AOB - May and June 2008
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An Occasional Blog
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Thailand Blogs Bangkok Pundit - politics Bangkok Metblogs - city life Thai-blogs.com - rather serious
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Author
Robert Scott lives and works in Dubai; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. I am very happily engaged to Tai.
If you want to know more you only need to ask! ask.
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28 June 2008 The Dubai Mall remains on schedule for a 2008 opening. In addition to a full size Olympic ice skating rink, the Mall will include a world-class Aquarium & Discovery Centre, the region's first SEGA indoor theme park; the world's largest indoor Gold Souk with 220 retailers; a fashion precinct with 70 flagship stores dedicated to haute couture; the Middle East's first Galeries Lafayette department store; KidZania, a children's 'edu-tainment' centre; a 22-screen Cineplex; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof. And a few of the inevitable food courts and maybe even an a shop or two. Expect parking and road access to be horrible. *********************** The hotel next door to the Worabura resort in Hua Hin is called Chom VIew. It has room rates for the Low Season and the Peek Season (their spelling). Just ofr voyeurs I guess. Mind you their web site also hopes says the hotel "….provides your enjoyable vocation every time you come by all best services." *********************** The US airline nightmare deepens by the day; with US$15 charged for a first checked in bag and US$25 for a second bag passengers are trying to stuff ever more into their carry on bags. Who suffers? The flight attendants and other passengers. There will be fights as passengers try to fill the limited overhead space. ********************** I drive 6 out of the 7 Emirates of the UAE yesterday. Just needed a trip to Fujairah to do all 7. Lots of driving for one day. 27 June 2008 And for those who care the footy final is between Spain and Germany on Sunday. *********************** I was up at 5.30am this morning to head up to the Al Hamra golf course at Ras Al Khaimah; it was very hot; but the blue sky was welcome; and it was a fun morning. We were round in less than 4 hours. Golf should always be that fast. I was hitting the ball quite well - but after so long not playing my short game is horrible at the moment. ************************** Tai is on her way home; but there are no seats on her airline; so she is on Etihad; and I have a late night/early morning drive to Abu Dhabi. That is going to be tough after a long drive this morning and an early start. *************************** Here are a couple of evening views from the back of my apartment. Evening views of the under construction Burj Dubai and of Executive Towers and the building sites right behind me.
26 June 2008 Turkey had a remarkable Euro2008 - but lost last night to the Germans in a great finish......the headline writers were all prepared with their Roast Turkey and Germans gobble Turkey headlines.... 25 June 2008 Too much time on my own this week. Tai was in Bangkok, Rome and then Birmingham and then has been back in BKK for a week with the family. Too many evenings at home with no one to talk to - I talk to the TV....non-interactive BBC ******************** Hard Talk is interviewing The Huffington Post. The arrogance of this lady. Arianna Huffington. An ex Republican - now an Obama fan. Yet she insists she is not partisan. And she insists her website presents facts only. Yet most of it is opinion blogs...... Listening to her would make me vote for McCain just because she is so self - righteous. 24 June 2008 Bye bye to NorthWest Airlines; they are merging with Delta but the new mega carrier will also be know as Delta. That sounds more like a takeover ! The first major airline loss of the year. ********************* The collapse in US housing prices is alarming. New monthly results today. ********************* Sorry about the tagboard. I have no idea when it will be back in action! I miss it! ********************** Tai was back from Birmingham for long enough for me to take her on Sunday morning from the CBC to terminal 1 for the flight to BKK. Sadly she did not arrive in BKK in time for a last visit with her grandmother who died on Saturday evening. She is at peace now. Tai will stay with her family until after the cremation later this week. It is good that she is there. ********************* Meanwhile I had an overnight trip to Doha. Late night departure on Emirates; with one of our friend's among the crew. How they serve a meal on a 45 minute flight is a bit of a mystery. I did not eat but a glass of wine helped. A Thai purser as well. ********************** Tough day in Doha. It is a small version of Bangkok. There is a lot of building. But it does feel like a more Arabic city than Dubai. ********************** Flew back in Economy on Qatar Airways. Their check in staff appear to all be Russian ex KGB trainees. They have zero customer service skills. A polite request for an aisle seat did not even get a reply. ANd I am all dressed up in my best suit. So I end up in the middle of row 24. He could at least have said, sorry Sir, it is a full flight and there are no aisle seats left. 21 June 2008 George Bush was in Europe last week. He spent the last couple of days in Italy. He went to Venice, and he thought the streets were flooded..... Meanwhile John McCain is now crisscrossing the United States campaigning. Or, as they're calling it, Antiques Roadshow. *************************** Footie watch. Its the 2008 European Championship. Turkey have played four games - they have been in the lead for the grand total of 9 minutes in total. And they are in the semi finals! Amazing. Turkey got lucky last night. It was by all accounts a very dull game until the last 2 minutes of extra time. Croatia scores in the 119th minute and Turkey then equalises in the one minute of injury time. Turkey then eases through on penalties. Lucky, lucky Turkey. I don't expect them to get past Germany in the semi finals. 