Comments on: People are pouring out of Dubai http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 04:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: philipb http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413451 philipb Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413451 #26 - I have been to Dubai & did not drink the Kool-Aid. Endless business and residential developments built with paper walls & paper money. With the exception of the former USSR, I have never seen such shoddy planning or construction. Like Saddam's palaces, a thin layer of gilt applied to poured concrete. If you can enjoy sitting on a gritty beach watching disposable workers being bused from site to dormitory & back then the UAE is no doubt highly attractive to you. #26 – I have been to Dubai & did not drink the Kool-Aid. Endless business and residential developments built with paper walls & paper money. With the exception of the former USSR, I have never seen such shoddy planning or construction. Like Saddam’s palaces, a thin layer of gilt applied to poured concrete.

If you can enjoy sitting on a gritty beach watching disposable workers being bused from site to dormitory & back then the UAE is no doubt highly attractive to you.

]]> By: Ugly Canuck http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413202 Ugly Canuck Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413202 hagbard: And LA isn't? hagbard: And LA isn’t?

]]> By: Narmitaj http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413207 Narmitaj Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413207 Things have changed... I haven't been to Dubai for 15 years. Back then, Dubai was relatively low-rise and Abu Dhabi was the big-structures city. I remember thinking of parables about building stuff on sand - Abu Dhabi just looked like it was gearing up to become a deserted Ballardian landscape of empty skyscrapers and drained swimming pools. My brother goes to Dubai every now and then, to hunt for students for Bradford University. I'd be interested in seeing the place again just for the surrealism. Certainly changed a lot since my father was a pilot with <a href="http://www.nawaller.com/BCSBeirut/KACplanes/pages/a6_KAC_airport-viscount.htm" rel="nofollow">Kuwait Airways 1956-74 - even up until 1962 or so the airport runway and apron was compacted desert sand, not concrete</a>. Things have changed… I haven’t been to Dubai for 15 years. Back then, Dubai was relatively low-rise and Abu Dhabi was the big-structures city. I remember thinking of parables about building stuff on sand – Abu Dhabi just looked like it was gearing up to become a deserted Ballardian landscape of empty skyscrapers and drained swimming pools.

My brother goes to Dubai every now and then, to hunt for students for Bradford University. I’d be interested in seeing the place again just for the surrealism. Certainly changed a lot since my father was a pilot with Kuwait Airways 1956-74 – even up until 1962 or so the airport runway and apron was compacted desert sand, not concrete.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413466 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413466 There are global economic problems, not just in <a href="http://www.dubaifaqs.com/">Dubai</a>. So yes, people are losing jobs, leaving, rents are falling, and so on. But I'm astonished at the level of vitriol directed at one small city in the desert, and it's shameful how respected international press distort figures to portray a much more dramatic picture than the reality. As for lack of sex, drugs and rock n roll ... rock n roll can be found, some people enjoy a relatively drug-free environment (parents of teenagers for example), and people can still have sex without getting into trouble (unless they go to the beach and start performing in front of the police). There are global economic problems, not just in Dubai. So yes, people are losing jobs, leaving, rents are falling, and so on. But I’m astonished at the level of vitriol directed at one small city in the desert, and it’s shameful how respected international press distort figures to portray a much more dramatic picture than the reality. As for lack of sex, drugs and rock n roll … rock n roll can be found, some people enjoy a relatively drug-free environment (parents of teenagers for example), and people can still have sex without getting into trouble (unless they go to the beach and start performing in front of the police).

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413723 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413723 200 partly empty skyscrapers in the middle of the desert, plus one yet to be built called "the Michael Schumacher Tower"; ambitious German realtors; Djiboutian prostitutes (according to the comments on the link); and so on. Could Dubai be any more ballardian? The images and paradoxes are fantastic, although there seems to be lots of uncertainty on the horizon. The 3000 abandoned cars thing is controversial though, some people dispute that figure. The juxtaposition of the irascible, grumpy text with the cool, numbers-based Deutsche Welle report was also great. I hope Guy Delisle (from "Shenzhen" and "Pyongyang" fame) goes to Dubai soon and writes a comic book about it. The detailed comment by "peter : Feb 17, 2009 at 1:54 pm" is great reading as well. 200 partly empty skyscrapers in the middle of the desert, plus one yet to be built called “the Michael Schumacher Tower”; ambitious German realtors; Djiboutian prostitutes (according to the comments on the link); and so on.

