The Dubai Chronicles: Rebirth

about dxb chronicles

The saga of Jeff living in the City of Gold. Presently living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, unravel his journey throughout the city with memoirs and everyday life stories.

problems solved

i was able to borrow an arabic version of adobe photoshop (Photoshop ME). according to my officemate who knows arabic that when she typed it on a non-arabic version of adobe illustrator or photoshop, the text doesn't connect or attach like writing script text. good thing my fellow filipino from the other office has this software. now, it can type text and can be exported to EPS format. there's a major cleanup the eps file to illustrator but manageable. within an hour the artwork was done.

next was the site project from gilid. my client told me not to show the finished design until they paid it in full. fair enough for me. no rush actually... just waiting to be compensated and deliver the package.

and finally, the salary. Ms. Iran delivered the cheque this morning... my wallet is fat again..hehe...

... and my wife is gonna be happy for her new cellphone.

discoursed by jeff @ 6:26 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

happy halloween warlocks

happy birthday to my eldest bro john, my cousin ron, and my officemate jose. hope you guys enjoy your halloween and drinking party tonight.

discoursed by jeff @ 1:31 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, October 30, 2004

pinyot

dubaichronicles.com is now up and running. i would like to make a biggie thanks to nikki for her generosity. i designed her a web template in exchange for the domain name and letting me squat on her webspace.

kudos to you pinyot!

discoursed by jeff @ 9:37 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, October 28, 2004

eyeball

tet invited me to play counterstrike and so i called up my friends to join the fray.

tet + jmerts + mark + bob = eyeball

it was the first time that jmerts, tet and i met together. first philweavers' eyeball in dubai. after tet picked us up in satwa, we went to karama and played. my playing skills were rusty. tet killed us like a pro... no wonder he invited us to this gimmick. it took us only three hours of gaming. after that we went to burger king in al diyafah, satwa and ate double whopper jrs.

after munching, we called the night off and parted ways...

...and finished my gilid project before sleeping.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:39 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

the culprit

two new computers were bought yesterday. mark and i had to install it from scratch. we encountered a problem. the two pcs won't work. i have to troubleshoot what's the cause. we weren't able to find it and decided to continue it tomorrow.

it was a mess...we had to disassemble it again and reassemble on what's going on. one by one i try to figure out what's wrong and installed the basic parts...one processor, memory and video. it worked. checked the jumper settings... its fine. then the front panel setup... still running. now this is the culprit...

the rear slot for usb and firewire that doesn't work. firewire was installed fine but the rear usb was not. a day wasted because of this thing. i still have to figure out why it doesnt work if the additional usb was installed. i did follow the manual...

...but these machines don't go with the program! arggggggggghh..

addendum : happy birthday james mah bro!!! i wish you all the best and hopefully the upcoming year will be yours.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:33 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

sunset

...time to rest

discoursed by jeff @ 6:00 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

sunrise

oh well, time to work!

discoursed by jeff @ 7:45 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, October 25, 2004

articles that might interest you

- The realities of friendster. osama have friends too!

- coffee machine that has a cpu capability... or is it the other way around?

- facts about rhinotillexomania.

- are you a loser if you masturbate?

discoursed by jeff @ 3:50 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, October 24, 2004

photos uploaded

as promised, here are the photos taken last friday by jmerts eddun and me. kudos to bob for carrying the tripod... lol!

discoursed by jeff @ 1:58 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, October 23, 2004

burnout

im running out of creative ideas. mark and i went to office today to finish the pending jobs. projects that needed to be finished but no specific details (images, content and the like). i finished the remake of our company folder because she was fed up with her favorite color, purple. now i have to think of something she will like...

... i felt like im a fortune teller.

"what will be the color for today...ahh i like to change this color to this..."