20 June 2008 I played golf this morning at the Wadi Golf Course at the Emirates Golf Club. The course is in great condition. It was very hot and muggy. And there is a lot of dust and sand in the air at the moment. Big headache by the time we were on the back nine. So it was a struggle. Hit enough decent shots to know that I can still play. Just too inconsistent. **************************** Talking of golf TIger Wood's injury defying win at the US Open was remarkable. But achieved at a cost to him, sponsors and the crowds who come to watch him. Tiger wont play again this year as he requires further surgery on his knee. Sponsors are already fewer in number for the remaining tournaments of the year. The last two majors, the British Open and the US PGA are devalued because he will not be there. The only team that may benefit is the US Ryder Cup team; which may be more of a team without the world's greatest individual golfer. **************************** I thought Dubai had gone no smoking. For some reason the rule does not seem to apply in the bar/restaurant at the Emirates Golf Club. Poor show. Guess money may have its privileges. Nothing like allowing smoking in a sporting venue and a public club that is open to children. Very Poor. ***************************** Tai is in Birmingham. An early departure this morning; and gone again for the weekend. ***************************** The new Salik toll on Sheik Zayed Road is being installed right outside the Business Bay exit onto SZ Road. So every morning I will head out drive towards Dubai; pay my first toll immediately, and then do the U turn at Defence roundabout to go back towards Abu Dhabi and immediately go through the second toll. That cannot be fair. ****************************** Meanwhile just down the road from us - five workers were injured after part of an under construction bridge on the First Interchange on Shaikh Zayed Road collapsed on Monday night. Too many buildings being built too quickly by people without the constructions skills to ensure that safety and quality are ensured. 16 June 2008 Yesterday was Fathers Day. It is not easy being an imperfect father. I have made mistakes and however much I have learned it is likely that I will continue to make more. I will always be a little sad that I cant be with Alex watching him grow up. I do try and talk to him most days. And the bond is still strong when I do see him. But I am not there when he is sick, I am not there to help him with his homework, to hear him play his flute or to play and laugh with him. Or to simply give him a hug and tell him that everything will be ok. And if I am lucky enough to have another chance to be a better father then I will embrace it. ************************* As part of the public support service that this web site
espouses to the following contribution from Bangkok magazine might be
helpful for some: here is the magazine's guide to an exit strategy that
will ensure that you can lose your job! ************************** Up early this morning to take Tai to the airport for an early flight to Rome and Nice. Too early! She is not so well this morning but it was too late to call in sick. Bad enough flying when you are not well; worse still having to work. Such a jetsetter - three countries in one day! ************************** We have had a mixed couple of days. But it is interesting how when we have to confront issues and talk about how we feel that we become ever closer. I guess you never stop learning new things about people. We have to know our hopes and dreams and also our insecurities. *************************** Saturday was a rest day for us both. Tai was back from Bangkok with a suitcase full of food. And she was tired after a hectic day in Bangkok seeing wedding card printers; and sorting pictures at the wedding studio. The album will take a month to prepare so it will be a while before I can show any of the pictures here. We did go and briefly explore the new indoor souk at the Wafi Mall. Expensive to look at but thats about it. Very quiet; few people shopping and air conditioning that made the souk more like an arctic mall. ********************** After a long day at work yesterday - why is every day a long day at the moment - we had dinner at falcon - which made a nice change. An excuse to light some candles and relax. Nice. 13 June 2008 I played golf today - the first game since January 2007. And I had a good time and played some decent golf. I was at Al Hamra golf course near Ras Al Kaimah with three colleagues. Even though it is the weekend the course was fairly quiet. And it was hot !!! There are no caddies. This is a long way from playing golf in Thailand. 