Dubai based Airine
bloggers
TampaxTowers
Style High Club
The Trolley Dolly
Life,as I know it
(now Edmonton!)
Bjorn Moerman
James Nixon
TheEKSource
Jens
Krüger
Egypt
Sandmonkey
Hammonda.net
Thailand Blogs
Bangkok Noir
Bangkok Pundit
-
politics
Thai-blogs.com
- rather serious
2bangkok.com
-
not really a blog but always up to date on Bangkok news
BKKOK.com
Thailand Voice
promoting blogs from Thailand
Thailand Golf
Thai-blogs
-Thailand life and culture
trythaifood -
thai recipes
CityLife Chiang Mai
Thailand Crisis not
updated but important in understanding 2006-2009.
Absolutely Bangkok
Bangkok Bugle
Thai
Girl The exotic adventures of a literary
sexagenarian.
Thailand Jumped the Shark
Thai Films
Siam Report
Thai ENews
- In Thai
Prachatai
- Thai news in English
New Mandala - new
perspectives on SE Asia
NewsInBangkok - another news blog
Thailand Intelligent News
- interesting opinion and links
Political Prisoners in Thailand
GregToDiffer
Hua Hin Golf
Philip
Golingai (mainly Malaysia)
ThailandVoice
Musings
from Thailand
Women learning Thai
Vaitor
Ricefield Radio
Reporter
in Exile
Robert Amsterdam - Thailand
Somtow's world
Dirtii laundry
Thai Cables
Siam Voices
ThaiWomanTalks
Tasty Thailand
Siam
Intelligence Unit
Mouth of the Mekong
Carabao in english
NickoBongiorno
Andy Hall -
migration and human rights
Asia Blogs
Banyan - The Economist
Asia Unbound - CFR
Zen Journalist
The Marmot's Hole - Korea
The writings of MD Nalapat
Democratic Voice of Burma
Ideas for India
Dubai Blogs
Mainly Photos; mainly from Dubai
- Gerald Donovan at work!
dxbae
- picture blog - also Gerald Donovan
UAE Community Blog
- uniting all UAE bloggers
Dubai informer
- news and events.
The Grapeshisha Blog
- commentary on a changing Dubai
One Big Construction Site
- a long term expat on life in Dubai
Secret Dubai Diary
- rather disillusioned expat commentary - sadly seems to have died - but
again worth keeping for some interesting recent history.
Dubai As It Used To be
- self explanatory - fascinating!
Kippreport - news and commentary
Life In Dubai - moved to Oz
Fake Plastic Souks
Dubai Astronomy Group
Gulf Photo Plus
Dubai Media Observer
The Gulf Blog
Dubai Construction Update
Dubai Race Night
Burj Khalifa
Grumpy
Goat
Ever changing lanes
Spontaneous
Euphoria
Christopher Saul - Dubai Blog
MattJDuffy
Sport360
The Hedonista
Dubai as it used to
be
DubaiDevelopmentsGuide
Al Serkel Avenue
Arabic affairs blogs
The Arabist
Felix Arabia
MidEastPosts
The Culturist
Pan
Arabian Enquirer
Doha News
Al Monitor
The
Gulf Blog
Al-Bab
The New Arab
Hong Kong Blogs
Digital
Life
- A Hong Kong picture blog - interesting pics
A Big
White Guy in Hong Kong - self
explanatory
Ordinary
Gweilo
Hemlock's Diary.
And people think I am opinionated - try this!
BigLychee
EastSouthWestNorth - commentary
Glutter.org
- Greater China democracy news and many great links
Hong
Kong Hustle
Hong Kong Paintings
Hong
Kong Outdoors
Hong
Kong and Macau Stuff
Hong Wrong
Hong Kong Free Press
In China:
Danwei
- media and advertising news from China
Shanghaiist.com
The China Beat
- how the east is read.
Hong Kong Cinemagic
Shanghai Scrap
The Paper Tiger
Peking Duck
China Law Blog
China Rises
China Media Project
China in
Africa: The Real Story
LivinginChina.com
Sinocism
Chinageeks
Beijing Cream
China Daily Show
Ministry of Tofu
In Macau:
In Singapore:
The Singapore Daily
Xiaxue
- self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot!
