“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
So what about Al Ain online?
Al Ain Wikipedia – Top of the Google results and has some links. I know I haven’t used Wikipedia pages in the other cities but thought I would include this one as it came in at number one.
Al Ain - UAE Interact – Not an Al Ain website, but I have included this because it is a good source of information on the UAE as a whole country, rather than just the Dubai or Abu Dhabi thing you usually see. As well as this being a Federal site rather than being associated with one particular Emirate, this is also home to the UAE Yearbook which is a nice free eBook on all aspects of the country.
Al Ain Portal – The Arabic version of this site comes in somewhere at the bottom of the 2nd page of search results, but the English version had the potential to be good little resource on Al Ain. Unfortunately the content is not being continually updated, but it does have a nice little interactive map that shows you where the “attractions” are. It should also be noted that this site has the “Al Ain” brand that was developed a few years ago... the funny thing is most people in Al Ain don’t know they have a brand!
I am going to be a little biased here and say that what you can see of Al Ain on the Internet is actually quite positive and does make it look like a place worth visiting; but, what is out there apart from blogs is very limited as it is for Doha.
So that wraps up the online content from former (and current) homes; I would like to visit them all again, but I think the Websites could do with a little improvement.
Showing posts with label M Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label M Marketing. Show all posts
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Al Ain, UAE
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Doha, State of Qatar
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
Well I could suggest our old blog as a source of information on Doha, but it depends what you are searching on to where it comes in the Google results. From personal experience I can tell you there is not as much on the Internet about Qatar as there should be... a few sites and a couple of information resources here and there. It isn’t until you arrive in the country and get your hands on the local guide “Marhaba” that you really find out what is on offer.
Doha-Online – A rather poor directory of local business etc. Not very good or very well designed.
Qatar – This is quite a nice looking site but content is limited. Home of the Qatar Tourism Authority, it also hasn’t really been updated for a couple of years now and for some reason they have decided having Google Ads at the top of the home page adds something to it.
Qatar Info – Never quite worked this one out and has very little as far as pre-arrival information that would encourage arrival in the first place.
Qatar Living – This one doesn’t really fit the same category as other sites I have been looking at, but it is the one stop information resource for all current and potential expats in Doha. Basically a community blog and not the most attractive one at that, but still good on the content front.
Could never work out why so little information was online regarding Qatar prior to arriving; once I arrived I worked it out very quickly! Would be nice if “Marhaba” went online though, and developed a real presence to encourage tourism.
Well I could suggest our old blog as a source of information on Doha, but it depends what you are searching on to where it comes in the Google results. From personal experience I can tell you there is not as much on the Internet about Qatar as there should be... a few sites and a couple of information resources here and there. It isn’t until you arrive in the country and get your hands on the local guide “Marhaba” that you really find out what is on offer.
Doha-Online – A rather poor directory of local business etc. Not very good or very well designed.
Qatar – This is quite a nice looking site but content is limited. Home of the Qatar Tourism Authority, it also hasn’t really been updated for a couple of years now and for some reason they have decided having Google Ads at the top of the home page adds something to it.
Qatar Info – Never quite worked this one out and has very little as far as pre-arrival information that would encourage arrival in the first place.
Qatar Living – This one doesn’t really fit the same category as other sites I have been looking at, but it is the one stop information resource for all current and potential expats in Doha. Basically a community blog and not the most attractive one at that, but still good on the content front.
Could never work out why so little information was online regarding Qatar prior to arriving; once I arrived I worked it out very quickly! Would be nice if “Marhaba” went online though, and developed a real presence to encourage tourism.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sunshine Coast, Australia
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
Maybe a little unfair once again as this is a region rather than one single city, but I thought it was only fair to consider the Sunshine Coast as one city the same as Gold Coast is considered one entity. Looking at Buderim as a town in itself does bring up some interesting results on Google though.
The Buderim Website and Buderim Village – I don’t know where these type of sites come from, but no matter where you look in the world you come across very dated design produced by small independent design houses. Yes, if these sites were around 10 years ago everyone would have been impressed. While the area may look attractive the site itself does little to reinforce the destination as somewhere to visit. It’s all in the planning and if you wish to portray an area in a certain way there needs to be a sound effort to make everything “speak” in that same voice.
Sunshine Coast – This is actually a nice quality site with lots of links off to various other information sources. The best sources of information are on external links to the sites provided by the 3 main regions that make up the Sunshine Coast. So I guess that means this site isn’t great in itself, but does provide the right direction to explore the Caloundra, Maroochy, Noosa Websites.
