Al Ain Taxi

2008-01-03T00:03:00.003+04:00

Al Ain Taxi is now Bahrain Taxi. Get on the next Gulf Air flight to Manama or go here

Taxi repaint in progress

2008-01-02T12:35:00.000+04:00

As I write, the old Nissan Sunny is undergoing a respray and is waiting for a lovely yellow number on the door. I've been learning the art of breaking meters and ripping people off...Bahrain Taxi will soon be ready to roll.

Skypey Skype

2007-07-25T20:58:00.000+04:00

It's another rainy day in the UK and the Taxi isn't missing the hot Al Ain weather at all. In fact, I'm not missing Al Ain at all. I just wish that I could Skype my friends there but of course they're blocked from using the service. I'm just hoping that its not blocked in my next Gulf destination, as I've just invested in a wonderful Skype phone.

Bye

2007-07-15T01:32:00.000+04:00

Well the taxi light has been switched off and I'm walking away from the car. Yes, I'm blogging from a connecting airport and I'm on my way home, at least for a while. UK is not my final destination though, I'm coming back to the Gulf to a different country, a different adventure.

In the meantime, I'll post a few things now and again so keep coming back and in September there'll be a new blog: ******* Taxi!

Taxi x

Suicide is painless?

2007-07-05T20:45:00.000+04:00

In the UAE you can't even try and kill yourself without the risk of punishment from the authorities. It wasn't as if this man was trying to harm anyone else. This is a prime example of how mental health is misunderstood in this part of the world. If he was so low as to attempt to kill himself then do you think a suspended jail sentence is going to make him feel any better?

Maybe the best course of action is to offer the man some counselling. The article says the he tried to end his life because he was suffering from "psychological problems and pressure at work". I know first hand that there are no grievance procedures in many of the universities here, professors are hired as teaching machines and can easily fall foul of student bribery and wasta tricks as well as politicking and backstabbing. Most professors just get the hell out here when it gets too much and hopefully onto a better job if their career hasn't been damaged too much.

Still here

2007-06-29T19:21:00.000+04:00

I haven't gone yet.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been to busy to blog. I'm just here to say that I'm still around! Once I've left I'll be telling you all where I'm off too.

And please, if you're buying furniture off departing expats please don't take the p*** with your offer.

Buckets

2007-06-05T16:16:00.003+04:00

I have two buckets, one for money and one for BS. When either one is full it's time to leave.

Guess which one of my buckets is full...

That Saloon Thang

2007-05-13T18:46:00.000+04:00

There's loads of saloons in Al Ain, in fact there are loads of them in the UAE. They have to round the cowboys up at closing time when they're all swinging on them saloon doors having drunk too much wallop. Often you'll find a guy playing honky tonk in the corner, the gas lights flicker and then in walks the local hoodlum, guns a-blazin'. Everyone ducks under chairs, the buxom broad upstairs starts screaming and then it all goes quiet. The lights go back on and it appears that the hood has left and everything returns to normal once the glass has been cleared up and the sawdust changed.

We don't have this kind of excitement in Al Ain saloons. Oh no, just a quick trim and a splash of scent. The rest of the world call them SALONS. Hats off to the one place in Al Ain that's got it right: Lou Lou Salon near Choithrams and that's coz the lady who runs it knows French. They do a great eyebrow thread, by the way...

Getting ready for guns at high noon.....

More on that exodus

2007-05-07T06:59:00.000+04:00

42% of EFL teaching staff in Al Ain are downing whiteboard markers and leaving according to this. They're not the only ones. A large percentage of faculty from the main higher education institutions are off as well.

It seems that whoever controls the salary budgets are happy to sit back and do nothing about it, confident that there will be an endless supply of high quality teachers willing to work for peanuts. Meanwhile, UAE students' education will suffer.

Unless more money is invested in education- not the buildings, not the computers but your greatest resource of all, human beings, then the future looks bleak for HE in the UAE.

Boredom, heat, Runescape and pre-historic AC

2007-04-24T17:34:00.000+04:00

Yes, it's hot now. The ACs are humming away, blowing their slightly chilled dirty air into my home. My son finds it too hot to play outside so he's hiding in some virtual world called 'Runescape' where the temperature isn't so fierce. I'm in limbo waiting to hear from various people about our coming and going procedures and I have just found out that I can't get hold of our three years prize money until I've cleared the car loan....oh dear.

I also hate my landlord. Thanks to him we have pre historic air con units that really should be sitting in the zaballah. He won't replace them, instead he sends round men to do 'bodge jobs' so they run for a few more weeks. When I say run, I mean they switch on and blow slightly cooled air into the house while racking up an electricity bill the size of the GDP of a small developing nation because they are so damn inefficient and old.

Photo Credit: The Al Ain Air Con Museum

Cars and Cats

2007-04-22T20:31:00.000+04:00

Opening up the latest issue of Al Ain Times, I am happy to say that the improvements continue. I was particularly pleased that they covered the issue of those reckless and downright dangerous road pests, the fast-lane-full-beamers. You know the ones, they come up right behind you in the fast lane (and sometimes the middle and slow lane) and flash their headlights at full beam so you can't see a damn thing behind you. Well, it turns out some moron decided to do that on Thursday night as he was driving through the Diwan underpass and it all went horribly wrong.

Reading on to page 6, there's an article about the inhumane treatment of cats that's going on in Al Ain. I've always been an ardent animal activist in a land where animals are often treated like vermin or as toys which can be tortured and killed for a few moments of pleasure. I've written on this blog about the disgusting state of pet shops here, the lack of care of animals on sale that most of the time shouldn't even be in the country in the first place. Well done, Al Ain Times for highlighting this issue. BUT...

Why were these crucial 'public issue' pieces only published in the English section???!!!

Freedom?

2007-04-17T11:22:00.000+04:00

At this very moment, Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif is in court defending himself against an accusation of libel made over mild criticism directed at a government minister back in December.

Today is an important day for all of us. It's not just about Mahmood and his blog, it's about freedom of speech in the region.

For my own reasons I hope that Bahrain bloggers will be able to blog without fear and self censorship.

UPDATE: Mahmood has just posted on his blog to say that the case has been deferred til May 8th.

Al Ain Times pat on the back

2007-04-09T07:35:00.000+04:00

In the past I've been a little critical of our local paper The Al Ain Times, especially the English section. I know they read this blog and that's why I give them feedback here.

Anyway, I'm delighted to say that the latest issue is a huge improvement! The English section actually has quite a lot of news in it this time and not so much of the 'health advice' filler stuff.
I got an e mail from the paper and I'm sure they won't mind me reproducing it here:

Good afternoon,

Just read through your input on our paper and I must say OUCH!!

We do appreciate your feedback on the paper and we are happy to understand better what our readers would like to see.

We would like to point out that none of our articles are pasted from the internet - it is unfortunate that they seem that way.

Feel free to contact us anytime with your comments. This email address is open to all - just please write the word feedback in the subject line.

Thank you and best regards,

Al Ain Times

Noor Al Ain

2007-04-03T20:26:00.000+04:00

"Al Ain: Aldar Properties yesterday unveiled a Dh2 billion mixed-use integrated complex, Noor Al Ain, that would emerge on the existing Al Jimi Mall to offer modern residential, shopping, and leisure facilities to the residents."

From The Gulf News.

Thanks to Meg for the heads up on this. I don't read the Guff News as often as I should so it's a bit late.

The Fish and Chip shop was an April Fool's Day joke. This is for real:

2007-04-02T09:31:00.000+04:00

AMAZING!

Fish and Chip shop opening tonight

2007-04-01T09:29:00.000+04:00

Good news for fans of the traditional seaside Brit-dish: Al Ain's first ever Fish and Chip shop is opening tonight!

