Security???

I have no desire to do this, but, if you like jumping off tall things, this must be a thrill.

Musical Interlude

One of my favorite musicians is Jim Brickman. I've always loved his piano playing, and I've never understood why the "purists" complain about his collaborations. He does beautiful work with Martina McBride (Valentine), Collin Raye and Susan Ashton (The Gift), Michelle Wright (Your Love), and All-4-One (It Must Be You). I've always been a little soft pop and a little country. This one is just right. It brings a tear to my eyes.

Aaaarrrgghhh! 2

I gave one of my classes a grammar quiz today. One of the questions mentioned Jordan and Israel. In the middle of the quiz, one student put up his hand and asked if I thought that Israel was a country. I, of course, said, "Yes." He and two other guys in the class said that they were refusing to answer the question because Israel is NOT a country.

I haven't marked the quiz yet, so I'll have to see if they stood by their belief.

I intend to ask them who Egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with and who Mahmoud Abbas and Yasser Arafat negotiated with if not with a country named Israel. (According to Wikipedia: Prior to signing the accords, Arafat — as Chairman of the PLO and its official representative — signed two letters renouncing violence and officially recognizing Israel.) I would like to see all the settlements removed and a more equitable division of the land - perhaps a 50/50 split, but that doesn't mean that I don't recognize the country of Israel.

I have a lot of Palestinian students in my class. My students seem quite privileged and far removed from the millions of Palestinians living in substandard conditions in the Gaza Strip or in refugee camps, so I'm a little less inclined to put up with too much crap from them, but I don't really know their situations. I'm assuming that every Palestinian knows someone who has suffered. I don't have the energy to struggle with this. I hope we can deal with this in an educated way and then it will just go away.

If there was every an argument that marijuana should be legalized, the last few years have convinced me. Everyone would be a lot more laid back if they smoked a joint from time to time. Perhaps George B, Donald R, and Dick C would still just be pondering an invasion of Iraq.

Can you imagine a bunch of suicide bombers sitting around a bong - "Oh, man. Let's do this another day"?

I don't think I've ever met an aggressive stoner.

Rain and other things

Yes, those are puddles. It rained fairly hard last night. There was even lightning and thunder.

Then, on the way to school, I saw this very beautiful Indian Roller sitting on a street light.

My favorite birds, of course, are the Eurasian Hoopoe. The two are regularly sitting in the window of someone's office.

I went down to the Emirates Towers today for lunch at the Noodle House (I had a serious craving for char kway teo.)

Around the outside of the building they had ant sculptures. They were odd, but kind of cool.

Aaaarrrgghhh!

Every once in awhile, I say something in class that I immediately regret. Several years ago, I had a student who rarely did any homework and, after I assigned the class a little homework, I said to the student, "Will you do the homework this time?"

The response was the typical, "Inshallah." This sort of means "God willing," but not really. For most people in the UAE, it's just a natural response to just about anything.

I said, "Are you really putting the responsibility for your homework on Allah? If you don't do it, will it be Allah's fault?" Well, I was lucky I didn't get kicked out of the country. It took a long, long time for the students to get over that.

Today, one of the students asked what 'myth' meant, and I foolishly said that they are stories we tell to explain mysteries but that they are real - like the 'jinn' in the Middle East. And, I kind of mocked jinn and ghosts. In my defense, Wikipedia says,

Genie is the mythical English translation of the Arabic term jinn.

Well, one student said that jinn were real because the Quran mentions them. Most of the other students agreed. It took them an hour to stop sulking.

From Wikipedia - Jinns: Similar to humanity, jinns have free will allowing them to follow any religion they choose to, such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. The only difference is that they are made of smokeless fire and therefore are not visible to humans. There are more jinns than humans, in terms of population. Jinns have the power to fly and fit in to any space so they live in remote areas, mountains, seas, trees, and in the air, in their own communities. Similar to the humans, Jinns will also be judged on The Day of Judgement and will be sent to Jannat (heaven) or Nar (hell) according to the life they lead.

Every person is assigned a special jinn to them, also called a qareen, the jinns that whisper into your soul and tell you to give into your evil desires. The Prophet Muhammad's jinn turned into a Muslim jinn, on the recitation of the Qur'an, as the jinn found it most beautiful.

I know I should be more careful, but I just wish everyone would lighten up.

My Saturday Morning Walk About Campus

The weather has become quite pleasant. This morning, the temperature was around 28C, so I took my camera and walked the route I take every morning to school. It's about a 10 minute walk. Most days, I see only a dozen people on my way in to the office (I usually go in around 7:30am, so the campus is quiet.). I NEVER get bumped or jostled. I NEVER end up in my office furious at all the rude people around me (see my posts on Seoul). My office and classrooms are in the big domed building on campus (the Main Building).

I saw a number of birds (see the photos on the sidebar). I was thrilled to see my favorite bird - the Hoopoe. I got a number of shots, but I need to try to get it with its crest spread out. I saw a couple of Indian Rollers, but they are skittish and I didn't get any pictures yet. There were also a number of terns (also very skittish).