I guess what this says is sometimes there isn’t a direct need to create new content, but there is a need to be a regional travel portal that comes at the top of the Google results.
Maybe a little unfair once again as this is a region rather than one single city, but I thought it was only fair to consider the Sunshine Coast as one city the same as Gold Coast is considered one entity. Looking at Buderim as a town in itself does bring up some interesting results on Google though.
The Buderim Website and Buderim Village – I don’t know where these type of sites come from, but no matter where you look in the world you come across very dated design produced by small independent design houses. Yes, if these sites were around 10 years ago everyone would have been impressed. While the area may look attractive the site itself does little to reinforce the destination as somewhere to visit. It’s all in the planning and if you wish to portray an area in a certain way there needs to be a sound effort to make everything “speak” in that same voice.
Sunshine Coast – This is actually a nice quality site with lots of links off to various other information sources. The best sources of information are on external links to the sites provided by the 3 main regions that make up the Sunshine Coast. So I guess that means this site isn’t great in itself, but does provide the right direction to explore the Caloundra, Maroochy, Noosa Websites.
I guess what this says is sometimes there isn’t a direct need to create new content, but there is a need to be a regional travel portal that comes at the top of the Google results.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Brisbane, Australia
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
Brisbane-Australia.com – Something about this site I find completely unappealing! I think it is the colour pallet on the page seems very washed out to me. Information is not bad, but just doesn’t look inviting.
Brisbane City Life – Horrible and ugly directory that has some good enough information but nothing about this site says “come and visit Brisbane”.
Our Brisbane.com – This one is a little unfair as this really is the only decent website for and about Brisbane. Looks professional and has good information for both visitors and residents (although still could be improved, like having an interactive map of regions rather than just links). One thing that has always annoyed me about this site though is why on earth call it “Our Brisbane”. To me it just ends up sounding patronising, like “My Store, Myer”. If it was really “our” Brisbane we would have a huge desalination plant and never have water restrictions; nor would crime rates continually be climbing, and politicians in the city wouldn’t be idiots.
I guess the sites make it look inviting, but I think Brisbane is a much nicer city than you get from the Internet. Maybe that is why everyone in this part of the world thinks of the Gold Coast first, which most people from Brisbane would find amusing – Many from Brisbane think of the Gold Coast as some huge soul-less southern suburb on the beach (which is more or less what it is).
Brisbane-Australia.com – Something about this site I find completely unappealing! I think it is the colour pallet on the page seems very washed out to me. Information is not bad, but just doesn’t look inviting.
Brisbane City Life – Horrible and ugly directory that has some good enough information but nothing about this site says “come and visit Brisbane”.
Our Brisbane.com – This one is a little unfair as this really is the only decent website for and about Brisbane. Looks professional and has good information for both visitors and residents (although still could be improved, like having an interactive map of regions rather than just links). One thing that has always annoyed me about this site though is why on earth call it “Our Brisbane”. To me it just ends up sounding patronising, like “My Store, Myer”. If it was really “our” Brisbane we would have a huge desalination plant and never have water restrictions; nor would crime rates continually be climbing, and politicians in the city wouldn’t be idiots.
I guess the sites make it look inviting, but I think Brisbane is a much nicer city than you get from the Internet. Maybe that is why everyone in this part of the world thinks of the Gold Coast first, which most people from Brisbane would find amusing – Many from Brisbane think of the Gold Coast as some huge soul-less southern suburb on the beach (which is more or less what it is).
Friday, October 12, 2007
Radiohead, downloads, and lost opportunities
So it has happened once again and newspapers around the world (and academics) sit up and notice something that has been happening for the best part of this decade. If I hadn’t been too busy (or lazy) I probably would have made a name for myself in academia for predicting the future, or at the least presenting a few good papers on alternative revenue models for the music industry. It really isn’t that hard to utilize opportunities rather than spending so much time and resources attempting to defend a position that is impossible to defend as the major labels have.
This time it is Radiohead of course who are making the headlines, but previously artists such as Prince and Marillion have succeeded by harnessing their fan base and proving that the Music Industry as we know it is an ever-changing beast (no matter how much the Industry itself does not want to change). Blame moves from file sharing to changing economic conditions to changing formats or to it being put down as a generational thing. Let’s just think about that for a minute though. While we aren’t talking about artists with a history as long as the Rolling Stones (who has after all), we aren’t talking about new independent artists either.
