Dubai2 English Edition

utorak, 04.04.2006.

It is all about horses...

And finally some words for those that are really interested in horse riding. If we ignore Britons, that consider camel races at dawn as first-class social event and go there dressed like they are going to Vienna Opera as a part of their sub-culture, others are standing for hours next to the dirt fence and yelling even during the warm-up...

Despite the sponsor was Emirates Airlines, it didn't impact the scedule and everything was going perfect like Swiss watch. Few minutes before the race start all horses are in their boxes. Unfortunately, we could see that only on the screen, as the start is on the furthest part of the course, so that finish can be in front of grand stand...

But, paparazzi blogers reached that place as well...

The horse fans are concentrated to every meter of the race. The beginning is visible only on the screen, as the horses are far away...

...until they reach final 300 yards. This is the best place for observing because under this angle you can still see something...

...but when you are in line, you can't see anything as they are too fast. Especially if you are with Barbara, and "her" horse is winning and she is jumping over you celebrating the victory. Further, if the horse belongs to sheiks of Dubai, the happiness in finishing arena cannot be described...

Now come the helping personnel: thay are taking the horse, and jockey is taking the prize. In last race the winner got two milions of dollars. The sixth took just one hundred thousands...

I

...of which just small part goes to jockey, as majority will go to owner. There are no statisctics about jockeys, everything is about horses, although I saw that some jockeys were in more than 3 races, but nobody paid attention on their outcome. But for the horses we could read everything: mother, father, gradfather, number of nails in horse-shoe...
It would be nice if someone who visits those races in Europe can compare this with Europe and put some comments...

- 23:32 - Comment post (6) - Print - #

subota, 01.04.2006.

Dubai World Cup - Parade of drunkenness and kitsch

There is no male part of the story. If we have to split Dubai World Cup into two parts, than it should be separated into horse races and peacock feather show. Barbara already described both phenomena from female aspect, and I will try to go into details, first with “peacock feather show”…
Dubai World Cup is the biggest event in horse riding sport. In seven races winners and other horses positioned up to 6th place will share $21.250.000,00, and if you take into account that in each race participate 11 to 16 horses you will see that prize money is not so far. But, on Dubai World Cup you can come only with invitation and, of course, you will get it if you are top class. This show have it “auxiliary orchestra” whose participants don’t see difference between horse-shoe and car wheel, and they are not familiar with terms colt, gelding, filly and mare. In other words, that day the whole Dubai came to Nad Al Sheba to present the new feather on green grass of hippodrome…

…although, as they admitted in tomorrows newspaper, they didn’t see a single horse. And just 100 meters from them jockeys were making millions. More than 150 EUR was ticket for restaurant with hippodrome view, but I didn’t see crown on terraces. “Working class” was entitled to enter on grass area for 70 EUR…

…where prominent restaurants from Dubai put their ad hoc branches. Majority of British population occupied those “restaurants” and spent afternoon watching Premiership, and party oriented population went to Bubble Lounge, close to main stand. Only champagne was served, and its popular price from 90 to 350 EUR per bottle and people queued for more than 15 minutes to take it was probably reason why liquor was allowed so close to centre of event. There were a lot of different people there, from new “tycoons”…

…to the people that, between horses and jet-set, decided to watch – themselves.

In any case, night life of Dubai flew down that Saturday afternoon to Nad Al Sheba, and besides incompatibility of “knight’s competition” with this parade of drunkenness and kitsch, our generous host do everything to pack it in glamour package.

Contrary to that, people that see difference between horse and hearse had exercise to understand comprehensive race guide…

…with all details regarding start and end of the race, which horses are running and who is riding and bunch of other “important” data such as who are the trainers, what are the parents and grandparents of horse, and full history of previous races…

…and they didn’t even think to move from the fence, as they will lose place immediately.

Maybe the sheikhs had better view to racing course…

…but the fence-stand allowed near contact to champion that just made two millions of dollars in one minute and forty seconds…

In that time, Barbara was chasing opportunity to contact someone else. Here you can see her undercover (or underfancyhat) and just few meters behind her, on the stairs, is Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai.

As you can see in Guide, Electrocutionist, the winner, belongs to Godolphin farm, owned by sheikh Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai that passed away in January. That is the reason why horse gets the support like Real on Santiago Bernarbeu. The celebration after winning of host-horse lated a long in the night, but we had to run to catch one of first taxis.

