Kids say the funniest things. This time with a particular Middle Eastern flavour:
"Daddy, what is the man in the mosque shouting for?"
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Are you (still) doing your bit?
Some might say that the global 'hot' topic (pardon the pun) of the last couple of years has been climate change, and the fact that politicians have now finally begun to acknowledge what for some time has been quite obviously a growing problem should be cause for some cheer.
Films such as An Inconvenient Truth have clearly helped to spell out the specifics of the wider problem to a mass global audience who need only put in the DVD, watch and learn. The use of Al Gore, the "former next President of the United States", gives the opportunity to learn from someone who is serious politician himself first, albeit increasingly celebrity second.
But it is undeniable that his commitment to his cause, and the coverage that his film has been given (not least through its Oscar win), is a key focus for the recent trend in embracing the need to do something about global warming, and a direct cause of phrases such as "carbon offsetting" entering popular culture and vocabulary.
And so I am left wondering what possible benefit there is to be had in publicly criticising his film for being perhaps too alarmist. I fail to see how the causes that Al Gore sets out to bring to the world's attention are helped by a school teacher petitioning a court to ensure that An Inconvenient Truth should not be shown in schools, at least unless it is accompanied by counter-balancing information that basically serves to cancel out any good that the film may have caused. So what if some of the issues are overstated? Surely the alarmist tone is what is needed to convince the historically ill-informed and apathetic watching masses that something needs to change.
Now, if the message is "global warming is a serious issue....oh, but wait. No, actually, worry not, it's not really a problem for a fair few more years yet" then your average secondary school student will leave the classroom not only confused as to why they had just been made to watch a film that the teachers then took great pains (having been compelled to do so by law) to pull apart in the interests of giving balance to the issues presented, but also largely unconcerned and disinterested about the fundamental issues.
With the likes of George Bush and his generation still refusing to sign up to, or even recognise the benefits of, the Kyoto protocol, it is in today's schoolchildren that attention should best be focused; to begin education on global climate change at an age early enough to avoid the inevitable onset of apathy, cynicism and selfishness that adolescence breeds.
Al Gore's film (without this week's judicial led dilution requirement) may have served to provide the perfect catalyst to kick into action the generation who would have been best able, and least sceptical, of the need to be the first to take the global environmental crisis as seriously as it demands. Without pointing out that it may contain some inaccuracies, no-one would have been any the wiser, and the fundamental point about there being a need to act would have remained intact. However, now it will just be seen as a fictional scare-mongering exercise which an already hesitant global audience will use to justify their continued non-action.
An Inconvenient Truth has been robbed of its purpose unjustifiably by those who, wrongly in my view, thought it more important that its message be 100% correct, than 100% effective.
Films such as An Inconvenient Truth have clearly helped to spell out the specifics of the wider problem to a mass global audience who need only put in the DVD, watch and learn. The use of Al Gore, the "former next President of the United States", gives the opportunity to learn from someone who is serious politician himself first, albeit increasingly celebrity second.
But it is undeniable that his commitment to his cause, and the coverage that his film has been given (not least through its Oscar win), is a key focus for the recent trend in embracing the need to do something about global warming, and a direct cause of phrases such as "carbon offsetting" entering popular culture and vocabulary.
And so I am left wondering what possible benefit there is to be had in publicly criticising his film for being perhaps too alarmist. I fail to see how the causes that Al Gore sets out to bring to the world's attention are helped by a school teacher petitioning a court to ensure that An Inconvenient Truth should not be shown in schools, at least unless it is accompanied by counter-balancing information that basically serves to cancel out any good that the film may have caused. So what if some of the issues are overstated? Surely the alarmist tone is what is needed to convince the historically ill-informed and apathetic watching masses that something needs to change.
Now, if the message is "global warming is a serious issue....oh, but wait. No, actually, worry not, it's not really a problem for a fair few more years yet" then your average secondary school student will leave the classroom not only confused as to why they had just been made to watch a film that the teachers then took great pains (having been compelled to do so by law) to pull apart in the interests of giving balance to the issues presented, but also largely unconcerned and disinterested about the fundamental issues.
With the likes of George Bush and his generation still refusing to sign up to, or even recognise the benefits of, the Kyoto protocol, it is in today's schoolchildren that attention should best be focused; to begin education on global climate change at an age early enough to avoid the inevitable onset of apathy, cynicism and selfishness that adolescence breeds.
Al Gore's film (without this week's judicial led dilution requirement) may have served to provide the perfect catalyst to kick into action the generation who would have been best able, and least sceptical, of the need to be the first to take the global environmental crisis as seriously as it demands. Without pointing out that it may contain some inaccuracies, no-one would have been any the wiser, and the fundamental point about there being a need to act would have remained intact. However, now it will just be seen as a fictional scare-mongering exercise which an already hesitant global audience will use to justify their continued non-action.
An Inconvenient Truth has been robbed of its purpose unjustifiably by those who, wrongly in my view, thought it more important that its message be 100% correct, than 100% effective.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Mummy's Are Great Too!
Having read all the mails that Tim has posted I thought it was time I added my own anecdotes of the children.
So yesterday when Jack was going to bed, Tim taught him that the magic word of the day is "Daddy is great".
At lunch time Jack asked for his juice without saying "Please". I am trying to reinforce "Yes Please" and "No thankyou" and other basic common polite phrases so said I could not hear him as I had not heard the magic word, meaning please. Jack looked at me for a while, thought about the question, and piped up "Mummy is great!"
Not quite the word I was looking for, but as Tim said at least he remembered I was Mummy and not Daddy.
So yesterday when Jack was going to bed, Tim taught him that the magic word of the day is "Daddy is great".
At lunch time Jack asked for his juice without saying "Please". I am trying to reinforce "Yes Please" and "No thankyou" and other basic common polite phrases so said I could not hear him as I had not heard the magic word, meaning please. Jack looked at me for a while, thought about the question, and piped up "Mummy is great!"
Not quite the word I was looking for, but as Tim said at least he remembered I was Mummy and not Daddy.
Driving music
Taking Jack to nursery on the way to work this morning, we joined the daily queue of traffic leaving our estate. Stop, start, stop, start etc.
As is common, my mind was elsewhere, contemplating perhaps what I had to do today, and not really noticing the music playing on random selection through my iPod (driving Jack around I have been practising my ability to switch off to whichever CD of nursery rhymes or Winnie the Pooh songs is usually playing, if only to preserve my sanity a little longer; today, however, I had managed to plug in MY iPod without challenge, which is fortunately a child music free zone).
Anyway, my day-dreaming was suddenly broken by a voice from the back:
Jack: "Can you turn the music up, please Daddy?" (Very polite is my son)
Daddy: "Oh, do you like this song then Jack?"
Jack: "Yes, I do."
The song that I then noticed was playing? Andy Williams - "Music to Watch Girls By".
As dated as "One Two, Buckle My Shoe" perhaps, but a song with a far more useful sentiment for a growing boy to learn about I feel.
As is common, my mind was elsewhere, contemplating perhaps what I had to do today, and not really noticing the music playing on random selection through my iPod (driving Jack around I have been practising my ability to switch off to whichever CD of nursery rhymes or Winnie the Pooh songs is usually playing, if only to preserve my sanity a little longer; today, however, I had managed to plug in MY iPod without challenge, which is fortunately a child music free zone).
Anyway, my day-dreaming was suddenly broken by a voice from the back:
Jack: "Can you turn the music up, please Daddy?" (Very polite is my son)
Daddy: "Oh, do you like this song then Jack?"
Jack: "Yes, I do."
The song that I then noticed was playing? Andy Williams - "Music to Watch Girls By".
As dated as "One Two, Buckle My Shoe" perhaps, but a song with a far more useful sentiment for a growing boy to learn about I feel.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Too much thinking time?
