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.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2005

hiatus

it will be quick and neat... i'm the next guy who will blow things up...

...creative juices i mean.

i have to isolate myself from the outside world and hide to the deepest crevices and be a hermit for three days. i'm creating a bomb...

my online portfolio, that is. it's been a year my roster has been stagnant and rusty. new things have cometh and i have to go back and pick it up again.

it's a hard mission. the most unsatisfactory client is thyself...it will be hard to overcome the most stubborn client, myself.

take care and see you on sunday.
discoursed by jeff @ 4:40 PM  |  4 comment(s)  |  permalink

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

bite off my tongue

some people believed that when you accidentally bit your tongue or can't sleep, a certain person or a loved one remembered you. few minutes ago, my mom-in-law sent me sms that we should pray for my kids and not to worry because sometimes they cannot sleep at night or they bit their tongue.

i always think of my wife and kids all the time... and i guess their eyes are bulging, restless and their tongues have fallen off.

there are certain things we cannot explain why it's happening. maybe on a scientific side, a memory lapse or maybe on a mysticism side, the connection between two persons that makes the other awake (imagine an open wire with electric connection and touching it... tsk tsk).

sometimes i believe in myths and haka-hakas that we inherited from our forefathers. it's just coincidence i think...

...or maybe not.

indeed, life is full of mysteries.
discoursed by jeff @ 4:32 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Monday, July 25, 2005

are we next?


July 24 (Bloomberg) -- An Islamist Web site warned the United Arab Emirates, the Middle East's fourth-largest oil producer, to expel non Muslims and Westerners, including the U.S. ambassador and other U.S. citizens, within 10 days or risk attack.


see the full story here. thanks tet for spreading the news.

on a lighter side of the news, i've finally made japs room into an interactive one, rotating 360 degrees. scroll the mouse left and right to move...
discoursed by jeff @ 9:38 AM  |  4 comment(s)  |  permalink

Sunday, July 24, 2005

i like the way you're thinking...

Dirty Little Matt is sitting in the back of math class, obviously not paying any attention, when the teacher calls his name.

"Yeah teach?" he replies.

"If there are three ducks on a fence and you shoot one of them with a shotgun, how many are left?" asks the teacher.

Matt answers "Well, teach, if I shoot one of them with a shotgun, the loud noise is gonna make them all fly off."

"No, Matt, there will be two left if you shoot one with a shotgun, but I like the way you're thinking." the teacher responds.

"Well, teach, I've got a question for you... There are 3 women that come out of an ice-cream parlor, one is biting her ice-cream cone, one is licking it, and one is sucking on it. Which one is married?"

The teacher, a little taken back by the question answers, "Well, uh, gee Matt, I guess the one that's sucking on the ice cream."

Matt replies "No teach, the one that has the wedding ring on her finger, but I like the way you're thinking!"

if you think i'm doing nothing, i'm doin' a helluva lot of things right now but i like the way you're thinking! hehehe.
discoursed by jeff @ 2:37 PM  |  3 comment(s)  |  permalink

Saturday, July 23, 2005

meeting with jose cuervo...

...and it was a bad one. i was happy that my wifey called and so i went for celebration. i got carried away from LSS-ing (lick, shoot and suck) tequila while scoring 95's and 97's singing videoke on a hard scoring mode at japs place last thursday night. i didn't realize that raul, our visitor, was trying to get me drunk. gettin' tipsy, i asked my friends to jam and we did a little bit trip and enjoying. i was still standing up till the last drop and let the guys go home leavin' myself behind.

then i blacked out.

when i woke up, i was in bed. there were traces of vomit all over my hair, shirt and bed coverings. it was disgusting and it was a mess. my head's very heavy and the feeling is like you've been whacked by a sledgehammer several times. i tried to recover myself, cleaned as much as possible and drank a lot of water to reduce the hangover and went back to sleep.

it was 3pm. i wasted half of my day on that bottle.

but then again i let myself bounce back by doing something creative. after lunch (which is 4 or 5pm i think), i took a series of shots inside japs room and patched it up into something like this. after patching up, i'll put the finishing touches on flash.

