Chiral Posted April 22, 2009 Check out these new homes and the way they have practically used the sea to get people out there..truly amazing stuff..shows what unlimited money can achieve...still you wouldn't get me to live there for all the money in the world..its 43 degrees every single day of the year...FARK that. I bet you could grow some kick arse cactus there though...apaprently there is still tons of work for westerners there ....I nearly went one time after an offer to be part of a team to install AMX into the Sails hotel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C_T Posted April 22, 2009 But imagine how good your cactus would grow in that weather :DDD Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herbologist Posted April 23, 2009 Dubai is pretty much tax free as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conan Troutman Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) 'Palm Islands' - Dubai DUBAI TEMPS JAN>DEC MAX °C 24 25 28 32 37 39 40 41 39 35 31 26 MIN °C 14 15 17 20 24 28 29 30 27 23 19 16 argumentum ad ignorantiam: It is not 40c everyday in Dubai. Those temps wouldnt support the growth of many plants, let alone cactus. Dubai is not tax-free. I reckn Id live there for $100million or so...USD that is Edited April 23, 2009 by Conan Troutman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gilligan Posted April 23, 2009 Yeah, in the winter (which is xmas time) it was around the 24 degree mark or so, very nice actually... Was there the xmas before last, the inlaws work over there. you get to see both sides of life there, within a tiny area - the expats are working getting good money and living in their apartments in the marinas or the city, the rich are living in their houses on the palms or similar, or the high rises in the centre of the city, but then again you have the indians and pakis who are working for a tiny amount of money, and living in tent cities, building the new buildings. These buildings aren't built to quality specs either, it's more a case of quantity gets the stuff built, not quality... much labour at little cost = big profits, and these guys really aren't skilled tradesmen. They are working so that they can send the money home. A lot of them were bludging for the majority of the time we saw them as well (there was a building in the marina development being built in front of where the inlaws live) The other thing of note is that due to the muslim culture there, the UAE actually sensors a lot of the material coming through the net. Try logging into SAB or AE, and a message comes up saying that the content of the site does not conform to the standards expected in the country - i would think that if you were to try to grow any lophs or trichs there, that they would not hesitate to come down on you if it was reported to them, as much so as if you had pot. And we all know the story of the dj who got pinged (he actually got pinged while i was over there, going to do a gig at one of the nightclubs) for having pot on him, and he was put in gaol, i'm not sure what happened to him. Interesting place, the indoor skifield is fucking mint, they have awesome fun parks, massively precocious houses, the Emirates are arrogant as fuck, act like they own the place (that's cos they do, i guess, and with a whole heap of cash behind them if they want to buy more) their roads are scary as fuck (en shalah "god willing, what happens happens, it's in allah's hands etc) and the place in general is hectic. I think they'll have issues with a lot of the buildings in about 10 years, just due to the workmanship. But, in all, def a place worth visiting if you get the chance, just to see what the almighty oil money can achieve... It's fucking unreal... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted April 23, 2009 Hey great write up Gill thanks for sharing...I've had an interest in Dubai in more than one way or another at different times ...it's nice to hear someones perspective from here and give a realistic view, I agree with a lot of what you say to, especially about the Asians and the poor work quality...lets see how it looks in 30 years....but definitely an interesting place with futuristic ideas. 25 degrees at Christmas....wow that's the first Ive heard of such mild temperatures. H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rizla Posted April 23, 2009 Independent UK -- The Dark Side of Dubai Sustainable? That place wouldn't last a week without imported water. The above photos look like the same ubiquitous McMansions that litter the entire world. On a fake island. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) Brilliant link there Rizla...I couldn't stop reading that and it only confirms my notions about Dubai...who knows in a thousand years the sails hotel might be buried in the sand like the sphinx and people of the future or other planets will try and decipher what and how this structure was for..pity the slaves that built it...fucking disgraceful in the 2000's and slavery still exists..illiterate Arabs find oil and ask for westerners to build them monuments to show how cool they are..wish I was an Emerati..fuck that..what an asshole typical risch son of an asshole..he needs a good dose of tryptamines inserted with margarine...wonder what happened to all the cactus that grew there before they built all those buildings..? apparently you have to apply for a license to be able to drink alcohol in one of the many bars frequented by