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.

new year's resolution plan

it's been a hell of a year that i have gone through. good and bad times have come and go... well worth it. i rated this as a bad year... not worse nor worst. in 2005, this will be my year and i dont give a s**t about horoscopes or some mambo-jumbo fengsui or other superstitions. it's just the feeling... an instinct.

people have new year's resolutions... and most of them didn't accomplished it. im one of them. this coming year, im not following any resolutions. i just want to tell you wants on my mind...

here are my plans:
- ~~cut back or zero the cigarette intake~~. i did it once and i can do it again.
- ~~lessen the consumption of soda, softdrinks~~. we have a "sweet" history... diabetes.
- ~~save money~~. this is a though one.
- ~~invest~~. but where's the money?
- ~~stop alchohol~~. but when someone's offering... why not?
- improve my skills in graphic design and photography. its not enough to learn.
- buy a digital camera of my own. i hate borrowing.
- drive here and get a car or a motorbike. im tired of commuting.
- get a new phone. im getting too sentimental on my present one.
- go home.
- learn to write and speak arabic.
- jewellery. gold, gold, gold... a saudiboy's must-haves.
- learn new sport... scuba or skydiving perhaps?
- learn to play an insturment. it's not too late.
- take my family here.

oh well, new ups and downs are waiting before me but im ready for the challenge. happy new year guys!

discoursed by jeff @ 8:39 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, December 30, 2004

snow in the desert

it's the first time that uae experienced snow. last night, ras al kaimah, one of an emirate states, scored five degrees below zero (-5C).

pic courtesy of gulf news

can't wait the snow here in dubai!

discoursed by jeff @ 2:00 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

digest mode

i've been busy as before and the frequency of blogging has been reduced. anyway, i managed to summarize my past four days...

the weather
it's been raining for three days already. it's very unusual here. my theory was like of day after tomorrow movie but on a different scenario. the tsunami incident in southeast asia last sunday caused a stir on the weather here in dubai and around middle east. there's no ice dumped in the ocean but the sudden volume displacement of water on different regions can shift weather conditions. rubbish. i'm absorbing too much movies... too much imagination.

winter season is here, yes, but its not like last year's. this season is much colder... i'm still wearing coat/jacket even when im walking in the afternoon. i think it's around 10C or below... it's freaking cold outside.

css, divs versus tables, no css
i had an argument with my colleague, also a web designer, on the front page design i had for him. he insists on using tables on the layout and not CSS and DIV tags. since im the 'new kid' here, i recoded the page. i just leveled down my skills for him just to comprehend and assumed he didn't know how to code tabless pages using css. he was using a wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) editor like frontpage, and im doing it by hard code (i.e. notepad) which ever since i started my career in web development (i also use wysiwyg but as much as possible avoided it). here are the pros and cons of css and tables:

css (table-less design or otherwise)

pros:
- easier to manage the style of fonts, lists and other elements
- page size is light compared to table-based html therefore lesser bandwidth and can be easily viewed (depends on the page design).
- time building the code was lesser
- better accessibility (pda, mobile phone with browsers, etc.)

cons:
- varies on different browsers and platforms. hacks helped but risky.
- doesn't work on ancient browsers (internet explorer 4, netscape 4.xx).

now, tables and not using css:

pros:
- looks the same on different browsers and platforms. old and ancient browsers supported.

cons:
- coding process tedious... but then again if using wysiwyg, clutters up the code which you don't really need...
- if code's cluttered, it adds up the file size therefore compromising bandwidth.
- since if your not using css, you have to edit each <font> on your layout when you feel the typeface is not right or have to add another spacer.gifif things are not aligning well...

im not against with tables. i experienced the gruesome pain of <tr>s and <td>s, copy-paste font tags when i was starting to learn html but when cascading style sheets crossed my path, it gave me a new meaning from separating layout from content, just like separation from church and state. you can change layout without compromising the content and vice versa.

technology upgrades itself every eight minutes. don't be left behind. if there's a new way of making your life easier then we should go for it.

imee and inno
japat recommended me to a client who needed some graphic design paraphernalia last night. after talking to the client, he treated me out on a dinner. while waiting for the food, we've talked about his artworks. i observed that most of his paintings have strands of long wavy hair in it... and i think he got the idea and reflect it to his wife who has curly/wavy hair as a trademark. i was right.