I haven't posted for a month, due to a variety of things, but the main one being not having much to say given that the family were not here to fill my otherwise empty days..... (see previous post).
Anyway, normal service has now been resumed and we have just spent a really lovely weekend, just the four of us. Emma is admittedly very small still and barely able to do much more than sleep, cry and feed. But she has learnt to smile. A really beautiful smile. The kind of smile that could break a man. I am already not looking forward to the day I have to meet that man.
And Jack - well, what a change I have seen in him since he's been away. He's growing up fast and has an answer for everything.
This weekend, while Michele stayed with Emma on one side of the glass in the ambient room temparature of Mall of the Emirates, Jack and I spent nearly 2 hours playing in the real snow in Ski Dubai. And it was great. We played on sledges, and had snowball fights and slid down ice slides. He loved it. And so did I.
Later in the day, Jack helped me do some DIY and mow the grass. It was a truly memorable weekend.
But today, on a day when I had not a lot to do at work and was left to roam the internet, my mood quickly dropped at how the news was filled with stories of the endless disappearance of Madeline McCann, and the death of Colin McRae and his 5 year old son. That, combined with the fact that I had had, for no apparent reason (when is there one?), a very vivid and harrowing dream last night, made me realise just how lucky I am.
At the risk of getting all depressing (but then the purpose of this blog was to record events, feelings, moods, anything really...) I had a lot of time today to think about how much we take for granted, and it gave me pause.
Of course, Michele was initially a little suspicious when I came home with some flowers and offered to cook dinner ("Just because") but for the above reasons it has felt like a strangely emotional day (if you will, the "Yin" to my weekend's "Yang"). I could report that nothing of consequence happened to me today. And had I not been pondering the above for perhaps too long, that is probably what I would have said. But the irony is that is when you hear of such monumental events happening so suddenly and unpredictably to other people, that could so easily happen to you (Michele and I have left Jack in a hotel room sleeping while we went to the restaurant), you realise that there is a lot to be thankful for in a non-consequential day.
If nothing else, I came home at the end of today to a loving family who were all (and I refer to that smile again) pleased to see me. You can't buy that kind of happiness.
Anyway, normal service has now been resumed and we have just spent a really lovely weekend, just the four of us. Emma is admittedly very small still and barely able to do much more than sleep, cry and feed. But she has learnt to smile. A really beautiful smile. The kind of smile that could break a man. I am already not looking forward to the day I have to meet that man.
And Jack - well, what a change I have seen in him since he's been away. He's growing up fast and has an answer for everything.
This weekend, while Michele stayed with Emma on one side of the glass in the ambient room temparature of Mall of the Emirates, Jack and I spent nearly 2 hours playing in the real snow in Ski Dubai. And it was great. We played on sledges, and had snowball fights and slid down ice slides. He loved it. And so did I.
Later in the day, Jack helped me do some DIY and mow the grass. It was a truly memorable weekend.
But today, on a day when I had not a lot to do at work and was left to roam the internet, my mood quickly dropped at how the news was filled with stories of the endless disappearance of Madeline McCann, and the death of Colin McRae and his 5 year old son. That, combined with the fact that I had had, for no apparent reason (when is there one?), a very vivid and harrowing dream last night, made me realise just how lucky I am.
At the risk of getting all depressing (but then the purpose of this blog was to record events, feelings, moods, anything really...) I had a lot of time today to think about how much we take for granted, and it gave me pause.
Of course, Michele was initially a little suspicious when I came home with some flowers and offered to cook dinner ("Just because") but for the above reasons it has felt like a strangely emotional day (if you will, the "Yin" to my weekend's "Yang"). I could report that nothing of consequence happened to me today. And had I not been pondering the above for perhaps too long, that is probably what I would have said. But the irony is that is when you hear of such monumental events happening so suddenly and unpredictably to other people, that could so easily happen to you (Michele and I have left Jack in a hotel room sleeping while we went to the restaurant), you realise that there is a lot to be thankful for in a non-consequential day.
If nothing else, I came home at the end of today to a loving family who were all (and I refer to that smile again) pleased to see me. You can't buy that kind of happiness.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Missing the family
About time I uploaded some new pictures of the kids I thought. So here are Jack and Emma, having lots more fun in the UK (with my parents and brother) than they would be having in the 48 degree heat of Dubai that Daddy is having to battle through alone at present....
Come home soon.
Come home soon.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Going south
The football season is merely 3 days old and in the space of just two matches Southampton have managed to position themselves at the bottom of the Championship, and exit themselves from the Carling Cup.
What a relief it is to know that it is the "taking part" that counts.
What a relief it is to know that it is the "taking part" that counts.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Quality Journalism
As is common in most newspapers these days, the Gulf News (the local UAE 'broadsheet' - a reference only to its size and certainly not to its standard of journalism) runs a Daily Gulf News Poll, inviting readers to vote online to the question that the paper presumably considers to be the most topical issue of the day.
Given the number of different issues that impact and affect modern society and the planet generally, one might expect a topical, insightful, thought-provoking issue to be the norm. An issue, say, where the responses are destined to show an interesting diversity of opinion, and which might speak volumes about the public perception of key issues affecting modern life.
And so it was with yesterday's question:
"How are you feeling today?"
Don't be fooled. For some, this was clearly a challenging question to ponder. One that should not be met with a knee-jerk response.
The Gulf News deemed the results so worthy of note that they justified a full article explaining the results on today's front pages. 3 full column inches in fact.
The best part was that while 42% were feeling happy, and 34% were not, and full 24% (that's basically one in four) opted for "I don't know".
I DON'T KNOW??? It's a simple enough question isn't it? How can a quarter of the people in this country, when invited to 'vote' in response to the most commonly asked question in regular conversation ("How are you?"), actively take the time to log on to the Gulf News website in order to choose the "I don't know" option?
And then how can the Gulf News not only justify filling a large portion of its front page with a report on this poll, but also then choose to focus on the "problem" that only 42% consider themselves happy and thereby miss the more alarming fact, without any hint of irony or sarcasm, that 24% of the country (or at least readers of this poor excuse for a newspaper) are clearly comprised of indecisive, mentally challenged morons?
Thank goodness the UAE has the good sense not to entrust more radical issues, such as parliamentary democracy, to the will of the people.
Given the number of different issues that impact and affect modern society and the planet generally, one might expect a topical, insightful, thought-provoking issue to be the norm. An issue, say, where the responses are destined to show an interesting diversity of opinion, and which might speak volumes about the public perception of key issues affecting modern life.
And so it was with yesterday's question:
"How are you feeling today?"
Don't be fooled. For some, this was clearly a challenging question to ponder. One that should not be met with a knee-jerk response.
The Gulf News deemed the results so worthy of note that they justified a full article explaining the results on today's front pages. 3 full column inches in fact.
The best part was that while 42% were feeling happy, and 34% were not, and full 24% (that's basically one in four) opted for "I don't know".
I DON'T KNOW??? It's a simple enough question isn't it? How can a quarter of the people in this country, when invited to 'vote' in response to the most commonly asked question in regular conversation ("How are you?"), actively take the time to log on to the Gulf News website in order to choose the "I don't know" option?
And then how can the Gulf News not only justify filling a large portion of its front page with a report on this poll, but also then choose to focus on the "problem" that only 42% consider themselves happy and thereby miss the more alarming fact, without any hint of irony or sarcasm, that 24% of the country (or at least readers of this poor excuse for a newspaper) are clearly comprised of indecisive, mentally challenged morons?
Thank goodness the UAE has the good sense not to entrust more radical issues, such as parliamentary democracy, to the will of the people.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Blasts from the past
Today on Facebook, attributable I'm sure to the inherent addictiveness that is fed by spending too much time searching the lists of friends of people you have linked up with, I was 'found' by no less than two people I used to know from Junior School. You know, that place I haven't been to for 20 years.