westerners..they have dance clubs and hot chicks bouncing around till all hours apparently, but yeah you need to show your drinking license to have a bevvy...and there are many horror stories of the local hot chicks ripping off the westerners by taking them back to their apartments screwing their arses off and leaving with all the possessions including laptops, phones, wallets...anything of value apparently..some have even been known to take the TV and DVD players. H Edited April 24, 2009 by Hunab Ku Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted April 24, 2009 i've needed to get an alcohol permit in australia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Dude Posted April 24, 2009 ..illiterate Arabs find oil and ask for westerners to build them monuments to show how cool they are.. Illiterate? Anyhow the whole farce of digging up ancient oil-ified dinosaur bones (sea shells really) and calling that progress is... a farce. It is self destructive, it's like.. trying to give my young self extra vitality by condemning myself to death at age 30. Which makes sense if we want to end this human experiment with a bang. I always thought evolution was a nice idea though.... Point is, the arabs are literate (with fucking cool looking calligraphy that shits all over ye olde english style calligraphy.. imho), they (or the indians; i forget) actually invented the numbers we use and the concept of zero in math instead of the clunky western system of roman numerals. I don't know what this 'illiterate' stab at arabs has to do with the fact that greedy people from those countries, like greedy people from western nations, feel they can spunge off the entire worlds resources and then have the gall to attack those they rape for not having enough resources to defend themselves against their economic warfare. I mean all these entrepreneurs like... exxon or haliburton are just smarter than us poor dumb people with no money... cuz they had the initial capital to invest into the black scurge and enough marketing power to call it progress. i mean don't get me wrong, oil is fucking effective, very powerful fuel, but the rest of its byproducts being sold to us as essentials... it's all a marketing scheme and nothing to do with progress or evolution of our species, technology is developed as yet another product and nothing else (uber cynic) ...As such any extravagance built on such progress carries with it a scary 'The reptillians are in control and stealing your bodily fluids' message to any conscientious person writing a self righteous internet ramble through a laptop powered by fossil fuels... *sigh* preaching to the choir too i'm sure, but how can anybody be impressed by this falseness? It's a spectacle of a fuckup, like our whole industrial revolution is a slow motion car accident with us its passengers and oil business its drivers, the ones we're paying to get us to some fantastic destination of affluence and success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted April 24, 2009 ..illiterate Arabs find oil and ask for westerners to build them monuments to show how cool they are..Illiterate? Anyhow the whole farce of digging up ancient oil-ified dinosaur bones (sea shells really) and calling that progress is... a farce. It is self destructive, it's like.. trying to give my young self extra vitality by condemning myself to death at age 30. Which makes sense if we want to end this human experiment with a bang. I always thought evolution was a nice idea though.... Point is, the arabs are literate (with fucking cool looking calligraphy that shits all over ye olde english style calligraphy.. imho), they (or the indians; i forget) actually invented the numbers we use and the concept of zero in math instead of the clunky western system of roman numerals. I don't know what this 'illiterate' stab at arabs has to do with the fact that greedy people from those countries, like greedy people from western nations, feel they can spunge off the entire worlds resources and then have the gall to attack those they rape for not having enough resources to defend themselves against their economic warfare. I mean all these entrepreneurs like... exxon or haliburton are just smarter than us poor dumb people with no money... cuz they had the initial capital to invest into the black scurge and enough marketing power to call it progress. i mean don't get me wrong, oil is fucking effective, very powerful fuel, but the rest of its byproducts being sold to us as essentials... it's all a marketing scheme and nothing to do with progress or evolution of our species, technology is developed as yet another product and nothing else (uber cynic) ...As such any extravagance built on such progress carries with it a scary 'The reptillians are in control and stealing your bodily fluids' message to any conscientious person writing a self righteous internet ramble through a laptop powered by fossil fuels... *sigh* preaching to the choir too i'm sure, but how can anybody be impressed by this falseness? It's a spectacle of a fuckup, like our whole industrial revolution is a slow motion car accident with us its passengers and oil business its drivers, the ones we're paying to get us to some fantastic destination of affluence and success. I tend to agree with most of what you have said but none the less it is impressive what these modern "western" engineers can do with unlimited funds compared to say the streets of Blacktown...when