he also told me that it was his hair. it also has the features of his wifey... shape of the face and the pose. then, he narrated the story of his creations: imee and inno. imee is a little girl, playing a flute, and innovation or inno is a semi-naked guy with a plumbing tube or pipe stemmed at his head along with electrical stuffs attached to his body is also reflected as himself. i like his insights and plans for future artworks. soon, i will be designing his portfolio when he's almost done.

paintings of japat

discoursed by jeff @ 9:01 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, December 26, 2004

xmas present

I got a present for myself this christmas and people back home don't know it yet. i'm sure they will kill me for having this after all of troubles i've been through. maybe i deserve this kind of reward and its only small...

i got a new motherboard, processor and ddr ram. the processor (pentium 4 2.8ghz) and motherboard (MSI) was only second hand and i got it cheap from a friend which will be paid on january. the ddr ram (512mb) was only purchased.

the reason for this was to get back on track as before which i'm getting more
sideline jobs with no hassles. i'm expecting this coming year to be a good one...

i'm preparing for it.

the only obstacle i'm having was to reorganize and reinstall everything again. to add salt to the wound, screws and hard disk jumpers were missing. gee.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:23 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, December 25, 2004

merry christmas!

since thursday, everyone's delighted for the holidays. i did what i have to do last thursday by finalizing the logo for global leaders conference and the front cover mag with mr a.a.k.'s blessing. i stayed for an hour and a half in the office just to finish it off since it was only half-day schedule.

then party started in the evening. bob and i went to japat's place for the xmas party. the place was packed around 50 or more guests. i've met old and new faces and started shooting photos during the celebration. beer was overflowing. it was a blast. pics will be posted soon since mark forgot to bring the usb cable connecting from cam to pc.

friday, i met jmerts at lamcy plaza in the morning. he wanted to do the mission impossible thingie to his prospect chick and to get the mobo and processor which i purchased from him. there's a quick resto in the food court that serves a one time buffet for 25 dirhams. it was a good deal since i had the experience in piling lots of food in a small plate when we're dining at wendy's during my college days. we strolled around and took some pictures also. after that i went back home and made some calls and sms to my friends and family around the globe... while doing my laundry.

later in the evening, i visited my "relatives" in jaffliya briefly because im going with my roomates in jebel ali to celebrate christmas there.

merry christmas to all!

discoursed by jeff @ 10:42 AM | 3 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

the late night blog

schedule has been disrupted. ever since i joined to the new company, my usual routine has been changed. work hours started from 8:30 till 5:30. there are three breaktimes. two coffee breaks which lasts 15 minutes each and one lunch which lasts an hour.

i never run out of things to do. i'm designing the logo one time and suddenly shifting my skills to coding and animation. i'm still in chaos... confused. one week's transition is not enough for me. i haven't met other colleagues of mine.
after christmas, maybe, i'll get the hang of it.

and speaking of christmas this will be my second time spending the yuletide here in dubai. i don't feel it here. i wish im home with my kids, my wife, my relatives, and my friends.

hunnie, belated anniversary! i called you yesterday didn't i? hehehe.

discoursed by jeff @ 8:04 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

back on track

i was tired yesterday that i wasn't able to blog. i got back from kish yesterday afternoon. the flight was smooth and so hats off to the pilots who made it very comfortable for us. i arrived at the airport with no hassles... i didn't even get an eye scan! after that, i called to office and told me to report in.

yeah, work was waiting...

and so i did what they've told me. i finished one logo revision and republished the flash banners. finally, i went home and headed to sleep... forgot to drink the beers i've bought from duty free.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:09 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, December 19, 2004

broadcasting from kish

technology is everywhere, remote or not. right now, im posting this at kish island, iran. i got the visa copy provided and faxed by the new company. i booked my flight for tomorrow because all flights, they say, is full already. i called the new office of my situation. everything's fine now.

hope this will goes on and on. luck is on our way. inshalla

discoursed by jeff @ 4:15 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, December 18, 2004

normal ways

the plan was set. i got off the hook from the company i've worked for and recently joined to a new one. they will provide the visa. i got my passport from reza this morning and i booked myself for a 11pm flight to iran... the fourth time around.

after finishing my itinerary, i headed to the new office to meet the big boss, mr. k. my first impression of this guy was the result oriented person type. hope my presumptions are correct.

i did my work later in the afternoon. made changes in the banners, cleared my stuff with the finance manager, and other issues.

in the evening, same-o same-o troubles in the airport as before. i guess it's the trademark of kish air....

