Daytime temperature around 35C with humidity down to about 30%, bright and sunny.
Now if only the wind would drop so the air was clear of cement dust...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
VoIP. Don't get too excited
Recently the TRA and now our two ISPs have said we'll be getting VoIP international services before too long.
From conversations and media reports over the past few years it seems to me that most people are assuming we'll be getting very cheap international calls, like those offered by the banned Skype and others.
The reality is that the cost of using VoIP is decided by the provider.
I'll be very surprised if Etisalat and du offer anything like the cheap rates charged by Skype, MyWebCalls and the others.
Gulf News has the latest here.
From conversations and media reports over the past few years it seems to me that most people are assuming we'll be getting very cheap international calls, like those offered by the banned Skype and others.
The reality is that the cost of using VoIP is decided by the provider.
I'll be very surprised if Etisalat and du offer anything like the cheap rates charged by Skype, MyWebCalls and the others.
Gulf News has the latest here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friendly efficient government service
That heading related to dealing with government departments anywhere in the world sounds like an oxymoron.
But it's what I've experienced this very morning.
In Dubai.
*Gasp*
I had a message on my mobile the other day reminding me that my e-gate card needed renewing.
Thumbs up for that.
This morning I went to the DNATA building on Sheikh Zayed Road to renew it, expecting to be gone some time.
No queue so I was beckoned immediately to the desk by a friendly smiling Emirati lady. I gave her my existing e-gate card and passport. She did a few seconds on the computer, asked me to read the screen to check that my name was correct, asked if I'd like a new photo (I declined), then she printed a document and gave me clear instructions of where to take it to pay.
I went downstairs, paid the money, went back to the e-gate section and handed over my receipt.
The lady handed me my passport and new e-gate card, I said "shukrun" she smiled and said "goodbye".
It didn't take much longer than it's taken me to type this.
Another thumbs up.
And by the way, if you live here and you don't have an e-gate card, do go and get one.
You avoid the queues at airport immigration and get in and out instantly.
You simply go to the e-gates, tap your card to open the entry gate, put your index finger on the pad for it to read your fingerprint, the exit gate opens and that's it, you're through.
But it's what I've experienced this very morning.
In Dubai.
*Gasp*
I had a message on my mobile the other day reminding me that my e-gate card needed renewing.
Thumbs up for that.
This morning I went to the DNATA building on Sheikh Zayed Road to renew it, expecting to be gone some time.
No queue so I was beckoned immediately to the desk by a friendly smiling Emirati lady. I gave her my existing e-gate card and passport. She did a few seconds on the computer, asked me to read the screen to check that my name was correct, asked if I'd like a new photo (I declined), then she printed a document and gave me clear instructions of where to take it to pay.
I went downstairs, paid the money, went back to the e-gate section and handed over my receipt.
The lady handed me my passport and new e-gate card, I said "shukrun" she smiled and said "goodbye".
It didn't take much longer than it's taken me to type this.
Another thumbs up.
And by the way, if you live here and you don't have an e-gate card, do go and get one.
You avoid the queues at airport immigration and get in and out instantly.
You simply go to the e-gates, tap your card to open the entry gate, put your index finger on the pad for it to read your fingerprint, the exit gate opens and that's it, you're through.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Here's something I miss...
"A MOTHER humback whale and her calf were spotted frolicking off the coast of Terrigal and Avoca Beach on Wednesday as they made their journey south."
Photo: Matt Lloyd, Express Advocate
Each year the whales cruise past Terrigal, our hometown, heading north and then later coming back south.
The local radio always announces when whales are in the area but we often just spotted them when we were sitting on our balcony. Here's the view from our balcony, which has a clear view across the bay:
The whales are easy to see through the binoculars but a quick drive down to the rock platform gives an amazingly close-up sighting of them.
It's some sight.
I found the story here.
Photo: Matt Lloyd, Express Advocate
Each year the whales cruise past Terrigal, our hometown, heading north and then later coming back south.
The local radio always announces when whales are in the area but we often just spotted them when we were sitting on our balcony. Here's the view from our balcony, which has a clear view across the bay:
The whales are easy to see through the binoculars but a quick drive down to the rock platform gives an amazingly close-up sighting of them.
It's some sight.
I found the story here.
Australia burning again
Photos: Chris Ison, Courier Mail
Photo: ABC
Not long after the country's deadly worst ever fires in Victoria, (which I posted about here) there were warnings that this year's fire season could be the worst ever.
It's looking ominously as though those predictions may have been accurate, with big bushfires already in Western Australia, in New South Wales and even up in tropical Queensland.
Worst hit is Queensland where there are over fifty fires blazing, but there are other big fires in northern NSW and down to my home area just north of Sydney.
Yesterday the fires were reported as easing but today the firefighters' worst enemy the winds have strengthened and residents are being told they face days of threat.