Mr Brown
- colourful commentary from Singapore
Singapore Democrats
The Online Citizen
Icarus flew too high
Bonjour Singapore
In Burma:
National League for Democracy
In Canada:
BlogTO
Now Toronto
Media:
On the Ground ND Kristof
Tabloid
Watch (UK)
The Diplomat - Asia Pacific
CJ Purcell
Foreign Policy
Vanity Fair
Watchdog reporting
Fleet Street Blues
BellingCat
Aviation:
Amadeus (airline schedules)
Airline
meals -
see it b4 you eat it!
Airliners
- aviation forum, trip reports and pix
archive
A
Captain's Blog - the routine of a California based 767
captain
FA Uniforms
- interesting collection of the old and new
Planenation
- commercial aviation news
Airchive
- a web museum of commercial aviation.
CrankyFlier - mainly US commentary
AvHerald - daily log of airliner incidents
RandPeck's blog
Rand Peck
- writing and photography from a US based 757 captain
PlaneBuzz
- airline financials
SmartCockpit
Sharjah -
1937
Boarding
Area business travel
World Airports
Flight Wisdom
ATC - Toronto (YYZ)
Today in the sky
Ask the pilot
The Flying Scotsman - A BA pilot blog
Key Magazines - UK
Crossing the Sky
Blogging at FL250
Flight Level 390
The wings stayed on
PilotOutlook
Birmingham Airport
Aviation Queen
LiveATC.net
AirplaneFood
Flight to Success
Routehappy
KPAE - Paine Field Blog
UxMilk (mainly Qantas)
World Stewardess Crews
Airways magazine blog
DubaiAirportsConnect
APEX Editor's Blog
In a Foreign Sky
Better on a Camel
Simon Blakesley Photography
Jethead
Holding Pattern
Learmount
Travel:
Johnny Jet
Paris photo blog
Business Traveller - Asia
Camels and Chocolate
GranTourismo
Legal
Nomads
Circle of Asia
Tales of Asia
Smart Travel Asia
Untraveller
The World and his TukTuk
QuiteAlone - Matthew Teller
Around the World in 80
Elephants
Mouth of the Mekong
GranTourismo Travels
Seat 61
News:
The Guardian
- UK
BBC World News
CNN Asia
Bangkok Post
Gulf News
Arabian
Business
CNNfan.com
scary fan site!
Twitmericks
vox - Research-based policy analysis
and commentary from leading economists
Next Media - news animation
Bangkok info sites:
thailand.com
learningthai.com
sawadee.com
thailandstories
bangkok a-z
stickboyBangkok
Worthy Sites:
Niall Ferguson
Rconversation - from Rebecca
MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger.
RGE Monitor -
macro-economic
analysis
Migrant Rights
Cricket Archive
Good
experience
Heresy
Corner
What Matters - McKinsey
Freedom House
Apollo Lunar Surface
Journal
Project Apollo archive
Golf Sites:
wei under par
The Christina Kim
MichelleWiezy
Cricket sites:
Alternative
Cricket Almanac
99.94
Cricket with Balls
The Old Batsman
StumpedForADuck
The NightWatchman
Lords.org
The Full Toss
Other Sports
Sulia.com - football
Richard Keys - football
Fun Sites:
Fun signs
Urban Dictionary
Earth TV
Useful Sites:
World Time Clock
Cooking
Cooking Light
Technology Ideas:
Loose wire
Stuff -
gadgets
TechCrunch
Boing Boing
The Next Web
TNooz - Travel Tech
The Immedium Blog
ViralBlog
The Next Web
Now and Next
The Sports Scientists
FacebookStories
LiesDamnedLiesstatistics
Mixed Topics
Photography
unchartedphotography
Glen Calvin
Photography
GulfPhotoPlus
The Rest:
Black
Flamingo - recipes and life (no golf!)
