Fitness First or Money First?

Mr. Knill says that Fitness First offers the highest standard at an affordable price. Right. Have you ever tried to join Fitness First without a credit card in hand? Go ahead, try it. They will not accept your application. In fact, after consenting with one of their reps to pay 4 months in advance, they agreed and later (when I came back to pay up) they said they couldn't do it.

The problem with Fitness First is a simple one. The business model is this: People will pay, forget they are paying and continue to pay for a service we will not offer. So, out of X members, only a subset will utilize our facilities. We get their credit cards, charge them for the memebrship. Then, make it very difficult to cancel their membership (30-day written notice, to be handed by... read the small print).. and so will continue to charge them for an additional period (only in periods of 4 months at a minimum).

This is rather deceptive, Mr. Knill. I highly doubt that you can get away with this in Bournemouth, UK. In fact, one of the reasons Dubai is attractive is that you can get away with murder and get your picture taken for it.. with a big grin on your face while you are ripping off hard-working people in Dubai.

Shame on you.

Life's a beach.

We have some fabulous beaches in Dubai, huge stretches of soft white sand with warm turquoise water to swim in. They're part of life in Dubai for many people, especially at the weekend when friends meet there to relax after their hard working week.

We now have some iconic buildings on the beach too, which tourists love to photograph.

Today I took my camera when I went for a stroll along the most famous stretch of beach so that I could share some photographs of our beach culture with you.

First, the view of the beach from Umm Suqeim Park:



Then Burj Al Arab, the building that the tourist buses head to every morning so that the excited tourists can have their photo taken with our symbol of Dubai in the background:



And its sister hotel, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, photographed from the lifeguard tower at the end of the beach:



Looks fantastic doesn't it.

Beach update - it couldn't be worse.

I wrote on my blog yesterday about the mysterious construction fence which was being built along Jumeirah Beach (which Samuraisam kindly linked to this blog - below).







My worst fears about it have been confirmed.

Just read what the press release in the papers today says:

Zabeel Investments has begun work on a new 4.5 million square foot coastal development on Jumeirah Beach in Umm Suqueim.

"The unique mixed-use development will comprise residential, commercial and hospitality facilities reflecting a beachfront lifestyle."

We have appointed a renowned master planner and architect who is putting together final touches to plans that will be one of the best that Dubai has seen."

The development will add to the existing beachside environment, which is synonymous with new developments in the UAE.

"The new project will further extend Dubai's coastline and provide additional opportunities for the beachfront lifestyle."

So there we have it. The standard press release phrases, and as usual not quite telling it like it is. This is not 'adding to the existing beachside environment' but taking it away.


Development gone mad. Taking away one of Dubai's major tourism assets, depriving residents of one of our major relaxation areas.


The press release is in Gulf News here.

OF GREEDY APPETITES AND GLASS HOUSES

This past week, on a girl's night out, was greatly disturbed to meet the young wife of a prominent construction industry bigwig. At first the estrogen-speak induced recurring ignorance and plastic plutocracy much like that of the nouveau riche had me shrink away in disgust, but soon realized she was just getting started when she announced that in an American-Airlines-one-olive-at-a-time cost-cutting fashion, her husband tactfully introduced a clause on the labor force's contract allowing the company to deduct AED 75 from the worker's wage should said worker fail to report for duty and AED 45 in case of a fight. Only in this case, not one but two olives will be plucked from under boy blue (quite literally) considering his already non-existent pay. "According to our estimate, on account of the fights alone we should be able to save thousands on book by the end of the year", says she.

Exactly what makes them steal food off a poor man's table when they have want for nothing?

Post came off my blog but what I'm feeling, only public venting could cure; albeit partially.