Called 'A Plaice in the Desert', it's run by a South African couple who lived in the UK for ten years before moving to the UAE.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible

2007-03-30T18:58:00.001+04:00

You've probably noticed that Miss Taxi hasn't been herself for the past few weeks. You've come here for the usually jolly tongue-in-cheek look at life in Al Ain and instead have been confronted with psychobabble and ranting. I apologise.

I'm going through turmoil in my life right now which hopefully will be resolved soon. I've decided to try and refocus this blog on issues relating to Al Ain. As I'll be leaving soon I want to write about the process of relocating in the hope that it might help others who are going or are planning to go through the same process.

Stormy Night

2007-03-18T18:24:00.000+04:00

If only I had been a little less tired last night when that big storm broke over Al Ain, I would've really enjoyed it. Instead, it woke me up and I watched it bleary eyed from my pillow. Can I have a replay?

I love thunder storms, especially ones during the daytime. The sky suddenly darkens, the birds start to sound funny, a wind builds up and you get your first flash of lightening followed by anticipated thunder rumbles.

It's great being caught out in one, having to run for shelter until it passes into the distance.

Shamal

2007-03-15T14:28:00.000+04:00

The Shamal's here and this year it's come early! Along with it comes the headaches, sore throats and damp dusting. And a cancelled camping trip I was looking forward t0.

Keefie, you're right. I don't think it's called a Sharqi here so I changed it to Shamal.

Al Ain Times Whine

2007-03-15T11:18:00.000+04:00

Divide and rule.

Our local newspaper loves to do this with one half in English and the other half in Arabic. While this week's English section tells us about the latest Harry Potter saga, the Arabic section tells us that Emirati university professors are going to get a 25% pay rise. Why does the editor at our local rag think that I don't want to know this?

Al Ain Times, are you two different newspapers? Don't you think the readers of the English section might be interested in some real news rather than cut and pasted health advice from the internet?

Al Ain Times. It's good for lining the cat litter tray.

Bob Marley visits Al Ain

2007-03-13T11:51:00.001+04:00

Exodus: movement of ESL teachers! oh-oh-oh, yea-eah!

The pay rise it never came (tell me why!)
So they saw the light (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
They can't make ends meet on the money they make
So they're calling it a day
They're gonna walk - all right! - and take their Headways with them
They are the generation (tell me why!)
(Who told em where to stick it) told em where to stick it

Exodus, all right! movement of academics!
Oh, yeah! o-oo, yeah! all right!
Exodus: movement of academics!

Yeah-yeah-yeah, well!
Not happy with the management:
Are they satisfied (with the life they're living)? No!
They know where they're going, uh!
They know where were from.
They're leaving town
They're going to smaller classes, less hours, more research, more pay

Essex Pea Soup

2007-03-09T21:50:00.001+04:00

Thanks to this wonderful delicacy from Essex, my birthplace, I have cheered up a little and no longer want to throw my phone or myself off Jabel Hafit.

The HnJ serve it and they do a really good job. If you want to make it at home here's the recipe.

On a completely different note...

2007-03-04T19:53:00.000+04:00

Sorry but this post is not going to be about Al Ain. There's only so much I can write about the place and today my head is in improvised jazz piano and has been there since the night before last. I have a CD which gets played to death, put away for a few months and then played to death again. This process has been repeated numerous times over the last few years.

The CD is Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert. It's just him and his piano in front of an audience in a German concert hall 32 years ago. The incredible thing about it is it was totally improvised. The other incredible thing is that he never goes too deep with his left hand because, they claim, that end of the piano was out of tune that night. In my opinion it is more than music, it's a sublime spiritual journey where a man's emotions reach you directly through the medium of a piano. He gasps and yells as he plays, he stands up, sits down as he fingers break the rules of physics.

Anyway, there's no film of him playing this one off concert but you can imagine it. Instead though, I've dug this up on you tube, just to give you an idea of what this man can do

here

Sorry, I don't know how to embed youtube in my posts!

Lurkers say hello

2007-02-16T19:23:00.001+04:00

I know I have a lot of 'lurkers' that read this blog. In other words, those people who read but never comment. Come and say hello and introduce yourselves. Are you in Al Ain or are you just interested in the place? C'mon now, don't be shy....

Happy Valentine's Day and a kiss from our sponsor

2007-02-14T11:22:00.000+04:00

Honest

2007-02-12T17:12:00.000+04:00

He could've been at least $500,000 richer and been able to take a well deserved rest from driving the mean streets of New York but honesty is the best policy of this cabbie.

Just like many of the taxi drivers in here in Al Ain, he suffers from high blood pressure and kidney problems. What's the likelihood of someone leaving $500,000 worth of rocks in the back of a beaten up Nissan Sunny or Toyota Corolla driven by Jan Noor from Kabul?

Taxi tour of the UAE

2007-02-11T08:24:00.000+04:00

OK, first of all let me assure you that the trip I'm about to describe is not possible to do in a taxi. For a start, the meter would probably burn out through excessive 'beeping' and secondly, the wheels would get stuck, erm, not far south of Liwa.

This weekend I took a trip from Al Ain to The Empty Quarter south of Liwa Oasis and back to Al Ain again. I guess you could say the trip formed a rectangular shape, skirting along the Omani boarders to the east, the Gulf coast to the north and the Saudi borders to the south and west. We even sliced through the middle of the UAE too. We did a lot of milage, as you can see!

Starting in Al Ain we drove north west to Abu Dhabi, taking the road west along the coast a little until reaching the turn off for Liwa which took us south into Liwa Oasis. Had lunch at Liwa Hotel, waited for the heat to go off the day a bit before driving into the dunes, had a look at Mereb Dune before driving deeper into the desert to set up camp before sunset:

Camp Taxi (please click photos to enlarge)

The sun sinks behind the dune

Just stick your head in the sand and try to
forget about it!

It was pretty windy around sunset and the tent looked as if it was going to go sailing off to Saudi never to be seen again. However, the wind did die down and as the sky grew black we were treated to an amazing blanket of stars and later a spectacular moon rise. I would've loved to have taken some photos of this but my camera knows its limits..

Next morning, damp from the desert dew we had breakfast, packed up and headed home. Rather than going the way we came we decided to take a 'short cut' back to Al Ain through the desert. After all, as the crow flies, Al Ain isn't that far away from Liwa, is it?! So, we drove to Hamim, the most eastern village on the Liwa Oasis and then engaged 4X4 for a three hour drive through the dunes on sand tracks until we reached the road which borders Oman and takes us north to Al Ain!

Our 'road' all the way from Hamim to just
north of Um Al Zumool.

Camels far from the dangers of busy highways!

After a while on the road through the dunes you begin to lose your sense of perspective. At one moment I thought I saw a wrecked car on the side of the road which, as I got closer,
was actually a crumpled rubbish bin.

We need to take a right to Um Al Zumool..I think...

Miles and miles of unconnected electricity poles
that begin in the middle of nowhere. This was the
last stretch of road before we reached the tarmac
that would take us back to Al Ain!

A bad smell

2007-02-07T18:00:00.000+04:00

I love candles, especially scented ones that fill the home with the smell of baking without the chore of actually doing any baking! Candles are romantic and create a warm homely environment.

However...

This morning I woke up with a splitting headache. No, I hadn't been drinking so I took a some painkillers and forgot about it. The night before I had burnt a scented candle for a few hours and it had filled the room with the wonderful scent of cranberries. Headache now gone, I went to throw out the glass pot that the candle had come in. Imagine my horror when I discovered that the rim of the glass was covered with a thick layer of black soot. Surely that's not right?