It's happening very early too, the fires are usually at their worst around Christmas time.
There's a gallery of photos and the stories here.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
This is a car crash
We have plenty of car crashes in Dubai but nothing so far to match this one earlier this morning in Sydney.
A Holden Commodore (which are re-badged as Chevrolet Luminas in the Gulf) was obviously speeding. The driver lost control, the car went over the median strip, crashed through a traffic light pole and over the footpath. Then it hit a large mound of dirt and took off.
It landed on, or I should say in, the roof of a house 90 metres from the start of the crash...
The couple in the house and their three month old baby were unharmed, the two morons in the car are in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A Holden Commodore (which are re-badged as Chevrolet Luminas in the Gulf) was obviously speeding. The driver lost control, the car went over the median strip, crashed through a traffic light pole and over the footpath. Then it hit a large mound of dirt and took off.
It landed on, or I should say in, the roof of a house 90 metres from the start of the crash...
Photos: Shaw Daniel Sunday Telegraph
The couple in the house and their three month old baby were unharmed, the two morons in the car are in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Another emergency evacuation
I hate to think what would happen if we had a real emergency.
Last month I was in the emergency evacuation incident at Dubai's Terminal 3 and I posted about the problems.
Yesterday we were in Souk Madinat Jumeirah and at 7pm had just placed our order in Dome coffee shop when the automated alarm started.
The recorded voice told us "An incident has occurred in the building...don't panic...don't use the lifts...go immediately to your designated assembly points"
Friday evening is a busy time at Souk Madinat so there were plenty of people eating, shopping, wandering about.
The people working in the shops and restaurants obviously knew what to do and where to go, to their designated assembly points. That's what they did.
For the rest of us it was confusion.
Some, maybe most, people ignored the message. Others wandered outside and stood around wondering what to do next.
Not a sign of a security person, no indication that anyone, a real live person, was in control. Just an automated message repeating itself.
Outside the main entrance there were three security people standing around, allowing pedestrians and vehicles to continue to pour into the building.
My guess is that they were unaware of the instruction to evacuate.
Chaos reigned for a while. People leaving were milling about by the entrance, some sitting on the steps, while newcomers were trying to push their way in.
Still no sign of anyone in control, no security or safety people directing or giving information.
After 10 minutes we gave up and went back to Dome. The staff were back in and told us there was a gas problem, it was being fixed and the kitchen would be working in a few minutes.
It's the basics being wrong that worries me.
You need someone in control, who is seen to be in control.
A real live person on the PA system, not a pre-recorded tape.
You need visible security/safety people directing, explaining, in control.
If the building is to be immediately evacuated you need to stop newcomers from entering. So security people need to be stationed at the entrances.
Obviously they need to be informed of the situation, so they need to be equipped with radios linked to the control room.
If it's a real emergency there's urgency involved here. Action has to be immediate.
Get people out and well away from the danger, quickly and in an orderly fashion, prevent newcomers from coming in, divert traffic.
None of that happened.
Last month I was in the emergency evacuation incident at Dubai's Terminal 3 and I posted about the problems.
Yesterday we were in Souk Madinat Jumeirah and at 7pm had just placed our order in Dome coffee shop when the automated alarm started.
The recorded voice told us "An incident has occurred in the building...don't panic...don't use the lifts...go immediately to your designated assembly points"
Friday evening is a busy time at Souk Madinat so there were plenty of people eating, shopping, wandering about.
The people working in the shops and restaurants obviously knew what to do and where to go, to their designated assembly points. That's what they did.
For the rest of us it was confusion.
Some, maybe most, people ignored the message. Others wandered outside and stood around wondering what to do next.
Not a sign of a security person, no indication that anyone, a real live person, was in control. Just an automated message repeating itself.
Outside the main entrance there were three security people standing around, allowing pedestrians and vehicles to continue to pour into the building.
My guess is that they were unaware of the instruction to evacuate.
Chaos reigned for a while. People leaving were milling about by the entrance, some sitting on the steps, while newcomers were trying to push their way in.
Still no sign of anyone in control, no security or safety people directing or giving information.
After 10 minutes we gave up and went back to Dome. The staff were back in and told us there was a gas problem, it was being fixed and the kitchen would be working in a few minutes.
It's the basics being wrong that worries me.
You need someone in control, who is seen to be in control.
A real live person on the PA system, not a pre-recorded tape.
You need visible security/safety people directing, explaining, in control.
If the building is to be immediately evacuated you need to stop newcomers from entering. So security people need to be stationed at the entrances.
Obviously they need to be informed of the situation, so they need to be equipped with radios linked to the control room.
If it's a real emergency there's urgency involved here. Action has to be immediate.
Get people out and well away from the danger, quickly and in an orderly fashion, prevent newcomers from coming in, divert traffic.
None of that happened.
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