6 pars and 2 birdies. But the card was spoiled by two ugly triple bogies ! An 87 was a decent score. Nice blue sky. A bit too much sun. I should play more. And there should have been an audience for the 4 iron that I hit into the wind on the 16th. Very pretty 12 June 2008 I have had a perpetual headache for the last two days of the working week. I dont normally write about work - and I dont intend to start here. But it is enough to say that work here is no fun. I have never enjoyed a job as little as this. There are some great colleagues.....but.....I give my best all day every day. But it is never enough....and I am tired..... When Tai is away I dont have a life here - just work..... 9 June 2008 This feels like a long week. I was so tired last night. Sunday night was Korean BBQ at Shogun restaurant. Always fun to go there; pity about the traffic. It is a one hour drive to get there. Not much else that is new. I am going to play a round of golf on Friday. First time since January 2007. 7 June 2008 Big news; I hit some golf balls today - at the driving range at the Emirates Golf Club. I have also signed up for the summer package which lets me play on the Wadi course, the floodlit par 3 course and use thedriving range and club facilities. My golf bag was mouldy after being on a bathroom floor for the last 15 months. And it smells !! I have not hit a golf ball for 16 months. And it showed for a while; but slowly the swing came back and I was hitting the ball decently. But it is not my old BKK driving range - no caddies; no pretties seling drinks. No on site cafe. Carry and clean your own golf clubs. And AED 30 for 50 balls is about 5 times the price of Bangkok. *************************** I do occasionally bake some brownies - have even tried my mother's scone recipe. But I have yet to try the artistry of robot cup cakes:
These are works of art - not just food! |
6 June 2008 Its the weekend and Tai is in Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam to be precise. I dropped her at the CBC this morning and then went to work. They were painting the office. It smelt like glue. Very unpleasant. So home mid afternoon but it is very quiet here. No one to talk with. And it feels too hot to go out and do I really need to go out on my own to the mall. Should go to the gym but dont feel that energetic ! It was a busy week at work; never seems to let up. I dont have lunch. I work from early til late. I will be back in the office tomorrow. ********************** Tai and I did go out for dinner on Wednesday - to the Asian restaurant at the SAS Radisson Hotel at Media City. The food tasted ok but the place has all the ambience of a bad airport terminal. And I did not feel so good afterwards. SO dont think we will be going back there. 3 June 2008 Tai is on her way back from Beijing - and will arrive an hour early. There is not a lot else to report - all work! ************************ The RTA, or an unknown benefactor, has at least levelled the access roads to Falcon and Millennium Tower. They are not tarmaced or marked; but they do appear to have a firm base rather than a sand base. The heavy trucks are taking their toll on the Falcon access; big potholes after less than two weeks. Still, it is better than it was. ************************* At 7.45am this morning my car was already reporting an outside temperature of 37C. Strange that the news on the radio said it was jut 31C. ************************** And about time to: Hillary Clinton will apparently concede tonight that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials have said. The time has come to try and unite the Democrats. Either way, Clinton or Obama can create history. A vote for McCain is like a third term for Bush and is a very poor idea. I just worry that come the real election - the Democrats will find it harder to turn out and vote for Obama; rather than Mrs. Clinton. 1 June 2008 Dr Shashi Tharoor was speaking at one of our schools tonight. Interesting guy. Wonderfully articulate. One quote - not from tonight - "How easily we Indians see the several sides to every question! That is what makes us such good bureaucrats, and such poor totalitarians. They say the new international organizations set up by the wonderfully optimistic (if oxymoronic) United Nations are full of highly successful Indian officials with quick, subtle minds and mellifluous tongues, for ever able to understand every global crisis from the point of view of each and every one of the contending parties. That is why they do so well in any situation that calls for an instinctive awareness of the subjectivity of truth, the relativity of judgement and the impossibility of action." 31 May 2008 Have been obsessing about shower caps - you have to read the "Today" page for more on this. End of the month; Tai is off to Bejing tomorrow. She had a round trip to Damascus yesterday - by air not by road ! Tiring as it meant a 4.20am wake up. And I was in work by 6.15am. So we were both tired by late in the day. 30 May 2008 Interesting link - a website that is tracking the construction of the Burj Dubai tower. Some interesting pictures. Follow this link. *************************** Apparently this is a true story: A customs test at Japan's Narita airport last week placed a quarter of a pound of cannabis in a randomly chosen suitcase on its way to the baggage hold. Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in. Anyone finding the package has been asked to contact customs officials. ***************************** Just how hard are fuel prices hitting the airline industry: try this quote.
