What Is An Expat?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7085597.stm

A bridge under construction has collapsed in Dubai, killing seven workers and injuring 15, police said.

The bridge was being built in Dubai Marina, a new development in the United Arab Emirates city which is a regional business and tourism hub.

A large number of ambulances were driving to the scene of the accident.

Dubai’s economy has boomed in recent years, fuelled largely by a construction industry reliant on low-paid workers, many from South Asia.

More than 40 labourers were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, police said.

This is a shame. You have sooo much construction going on in Dubai and such poor standards that things like this happen far too often. Add in the fact that the workers often get paid late or not at all, and precious little in the first place while paying an agent an exorbitant fee to get them a visa and a job in the first place. Then they find that they don’t get paid what they were told and owe a hefty sum while the contractor holds their passport, so even if they could scrape up the money they couldn’t leave.

Dubai has many things going for it, but humane treatment of the workers building it sure isn’t one of them.

The 2006 UAE Gallery contains various pictures from out and about here. A few obligatory shots of the Burj Al Arab, our apartment, some friends that have stopped by to see us, and some general shots from our window into Dubai Marina. Actually, it’s about time to take some more as the construction has really gone crazy in the area. We’ll have some time off coming up at the end of the year for Arafat / Eid / New Year’s so that’ll be a good time to take some more picture. Of course, that’ll be for the 2007 Gallery I guess.

Man, have I been busy. Got internet at the flat a couple of days ago. I currently am using the laptop on the bar of the kitchen counter, so you will have to forgive me if I do not post anything of great length.

I decided to go ahead and break down and buy some stuff so the place will be more livable when Guli gets here. What did I get? A Plasma TV — I asked for a Plasma rifle in the 40 watt range but they just blank-looked me — and nifty home theatre thingy. It was expensive. I also got a microwave, but it was not. Then I spent approximately 4 days in IKEA, the Swedish Hell-store. I got a TV stand, a desk-table, and a chair. So I don’t know if that’s really more livable, but it is more entertaining. The sum total of furniture aside from that is a mattress and box spring, and two of those cloth covered camp chairs. Ok, so one of them is less functional than one would hope. You just can’t lean on the arm of those things. My density was the undoing of the arm’s destiny. It is of course still fully usable for sitting. I am only so much of a fatass, though I wish you wouldn’t refer to me that way, or I will come over to your house and demonstrate my extensive knowledge of application of force and mass in a nonviolent yet life-threatening fashion. Anyway, enough of your silly threats, I am going to bed. I have been standing for hours now, and the morn is creeping inexorably forward.