Driving around Dubai (and Sharjah) have now become the ultimate test in human endurance. Not only is it a test of your patience but is a key indicator of your tolerance level. Additionally, the whole process of driving (during peak hours) can help screen prime candidates for an anger management course, which is an added benefit.

I think the authorities ought to consider incorporating DRIVING AROUND DUBAI FOR AN HOUR DURING PEAK HOURS as the final test for a driver’s license. If the candidate can keep his cool being stuck in a heavy traffic jam, and can avoid the urge of merging into another lane just because he spots a five inch gap developing between cars that are practically motionless, then he has successfully passed his driving test and gets rewarded with a certificate that states “ successuflly maintained sanity during extreme stress levels“. All those who fail will get a discount voucher for Al Malla’s Bicycle Depot and 50% off on HAPPY FEET brand shoes at the Pedestrian Accessories outlet.

There was an entry on this blog a few days ago regarding the internet censorship in UAE. Suffice to say that even though the censorship is bad in Dubai, it is nothing compared to the censorship in Iran!
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There’s a new development that promises to set the Sharjah life in motion–A leisure destination that will attract fun-seekers from across the UAE to the sleepy Sharjah. When it is complete, Qanat Al Qasba project will encompass 40 retail and service operations.
So far, only a few of these have opened. But it is already striking enough, especially at night when bathed in the eerie glow of floodlights.
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Congratulations everyone we are live, way to go Dubai !!!

Gulf News story here
Reuters news article here
Iran earthquake report here
UAE earthquake science (video) here
Google News (+earthquake +Iran) here

(wouldn’t normally cross-post but this is kind of a big one)

This is the latest! There was an Earthquake in Dubai at around 1415 hrs (around 2 hours back), which has been measured to be a 6.1 on the Richter scale. I work in Musalla Towers, Bank Street and at the time of the quake, the whole of the floor just shook like crazy. We saw our cubicles and doors shake and rock from side to side.
The building was evacuated and when we got down, we saw literally everybody on the streets. We returned to our office after 2 hrs.
Apparently, as per the security and police, there has been a crack in the Al Musalla Building.

It seems that Dubai and several other regions in United Arab Emirates felt tremors not 30 mins back, the earthquake was predicted for the 26th by a school boy from sharjah named Basim Ahmed, in fact Khaleej Times ran a story about it a couple of weeks back. I know the kid and had actually thought of blogging about it and in fact I had interviewed Basim over the phone on the night of 25th. But since I was not convinced by his theory as most of the other people hearing it I did not publish it. He was sadly taunted by his school fellows and comments were made by his teachers in the school as there was no Earth Quake on the 26th. Basim had predicted another earthquake 3-4 years back which occured and was published about in the local news papers. Whatever makes this boy predict earth quakes seems to work as he’s done it twice with precision. We’ll probably be hearing about the guy in the local media in days to come.

I’m pretty sure I felt it, and so did everyone in our office. Did any of you lot feel anything like… 5 minutes ago??

International visitors may wonder why the Dubai metroblog doesn’t have Flickr.com photos like the other cities.

Well, that’s because Flickr has been blocked by the UAE government censors for the second time. Blame it on Etisalat (state monopoly teloc), blame it on the TRA (UAE Telecoms Regulatory Authority) the result is the same: no more Flickr for Dubaians.

For a virtual-UAE internet experience, try clicking this link:
http://www.flickr.com