Feature - GITEX Dubai 2009

October 24, 2009
740 words

The New Wave

GITEX Technology Week is the largest event of its kind in the UAE. All year long residents look forward to the event to make full use of the value deals on the various products, as well as to load up on the freebies GITEX is filled with. 2009 GITEX will run from October 18 until October 22. This year, over 3,000 companies from 65 countries are participating in the event. GITEX Shopper drew about 132,761 visitors last year, in an estimate by GITEX Shopper 08. Consumers from all over Dubai and even other countries, flood the roads around Airport Expo in a bid to get their hands on the best of electronic deals. While almost every Dubai resident schedules in some GITEX time into their busy week; There are a few who are struggling to swim against the current of popular consent. These are residents who boycott GITEX with a religious fervour. The reasons may vary from- the lack of time, to branding the event as an overdose of consumerism, to a complete lack of interest. Most people blame the recession for making them cut down on their spending, while others stay away in the last few waves of the panic around H1N1.

Mary Ann Mae, a homemaker says “Everybody rushes into GITEX without thinking, Does no one think of the illnesses that can spread? The Swine Flu scare has people being extra careful about physical contact. Why is it that they forget all this when GITEX comes up? I have two children and I am not going to take them to GITEX, I fear infection. ” While this may be too paranoid a viewpoint, many visitors were spotted at GITEX with children in tow. It may be advisable to leave children at home during GITEX, as multitudes from every walk of life throng into closed quarters. With limited air circulation and such numerous people collected in such close quarters, contagion is inevitable.

Every hyped event brings with it its own band of cynics. Mohammed Rafiq, says “GITEX is just a marketing gimmick, I brought a handycam for what I thought was a good deal. I found out that the same thing was available in the market for about 75 AED lesser than the price at GITEX That was in 2005. I haven’t been to GITEX since. I tell my friends not to fall for the GITEX stunt, but they don’t listen to me. It is very important to do your research on the product you want before you go out to buy it.” Rafiq is one of a surprising number of people who are of the opinion that GITEX deals are not all that they claim to be.

GITEX Shoppers Exhibition adds on to the already existing traffic problems of Dubai. Able Mathew, who works in Rashidiya says, “Thanks to the GITEX week, I spend an extra hour on the roads on my way and back from work. This is the route I take daily and its packed with GITEX shoppers. I wanted to go for Gitex, but the traffic I face to work, makes me want to boycott GITEX. ” Traffic problems are abundant during GITEX. The area surrounding the Airport Expo is dotted with cars lined up in a bid to try and squeeze into the already crowded exhibition halls. Many have horror stories of being stuck in traffic for hours only to be discouraged and turn back home. The heavy traffic chomps down a large number of parking spots in its wake, causing yet another issue - limited parking for visitors. While arrangements have been made for free visitor parking around Airport Expo as well as other designated parking sites around Dubai, parking still stands as a hurdle, with most visitors unable to find suitable spots.

People rush in to grab the best of deals

Photo credits: Blassy Boben

The number of people who shun GITEX is a surprising for reasons like traffic, aversion to crowded places, paranoia, the recession, a general mistrust of popular events, as well as the availability of other alternate crowd pulling events. One such event was a regional show in the Airport Expo, running parallel to GITEX Shoppers. The event, with superstars from the Keralite community, managed to hold its own under the looming shadow of GITEX Shoppers.
GITEX in Dubai is a highly chaotic time. One wonders if the heavy traffic, the nonexistent parking spaces, the entrance fee and the gas chamber like exhibition halls packed with people is worth a few good deals on consumer electronics, if any. Here is a new generation of consumers, who fight against the norm of 'manufactured consent' and make decisions for themselves.

The roads around the exhibition hall choker blocked with visitors

Photo credits: Blassy Boben

Light Feature - Expatriate Opinion (Profiling Filipinos)

October 7, 2009
783 words

Savory memories.

Expatriates fly away from their homes in search of greener pastures. The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) working abroad as on September 2008 reached 3.0 million as reported by their government. While being highly in tune with the sense of transience they face as expats, most Filipino’s have adjusted well to their surroundings. While being ever acceptable of other customs and traditions Filipinos hold their own culture close to their hearts. They are hardworking and respectable, and their hospitality has no bounds. These expats terribly miss and yearn their homes. There is another thing that expats miss most, their local food, that is difficult to find overseas, or is difficult to make. Whatever the case may be, most expats agree that their regional food doesn’t hold the same flavour and allure when eaten elsewhere in the world.

