One Night Standup’s in the news

Thanks to the folks at the National. One Night Standup will continue to be a monthly free-to-the-public event. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/OneNight StandUp The Emirati comedian Abdulla “Abz” Ali is not afraid to push boundaries in his stand-up comedy routines. His acts have a tendency to be at times racy and controversial, but he makes no [...]

Graffiti…

  This is very cool. Lots of people, including the erstwhile staff at local English daily The National, have run stories on the graffiti and street art scene in Dubai. It can’t hold a candle to other places in the world, but the fact that it remains a jail-worthy – and worse, a deportation-worthy- act, [...]

Displeasing….Shindagah market closed down

It was the oldest market in Dubai. Near the Shindagah tunnel area. It’s now been closed down to make space for Carrefour’s expansion. Emirates Biz 24/7 carried the news – glad to see them inadvertently contribute to the cause of serious journalism. These traders expected Dubai Municipality to provide them alternative space in the city. [...]

Eid down in Old Town

Tuesday was the first day of Eid here in the UAE. And Dubai was thronging. In particular, anecdotal evidence suggests there was a full scale attack on Dubai Mall. The Saudis threatened our borders, while the Omanis also advanced into retail areas. The GCC influx was in force. More seriously, it occasioned such that I [...]

Perspectives bending over perspectives – a Suhoor at the new Shelter

I was at the Shelter yesterday for a Suhoor event. T’was fun – rather a reunion of creative, faffy types. For those not in the know – largely you guys not in Dubai, glossary: a) the Shelter was one of the city’s earliest semi-lassiez faire collaborative spaces – which could be used for social events [...]

The power of crowds & Adopt a Camp

Crowds are awe-inspiring. They make one nervous. They entice the breakdown of decorum, of self-interest, and make one move as one with a wider, almost irresistible force. A crowd can be a mob, and mobs are scary to those who like rationality. Crowds are capable of this: But crowds are also capable of this: These reasonably amazing [...]

No Juice – why UAE pumps are running out of petrol

There’s a furore. There’s no gas at the pumps in UAE petrol stations. The UAE! Home to oil reserves the size of a small ocean. Yet, commuters are queuing up, and pumps are running dry. Why? Quick and simple, as @rupertbu said on Twitter “It’s not as if you fill up with the crude stuff [...]

The folks at Brown Book…

  The good folk of Brown Book Magazine have included me in a supplement on male grooming. The entire production looks quite artsy, and is a bit of a deviation from the glossy magazine norm. Bits of sepia, some noir undertones. Well worth picking up. Supplement aside, the entire magazine is heading down an interesting [...]

A visual journey by Jalal Abuthina through Al Badaa, District 333

Walls. Not the sort that divide, but the ones that bring us together. Convergence.  Expression. Street art. That’s what Jalal Abuthina’s new book deals with. District 333 - beyond the surface, whispers the title. A municipality map of the approximate area adorns the otherwise plain white cover. Al Badaa near Satwa, or District 333 in Dubai [...]

Beirut & ArabNet- a first day recap

It’s been surreal in many ways. But not in the stereotypical Beiruti ways that are fed to you ad nauseum. The rampant hedonism that people keep associating with the city hasn’t been discovered just yet. Yes, the women outnumber the men, and fortunately, look exponentially better than the men. Yes, they’re not afraid to look [...]