The Bling Trees of Burj

This is the tallest building in the world.

It is over ten miles high, is made of recycled drink cans and should not be looked at without dark glasses.

The Burj Khalifa

It's design is rumoured to be inspired by a local variety of tree, Palmus Blingii

Electric Bling Trees

Well, I think that's what he said...


Tomorrow: It'll be nice when they finish it 2

It'll be nice when the finish it... 1

I am told that most of Dubai has been built in the last couple of decades.

This is the same view in what is now Downtown Dubai...

Today

2003

and 1990

Quick work indeed. I passed this building on the way into town the other morning

By the time I got back they'd finished it.

Bloody marvelous!

Tomorrow: The Bling Trees of Burj

Art Appreciation

I decided to go for the Art Appreciation option as the 'Spinal... ...haddock' story was just a sorry tale of getting soaked to the skin and then getting lost in the bowels of the Burj Khalifa. So stand by for some culture:

My hotel likes its art.

They have a fine selection of paintings, not that modern art stuff, these are real paintings, landscapes and the like.

Hundreds of them.

I have two above the bed... one is a bit abstract-ish

... the other is a classic composition, but the presentation is trés moderne

 (OK, it's upside down)

Tomorrow: Architecture.

Just Like Home 2

Sorry to disappoint anyone hankering after a bit of Art Appreciation (as promised yesterday) but Schadenfreude beckons...

This is a nice young man on the BBC showing what the weather is like in Australia. A moment before he was pointing at a similar streak of rain going right through Dubai, but I missed that picture so you will have to use your imagination.

There had been light rain in the evening, more moist that wet. When I got up this morning there were some damp patches on the road and I thought, "Excellent, rain at night, just as it should be."

I walked the 200m to Ryan's apartment for a lift to work, but as we left his place it started to spit. And then rain a little more heavily. It is Friday (think Sunday) so the roads are pretty clear.

The few cars there were drove like it was dry with hilarious non-fatal consequences. Cars kicked up a lot of spray and the very fine dust looked like milk flowing across the road, these are the white lines you can see in the photo below. 

They don't do highway drainage here. On the drive into Downtown Dubai we passed big pools of standing water and drove through splashes because, essentially, we are children.

It is also the weekend of Dubai's National Day with lots of public events and much whooping it up to celebrate 41 years of national pride.

Just like a bank holiday at home.

Tomorrow: Not sure whether to do Spinal Tap and the Haddock's Bathing Costume or Art Appreciation...

Just like Home

Short notice trip to Dubai.

Turns out to be quite familiar in places.

This will be the cheese door... mmmmmm

Tomorrow: Art Appreciation.

Odd One Out - Truck by Nite

Fabulous Prizes to be Won

 Answers in the comment box below

Batman and the Pavilion Proxy Paradox

I tend to be out of the country during elections. This is good as it means I miss most of the pre-election razzmatazz. It is less good because I have to go to some lengths to exercise my franchise which is something I feel I should do.

Fortunately, I have the option of appointing a proxy who can vote for me. I am in the happy position of having Green MEP, Keith Taylor, as my proxy which means that not only does he have to schlep down to the polling station for me, but he is ideally placed to advise me on how to vote in the event that I am unsure.

Keith ignores pier

Just such a situation is looming now. In a few days time we are being treated to the chance to vote for a police commissioner. We are told that the old police authorities are being scrapped to make way for politically appointed, sorry, democratically elected commissioners. This sucks as it is likely to result in a competition to please all of the people all of the time which of course will fail. So they will try to please the loudest people by pandering to the lowest common denominator. Think X Factor or Britain's Got Talent with tasers [Hmmm, nice idea - Ed.]. 

Expect to see a pillory and stocks on the Steine sometime soon. No doubt the ever resourceful Mears & Co will be on hand to sell rotten vegetables.

My instinctive image of a police commissioner is Commissioner Gordon:

"I think the Pavilion is that way..."

but we will not be offered anything as entertaining and the Dashing Duo and Gullible Gordon on this occasion. It turns out that Brighton’s three front runners are this lot:

The Tiresome Trio (who cares what their names are)

Of course the opinion polls indicate that most people don’t give a damn. Very few seemed to know about police authorities and even fewer care about replacing them with party apparatchiks. This may actually be a good thing. One way to discredit an elected position is for a very low turn-out at the polls.

Even Ian Blair, ex-commissioner of the Metropolitan Police is urging people not to vote.

So my proxy, Keith, is going to not vote for me. This is a little perverse as I could have not voted myself.

Come to think of it I am not voting… That means I will be not-voting twice.

Is this an offence?