Being the Google addict that I am, I did a search on 'soot' and 'scented candle'. It turns out that these innocent candles are not so innocent after al l. They contain all kinds of nasty chemicals that are released into the air when burnt. Yuk.

So, I'm going back to beeswax candles. They smell gorgeous and even better, they're non toxic. Now does anyone know where you can buy them in Al Ain?

Hearing Voices

2007-01-28T14:45:00.000+04:00

You remember the Al Ain thespians I told you about a while back? Well readers from Al Ain and further afield, nows your chance to experience some of their acting first hand.

I got this press release through on the Taximail:

Women raise their voice for women in Voices

Set to stage their first production for 2007, in the name of charity Al Ain Theatre Society (AATS) presents Voices, a series of short plays written and performed by women.
Director, Ann Sandin said all proceeds from the production will go directly to Women for Women International, an organization helping women in war torn countries rebuild their lives.

“Voices is a neat suite of ten diverse yet thematically-linked works, all giving voice to different phases in women’s lives,” Ms Sandin said.

If it sounds like a night of heavy theatre and yawns, it’s not! Voices has plenty of humor and absurdity on stage as characters work through situations the audience is sure to find familiar is come way, she said.

Ms Sandin said: “Most of the scripts are by Western playwrights, including the award winning Wendy Wasserstein, but we have tried to stretch ourselves a bit and have incorporated some contemporary Arab drama as well.

A recently translated selection by Palestinian playwright Samia Qazmouz Bakri, makes an intriguing addition to the evening.”

Dale Taylor, AATS Secretary said she hopes for a large turnout to support the production and the Women for Women International charity as AATS hopes to designate a sizable donation for women in Iraq and Lebanon.

Women for Women International: http://www.womenforwomen.org

Voices will be performed at the Multaqa, UAE University Social Club, Al-Ain

7.30pm, on 23rd and 24th February 2007.

Tickets 35AED available from House of Arts or on the door.

END

The Jay-Sun has set

2007-01-25T10:01:00.000+04:00

Anyone who is familiar with Al Ain's wild n crazy nightlife will know Jaysun B of the Horse and Jockey pub. He's been running the show on and off for the last five years, having left for the bright lights of Dubai once or twice, he's returned to the more lively Al Ain scene...

Sadly, for Al Ain, he's off for good. Yes, he's left the country and he's not planning on coming back. Who will replace him, we do not know. Will the Horse and Jockey become just another pick up joint? Will there be no more Quiz Nite, no more Karaoke, no more Scalelectrix Nites? As the exodus continues who's coming in to fill the vacuum?

Tolerance

2007-01-23T16:14:00.000+04:00

Excuse the lack of blogging recently, it's been a tough couple of weeks since my return to Al Ain. When things are bad I blog about soya protein..

Everyone seems damn miserable here in AA at the moment. Call it the post festive blues, call it what you want but I don't know a single happy soul in this city right now. Maybe I mixing with the wrong crowd or maybe everyone has a good reason to be so glum.

I have come to the conclusion that happiness here is directly connected with tolerance. Tolerance is usually seen as a positive thing but taken too far, it can lead to masochism. People are usually so proud of how much they can tolerate that they stop being able to see when people are taking the p***. My happiness began to decrease with my tolerance. For example: when seeing the condition of the labourers here, when a colleague and friend was sacked for no reason without appeal, when people die in car accidents yet THOSE WHO SURVIVE* continue to drive recklessly/wrecklessly and without seatbelts, when animals are abused for fun; just a few examples. When I could no longer turn a blind eye to these things, no longer be tolerant, I became unhappy.

Is it good to turn a blind eye for the sake of personal happiness?

* for the benefit of Anonymous at 9.22 pm so there is no misunderstanding.

Veat

2007-01-14T11:25:00.000+04:00

I'm a big fan of Quorn, a soya product that you can use in cooking instead of meat. In the UK its widely available but here in Al Ain you'll be hard pushed to find it. Then the other day I was browsing the freezers in 'Al Ain City Centre' and I came across 'Veat'.

It's like Quorn but more exotic. Tonight we're having 'Pandan Chicken' as seen in the photo.

You can also get chunks of it to skewer and put on the BBQ.

AND it's low in fat too!

Happy New Year and 2B2B

2007-01-09T14:12:00.000+04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, I'm afraid I've been 2B2B and having been out of Al Ain for a while it's a little difficult to write about the place.

Gossip from readers has been thin on the ground too and I've been relying on your e mails to keep me in the loop. However, I did get one from a Canadian guy wanting to know how to hook into the Swingers Scene. Sorry, but The Taxi does not approve of 'The Lifestyle', I'm a Taxiwallah of high morals.

Anyway, Happy New Year. I've finally taken the Christmas header off the top of the blog. It's well past 12th night which means I'll probably be cursed with bad luck for the rest of the year now.

If you go look in my January 2006 archives, you will see that I was all keen to lose weight and save money. Well, it's that time again and a year later I'm just as fat and just as skint. So I'm having another try.

Killjoy at Christmas

2006-12-23T12:02:00.000+04:00

First of all, if there are any innocent kiddies reading this please look away now...

It's lovely when children still believe in Santa in these cynical times. However, it only takes on bishop in British TV to talk about "adults buying children presents" to spoil it all.

How do you explain round that one? Suggestions please!

Al Ain Community Library (updated 7/2/07)

2006-12-18T18:55:00.000+04:00

My first tip off comes from Towayya. Did you know there was a library in Al Ain? Well you do now:

"We are open sunday and wednesday 10-12, after the school holidays in January we will add an afternoon session. we are located above the bees kingdom daycare in Towayya, behind Towayya park. we will be shut on the 24th and 31st. We have about 2,000 books of various categories, nearly 90% of the books have been donated by the al ain public, which was pretty amazing, we are still getting donations. We also have a toy library. We are charging 150dhs membership for a year, and that goes towards buying new books and dvds and toys"

UPDATE

at the moment the library is only open on sunday and wednesday mornings, due to new regulations from the ministry to do with the daycare.
but hopefully we can return to the evening sessions soon. sorry!
directions again are right at the towayya park r/a, left at the next r/a, then the first right and upstairs in the bees kingdom daycare.
yes, we do have new releases. we recently got a very generous donation of new books still wrapped in plastic from jerboa books/magrudys!
please come along as we need the communities support. i find that people try to do things here but don't get a lot of support from the community and so it gets abandoned. let's not let that happen to the library, as it's the only one there is.
thanks
the library volunteers

Zoo

2006-12-17T12:07:00.000+04:00

It's been a few years since I've visited Al Ain Zoo. I guess it was the moment I was told why there was "maafi elephant". However, I've heard that it's improved in recent times so yesterday I decided to pay it a visit: It's fantastic!

Hats off to whoever has implemented this change for the better. The entrance fee is reasonable 10 dirhams for adults and 5 for children, more than it used to be but you can see the results of this extra money. The animals look happy, the visitors look happy and the African Exhibit is the star attraction, in my opinion. For a moment I thought I was on the African Savannah:

Come and support your local zoo. It's a testimony to what can be done with money and a passion for wildlife.

Scammed!

2006-12-16T08:47:00.000+04:00

There's an SMS message doing the rounds that says if you forward it to 10 other people you will get 25 dirhams credit added to your balance:

"Congratulation! 2 day is anniversary of Etisalat. So forward this sms to 10 other people u will get free balance of AED 25/"

In a moment of stupidity I forwarded it on and realised, after an hour of no extra credit, that I'd been scammed. Sorry to the 10 people I forwarded it to, I hope you're not as stupid as me...

Where's Al AinTimes?

2006-12-11T14:03:00.000+04:00

I haven't seen it around town this week, so I went online to take a peek at the latest issue and the website's down.

Anyone have any info on this?

RIP Jennaat Khan

2006-12-05T21:35:00.000+04:00

We've all got tales to tell about carnage on the roads when it starts to rain here. The combination of bad driving and lack of drainage means its best to stay indoors during wet weather unless you really need to travel.

On the road to Tawam on Saturday a taxi driver called Jenaat Khan was hit by an aquaplaning car. He was rushed to Tawam but died two days later from head injuries.

The skill of handling a car in wet weather isn't taught here and when it does rain many people don't know what to do. Until then, sadly, when the water levels rise so will the death toll on the roads.

A Swingers Song..

2006-12-02T08:29:00.000+04:00

(To the tune of 'The Monkey Song' in The Jungle Book)

Now I'm the king of the swingers
The oasis VIP
I was bored with life and bored with my wife
So we joined the swingers scene
I wanna be a man, baby
And swap most every night
I've put my keys in the pot and tried the lot
And that's what's botherin me

The Swingers Scene
The Al Ain Swingers Scee-eene
You can play around
Meet new friends, ooooh
You'll see it's true
A ESL teacher like me
Can have a workmate's wifey every night

( Gee, Mr Expat
You're doin' real good
Now here's your part of the deal, cuz
As your wife I need some lovin too
But I'm not too happy with the selection out there )

Now don't try to kid me, husband
I made a deal with you
What I desire is a decent guy
To make my dream come true
But this, my darling, is Al Ain
And all the men are bland
So let's leave this scene, be just you and me
Before our marriage goes down the pan

The Swingers Scene
The Al Ain Swingers Scee-eene
You can wreck your marriage
Screw it up, ooooh
You'll see it's true
Now the di-vorce rate in Al Ain's through the roof

Living the sweet screw

2006-11-28T08:21:00.000+04:00

What's this? Al Ain's popular Italian restaurant and nightclub may have a rather funky sign these days but they should've checked their Italian dictionary first.

'Vite' means screw, the thing you find in your toolbox. What they meant to say was 'vita'.

Oh well, I don't suppose many people will notice.

Maafi Parklife

2006-11-27T16:43:00.000+04:00

Al Ain is famous, at least within the UAE, for its wonderful parks and gardens. Now that its cooling off, we can finally get out and enjoy them. Well, after 4pm we can...

Why 4pm? What's going on with the rest of the day? I asked once and was told it was because everyone is working and nobody wants to go to the park in the morning and early afternoon.

What about mothers with pre school children who would appreciate a stroll through a natural environment rather than a fake one (mall)? What about the elderly, the infirm and all those who are not at 'duty'? ( hate that term for work, I've only heard it here and it makes me fume when I hear it).

The priciest boozer in town...

2006-11-20T10:04:00.000+04:00

One of my favourite drinking spots in Dubai is the wonderful 'Up on the Tenth' bar in the Intercon. It's expensive, oh yes, but it's like being on the set of Miami Vice or Moonlighting. It's so 80s, all that black and chrome plus the smoky lounge environment and all that sweet jazz music wafting around- I love it! Next time I will dig out that black velvet puffball number with the shoulder pads.

However, when in Al Ain I don't expect to take out a mortgage to buy a beer. This was one of the comments falling from expat lips over the weekend. Were they talking about Trader Vics (which we all know is not cheap)? No! They were talking about the HnJ*!

OMG, the wonderful HnJ. Dark interior, bum crushing seats, fag-stained wallpaper- no more. Bring on the subtle lighting, the dance floor, the 'Hoxton' seats, the extended terrace. The place looks wonderful; well done Intercon for dragging the place into 2006. BUT what have you done with the prices!!!

There are two ways to look at this. Going to the HnJ will become a treat, something worth dressing up a bit for. If you want to pour booze down your throat there are now cheaper places to go to. This gives the HnJ a new exclusivity and keeps the riff raff out (you know who you are and I'm saying it as a compliment not a diss). However, this means that the HnJ will be dead for most nights of the week while everyone else is p****** it up in Pacos. The HnJ will have to raise their prices even more!

OR.... The HnJ lowers their prices to pre-refurbishment levels, everyone comes back including new clientele who have heard how reasonable the prices are and how much nicer it is in there than Pacos. Voila! The HnJ are quids in plus good ole Jaysun B is happy too. And Jaysun B is the nearest thing we have to a Catboy in Al Ain (is that a good thing????)

* For non-Al Ainites, HnJ stands for 'Horse and Jockey', the famous British-style pub in the Intercontinental Hotel.

STOP PRESS!!

Just had an e mail in from a matey on this subject. She has Jaysun B's word on this matter, he posted this on the HnJ forum a couple of weeks ago:

"I will tell you though, that, as a policy of the H&J, we will not
stoop to our Hotel competitors desperate attempts to keep on slashing
prices to attract more people. We do have a more superior venue,
with a brand new extension and lay out, superior entertainment
including all the live sporting events and an exceptional service
that is provided by our very experienced colleagues plus much more on
offer here at the H&J"

So there you go folks, they're staying upmarket and keeping the prices.

Taxi's opinion: put the prices back to pre-refurbishment levels and everyone will be happy. The HnJ was always dearer than Pacos back then but nobody minded so much.

World money laundering experts meet in Al Ain

2006-11-20T08:03:00.000+04:00

"About 14 Arab countries
and three Western nations
gathered in Al Ain for the
Middle East and North Africa
Financial Action Task Force
(MENAFATF) 4th Plenary
Meeting and Typologies
Workshop to talk about on
how they would combat
issues of money laundering,
drugs and terrorism while still
maintaining cooperation and
solidarity among them"

From Al Ain Times, 18th-20th November, page 3.

That's cleared that up then. Reading that headline, I had a wonderful image in my mind of various international 'Most Wanteds' gathering over coffee and dates to discuss the best way to turn filthy funds into clean cash. Now that would be a scoop for Al Ain Times....

Al Ain Taxi in Al Ain Times

2006-11-08T11:16:00.000+04:00

Miranda from Al Ain Times has been hounding me for the past few weeks. Her colleague, Lucky Mae has also sent me a few e mails as well. Miranda has promised to protect my anonymity and not let the paper's photographer come within miles of the interview. So who shall I go with?

I'm still not sure if I'm going to do this...advice anyone?

Al Ain: The one about the tourists..

2006-10-31T08:32:00.000+04:00

The latest issue of Al Ain Times announces that 'Al Ain emerges as popular destination for Eid holidays'. Of course, the hotels are making the most of this by charging more than double normal room rates similar to what you'd pay in Dubai most of the year. They must be rubbing their hands with glee.

So Al Ain is a tourist destination. I can just imagine one of the UK's holiday shows covering it. Where would they start? Ok, how about seeing the 'real Arabia'? Did you go to Dubai and not see any Arabs? Well, come to Al Ain and you'll get to see the Arabs you're yearning for.

I think a good presenters for this particular episode would be Torvill and Dean, the famous british skating duo. They could arrive at Al Ain Mall and do a report on the Ice Rink. Pretending to the rink staff that they've never skated before they could hobble onto the ice, clinging on to one of those metal zimmer frames and wobble around a bit. Suddenly, on the first beat of some Arabic pop, Jane could launch herself into a triple axel while the camera crew film the crowds reaction. That would make good TV.

According to the Al Ain Times, it appears that people are coming to Al Ain for it's beauty and to get away from the hussle and bussle of city life. Going in the other direction are Al Ain residents heading to the coast for some decent shopping and some beachlife.
As I've said before, what we really need in Al Ain are some decent shops. I've got nothing against the shops we all ready have but its a choice issue here. Why is it that our only big supermarket here is Carrefour? Yes, I know we have Megamart but it's hardly 'mega'. We had Spinneys up until 2003/4 which, although a little expensive, stocked some decent lines. Anyone who goes to the malls in the evenings will know there is no shortage of people willing to say masalama to their dirhams. So lets have more choice in what to spend them on!!