Expats travel to and fro their home countries as often as they can. We take a peek into the luggage a few Filipinos carry to their country and back. Most Filipino’s agree that they take back things like souvenirs, clothes, toys, perfumes and other knick-knacks for their families back home. They bring back food items to munch on here in Dubai.

Citadel Sanchez, an Office Assistant at Al Futtaim Motors, has been in Dubai for 3 and a half years. When asked about the items she brings back from her trips to the Philippines she says,

I bring back Filipino delicacies, little things I cant find here, like the shortcakes and the little homemade fruit flavoured candy. I even get back dehydrated Kare Kare(Beef with vegetables) and Chicken Abodo (chicken cooked in s special manner) to eat here.

Beverly D. Reyes, has been a Dubai resident for the past 2 years. She says she desperately misses her home country, “I miss the whole country itself because it is the only place where I belong and is close to my heart.”

When asked to tell us abut the things she brings back from the Philippines, she says “I’ll probably bring Bagoong (fish and shrimp paste), Yema (milk sweets made by my Mom), dried salted fish, green mango, photos of my loved ones and family, and native souvenirs for my friends in Dubai. ”
With Dubai’s specialized outlets for selling pork, and supermarket aisles dedicated to Filipino products. Filipinos have no trouble finding the ingredients for most of their dishes. However, there are some items they do not find here.“Fish balls, squid balls, crab balls, and Balot (blue egg), all Filipino delicacies, but you cant even catch a whiff of them here in Dubai.” Says Beverly.

Glodelyn Sevilla has been in the Gulf for about two years. A Credit Control Assistant, she says “I bring back my favorite foods like palabok, lechon and kawal, None of these are available here. Once I bring them back, I scrimp on them so as to make them last longer. Besides these, I bring back Filipino medicines, They are the only ones that work effectively on my system. ”

James Mark Narisma, a Staff Nurse with the Ministry of Health for the past 4 years now says, “I was born and raised in the lovely city of Davao, I bring back Philippine dishes like coconut and butter cake, baked in charcoal, and paella made Philippine-style. The foodstuff we bring back from vacations to my country, doesn’t last as long as we’d like it to.” He grins. “ We can make the Philippine cake here as well, but it is just not the same,"

Expats miss their homes most during religious Festivals and other celebrations. With a majority Christian population, Filipino’s have the longest Christmas celebration extending from September to January. They have a love for exuberant celebrations with loud rejoicing and dancing. Metina Dolondz from Jumeirah says, “The first few years I was here, I tried to celebrate Christmas the way Filipinos celebrate at home. giving and sharing. I try to go back to the Philippines during Christmas and Easter. The times I cant, I bring back ingredients on my summer vacation to try and make the Christmases here just as enjoyable for my family. The best of Pinoy food comes out at celebrations. We have traditional favorites like the “biritan” and “kantahan” and delicacies like Sinigang na baboy (Pork with Tamarind soup), Taho (tofu in caramel syrup).”

Every expat faces challenges the first time they set foot in the country. What all these people have in common is a story of struggle away from home, one where they are all lost masses trudging through the muck in a bid to build a better tomorrow for themselves and their children.

Feature - Piracy

September 16, 2009
731 words

Piracy: Not quite the sinkhole

The movie making industry today is trembling at the sight of the black-flag atop a deck of intelligent minds working away at the computer screen, diligently sharing file after file of intellectual property. After having almost completely wrecked the music industry, these geeks then turned to the world of motion pictures.

Online Piracy is the illegal distribution of motion pictures or television programs without the consent of the copyright owner. They pose the biggest threat to the industry today. These hackers and the people who download are the movie bigwigs fear that their arrival will bring the movie industry to a complete halt. The hackers on the other hand while, admitting they do know piracy is a form of stealing; they have been conditioned to not feel guilt of any sort over the act as a whole. Piracy cannot be justified because once it is stripped of its layers, what remains is an act of absolute physical thieving. Hackers steal unreleased prints and reels from the sets and movie databases of the movie makers. These are then illegally duplicated, packaged and prepared for sale on the black market. Online these files are shared on peer to peer software which allows them to share the information with people world over. The law deems most of these File sharing platforms as legal, leaving movie makers in a tizzy.