Could Dubai be any more ballardian?

The images and paradoxes are fantastic, although there seems to be lots of uncertainty on the horizon. The 3000 abandoned cars thing is controversial though, some people dispute that figure.

The juxtaposition of the irascible, grumpy text with the cool, numbers-based Deutsche Welle report was also great.

I hope Guy Delisle (from “Shenzhen” and “Pyongyang” fame) goes to Dubai soon and writes a comic book about it.

The detailed comment by “peter : Feb 17, 2009 at 1:54 pm” is great reading as well.

]]> By: rasz http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413221 rasz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413221 I remember reading somewhere people and cars were swimming in shit in Dubai because Sewer system couldnt keep up and was leaking it all over the place. Funny how you can see cars driving in standing water in the middle of a DESERT on this video, could be liquid shit I'v been reading about earlier :) I remember reading somewhere people and cars were swimming in shit in Dubai because Sewer system couldnt keep up and was leaking it all over the place.
Funny how you can see cars driving in standing water in the middle of a DESERT on this video, could be liquid shit I’v been reading about earlier :)

]]> By: skatanic http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413480 skatanic Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413480 Well, i think this is the least unfortunate causality of the economic crisis. Well, i think this is the least unfortunate causality of the economic crisis.

]]> By: guy_jin http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413232 guy_jin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413232 @11: actually, it's an electoral monarchy. but it's almost the same thing. @11: actually, it’s an electoral monarchy. but it’s almost the same thing.

]]> By: milovoo http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413238 milovoo Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413238 It seems like one of the easiest cities to picture abandoned and being reclaimed by nature like an old theme park. It seems like one of the easiest cities to picture abandoned and being reclaimed by nature like an old theme park.

]]> By: glace neuf http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413241 glace neuf Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413241 Agree with #4 - learned a lot about Dubai from reading the polite discourse that followed after the post. Tom S. would probably scold boingboing for their blatent Dubai-bashing :) Agree with #4 – learned a lot about Dubai from reading the polite discourse that followed after the post. Tom S. would probably scold boingboing for their blatent Dubai-bashing :)

]]> By: hassan-i-sabbah http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-415040 hassan-i-sabbah Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-415040 http://www.ballardian.com/dubai-ballard-world http://www.ballardian.com/dubai-ballard-world

]]> By: Bade http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413505 Bade Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413505 Having lived in Dubai for four years I have recently left and consider myself lucky. I can now read BoingBoing again without having to bypass the countries ludicrous censor/firewall. Many friends were morose at being stuck there after 10 or more years. Their pay has been steadily decreasing and cost of living near doubling in two years and they couldn't afford to relocate back to their home countries. These were doctors and dentists too, not people out for a quick buck. And this was a year ago! Hopefully the current economic crisis will lower rents and cost of living, and thus allow my friends to save enough to leave. As they say in Dubai "It is getting more expensive to live beyond your means". Having lived in Dubai for four years I have recently left and consider myself lucky. I can now read BoingBoing again without having to bypass the countries ludicrous censor/firewall. Many friends were morose at being stuck there after 10 or more years. Their pay has been steadily decreasing and cost of living near doubling in two years and they couldn’t afford to relocate back to their home countries. These were doctors and dentists too, not people out for a quick buck. And this was a year ago! Hopefully the current economic crisis will lower rents and cost of living, and thus allow my friends to save enough to leave. As they say in Dubai “It is getting more expensive to live beyond your means”.

]]> By: Takuan http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-425810 Takuan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-425810 http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13186145&source=hptextfeature http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13186145&source=hptextfeature

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-415580 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-415580 everyone do the Schadenfreude!!! everyone do the Schadenfreude!!!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413541 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413541 @markfrei i live in seattle...don't worry, it is still super gay. :) @markfrei

i live in seattle…don’t worry, it is still super gay. :)

]]> By: Purly http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413289 Purly Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413289 It's like watching a report about the Tower of Babel or something. It’s like watching a report about the Tower of Babel or something.

