Extra Extra!

Al Ain Times published its first issue today. Did anyone get to read it?

No articles by The Taxi this week though.

The best 25 quid I've spent for a long time

My biggest indulgence when I go back to the UK are DVDs and videos. In fact, I don't know why I bother to pay for a subscription to satellite TV here as I hardly watch it.

Hub had managed to catch an episode of 'Life On Mars' when he was back in January and he was gutted that he was going to miss the rest of the series. I told him that it would probably be out on DVD one day and we would get it.

We picked the DVD which comes with bonus stuff while we were home and I must say it's the best 25 pounds I've spent for a long time! It's a fantastic series which appeals to my love of cops shows and my fascination with time travel. I also love the 70s having experienced that decade albeit as a child!

Anyway, a some people who watched the show were pissed off that they didn't wrap up all the plot strands in the last episode but I think this is a small price to pay for another series which'll be coming out next year.

Bill

A rather nasty large bill has just dropped into the my PO Box. It's from AADC and it's from nearly 3000 dirhams for 2 months electricity and water while I was away.

Either they've got it wrong or I'm going to be handing out the begging bowl very soon :-/

Daft Mall

Visited Al Jimi Mall yesterday for the first time in ages. This is the place where me and Hub can't help do a 'See you Jimmy' everytime we go there. Stupid, I know but that's my sense of humour.

I knew that they were extending the place but imagine my dismay to find that Al Ain now has yet another Babyshop, Home Centre and Lifestyle. Why? Why?!!! WHY?!!

Why not fill those units with something different like a Boots or a Virgin Megastore or even a branch of Magrudy's?? Oh to have a decent bookshop in Al Ain..you know there are a lot of people that like to read books in this city.

Eek!

A reassuring message on Wikitravel's Abu Dhabi page:

Foreign visitors should be warned ahead of time that some taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi are former members of the Taliban. Those who are will display a swatch of black cloth on their vehicle somewhere.

Note to self: throw away black pashmina that hangs over passenger seat of taxi in case passenger gets the wrong idea...