Marillion utilized their fan base to fund via preorder the production of their 2001 Anoraknophobia release and once again for the marketing costs for their 2004 Marbles set. Prince’s latest release Planet Earth was distributed for free in the UK via newspaper giveaway. Now Radiohead have taken the “pay what it is worth” approach for In Rainbows by allowing people to download their latest release via their website and paying what the buyer deems a fair amount (or nothing over the minimal transaction fee).
Although it can be argued that all three artists may be past their recording peak, they continue to be relevant in their own right with loyal fans either via recording, live, or both. Think about this for a moment: Prince’s first release was in 1978, Marillion in 1981, Radiohead in 1991. This goes some way to negate any argument from industry commentators regarding “kids” believing music is free. Who are these “kids” anyway?
Naturally the major labels still have the power to promote and sell millions of copies of formulated music which continues to go in cycles, and occasionally a label will get behind something new and original. For the most part we live in a time where on the surface it would seem that it is a safe and stagnant industry that is still suffering from forces out of their control. While it is true it remains difficult for unsigned artists to get exposure without major distribution deals, the fact is it can be done on a smaller scale. Porcupine Tree is a band that has developed a following over time and now has a loyal and growing fan base thanks mainly to the Internet and word of mouth.
What might be learned from Radiohead though? It is time for people with a vested interest to look at what has been happening this decade because things are happening out there that still make it a vibrant and artistic environment. But do not think this is the end of the major labels and although some have suggested this might send some shockwaves, I doubt it will even ripple the coffee in the boardroom cups. After all this is still the industry that believed iTunes was a good idea and their savior!
This time it is Radiohead of course who are making the headlines, but previously artists such as Prince and Marillion have succeeded by harnessing their fan base and proving that the Music Industry as we know it is an ever-changing beast (no matter how much the Industry itself does not want to change). Blame moves from file sharing to changing economic conditions to changing formats or to it being put down as a generational thing. Let’s just think about that for a minute though. While we aren’t talking about artists with a history as long as the Rolling Stones (who has after all), we aren’t talking about new independent artists either.
Marillion utilized their fan base to fund via preorder the production of their 2001 Anoraknophobia release and once again for the marketing costs for their 2004 Marbles set. Prince’s latest release Planet Earth was distributed for free in the UK via newspaper giveaway. Now Radiohead have taken the “pay what it is worth” approach for In Rainbows by allowing people to download their latest release via their website and paying what the buyer deems a fair amount (or nothing over the minimal transaction fee).
Although it can be argued that all three artists may be past their recording peak, they continue to be relevant in their own right with loyal fans either via recording, live, or both. Think about this for a moment: Prince’s first release was in 1978, Marillion in 1981, Radiohead in 1991. This goes some way to negate any argument from industry commentators regarding “kids” believing music is free. Who are these “kids” anyway?
Naturally the major labels still have the power to promote and sell millions of copies of formulated music which continues to go in cycles, and occasionally a label will get behind something new and original. For the most part we live in a time where on the surface it would seem that it is a safe and stagnant industry that is still suffering from forces out of their control. While it is true it remains difficult for unsigned artists to get exposure without major distribution deals, the fact is it can be done on a smaller scale. Porcupine Tree is a band that has developed a following over time and now has a loyal and growing fan base thanks mainly to the Internet and word of mouth.
What might be learned from Radiohead though? It is time for people with a vested interest to look at what has been happening this decade because things are happening out there that still make it a vibrant and artistic environment. But do not think this is the end of the major labels and although some have suggested this might send some shockwaves, I doubt it will even ripple the coffee in the boardroom cups. After all this is still the industry that believed iTunes was a good idea and their savior!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
London, UK
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
I know this one is a little unfair being a major world centre, but still there is quite a bit to be learned when they get it right (not perfect, but most definitely right). While these may not be the best sites in the world they rely on providing quality content and functionality.
Visit London – I think this is great with all the things you need to include in a location’s site. I especially like the interactive map of regions. There is no reason smaller destinations couldn’t do something like this (and now just to use something like this to guide students in what I want them to produce).
LondonTown.com – Reminds us of the importance of content. It isn’t just about design and making somewhere look attractive, but you need to include the content, and represent that content in the best light!
Looking at these reminds me how much I am looking forward to returning to London, and I think that means these sites are both achieving their objectives. Plus of course they come in at the top of the Google search!
I know this one is a little unfair being a major world centre, but still there is quite a bit to be learned when they get it right (not perfect, but most definitely right). While these may not be the best sites in the world they rely on providing quality content and functionality.
