cool - going under some bridges and over others...

The Great Wall Of Dubai - #260

These buildings are brand new - the main body of the buildings here are the Jumeriah Beach Residences and the whole developement is part of Dubai Marina.

Eyesore or desirable? You be the judge of that... cost of a 2 bed beach facing is approx $500,000

OKING TANKS - #259

Today I may have set some world records... maybe.

For now you can all ...oking. ...tanks.

Happyland Corner - #258

A pretty optimistic shop name in on of the older parts of town... (it must be all of 30 years old!)

Gutting and Slicing - #258

How fresh would you like it...

The Magnificent - #257

The Magnificent seemed to me to be a fine title for this shot. There is a certain swagger and purpose here.

There are so many great "magnificents" - The 5, the 7 (leading on from the Seven Samuri of course), the great KLF / K Foundation track on the War Child album...

I guess everyone can be a magnificent.

The Former Republic Of Dubai a/k/a Dubai Demokratische Republik- 256

There are some areas of any major city that show the more utilitarian, functional architecture... this could be a council estate from the UK in the 70's / 80's - however it made me think mostly of former East Germany, some older parts of Leipzig, East Berlin... perhaps that's just me.

The Curse Of The Squeeky Sneaker - #255

Taken near the mouth of the Creek. Boy On A Sea Wall. With Good Hearing.

(back from NYC now, took loads of nice shots there, shame I can't post them here...! Massive thanks to my DP 'roony for his wonderful button pushing in my absence...)

A Glowing Pregnant Lady - # 254

This glowing pregnant lady is actually the National Bank Of Dubai building on the banks of the Creek. People have given this building the affectionate nickname of the "Pregnant Lady" due to the shape of the bulging glass facade.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

When Hide And Seek Goes Wrong - # 253

Count to one hundred and then come looking...

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

....and Bloke To My Left - # 252

.............'roony feels moved to make a personal comment. I'm only Bluey's button-pusher, publishing his postings while he is away: but I have just felt it necessary to sit for several minutes to contemplate this fine photo . Please give it more than only a few seconds of your time. I find it quite moving.
Chuckeroon.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Bloke to My Right - # 251

At the wrestling I was right in the thick of the crowd, there's no personal space here! All the guys seemed nice enough and didn't seem to think it was weird that I was the only pale Westerner in the whole crowd.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Wrestling With One's Conscience - #250

Wrestling Deira Stylee...

At the Corniche in Deira, right by the mouth of the Creek, every Friday a group of several hundred gather to watch the spectacle of wrestling in the sand. It all seems to be done with humour, skill and strength. From what I could gather to win you have to lift your opponent off the ground.

A video bonus:



If the embed doesn't work click here

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Clock Tower Guy - # 249

This is the Clock Tower Roundabout in Deira. One of the oldest and well known landmarks in Dubai.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

The Deira Dynasty - # 248

Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

George - # 247

Why would you call your wig shop simply "george"?

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

An urban street in Bohemia a/k/a Between the Gutter and the Stars - # 246

I think people have every right to look at me strangly with the places I end up to take a shot. Gutters are fair game.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Handle with care - # 245

A really cool advert for a flower stall.

(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Back Street Laundry - # 244

A back street laundry. This guy was really not sure about having his photo taken, but I had to persuade him as I just loved this composition...(Bluey has escaped Dubai for a few days, all posts as usual courtesy of the wonderful Chuckeroon at Richmond-Upon-Thames please go check his daily photoblog out!)

Theme Day - Dubai Does New York - #243

New York - From The Empire State Building, 2003.

Every month, on the 1st of the month, the City Daily Photoblog family decide on a general theme day.

This month is very unusual for all City Daily Photobloggers - the theme is City Exchange - the theme is post a photo of a city other than yours. It's weird as I'm not that comfortable posting a shot not related in someway to Dubai, though the Daily Photo people thought this would be fun and still relevant so - here we go...

So, my interpretation of this theme is to post 2 shots of New York USA.

Why? Three reasons:

1: We went there on our honeymoon in 2003 and this is when I took these shots
2: It was these shots that really made me think I can take half-decent photos
3: Both me and my lovely wife are going back to New York for a week tomorrow!
(fear not! DubaiDailyPhoto has the world's best button pusher to be second in command, not a day shall be missed)


Reportage shot of a subway sign. New York. 2003.

Bluey!

This month there are 76 blogs participating in this unusual theme - please go check them out too:

Monte Carlo, Monaco - Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA