Welcome to rascott.com.
This is a
personal site that reflects my interests in news,
current affairs, aviation and travel.
email me at robert@rascott.com
Now In Dubai:
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My photographs have been moved off this site and are now stored on Picasa. They
were simply taking up too much space on my web host.
Please use this link to see my list of photo albums.
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Journalism:
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Nationsonline.org
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The Guardian - UK
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thailand.com
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sawadee.com
bangkok a-z
Back in the UK:
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Government:
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AOB Links |
An Occasional Blog
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Bangkok Blogs Bangkok Metblogs - city life Thai-blogs.com - rather serious
2bangkok.com
- not really a blog but always up to date
on Bangkok news
Dubai Blogs Hong Kong Blogs A Big White Guy in Hong Kong - self explanatory Ordinary Gweilo Hemlock's Diary. And people think I am opinionated - try this! SimonWorld - Hong Kong commentary and great links to other Asian blogs EastSouthWestNorth - commentary Glutter.org - Greater China democracy news and many great llinks In China Danwei - media and advertising news from China Shanghai Diaries - self explanatory
In Macau My Olive Tree - Macau blog
In Singapore: Xiaxue - self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot! Mr Brown - colourful commentary from Singapore
Asia Travel Circle of Asia a useful commercial site Tales of Asia perspective and commentary on Cambodia and Thailand and other Asian travels Visit Laos a useful guide on getting to and traveling in Laos. Smart Travel Asia useful tips and destination guides. Maybe too up market.
Aviation Amadeus (airline schedules) Airline meals - see it b4 you eat it !
Airliners
- aviation forum, trip reports and pix
archive
News The Guardian - UK
China sites
Bangkok info sites
Worthy Sites Rconversation - from Rebecca MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger.
Fun Sites
Useful Sites
Technology Ideas
Author
Robert Scott lives and works in Asia; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. I am now spending most of my time in Dubai; job hunting and personally very happy.
If you want to know more you only need to ask! ask.
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30 April 2007 Another step forward in our commitment to Dubai; we have signed a one year apartment lease which will tide us over until the purchased Business Bay apartment is available. It is in Falcon Tower - the closest residential building to Millennium Tower, which will allow Tai and I to move back and forwards between the two buildings. Strangely it will be my first real home since the end of 2002. Effectively I have been living in serviced apartments/hotels for four years. So at last I have a sense of settling somewhere; being committed to someone is a great motivator. *********************** Tai leaves for London tonight; back late on the 2nd May. We will be going to Izmir on Thursday to see my sister and her family. My first visit to Izmir; and something of a family reunion as my mother is on vacation there. This trip really is inspired by Tai and should be great fun and very interesting. *********************** It will also be good for Tai and I to get away from Dubai for a few days. 28 April 2007 Mon chéri vole à Dubaï. Nous aurons une semaine occupée. Les doigts ont croisé que nous avons à de bonnes nouvelles cette semaine. Je l'aime beaucoup. *********************** It has been a very quiet weekend. Too quiet. The occasional write off day is OK. But too many of them are bad for the soul. I have plenty of knowledge and intelligence. And plenty to talk about. But I have hardly had a conversation all weekend. Not my best. ************************ The cricket world cup final is underway - but the whole tournament has gone on far too long - 7 weeks. And the only real issue out of the tournament is who the Pakistan coach was murdered by and how, and why the tournament was not immediately cancelled. 27 April 2007 Tai est sur son vol vers Paris. Paris est au printemps un endroit si romantique à être. Mais elle sera là sans moi. Je suis toujours à Dubaï. C'est le week-end. Il fait trop chaud pour sortir. Et je n'ai aucune idée quoi faire à aujourd'hui. Tai rencontrera son ami d'université à Paris. Ils ont beaucoup pour parler. Il est grand qu'elle ait un ami en tant que son guide d'excursion sur sa première visite de Paris. C'est aujourd'hui très tranquille à Dubaï. Vendredi est le week-end ici. La plupart des personnes passent le jour à la maison ou vont au mall plus tard en jour. Il faisait trop chaud par la piscine d'hôtel. Personne n'était là. She was up at 4.30am to get the crew bus. This was the first time that I have been in Dubai and not able to stay with her to wake her and send her on her way. The EK visiting rules are stricter than my old boarding school. I feel like I am 15, rather than....well lets not get into that! 26 April 2007 It is roster day and Millennium is buzzing with excitement as everyone checks their rosters for May. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement - tempered by the fact that everytime I see the roster it means that Tai will be away from me ! 25 April 2007 Tai is back from London Gatwick; after one of those flights that all your training cannot prepare you for. A British passenger, too loud, and with too much booze inside him, took a strong enough dislike to a female passenger that he went to the washroom, walked back down the aisle and literally threw his own faeces at her. He was detained on arrival in Dubai. I imagine he will have a very uncomfortable day. The good news is that it was a light load and an overnight flight so most passengers were sleeping. *********************** My interviews continue but Monday's interview was postponed until Tuesday and then some of the people that I have to see were then not available until Thursday. My fingers remain crossed. 23 April 2007 I flew back from Bangkok to Dubai on Etihad through Abu Dhabi (with a coach connection to Dubai). Given how much I have seen of Dubai recently it was interesting to compare the 3 year old Etihad. Both airlines fly 777-300s from Bangkok. Major pluses to Etihad: Price: Etihad is cheaper. Major pluses to Emirates: Far better IFE. Etihad has a large screen, and vdo; but less choice and
very temperamental. Similarities: International crews. *********************** It is getting hotter by the day in Dubai - now 36C - 38C in the middle of the day. ************************ Am staying at the Qamadeen hotel. It is about a 10 minute walk from Tai's accommodation. I have now outstayed the EK visiting allowance. It does feel a little on when consenting adults cannot live as they wish to live. I feel as though we are being subjected to college dorm rules. I'm a bit too old for college rules. But we will get by as best we can until our apartment is complete. 20 April 2007 My sweetheart left for Dubai six months ago today - at 1.30am on EK385. Today she left on Etihad at 8.40am for Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It has been an amazing six months. So much has changed in our lives. All for the better. She has done so well in Dubai and I am very proud of her. Her probation period with EK has finished and she is now an experienced and extremely capable crew member. ************************ We were out last night - listening to the band in Spasso - it was a fun night - but we probably had a glass of wine too many and a late night. And we were both a bit weary and hungover this morning when we got up to take Tai to the airport for her flight. ************************* One huge new headache is that I can no longer stay with Tai in the EK staff accommodation. I can visit in the day - but no overnight visits. But I am the one who gets her out of bed for her morning flights; makes breakfast; helps her to get packed ! And when she comes home late at night I meet the bus and make sure she gets to bed and rested. I am going to miss that. And I will miss the assorted cuddly toys - Zam Zam, Lulu, Tata and the rest. 19 April 2007 We were in Koi restaurant last night. Japan meets California in Bangkok. All I can say is that it is horribly over-priced and with very average service. An extravagant night out but really there are many better places to go for the same sized bill. Avoid. 17 April 2007 Baht 280 for a small glass of very poor house plonk in the food court at Bangkok's new airport. It is not the cracks in the runways that are criminal - it is the pricing in many of the food and duty free (buy downtown - so much cheaper) outlets. But SGA's little Cessna to Hua Hin was a fun way to get to the resort town. But with only five passengers on board we were heavily outnumbered by security and airline staff. We stayed south of Hua Hin at the Dolphin Bay resort at Pranburi. Very quiet, very pretty bay. Wish someone would clean the garbage off the beach. Did not see any dolphins - but there were monkeys on Monkey Island so at least that is well named. Spent one evening in the Hua Hin night market - what would a trip to BKK be without an extended tour of at least one market. Hua Hin was busy for Songkran. 14 April 2007 Bunnies in JJ market at Songkran: and a good soaking for all. Fun day. And a good excuse for a little more shopping!
13 April 2007 The first day of Songkran. The malls are busy. No real sign of increased security. Lots of water and baby powder being sprayed all over Silom. 12 April 2007 Sports fans will be delighted to know that I was back on the golf course today for the first time in over three months. However, the same sports fans would be less than impressed at the quality of my golf - which was genuinely horrible....a few happy reminders of past glories....but some of it was horrible. 11 April 2007 Back in Bangkok - but not with Tai until Saturday....the 3.15am flight out of Dubai is always full and it is a gruesome time to be flying - but at 5 and 1/2 hours it is a mercifully quick flight. I did watch the first two episodes of the BBC TV drama Life on Mars - sort of a science fiction Starsky and Hutch but set in down town urban Manchester. Good show. The second and final series just finished in the UK. WIll EK show the rest on future flights ? *************** Manchester United 7 FC Roma 1.....what could they do to Watford on Saturday in the FA Cup semi final....I dare not think ! *************** It is strange to be back in BKK while Tai was heading off to Zurich - I missed being there to say goodbye. I hope she is not too tired still. My body is in BKK; my heart has gone to Switzerland. I am looking forward to Saturday morning and to a nice weekend. 9 April 2007 Two interviews tomorrow - one is really interesting and I am excited by it. ********************** I would tell Tai all about it but she is sleeping again - total sleep of 17 hours yesterday and asleep again at 5pm this evening - whoever said flying is glamorous - shattering more like. *********************** Lots more that I want to write but it all feels a bit personal. Sorry - not for hear. More after tomorrow's interviews. Tomorrow night I am off to BKK and in the afternoon Tai goes to the lovely city of Zurich. Apart for five nights; back for two sleepy nights and apart for four nights. It is a strange lifestyle when you keep having to say goodbye to the person that you most want to be with. 8 April 2007 Happy Easter. Not much sign of Easter around me. A few hot cross buns and some over wrapped Easter Eggs in Spinneys supermarket are about all that there is to show. I did find a cute Happy Easter card for Tai ! She came back from Sydney at 5.50 this morning - a mere 14hrs and 40 minute flight. That is a long haul. There are crew rest bunks on board but that is still only four hours sleep in a long night. So guess who has been sleeping almost all day with short breaks for food! Not much else to report today.....still grinning at Bangladesh beating South Africa in the cricket. Watford have all but thrown in the towel for their season with a poor 1-4 defeat at Middlesborough. Just goes to show that breaking the club record fee to buy a player called Shittu is not the greatest decision. 7 April 2007 My bunny is coming home for Easter Sunday. How appropriate. It feels like she has been gone forever. ********************** Purely as a public service announcement for anyone who cannot get to the Bangkok motor show this year the following website may be of interest: http://www.thaicar.com/motor.htm 6 April 2007 It is another quiet weekend in Dubai. Easter Friday in the Christian world. Another weekend here. Faith is an amazing thing. All our gods basically say the same thing; that we should not kill or sin; that we should respect and love our fellow human beings. Yet we fight in the name of religion and often regard one religion as superior to the next. I am not sure that I believe in a single almighty presence. I do know that I sometimes pray for the people that I love to be well, safe and happy. I pray that my dreams and hopes are realised. But I also know that making my dreams come true is also dependent on my commitment and my hard work and the love and support of the people I care about. So Happy Easter. And yes, I will say a short prayer tonight. 4 April 2007 The Bangkok motor show is on this week; my Bangkok correspondent has already been to check out the new models and a few pretties. One alarming trend noted was the arrival of Russian promotion girls; apparently they were the less-than-pretties. ***************** Apparently Youtube is now blocked in Thailand - anyone like to confirm.....? ****************** Job search continues - I am trying not to let it get to me - it is slow and I am not sure where to turn to next..... ****************** Tai moves onto Christchurch tomorrow - it would be interesting to know how much of the trans-Tasman air business Emirates has. They are flying from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to Auckland and Christchurch and have a very nice niche business between the two countries. She will be back in Sydney for Friday night and most of Saturday - it is a city that has plenty to offer and lots to see. Me - I am just a little bit green in case no one noticed !!!! I have not been to Sydney since a short visit in 2002. It would be good to go back soon. 3 April 2007 My favorite jetsetter is on her way to Sydney. It is almost a 14 hour flight and when you have to get up four hours before departure it makes for a very long day. There are crew bunks on the A340-500 and it is a comfortable airplane so hopefully it was a good flight. It is currently Emirates longest non stop flight although Houston will obviously be longer when that comes online in December. It is Tai's first trip to Sydney. Mine was (shall I tell you!?) in 1985. Sydney was the 7th stop on a Garuda Indonesia flight that started in Gatwick. It is a beautiful city; and a fun place to explore. Rather more to do there than back here in Dubai. Tai is away for five nights - about 118 hours -only another 104 to go !! *************************** Did have another headhunter interview this morning. We shall see what comes of that. *************************** And dinner was the remains of the Khao Pad Bacon that I cooked for breakfast! 1 April 2007 Actually it was more like 10 hours sleep, with a short break to eat ! Tai is busy bringing my family closer together and we are trying to get to Turkey at the end of April to see my sister; my mother will be staying there at the same time. My sister has been in Turkey for some twenty years and I still have not been to see her there. No excuse really. So maybe we will all be making up for lost time. 31 March 2007 The end of the month - Tai is home - tired, tired, tired. She came back; showered and fell into bed for over six hours! 29 March 2007 Tai leaves for Dusseldorf today....she has all her energy back after Bangkok and I am sure will have a nice time... As always my world is a bit emptier when she has gone....will I ever get used to her coming and going? Maybe I am not supposed to get used to it, so that I appreciate her all the more when she is with me. Had a very interesting email about a position yesterday; replied in detail. And then heard nothing today. Too many promises made that are not backed up with action. Seems to be a bit of a epidemic here. *************************** Ted was sitting quietly reading his paper when his wife walked up behind him and whacked him on the head with a rolled up magazine. "Ouch!! What was that for?" he asked. "That was for the piece of paper in your pants pocket with the name Mary Lou written on it," she replied. "Two weeks ago when I went to the races, Mary Lou was the name of one of the horses I bet on," he explained. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry," she said. "I should have known there was a good explanation." Three days later he was watching a ball game on TV when she walked up and hit him in the head again, this time with an iron skillet, which knocked him out cold. When he came too, he asked, "Now what was that for?" She replied, "Your horse called." 2 . |
6 March 2007 Back in Dubai after a fairly hectic weekend in Bangkok. Tai had to fly a BKK-HKG turnaround on Friday and spent Saturday night with her family. She also managed to visit Suan Lum night bazaar, Saladaeng and Silom markets, the floating market, the clothing market near Victory Monument and Big C. We also went to the Erawan Shrine - let's hope that what we both wished for happens for us.
Sausage Shopping in Big C. 22 March 2007 We watched the last episode of the Thai soap opera last night. At some stage in the last two episodes the three women were all pregnant at the same time. The crazy mother was about to become a mother and a grandmother as the same time. But a fight, miscarriage and death in a car crash sorted all of that out and suddenly they all stopped slapping eachother; and better still the two girls ended up with the father of their child and the person that they really loved and the meddlesome mother accepted that maybe that was all for the best. After trying every alternative reason eventually prevailed and they all lived happily ever after. It was a very Thai solution and it all wrapped up very quickly and tidily. " There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?" Airplane (1980) On board EK 372 outbound to Bangkok. Tai is crew today - and I am feeling rather guilty as I sit here watching her work.
She is the only Thai crew onboard so gets to make the Thai language inflight announcements; which she does rather well; nice volume; nice pace and her lovely well pitched voice ! She is good at what she does - as always she works with a happy smile; I find that incredibly attractive. It is good to watch people who enjoy what they are doing! It will be a rushed weekend. Tai goes onto HKG on a turnaround tomorrow and then we head back to Dubai at 3.15 am on Monday morning. It is nice to be going home for the weekend - and I am happy now to be thinking of Thailand as home. I have the best reason to do so. The flight is very quiet - only about 70 pax in economy. We are bumping along at 37,000 feet with the seatbelt sign on. It is unusual to be bumping over the Arabian Sea - you normally expect more bumps over the Indian Ocean. 19 March 2007 Dubai's nightly average hotel room price is now US$249 with 83.1 per cent occupancy rate, the world's highest figures in each category. A great time to own a Dubai hotel! ************ Nothing new on the job search. Watch this space. ************ Tai was in London last night; and although very tired had dinner with my brother, his wife and one of the other crew and her boyfriend. Reports are of a very nice evening (thanks Tim). That's the first time that first time Tai has met one of my siblings. Hope it was not too scary. Tim has been through a lot, and to his great credit emerged smiling. 