Completely out of the blue, I receive a "friend notification" from Jake Jackson and Sarah Thomas. To be honest, it feels a bit presumptious to declare public "friendship" with people you haven't said a word to in 2 decades, but the Facebook method of re-discovering the nostalgia of a mis-spent youth holds a power that is too great to resist. People who for years have probably always still been just down the road and who I (and, I am sure, they) had no immediate desire to locate before now, have suddenly become more accessible. And you feel almost flattered when they have sought you out. Because you can accept the friendship request and then keep tabs on where they are and what they are doing without the need for conversation. A strange concept, but also quite an intriguing one.
I wonder who will appear next....
Completely out of the blue, I receive a "friend notification" from Jake Jackson and Sarah Thomas. To be honest, it feels a bit presumptious to declare public "friendship" with people you haven't said a word to in 2 decades, but the Facebook method of re-discovering the nostalgia of a mis-spent youth holds a power that is too great to resist. People who for years have probably always still been just down the road and who I (and, I am sure, they) had no immediate desire to locate before now, have suddenly become more accessible. And you feel almost flattered when they have sought you out. Because you can accept the friendship request and then keep tabs on where they are and what they are doing without the need for conversation. A strange concept, but also quite an intriguing one.
I wonder who will appear next....
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Mine's bigger than yours
On Saturday, it was reported that Dubai had claimed ownership of the world record for the world's tallest building.
The final height of the Burj (Arabic for 'Tower') Dubai is shrouded in mystery. Apparently though, its design is such that if, during construction, plans are announced for an even taller building to be built somewhere else in the world, the height of the Burj Dubai can be "increased from within" so as to ensure that Dubai can maintain its record-holding status a bit longer.
A shining example of man's ambition to reach for the skies? Or just another testosterone fuelled enterprise by those ever shy, reserved, unambitious Arabs? You be the judge.
But as I look out of my office window it is difficult to miss the Burj Dubai.
Because it's starting to block out the daylight.
The final height of the Burj (Arabic for 'Tower') Dubai is shrouded in mystery. Apparently though, its design is such that if, during construction, plans are announced for an even taller building to be built somewhere else in the world, the height of the Burj Dubai can be "increased from within" so as to ensure that Dubai can maintain its record-holding status a bit longer.
A shining example of man's ambition to reach for the skies? Or just another testosterone fuelled enterprise by those ever shy, reserved, unambitious Arabs? You be the judge.
But as I look out of my office window it is difficult to miss the Burj Dubai.
Because it's starting to block out the daylight.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Home is where the heart is
We may not have lived in the UK now for over 4 years, but we still refer to it as "home". We always look forward to returning home to see family and friends (even though this has now become the way in which I consistently use up my annual leave).
While friends at home and here in Dubai (specifically those without children) often take their holidays skiing in winter, or to Spain/Maldives/USA in the summer, we find ourselves spending time in the hot tourist destination that is 'the bit between Winnersh and Wokingham'. But to be honest, I really don't mind.
Because for me, Wokingham is where I grew up, where I went to school, where I learnt to drive, where I had my first job, and (perhaps further evidence of its eternal ability to draw you back) where most of my UK friends still reside.
Despite the ever increasing traffic problems, the infuriating way in which the local council is run (and spends money), and the "Leisure Park", it is, and always will be, the one place where I feel truly at home. It holds so many happy memories. I feel a sense of comfort and reassurance whenever I am back there.
And a major part of that is attributable to the family home. It may be just bricks and mortar at the end of the day, but I still remember being really upset when we moved to 48 Walter Road from Selsdon in 1983 (when I was 7) thinking "how will this new place ever feel like home". But 24 years on, there is nowhere else quite like home for me now.
Which is why (even though Mum and Dad will no doubt be wracked with guilt if they read this!) this link brings with it a sense of finality, of inevitability and (I'm not ashamed to say) great sadness.
Of course, my parents have every right to move on (to Dorset). And their new house will be fantastic. And ultimately, it's not about the building, but the people that are in it with you that is important. But I will miss our home in Walter Road greatly.
But be warned, fellow Wokingham-ians: we will now be looking for board and lodgings from friends in the area on future visits.
While friends at home and here in Dubai (specifically those without children) often take their holidays skiing in winter, or to Spain/Maldives/USA in the summer, we find ourselves spending time in the hot tourist destination that is 'the bit between Winnersh and Wokingham'. But to be honest, I really don't mind.
Because for me, Wokingham is where I grew up, where I went to school, where I learnt to drive, where I had my first job, and (perhaps further evidence of its eternal ability to draw you back) where most of my UK friends still reside.
Despite the ever increasing traffic problems, the infuriating way in which the local council is run (and spends money), and the "Leisure Park", it is, and always will be, the one place where I feel truly at home. It holds so many happy memories. I feel a sense of comfort and reassurance whenever I am back there.
And a major part of that is attributable to the family home. It may be just bricks and mortar at the end of the day, but I still remember being really upset when we moved to 48 Walter Road from Selsdon in 1983 (when I was 7) thinking "how will this new place ever feel like home". But 24 years on, there is nowhere else quite like home for me now.
Which is why (even though Mum and Dad will no doubt be wracked with guilt if they read this!) this link brings with it a sense of finality, of inevitability and (I'm not ashamed to say) great sadness.
Of course, my parents have every right to move on (to Dorset). And their new house will be fantastic. And ultimately, it's not about the building, but the people that are in it with you that is important. But I will miss our home in Walter Road greatly.
But be warned, fellow Wokingham-ians: we will now be looking for board and lodgings from friends in the area on future visits.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
A 3G baby
It was somehow always destined to happen this way.
When Michele went for a baby check up last Tuesday and was told that our second baby was imminent (like, within 24 hours) we began immediate final preparations for what then eventually didn't happen for another 5 days. As at Tuesday, it seemed likely that we would escape a birth on 1 July (Michele's birthday, and also my Dad's (this year, 60th) birthday).
But it was not to be. With the calendar pages barely turned, things started happening around 1am this morning, whereupon a distinctly-more-tense-and-frantic-rush-than-I-recall-us-having-with-Jack began to ensue, to ensure that we appeared at the hospital before baby started appearing into the world. The hospital is a good 25 mins away, not counting the detour we had to take to drop Jack off with friends. Arriving at the hospital at around 2.45am, Michele then breathlessly (literally) sped through the last few stages of labour in a mere 45 mins, and gave birth to Emma Elizabeth at 3.34am. A third generation of our family now to share a birthday with Princess Diana - a beautiful (and against our expectations) baby girl weighing in at 7lb 4oz.
Needless to say, we are all dead chuffed. And, through the wonders of technology, you can see all of the pictures we have taken today here.
We took Jack in to meet his new sister (who, for weeks, he has been convinced is in fact a "lobster" - don't ask why, because I have no idea) this afternoon. Rather smitten he was too.
And at bedtime tonight back home, where Daddy and Jack had their usual post-match analysis of the day's events, Jack launched into a heart-warming monologue about how he wanted to share all his toys, books, clothes (including beloved "Pirates" t-shirt), lunches (including chips WITH ketchup), bathtimes, and generally his life, with "Baby Emma".
Having kids. Best thing in the world...
When Michele went for a baby check up last Tuesday and was told that our second baby was imminent (like, within 24 hours) we began immediate final preparations for what then eventually didn't happen for another 5 days. As at Tuesday, it seemed likely that we would escape a birth on 1 July (Michele's birthday, and also my Dad's (this year, 60th) birthday).
But it was not to be. With the calendar pages barely turned, things started happening around 1am this morning, whereupon a distinctly-more-tense-and-frantic-rush-than-I-recall-us-having-with-Jack began to ensue, to ensure that we appeared at the hospital before baby started appearing into the world. The hospital is a good 25 mins away, not counting the detour we had to take to drop Jack off with friends. Arriving at the hospital at around 2.45am, Michele then breathlessly (literally) sped through the last few stages of labour in a mere 45 mins, and gave birth to Emma Elizabeth at 3.34am. A third generation of our family now to share a birthday with Princess Diana - a beautiful (and against our expectations) baby girl weighing in at 7lb 4oz.