...myaw.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:46 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, December 17, 2004

tsibugan at al rigga

last night's gimmick was great. we went for lan gaming with the same players: jmerts, tet, bob, mark, mond and me at karama district. after more than three hours of playing counterstrike (yeah we're old, but still we can play), we decided to eat... but where?

jmerts proposed to eat pinoy food at al rigga. we have no choice but to agree since every time we go out together we went for burger king to eat those whoppers. unfortunately for us, the resto offering for tapsi was kalas, out of stock. we opted for beef steak. kalas. now what to eat? the waiter offered bulalo and without hesitation we all agreed. breaded chicken was also added to our menu.

while waiting for the food to be served, i catched the glimpse of the news in the philippines via the filipino channel. i heard and read the local news here in dubai about the demise of "da king". now they're making the wake like circus. media were taking the opportunity like vultures. sheesh. i remember the wake of rico yan but to a greater scale.

after waiting, the food arrived and we instantly devoured it as soon as it was set on the table. we're terribly hungry....

...and the bill was dhs 120. we shouldn't changed our minds to burger king.

discoursed by jeff @ 1:15 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, December 16, 2004

latest development

it's my first day at work to the new company. i haven't told that i'm leaving from my present company. by the time i got my new cubicle and installed new softwares to the pc, tons of work just fell upon me. i never felt this so exciting. after weeks of stagnation, my brain cells started to work. like any other first days, it was confusing and disorganized. good thing i was able to cope up easily. i finished two flash banners for the upcoming conference. so far, so good.

after work (which is only half day today), i headed back to my present company and talked to ms iran 2. i told her that im not going to continue my work with them anymore. fortunately, she agreed. another torn pulled off from my misery. all i have to problem is my passport, plane ticket, previous salary and upcoming visa. i'm waiting for my passport now, plane ticket was taken care off (i guess), and upcoming visa with the new employer will be provided. salary...

...i dunno. it's always been the money.

discoursed by jeff @ 5:20 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

tap the bottle and twist the Cap

i would like to thank "mr. webmaster of dubai" about the concern for the capitalization issue. im not flaming or anything. in fact, he's correct to what he have said. it's wrong not to use caps in first letter of the sentence. but i prefer not to use one... not in this blog. well definitely i can use the shift key, left or right. if you're not satisfied with the usage of my caps in other sites rather than this, well... i don't blame you. you're right because that's your opinion but this site with small or no caps is my style. that's all.

you're a webmaster, im just a web designer. no contest. if you have problem with that, there's nothing i can do to change this. sorry.

discoursed by jeff @ 8:31 AM | 6 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

prove thy skills

this will be my entry or shall we say the key for a greener pasture. i scaled it down and reduce the quality for you guys to view. it was meant to be a poster. whatdya think?

upscale version.

i have a followup interview today. wish me luck.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:55 AM | 5 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, December 13, 2004

tapsilog

i craved for pinoy food. i had enough of chicken. there's no restaurant in the area that served pork. i opt for tapsilog instead. it cost only twelve dirhams (dhs12) in golden fork restaurant and the serving was plenty. there's also garnish of tomato, lettuce, and cucumbers. i don't eat pipino(cucumber) before but when i tried to eat it, it was good. i even dipped it in vinegar and salt. yum.

while eating tapsi, i was nostalgic about it back home. after the drinking session of my barkadas, we usually go to dongalo in paranaque to eat tapsi. it was cheapo there... it cost only about 25-30 pesos that time. those were the days.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:34 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

trial by fire

i had an interview with an IT company in sheikh zayed road. the interviewer was impressed by my portfolio and so with his cohort who is also a kabayan. now, they gave me something sort of a test: to make a marketing material design from one of their upcoming conferences. since i cannot go to their office, i can do it at home or anywhere. there's no deadline about the test but the sooner, the better. it's time to test thy skills.

i arrived in the office before lunch. ms iran 2 was not around. the gang decided to play since there's no job to do. we're waiting for upcoming sites she'll be giving to us.

discoursed by jeff @ 1:27 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, December 12, 2004

replacement

the new manager came. i guess i have to call her Ms. Iran 2. a friend of ms. iran, she's a former manager in an insurance company. organized and has the eyes of the hawk, checkin' every now and then what we're doing. its good though just give us the pending projects back and keep the ball rolling and we're gonna do what we have to do.

in other news, we already installed counterstrike games in every pc here. when everyone's bored, we played all the way.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:59 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

weekend blah blah

thursday:

i felt like i'm wimpy from popeye's last thursday. i ate six whopper juniors for the rest of the day! kakaumay dude. also, this will be the last day to see mr pana brat because he's going back to india for the holidays and maybe not coming back to us. oh well, thanks for the treat and good luck.

