Going Gold on Dubai Metro February 23, 2012
Posted by kieslinger in : Uncategorized , add a commentJust found out today that on Dubai Metro you can either take the normal ride or you can get a gold class ticket:
No idea though what a gold class ticket entitles you to?
It’s all about shopping January 17, 2012
Posted by kieslinger in : Uncategorized , add a commentIn Dubai it’s all about shopping at the moment, as the Dubai Shopping festival is running for a whole month. It’s one of the most important events here and the logo is, guess what?, a shopping bag.
Apart from the regular offers in the shops even real estate companies participate in the event. Here is an interesting add that I saw the other day: if you buy an apartment you get a car for free:
http://www.damacproperties.com/img/dsfoffer_slide1.jpg
social media in education May 15, 2011
Posted by kieslinger in : Uncategorized , add a commentjust came across this comic that we prepared during the iCamp project and still find it very good.
Chewing Gum Fine March 28, 2011
Posted by kieslinger in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farA friend of mine was recently fined for chewing a chewing gum during a ride on Dubai’s metro. The fine was 100 AED, which is around 20 EURO.
According to her there are signs that indicate no eating and drinking allowed on any metro train. (I have not even noticed those signs myself yet although I have taken the metro various times). The sign does not explicitly mention chewing, but be aware now!
At least I will have to remember next time I would like to take a sip of water that this might cost me 100 AED!
What do you need in Burj Khalifa? January 11, 2011
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai , 1 comment so farWhat would you say should be an essential part of any apartment and should be part of the standard furniture provided? A fully functioning kitchen, a washing machine maybe, …?
Well, guess what the default accessory in any of the apartments in Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, is……..
….. a wine cooler:
That’s especially ironic when you think about the law regarding the purchase and consumption of alcohol in this country.
Things to do in Dubai for 1 Dirham /3 January 2, 2011
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai,events , add a commentGoing out in Dubai can be really expensive. Especially when you don’t want to spend the whole night on soft drinks only. And special nights, like Christmas, New Years, etc. can become extremely expensive if you go to one of the many fancy places around town.
BUT, some things are still for free. E.g. watching the impressive Burj Khalifa fireworks on New Year’s Eve. It did not last very long, but it was stunning. Here is one of the best videos I found on Youtube that captured it quite well:
Dubai International Film Festival December 16, 2010
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai , add a comment
So this was one of my first cultural events that I attended here in Dubai. And I must say, it was a very nice experience. There is free public screening at the beach during the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and so I went there last night with some friends to see a Mexican classic called “Enamorada”. After the film a mariachi band was playing and it was great to feel the joy and passion of Mexican expats here in Dubai.
I only wish that the cultural calendar of Dubai would be a bit richer and offer more such events!
Cereal box in the Middle East December 8, 2010
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai , add a commentThis morning during breakfast I just realized that the cereal box has undergone some censorship:
Somehow strange to see this here in Dubai, where you meet women in all sorts of clothing styles in public life.
Oman experience #2 December 6, 2010
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai , 2 commentsLast weekend we spent another day in Oman. The city of Buraimi is a border city with Al Ain in the UAE just across the fence.
However, the two cities – or the two parts of one city – are completely different. Here you can experience the big differences between the two countries. On the one side you have heavy traffic, big shopping malls, restaurants and fast food chains, tall buildings, a crowded and bustling city. On the other side, the streets have no names and often no asphalt, buildings are not taller then 2-3 floors, you have to be careful when driving on the road because of camels passing the street and you have a very impressive landscape of mountains and dessert.
Not really the best picture (but the only one that I took that day 
) this is sunset over the oasis taken from the top of the highest mountain in UAE, Jebel Hafeet.
Oman experience November 21, 2010
Posted by kieslinger in : Dubai , 2 commentsOver the recent Eid holidays we spent a few days in Oman. Very different experience from Dubai. Less shiny, less consumerism it seemed.
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Passing the border was a nightmare. We had to wait for about 5 hours in a line to get the Visa stamp into our passports. Probably because of the holiday season the line was extra long, but it was also extra slow!
But from then on the trip was very nice. People are friendly, the landscape is exciting, with lots of different formations of mountains, the dessert and the sea. The old part of Muscat is like a small village surrounded by mountains and the sea. You just stop directly in front of the Sultan’s palace and take a walk around. Not like a bustling capital at all. Not much traffic, not much going on in general.
Sometimes it felt like being in a small fishing village somewhere in Spain. Except, we missed the bars and cafes where you could sit outside and enjoy life by sipping a nice glass of wine.
On the way back to Dubai we stopped at Nizwa, one of the oldest city in Oman, and visited the castle there. Unfortunately it was on a Friday and again everything except the castle was closed. And we were lucky, because the castle is usually closed on Fridays we were told.