Hackers make use of advancing technology, which they have bent over to use to their own advantage. The murky prints that come from a handheld camcorder in a theatre are a thing of the past now. Today’s pirates have access to better quality goods, almost in par with the original print. This immediately points fingers at the lesser recognised talents, whose names shyly make their way up the end credits; One can only wonder which one of these is responsible for the thousands of copies floating around the internet weeks before the movie even premiers. “There is no way a reel can be physically taken off the sets without at least a Judas or two within the movie crew themselves” says Julianne Dsouza, a TV student

In a desperate bid to combat piracy, the industry has come up with a hasty idea of beating the hackers at their game. The movie companies hire individuals who upload videos that look like files of the movie but just bad files who refuse to play. They do this in multiples thinking it will take a long time for downdloaders to sift through and find the ones with decent print. Thereby discouraging them from indulging in online piracy. Pratamesh Desai, A PR executive comments, “This only goes on to add onto the spam already present on the internet, which will cause absolute chaos online.” And even studios' attempts at safeguarding their products - watermarks and other digital locks, have not been able to stand strong against the probing fingers of hackers. Digital Content cannot stay private for long. The overwhelming power these hackers weld over production houses only go to show how intellectual property, once online, loses its seal of privacy.

What the world needs to realise is how piracy is not the ravaging monster people assume it to be. Piracy takes these works of art and flings them out to far off places or into poorer hands that could not have even dreamed of watching these before. Piracy, online and physical takes the magical world of movies to places and people it wouldn’t go to otherwise. Mayank Ghatawat, an MBA student and a sworn downloader says, “Today piracy is like a virtual handover of material from one person to another. The world brings back its traditional values of sharing and hands out generous portions of intellectual property to everyone who asks.”

The panic over piracy is reminiscent of a distant past where movie studios were fretting about the advent of the VCR. It managed to supplement movie collections rather than prove detrimental to it. Piracy is here to stay. The only way to get people to stop downloading movies for free is to provide them with a reasonably priced legitimate alternative, one that is suited to their preferred media. The movie industry cannot afford to go the music industry way, as the amount of time and resources spent on trying to track down individual downloaders can be put to figure out how to use the internet more effectively.

Light Feature - Home of an Expatriate

September 16, 2009
640 words

Queer sights in the expat home.

Of all the civilized communities known to man, expatriates take the prize for being the most eccentric of the lot. Having flown from their nests in search of greener pastures, here is a community that will surprise you with its unique style of dealing with things. Expats for the most, constantly hover over the threshold, not knowing whether to cross over and submerge themselves into the local culture, or to stay within and hang tight to the remnants of their own fast eroding culture.

“I’m all about reusing”, says Mrs Nayantara John, a housewife “Growing up, we dint have the luxuries we see today, Wastage of any kind makes me unhappy, so I reuse! Good for the environment. Good for my wallet” she laughs. Her house is filled with containers of every size and shape, she uses peanut butter jars for spices, milk bottles to store cold water, old clothes to dust her house, and ice cream containers for everything from curry to her impressive collection of colorful thread. “While being ever-receptive of other cultures, should be proud of our heritage, our rich and colorful history. We should be able to carry it with pride, wherever we go, and whichever part of the world we settle in”. she says, smiling through the delusional cultural pride that radiates from her pickle filled jam jars and her other knick knacks.

Megha Kumar, hailing from Kerala, is highly aware of her transience as an expat. “My family is all about preserving everything we own, everything from furniture to electronics are covered for the most of the day.” This might have its roots in miserliness, Although no expat worth his while will admit to it. They refuse to put things to use unless they absolutely have to. Adjustment is the magic word. “We keep everything from empty boxes to old electronic appliance manuals to sachets of ketchup to wet towels from fast food outlets”

Expats tend to prefer interiors that remind them of home. Interiors are all about practicality, although we do try to fill it with as many bric-a-bracs as possible. Most expat houses will have a maniplant growing in the corner, lucky bamboo arrangements and balconies bursting with whatever plants can survive in the Dubai heat. Jaspreet Saluja, a teacher with the Indian High School Dubai says, “I love having plants around, both real and artificial, My house is filled with both plants as well as plastic flower arrangements.

