Sunny Dubai, UAE

[Dejitaru Tenshi]

hia all.

You can call me angel. I live in the City of Dubai in the UAE (United Arab Emirates). All yanks out there would know this as the place where you put the warshps to rest and crew on shoreleave, to execute a covert american shopping mall invasion named something like, operation Silent shopper. However your navy boys are far from silent, and stick out like sore thumbs. Let me see was in the City Center Shopping Mall the other day, yeah, baseball caps, tall and muscly, short and muscly, shorts with nike trainers, a t shirt and shirt on at the same time and the all important give away backpacks, oh and the accent that is heard louder than the tanoy. You eoropeans probably seen Dubai on the holiday programe, or may have been through the airport or something. Anyway.

There is a bit of a movie industry popping up here, and im not just talking about the near constant filming of bollywood movies, and arabic dramas, but recently allot of locals and film enthusiast have been documenting dubai in all its glory.

Perhaps you might have seen the documentary produced by visiting americans called Dubai 24hours. Which in my personal oppinion was awfulland appeared as a govornment promotional vidio of the city whith just a slight bit of depth and nearly Zero style or proggression. More like a holiday programe special on sleeping tablets.

Val Kilmers new movie comming out in the states soon i believe had a main story point set in dubai. Although the actor never actualy was here, the crew were and filmed pans and general reels for inclusion in the movie.

I am just starting out realy. But have been dreaming of making movies for a long time. Have already writen a story which according to my friend who went to a toronto film school is great. However due to the controversy necesary funds and research it hasnt got past the pen and paper stage. Anyway, im planning on buying my first DV camera within the next three months, and have a post in the XL2 watchdog section if ur interested in helping me start up. " On the fence XL2 / DVX100a"

Yes thats right i wanna start with a good technology foothold.

Have just got a job at Toni & Guy hair dressers, in the 2003 best buisness hotel in the world the emirates towers to start on SAT. That will be consuming much of my time as an Assistant + training hairdresser, yeah hairdresser, yet annother usefull way to get into the film buisness, but i have always had vission and wanna exploit my tallent.

I have worked on 3ds max r3 for 3 years on and off self teaching myself, after making a few animated projects and a presentation to the fairmont dubai i realise that my vision is limmited by my skill and non existant coding skills, however Adobe skills are way up there and as a techno friek am a friekishly fast learner so the xl2 or dvx would be no real feat.

Cant wait to get a cam, untill then, ANY ONE ELSE ON HERE IN DUBAI! Any external filmakers got any footage requests in 2 months or more that i could take for you seen as im in an interesting middle eastern spot. Lots of culture heratage, nothin uve seen in the UK or the states. Including the Burj Al Arab, and one of the Beckhams soon to be holiday retreats as well as michle owen and some other celebs, The Palm Dubai ( Palm Island, bit island shaped like a palm tree with luxuary villas and premier shopping areas" Also comming 2006 the opening of the tallest building in the world, and the biggest shopping centre in the world, not to mention the must be biggest wallet.

With the War in Iraq continuing and massive contruction, airline ( emirates airlines to recieve the first 2 deck airbus A380 in 2006)tourist (first underwater hotel) and cultural stories (wild dubai nightlife for example
) breaking out daily in this area, this is a hotbed for journalistic reporting a hotbed which i could take advantage of.

Hope u arnt bored to tears. Its great to meet you and thx for all your great posts, helping me allot, please feel free to check out my posts and gimme a helping hand.

much appreciated

Angel

[Imran Zaidi]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum!

I used to live in neighboring Abu Dhabi for many a year before coming to the states almost 20 years ago. Last I visited Abu Dhabi/Dubai/Sharjah was 92/93. Loved hearing your depiction of the old place. It has changed so much!

[Dejitaru Tenshi]

From the minute you land you would not recognise the place you have arrived in. I came to Dubai 10 years ago, arround when you were last here, I have gradualy seen the changes, but even here nothing is gradual. If you dont visit an area for at least 2 meeks afteryou were last there, a new building would be touching the cloads, you however never even known it was their 2 weeks prior. If you were to drive from the airport, accross the creek, and down the main part of Shiek Zied Road i doubt you would see more than 10 familiar sights.