18 March 2007 And in addition to the Irish win Bangladesh beat the Indians. And did so in some style. We can assume that Bangladesh will beat Bermuda. So the match between India and Sri Lanka on 23 March is a must win for India if they are to stay in the tournament. ******************** Meanwhile it is a sad day for English and Pakistan cricket with news of the death in his hotel room of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, found unconscious the night after Pakistan's shocking loss to Ireland. ********************* Perhaps it is only right that Sir Bob is flying on a Sunday - very wise if he still does not like Mondays! ********************* It was a St Patrick's Day to remember at Sabina Park in Jamaica as Ireland amazingly beat Pakistan in the cricket world cup.....Pakistan go out of the tournament - the best team ever to go out at such an early stage - and Ireland are left to play in the Super 8s where it is quite possible that they will play England. A great win which must be a huge boost for Irish cricket. ************************* And talking of all things Irish - guess who is on Tai's flight to London this morning - Sir Bob Geldof....I hope they get to meet and chat 17 March 2007 The big news in Dubai for the weekend was neither Bob Geldof or the international boat show - but was the arrival of Krispy Kreme - the US based Donut chain. Dubai's first store opened at the entrance to the food court in Deira City Centre at 5pm yesterday. At 9.30pm it was still packing in the crowds. Sweet, sickly, calorie packed no doubt we will be back for more. The Caramel Kreme Crunch was demolished in seconds this morning. The Original Glazed was not bad either. Dunkin Donuts is already big in Dubai with some fifty stores around the city. Expect more KK to come soon to a mall near you. 16 March 2007 I found the perfect cure for a sick patient - shopping! There is no better remedy than a tour of HandM (both stores) and Zara - followed by a battle through the rugby scrum better known as Carrefour!!! I haven't seen my patient this happy for two weeks :) Retail therapy. Sorry Bob. 15 March 2007 All quiet on the job hunt front - waiting on this week's interviews; the MD appeared interested in someone with specific contacting experience...yet I have moved in the past from media to mining; a finance background is readily transferable to new industries. Meanwhile my patient is doing a turnaround flight to Riyadh. Although not 100% it may be that the flight helps her recovery by getting her out of the apartment and getting the adrenaline flowing. And it is good to do a short flight before a long and busy daytime flight to London on Sunday. 14 March 2007 Got out this evening for the first time in eight days - a walk around the local park and dinner at Wagamamas noodle bar at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Even a glass of wine for the first time in two weeks! The change of scenery was good for us both and it was good to hear and see Tai laughing for the first time in a few days. I think she will be well tomorrow. ************************ Day five of the great fever of 2007. And at last today seems to be rather better. We were back at the EK clinic yesterday where the doctor at last gave Tai some hard hitting anti-biotics - Zithromax kills just about all known germs.....and seems to have helped. Yesterday saw breakfast rejected for the second time - go away and do it again ! I guess when people are sick they have the right to be picky !! ************************** I did interview again on Monday; that was rather quick and a bit different from Saturday. Another case where it is hard to know exactly what is wanted. But surely they want something a bit different from the status quo. The recruiter who is managing the assignment for this position was more positive later and that was encouraging. **************************** Watford beat Plymouth 1-0 and now get Man U in the semi finals. 10 March 2007 My lovely Tai is home but not feeling well. I am going to be the best nurse she has ever had. This morning's interview went well albeit not quite as expected....lets see what happens next. ************************ Watford play in the 1/4 finals of the FA Cup tomorrow away at Plymouth Argyle. The last time these teams met in the FA Cup George Reilly scored the only goal as Watford beat Plymouth 1-0 in the 1984 FA Cup semi-finals at Villa Park. I was there. In fact I saw every round as Watford went to Wembley and lost 2-0 to Everton. Though Andy Grey's header should have been disallowed for the first goal. :) In 2003, while working on a building site, a part of the former forward’s ear was bitten off by a Plymouth supporter with a long memory. “I can’t believe someone held a grudge for that long,” Reilly said at the time. “I know people have strong loyalties, but this is taking it a bit far.” A lot has changed since 1984. Watford had finished second in the top flight under Graham Taylor in 1983 and Elton John, their former chairman, was married — to a woman. 8 March 2007 Started the laundry! ************************* I am sure I have posted this before but it still makes me smile; this is how my 9 year old would run the world. Hard to disagree with much of it!
******************* Interview postponed until Saturday. What shall I do today. Laundry !? Supermarket ? Vacuuming should be tomorrow...change the bedding.... 7 March 2007 Interviewing tomorrow. Hope it goes well. *********************** Wanted to watch the final episode of the Thai soap opera - then I will know the ending ! And that could save having to listen to the boy's screeching and manipulative mother. But Tai has not downloaded the last episode yet..... ************************ The United Arab Emirates has initialed 'open Sky' Air Services Agreement (ASA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senegal in Dubai on 6th March 2007. Flights to Dakar at some point. Could be a stopover en route to South America or added onto another West Coast Africa destination.*************************
Emirates signed a leasing contract with
GECAS for five Boeing B777-300ER to be delivered in the second half of
2008 and configured in three classes. Emirates' fleet currently includes
23 Boeing B777-300ER with firm orders for 36 more, including this order.
These will be for new long range flights into the US market and additional
capacity to Australia. More work for my favourite EK crew.
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