Needless to say, we are all dead chuffed. And, through the wonders of technology, you can see all of the pictures we have taken today here.
We took Jack in to meet his new sister (who, for weeks, he has been convinced is in fact a "lobster" - don't ask why, because I have no idea) this afternoon. Rather smitten he was too.
And at bedtime tonight back home, where Daddy and Jack had their usual post-match analysis of the day's events, Jack launched into a heart-warming monologue about how he wanted to share all his toys, books, clothes (including beloved "Pirates" t-shirt), lunches (including chips WITH ketchup), bathtimes, and generally his life, with "Baby Emma".
Having kids. Best thing in the world...
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Linking up... and logos
I have recently been introduced to facebook, a form of online networking that is strangely addictive. Kind of like email, only more complicated and with pictures it seems. Still, since everyone else seems to be signing up, I thought I would too. It's free to join, but difficult to escape once you've been assimilated.
In other news... have you seen the new London 2012 Olympic logo? £400,000 it cost, for a psychedelic group of splodges that (depending on how you look at it) could be either (i) the number 2012 written in an 80s videogame style, (ii) a map of Australia (see top right of logo) surrounded by other randon shapes, or (iii) (the best yet) Lisa Simpson, on the right, performing shall we say, a Bill Clinton type 'act' on an unidentified person on the left.
There are days when I sometimes wonder why it was we were so keen to leave the UK.
And then there are other days....
In other news... have you seen the new London 2012 Olympic logo? £400,000 it cost, for a psychedelic group of splodges that (depending on how you look at it) could be either (i) the number 2012 written in an 80s videogame style, (ii) a map of Australia (see top right of logo) surrounded by other randon shapes, or (iii) (the best yet) Lisa Simpson, on the right, performing shall we say, a Bill Clinton type 'act' on an unidentified person on the left.
There are days when I sometimes wonder why it was we were so keen to leave the UK.
And then there are other days....
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
A bit of a "Laydeez" man
OK, so somewhat delayed in the presentation (nearly 4 months, but then things move slowly in the Middle East - "Shway, Shway" as they say), I seem to have finally cracked the 'linking in some photos' thing.
So, here are some photos of Jack from his 2nd birthday party. Which was on 5th of February.
Of course, if this link works (and I am placing great faith in my limited IT skills when it comes to setting stuff like this up), and readers are complimentary (reviewing the number of comments I am used to receiving on this site takes many nanoseconds out of my day) then perhaps more will follow.
Meanwhile, as regards these photos of Jack...? I taught him everything he knows!
So, here are some photos of Jack from his 2nd birthday party. Which was on 5th of February.
Of course, if this link works (and I am placing great faith in my limited IT skills when it comes to setting stuff like this up), and readers are complimentary (reviewing the number of comments I am used to receiving on this site takes many nanoseconds out of my day) then perhaps more will follow.
Meanwhile, as regards these photos of Jack...? I taught him everything he knows!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Nonsense Verse
A recent 'post-bathtime, pre-bedtime' conversation with Jack:
Daddy (while wiggling big toe of Jack's foot): This little piggy went to...
Jack: ...market.
Daddy: And [moving systematically to the next toe, as is the tradition] this little piggy...
Jack: ...stayed at home.
Daddy: This little piggy had...
Jack: ...rose beef. [Giggles]
Daddy (by now, in a mood of parenting induced euphoric bliss, thinking to himself that there is nothing better in life than having kids): And this little piggy had...
Jack: NONE!!!!!!
Daddy: And THIS little piggy.....
Jack (looking pensive, searching for the most appropriate activity that could be occupying this final swine): ...had soup.
Who knows?!
(P.S. While we're on nursery rhymes generally, why was it decided that the closest analogy to something going 'round and round a garden', is a teddy bear? In our house, the only thing that goes round and round the garden is the ant killer.)
Daddy (while wiggling big toe of Jack's foot): This little piggy went to...
Jack: ...market.
Daddy: And [moving systematically to the next toe, as is the tradition] this little piggy...
Jack: ...stayed at home.
Daddy: This little piggy had...
Jack: ...rose beef. [Giggles]
Daddy (by now, in a mood of parenting induced euphoric bliss, thinking to himself that there is nothing better in life than having kids): And this little piggy had...
Jack: NONE!!!!!!
Daddy: And THIS little piggy.....
Jack (looking pensive, searching for the most appropriate activity that could be occupying this final swine): ...had soup.
Who knows?!
(P.S. While we're on nursery rhymes generally, why was it decided that the closest analogy to something going 'round and round a garden', is a teddy bear? In our house, the only thing that goes round and round the garden is the ant killer.)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Saints preserve us...
Straight off the mark, barely 4 minutes after the final whistle blew, here I am being optimistic about the 2007/8 Championship season.
So we lost on penalties to Derby. Let's face it, the Championship is where it's at these days.
The Premiership has not been the same this last couple of years since all the best teams left.
And who really believes that football is all about money these days anyway.....
So we lost on penalties to Derby. Let's face it, the Championship is where it's at these days.
The Premiership has not been the same this last couple of years since all the best teams left.
And who really believes that football is all about money these days anyway.....
Monday, May 14, 2007
Words and Pictures
A man more gifted than I in the ways of IT has kindly informed me of a clever way in which I can upload pictures to this blog. Having not yet found the time to sort that out properly, you'll have to contain your excitement a bit longer. Watch this space....
However, in the meantime, and purely to wet your appetites, I have at least discovered a way to insert pictures direct into my posts. So, herewith a nice picture of our little bundle of joy, in dapper attire, from when he served as ring-bearer at Adrian's (Michele's brother) and Anita's wedding a couple of weeks ago:
However, in the meantime, and purely to wet your appetites, I have at least discovered a way to insert pictures direct into my posts. So, herewith a nice picture of our little bundle of joy, in dapper attire, from when he served as ring-bearer at Adrian's (Michele's brother) and Anita's wedding a couple of weeks ago:
He did at least have his shirt tucked in for some of the service.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
The end of an era
What a shame it is that, in response to the news that Tony Blair is resigning, that most of the main news networks (BBC, Sky, etc.) have decided to go out and gauge the opinion of the general public as to what Blair's legacy might be. Narrowmindedly, but predictably, and without any tongues in cheek, most seem to believe that it will be the Iraq war. Really?
The only columnist I have read today who seems to have correctly assessed the likely Blair legacy was this one. I believe that Tony Blair has been, on the whole, a good prime minister. For two main reasons:
1. Because there are aspects of modern life that are far too large and complicated to ever be fixed by any government, whatever their party, despite the best worded pledges: the NHS because it suffers at the hands of private healthcare and because no government will ever have enough money (without raising taxes) to cater for an ever expanding population, raise nurse pay and cure all of the inherent bureaucracy problems that pervade this outdated public service; crime, because parental responsibility is the real root cause of juvenile delinquency. A leader speaks for the nation (and Blair does this well) and cannot (and should not) be held accountable for everything that goes wrong on his watch. Ministers come and go, and a few have made mistakes (including probably the PM - he's only human) but to hold a torch to his every move and statement, waiting (and in many instances trying to provoke) a mistake is counter-productive and detrimental to good government. But unfortunately, this is now common practice in the media. Accountability should be allowed to develop and, in time, evidence itself, not be challenged and antagonistically tested every minute of every day.