As for beachlife, how about Al Ain Beach? We've got the sand, we just need the sea..

Spamorama

2006-10-22T10:41:00.000+04:00

Hi Taxi fans,

Sorry for the delay in posting, the lovely folk at Blogger decided that this blog was a 'spamblog' and blocked me from being able to access my own bloomin' blog. However, they had a good look and realised I wasn't trying to sell anything, no mention of Viagra in it (oops, there is now) so they promptly unblocked it again.

Keefie: I only accessed by taximail today and saw your invite to Dubai. Sorry I missed it, when's the next one?

Lucky from Al Ain Times: my anonymity is the only card left in my hand. I love your glorious newspaper but I can't grant an interview, not yet anyway.

Friends in Al Ain who know who I am: You know who you are, girls! (They won't tell anyone coz they're sworn to secrecy and if anyone else does find out then I'll know who told 'em)

Germany Vs UAE World Cup1990

2006-09-26T18:08:00.000+04:00


I always wondered about this match. It seems very few Emirati kids know that their team scored against Germany in the 1990 World Cup, sadly they lost 1-5 in Germany's favour. Ah well, they can see the highlights here.

For a moment I thought I'd found fame!

2006-09-17T12:06:00.000+04:00

I opened up the latest edition of Al Ain Times to see the words 'Al Ain Taxi'. Sadly, they're not talking about me...

Gold 'n' White

2006-09-02T21:47:00.000+04:00

(to the tune of 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers)

Gold n white, on the Main Street
Lights are green, people will beep
Man in the front
Woman in the back
Meter is on
Bang! What is that?

(instrumental)

I've been here far too long
People smoke and make the seats pong
Taxi's too old
Passengers too bold
Don't pay the fare
What do I care?

(instrumental)

Every night after the prayer
We sit on the roundabout
Women pass, we stare
Thinking of home
Wives left behind
How lonely I feel
When these thoughts pass my mind

Extra Extra!

2006-08-31T20:41:00.000+04:00

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

2006-08-30T08:58:00.000+04:00

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

2006-08-29T16:03:00.000+04:00

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

2006-08-29T05:33:00.000+04:00

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!

2006-08-23T22:11:00.000+04:00

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...

Gone...but not for long!

2006-06-20T11:15:00.000+04:00

Dear Loyal Passengers,

Al Ain Taxi is going abroad for a while and will return in September. Keep your eyes out for a white and gold Nissan Sunny driving around the UK over the summer, that'll be me.

See you in Autumn/Fall/Slightly Cooler Season (UK/US/UAE),

The Taxi x

44 degrees C!

2006-05-30T16:24:00.000+04:00

No wonder I feel crap. 44 degrees C is EVIL and with less than 10 % humidity no wonder we are all are chomping at the bit to get out of here.

Google Superstar

2006-05-29T15:02:00.000+04:00

Al Ain Taxi is now listed on the 2nd page of Google when you do a search on Al Ain.

It's just below 'Al Ain Mall' which is great news because potential visitors and residents to Al Ain will stumble easily upon this site. But oh, the responsibility!

Pretty Pixie RIP

2006-05-29T09:48:00.000+04:00

If you look to your right you'll see that I've replaced that naughty little Weather Pixie with a much more culturally compatible Weather Underground report.

For a start, she didn't look anything like me, far too skinny and by the middle of the afternoon she was practically naked.

Yes, I feel like going shopping in my bikini when it's this hot, but come on dear, you're in Al Ain!

Where are you Lal?

2006-05-28T15:34:00.000+04:00

As a vegetarian (with the occasional fish and chips binge), there's nothing I like more than eating out at a southern indian veggie restaurant. I know that I can eat pretty much everything on the menu and I can spend more than thirty seconds making my choice. While I'm on this topic, yah boo sucks to Chili's whose non carne offerings amount to, well, er, a caesar salad. Have they heard of veggie chilli? I cook a mean veggie chilli and will share the recipe with them for a price...

Yesterday I was up in Dubai and there's a number of veggie restaurants I love, the mainstay being the Saravana Bhavan in Bur Dubai. However, as I was in a celebratory mood I wanted to go somewhere a little more upmarket. I eat quite a lot of indian food at home and have a plethora of pickles and chutneys to go with it. One of my favourites is 'Mohanlal's Lime Pickle'.

For those who do not know, Mohanlal is a movie superstar in Kerala. Eating his pickles prompted me to find out more about the guy on the internet that then prompting me into buying one of his VCDs which was in Malayalam with no subtitles. Me and hubby spent the entire movie trying to spot him as so many of the male actors all look the same. My googling also pulled up a gem: the man has his own restaurant in Karama, Dubai. Me and hub decide we should go there next time we're in Dubai and yesterday I called 181 to get the restaurant's exact location while screaming down SZR (I wasn't driving). I tried the number and got one of those number not available noises. Oh no, don't tell me that the place has gone the way of many eateries in Dubai?

So, we ended up in the Saravana Bhavan again. Does anyone know what's happend to Mohanlals? We want to enjoy our puris under a fiberglass banyan tree!

Eat Petrol!

2006-05-26T09:39:00.000+04:00

"AC mushkilla, eat petrol"

Were the words of my Al Ain taxi driver yesterday when I requested he turned up the AC which was spitting out air on the 1 setting. Or I could've come and sat in the front passenger seat :-/

Relunctantly he turned it up to 2.

The rise in petrol prices means that Al Ain cabbies are finding ways of keeping fuel costs down and turning off the AC is one of them...

Irregular Posting

2006-04-24T11:53:00.001+04:00

Running a blog about Al Ain life is hard work. Living in such an exciting city as I do, I spend hours every day trying to decide which exciting aspect of the garden city I should talk about. By the time I've decided I'm too tired to put fingers to keyboard and another day passes.

Petzone

2006-04-06T11:35:00.000+04:00

Just when I was thinking that there was no such thing as a decent pet shop in the UAE, I found Petzone in Dubai. This place deserves a big Al Ain Taxi plug.

It's how a pet shop should be and it's run by a woman ::smug smile :-) ::

All other UAE pet shops please follow their example.

You heard it here first

2006-03-24T08:31:00.000+04:00

Al Ain is going to have its own newspaper. The first issue is expected in May and it will be called the Al Ain Times.

What the tortoise taught us

2006-03-14T10:59:00.000+04:00

Most pet shops in the UAE keep their animals in appalling conditions, like this poor tortoise. No food, no water, no sunlight, no heat. All the things that a reptile needs to survive.

On top of this, it is illegal to import tortoises into the UAE. The country is signed up to CITES (well done UAE!) If you see a pet shop selling tortoises it is likely that they are illegally imported and the shop owner is breaking the law. You can report them to you local CITES office here in the UAE.

Animal welfare is improving here as the authorities continue to clamp down on cruelty and people are becoming more educated. Sheikh Zayed was a champion for the environment and wildlife, so lets make the UAE a better place for animals.

The Brain Drain of Al Ain

2006-03-04T16:21:00.000+04:00

In fact, it is the same ego that when offering a prospective employee a salary and benefits package, there is the air of "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT". (That is another story entirely that is going to come crashing down on the UAE...it's called the brain drain.)

Says Dubai Bigus in a post about consumer rights in the UAE. It's interesting that they've mentioned the 'brain drain' that's going on, because living in Al Ain and knowing many academics (UAEU/HCT) and doctors (Tawam) that work here, I know exactly what they're talking about.

