30 March, 2008

Post-Races 2008

The Dubai World Cup this year was quite different to past experiences. Didn't have as much fun this year as the last couple. Got there late because of traffic. When we asked some people on duty at the blocked road entrances to the racecourse vicinity why we were not allowed to go right in, we were met with shoulder shrugs and a couple of incomprehensible mumbles. Great. We had friends accompanying us from abroad, and, trying to promote Dubai, when presented with the question "So...(would you leave your $$$ job overseas)...when are you moving to Dubai?" I wished I had some bodyguards to protect my little ears from the verbal backlash I had to endure!

Being forced to walk 20 mins to the main entrance when you've spent thousands to come to Dubai especially for the races and don't happen to have a Burj Al Arab chauffeur driven Rolls to take you there is out of order. My designer-label clad friends from overseas were not too happy. Thousands of people at the only 2 gates to the racecourse even at 7pm.

And, this year, taxis were not officially available upon exit. We had 'luxury coaches' to take us out of the desert and into the city, and those standing in the aisles had nothing to lean on, unlike what the upcoming Dubai Metro will offer...those swinging things on the ceiling that you can hold onto while involuntarily being swayed around.

I think the highlight of the night was not that America's top-rated horse won, but the fact that the football results were announced towards the end of the night. I heard "Scunthorpe". Quite a different review to my last Post-Races post.

It was a really fun night and I would recommend it for next year. Upon official approval, camping outside the night before might be a good alternative: after all, it's the desert.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dubai is the best place.


http://www.dubai4me.net/index.php?catid=98&set_add_ad_cat=0

rosh said...

Sorta explains it all :)

Keef said...

You heard 'Scunthorpe'? Is that a problem for you?

Dubai Jazz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dubai Jazz said...

Arabian stallions are the best!

i*maginate said...

*keefieboy, yes is a prob, that's why limited comments ;-) at least I spelt it correctly? Was listening intently in the common area, if that makes you happy

*rosh...the link says it all, thanks. Bath sponge winner of the best-dressed? Dhs. 5? Hmm... Well, local news says it as it is...and the runner-up gets a hotel room with her unmarried lover. Abroad, of course. Perfect.

*dubai jazz
Arabian stallions...best worldwide. Italian stallions not bad either.

Keef said...

I$%^%$&%^$%maginate

Don't know: my darling wife comes from Scunthorpe...just wondering why you mentioned it?

i*maginate said...

*keefieboy, take it w a pinch of salt...

north/south divide?

no personal offence, u know what i mean? hope so.

get the p* taken out of me when i ask for a chip butty in a southern accent in ur neck of the woods.

Anonymous said...

I'm intruiged as to how Miss Bath Sponge expects to get an Armani suit and a couple of Louis Vuitton handbags for 4000dhs, unless she goes to Karama of course...

Keef said...

I*mag: I've been out of the UK I'd forgotten about North/South snobbery: it never even occurred to me that that was what you were referring to!

rosh said...

Rose in dxb she won $4000 (dollars) not Dhs. DAMN! talk about return on an investment

i*maginate said...

k...u thought I was referring to chip butties? of course there's no 'snobbery' here coz most r from the north & funnily enuff try and shed their identity upon landing here ;-)

rose in dxb...that's what I was thinking! 4 grand can't accommodate an LV bag AND a designer suit lol...karama indeed! Back to where she bought the bath sponge from!

The world's richest horse race...and a bath sponge wins?! Exactly why I don't wear a hat...plebs!

Keef said...

get the p* taken out of me when i ask for a chip butty in a southern accent in ur neck of the woods.

In Madrid? The only place you can get a chip butty is at Fat Tony's Caff or my house.

i*maginate said...

k, ur *wife's* neck of the woods...

anyway sorry for any offence...

i like chip butties ;-) no bluddy fish and chips shops in dubai...not even a donner kebab option for a late night!

Keef said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Keef said...

I*maginate. Not offended, just deeply puzzled. I confess myself to be completely flummoxed by this exchange of comments. It began with you saying but the fact that the football results were announced towards the end of the night. I heard "Scunthorpe".

I still don't understand what you intended by that sentence. Why shouldn't you hear 'Scunthorpe'? The town has a low-league football team, so why would it be unusual that you heard that word when listening to English football results? When I asked for clarification you said something like 'north-south divide, don't get upset, daahling.' And so on.

I've read your comments on many other posts several times, and never quite understood where you are coming from. Now you are saying people take the piss out of you when you use your southern accent to request a chip butty.

Mystified, I am, mystified. I'm not desperate to know, but where are you from? There's no clue in any of your blogs, and BTW - you should lose the two smallest ones, they just mean that people can't find your real one because they click on the first two first and then go away and slash their wrists. :-)

i*maginate said...

keefieboy, the underlying point is that football results shouldn't be announced throughout the night at the world's richest horce race. That is hardly part of a world-class entertainment program in a social atmosphere. yup I speak with a southern accent so the divide goes both ways - I assumed the reference to a northern city pissed you off so that was my defence. Let's just say I am not from Trivandrapuram. Hope that helps lol ;-)

2 of the blogs are inactive and the cake one is obvsiously not to your taste lol...how can I hide 2 blogs or is there no function for that?

Keef said...

I*mag. Thanks for that. I've not been losing sleep over it, and am certainly not pissed off, just puzzled. I don't see why you think that one type of sporting event should be off-limits to broacasting news of other sports. But whatever. End of conversation methinks.

i*maginate said...

k, it's more to do with the fact that it's not merely any sporting event, but the world's richest horse race and the entertainment was well below international standards. That's all. Ciao...

Anonymous said...

What a freakish exchange we have here !

i*maginate, seriously; why is it so hard for you to admit that you are a Pakistani?

Keef said...

Anon: LOL!

hut said...

The North-South divide is perpetuated between a Noothener in Madrid and a Pakistani in Dubai? Precious!

Keef said...

TNR: I'm not perpetuating any such thing!

Keef said...

The last word.

Keef said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BuJ said...

Hmmm it's amazing what people will do for attention.. be it offline or online. Like Keefie I'm baffled, as for me (as an anglo-arab) I can appreciate people from the North of the UK more than the South because they appear to be more sincere.

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