2. Because of the Iraq War. Too much is made of this. Tony Blair is not responsible for Iraqi insurgent terrorists killing their own each day. Had the war been wrapped up sooner, there would not be the criticism there still is today. To say that Blair followed Bush into an illegal war is wrong; we are one of the world's leading economic nations with a duty to assist where we can. America is an important ally with the same duty; we were obligated to go into war irrespective of what America did. And, as far as British involvement is concerned, I don't understand on what basis people consider the war to be a mistake. If the mistake is to be measured by casualties, in the 4 years since it started the UK has lost 148 troops. The Falklands War lasted 10 weeks, was considered a success, and yet 260 troops were killed. So perhaps the war is considered a mistake because it has not yet been won? Again, this is the fault of the insurgents, not the coalition. To bring it to a speedier conclusion then should perhaps involve more troops, not less. And Tony Blair is not the maker of military strategy, so should not be deemed responsible for how the war is fought.
It annoys me when the uneducated man on the street is asked his opinion and blindly follows the views of the tabloid press when making statements like "Blair's legacy will be his failings in Iraq." To go into war was a brave decision, to stay and see it through for 4 years was a braver one. Tony Blair has always been front and centre in defending the decisions he has made, and during a very difficult and fast-changing decade. He has on occasion nobly accepted responsibility for mistakes that were not his. When Princess Diana died his sentiment was perfectly attuned to that of the nation, and again on 9/11.
By contrast, Gordon Brown lacks the charisma to be a leader in the same mould; more academic, less dynamic. Politics is about to become boring again under his leadership.
Which will leave room for David Cameron to continue building the same brand and style of fresh faced optimism that brought Blair to power 10 years ago. If the public buy into that again, and elect Cameron as PM at the next election, it will only be a matter of time before the knives come out.
The only columnist I have read today who seems to have correctly assessed the likely Blair legacy was this one. I believe that Tony Blair has been, on the whole, a good prime minister. For two main reasons:
1. Because there are aspects of modern life that are far too large and complicated to ever be fixed by any government, whatever their party, despite the best worded pledges: the NHS because it suffers at the hands of private healthcare and because no government will ever have enough money (without raising taxes) to cater for an ever expanding population, raise nurse pay and cure all of the inherent bureaucracy problems that pervade this outdated public service; crime, because parental responsibility is the real root cause of juvenile delinquency. A leader speaks for the nation (and Blair does this well) and cannot (and should not) be held accountable for everything that goes wrong on his watch. Ministers come and go, and a few have made mistakes (including probably the PM - he's only human) but to hold a torch to his every move and statement, waiting (and in many instances trying to provoke) a mistake is counter-productive and detrimental to good government. But unfortunately, this is now common practice in the media. Accountability should be allowed to develop and, in time, evidence itself, not be challenged and antagonistically tested every minute of every day.
2. Because of the Iraq War. Too much is made of this. Tony Blair is not responsible for Iraqi insurgent terrorists killing their own each day. Had the war been wrapped up sooner, there would not be the criticism there still is today. To say that Blair followed Bush into an illegal war is wrong; we are one of the world's leading economic nations with a duty to assist where we can. America is an important ally with the same duty; we were obligated to go into war irrespective of what America did. And, as far as British involvement is concerned, I don't understand on what basis people consider the war to be a mistake. If the mistake is to be measured by casualties, in the 4 years since it started the UK has lost 148 troops. The Falklands War lasted 10 weeks, was considered a success, and yet 260 troops were killed. So perhaps the war is considered a mistake because it has not yet been won? Again, this is the fault of the insurgents, not the coalition. To bring it to a speedier conclusion then should perhaps involve more troops, not less. And Tony Blair is not the maker of military strategy, so should not be deemed responsible for how the war is fought.
It annoys me when the uneducated man on the street is asked his opinion and blindly follows the views of the tabloid press when making statements like "Blair's legacy will be his failings in Iraq." To go into war was a brave decision, to stay and see it through for 4 years was a braver one. Tony Blair has always been front and centre in defending the decisions he has made, and during a very difficult and fast-changing decade. He has on occasion nobly accepted responsibility for mistakes that were not his. When Princess Diana died his sentiment was perfectly attuned to that of the nation, and again on 9/11.
By contrast, Gordon Brown lacks the charisma to be a leader in the same mould; more academic, less dynamic. Politics is about to become boring again under his leadership.
Which will leave room for David Cameron to continue building the same brand and style of fresh faced optimism that brought Blair to power 10 years ago. If the public buy into that again, and elect Cameron as PM at the next election, it will only be a matter of time before the knives come out.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
And furthermore...
...it just struck me that it was this day, 4 years ago, when very same friends came to a church in Redhill to witness Michele and I get married. The irony(?) of the timing of my previous blog entry then, is a little surreal.
Of course it's only just 3 May here - 1.00am in fact. Wonder if there are any card shops open.....
Of course it's only just 3 May here - 1.00am in fact. Wonder if there are any card shops open.....
Friends: They'll be there for you...
One of the sometimes depressing things about living abroad, particularly as we move into our 5th year away from the UK, is the gnawing sense that friends we've known for years are starting to forget us or drift away through sheer lack of frequent contact. I like to delude myself that life at home continues exactly as it did before we left (mainly because I am not present to witness the changes that inevitably occur as we all move on, grow up, start and end relationships, buy houses, get married, have kids, etc). I am often just as much to blame for not making as much of an effort to keep in contact with those who were once great mates as, to be fair, some of them would probably agree they are to. And I recognise that since it was us who made the break from the UK, perhaps the greater responsibility to keep contact flowing is ours.
But then every now and again I am seriously buoyed by experiences such as the one we had in the Lord Raglan a week or so ago (about which I have been meaning to write something here ever since, if only to encourage those who read these ramblings to feel rightly pleased with themselves). I don't think I am overstating it to say that I was genuinely moved to find that, with a simple bit of last minute texting, practically everyone who was in Wokingham that I would like to still call genuine good friends made the effort to come out and see us on a random weekday night. And for me, it was a truly great night to catch up with everyone.
For those who were there it was probably just another evening out, although many said that they too had not seen some of the other attendees in some time. I was really pleased to have been the catalyst for this rather impromptu little reunion and I left with a big smile on my face knowing that, even despite over 4 years away and less than satisfactory contact with most people during that time, my friends of old are still just as good friends now. It seems like we collectively reached a point at some time years back (who knows when) when we had all known each other for so long that we had become somehow destined to reunite every so often, and in a manner where we can fall straight back into the same mutual comfort in each other's company without having to go through embarassing small talk first.
I was dead proud to call my Wokingham friends 'friends for life', and hope to see them all again soon. Love you guys!
Right, enough gushing. Anyone fancy Saints for the Premiership??
But then every now and again I am seriously buoyed by experiences such as the one we had in the Lord Raglan a week or so ago (about which I have been meaning to write something here ever since, if only to encourage those who read these ramblings to feel rightly pleased with themselves). I don't think I am overstating it to say that I was genuinely moved to find that, with a simple bit of last minute texting, practically everyone who was in Wokingham that I would like to still call genuine good friends made the effort to come out and see us on a random weekday night. And for me, it was a truly great night to catch up with everyone.
For those who were there it was probably just another evening out, although many said that they too had not seen some of the other attendees in some time. I was really pleased to have been the catalyst for this rather impromptu little reunion and I left with a big smile on my face knowing that, even despite over 4 years away and less than satisfactory contact with most people during that time, my friends of old are still just as good friends now. It seems like we collectively reached a point at some time years back (who knows when) when we had all known each other for so long that we had become somehow destined to reunite every so often, and in a manner where we can fall straight back into the same mutual comfort in each other's company without having to go through embarassing small talk first.
I was dead proud to call my Wokingham friends 'friends for life', and hope to see them all again soon. Love you guys!
Right, enough gushing. Anyone fancy Saints for the Premiership??
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Money, money, money
So after a long slow climb, the £ has, for the first time in 15 years, broken through the $2 exchange rate barrier. Which is great for importing stuff from the States (or going on holiday there).
But if you're looking for an alternative destination, of course the UAE dirham is pegged to the US$, so whatever happens to the dollar happens to the dirham too.