I remember once upon a time there was a brain drain in the UK. Academics with the ink still drying on their PhD certificates would say goodbye to their Alma Mater and head for pastures foreign to earn much more that they could in the motherland. One such country to benefit was the UAE. The UAE got wise to this and decided that it wouldn't take much of an incentive to get the brains to come to the country; maybe free housing would do it, no need to raise the salary because it was tax free anyway. As we all know, the stream of western academics wanting to come to the UAE is endless, right? You can raise their living standards a tinsy bit more than what they would have back home and they'd all come running, right?

Wrong. People are getting fed up. They were fed on the promise of a 15% pay rise. It never came. Rumours spread that the cost of living was going to rise, that came.

The result is that it seems half of Al Ain is packing up and going home this summer. Which leaves what? A few die-hards that are committed to health care and education in this country and the rest who couldn't get out this year but are trying for the next.

You pay people a good salary and they will stay and work their b***s off. You keep chipping away at people's benefits and they will leave. Then who will heal the sick and teach the young?

Tagged

2006-03-02T14:54:00.000+04:00

I've been tagged by Keefieboy, didn't follow instructions and now I'm driving around Al Ain as a frog. I have been getting more fares this way though, it must be the novelty value. However, I can't stand it anymore so I will answer Keefie's questions and pass the tag on.

Four Jobs I've Had

Coffee making gimp, Selfridges, London
Salesperson in shoe shop selling kinky boots in Carnaby Street, London
Telesales Agent
Minicab Driver, London

Four Movies I Watch Over And Over:

Ghostbusters
Sleeping With The Enemy
The Commitments
Fight Club

Four Places I've Lived

London
Chicago
Leeds
Al Ain

Four TV Shows I Like

Friends
Eastenders
Coronation Street
Match Of The Day

Four Places I've Vacationed

Oman
Kerala
Thailand
France

Four Favourite Dishes

Fish and Chips
Steak and Kidney Pie
Spaghetti Carbonara
Pizza

Four Sites I Visit Daily

Secret Dubai
The Religious Policeman
CNN Online
Viz

Four Books I've Read In The Last Year

The Bible
The Rough Guide To Thailand
Blue Peter Annual 2006
Life of Pi

Four Bloggers I'm Going To Tag:

Jenny Foreigner
Bss N Brn
Thoughts From Dubai
Punk Dervish

Mobile Torture Devices

2006-02-08T07:48:00.000+04:00

As promised, my post about Carrefour's infamous electrocuting trolleys.

The subject of Carrefour comes up quite regularly amongst Al Ainites. Why? Well, lets face it, if there is a place in this city where everyone goes, it's there. It's our biggest supermarket and still, on the whole, is the cheapest..although not as cheap as it used to be. (moan, whinge)

It's a common topic of conversation at Al Ain dinner parties:

"Oh this fois gras is delicious, where did you get it?
"Carrefour" ( a no brainer )
"Really? I'll have to look out for it next time I'm in there. Talking of
Carrefour, is it just me or does anyone else get electrocuted by the
trolleys?"

Now, I'm talking about the old trolleys, the ones with the grey wheels that are a little bit wonky. Those are the ones you need to avoid. Unfortunately the rest of Al Ain knows this tip and if you visit on a Thursday night you have no choice. Well you do have a choice: starvation or electrocution. Carefully, you manoeuvre round the store, clinging on to the plastic handle as you can hear the static building up with every aisle. Touch that metal and wham!

The good news is that the UAE is bound for static-free shopping.

Cool things to do in Al Ain

2006-02-05T19:22:00.001+04:00

In response to Jenny Foreigner's dilemma in trying to find cool things to do in Dubai, here's my list of 'cool' things to do in Al Ain which won't break the bank:

1. You need 'wheels' for this one. Bah, I hate cars and it's a struggle for me, as a Londoner, to come to terms with the fact you need one in this part of the world. I'm a bike person, me. Anyway, I digress... CAMPING IN THE HAJARS has to be the coolest thing to do in and around Al Ain. You take the road out of Al Ain, past the Intercon hotel into the mountains. There's a small border post further along there so it's a good idea to have ID although you're not really crossing into Oman at that point. After about twenty minutes on the road, turn off left into the mountains. There are many wadis and oasis' out here that a good camping spots, ask any Al Ain expat to recommend you one. A night under the stars, cooking food on the bonfire and telling stories can't be beaten.

2. Going up Jebel Hafit. The views are great and there's a nice hotel up there now. Have a meal followed by a session in their pool and go on the waterslides.

3. Walking round the Oasis followed by tea in the Oasis Restaurant as the sun sets. It's the most romantic place in Al Ain (not the restaurant, the oasis ;-)

5. Camel riding in the desert. Trips can be arranged from the Hilton.

Nothings changed here

2006-02-02T08:17:00.000+04:00

January is the month that many Al Ainites who work at the two big educational establishments get their first big holiday since the summer. This means Al Ain is dead(er) for about a fortnight.

With the new semester brings the return of these over-worked-underpaid senseis. So where did they go? Well, the poorest ones stayed in Al Ain with the highlight of the holiday being a trip up to the bright lights of Dubai, maybe a day on Jumeirah Beach Park. The slightly richer ones went to Oman, spending most of the holiday in their 4 wheel drive on a long straight road or in a tent on the Hajars. The ones with a bit more cash either went to India or Thailand. Finally, the moneyed ones or those so homesick they don't care went home to the UK and froze their little ***** off.

This weekend they all convened in the H&J with different stories to tell:

-Etihad Airways are flying Iberworld charter jets on their Abu Dhabi-Gatwick route at the moment and the experience is terrible...

-It was freezing in England and expensive but worth it

-I got Delhi Belly and was on a drip for three days

-Carrefour was really quiet and I managed to get one of the trolleys with red wheels that don't electricute you.

SHOCK! HORROR! Western expats start doing their own housework!

2006-01-18T15:34:00.000+04:00

Times are getting tough in the Emirates for the western 'middle classes'. The rising cost of fuel has meant some of them have had to sell their gas guzzling SUVs and exchange them for easy to park, economical cars like the ones you see on the streets of Europe (article is on page 4)

BUT what's this? In a further attempt to economise they're sacking their maids and doing the housework themselves! No, this hasn't made the headlines of the Guff News yet, but being plugged into the Al Ain grapevine I can tell you this is beginning to happen...

Since sacking his maid,
Edwin has to do his own
ironing. He says the 900 AED
monthly saving means he can
buy more beer in the Horse &
Jockey pub.

Where's Syriana?

2006-01-18T10:22:00.000+04:00

Starring some of Al Ain's finest thespians (an Al Ainite was Matt Damon's body double jumping into the swimming pool), we are waiting for the film's UAE release. See George's gag there? Well it could be a case of life imitating art as it's possible that the film won't make it past the censors. It could be that a political thriller about corruption in the oil industry is a little too near the knuckle, even though the crew had a free reign to film all over the country, including the desert outside of Al Ain, although this got them into a bit of trouble with the Omanis...

Or maybe the problem is with the film's sub-plot:

The film's final storyline follows the trajectory of Wasim, a young Pakistani who, along with his father, has been fruitlessly trying to earn a living in the oil fields of Nasir's country, but finds nothing but poverty, disappointment and alienation at every turn. When they are laid off from their jobs working in the field, their situation turns more desperate.

Their story mirrors that of the thousands of Pakistani laborers who have left their homes and families to try and find work in the Gulf. When they are met with job scarcity, sub-human living conditions, and struggles with immigration officials to stay in the country long enough to find employment, the disillusioned young men are drawn to the madrassas, or Islamic schools, some of which may seek to indoctrinate them into a radical interpretation of Islam. A number of these boys may become involved with terrorist organizations, and a few are ultimately persuaded to sacrifice their lives as suicide bombers. Such is the path that Wasim finds himself on as his life in the Gulf unfolds.

