Dubai Loafer

Another tiger-in-car spotting in Dubai. Who are these idiots...

oldfilmposters — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:55:18 +0400

Another tiger-in-car spotting in Dubai.

Who are these idiots that have tigers as pets?

Photo

oldfilmposters — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:33:06 +0400

Future Dubai in the PS3 game Spec Ops: The Line that was...

oldfilmposters — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:05:31 +0400

Future Dubai in the PS3 game Spec Ops: The Line that was released this week. It looks pretty spectacular.

Jumeirah Beach

oldfilmposters — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:46:17 +0400

Jumeirah Beach

Bahrain and Britain

oldfilmposters — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:35:00 +0400

Adam Curtis article - probably the best thing you’ll read this week

Trade Centre roundabout and Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, circa...

oldfilmposters — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:13:13 +0400

Trade Centre roundabout and Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, circa 1979

Dubai bonus

oldfilmposters — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:53:08 +0400

Football agent Peter Harrison has decided to go after Harry Redknapp and Fat Sam, including this not-at-all-surprising tweet:

“Here is a teaser for tonight, which ex Bolton manager asked me to get prostitutes up to the room in Dubai”

His Twitter feed is here.

Mahiki Bar opens We were delighted to see the The Apartment...

oldfilmposters — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:10:00 +0400

Mahiki Bar opens

We were delighted to see the The Apartment being closed (horrible place, horrible doormen) but even more happy to see Mahiki open in its place.

The Hawaiian-themed bar is a branch of the London original that has been attracting the Mayfair set for years now. Time Out London says, “It’s silly, it’s tacky, it attracts monied airheads - and it’s bags of fun” which makes it sound like it should do very well in Dubai.

Fact of the day...

oldfilmposters — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:47:39 +0400

“When the Emir of Sharjah had started a casino, the Saudis had closed it down by paying the Emir as much money as he would have received every month from his casino, plus a handsome bonus.”

Jonathan Raban, Arabia, 1979 (Penguin Press)

The Movida nightclub from London is opening in Dubai at the end...

oldfilmposters — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:39:00 +0400

The Movida nightclub from London is opening in Dubai at the end of this month, but hopefully it won’t be anything like the notoriously bad one in London. Aside from the usual complaints about overpriced, tacky West End nightclubs, it seems that the feedback concerns a shockingly disturbing racist policy.

Here are some of the comments:

AVOID - ESPECIALLY if you’re in a mixed group, i.e. with black and Asian friends (they’re harassed at the door or don’t get in at all, which is profoundly gross).
They are definitely racist - no matter how much money you bring, and how many tables you are willing to book. Loads of prejudice! I felt really frustrated on my birthday, having nowhere else to go after booking 2 weeks in advance with Movida and being rejected at the door… with half of my guests (all white) inside.
Maybe it was because we are Indian, because I walked down the road and came back and saw the same lady letting in groups of white males with no questions.
Racist and rude.
This club is racist - young black men are denied entry 99% of the time, unless they are a pro footballer or well-known music or TV star…
Prejudiced, horrible doormen. This club deserves closing down!
I’d like to second most of the reviews for Movida. It has to be the most pretentious club I’ve ever been to, with the rudest staff I’ve had the misfortune to be served by.
Movida has to be the WORST club I have been to… and I have been to some bad clubs! If you’re not a ‘VIP’ (caged animal) you are literally treated like crap
Pretentious hole. Full of gold-digging girls from Romford looking for an Arabian sugar daddy.

Although in the interest of some balance, there were a some people who liked it. Here’s one comment…

- £28 for 2 drinks. Expensive, yes. But it does actually keep out the riff-raff.

This is set of tour dates for Madonna in 2012 that was seemingly...

oldfilmposters — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:34:54 +0400

This is set of tour dates for Madonna in 2012 that was seemingly leaked from Live Nation. She’s down to play Abu Dhabi on June 6th next year at Yas.

While over in Bahrain...

oldfilmposters — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:05:44 +0400

4 Dec: Bahrain sentence goalkeeper Ali Saeed to a year in prison for taking part in pro-democracy protests. An inquiry found detainees were “systematically abused” with “electric shocks and beatings”.