I would recomend you visit again sometime mabe 2006, get to fly on emirates in their Super Jumbo. It would be a verry surreal experiance if you havnt seen much of the modern city. If you havnt stood near the burj al arab at night, then ur missing out.

I have never seen anywhere evolve like this place, its shocking, and exciting at the same time, usualy we leave in the summer for a month, and when we eturn the ride from the airport is a spot the difference competition. For me this time, it was the full side of one building advertising Emirates non stop flights to new york. A full scale advert of the statue of liberty up one side. Its a shame that they dont light it at night any more due to their silly conserns of a terrorist strike. But hey they godda keep all basis covered i guess. Biggest adverisment in the world apparently, they are always trying to be on top, apparently their is an emirates new york to Dubai advert going up a building in new york too. My brother has been flying in florida for some time, nice place

cya

[Imran Zaidi]

Wait - did you say straight from NY to Dubai? Wow that is something! The biggest pain about getting down there used to be that I'd have to go from Orlando to NYC, NYC to Heathrow, Heathrow to Bahrain and then Bahrain to Abu Dhabi or Dubai. This definitely makes me want to visit much more.

I'm glad I did go when I did that ten years ago - last I checked my old school was completely revamped almost beyond recognition, and I wouldn't have been able to take that stroll down memory lane.

You've got to give it up to the UAE - the sheikhs there actually spend money on their nation and their people - as opposed to some stingy sheikhdoms in the middle east that shall go unnamed...

[Dejitaru Tenshi]

Ive found what I think you might be interested in. Check it out, its below 1,500 dollars i think for a return, think its arround 1000. Non stop 14hour flight, on their new Airbus A340 500. They can fly streight from dubai to new york, will be going to Los angeles soon, and already fly non stop to australia. Seems like emirates have opened up the middle east to you guys more than ever.

http://www.emirates.com/SpecialOffers/offers.asp

You should check it out. Specificaly states no time consuming eoropean transfers, flights are daily and so are cheaper than if it was on a weekly basis. Btw, went to abu dabi a few months back, nice place, was amazed at ammount of mosques. There is a new grand mosq nearly finnished construction after 3 years i think, looks brilliant, biggest mosq in the emirates and shows it.

[Imran Zaidi]

Oh I do miss how many mosques there were. Until you live in a muslim city it's hard to describe how wonderfully peaceful that call-to-prayer sound is every sunrise, afternoon and sunset. I've heard frequently from my old British chums that they miss that sound as well, so it's not just me :)

[Dejitaru Tenshi]

I told that to my friends, they didnt realy care for it. But i think the way that it fills the air no matter where you are is incredible. The spiritualness of it, it is almost like the soundrack of the middle east. You know in my house u can barely hear the mosq as they are further appart in dubai. But at sunrise if im up, the bright orange beggining to kreep into my wall, the very faint sound of calling realy emphisises the mood. You know im inspired at the moment to do a short piece on the mosqes here. I wonder if people realy know the ins and outs of them, see if i can get realy good recordings of the call to prayer.

One thing that facinates me is that on a friday from something like, 9 till 1:00 or later, you hear the mosq all that time in some sort of holy talking. When i first began to notice it, it reminded me of Propagandic megaphones in WW2, such as in saving private ryan when they here the german moral officer shouting out. If you know what this talking is, where often you hear faint cheers etc would be much appreciated.

[Imran Zaidi]

Friday prayer is similar in purpose to a Christian Sunday Mass. It's a weekly gathering to come together and pray in a formal congregation. During this time, the prayer is accompanied by sermons - just as they are in Sunday Church. The content of these sermons can be as wide ranging as the nations of this world are wide ranging - just like any sermon would be. Their content depends upon the situation of the people of that area. The topics could be purely spiritual, or political or whatever - it all depends on the area's needs and the type of congregation.

[Dejitaru Tenshi]

thx, thought it would be something like that.

Anyway, rememeber you ever think of visiting in the future, gimme an email and we can meet up for a coffe or something, il show yah some places to film that you may not get to see on the tourist track