When his friend Farooq introduces him to a cleric at a nearby madrassa, for the first time Wasim feels he has a place in the unfamiliar country, and becomes more and more drawn into the cleric's radical teachings. He and Farooq are soon preparing themselves for a deadly act from which they will not return.

Wasim is played by Mazhar Munir, a young actor making his major motion picture debut in Syriana. Born and raised in London, he has appeared on several British television series, including the award-winning Doctors. "Wasim is no different from any other teenager," says Munir of his character. "But where someone of his age should be concerned about the new pimple growing on his forehead, he has to worry about making money to feed his family, and just trying to survive. He understands that there is more to life and wants better things for himself and his family, but each time he makes an effort to improve his life, forces beyond his control prevent him from doing so."

There were several days of shooting in Dubai during which Munir and the rest of the production got a firsthand look at the quality of life experienced by immigrant workers like Wasim and his father. "It was scary," recounts the actor. "There were six or seven men and boys squashed into these freight containers that were converted into some form of housing quarters, in 100 degree heat and with no adequate ventilation systems and very little light. I hope when audiences see what the lives of such people are like, they'll understand what draws them down such a road and try to understand and not judge Wasim. Hopefully, the film will enable viewers to begin to understand how people are manipulated into performing such horrible acts."

"To me, the audience's greatest emotional connection in the film is through these two young boys," George Clooney muses. "I think it's a really interesting thing when you take the two most likeable characters in the film and then watch as they're sucked into this fundamentalist group. And you begin to understand how something like that could happen. It's not an excuse for it at all, but it is saying that you can't just categorize things. They are human beings and they make decisions - some of them wrong, but we understand what led to those decisions."

From the Syriana promotional website

Heartless Lucas McMullan Jacobs Solicitors

2006-01-15T13:18:00.000+04:00

Telegraph | News | This toddler's mother killed herself when he was three months old. Now he's being sued by solicitor in a case which may cost him 25,000 pounds

I know this is off-topic but who cares. This came through the online Telegraph this morning...even more reason why I can't stand lawyers! I know they're in the business to make money but can Lucas McMullan Jacobs Solicitors based in Leyton really blame the dad for not being prompt in replying to letters when had wife has just killed herself?

Absolutely heartless.

Al Ain Airshow

2006-01-12T17:01:00.000+04:00

As you know, money is tight at the moment so I decided to park up and view the airshow from outside the 'paying area'. Of course, this is what all the taxi drivers do and I got a good opportunity to take not only some very bad photos of the planes but also a nice one of the drivers having a break from the daily grind and enjoying the show.

Al Ain taxi sign

2006-01-12T16:57:00.000+04:00

This is what an Al Ain taxi sign looks like. Sorry about the quality of the photo but I didn't want to draw attention to myself so I had to take it from a distance and zoom in on Picasa. If you don't read arabic, on the right it says 'taxi' and on the left 'Al Ain'. Does the shape and colour of this sign look familiar?

Abu Dhabi taxi sign

2006-01-12T16:45:00.000+04:00

This is the sign on an Abu Dhabi taxi. Those who don't read arabic note the different words on the left side of the sign. It says 'Abu Dhabi'. You see quite a few of these in Al Ain and when you get used to the different signs its quite fun to spot them as there are not as many of these ones about. The driver of this cab was approachable so I asked him if it was OK for me to take the photo, hence the close-up.

Just Chillin'

2006-01-09T20:46:00.000+04:00

Two gentlemen (you can only see one) take time out to enjoy an Al Ain mini roundabout. This is a common sight in our city; sometimes you will see whole families picnicking on a roundabout which Al Ain has many. Sorry about the quality of the snap. Camera phone combined with nervous photographer. I tried to zoom and edit on Picasa as much as I could.

Skinflint's and Dieter's Guide to Al Ain Part 2

2006-01-09T13:20:00.000+04:00

I remember the first time I saw a woman jogging on the streets of Al Ain. She was a western expat dressed in the kind of clothes that you would normally see a woman jogging in on the streets of London or New York. She was already trim and looked like she'd been doing it since she was out of nappies. What was strange was the reactions she was getting from passing drivers, especially the taxi drivers.

They'd slow down, opened mouthed, until realising that this lady could be a potential passenger. So they'd start to hoot and maybe even stop a few yards ahead, hazard lights a-blinking*, hoping that she'd hop in and even better, given them her phone number. You see it's so logical in their minds: an attractive 'gora' would run down the street in tight clothing in the hope she would attract one of those amazingly sexy cab drivers who would invite her into their car.

Yesterday I decided to don my baggiest t-shirt and my sloppiest jogging bottoms and go for a 'power walk'. I made sure my I Pod was cranked to a deafening volume to drown out hooting cabs. I took this photo half-way, it reminded me in some funny way of my childhood.

Anyway, I think I must've burnt off a few calories, blew some mind-cobwebs away and not spent a single fil.

*Hazard lights are over-used out here. Mind you, I think an Al Ain Taxi definately constitutes 'a hazard'

Sign of the times

2006-01-08T18:54:00.000+04:00

Selling all the best stuff from Ras Al Khaimah...

Skinflint's and Dieter's Guide To Al Ain Part 1

2006-01-07T12:43:00.000+04:00

Ahh, Christmas and New Year are over. Now let's have a look at the bank account....

ARGGGHHHHHH!

Looks like the Taxi has overspent yet again this holiday season. What to do?

Now lets step on the scales....

ARGHHHHHHHHHH!

Looks like the Taxi has overate yet again this holiday season. What to do?

Here's my guide to losing weight and saving dirhams while staying sane. Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll be back with some idea of what to do. Any ideas you have would be appreciated in the comments section. Thank you.

More mirrors..

2006-01-01T22:44:00.000+04:00

Mirror.co.uk - News - THE NEW CHIC OF ARABY:

"And it is here you get a glimpse of an Arabia that would have been familiar to Thesiger."

Al Ain: so behind the times that Wilfred Thesiger would recognise it. Really? I know we're a little old fashioned compared with Dubai but...

In response to Secret Dubai's posting of UK tabloid newspaper The Mirror's recent article/advert on Dubai, here's what they have to say on Al Ain in an article about Abu Dhabi Emirate.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-01-01T09:25:00.000+04:00

Have a great 2006, the best year you've ever had. My posts will have a little more meat on them in the coming year, I promise.

Who went to Luce's last night to celebrate? Or did you stay in the HnJ? Any reviews?
And did Luce's look anything like this?:

Taken for a ride in a Ford Capri

2005-12-29T19:20:00.000+04:00

Gulfnews: Al Ain taxi drivers take passengers for a ride

By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief

"Al Ain: Passengers accused Al Ain taxi drivers of over-charging for trips to Buraimi, Oman, and said the authorities should take action to end the exploitation."

Yes, the storys late. I was a little busy that day and didn't read the Guff News.

By the way, did anyone see Eastenders last night? Please explain how Alfie and Kat are going to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a Ford Capri

Christmas in the HnJ

2005-12-26T09:21:00.000+04:00

No, we didn't have dinner at Al Ain's hottest nightspot.

I know many people have their Christmas grub in one of Al Ain's four hotels but not us. Nothing against their cooking but I spend enough money in there during the rest of the year.

However, we did go there for a drink and listened to their Christmas CD on repeat mode three times. You'd think they'd have more than one Christmas CD and I began to feel sorry for the poor bar staff who must be counting the hours by the number of times Nat King Cole's 'Chestnuts Roasting' goes round.