Visit London – I think this is great with all the things you need to include in a location’s site. I especially like the interactive map of regions. There is no reason smaller destinations couldn’t do something like this (and now just to use something like this to guide students in what I want them to produce).
LondonTown.com – Reminds us of the importance of content. It isn’t just about design and making somewhere look attractive, but you need to include the content, and represent that content in the best light!
Looking at these reminds me how much I am looking forward to returning to London, and I think that means these sites are both achieving their objectives. Plus of course they come in at the top of the Google search!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Mackay, Australia
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
Websites of places you have lived I feel is a worthy topic. K is too busy with work and eBay to actually get her blogging fingers on. Since we are more or less up to date (minus info and photos of a couple of trips to Abu Dhabi and Dubai) I thought I would keep the content going. Of course this poses the question as to what content comes next. Like the last blog this one is just going to be organic so of course there will be content on Al Ain and the UAE, but other times it will just have something that decides to fly out from brain to keyboard without it turning into too much of a brain-dump-blog (which of course is not a bad name for a blog anyway).
So after looking and being rather disappointed by the immediate online content from Masterton, I thought I would see if my next home fared any better in my “Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”.
Mackay City Council – Typical council kind of website that really does nothing to instill a desire to visit the place.
Move to Mackay – Moving to Mackay? Fill in the survey and they will give you $25 when you arrive. Reminds me of the Simpsons Movie when Homer gets the cash for crossing into Alaska, just on a VERY small scale!
Mackay Tourism – See there are websites out there that can make somewhere I have lived look inviting! The only problem here is you have to use “mackay” or “mackay tourism” as the keywords and not “mackay queensland” or “mackay australia” otherwise the site gets lost in pages that most likely wont be reached.
I suppose this time it is more to do with search engine optimisation rather than just bad sites. I was looking forward to seeing bungee jumping Australian wildlife but I guess it was not to be.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Masterton, New Zealand
“Let’s Google a city I have lived in to see if it looks worth visiting”
I was born in Masterton, New Zealand and I have quite fond memories of the place. A small country town surrounded by other smaller country towns, and farms; mountains on the horizon and a short drive to the cold and windy coast where we used to have a beach house.
I find that when you haven’t been somewhere, in this age of information overload many of us rely on the Internet for that final decision whether we visit or not. Not only that but where the site comes in a Google search is important. I have noticed that many of the sites for places in this region are not particularly informative nor does anyone source cover the full gamut of the things you need to know, or should visit while travelling. That isn’t saying there aren’t any good Websites or online sources, but you do need to search.
This brings me back to Masterton. I thought I would try a search and see what the top Google results were; maybe see some photos that being back some of the very good childhood memories.
hhmmmm....
Masterton... The Heart of the Wairarapa – oh dear... a bungy jumping Kiwi!
Masterton.co.nz – oh dear... a banner for the Wairarapa Womens Refuge!
Poor old Castle Point, which I remember as a sleepy little fishing village with huge 50 cent bags of lollies, doesn’t do much better – Castlepoint – a Coastal New Zealand Settlement
Carterton and Greytown possibly do a little better, but only just!
I think there is a lot to be said for Councils or Governments having some control over domain names and content that give the impression of being an official Website for a region. For every site that displays positives there are 10, 50, 100 more that can make a region look like a place most would have little desire to visit. Everywhere benefits from tourism and when some choose destinations via a single mouse click there isn’t much that differentiates one location from another. It is the results that turn up on the first page of Google that can tip the scale.
I was born in Masterton, New Zealand and I have quite fond memories of the place. A small country town surrounded by other smaller country towns, and farms; mountains on the horizon and a short drive to the cold and windy coast where we used to have a beach house.
I find that when you haven’t been somewhere, in this age of information overload many of us rely on the Internet for that final decision whether we visit or not. Not only that but where the site comes in a Google search is important. I have noticed that many of the sites for places in this region are not particularly informative nor does anyone source cover the full gamut of the things you need to know, or should visit while travelling. That isn’t saying there aren’t any good Websites or online sources, but you do need to search.
This brings me back to Masterton. I thought I would try a search and see what the top Google results were; maybe see some photos that being back some of the very good childhood memories.
hhmmmm....
Masterton... The Heart of the Wairarapa – oh dear... a bungy jumping Kiwi!
Masterton.co.nz – oh dear... a banner for the Wairarapa Womens Refuge!