10 Dec: Bahrain state news agency quotes Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa celebrating International Human Rights Day. “Bahrain has always been – and will remain – resolved to promote human rights culture.”

One of the rarest sights in the city: a concession towards...

oldfilmposters — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:30:05 +0400

One of the rarest sights in the city: a concession towards pedestrians.

FACT: You are more likely to see a tiger in Dubai than something like this.

Sharks for sale at the fish market

oldfilmposters — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:30:05 +0400

Sharks for sale at the fish market

A new three-floor branch of Rivington Grill opening in The...

oldfilmposters — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:30:06 +0400

A new three-floor branch of Rivington Grill opening in The Madinat Dubai on the old Shu Fi Ma Fi site. The tentative opening date is around the end of March but the really good news is that this branch will also have a bar.

Hopefully they will also bring over trained staff. One of the best things about The Riv over here is the staff actually know what they are doing.

Dubai buildings that never happened – pt.437 The Snowdome It...

oldfilmposters — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:40:05 +0400

Dubai buildings that never happened – pt.437

The Snowdome

It was to be the largest dome in the world (apart from James van de Beek’s forehead) and its full name was to be “Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome”.

Announced in 2004 the Dhs1billion dome was to have a huge revolving ski skope, two huge real-ice columns at the entrance, a “Penguinarium”, a snow castle, ice-rink, Arctic animals statues, four-season aquaria, snowfall, sound and light effects, cold and warm bath spa, an ice-bridge, a cable-lift, snow maze, ice-slide, polar bears(!) on display.

It was also going to have a deluxe hotel, a shopping mall, restaurants, coffee shops and other retail outlets.

Work actually began in February 2006, but it was soon “shelved altogether due to issues over costs.”

The 18th hole at the golf course at Festival City- March 9,...

oldfilmposters — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:15:06 +0400

The 18th hole at the golf course at Festival City- March 9, 2003.

Arab Springtime For Hitler We know that it sells well in this...

oldfilmposters — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:06:14 +0400

Arab Springtime For Hitler

We know that it sells well in this region and that antisemitism and Holocaust denial are sadly rife, but it’s somewhat surprising to see Virgin Megastore in Qatar picking Mein Kampf for the recommended book display. Their response was “The recommended tag was not an endorsement of the book’s author or its content” So what was it then?

Boycott Virgin Megastore.

From December 21st, for 12 days, The Ivy will have a Christmas...

oldfilmposters — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:52:06 +0400

From December 21st, for 12 days, The Ivy will have a Christmas menu including, among other things, their homemade mince pies (pictured). As long as they keep serving the Shepherd’s Pie it will always be a place worth visiting, but few things are better at Christmas than homemade mince pies.

Green Eggs and Parma Ham (the best breakfast that isn’t a...

oldfilmposters — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 07:53:06 +0400

Green Eggs and Parma Ham

(the best breakfast that isn’t a fry up)

Ingredients

2 thin slices of prosciutto
1 english muffin
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 eggs
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Pesto

Instructions

With this recipe, you don’t have to think too much. If I don’t have prosciutto, I use Black Forest ham. No English muffins? Sourdough toast. Split and toast an English muffin and top each half with a thin slice of Parma prosciutto. In a small nonstick skillet over low heat, melt the butter; it should not froth. Crack the eggs into the pan — they shouldn’t crackle or spit on contact; that would mean your heat is way too high — and cook over low heat until the whites are settled but yolks are still runny, three to four minutes. Once the whites look soft and white, gently spoon the melted butter in the pan over the yolks until hot, about one minute. This will help cook the eggs from top to bottom and keep the yolk silky but warm. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and transfer eggs to prepared English muffin. Spoon a nice smooth pesto over the eggs. Not the chunky, jarred pesto — the smoother stuff from the refrigerator or freezer case. It’s better. Serves one.

Total time to prepare: 8 minutes

There are more at esquire.com and the current Esquire Middle East edition has a great recipe for the best meatballs you’ve ever had.