Mixed Topics
All
About Cricket
Brain Pickings
Ballpark-it.com - recipes
Bored Panda
TV:
Northern Exposure
Place from my past:
Bournville Village
Redbourn -
the Geoff Webb collection
Watford FC
Watford 2 Liverpool 1
May 1983
Watford Mad (WFC)
BHappy - a
Watford Blog
Watford Legends
WFC.net
Putajumperon - Watford
FC and others
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 married to Tai.
If you want to know
more you only need to ask!
ask.
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31 December 2015
Flydubai are ending three routes in
January:
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia on 16th
Bujumbura, Burundi on 19th
Kigali, Rwanda on 20th
28 December 2015
The death of
royal dog Khun Toengdaeng was being reported by social
media two days ago. But the Thai newspapers are only reporting it today -
presumably after waiting to see what they dare or dare not say. In the
land of the paranoid reporting any activity involving the Thai royals is
fraught with difficulty,
22 December 2015
Dear Mr Grant. One
word. Condom.
Hugh Grant has become a
father for the fourth time.
The 55-year-old actor’s girlfriend Anna Eberstein reportedly gave birth to
their second child on Wednesday Swedish newspaper Subdsvall Tinding
has claimed.
The new arrival is a sibling for the couple’s three-year-old son John.
The ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ actor also has two other children with
former flame Tinglan Hong, a daughter, Tabitha, four, and two-year-old son
Felix, who was born just three months after Anna gave birth to John.
21 December 2015
Bye, bye to another
series of Homeland - Sunday night’s episode was a bit of a mess. One
highlight - Saul and Ivan’s conversation. The sarin drama ended too
quickly; Allison’s demise was too dreary; Jonas broke up with Carrie by
giving her a sweatshirt, Sol was whining, and the whole thing just had the
feel of a desperate race to the close.
Got to feel sorry for
Quinn - got nothing bu abuse all series and appears to have been killed
off.
20 December 2015
We had a nice couple of
days away in Rome this week. Lots of walking and even got to see the Pope
doing his weekly meet the people in the Vatican. He pulls in quite a
crowd.
As we were passing
through Vatican security the guard rather wonderfully told us to just
"look out for the white boy!"
*****************************
Arun Bhatia, the owner of Delhi-based investment firm Telstra Tradeplace,
has claimed AirAsia India (I5, Chennai) is effectively controlled by
AirAsia (AK, Kuala Lumpur Int'l) in contravention of Indian investment
laws.
Speaking to The Economic Times, Bhatia said the Malaysian budget carrier's
CEO Mittu Chandilya acted on the instruction of AirAsia Group's founder
and CEO Tony Fernandes, and was in fact solely a figurehead.
Maybe it was the
airline's name that was the giveaway!!
17 December 2015
So once again EK are
removing benefits from its employees. It is a wonder that people stay.
More adverse changes to the travel benefits.
Not everyone does -
here is one leaver on PPRUNE - and in fairness to him or her this is a
pretty accurate message about not just Emirates, but too many companies
here.
"Flying pilot, I did
leave, I grew tired of the continual lies, the constant denigration of
flight crew and borderline sociopathic behaviour of fleet, flight ops and
commercial management, all washed down with a dose of 20/20 hindsight and
punitive mindset, which is used to justify incompetence and idiotic
knee-jerk policy decisions taken by individuals whom in the real world
wouldn't be put in charge of a lemonade stand.
All that coupled with having to be constantly aware that any issue no
matter how trivial or minor can escalate and cause life changing events
with respect to your career, your family and potentially your health."
Hard to disagree.
14 December 2015
Starting from 3 May
2016, Emirates will launch four weekly flights to Zhengzhou and Yinchuan.
Yinchuan and Zhengzhou
will be the 4th and 5th Emirates destinations in Mainland China after
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The UAE bilateral with
China only offers these two new cities plus Urumqi and Kashgar, the latter
two and Yinchuan being in Muslim dominated regions.
Sichuan Airlines currently fly from DXB to Yinchuan via Chengdu.
11 December 2015
A third runway at
Heathrow is never going to happen: Prime Minister David Cameron's
government delayed a decision on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow
Airport on Thursday, arguing that it needs more time to study the impact
on air quality, noise and other environmental concerns.