Which means that those of us who get paid in dirhams are increasingly being paid less in £ equivalent.
(He pauses, listening intently for the sound of distant sympathetic sobbing………).
Anyway, you get my point? The UAE is now cheaper to visit than at any time in the last 15 years (if you discount inflation).
So when are you all (both?) coming?!!
But if you're looking for an alternative destination, of course the UAE dirham is pegged to the US$, so whatever happens to the dollar happens to the dirham too.
Which means that those of us who get paid in dirhams are increasingly being paid less in £ equivalent.
(He pauses, listening intently for the sound of distant sympathetic sobbing………).
Anyway, you get my point? The UAE is now cheaper to visit than at any time in the last 15 years (if you discount inflation).
So when are you all (both?) coming?!!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
In the Navy
Predictably, following the release of the 15 Navy personnel from Iran last week, a row has erupted over the selling of stories. In every way, the media gains because by publishing the "exclusive" stories it both ignites the row, and then it gets to fan the flames further by reporting on the row which has followed.
Without wanting to belittle what was almost certainly an unpleasant ordeal, is it insensitive to say that while I am really not interested personally in the "stories" being sold, I am equally not surprised to hear that the media is? In a week when, to be honest, there seemed little other news about, papers such as The Sun were probably glad to have something to cover. To be frank though, this was not the same as being captured by Iraqi terrorists and held in a place unknown under constant threat of death. These navy personnel were captured by the Iranian government. Everyone knew who the captors were, and consequently there was surely never any doubt that they would eventually be released. That being the case, it is churlish to make comparisons with the predicament of hostages held in Iraq.
Furthermore, they were held only for 2 weeks, during which time they did... well, apparently not very much. Kept in unpleasant surroundings yes, but where is the story worth covering?
The issue of whether, and how, they ended up in 'unauthorised' waters seems to have now fallen away in favour of discussion on whether they should be entitled to sell their stories for profit. But ultimately, does it really matter? If they weren't speaking to the papers or appearing with Trevor Macdonald, there would surely be books released soon enough (and this may still happen, though I say again that with only 2 weeks in captivity would there be enough material to make a book interesting?).
My own view is that the press coverage this week is simply par for the course, and the closest thing that the narrowminded tabloid media have been able to come in recent years to being able to interview a hostage held in the Middle East during a period of war (Iran, Iraq, what's the difference?) who has come out of the experience alive. But they have failed to make the distinction that the experience of these Navy personnel is far less of a story than would be the case for an Iraqi hostage who had been released after weeks of captivity. If Ken Bigley had been released, would he have been criticised for selling his story to the newspapers? I suspect not.
Maybe the personnel involved get some financial gain out of it (not unreasonable if they were in fact in unauthorised waters and captured as the result of someone else's mistaken orders). Let them have their 5 mins of fame. But I wonder whether those who bought the papers and read the 'stories' actually found much worth reading.
Without wanting to belittle what was almost certainly an unpleasant ordeal, is it insensitive to say that while I am really not interested personally in the "stories" being sold, I am equally not surprised to hear that the media is? In a week when, to be honest, there seemed little other news about, papers such as The Sun were probably glad to have something to cover. To be frank though, this was not the same as being captured by Iraqi terrorists and held in a place unknown under constant threat of death. These navy personnel were captured by the Iranian government. Everyone knew who the captors were, and consequently there was surely never any doubt that they would eventually be released. That being the case, it is churlish to make comparisons with the predicament of hostages held in Iraq.
Furthermore, they were held only for 2 weeks, during which time they did... well, apparently not very much. Kept in unpleasant surroundings yes, but where is the story worth covering?
The issue of whether, and how, they ended up in 'unauthorised' waters seems to have now fallen away in favour of discussion on whether they should be entitled to sell their stories for profit. But ultimately, does it really matter? If they weren't speaking to the papers or appearing with Trevor Macdonald, there would surely be books released soon enough (and this may still happen, though I say again that with only 2 weeks in captivity would there be enough material to make a book interesting?).
My own view is that the press coverage this week is simply par for the course, and the closest thing that the narrowminded tabloid media have been able to come in recent years to being able to interview a hostage held in the Middle East during a period of war (Iran, Iraq, what's the difference?) who has come out of the experience alive. But they have failed to make the distinction that the experience of these Navy personnel is far less of a story than would be the case for an Iraqi hostage who had been released after weeks of captivity. If Ken Bigley had been released, would he have been criticised for selling his story to the newspapers? I suspect not.
Maybe the personnel involved get some financial gain out of it (not unreasonable if they were in fact in unauthorised waters and captured as the result of someone else's mistaken orders). Let them have their 5 mins of fame. But I wonder whether those who bought the papers and read the 'stories' actually found much worth reading.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Quietly confident
Southampton are back up to 6th in the Championship - 6 points from our last two games, plus 8 goals for and none against. 5 games left to play in the season. It's going to be close.
I haven't felt this confident about Southampton doing anything right in a long time.
I definitely now subscribe to the theory that it is more interesting to support a team that is lower down the tables. That way, it really means something when they do something right (like making the FA Cup final in 2003). If you support Man U or Chelsea by comparison, do you feel the same amount of elation whenever they win? Probably not. Instead, you feel like every win is the very least you expected and anything less just won't do.
To Southampton fans, winning something is a prize only rarely within our grasp. To Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal fans it seems to be treated as a right, with failure to achieve not just one, but several big wins (cups, leagues, European campaigns) in one season seen as a major disappointment and cause to start thinking about ousting the manager. Where's the enjoyment in that?
I haven't felt this confident about Southampton doing anything right in a long time.
I definitely now subscribe to the theory that it is more interesting to support a team that is lower down the tables. That way, it really means something when they do something right (like making the FA Cup final in 2003). If you support Man U or Chelsea by comparison, do you feel the same amount of elation whenever they win? Probably not. Instead, you feel like every win is the very least you expected and anything less just won't do.
To Southampton fans, winning something is a prize only rarely within our grasp. To Chelsea, Man U and Arsenal fans it seems to be treated as a right, with failure to achieve not just one, but several big wins (cups, leagues, European campaigns) in one season seen as a major disappointment and cause to start thinking about ousting the manager. Where's the enjoyment in that?
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Starting in Dubai
Apologies, dear reader(s) for the prolonged period of absence, but we've been busy moving and holidaying. We are now fully relocated to Dubai, I have started work again (find me here (no comments on the photo please) or mail me on twatkins@reedsmith.com) and so far all is going well. Not sure about the (albeit temporary) open plan set up - a bit like working in a library - but that is only until August when we move to more a permanent base.
Meantime, we spent a very enjoyable 10 days in Thailand - 4 days in Bangkok (grim and poverty stricken by day, quite an adventure at night) and Khao Lak near Phuket (very peaceful and beautiful beach resort, recovering well post tsunami). Shame about the 36 hour return home where a small delay to our departure from Phuket airport snowballed into the kind of day where you just want to give up and not interact with anyone or anything for fear of what else may go wrong. Needless to say, we don't plan ever to fly Thai Airways again (the only airline left in the world, I am convinced, that does long haul flights with just one TV screen at the front of the cabin to entertain everyone (no, we didn't fly business class).
In other news… Jack's speech is developing well, particularly his ability to mimic everything we say. So, during the course of our holiday we had "oh, bloody hell", a few "sh*ts" and countless other gems (including what I am convinced is a deliberate mispronunciation of the word "bucket" by altering the first letter… you get the idea.
And finally, an indication that we may have been in the Middle East too long. Two sentences that I never thought Michele would ever be comfortable saying, both uttered this week:
1. (In relation to my search for a new car) "But I though you said that you weren't that keen on the Porsche."
2. (A rare example of a woman attuned to the need for men to fill their lives with 'boy toys') "Do you want to buy a large LCD TV?"