... gee, please make up your mind.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:00 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, October 22, 2004

collaboration

jmerts, a fellow web designer, scheduled a photography shoot today because he was able to borrow the digital camera from his office.

me, jmerts and bob went to a shooting spree. our main subject was the heritage village near shindaga tunnel. jmerts told me that there are lot of good pics to be taken there. by the time we got there... museum's closed... but...

the guard agreed to let us in since we have cameras. kudos to you, mister security.

we did some pretty shots. unfortunately for me, i ran out of battery charge. after jmerts finished his shooting we headed back to his flat. since it's ramadan, we're not allowed to eat or drink outside. we're hungry. by the time we got back, we're thinking of the same thing...to eat.

after lunch, we rested a bit while charging the batteries. later, we headed back to satwa with jmerts...to drink alcohol. i invited mark over to our flat and party. by the time the booze was over, we decided to go out and eat dinner at jollibee. kat was on her way up when we saw her and tag along with us. while walking, jmerts and i made some couple of shots...

...and eat at jollibee. after dinner, everyone said goodbyes and parted ways. we walked back home and sleep.

tomorrow will be another work day for me. it's worth it anyway because there's pay on overtime.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:46 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, October 21, 2004

lean on me... heavy!

alas, i was able to chat with my wife. its been a long time for such conversations. the last time i called her when i was drunk and i didn't remember anything about it. sometimes when im talking to her, i felt homesickness... usually with this kind of scenario.

she's bitching about her brother. before i left manila, they're fine. things changed when mark had his own family. they're always fighting with petty issues like missing things, my daughter slap his kid and the like... little misunderstandings, when not straightened out usually grew into worse scenarios. she confided in me because there's no one to talk to. her mom was in the states to work. dad-in-law is in germany (or wherever he may be) but not a good idea to commend to. she doesn't like my mom because she's too frank about it (tactless was her term).

she's helpless because i wasn't there to protect her. i felt that im not doin' my job as a husband and a father. if there's any chance that our impoverished homeland have jobs for us, as long as compensation can feed my family three times in a day, i'm willing to take it. i forced myself to be here because of i'm thinking of our future... my kids future. the hell, i'll give myself a year here, and i'll be back to get 'em...

...and whack those who pick on my family.

after those grouching and whining it's time to talk about the "hey, what do you have for me" part... she wants a mobile phone... and a discreet model too...

...ano sa tingin nyo dito, pinupulot lang ang pera sa kalye? (what do you think of this place, money are scattered in the streets just to be picked up?) but im not letting her down, again.

discoursed by jeff @ 7:13 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

compliment

i slept only for 4 hours due to excessive movie watching last night. we watched the hunted (which we wasn't able to finish it thanks to pirated copies), assassins, gone in 60 seconds and sniper.

now i felt drowsy again...

...but i lost my sleepiness when we're walking in the hallway en route to our office. the chick next to ours was walking on the same direction when she said to me, "hey, i like your shirt."

"thanks." i replied.

whoa. this is the first time i wore this shirt. it's a regular polo shirt with a "minolta" logo on the front and www•tehrannara•com at the back. freaky but...

...from now on, i'm going to wear this more often.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:43 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

paparazzi

we took some photos of the venue for the upcoming chahar shanbe suri (iranian fire event). the place is great. while taking some photos, i snapped some stolen shots of chicks in bikinis...hehehe

...what a perv. lol

discoursed by jeff @ 11:57 AM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, October 18, 2004

house of sumosaki

my second experimentation last weekend using konica minolta dimage 7i.

discoursed by jeff @ 1:01 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

the taste of cockroach

my sleep was interrupted by some chit-chat in the room. it was aveluz, pete, and jess having a booze on jack. it was 4 am.

i got down on my bed to chit-chat with them and picked up a plastic cup to drink some water. i was still drowsy when i emptied my first cup. i filled it up for the second time and when im going for another gulp i realized that there's something in the cup...

...a dead small cockroack inside.

it was a gross out experience. i took a shot of jack they're having just to forget the taste. i even brushed my teeth, thrice, because i saw the limbs between my teeth...

...very traumatic.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:19 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, October 17, 2004

the ghost of jack daniel

we went home early today because of ramadan. it's the law to cut back the working hours of business. i got home early at seven. i was supposed to do my laundry but there are clothes (and newly washed) hanging. instead, i watched tears of the sun by bruce willis.

moments later, bob arrived with a familiar bottle. not again...

we emptied half of jack daniel's contents while watching wayne's world. after the movie, i slept...