So much about peacocks. Next time about horses…

- 08:12 - Comment post (0) - Print - #

<< Arhiva >>

<	travanj, 2006
P	U	S	Č	P	S	N
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30

Dnevnik.hr
Gol.hr
Zadovoljna.hr
Novaplus.hr
NovaTV.hr
DomaTV.hr
Mojamini.tv

Komentari On/Off

Dubai again?

HRVATSKI

This is new chapter in story about magnificent multinational metropolis in Middle East. Story started last autumn, but it was suddenly stopped when author of blog dubai.blog.hr decided to leave this interesting city. As we stay here, we will try to make Dubai closer to you.
If you have to ask something that is not appropriate for post comments please mail it to blogdubai2@gmail.com

What is in fact Dubai?

If you look at the encyclopedia of Croatian Lexicographic Section, you will have totally wrong picture of Dubai: even the frequently published maps of local publisher can not follow the incredible fast city development. Almost one skyscraper per day beat all the records and tributes we paid to Croatian high-way builders.
Dubai doubles number of living units within 5 years, and in year 2010 10 out of 20 higher world buildings will be in one street only in Dubai.
So, Dubai was small town that can thank for it establishing to long narrow bay called Khor (Creek) due to its river-shape that goes 15 km in the desert (or sometimes desert as area around creek is now inhabited). Owner of this part of the desert, sheik from family Maktoum of Bani Yas near to Abu Dhabi, built house on entrance to this strategic important bay in order to collect money for ship entrance. Soon the trade post and market place were developed, and discovery of oil, that participate in Dubai budget with just 8%, just accelerate the idea of sheikh successor, Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum, of turning a small trade town into regional center. Six out of ten independent emirates made union that we call UAE in December 1972, later followed by 7th emirate of Ras al Khaimah, while Bahrain and Qatar decided to become sovereign states. More than 7/8 of UAE area belongs to emirate of Abu Dhabi, formal capital of federation. Although it is consisted of emirates, small monarchies, UAE are federation lead by chosen President, so they are not monarchy. However, members of the Union are independent monarchies having common defense, foreign and monetary affairs, while all other aspects such as education, health system, police and social affairs are separated.
As Abu Dhabi emirate is the biggest and it have more than 90% of oil reserves, president of Federation was Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, noble and generous man with vision. From his ancestors he get small oasis of Al Ain, in 1940’s, having just few camels and Bedouins. Al Ain is today big and developed quarter-million people city.
Vice president of UAE and prime minister was Sheikh Rashid Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, and other sheiks shared ministry functions, leading the country toward fulfillment of right to decent life for local population, social and health protection, high education and global prosperity of the nation.
Today their ideal in continued in work of their successor, mostly in great achievements of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 3rd son of Sheikh Rashid, that have a vision of turning Dubai into city of future. Besides first seven-star hotel, Burj-Al-Arab, and incredible conventional development Dubai builds several project that can be compared with world biggest building achievements. Miles of islands in shape of palms, islad archipelago in shape of world map, underwater hotels, new Disneyland and residential compounds with highest constructions on the world makes Dubai one of the most interested and exciting world destinations.
Although the visitor can not see this in his first look to the city, because it is just a little bit larger than Munich, longitudinally stretched through the coast of the Gulf, with the same traffic jams like Munich due to disproportion in city growth and infrastructure reshaping.
Dubai has approx. 1.4 million of inhabitants, of which just 16% are “locals”. Others are immigrated “working power” mostly from India and Pakistan what decrease the level of services provided in Dubai. Details will be (or were) published in posts on blog. From the other side, Dubai has other interesting characteristics: It is one of the safest cities on the world. It is not point of interest of two sides involved in conflict between Islamic fundamentalists and some western countries. Crime rate is extraordinary low, and the city is open only to rich tourists and immigrant with secured job, both after comprehensive checking and documenting.
Dubai is tax free zone.
Dubai is shopping center for both rich local and western tourists (including extremely rich Russians) and low class societies from southern Asia.
Dubai is in the desert, but it has thousands of square meters under grass that is regularly watered. Dubai consumes large quantities of water, artificially produced in desalinization process. Although each water drop must be produced, in Dubai the water bill is not accompanied with additional taxes and additional costs like in Europe, and there is not VAT, so the water bill is comparable to European.
In Dubai one liter of petrol is approx. 0.30 euro. The difference between this low price and normal European petrol portion in family budget is covered with high consimprion: distances are huge, and everyone drives 4x4 cars…
In any case, it is all very interesting, but also very unnatural and artificial (except the surrounding environment), and the opinion about Dubai is left to your personal impression.

users visited english version of this blog since November 12th 2005.

users visited croatian version of this blog since May 1st 2005.