Today I’ve been up since 5am. Doing chores, laundry, breakfast, battling the cat litter (I won). But first I took these:
It only involved 90 minutes driving around Dubai’s back roads towards Lahbab, trying to get rid of electricity poles, fences, occasional ugly buildings, the wrong side of the road, and so on.
On the way back home I looked up and saw the below frame. So I had to stop and snap it too.
No prize winning photos yet, just experimenting with a sample of what the camera can do. I’ve booked a course in a couple of weekends time, hopefully it will not be money down the drain.
Look ma, no cats.
Of course many more pictures were taken (including of cats), this is just a Least-Worst-Of. In addition to the shooting I’m also trying my hand at some very basic post processing. Very. Basic. One tries to keep oneself busy when one’s wife goes away for weeks.
The biggest problem I’m facing is lugging the camera with me all the time. Last week I drove past what in my opinion was a very promising shot. By the time I got home, grabbed the camera and rushed back on the scene (a minute drive), the moment had passed. So now I have to take it to work with me, dump it on the desk (cannot leave it in the car as it gets too hot), then carry it back out. People would understandably think I’m nuts.
Whenever one moves house the opportunity arises to renew one’s acquaintances with the lovely folk working at your services providers and utilities. These entities that shape our lives each have their own formalities and procedures, which for me at least have to be rediscovered from scratch.
DEWA – Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Upon finalising the tenancy contract of the new place you have to submit a copy to apply for a new connection. Each apartment doorway has a small plaque with a nine digit number on it. That’s the DEWA account number.
Side note: evidence of the UAE’s non existing data protection laws, one can call up DEWA on an automated line, punch in anybody’s account number, and be told the balance owed. Same thing applies on the Dubai Police website with license plate numbers, for outstanding fines.
In spite of DEWA being this lumbering utility often alleged to hike rates at will, they do have a functional (albeit around 3 years outdated) website, which allowed me to submit the application for new connection. Which by the way comes with a refundable deposit payable of Dhs 1,000. I also managed to submit the request for final bill for the old apartment, although I don’t know how smooth (or otherwise) this will be as I just did it today and it takes a couple of days to process.
Du, competitive telecoms provider extraordinaire. Sadly I had to stop my custom as the area I moved into is serviced by Etisalat only. Du had hitherto been very helpful and flexible. I was able to pay my bills by credit card. When it came to closing the account and claiming my refundable deposit however I was told I had to go in person to an outlet for this. Fine, they need signatures, but it’s nothing that mail cannot solve.
And of course Etisalat. I went in person to an outlet to apply for broadband internet, opting to forgo TV and landline for now. I like my distractions one at a time, thank you. After a week and still no connection I called them up and was surprised when, after the usual 2 minutes of automated menus, the call center picked me up immediately. Which is when I was informed that my application had been cancelled. My incredulous (and somewhat loud) “what??” was cue for the operator to launch into a tale of engineering problems, one technology not working, there are three other technologies they can try (pardon me??), and reassurances that the application will be reinstated, but I should go in person to an outlet for more information. Way to go Etisalat.
While still deciding whether to take the apartment I had specifically asked if internet was readily available, to which I was assured by the real estate agent that after applying it should take only 3 working days. Same was told to me by Etisalat the day I actually applied. I’m sick of being sold stuff which then doesn’t work like it says on the box.