- Tony Tyler, CEO, Cathay Pacific. ******************************* We celebrated my birthday on the evening of the 28th. Tai and some friends had a surprise party for me at Millennium. They went to so much trouble - it really was very nice of them all - and I think everyone had fun in the preparation and over a nice dinner ! We had pasta, chicken, soup, salad, birthday cake, silly hate (I am not sure I am really suited to a barbie hat) and balloons. Thank you all !! ********************************* And not forgetting people in my office as well who were very nice to me on the 27th - a big card from my finance team; thanks guys; some chocolates and lots of good wishes ! 27 May 2008 Yep - it was my birthday today. 21 again ! Oops, typo! Strange day. Feel a bit better at last. Woke with a headache but it has eased through the day. I really was not very well yesterday - but this is day 4 and I seem to be mending. Colleagues in the office were very nice. Thank you. I am the proud owner of a new Sony K810 mobile. Thank you sweetheart. Perfectly timed as the old phone really is falling apart. And the sweetest message from Alex written inside a book he sent me. Pity about his handwriting ! No celebration or dinner. Instead finished work about 8pm; then to the bank and carrefour and home. Dinner from the freezer! And some laundry. An exciting birthday! Tai is on her way back from Zurich tonight. I was able to watch her flight leave on the airport webcam. A little voyeuristic but somehow comforting as well. And here are the stills from the web cam:
26 May 2008 Interesting news feature about an incredibly detailed survey for the German Der Speigel magazine - instead of a nation that prides individuality it has grown increasingly homogeneous. The average German... What comes out in the end is a portrait of a people who are well-fed, well-educated, fairly satisfied and generally modest. And rather Dull !!! But they only work 30 hours a week !!! I do that in two days ! 24 May 2008 The most tiring few days I can remember. And I have not felt well at all today. It may just be the body saying slow down for a while please ! But I did make a quick visit to Au Bon Pain Silom; our BKK correspondent is still seen there regularly. We spent yesterday with the team from Victoria Wedding Studio for a pre wedding photo shoot. It was not a great day. We did not like the photographer and they really forgot how to treat the customer. I will rant about them later. The Al Majlis Morrocan Tea shop was a nice place to take some of the pictures. The studio would not let us take any pictures of our own but here are a few that we were able to take when they were not watching!Including in a taxi to the photoshoot!
Big thanks to K. Apple for spending the day with us and for taking these pics! ********************** We did have a five star hotel bar crawl (not brawl as I originally typed!!!) on Thursday night. That was fun. The band at Spasso end their run there on Saturday and were playing to a large and happy crowd. 87+ at the Conrad was quite by comparison and the band was very average. 21 May 2008 Back from a day trip on the Gulfstream450 to Doha. Long day. Tired. Have to pack and head to BKK on EK384 at 3.15am ! Ouch! 20 May 2008 Tai has been to Hong Kong and back; met up with Alex on Sunday - my two favourite people together again ! And is now on her way home to Bangkok for a couple of nights with her family. I was so tired last night that we were hardly able to talk in the few hours that we could see eachother between her flights. Work is taking its toll at the moment. ********************* Some harrowing news pictures on CNN this morning; video taken in the seconds and minutes after the China earthquake; and video taken in the Burmese Delta region where two weeks after the cyclone there are bodies still rotting on river banks and whole communities that have seen no aid. Its bad enough the damage that nature can do; it is all the more shameful when help is refused. 17 May 2008 Portsmouth win the FA Cup. David James, ex Watford Youth, by far the best of England's current goalkeepers and Guardian newspaper correspondent picks up a winner's medal. Happy for him. 16 May 2008 There are always strange things that I see and forget to comment on here: My apartment building elevator is fitted with an emergency landing device. What is this? A giant airbag ? Maybe it is not something that I really want to find out ! Why is the new car park at Millennium not open yet? It was marked out almost a month ago? Why is there no road to my apartments yet? Why did I wake up at 3.15am and not go back to sleep? Latest Hong Kong Mall - for people flying there this weekend ! Tai ! "Causeway Bay's Delay No Mall is the latest shopping concept in a city