no more jack and no more jose.
discoursed by jeff @ 10:15 AM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Thursday, July 21, 2005

war of the worlds

no, i haven't watched the movie yet. i had another apocalyptic nightmare and this time it's not the end of the world in a biblical aspect... it's a sci-fi type destruction.

as far as i can remember, june, my officemate, and i were walking on a standstill traffic highway and talking about what to do when nuclear hits the city. i told him that we should run for cover away from the blast and radiation. now, the big large trash bins on the road came into perspective imagining that if the explosion came into view we will dive into the bins, whether full of trash or not... sort of instincts for survival even if it stinks.

then people were arming themselves with different types of firepower. i saw people dressed as commandos, rambos, ala al-qaeda groupies, even women bringing long rifles as if just preparing for war.

what war?

then news came to my ears... reports that a large spacecraft with the size of a medium city moving on the horizon and heading on our direction. instantly i went to my flat and trying to evacuate my family (to where? i don't know) and stopped by my wife. she said that there's no need to rush. i disregard her notion and packed some stuffs. while scouring the cabinets, i saw two wrist bands with cords-like-leash used for kids and remembered the kids...

...and searched for them. as i looked out the window, the spacecraft came into view and bursting a lot of ice-like powder into the city and instantly turned ice on whatever it touches it. dogfights was now in perspective, our race losing the battle. aliens in desert-storm clad attire with similar built as humans (not like tall and slender portrayal in the movies) doin' the paratrooper approach and disintegrating everything on its path.

then *blink*... it's 7:15am.

i had a bad dream in a past few weeks before the london bombing and it was similar to that one. i hope it's just a bad dream.

sidenote: just finished duke's blog ahead of schedule. cool contents, check 'em out.
discoursed by jeff @ 9:00 AM  |  2 comment(s)  |  permalink

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

bookworm

i'm no bookie! anyway, i've been tagged by jeremy.

1. Total number of books I've owned
dunno the exact number but it can fill a medium-sized backpack.

2. What were the last book(s) I bought?
no remorse by tom clancy

3. The last book I completed...
pugad baboy disi-sais by pol medina jr.

4. The 5 books that mean alot to me?
elements of design
typography
sum of all fears
101 ways to satisfy your lover
bible?

5. What I am currently reading? Do you really want that answer???
my emails and blogs.

6. tagged Bloggers
this is like a trojan/virus...

no smoking joint
marajaw karajaw
discoursed by jeff @ 8:34 AM  |  2 comment(s)  |  permalink

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

freedom of speech blocked

they're at it again. first, this one and then...

just read the news on the latest blockade of a site from a local isp here.

there are quite few blogs here that tackle life and other issues in dubai. who knows, tdc will be next... nah, i'm just jotting down what i really experienced here...

...in a transparent aspect, good or bad. block this if they want it bad.

more links on this issue:

- an emiratis thoughts
- hauteur pill
discoursed by jeff @ 4:44 PM  |  6 comment(s)  |  permalink

restless part 3

i left early from jap's place hoping to regain the lost sleeping hours. i was wrong.

when i reached home, they bought a new stuff in the flat. it was time to celebrate the coming of a double decker bed. my other roomies including guests were LSS-ing (lick, shoot, suck) tequila. at first, i didn't mind since it's quite early and so i did my rituals before i sleep like pressing clothes for tomorrow's attire, brushing, cleaning the lenses and others.

after the tasks were done, i told them that it's time for me to doze off. they didn't bother that i was there. they saw me goin' up to my bed (which i'm on the upper part of the other double decker) and instead the music was cranked up to a higher level by a i-don't-give-a-f**kin-damn guest. i just pretended i didn't hear anything...