...i wish my hangover last time wouldn't haunt me.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:08 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, October 16, 2004

stuck potato

its my second day here in fujairah. im stuck here... bad timing indeed to go here. anyway i was able to amuse myself by strolling around the neighborhood in the morning and took pictures that might interest me. i went back to the house to rest and drink because ramadan has started already.

ramadan, is the fasting phase for the muslims. for muslims, it is not allowed to drink, eat, smoke, and have sexual intimacy during the day. we're in a muslim country. so we're obliged to follow the rules even though we're not muslims.

i enjoyed the comfort of staying in fujairah. it is similar to lucena or cabanatuan...very simple place.

i was able to watch CSI Nevada here. i miss watching grisom's instincts sprung into action. there's also a ncaa football match between georgia state and tennessee. unlike the pros..this will do.

i picked some of the dvd collection that aris have... 26 of them to take me home to watch it. here are some movies i watched when i was there:

a few good men - all powerhouse cast. cruise, moore, nicholson, bacon, sutherland... what a cast. you can't handle the truth.

saving private ryan - i didn't notice vin diesel was there... good war movie. touching.

gods must be crazy - the coke bottle that show discord on an african tribe. i fell asleep watching this low-budget movie.

spiderman 2 - kirsten dunst is maturing fast. i prefer her to be a vampire in the the interview... doc oc's performance was great.

and there's dave letterman shows, other soap opera's that i've never heard of...

...i've been stuck here for two days and i guess the remote is also stuck in my hand.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:49 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, October 15, 2004

daniel's hangover

it was my last birthday i tasted jack daniel(errr..the scotch...). he pounded me this morning with a bang on my head. i had quite a memory loss today and didn't realize what i was doing last night. aris told me the events. i didn't remember we bought fried chicken on our way home... took pictures of his fishes in the aquarium... and played playstation 2 with his nephew!

im i that drunk?

i didn't vomit but i was in vertigo. water saved the day...one liter of it.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:37 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, October 14, 2004

new layout

alas my first own layout for this blog! gawd, im sooo bored...i wish there's projects coming instead of doing this...

...at least i practiced my css skills :P

discoursed by jeff @ 4:26 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

daily routine

i made a little daily dull weekday routine. what i *(#@&$)@&# life i have. feel bored.

discoursed by jeff @ 6:42 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

classification of species

since when i arrived this place i discovered different types of species living here in dubai. here they are:

Plutocraticus (arabis shuhadais). this type of breed usually wears either white or black coverings. sometimes, they are associated with lexus, porsche, bmws, benz, and ferraris. lazy in nature, they rely on panaboboticus for needs. stay clear for this species because they're often irritable.

Bourgeoisaurus (bourgeois caucasiani). light-skinned species which are often tall and well-built. female species are very pleasant in appearance. sometimes, they're irritable but especially during summer season.

Panaboboticus (ambabaho ninyois). they wander in packs, the panaboboticus are one of the most unpleasant species around. dirty in nature, they're polluting the surroundings with bad odor. in the wild, they look friendly but in fact they are parasites. sentido kumon is not present in this type of species. servants of plutocraticus.

Ivaniskovicus (libidinious russkus). female species are more animalistic in nature but with a little "squeeze". they often in hide in camouflage and nocturnal. male species, however, are huge but friendly. violent and irritable male species are sometimes seen.

Tsekwaticus (piratinious tinapacus). these species are very innovative. similar to dopplegangers, they can copy objects with ease. chinky-eyed and short-sized, the tsekwaticus are noisy especially in fornication. female tsekwaticus are similar to female ivaniskovicus but they dont have camouflage.

Juandelacruzis (filipini abroadi). short sized and trendy-based fashion species, the juandelacruzis are snobbish when encountered. sometimes, they avoid their own kind to avoid confrontation. juandelacruzis are very well-groomed compared to other species. juandelacruzis can be easily tamed and duped.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:35 AM | 3 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, October 11, 2004

the itch

i'm turning to and fro last night from an itch i'm having. i suppose it was an allergy cause by bagoong (shrimp paste) but i'm not allergic to it. another suspect was the surot (bed bugs). unfortunately, i didn't see any in my sheets. my slumber was distrupted and i cannot regain my dormancy. good thing that pete brought his newspaper and answered some puzzles...