I have to say life is pretty great at the moment...
Meantime, we spent a very enjoyable 10 days in Thailand - 4 days in Bangkok (grim and poverty stricken by day, quite an adventure at night) and Khao Lak near Phuket (very peaceful and beautiful beach resort, recovering well post tsunami). Shame about the 36 hour return home where a small delay to our departure from Phuket airport snowballed into the kind of day where you just want to give up and not interact with anyone or anything for fear of what else may go wrong. Needless to say, we don't plan ever to fly Thai Airways again (the only airline left in the world, I am convinced, that does long haul flights with just one TV screen at the front of the cabin to entertain everyone (no, we didn't fly business class).
In other news… Jack's speech is developing well, particularly his ability to mimic everything we say. So, during the course of our holiday we had "oh, bloody hell", a few "sh*ts" and countless other gems (including what I am convinced is a deliberate mispronunciation of the word "bucket" by altering the first letter… you get the idea.
And finally, an indication that we may have been in the Middle East too long. Two sentences that I never thought Michele would ever be comfortable saying, both uttered this week:
1. (In relation to my search for a new car) "But I though you said that you weren't that keen on the Porsche."
2. (A rare example of a woman attuned to the need for men to fill their lives with 'boy toys') "Do you want to buy a large LCD TV?"
I have to say life is pretty great at the moment...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Moving on
We are packing up our house today, so just time for a quick post before I have to dissassemble the computer (I am also against the clock as we have already asked for our internet connection to be disconnected today, so it could go down at any second!).
It's surprising how much stuff you accumulate in just a few short years. Although most of the furniture we have here in Abu Dhabi belongs to Trowers (who I officially leave tomorrow), all of our possessions (books, DVDs, clothes, etc) will take some shifting.
Fortunately, this being the Middle East, the policy is very much "why do it yourself when you can get some nice Indian men to do it all for you." Consequently, it is a little unnerving (but probably par for the course) that whilst we are moving tomorrow, and the Indian packers are coming this afternoon, right now our house looks largely the same as it always has, with little to indicate the frantic ness (is that a word?) and mild panic that will descend in a few hours.
Oh well, I'm sure it will all go as planned (inshallah, as they say). If nothing gets lost or broken I will be genuinely amazed.
Anyway, from 1 March our contact details will be:
Home: 00971 4 361 9256
Tim Mobile: 00971 50 613 1083
Michele Mobile: 00971 50 419 1452
Jack Mobile: probably something that we'll end up getting him at an age that I would still consider to be way too early in life...
Postal address TBC.
Look forward to hearing from all/both of you readers soon.
It's surprising how much stuff you accumulate in just a few short years. Although most of the furniture we have here in Abu Dhabi belongs to Trowers (who I officially leave tomorrow), all of our possessions (books, DVDs, clothes, etc) will take some shifting.
Fortunately, this being the Middle East, the policy is very much "why do it yourself when you can get some nice Indian men to do it all for you." Consequently, it is a little unnerving (but probably par for the course) that whilst we are moving tomorrow, and the Indian packers are coming this afternoon, right now our house looks largely the same as it always has, with little to indicate the frantic ness (is that a word?) and mild panic that will descend in a few hours.
Oh well, I'm sure it will all go as planned (inshallah, as they say). If nothing gets lost or broken I will be genuinely amazed.
Anyway, from 1 March our contact details will be:
Home: 00971 4 361 9256
Tim Mobile: 00971 50 613 1083
Michele Mobile: 00971 50 419 1452
Jack Mobile: probably something that we'll end up getting him at an age that I would still consider to be way too early in life...
Postal address TBC.
Look forward to hearing from all/both of you readers soon.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The bountiful game?
I don't presume to know a lot about either football (which many would say is self-evident from team of choice), or the economics of big business, but how can teams like Chelsea still be in existence when in this situation?
Is it not the case that any conventional company with such high (and historical, year on year) losses would have had the liquidators called in by now? If Chelsea has not made a profit in such a long time, and yet Roman Abramovich has poured in £500 million since taking over ownership, does this mean that he hasn't seen any benefit in return? That he hasn't invested enough to plug the hole? That what he is actually doing is simple damage limitation? To what end?
Does Chelsea (and I know it is not the only football club in such a financial position) simply continue to exist solely because of its status, on the argument that whilst it may not attract much attention for "A N Other Co Ltd" to be wound up, Chelsea Ltd is simply too well-known to go to the wall?
If it's making a loss, does that mean that shareholders are not reaping any dividends? How and why is the share price not plummeting?
People increasingly see football clubs not as "clubs" any more, but as big businesses, and yet conventional market forces seem not to affect them in the same way as they do other companies. For some reason, football clubs seem not to attract the negativity that would ordinarily attach to a company reporting such poor financial results. Indeed, somewhat perversely, a story like this finds the Chief Executive of the club in question interpreting such losses as an indication that "the business is moving in the right direction."
How???
Is it not the case that any conventional company with such high (and historical, year on year) losses would have had the liquidators called in by now? If Chelsea has not made a profit in such a long time, and yet Roman Abramovich has poured in £500 million since taking over ownership, does this mean that he hasn't seen any benefit in return? That he hasn't invested enough to plug the hole? That what he is actually doing is simple damage limitation? To what end?
Does Chelsea (and I know it is not the only football club in such a financial position) simply continue to exist solely because of its status, on the argument that whilst it may not attract much attention for "A N Other Co Ltd" to be wound up, Chelsea Ltd is simply too well-known to go to the wall?
If it's making a loss, does that mean that shareholders are not reaping any dividends? How and why is the share price not plummeting?
People increasingly see football clubs not as "clubs" any more, but as big businesses, and yet conventional market forces seem not to affect them in the same way as they do other companies. For some reason, football clubs seem not to attract the negativity that would ordinarily attach to a company reporting such poor financial results. Indeed, somewhat perversely, a story like this finds the Chief Executive of the club in question interpreting such losses as an indication that "the business is moving in the right direction."
How???
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Love is...
Valentines Day always seems to divide people 3 ways:
You have those who really go for it, with lots of cards, flowers, chocolates and more-expensive-than-it-would-be-on-any-other-day-of-the-year dinners for 2.
They you have those who buy the card only, because the rest is too over the top and, well, it's "just to keep the wife/girlfriend happy"...
And then you have those who think the whole thing is a scam to get you to spend money just to declare love on a specific day because the calendar dictates that you must. Increasingly, as the marital years accrue, Michele and I have moved through these 3 stages in chronological order, reaching stage 3 this year and agreeing in advance not even to bother with a card (our little rebellion against Messrs Hallmark and Clinton). Admittedly, this is because the selection here is so awful.
Were we in the UK, the situation may have been different. But it seems that all cards here are imported from the USA, in boxes which must only ever be labelled "overly sentimental" and "schmaltzy". (And while we're on the point, when will Americans realise that the conventional shortening of the word "Mother" is spelt with a U not an O in the middle?!!).
Anyway, with so much else on our plates at the moment (moving house coming along nicely, leaving job next week and baby growing in size - plus, as of today, Jack having tonsillitis) and with no decent cards to be found anywhere, the whole thing will pass us by. What romantics we are.
And anyway, I thought the whole point of Valentines Day was the sending of anonymous cards. I've never completely understood at what point that principle was expanded so as not to catch the entire card-buying public to the extent that you can now seemingly buy Valentines Cards for husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters (concerning), your kids (embarrassing), your pets (worrying) and even (I have seen them) other people's pets from yours (truly disturbing).
Oh well. Soon it will be "Happy Mom's Day"...
You have those who really go for it, with lots of cards, flowers, chocolates and more-expensive-than-it-would-be-on-any-other-day-of-the-year dinners for 2.
They you have those who buy the card only, because the rest is too over the top and, well, it's "just to keep the wife/girlfriend happy"...