]]> By: Jerry Cornelius http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413546 Jerry Cornelius Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413546 'But I'm astonished at the level of vitriol directed at one small city in the desert' Really? Think about it. The 'villas' were hilarious. A city full of people who lust after places like that. Think about it. ‘But I’m astonished at the level of vitriol directed at one small city in the desert’

Really? Think about it.

The ‘villas’ were hilarious. A city full of people who lust after places like that. Think about it.

]]> By: BlindJoeDeath http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413037 BlindJoeDeath Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413037 I wonder how it will effect this http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fbh/1035336992.html yeah , luxury spa in dubai, great investment opportunity I wonder how it will effect this
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/fbh/1035336992.html

yeah , luxury spa in dubai, great investment opportunity

]]> By: Auto Parts for Brains http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413041 Auto Parts for Brains Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413041 I have been to Dubai twice and honestly, after skiing and the safari, there is little reason to stay. The city is congested and traffic is bad. I cannot deny that there are a lot of reasons to visit it. Still, there is a big chasm between staying and visiting. It is true that Dubai has no oil and in reality it is not even UAE's capital. Abu Dhabi, the capital is way more awesome than Dubai in my opinion. Roads are bigger there and it is not as crowded. I think one reason people are leaving Dubai is because this year, the economic crisis caught up with the city already that a lot of infrastructure projects in there has literally stopped. That means less jobs for many. Will I be visiting Dubai again? Probably, especially since they have the new Atlantis hotel there and a Six Flags coming soon. Will I be staying? No way! I have been to Dubai twice and honestly, after skiing and the safari, there is little reason to stay. The city is congested and traffic is bad. I cannot deny that there are a lot of reasons to visit it. Still, there is a big chasm between staying and visiting.

It is true that Dubai has no oil and in reality it is not even UAE’s capital. Abu Dhabi, the capital is way more awesome than Dubai in my opinion. Roads are bigger there and it is not as crowded. I think one reason people are leaving Dubai is because this year, the economic crisis caught up with the city already that a lot of infrastructure projects in there has literally stopped. That means less jobs for many.

Will I be visiting Dubai again? Probably, especially since they have the new Atlantis hotel there and a Six Flags coming soon. Will I be staying? No way!

]]> By: Senna1 http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413557 Senna1 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413557 You people are all missing the point... Without 200+ disgustingly rich people buying condos the Michael Schumacher Tower won't happen! This is serious! You people are all missing the point…

Without 200+ disgustingly rich people buying condos the Michael Schumacher Tower won’t happen!

This is serious!

]]> By: markfrei http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413047 markfrei Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413047 I think this is an important lesson for civic leaders. It is a fine line they walk. When Chicago was busy clamping down on liquor licenses they were also effectively clamping down on the live music venue that were the reason many of us move to a large city. Recently I was considering a move Seattle. During the time of my visits, the police decided to start raiding gay bars and started charging them for things like showing adult videos on the tv screens in the bar. This kind of censorious attitude led me to cross Seattle off my list rather quickly - I have no interest in living in a town that is quickly regressing to pre-Stonewall days. I think this is an important lesson for civic leaders. It is a fine line they walk. When Chicago was busy clamping down on liquor licenses they were also effectively clamping down on the live music venue that were the reason many of us move to a large city.

Recently I was considering a move Seattle. During the time of my visits, the police decided to start raiding gay bars and started charging them for things like showing adult videos on the tv screens in the bar. This kind of censorious attitude led me to cross Seattle off my list rather quickly – I have no interest in living in a town that is quickly regressing to pre-Stonewall days.

]]> By: krylon http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413050 krylon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413050 Ok so I cannot say this emphatically enough - while the blog post itself is a well written tirade, the level of civil discussion in comments section of the link above is amazing. If you read the above in its entirety, do not miss the comments, specifically the discussion between Tom S. and the story's author. Ok so I cannot say this emphatically enough – while the blog post itself is a well written tirade, the level of civil discussion in comments section of the link above is amazing.

If you read the above in its entirety, do not miss the comments, specifically the discussion between Tom S. and the story’s author.

]]> By: mdh http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413051 mdh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413051 <i>And the reason for this is that if you default on your Dubai mortgage, you can end up in a debtors prison.</i> An overpriced city in the middle of the desert, without drink or drugs, IS a debtors prison. And the reason for this is that if you default on your Dubai mortgage, you can end up in a debtors prison.