friday:

mark and i went early to church. after hearing mass, we headed to american hospital in karama to visit his landlord who was suffering from heart ailment. after the visit, i headed to jaffliya to visit my relatives there. its been a month since i visited them and a lot of things changed when i'm not around. evening, i gather the troops (mark, mond and bob) to invade jmert's flat. it's his birthday party. we beerbombed ourselves with red horse beer, partied, and got drunk.

saturday:

my head's pounding from last night's booze. i slept in the morning, went to the cafe in the afternoon, did my laundry and bought some pc parts in the evening. bob and i bargained for a amd sempron 2.2ghz, some atx motherboard, and 128ddr for dhs430 in bur dubai. he upgraded his client's pc. i prefer for a better one if the budget wasn't limited.

discoursed by jeff @ 8:33 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, December 09, 2004

dude, take a bath

first impressions last, that's true. you have to be neat and presentable when going on for an interview or just dropping resume from office to office. well this guy, an applicant, barged into our office with a malodorous odor. before he came to our room, i already sensed that he's coming in our direction. yeah, he maybe well dressed and bringing a fat portfolio with him but he must be aware of his hygiene.

water is everywhere. soap and deodorant are cheap. take a bath and he might get the job he's looking for.

discoursed by jeff @ 1:08 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

irritation and exhaustion

my contact lens in my right eye keeps on screwin' around. my eye's drying up and so i have to remove it. now im half-blinded. worst, i forgot the lens case at home. and so in order not to dry up and shrink i put it on a coffee cup filled with water just to retain its shape. i just wish no one will take the cup and drink it.

life must go on. im still fixing my revised version of my flash portfolio. i printed some of my photos i've taken and other print projects. the usual work routine is back again.

after hours and hours and hours of editing, creating, animating, printing, and chatting, i never felt this so busy since last week. i want to be busy. i need to be. after work, bob and i headed to japat's place and fixed his LAN connection...

...and i left bob there and headed back home and sleep... i am tired.

i am really tired.

addendum: thank you guys for yer support.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:57 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

operation: recourse

after few days of unwanted incidents, its time to make a move. time is running out on me and i dont have much options. there's nothing i can do about the salary and my visa application for now anyway.

i made some calls back home and told the story. at first they're worried about my situation. it was expected to be worried. im worried... but there's no more time to worry. i must act fast and so i told them to be easy about this. i'll be fine, really. i asked my father-in-law for support on my family for a while and he agreed. there, home issues we're settled in the meantime.

here, i have to prepare for the worst, either exit-reentry back to dubai for another visit visa or go back home. im not yet ready to go back to philippines. i still have a chance and job is easier to find here than manila. so it was decided to stay here. problem: no money to mobilize things.

i didnt call my ace cards yet... probably later after the outcome of the meeting with ms iran's brother within the day with regards to our compensation. it was a waiting game really with not much time. i have 10 days before my visa expires. i will shake my gilids for past balance and look for easy part-timers(which will take a lot of my precious time). i can ask my closest friends for some financial support but im not expecting for them because they have problems (usually financially) of their own. so money for mobilization will have to wait... i'll give two days at the most.

right now, i just refreshed my resume for updates. the hard part is collating portfolios. i have to redesign my flash cd presentation to show it to would-be-employers. i printed some of the photographs i've taken to add flavoring. it's up to the employer if i'm able or not.

the next step is to jobhunt... a tedious task involved. i have to scour all mideast-related recruitment sites, free zones, private companies, message forums with job opportunities, and newspapers to find the right job. friends of the friends might help also in searching for the right task.

after this, i have to wait again... and i really hate waiting.

if this none would have happened, im fine with this company. if they worked something out of this mess, i'll be ok to stay with them. there's nothing wrong with this workplace. i hope things will go well.

pray for all of us here. we really need it. thanks.

discoursed by jeff @ 9:29 AM | 2 comment(s) | permalink

Monday, December 06, 2004

breaking news

read an exerpt from washinton post:

U.S. and Austrian law-enforcement authorities have disrupted a suspected plot to illegally supply the Iranian military with thousands of advanced military night-vision systems from the United States, arresting two Iranian nationals on charges of attempting to violate Austrian export laws.

Michael J. Garcia, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, announced yesterday that M.S. and Ms Iran were arrested Tuesday in Vienna, Austria, after a meeting during which they took possession of a U.S. helmet-mounted military night-vision system they intended to illegally export to Iran.