Living on a campus in the middle of the desert has its drawbacks. However, it is quiet and relaxing. I spend most weekdays in my office or in the classrooms. In the evenings, I go to the gym or watch TV or read. On the weekends, I go into Dubai and have a pleasant meal at the Lime Tree, More, or some other trendy cafe. Then I do my grocery shopping at Spinneys or the Organic Store and return home. If the traffic is good (it usually is when I go), it takes 30-40 minutes to get into Dubai.

I've added a video below. There's no action - just the sound of birds. If I open my windows, this is what I hear. I'm always amazed at the number and variety of birds here.

'ecological disaster'

Mayne warns Dubai set for ‘ecological disaster’

Another in a long string of similar stories.

I was in Dubai today for lunch at the More and to buy a loaf of bread (The Organic Foods and Cafe has the best Spelt bread in the country). Dubai has some really nice restaurants and some really interesting buildings. There are some great, green parks. However, the obsession with having the biggest, best, most...yadda, yadda, yadda, seems to be a recipe for disaster. Perhaps it's just my Canadian-ness, but being okay is, well, okay. You don't need to be the greatest to be pretty darn good.

When science and culture bump heads

Genetic disorders afflict Arab world

Below are some excerpts from an article in The National (a UAE newspaper).  It's interesting that they are actually talking openly about this issue.  In countries such as those in the Gulf, it is very difficult for men and women to meet, socialize, fall in love, and marry strangers.  It's forbidden by their religion; there are also cultural prohibitions.  As a result, people marry those that they or their families know - their relatives.  This intermarriage custom is causing problems - problems which will affect the long-term survival of their countries.  They can continue to live as they have, but it is going to increase the scope of the problem.  The scientific evidence seems irrefutable.  It will be interesting to see how they deal with this problem.

The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) yesterday said Arab countries were showing greater prevalence of many hereditary disorders caused both by environmental and social dynamics....

Disorders such as Down’s syndrome, sickle cell disease, and thalassaemia are far more common in the region than elsewhere. Many genetic conditions that are considered rare are found more frequently in the region.

According to CAGS, 21.4 babies per 100,000 are born with Down’s in the UAE, about double the average global rate.

About one in 10 people in the UAE is a carrier [of thalassaemia], CAGS said. 

Saudi Arabia has the highest rate of birth defects in the Gulf, with around 80 babies out of every 1,000 born with a disorder.

In the UAE, Kuwait and Oman, 70 to 79 children in every 1,000 are born with a birth defect.

Birth defects have been closely linked to marriages between cousins and relatives, a common practice throughout the region and estimated to account for 35 to 50 per cent of all weddings. 

Up to half of all Emirati marriages are between relatives, with 54 per cent of married couples in Al Ain being relatives, compared to 32 per cent in Abu Dhabi and 40 per cent in Dubai.

Saudi Arabia, has perhaps the highest rate of intermarriage, with up to two thirds of all marriages occurring between relatives.

A Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

I got together with a dozen fellow Canadians (and a few American cousins) for a really fine Thanksgiving dinner last night.  We sang our national anthem (Yes, the new words), ate (the turkey was great - and, oddly enough, cooked by a vegetarian couple), and socialized.  A good time was had by all.

Changes

I changed the layout of my blog ----- just because.

I like the fact that this one is wider.

Umm Al Quwain Aero Club

I went out to the Barracuda this morning with a friend to pick up some libations. He's a flying enthusiast so we stopped at the Umm Al Quwain Aero Club, which is right beside the Barracuda. I have passed the plane dozens of times but I'd never gone inside. It's kind of cool. You can walk right inside it. Everything has been stripped out of it, but it's still kind of cool to walk into the cockpit.


While we were there, there was a real functioning airplane of a similar type preparing to leave from the airport. There must have been 100 men dressed in coveralls walking up the back ramp to go inside. I'm assuming that the men were being shuttled to some construction sight or oil facility in the UAE or possibly a neighboring country. It must be a tough way to go. I imagine that a lot of the guys lie or sit on the metal floor for the duration of the flight.

When you can't keep a dog...

Most evenings, he/she is on my living room ceiling. I don't know what it eats. There don't seem to be any insects. Perhaps that's why it's so skinny.

Food for thought

An interesting article about Dubai at The Observer - the dark side.

Holiday tasks

Since I'm on holiday now, I have time to start scanning all of my old slides and film negatives. I want to get them into digital form since slide projectors have gone the way of the 8-track. I started taking pictures seriously in 1976 and I have a huge box of slide and negatives. I also plan, at some point, perhaps after I buy my iMac, to put the pictures into slide shows with music. I have some pictures that I took in Bali 20 years ago that I think will go well with a tape I have of gamalon music.

The whole process is quite slow and a bit tedious, so, while I'm waiting for each set of slides to scan, I've started reading books that I've had on my shelves for a few years and haven't opened. My first choice is Chang-Rae Lee's novel, Native Speaker. So far, I'm impressed.