An overpriced city in the middle of the desert, without drink or drugs, IS a debtors prison.

]]> By: FreakCitySF http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413054 FreakCitySF Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413054 Go to the original Atlantis! geez Remember the 90's commericals? and recently this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Q4NLRCvug I say good for Dubai, I'm glad. Although I haven' t visted and would like to ski indoors, it's just a bizzare place, east meets west. Contract workers in rags and men in white disdasha who own them. Las Vegas built on oil fortunes funded by US. Maybe we should get shares of Dubai with every purchase of gas. They have every fastfood/retail/product that you have at your local mall yet they are working with ancient traditions. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/dubai/3269149/Dubai-couple-face-longer-sentence-for-fornicating-on-beach.html Go to the original Atlantis! geez
Remember the 90′s commericals? and recently this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Q4NLRCvug

I say good for Dubai, I’m glad. Although I haven’
t visted and would like to ski indoors, it’s just a bizzare place, east meets west. Contract workers in rags and men in white disdasha who own them. Las Vegas built on oil fortunes funded by US. Maybe we should get shares of Dubai with every purchase of gas.

They have every fastfood/retail/product that you have at your local mall yet they are working with ancient traditions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/dubai/3269149/Dubai-couple-face-longer-sentence-for-fornicating-on-beach.html

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-418185 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-418185 I thought Dubai was formed around a centuries old tradition of trade, thus all their large souqs and free zones. And compared to some of the surrounding countries, it is quite liberal - you can drink alcohol there and show leg, even face. I wonder how the article writer would rant about any US college town in April: thousands are fleeing this city, leaving their bikes to rust and filling the streets with their still-working furniture, microwaves, and televisions, surely a sign of laws heavily favouring landlords. I thought Dubai was formed around a centuries old tradition of trade, thus all their large souqs and free zones. And compared to some of the surrounding countries, it is quite liberal – you can drink alcohol there and show leg, even face.

I wonder how the article writer would rant about any US college town in April: thousands are fleeing this city, leaving their bikes to rust and filling the streets with their still-working furniture, microwaves, and televisions, surely a sign of laws heavily favouring landlords.

]]> By: Chris Furniss http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413078 Chris Furniss Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413078 Dubai always seemed like a city you'd visit in a Final Fantasy game or something. Like their primary mode of transportation is chocobo. Dubai always seemed like a city you’d visit in a Final Fantasy game or something. Like their primary mode of transportation is chocobo.

]]> By: arborman http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413089 arborman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413089 Gee it would be a real heartbreak if the good people at Halliburton were to lose their shirts, after having moved there just a couple of years ago. That would be a tragedy. After all the hard work that went into stealing all those billions, it would be nothing short of Kafkaesque for their money to vanish into the desert. Gee it would be a real heartbreak if the good people at Halliburton were to lose their shirts, after having moved there just a couple of years ago. That would be a tragedy.

After all the hard work that went into stealing all those billions, it would be nothing short of Kafkaesque for their money to vanish into the desert.

]]> By: hagbard http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413097 hagbard Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413097 Dubai is a human algae bloom Dubai is a human algae bloom

]]> By: presterjohn http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413355 presterjohn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413355 The headline on the video says: "Lindsey Williams was right" for bonus points, I'd like to See Boing-Boing do a post about Lindsey Williams. The headline on the video says:

“Lindsey Williams was right”

for bonus points, I’d like to See Boing-Boing do a post about Lindsey Williams.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/02/17/people-are-pouring-o.html#comment-413100 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-413100 What a symplistic way to look at a social phenomena... as you titeled it, it IS just a RANT. In every crisis there is more than meets thhe eye. And please... Dubai was NEVER EVER ment to be something like Manhattan. It's more like a gigantic Club Med or something like that, and if there is something that is soulless from skratch, it is a resort. What a symplistic way to look at a social phenomena… as you titeled it, it IS just a RANT.

In every crisis there is more than meets thhe eye. And please… Dubai was NEVER EVER ment to be something like Manhattan. It’s more like a gigantic Club Med or something like that, and if there is something that is soulless from skratch, it is a resort.

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