famed for its retail nous. The exterior looks like an old-style cinema,
but the entertainment inside is three floors of hip boutiques, running the
gamut from toys, clothes and accessories to gifts, art and furniture. 12 May 2008 Time to go home. I spend 12 hours a day at work; I spend 1 hour getting ready for work. I spend 1 hour driving too and from work. I am available on my mobile until 11pm and can also check email at home, on holidays and in the evenings. I sleep for about 6 hours a night. That gives me just four tired hours each day at most that are mine. Its not enough. ********************** Tai is away today - back to London - again. She has given away her Houston for a Hong Kong flight on Saturday which is great as she can meet up with Alex. ********************** Man U won the Championship. One of my colleagues is far too excited by this. Meanwhile I am in mourning for Watford after a 0-2 drubbing against Hull. 10 May 2008 This cartoon is so sad - because like all the best political cartoons it is so true: the caption reads "I'll hand this lot out."
What is happening in Burma is a monumental tragedy. And frankly there is so little that the rest of the world is able to do without co-operation from the Burmese ruling military. ************************** Tai was on a Doha turnaround in the early hours of Sunday - I have been to bed three times! Before, during and after her flight ! A strange night ! ************************** We did get out to see a movie on Friday - Iron Man - good to see Robert Downey Jnr back in a lead role and having fun with it. 6 May 2008 Sometimes I do feel like Dubai is not the city for me. This struck me at about 8.00pm last night as I was driving home and got stuck in sand. The wheels spinning - the car would not move. An SUV was kind enough to stop and two guys helped shove me out of the sand. This is the main access to Millennium and Falcon Towers - past the Business Bay sales office - and I had moved to eh right side to let a car (that thought it should drive down the middle in the other direction) get past me. But this road is not a road - it is a dirt track that is heavily used by heavy trucks and cement mixers going to the Business Bay building sites. The track is now inches deep in sand and dirt that has drifted in places in the wind. And I was marooned. Big thanks to the two guys who pushed me out. I wish I had bought an SUV. But I really never thought that a year later we would still have no road access or that the access would deteriorate as much as it has. You don't see these conditions in Dubai's promotional marketing videos. ***************** Forgot to report - Tai has started to eat Cornflakes! 5 May 2008 There we were having a quiet rest last night before Tai had to leave for a flight to Dhaka when crew scheduling calls up and says - sorry, change of plan, you will have to go to London on the 2.30am flight. ******************* Otherwise we had a nice weekend not doing much ! Instead of going away for the weekend we pottered around in Dubai; we were at Deira City Center on Friday; and even had a sleep Friday evening; followed by some work on Saturday and a visit to Dubai Creek and the souks in the evening. We had not been there for a while so it was an excuse to take some fun pictures:
******************** Tai has managed to swap a flight so we will be able to go to Bangkok for 22/23 May to take some pre wedding pictures. It is also a chance for Tai to go home for a night or two assuming she is not too wasted after her trip to Houston. 2 May 2008 Another month - it really does feel as though we have only just finished Christmas. Since my last update Tai has been to sunny Zurich and back. More fun than dusty Dubai. ********************* Singapore Airlines has now taken delivery of its fourth Airbus A380 plane, the world's biggest passenger jet. The aircraft will service the first commercial link between Singapore and Tokyo, and is due to start flying the route on May 20. *********************** Cadbury Schweppes is no more - the two units being split up after 40 years together. Now this makes me feel old. Dad worked for Cadbury's for all his working life. But when he came back from Nigeria in 1975 he was thrown deep into the newly merged Cadbury Schweppes - working for the Schweppes division in St. Albans. Splitting up the business seems risky - and likely to make both divisions a takeover target. Now Mars is acquiring Wrigley do not be surprised to see Hershey seek to buy Cadburys.
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