Cameron had promised a firm decision by the end of this year on whether to
choose Heathrow or Gatwick for airport expansion. Business leaders in
Britain argue that the country needs more airport capacity in southeastern
England to keep the country growing.
Heathrow had been selected by an independent panel over rival Gatwick, but
in recent weeks, speculation has been building from Cameron's office that
a decision would be delayed, in part because of environmental issues
raised in a Parliamentary report earlier this month.
***********************
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi is one of the smarer commentators on Middle East
affairs - on Facebook today he asked "Why are Arab governments who should
be concerned with fighting ISIS, Al Qaeda, a plethora of extremist violent
jihadi groups (and for the Gulf States countering regional Khamenei's
ambitions) expending their resources on harmless activists, writers,
bloggers, journalists etc.?"
I suspect he already knows the answer - fear of anything that might
destabilize their own inherited rule.
6 December 2015
Just a day in Singapore
wiith Tai and she continues down to Melbourne while I head up to BKK for a
few days.
Singapore was wet,
humid and even more crowded. a wet Singapore leave little to do except eat
and wander the malls - which all look increasingly similar.
It did strike me that I
may never see Singapore again - or at least not for a very long time.
For a few years it was
home - but it was not a happy home. And to be honest - if I do not see the
city again - that is ok.
5 December 2015
Tai and I had visitors
this week. Canadians. 19 years old. Models.
And I felt old.
The girls stayed in
their bedroom whenever they were in the apartment – emerging for the
bathroom or food. They live on their phones which I suspect is where they
communicate best. It is a funny world when people may be more concerned
about what their fans on Instagram think about them than being concerned
about making a good impression on real peopel...or maybe they are at a
stage of life when they do not care what people think….
If you stay as a guest in someone’s house you do make an effort to engage
– no one expects much – a simple how are you conversation – a simple
description of where they have been or what they want to see…the apartment
was a hotel room for them. We were the staff…so we were best ignored.
************************
On the good news side the World Air Games are in Dubai this week which has
provided some fun photography and a chance to watch all types of flying
machines and people.
Lots of pictures - on
my pictures pages and instagram account.
27 November 2015
One comment on Thailand
- posted in New Mandala - sums up the state of the nation:
"When “Good People”
receive cash/kickbacks/commissions/percentages/etc in Thailand, it is NOT
“corruption”. Rather it is what is owed to them due to their high
position, good intentions, honest efforts and beautiful Karma from their
exemplary past lives. Their proper and well-deserved reward under the
unwritten rules of the Thousand Year Old Thai Patronage System. Only when
“bad” people, especially “bad” people connected with Thaksin, receive
cash/kickbacks/commissions/percentages/etc, it is “corruption”.
Everybody in Thailand knows this. It is an essential part of “Thainess”."
Hard to argue.
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26 November 2015
Have not seen any
official announcement from EK but this shows some good work with a crystal
ball
Emirates has pushed back the launch of flights to Mali’s capital, Bamako,
for “operational reasons.”
The four times weekly services via Senegal capital, Dakar, was scheduled
to commence on October 25. It would have been Emirates’ 28th destination
in Africa. The new route “has been deferred until further notice due to
operational reasons,” Emirates said by email, adding that the existing
Dubai-Dakar service continues to operate as normal.
Passengers booked on the Dakar service will be reimbursed or rebooked via
Casablanca in Morocco.
I suspect Bamako will
not now happen after the events of last week.
25 November 2015
It is Dubai Innovation
week.
Not that anyone in the
private sector was aware of it.
You cannot say this
publicly - but really this is all about one government department talking
to another government department.
The gap between what is
said and what is done remains far too wide.
22 November 2015
Watched Thongchai
Jaidee play the final round of the DP World Tour Championship today.
He started at 11 under
- got it to 14 under after 11 holes - which would have been good enough
for 4th place - and then dropped eight shots over the last 7 holes
including a 9 on the 18th.
He did look tired.
21 November 2015
Last weekend it was
Paris.