...until i cannot bear the treshold of noise i got up and took the headphones from the computer which is in front of them and put it on and went back to bed. few minutes later, they were gone.

i admitted that i was rude on that part, but they should respect other people's privacy. we usually bring visitors in the place, yes, but when someone is sleeping we called the party off early or lay low in respect to others.

privacy is very hard to find and the 'patience thread' is getting shorter by the day...

sidenote: why part three? check out parts one and two
discoursed by jeff @ 8:52 AM  |  0 comment(s)  |  permalink

Monday, July 18, 2005

i'm thinking 100 things right now

discoursed by jeff @ 12:01 AM  |  4 comment(s)  |  permalink

Sunday, July 17, 2005

gallery: the session



after long a slumber, the gallery adds a new episode and it's called the session.

all pictures were taken by yours truly and edited small changes (levels, sharpening, etc.) plus the cropping. hope you guys like it.

my contribution to the world... enjoy.
discoursed by jeff @ 10:27 AM  |  0 comment(s)  |  permalink

Saturday, July 16, 2005

meng



meng, i finally watched this brian de palma's scarface. meng, i still liked the mafia life story (the godfather series) rather than a druggie living in an american dream. pacino's performance as the bad guy was still a hit.

meng...
discoursed by jeff @ 12:58 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Thursday, July 14, 2005

human cloning

there were rumors that humans were being cloned. it's true. although it were banned by governments and religious groups, i think these weren't violated any laws...

...they were cloned by photography and photoshop. here is the latest sighting hanging around waiting for someone...



they also cloned a caucasian, and a semi-mongoloid. hehehe..

watch out for more sightings.
discoursed by jeff @ 8:29 AM  |  4 comment(s)  |  permalink

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

latest dvd acquisition



it makes me laugh when i remembered the scenes on kung-fu hustle. the mixture of action, drama and "serious" comedy make this movie look good. fight scenes were superb (although exaggerated but hey they're chinese movies and it's their trademark) like a downsized dragonball z. conversations were chinese but it has english subtitles. if you liked shaolin soccer, you will definitely appreciate this more...

..and i watched this twice last night.

another movie i watched last night was mr. & mrs. smith. movie is quite so-so... enhanced and sophisticated marriage quarrel (due to lying to each other) that ended up with steamy kiss and make-up. jolie is very hot to handle....myaw.

and the others are house of wax (didn't finished the last time due to a bad copy), hitch, scarface (highly recommended by nikkish), and ms. congeniality 2
discoursed by jeff @ 12:44 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

men's wear

it is common to see these people here in the arabian peninsula wearing distinct type of dress for men. each country has different styles but basically here are some parts that i know of. don't mind the pic, it's just a demo...



a. dish-dasha (dis-das) or thobe, an ankle-length shirt similar to robe. it is usually white but there other colors as well.

b. ghutra or shumagh, is a white or red-chequred cloth worn on the head. it protects the head from direct sunlight during summer, protective cover during sandstorms, and insulation during winter.

c. agal is a twisted black rope used to hold the ghutra in place.



d. sirwal, is an undergarment worn under the dish-dasha.

e. bisht is flowing robe (usually black, gold or brown) edged with a gold braid worn by the shiekhs and men of distinction.

f. taqiyah is a white cap worn on the head to hold the hair in place. it is usually filled with holes to allow the hair to breathe.

i'll research on women's wear later on...
discoursed by jeff @ 2:03 PM  |  3 comment(s)  |  permalink

Saturday, July 09, 2005

the session



it was late, we had dinner at 10pm because it took so much time preparing it (we have a slow cook). after eating, my artist friends began to position themselves and asked one of the subjects to sit still...

...and began to move their hands for the sketch...

...and my hand for the lens.

there are two subjects, a local arab male and a native filipina female. pics will be uploaded soon on the gallery (as soon as i get my free time).
discoursed by jeff @ 2:19 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Friday, July 08, 2005

this way to class







nah, we're just fooling around trying to unwind by singing videoke and crack some jokes. we hang out to japs place and eat dinner with bob's super dooper menudo special...
discoursed by jeff @ 8:32 PM  |  4 comment(s)  |  permalink

Thursday, July 07, 2005

unwell

since monday night's party, i felt sick. i feared that it might be appendicitis but the symptoms were farfetched. the feeling is that i would like to vomit but i cannot and i still feel the discomfort in the abdominal region.