...and slept by the time i was answering the crossword.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:11 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, October 10, 2004

gatekeeper

wait..im still updating the pics. :) try agen later.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:26 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, October 09, 2004

frustrated photographer

as promised here are the pics i have downloaded...

we went to office to today as overtime. reza and i went to the client for the photoshoot of their products. it's my first time doing this. i met jessie, a fellow filipino, who works there as electronics technician. we talked about work and all... he's been here in dubai for six months already with an employment visa...

...good for him, still wishing for me.

discoursed by jeff @ 5:55 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, October 08, 2004

shootout

i borrowed yesterday the company's digicam. it's a konica minolta dimage 7i digital camera. i went to sheikh zayed road and took some photos.

i took some various shots except the emirates towers because of the bad lighting (it was almost noon and the subject is against the light).

i'll post the pics when its downloaded. :)

discoursed by jeff @ 2:09 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, October 07, 2004

bad influence

when there's spare time after eating lunch, we usually go outside the building to expose ourself to the sun. today, unlike any other day was different. someone grabbed my ciggie... and that someone has never smoked before.

he lit up the coveted ciggie and smoked for the first time in his life... it fuelled his curiosity that soon it will lead to addiction. it wasn't my fault because it his own choice. i just showed him the door and he opened it...

although i still feel guilty about it. malaki na sya. alam nya ang mali at tama.

discoursed by jeff @ 3:54 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

red flag is up

today, i've spoken to women with different tantrums. first, my wife was pissed at my mother for some petty remarks made my mother. it's true that my mom has a double-edged tongue to people but infact she's on a good side. mothers are like that. i told my wife to hear what she has to say and pass it to the other ear...that is to ignore the things she doesn't wanna hear. some petty squabbles there affected me here. negative outputs lead to homesickness.

then this girl who is fed up with her work. she will leave her work because the boss is kinda hard on her. i dont see it hard for her job. in fact, sometimes, theres no job for her to do and still complaining. maybe burnout... maybe she needed a raise. i don't know.

and lastly, a girl from the net. we occasionally talk. i chat whenever im not busy at work...in this case i was not busy. but there's nothing to talk about. what's the point? she says im talking nonsense...which i am just to keep the conversation going. now, she's pissed.

... i really need a cigarette right now.

discoursed by jeff @ 5:43 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

gitex 2004 dubai

we went yesterday for the Gitex 2004 Expo, the premier international exhibition for computing, communications systems and applications dedicated to the information technology industry and the entire business environment at the trade center, dubai. one day was not enough for us to visit the six exhibit halls. this is one of the biggest congregation of nerds and dorks, including me, that i have seen.

check out the photos yesterday.

lots of latest stuffs. rotating tv screens, new cameras, refurbished softwares, bodacious babes, and other weird stuffs...

...an i'm overwhelmed. tech freaks are everywhere!

discoursed by jeff @ 11:01 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

winter calls

we are now experiencing heavy fog in the morning... a sign of either hot weather or start of winter. 50 meters visibility range when driving. sunglasses were useless in the morning...

...and i'm happy that walking on a streaking sunlight is lesser.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:13 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, October 04, 2004

coffee break

internet is not working. network is not working. our morning work was stalled... all because of one plug. someone turned off the switch to the hub. my time was wasted checking the hub, network configuration and all...

i need a break.

and after months of not smoking... i bought a pack of ciggies during our lunch break session and lit one...

give me a break.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:58 PM | 2 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, October 01, 2004

Elisha

kat brought more than 3 boxes of muffins last night from her work. we don't know what to do we it. instead, bob brought it to the i-cafe and sell it for Dhs2 each. it was sold like hotcakes...and a good bargain too. they didn't know that we got it for free.

i stayed for awhile in the cafe to chat with my buddies and my wifey. it's good to see my kids again. i copied some of the mp3s i lost before and headed back home for a nap. later on the evening, i pegged myself to the computer and started my first vector illustration. it turned out to be nice and i decided to make it as a monthly calendar (or monthly habit). this will be a good practice in making vector art...

...and goodbye to pixel art. *sigh*

Supplement: OCTOBER 2004 CALENDAR

discoursed by jeff @ 11:22 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

The Dubai Chronicles