A new toy

I don't know how I've lived so long without one - a GPS that is. It's so cool. I bought a Garmin GPS today. While sitting in my car, I turned it on and it immediately found my location (easily then designated at Home). I typed in Barracuda, and it quickly found the Barracuda Beach Resort in Umm Al Quwain. I took the GPS for a test drive (unfortunately, the Barracuda really is closed until the first day of Eid). It's so cool to have the GPS tell you, "After 600 meters, turn right." Even when I turned too soon (and got lost), it just said, "Recalculating" and then it gave me new directions. Okay, the "Recalculating" voice did sound a tad condescending, but perhaps it was just my imagination. I know that it won't be perfect because of all the recent road changes, but it will help a lot. I think it will also enhance my safe driving ability because I will be able to focus on traffic while my GPS tells me where to go. I'm looking forward to taking it for a test drive in Dubai soon.

Sex on the beach trial highlights Dubai cultural divide

DUBAI -- Sex on the beach or drunken trysts may not raise eyebrows in many cities, but a recent case in Dubai has exposed a growing cultural divide between native Muslims and Western residents seeking fun in the sun.

I have seen this same story recently in a number of online news sites. It makes me wonder if I'm the last conservative on the planet. "Sex on the beach or drunken trysts may not raise eyebrows in many cities"??? I would sure as heck raise my eyebrows. I'm not some radical Christian. I think that what goes on between two (perhaps 3) consenting adults in the privacy of their own homes is their business. And I will admit to fooling around on a deserted beach late at night in Vancouver (but that's another story). But, for a long time, I've been bothered by the lack of separation between what is considered acceptable private and public behavior in Canada and many other western countries.

I think that a kiss on greeting or parting is fine, but, if a couple want to play serious tonsil-hockey, that should not be public. Whatever happened to polite behavior? Whatever happened to self-control? If you really feel the urge, can't you wait a little.

So, I have two problems with this story. One is that I think the basic behavior is inappropriate at any time in any place - including Canada. I'm not advocating years in the slammer, but I do think a few days - maybe a week - is fine. (The sentence hasn't been handed down yet, so we don't know if it will be excessive or not.). The second problem is with the idea that we can go to another country and act any way we want. That just seems impolite. Admittedly, Dubai is like the Wild West in many ways, and it sometimes seems like anything goes, but this couple should get a little jail time and they should be expelled from the country. The story that I got was that this was took place during the day, and they were given a warning by a police officer. It wasn't an unsuspecting couple holding hands and walking down the street (which, by the way, is perfectly acceptable in Dubai).

This story has also been accompanied quite frequently by this picture as though this fully-veiled woman represents the average Emirati. "Oh, yes. Look at how different they are." What a pile of c**p. The majority of Emirati women wear long black dresses with long sleeves, and they wear head-scarves. Very few Emiratis wear veils.

The picture below is much more common.


This whole story smacks of a nasty intolerance and racism that I find disturbing.

Yuck!

Since I arrived three weeks ago, the daytime temperatures have been 35-38C. Generally, it's hot but not unbearable. Today, humidity was 80-90%. I just got back from the gym (a 15 minute walk from my apartment to the fitness center). The temperature is 30C but the humidity is 80%. By the time I got home, I was sweating like crazy. It was really uncomfortable.

TGIT

Thank God It's Thursday - It's Thursday afternoon and I'm really looking forward to a couple of days off. The weekend in the UAE is Friday and Saturday. It used to be Thursday and Friday, but they changed it to make it easier for businesses around the world to work with the UAE. I had a pretty good week, but I need to gather myself, reassess my classes, and plan for the next few weeks.

Today, someone asked me where I was going on the holiday. I had completely forgotten that we get a week off at the end of Ramadan - actually 2 weekends and 1 workweek - a total of 9 days. I've just arrived here, so I don't think I'll go anywhere. I have some computer related things I want to work on. I may set up my own website and run my own English resource center for my students. I may also set up Moodle there. Oddly enough, the university seems really resistant to the best option - a site on the university system. They've also dumped Moodle and are using Blackboard - an online course delivery system. I've been to numerous Blackboard sessions, and I'm trying to like the program, but it is unnecessarily complicated for teachers who just want to provide things online for their students.

Movies I've watched recently

In the past week, I watched two movies that I saw years ago and have always remembered fondly:

The Sand Pebbles - I think it is one of Steve McQueen's best.

The Princess Bride - A great cast and a great story.

Both really are marvelous movies.

This afternoon I watched 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama. It was gentle and very moving. At the end, I was left with a tear in my eye. It seemed appropriate somehow to watch this film at this time. I know the Dalai Lama was just recently released from the hospital. He is quite elderly (73 years old). He seems a little frail. It is odd to think of the world without the Dalai Lama.


He could conceivably last another 30 years. I hope so. It would be nice if he could go home.