Last night there was an
assault on a hotel in the capital of Mail - Bamako. Among the hostage
taking some 20 or more people were killed.
Today the whole of
Brussles has been shut down due to what the authorities are calling an
imminent terror threat. The subway is shut down. People are being told to
avoid public places from theaters to shops to sports events.
The news headlines were
simple:
Shops close, football
is cancelled and people are urged to stay home as army patrols streets in
face of ‘serious and imminent threat’ of Paris-style attack
19 November 2015
Emirates A340-500
A6-ERE, which last operated in service on 6th November, operated the
EK640/EK641 Dubai – Kabul rotation today.
15 November 2015
Here is a twitter
classic:
Now is not the time
for commentdickery or how French flags are crowding your FB feed. Show
some compassion or just keep your mouth shut.
14 November 2015
One note from the Dubai
Airshow.
There is still no word
on when Concourse D will open at DXB.
First they said it would open in the second quarter of 2015, then it was
delayed to the third, and now we aren't hearing anything.
Concourse D is apparently the first project completely designed and
planned by the current Dubai Airports team under Paul Griffiths.
If they cannot get Concourse D right then how will they handle DWC's
expansion and opening.
10 November 2015
O Canada.....What a
cabinet:
PM Trudeau announced his new liberal cabinet last week:
Minister of Health is a doctor.
Minister of Transport is an astronaut.
Minister of National Defense is a Sikh Veteran.
Minister of Youth is under the age of 45.
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is a former farmer.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness was a Scout.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development was a financial
analyst.
Minister of Finance is a successful businessman.
Minister of Justice was a crown prosecutor and is a First Nations leader.
Minister of Sport, and Persons with Disabilities is a visually impaired
Paralympian.
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard is Inuit.
Minister of Science is a medical geographer with a PhD.
New titles include
Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees was an Immigration
critic.
And the cabinet is made up of 50% women.
Proud times. Lets hope each and everyone of them makes a difference.
9 November 2015
Emirates today
announced its plans for a second gateway in Istanbul with the launch of a
daily service to Sabiha Gokcen Airport, beginning 15th December, 2015. The
new service complements Emirates’ existing 11 weekly flights to Ataturk
Airport.
Located on the rapidly-developing Asian side of Istanbul, Sabiha Gokcen
provides easy access to the city’s new financial centre as well as to
popular outlet malls and thermal spas in the vicinity. Passengers heading
to the European side can also take advantage of regular coaches that
operate between Sabiha Gokcen and Taksim Square every half hour, taking
approximately 45 minutes.
The new service will commence with a daily flight operated by an Airbus
A330-200 aircraft in a 3-class layout - 12 in First, 42 in Business, and
183 in Economy.
Emirates will be the only airline operating a scheduled wide-body aircraft
at Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The airport is primarily used for domestic and
European charter flights.
Emirates flight EK119 will depart Dubai at 17:15 and arrive in Istanbul at
20:15 daily. The return flight EK120 will leave Istanbul at 22:05,
arriving in Dubai at 04:20 the next day.
Istanbul is a turnaround for Emirates crews; this will be a very tough
flight for the crew who will basically be on duty from 15.30pm to 05.00am.
8 November 2015
Atlanta-based
Delta operates the only passenger service between its home hub and Dubai,
but announced Oct. 28 that it will cease the route from Feb. 11, 2016.
Delta said its Dubai pullout decision was made “amid overcapacity on US
routes to the Middle East operated by government-owned and heavily
subsidized airlines.”
7 November 2015
Back in Dubai and now a
qualified private pilot. Feeling pleased with myself. I worked hard.
Here are some thoughts
from my examiner in an email: spot on really - my landings at SRQ were OK.
The landing at TPA was a bit grim.
"Your check ride was as
real as it gets. We accomplished everything in the PTS as well as a "real
scenario" flight. Your knowledge is that of a commercial pilot. Your
flying abilities in most areas well above the PTS. The landings were the
only minor issue and they met the mins per the PTS. When you upgrade to
the 172 you will find your landings will be much easier."
The skycatcher is not
an easy plane when the wind is blowing! Too light!
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