Marie Alves, a banker hailing from Philippines, agrees to missing home. “We try to get to get our homes here to look like homes back in Manila” When asked about the one item one can expect to find in every Filipino house, he says “A rice cooker. I am truly Pinoy. My family has rice for every meal of the day. As is the case in many Filipino homes. We actually have two rice cookers”
Most people believe that expats tend to clutter their houses less than local families, as they move around every few years. While this is true for some, most expats believe in saving up the good stuff to take back to their hometowns. “My parents buy gold, and electronics and other things, to take back home when we finally leave Dubai. They are kept untouched for a number of years. Things are affordable and are of better quality here. But they take up too much unnecessary space around the house. All that clutter! We even save up on plastic bags because they are such a rarity in India”, sighs Reshma Jose, a student.

What all these people have in common is a story of struggle away from home, one where they try to make the best of their surroundings. Man adapts to his surroundings quickly. If Immigration may very well be the most developed form of adaptability ever.

Feature - Ramadan

08 September 2009
324 words

Kandoora Capers.

The Ramadan month in this part of the world means lower work hours for most employees. There are a few select businesses that are at their peak during this period.

Sitting behind his desk at the Al Hashmi Diplomat Trading in Deira, Mr ACM ticks off the delivery sheet data for the day, checks his consignment reports, makes a few phone calls and smiles contentedly. “People generally tend to spend more around Ramadan, resulting in higher sales turnover. As much as 50 per cent of our annual revenue comes in at Ramadan” says Mr ACM who has helped build the company from scratch. They have come a long way from their humble origins thirty years ago, the then tiny shop in the Al Ra’a Street of the old Gold Market now serves as the main headquarters of this flourishing men’s wear business.

This Sales executive is interrupted by a phone call from their retail outlet in Sharjah. Al Hashmi is the sole distributor of the Diplomat brand of arab clothing in the UAE. Their products include the dishdasha, the embroidered coats, keffiyeh, the agal, the tagiyah as well as the traditional arab cane. “People who observe Ramadan choose this time of spiritual purity to deck themselves in new clothing.” He says happily. In the early days we used to cater exclusively to arab households who bought cloth in bulk to outfit every male member of the family. Today a full blown wholesale distributor, he exports ready made garments to Indonesia and Korea.

As the clock hands near 6:30 pm, he packs up, making a last few phone calls. “The shop closes at Iftaar”, he explains, “only to reopen at 8 pm. We work overtime during Ramadan often closing shop in the wee hours of the morning. I don’t get to see my family for this month as I sleep in the office on most days. “ he sighs, but its the sigh of a satisfied man.

Feature - Teens and Media Usage

October 14, 2009

712 words

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Digital media trends are changing at a rapid rate. Leading this revolution is a herd of mu­ltitasking teenagers. Youth today are connected to the internet in some way or the other. This generation is unique in terms of its fast lifestyle, where they try to squeeze in much as they can into every second of their lives. Teens give highest priority to their friendships. Technological advancements have allowed teens to extend their friendships into cyberspace, reaching out to people without considering geographical limitations. Today’s teens are constantly connected to each other. There are teens who communicate every second. These are teens with a host of options including cell phones, internet, instant messaging and so on. Social media like networking sites are easily the most commonly used platform for interaction.

A social networking site is an online place where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users. The most common names here are Facebook, My Space and Orkut. Prateek Madkaikar, a grade nine student of Our Own English High School says “The first thing I do when I get home from school is log in to my facebbook page to check my notifications. I see most of my classmates online as soon as we get home. ” These sites contain many features, all rolled into one, providing avenues for both content creation and evaluation. Members share photos, thoughts, opinions and news. The sites also allow users to choose who gets to view their profiles. While most play safe and add only familiar faces and names; Every now and then we hear stories of kids being taken for a ride by strangers they meet on these sites.