I say illiterate you take that too literally...think about it..one minute they are pushing camels through the desert and then they strike oil...they are so short of any educated engineers themselves they have to hire in practically 100% of the brains to show em how to build their monstrosities...come on you have to agree the average camel riding Arab 30 years ago was not an educated man by any means I don't give a fuck how cool his calligraphy is. Ripping the guts out of the earth for oil and selling it to us to power our transport etc etc..is one of the biggest downfalls of humanity and has probably contributed to the greenhouse effect more than anything else IMO. Still you have to marvel at the designs now because in 2012 when its all "KABOOM" there won't be any remnants of it but a few bits of rubble here and there.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
~shameless~ Posted April 24, 2009 photo taken from the worlds tallest crane ontop of the "Burj" which is the worlds tallest building , i would hate to work there, but imagine the height allowance $$$$ you would get it would be 5 x more than your usual wage!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gilligan Posted April 24, 2009 , i would hate to work there, but imagine the height allowance $$$$ you would getit would be 5 x more than your usual wage!!! No height allowances for the imported (read paki/indian) workers, they might get a little more than the normal tiny wage, but it's basically just employment, they don't ask for more money cos nobody cares (ala cat stevens, or Yusuf Islam who, incidentally, resides in Dubai) if they don't work there someone else will, and they'll have to go back home empty handed. The blokes who work on the Burj do week long swings (living in 'camps' amid the works in the heights of the skyscraper), as it takes that long to get to the top... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted April 24, 2009 yer our numerals are called 'hindu-arabic' and if you go back a millenium, the people of western europe were barbarians compared to what existed in the middle-east. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) More of Dubai's dirty little secrets to be found here I must say that in my original post when I said I have had an interest in Dubai for various reasons it was basically because I was in love with a girl who lived and worked there in the TV/film industry ...we chatted on line everyday for just on a year till I lost touch with her..her friends who I also chatted with said she had been raped and went back home to the Philippines...was a very sad story indeed but all too common apparently. Edited April 24, 2009 by Hunab Ku Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rizla Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) Cat Stevens lives in Dubai?? Another nail in the something or other. "[they figure] if they don't work there, someone else will"... how the maquilladora world turns round. Maybe some of this will change in the current climate, but I don't count on it. Interesting info Gilligan. Sorry to hear about your online friend, HK. Edited April 27, 2009 by Rizla Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gilligan Posted April 27, 2009 Cat stevens rocks... Just thought i'd put that out there Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kadakuda Posted June 9, 2009 its neat to look at but incredibly horrible as for world health. i will never even visit that place, just for its excessive waste. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MORG Posted June 10, 2009 Futuristic ideas? Everything seems imbued with a vision of the future from the 1980s. Have they not considered a sea-level rise? The utter decimation of the entire surrounding marine environment to build those ridiculous avenues of McMansions is hidden well in those photos too. PS. Where's the shade? I think I have to live somewhere with trees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hedonix Posted June 18, 2009 imagine the p00n along that beach.. phwoooar! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyPants Posted August 5, 2009 ^^^ The poon may be infested with all sorts of delightful bacterium from the shit floating around the water. I read that article and holy hell I had no idea it was that bad. I've always thought there's something inherantly creepy about the notion of Dubai but thought it was just I dunno, girly vapors or something. Don't think I could get any more disgusted with the westerners there though. I don't even know what else to say By 2109 that place will look like a giant dinosaurs carcass left to rot in the sands of time. The desert will take back what's hers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thomsonnn Posted August 7, 2009 i had a three day stop over in dubai last year and it bored the shit out of me sure they have big buildings but id prefer to look at a tree or crazy mountain to be honest haha it seems like a country that had a fat injection on money(oil) and extreme capitalism far too fast its kool tho how the old bazaars and stuff have evolved from little markets, theres like a whole street of shops selling 20 inch chrome rims and behing that is a whole street full of cloths and behind that shops selling food on the other hand they had airconditioned bus shelters and if u have piercings u get stared and pointed at ALOT haha theyre not very subtle Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