He said the Vienna transaction was the first in what was to be the purchase of 3,000 military night-vision systems from the United States for illegal export to Iran. The equipment ultimately was to be used by the Iranian military infantry.

ICE spokesman Dean Boyd said the new night-vision systems, known as Generation III, are among the most advanced in the world and are capable of amplifying virtually any light source, including faint starlight. Used by U.S. forces around the globe, Mr. Boyd said the systems provide a significant advantage to U.S. troops over opponents in nighttime combat.

Because of their sophistication, the systems are classified as U.S. Munitions List items and their export from the United States is prohibited without a valid export license from the State Department, he said. Additionally, Mr. Boyd said, all exports to Iran are prohibited under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

oh gee, they arrested my boss. now im in deep shit.

discoursed by jeff @ 10:55 AM | 2 comment(s) | permalink

Sunday, December 05, 2004

on my way to work...

what do you think they sell here...

shark's fin maybe?

discoursed by jeff @ 9:14 AM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Saturday, December 04, 2004

rest assured

i slept at four in the morning and i have to wake up at nine to call manila. it's my son's birthday today. i have to borrow cash from bob to renew my phone number because boss was out of the country and because of that our salary got delayed. in order to retain your phone number here in uae, you have to renew it by paying dhs100 every year. talk about timing.

the good thing was international calls were on a cheap rate status due to national holiday. and so i called up my wife to see how the party's goin'. as usual she was busy preparing foodies for the kids. they prepared spags, lumpia shanghai, kare-kare (which i crave so much), and others. i talked to my kids and i really missed them alot. julia spoke a little straight now...and asking for money! oh gee, i missed them.

after calling up i spent my time idling in the shop and chat with my friends. later on i went back to do my laundry, iron my work clothes for the coming week and prepared stuffs for tomorrow's work. oh well back to work...

...and try to wake up the hard way again.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:58 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Friday, December 03, 2004

weekend dvd spree

george and the dragon. this must be low-budget. the cg effects are pretty obvious here. patrick swayze, you gained weight!

whole nine yards. story about the life of a dentist crossed ways with his neighbor, a notorious hitman which goes haywire but eventually became his passport to freedom and happy living. good comedy.

whole ten yards. This one sucked. the suspense was expected. i prefer the first one.

girl next door. another teenage movie but it clicks. this one has a different twist. i recommend this baby..especially elisha cuthbert...myawwww.

man on fire. cinematography's kinda hurt the eyes (old film blur effect style) but great. denzel's great on this one. revenge is best served cold.

king arthur. i think i saw kirk hammett of metallica (as lancelot) and philip anselmo of pantera (bald-headed-bearded saxon leader) fight each other here. this movie has a different plot-theory about arthur although there was no fantasy magick wekek ek ek stuffs involved. just pure fight. keira knightely was great..yummy.

kill bill 1. i've been watching this over and over again. take note of the wheelchair when uma climbed up on the pussy wagon... hmmm now you see, now you don't.

war in the gulf. a nine dvd collection about the gulf war. the ordinance, tactics, and other things which involved the war between iraq and multinational forces, how they liberated kuwait from occupation. if you're a war freak, then its a must.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:55 PM | 1 comment(s) | permalink

Thursday, December 02, 2004

holiday once again

Today we celebrate National Day of UAE and its a holiday. goodie goodie. no need to wake up early this morning. I borrowed the office laptop and spent my morning watching dvds like The Girl Next Door and Whole Nine Yards. After watching I decided to get lunch at Burger King and headed back to i-cafe and chat with my friends.

Later in the early afternoon, Japat, a fellow pinoy whom we've met at the last week's party, dropped by at the shop. He's checking up on his computer which he brought it in the shop. Out of the blue we tackled about cameras and he's looking for a good place to take shots. good thing that i brought my cam with me and we decided to go out on a 'shootout' in Bur Dubai. The place we headed to have a lot of good subjects. The Dubai Creek, night souk, the museum in bur dubai and different scenes can be found and good for taking photos. we walked all the way from Abra(boat) station in Bur Dubai up to Burjuman Center.

Japat was trying to make friends with the birds...hehehe. See the latest gallery.

After the batteries were exhausted, we headed back to Satwa for dinner at Golden Fork with bob and ransacked Japat's flat afterwards.

discoursed by jeff @ 11:49 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

get in touch with the culture

my fellow filipino web designers here in dubai. from left: me, tet and jmerts.

discoursed by jeff @ 8:10 PM | 0 comment(s) | permalink

The Dubai Chronicles