And then you have those who think the whole thing is a scam to get you to spend money just to declare love on a specific day because the calendar dictates that you must. Increasingly, as the marital years accrue, Michele and I have moved through these 3 stages in chronological order, reaching stage 3 this year and agreeing in advance not even to bother with a card (our little rebellion against Messrs Hallmark and Clinton). Admittedly, this is because the selection here is so awful.
Were we in the UK, the situation may have been different. But it seems that all cards here are imported from the USA, in boxes which must only ever be labelled "overly sentimental" and "schmaltzy". (And while we're on the point, when will Americans realise that the conventional shortening of the word "Mother" is spelt with a U not an O in the middle?!!).
Anyway, with so much else on our plates at the moment (moving house coming along nicely, leaving job next week and baby growing in size - plus, as of today, Jack having tonsillitis) and with no decent cards to be found anywhere, the whole thing will pass us by. What romantics we are.
And anyway, I thought the whole point of Valentines Day was the sending of anonymous cards. I've never completely understood at what point that principle was expanded so as not to catch the entire card-buying public to the extent that you can now seemingly buy Valentines Cards for husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters (concerning), your kids (embarrassing), your pets (worrying) and even (I have seen them) other people's pets from yours (truly disturbing).
Oh well. Soon it will be "Happy Mom's Day"...
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
What do you mean you've never heard of the Gulf Cup?
It wasn't quite the same as seeing several thousand beered up, overweight, loud English football hooligans destroying the town squares of Germany, but when the UAE won football's Gulf Cup (a big thing regionally, but probably of no greater significance to English Premiership fans than Rushden & Diamonds winning the Conference) by beating Oman 1-0 last night, a sizeable party was had. On every street of the UAE it seemed.
The problem was that without alcohol, the next best thing that young Emiraties can use as a catalyst for unleashing their testosterone is their cars. Their large and expensive, noisy 4x4 cars. And so it was that from approximately 7.30pm until about 2am, all you could hear in Abu Dhabi was the sound of horns blaring, tyres screeching, engines over-revving and then back-firing in protest at the abuse they were being forced to take, coupled with the growing smell of burnt rubber and oil. Far from taking pride in their prized vehicles, the locals were taking pride in their country at the expense of their vehicles. I have never seen so many people, sometimes 8 or more to a car, bursting through all windows and sunroofs clutching their flags and soft drinks (bless), so determined to use their cars not to transport themselves to the Corniche (which seemed to be the unofficial meeting point for these mad folk) so much as to thrash their cars in order to have them make as much noise as possible. Add to that the sound of fireworks, firecrackers and, I wouldn't wonder, the occasional round of gunfire, and sleeping was going to be a luxury.
After a couple of hours, I would have happily handed out lagers all round in the hopeful expectation that at least after a few beers they would all fall down comatose somewhere and awake in the morning seeking the solace of somewhere peaceful and quiet for the few hours. But it was not to be...
Jack, of course, somehow slept through the lot.
The problem was that without alcohol, the next best thing that young Emiraties can use as a catalyst for unleashing their testosterone is their cars. Their large and expensive, noisy 4x4 cars. And so it was that from approximately 7.30pm until about 2am, all you could hear in Abu Dhabi was the sound of horns blaring, tyres screeching, engines over-revving and then back-firing in protest at the abuse they were being forced to take, coupled with the growing smell of burnt rubber and oil. Far from taking pride in their prized vehicles, the locals were taking pride in their country at the expense of their vehicles. I have never seen so many people, sometimes 8 or more to a car, bursting through all windows and sunroofs clutching their flags and soft drinks (bless), so determined to use their cars not to transport themselves to the Corniche (which seemed to be the unofficial meeting point for these mad folk) so much as to thrash their cars in order to have them make as much noise as possible. Add to that the sound of fireworks, firecrackers and, I wouldn't wonder, the occasional round of gunfire, and sleeping was going to be a luxury.
After a couple of hours, I would have happily handed out lagers all round in the hopeful expectation that at least after a few beers they would all fall down comatose somewhere and awake in the morning seeking the solace of somewhere peaceful and quiet for the few hours. But it was not to be...
Jack, of course, somehow slept through the lot.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Springing into Spring in the Springs
Well, after many weekends of treking backwards and forwards between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we have finally found our new house. A lovely villa, about a year old, on a well-known Dubai estate called the Springs. Has swimming pool, gym and shops all within about 3 mins (count 'em!) walk, and a small garden with a view over a beautiful lake. Perfect. You can get a (sort of) idea about what it is like here (villa type 2 Middle, if you're interested!).
Although I must admit that it was getting to the point where we getting ready to say we'd live anywhere if only it meant we didn't have to spend another weekend going up to Dubai (90 mins each way, driving through... well, nothing much but sand) to house hunt. Needless to say, Jack made plain his disapproval with having spent the best part of another weekend in the car.
But nevermind, the money is paid now and the contract will be signed tomorrow. Can move in as quickly as this weekend but will most likely be sometime in March. Had to sign up there and then for fear of losing the property as things move quickly here in the property world. Shame the same can't be said for anything else (bureacracy, traffic, etc).
Now all we need to do is buy all the furniture...
Although I must admit that it was getting to the point where we getting ready to say we'd live anywhere if only it meant we didn't have to spend another weekend going up to Dubai (90 mins each way, driving through... well, nothing much but sand) to house hunt. Needless to say, Jack made plain his disapproval with having spent the best part of another weekend in the car.
But nevermind, the money is paid now and the contract will be signed tomorrow. Can move in as quickly as this weekend but will most likely be sometime in March. Had to sign up there and then for fear of losing the property as things move quickly here in the property world. Shame the same can't be said for anything else (bureacracy, traffic, etc).
Now all we need to do is buy all the furniture...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
No news is bad news
Happy New Year to all readers (both of you!).
After a most enjoyable trip back to the UK, we have now all returned back to Abu Dhabi for the final stretch before our move to Dubai. And have been immediately reminded of the terrible service that we get from our television provider, particularly since they have now removed Sky News from our contracted network without prior notice or reimbursement of the already extortionate fee they charged us. Whilst I was not the biggest fan of Sky News in the first place, it was at least a little piece of home and an opportunity for us to sit and gloat over just how cold it is in England in the winter (plus the occasional stories about public transport failings, tax increases, etc.). Now that that source of enjoyment has been removed and replaced with some channel called "Euronews", at least we will be able to keep abreast of the exciting developments in Luxembourg's local elections.
Anyway, at least we have been able to catch up on the Christmas telly that we taped while we were home. Of particular note (and apparently contrary to the British press) we quite enjoyed the This Life + 10 episode. We also caught the nostalgic trip through 30 years of Saturday morning kids TV which was quite fun.
But not a patch on the inescapable daily lifestyle shows (Cash in the Attic, Escape to the Country, etc) that we have now returned to of course...
After a most enjoyable trip back to the UK, we have now all returned back to Abu Dhabi for the final stretch before our move to Dubai. And have been immediately reminded of the terrible service that we get from our television provider, particularly since they have now removed Sky News from our contracted network without prior notice or reimbursement of the already extortionate fee they charged us. Whilst I was not the biggest fan of Sky News in the first place, it was at least a little piece of home and an opportunity for us to sit and gloat over just how cold it is in England in the winter (plus the occasional stories about public transport failings, tax increases, etc.). Now that that source of enjoyment has been removed and replaced with some channel called "Euronews", at least we will be able to keep abreast of the exciting developments in Luxembourg's local elections.
Anyway, at least we have been able to catch up on the Christmas telly that we taped while we were home. Of particular note (and apparently contrary to the British press) we quite enjoyed the This Life + 10 episode. We also caught the nostalgic trip through 30 years of Saturday morning kids TV which was quite fun.
But not a patch on the inescapable daily lifestyle shows (Cash in the Attic, Escape to the Country, etc) that we have now returned to of course...
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