The number of people registering on social networking sites is growing at an alarming rate. It would be an understatement to say that this is the preferred method of communication for the 13-19 age group. These kids may be more in tune with technology than their parents or the generations before them. However, social networking has its share of evils, which may be too dangerous to handle for them. “I hear frightening stories about networking sites all the time” says Mrs Rosamma George, a housewife. “I make sure my kids never put up anything bad on the sites. They could be misused.” Her daughter Megan says “I use facebook too. But I never add strangers. It could be dangerous, It took me a long time to convince mama (her mother), to allow me to create a profile and to upload a profile picture. She’s being paranoid but I know what I’m doing online”

ocial networking has both positive and negative sides to it. One wonders why teens feel the need to constantly make their personal lives public. This could be done in an effort to emulate the lives of celebrities, that the media today has left open to the public. Sites allow them to try on different identities, in a bid to try and find one they like. Seena Viswan, a teacher says “I understand if teenagers wish to express themselves on social platforms. But I teach the fourth grade and I was shocked to hear about 40% of my class had accounts on facebook.” There is a large number of kids below twelve on facebook as well. There is even a facebook group for those who have joined before they hit thirteen years of age.eens view social networking sites as a place to interact with their peers, while in the comfort of their homes, away from the awkward face to face interactions. They choose to isolate themselves behind their screens in a bid to maintain the same intrapersonal relationships they run from in real life. Such self closeting also handicaps their social development. They are not making strong relationships, choosing instead to form transient cyber relationships. Pearl Rajan from Middlesex University says “It’s easier to interact with people online as I lose intrest in conversations quickly. When I’m online, I can interact with all my friends, while doing other things on the side. I can do this without the risk of offending them ”

The importance of parental control

Photo credits: Blassy Boben

Feature - Culture

October 18, 2009
568 Words

Beneath the radiance

Seerwan Ali Jaffer, hailing from Nineveh in Iraq, trades in precious stones. At his stall in the Heritage Village, Jaffer smiles broadly as we ask him question after question about his trade. The pride he has in his profession could not be anymore evident. “ I have all kinds of stone and glass jewelry” he says, I have prayer beads made of real amber , worry beads, and gemstones set to bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings. ” He says in a well rehearsed sing song voice.

Jaffer in his shop

Photo credits: Blassy Boben

The most common item in Jaffer’s shop are Islamic prayer beads. These prayer beads are known as Masbaha or Tasbeh. Pious use a string of ninety-nine (or one hundred) beads called the subha or tasbih, on which they recite the names of Allah. It is divided into three equal parts either by a bead or special shape or size, or by a tassel of gold or silk thread. Equally as popular are the worry beads, these are used to supposedly relieve stress and tensions of the day. Jaffer’s shop is a tourist favorite, as he narrates his tale of the lost art of handmade jewelry to anyone who will ask.

The colourful rosaries on display

Photo: Blassy Boben

“There are different types of rosaries -33, 45, 66 and 99 beads”, he says . “The bead sizes are: Ø 6 - 20 mm round beads, 6x8 mm to 15x20 mm”, he rambles on, his eyes focused on a distant past in Iraq where his family painstakingly fashioned these beads. “Rosaries are made from fragrant wood, amber, mother-of-pearl, gold and silver”. He runs the silken beads through his fingers, sniffing at them for the fragrance the wood gives off.

Jaffer talks about his precious goods

Photo: Blassy Boben

Forced to leave Iraq after the Gulf War, Jaffer came to the UAE, in search of work. He speaks of a time where he was afraid of losing everything he painstakingly rebuilt here in foreign land. When I was a child, I remember my entire house participating in activities to shape and string the beads. It used to be a family affair” he explains, “Today, my sons have businesses of their own. Nobody wants handmade jewelry anymore, Everyone wants fancy machine cut stones. Ours is a dying trade”. He says sadly. “I no longer make jewellery, he says, I am too old for that. I trade in the items my brother in laws send me from Iraq”. Jewellery making is a long and tedious process, Jaffer elaborates on the stages of work he used to perform in his youth to make a simple pendant. “Once we got our hands on the stones, we’re busy with the cutting, shaping, slicing and the polishing of the stone, it takes a long time”. “The end product is almost always unsatisfactory”, he says. Jaffer is a perfectionist, and explains that he can always spot flaws in his finished products, Since he keeps improving upon them he takes even longer to complete them than the rest of his people. “Today the same thing can be completed very fast using machines, and the end piece is flawless.”

The glittering treasure

Photo: Blassy Boben

His ears perk up at the call for prayer, as he begins to lovingly repack the stones he brought out to show us. Each of his items are one of a kind, individually handcrafted to the highest standard. His interesting designs use gemstones, art glass, shell, coral, amber, leather, hemp, copper and silver; Jaffer’s jewellery is truly unique and unconventional. His jewellery is surprisingly contemporary, branded with a timeless wearability.

The last of a dying breed
Photo: Blassy Boben