I used to enjoy sitting at cafés, restaurants, airport lounges the occasional ferry port and, although I don’t enjoy going there, even the dentist’s waiting room. But at some point during the last decade, I’ve noticed a tremendous decrease in social interaction between people at such venues; and it’s becoming plainly evident that the antisocial […]
There I go again, freshly arrived in Kathmandu and in the excitement of it all, I completely forgot to leave my corporate haste at the Dubai departure lounge. My flight landed at 18:00, which meant that any chance of catching a connecting flight to Pokhara disappeared as quickly as the setting sun. For whatever reason, […]
Cut of same bone and flesh and more, we share the same height and profile and jaw. Deep brown, silent and warm, his eyes mirror that of my own. We see the world in similar hues, its people and life and television news. We share good times and bad and sometimes even cry, we make […]
I’ve never really given it much thought previously, it was something that hadn’t touched me, or to an extent, wasn’t part of my life. I simply refused to accept that I was being subjected to pressures of any kind. You see, stress takes on so many different shapes and sizes that it’s actually quite difficult […]
Have you ever noticed that there’s always some peculiar system or archaic procedure to adhere to while making your way through immigration? Each country presents the traveller with its own ridiculously bureaucratic hoops to jump through without any logical explanation. I have a large 70-page business passport which lasts me, on average, about 18 months. […]
If you woke up this morning to the sound of a dull thud against your apartment’s front door, it can only mean one thing, January 5 fever. That’s right bargain-hunters, we’re all being summoned to partake in the one of the greatest testaments to consumerism — The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). And what was that […]
The ever-present legions of opportunists standing at street corners — eager to jump at the chance to be a tour guide, procure goods, carry them or even find a whore — does take a bit of getting used to. Eventually one comes to terms with the underbelly of society and begins to admire the finesse […]
To say that I’ve always been a well-behaved airline passenger would probably be a big fat lie. Let’s face it, if you spend more time in the air than on the ground, things are bound to get to you. Over the years I’ve complained about the age of the airplane, my seat, the entertainment system, […]
What a rush to finally do it on my own! Paragliding might look graceful, adventurous and exciting, but before you get anywhere near to using those fascinating words, there are a lot of boring ones you need to internalise first. Words like: fatigue, frustration, control, emotion, theory and patience pretty much sum up the first […]
7 April 2011 marked the 17th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide. I started writing this almost six months ago but I still feel as though I’m nowhere near capturing the anguish and gut-wrenching sorrow I felt in Kigali’s stadium that day. Just another day in Kigali It was the day before the commemoration and I […]
Corruption in and of the Media seems to be descending to new never-before explored depths. The topic has been in the spotlight for quite some time and doesn’t seem to be isolated to only one large media conglomerate. It is ironic to see the media on trial when one of the primary purposes of journalism […]
On far too many occasions I’ve been accused of hating children and even the whole parenting experience. Once and for all I would like to settle this ridiculous matter. Just because I don’t have any of my own doesn’t make me a child hater. I’m not quite sure of the logic behind the accusations but […]
Hypothetically speaking, if I were a physicist and for one reason or another I was to spend a number of days in Botswana, I’m quite sure the experience would give rise to a number of new scientific theories. To the untrained tourist, Botswana may seem like just another African country. But the reality is quite […]
When one works with (or within) large organizations, the process and logistics associated with claiming expenses incurred during normal work-related activities can be quite tedious. Logistics aside though, most of the problems are related to internal Accounts Payable (AP) audits which take far too long to resolve. True, I travel more than the average person […]
Freedom of the press is sometimes taken for granted in many countries that enjoy rights which permit relatively unrestricted freedom of expression. Laws and regulations vary greatly between countries. Some jurisdictions have no freedoms at all and are tightly censored by a central body, whilst others allow just enough variety and artistic mandate to create […]
Before his death, my grandfather taught me a number of important lessons that have stuck with me till this day. One of them was how to identify those people who have a plan, who move forward with their life dreams and achieve vital objectives. For want of a better word, we could call these successful […]
No matter where you live in Dubai, there are certain things that you can’t get away from — some more annoying than others — irrespective of how hard you try. For instance, there’s the low hum of nearby freeway traffic, which, to the untrained ear, could be confused with waves crashing on the adjacent beaches. […]
I shouldn’t have been shocked, I’ve seen it all before. But for reasons unknown that day, I stood still and watched a boy cleaning my hotel-room window. Perched right there in front of me, with a dirty rag in one hand and a spray-bottle in the other, in true-to-life high definition, a boy of no […]
WINDHOEK, 7 September 2011 — Chinese construction firms in Namibia are permitted to operate in in near-complete violation of Labour Laws and Safety Codes, a U.S. Embassy WikiLeaks Cable suggests. Although Namibia has generally worker-friendly laws, enforcement doesn’t seem to be consistent across the board. Many people and organizations have complained that GRN does not […]
DAR ES SALAAM — Surprising how some global events end up beating a path to your own front door. Just this morning I was reading a WikiLeaks U.S. cable written by the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, which accuses Tanzania’s President, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, of accepting bribes to the tune of $1 million from the UAE-based […]