Hope you all had a wonderful day whatever you did, wherever you went.

Happy Christmas...It's not the same...

2005-12-25T13:54:00.000+04:00

It doesn't matter how you try to dress it up, Christmas in a Muslim country is not the same. I understand how Muslims feel in the UK when they celebrate Eid. OK, you can make your home as festive as possible but as soon as you step outside it's just another day

However, we will do our best to celebrate today despite the blinding sunshine and lack of snow.

Happy Christmas !

The Wasta Sauce Bottle

2005-12-22T16:18:00.000+04:00

Has anyone been rubbing it and if so have you seen an increase in your wasta powers?
(see RH of this blog, down a bit)

Barefoot wanderin' at 2.30 AM

2005-12-22T10:58:00.000+04:00

Al Ain is full of taxis. Sometimes you can be waiting for one on the side of the road and three will come hurtling towards you all hoping to be there first. You wince as an accident almost unfolds before your eyes. The 'losers' drive away looking grim while the 'winner' pulls up beside you looking smug.

Not at 2.30 am on a Thursday morning. You're happy to pay double fare if there were any taxis to hail. The road is dead except for the odd Emirati lad driving around in Dad's Beemer(that low bass of the exhaust). You start to walk home, your feet hurt, you remove your shoes and carry on.

A taxi passes. It's full of westerners on their way back from Luce's.

Suddenly the Beemer pulls up beside you. You're another 20 minutes from home but then again this could be Al Ain's very own Jack The Ripper. Ah, sod it. You're not alone and he seems OK.

Three minutes later you're home. A nice ma'salaama and a few shukrans and he drives away.

Fall asleep feeling happy about living in Al Ain as you hear the Beemer drive round the block once more...

Oh no it isn't!

2005-12-19T11:52:00.000+04:00

"What isn't?" you ask.

This year's Al Ain pantomime.

It used to be the event of the season. Yes, we have the carol concerts and the tree lighting but the panto was the fairy on top of the tree. Each year a bunch of Al Ain's finest thesps would start rehearsing in October and be ready to hit the boards come mid-December. Last years show was the best ever, a lavish performance of Cinderella complete with panto horse. One of Al Ain's many film makers even produced a DVD of it.

BUT this year no panto.

The director has left the country and nobody has picked up the 'baton'. The children of Al Ain will now have to travel to Dubai for their festive entertainment. Or watch last year's DVD....

Back soon!

2005-12-08T20:52:00.000+04:00

I'll be away from a computer til Wednesday at least so I'll leave you with this wonderful Al Ain scene to enjoy while I'm gone. Answers on a postcard or on a comments section as to what is in the guy's tub on his head.

The next train leaves for Al Ain.....?

2005-12-07T08:43:00.000+04:00

Gulfnews: Emirates Railways gradually moving on the right track:
By Saifur Rahman and Kokila Jacob, Staff Reporters

"Dubai: Emirates Railways, the country's future national rail network, will be part of a GCC-wide rail network currently under study, officials say.

It will be more than 700 km-long and will link Abu Dhabi with Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah in the east with Ruwais and Ghowaifat in the west."

Why oh why didn't they include Al Ain in this? It wouldn't be to difficult to build a track down to here from Dubai and another up to Abu Dhabi linking it all together. You could have high speed trains running on this stretch and it would cut the journey time in half. Also, it would be a feasable commute for those of us Alainites who want to work in Dubai but can't stomach the 3 hour daily commute on the E66.

On top of this it would reduce traffic on the highway, leaving more space for the crawling pick up trucks. Less traffic, less accidents. As for privacy you could have 'women and children only' carriages.

maybe one day...

The 'Cresta Run', Jebel Hafeet

2005-12-06T09:48:00.000+04:00

Anyone have problems getting Secret Dubai this morning?

2005-12-06T09:22:00.000+04:00

Al Ainywood

2005-12-05T08:07:00.000+04:00

Yes, you read right.

Al Ain is the film-making capital of the UAE if the number of film-makers to 'normal people' ratio is to be believed.

You might find it difficult to get your hands on an organic onion in this fair city but if you want someone to video your event they'll be lining up at your door.

I know of three film projects in the making at the moment and two that have already been made and are ready for 'distribution'. There is even an 'Al Ain Movie' which makes use of all the wonderful landscape we have round here.

One problem. Most of these film-makers have day jobs and are worried about losing them if their bosses get wind of their David Lean aspirations.

You see, thats Al Ain for you. A creative hot pot full of frustrated english teachers.

Love is colour blind

2005-12-05T08:03:00.000+04:00

Once again, thanks to most of you for being so patient with my comments cock-up. You were all very polite despite posting and posting and not seeing your post appear while I was ranting and ranting at you all. One anonymous poster did start to get frustrated and blamed the lack of posts on the colour of my blog:

Anonymous said...
i think i know why you have no blogs.. bcoz you blog is borin, useless and an ugly colour, and no doubt u wont publish this because of user moderation

Silly old taxi

2005-12-04T21:35:00.000+04:00

Didn't realise I'd clicked 'moderate comments'. Found you all just now and published you. It was Christmas come early. Sorry for ranting :-(

Miserable gits the lot of yer! What do you want me to do? Beg?

2005-12-04T20:44:00.000+04:00

Blah, I'll carry on blogging and if you wanna post a comment then all the better for me but I'm going to carry on bringing you the delights of Al Ain so much so that you'll wanna move there and spend the rest of your life listening to Jason B sing 'The Green Green Grass of Home' in the Horse and Jockey pub.

C'mon, don't be shy

2005-12-03T20:24:00.000+04:00

Who's going to write my first comment? :-)

I feel like this right now

2005-12-02T22:15:00.000+04:00

Khaleej Times Online: "“Until half a decade back, the saving grace of working in Gulf countries was a fat bank balance at the end of your tenure here. People held that financial security in the form of some hundred thousands stacked away as savings compensated for what you endure here, with loved ones back home. But now keeping apart a few dirhams is a distant dream for many as it is a hand to mouth existence for many middle class families and individuals,” noted long timers in the UAE like Abdul Latif and Ramachandran Nair. And they do it at a price; failing mental and physical fitness."

Anyone else feel as if it's really not worth being out here anymore?

Nightlife in Al Ain Part 1

2005-12-01T22:43:00.000+04:00

A few years ago when I first arrived in Al Ain I was already primed in the city's nightspots. I mean, it really doesn't take long to know them all. It was comforting to know that there was a real English pub waiting there for us and we made it our priority to visit it as soon as we could.

Now for those who have never visited a UAE 'pub', the vast majority of them are in hotels with the exception of the Irish Village in Dubai of course.

First impressions of Al Ain 'pub' were:

Dark with velvet seating and dark wood fittings.....good
Dartboard....yes
Glasses hanging above bar.....all there

but

No resident dog and most importantly where's the guvnor? You know, the landlord or landlady?

We did meet the guvnor, a west country boy who sounds a bit like Gareth off The Office (sorry). One night he'd be calling out the quiz questions to know-all academics from HCT and UAEU, the next he would be trying to get people up to sing Karaoke and ending up singing a lot of the numbers himself. One time he even organised a Scalextrics race, setting up a track that took over half the room.

Then one day he left to pastures new and brighter lights: Dubai. Things started to slide...

The poor hotel management tried as hard as they could to bring in the punters but the place was never the same. Where did all the people go?

Then one day he was back. The hotel were so thrilled his face was all over the place and lo and behold the suppers came back in their droves. There ends the tale.

For more information about Al Ain's currently most slammin' night spot you can join their Yahoo group here

All your maid wants for Christmas is at Carrefour

2005-12-01T05:05:00.000+04:00

Now do you get her a yellow one, a red one or a green one?