Me again! nothing profound - just ramblings...

Oct 22

... I won a battle!!! The short version is I we bought me a new cell phone, the data package (internet, etc) didn't work properly on it. After 48hours of screwing w/it and talking to the help desks and our service provider the phone was going back. They were quick to offer a replacement that would be in later that nite and they would call me --- they didn't (that is pretty standard). The next day I called and spoke to some guy that didn't speak good English and had no idea what I was talking about, I went up there later... still no phone, they'll call me. I called bullshit on them and got a little bitchy, they assured me. Later that nite they called!! I picked up the phone the next day, I tested it this time having learned a thing or two, it appeared to work but was a weird interface (being an unlocked, UK, AT&T phone I guess I shouldn't have been surprised), "...maybe I can fix that with a theme change...". Walking to my car I realized the data package still was still foul. I go back inside the mall, after spending an hour with a service provider representative to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong, after an hour with him it was determined the phone did not work! (I knew it!!) I marched back to the store, started complaining, turned the phone on and it all worked - WTF!!! After all the headache and trouble I had already decided that the karma/aura associated with the phone was no good and I did not want it but I had no recourse now. They have a strict no return policy on working phones, the only problem I now had with mine now was personal (and an odd screen set up/interface). {fyi: This story is longer than I planned} Me and the man begin our battle dance.... his hands are tied, his boss is in prayer--- I'll wait --- His boss said "no return" --- I need to talk to his boss then--- he's at lunch ---It's 2pm--- he takes lunch from 2-3p--- I'll go to lunch downstairs and eat lunch as well and be back at 3p---- when I come back he tells me that boss said no as well ---I need to talk to his boss then... He's going to call the 1st boss back again so I can talk to him. We dance on the phone a bit --- he says he cannot return the phone, what can we do?? ---I want my money back, I'm not happy--- etc, etc (the whole time in my mind thinking of all the things I'm going to to make sure the public knows this is how this store is doing business, writing letters to papers, posting fliers, writing it on my car with car chalk (I will know doubt have to send home for) He must have read my mind because we chatted for a few more minutes and after about 15 minutes of 'the boss' talking to his associate in an unknown dialect my money was returned!! Yay - the moral of the story?? I won!!!

So, I got my money back from the cursed phone and went and enrolled in SCUBA certification! Mark got his before summer but I didn't have time but in a week or so I'll be certified too!! I'm pretty excited about that!
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Our old stomping ground is being torn down! Oasis Beach, the hotel we stayed out when we first came out here to visit. We've always been impressed with them and before summer we still frequented their facilities.
Here's a couple shots last May (2007):






































And now:




































bummer! ~sigh~ As is life in Dubai... always making way for something newer and more impressive.






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Here is tonite's sunset taken from the famous JBR (you'll have to forgive, most of the pics on todays post were taken with my phone)

Speaking of JBR here is a video from one of the penthouse suites on the 46th floor. It overlooks The Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab
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Oh - we were at Festival City a couple weeks ago and were excited to find that Dave & Busters is coming to Dubai! Nothing we like more than having a few too many and playing video games in order to win silly tickets that allow you to redeem them for even silly-er prizes!! YAY!
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Just a shot of some of the buildings in the Marina
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A newly discovered bill:
Introducing the 200 dirhams bill (about $54)


This could have been around for some time but this is the first one I've seen--Pretty cool
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TexMex in the MidEast
El Chico Cafe opened up earlier this year. As I understand it they originated in Texas in 1940. We were thrilled to have a piece of home here in Dubai. Being vegetarian we are limited as to what we can eat in a Mexican restaurant but the cheeze enchiladas aren't 1/2 bad and others rave about the rest of the menu. The service is s-l-o-w-l---y getting better but the bigger problem is the lack of alcohol. You can't really enjoy TexMex with out the cervezas or margaritas - am I right??!!
For some reason it is still cracks me up every time I look at the menu:

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Alright, one more before I call it a nite. One of our last days there in Houston we were driving, somewhere, and saw this subliminal message:

(TrustMark Bank)

Good night all - until next time!
xoxoxxo