i ate normal, i pooped normal... i don't know what's wrong. gee, i don't want to get sick... not here and not now.

aside from the "homily" this morning's office meeting, discrepancies in the print design, and the stubborness of the client in one of my gilids, everything was down.

the only good thing i did today was finishing ma'am luchie's news blog.
discoursed by jeff @ 9:24 PM  |  0 comment(s)  |  permalink

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

sandstorm

dubai is blurry and dusty for two days now. it's quite irritating and added discomfort to my hangover...

we had a party at jon's place because it's her daughter's first birthday. food was plentiful and a lot of guests came. if it wasn't for work today, i'll be drunk as hell again...

...and probably i kicked that sorry #$(&#)$& taxi driver's arse for looking at me seductively.

bastards.
discoursed by jeff @ 2:03 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Monday, July 04, 2005

armageddon

it was terrible. i was sweating when i had that nightmare. not only that, it involved someone that i cared for so much...

as far as i can remember, it was afternoon and the clouds went reddish to dark in an instant... clouds moving at a fast pace. then panic strucked around me, people were screaming and running at any direction. then a black funnel came to sight, similar to tornado but a much bigger proportion, engulfing anything on its path...

i ran towards the stoned staircase leading to underground but people are pushing away from it...like a stampede away to the dark entrance beneath. then i see fire erupts from the entrance and instantly killing vast numbers of people...

...everything fell... just like a massive earthquake. then suddenly, it stopped and began raining... a lot of people died and the whole place became so quiet...

then i remembered my kids! i tried to find a way to reach for them and technology was nil... no phones... no radio... no nothing...

...out of nowhere i heard that my wife is ok and she's in palawan with my cousins (weird huh?) swimming...

then i ran to a house where my kids' nanny stays only to find a charred house... as i entered the door everything's burned... and i saw my daughter's dress half burned...

...i blinked back to reality and i checked my mobile phone..it's five in the morning already. it ain't aliens nor changing weather patterns movie-types... it's a nightmare.
discoursed by jeff @ 5:19 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

Sunday, July 03, 2005

etsetera: poetry: you are a vector



looks familiar eh? before i made airwind's template, i was inspired with the vector works from deviantart. check out the little crap i've done.
discoursed by jeff @ 9:36 PM  |  1 comment(s)  |  permalink

*puff* *puff*

i just finished and uploaded etchie's blog design. work is giving me such an obstacle...

who's next...
discoursed by jeff @ 2:41 PM  |  3 comment(s)  |  permalink

Saturday, July 02, 2005

eyes on kiwi

recently, i've been reading through ka uro's blog, a fellow pinoy living in new zealand, looking for pieces of information on how to migrate there. my wife and her aunt advised me to take the self-assessment test and "qualified."

i've seen new zealand on discovery channel one time and i think the place is superb. even the setting of LOTR (lord of the rings) movie was filmed there. the only thing that bothers me is going back to square one if i migrate.

i already hold ground here in dubai, putting the debt to nil and increase my chances to a higher level. the cost is living here is a little bit bearable (rent kills though). i like it here but i don't want to stay for good.

i'll assess myself till the end of this year to see if i can go through with it...

risks. risks. risks. time to gamble everything again?
discoursed by jeff @ 12:25 PM  |  5 comment(s)  |  permalink

Friday, July 01, 2005

eyes burning

why?

imagine to try start going out early evening, wandering and doing nothing... bored and uninspired then suddenly being invited to go clubbing at midnight, borrowed shoes from a friend, and be drunk till 3 am...

...and argue with the taxis who won't accept any passengers but waiting in line for no apparent reason f***ers and slept for only three hours...

...waking up and going to office early with no breakfast, no shower, and not even a pressed clothing, plus borrowed shoes and arriving there with no apparent reason of doing overtime work (which is i dont have any urgent pending jobs).

oh, and i forgot to remove my contact lenses when i went to slumber...

addendum:

I am nerdier than 65% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!
discoursed by jeff @ 9:14 AM  |  8 comment(s)  |  permalink