Poor old Castle Point, which I remember as a sleepy little fishing village with huge 50 cent bags of lollies, doesn’t do much better – Castlepoint – a Coastal New Zealand Settlement
Carterton and Greytown possibly do a little better, but only just!
I think there is a lot to be said for Councils or Governments having some control over domain names and content that give the impression of being an official Website for a region. For every site that displays positives there are 10, 50, 100 more that can make a region look like a place most would have little desire to visit. Everywhere benefits from tourism and when some choose destinations via a single mouse click there isn’t much that differentiates one location from another. It is the results that turn up on the first page of Google that can tip the scale.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Website of the Day
NetGranny is a Swiss sock knitting cooperative of 15 Grandmothers that custom knit socks which you order online. Personalised products are great and you can’t get much more personalised than selecting your own Granny to knit you a pair of socks just in time for winter. I just think this is just one of the ideas that makes you scratch your head and question why on Earth has someone not set something like this up before!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Marketing Schools and TES
One of the first rules in “real” stakeholder relations is attend to the negative. There are only so many carpets to sweep things under. Obviously in this part of the world there are more carpets and maids wanting to sweep.
For anyone who visits the TES forums, you will notice that they suffer from the phenomenon of the disappearing thread. Some suggest this is due to their revenue for advertising positions being more important than what appears on their forums as a service to teachers. I think this is true and what you need to keep in mind is what TES does is not provide a not for profit service for teachers to communicate with each other, but rather a thinly veiled service which is simply an add on to their real purpose. They do have pretty specific terms and conditions of agreement on their forums, and many that post do breach these terms and conditions. At the end of the day this is not a negative aspects of a service TES provides, but rather inflated expectations of those that use those forums.
Now that is all very well and good, but the fact is there are many schools that have very little mention on the TES forums, and believe it or not I am in no way referring to any school, organisation, or country in particular! There are obvious reasons for lack of information –
A: The school is great and no one ever feels the need to vent;
B: The school is not great and too many people feel the need to vent;
C: The school is ok but a few disgruntled staff have felt the need to vent too much which has been taken into an open forum;
D: Not one of the schools staff has ever heard of TES.
I personally find the TES forums entertaining; not because of what is there, but because of what is not (actually more what was there but isn’t). So what would I do rather than worrying about negative posts on TES?
Simple... attend to the negative. This means being transparent, and believe it or not once you actually cross that chasm it is quite easy to manage transparency. Why do so many schools in this region have such a high turnover rate? This cannot always be blamed on the transient nature of expat teachers can it? At the same time it also cannot be constantly blamed on poor management or administration can it? If people would actually attend to the negative everything might make a bit more sense. Manage expectations, because believe it or not the Middle East is not a teaching utopia but neither is anywhere else!
For anyone who visits the TES forums, you will notice that they suffer from the phenomenon of the disappearing thread. Some suggest this is due to their revenue for advertising positions being more important than what appears on their forums as a service to teachers. I think this is true and what you need to keep in mind is what TES does is not provide a not for profit service for teachers to communicate with each other, but rather a thinly veiled service which is simply an add on to their real purpose. They do have pretty specific terms and conditions of agreement on their forums, and many that post do breach these terms and conditions. At the end of the day this is not a negative aspects of a service TES provides, but rather inflated expectations of those that use those forums.
Now that is all very well and good, but the fact is there are many schools that have very little mention on the TES forums, and believe it or not I am in no way referring to any school, organisation, or country in particular! There are obvious reasons for lack of information –
A: The school is great and no one ever feels the need to vent;
B: The school is not great and too many people feel the need to vent;
C: The school is ok but a few disgruntled staff have felt the need to vent too much which has been taken into an open forum;
D: Not one of the schools staff has ever heard of TES.
I personally find the TES forums entertaining; not because of what is there, but because of what is not (actually more what was there but isn’t). So what would I do rather than worrying about negative posts on TES?
Simple... attend to the negative. This means being transparent, and believe it or not once you actually cross that chasm it is quite easy to manage transparency. Why do so many schools in this region have such a high turnover rate? This cannot always be blamed on the transient nature of expat teachers can it? At the same time it also cannot be constantly blamed on poor management or administration can it? If people would actually attend to the negative everything might make a bit more sense. Manage expectations, because believe it or not the Middle East is not a teaching utopia but neither is anywhere else!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Warner Brothers in Abu Dhabi - "Emiratiwood"
Although this isn’t “new” news with Warner opening in Abu Dhabi and Universal opening in Dubai it made me think... So UAE is going to become the Theme Park of the region (of course add in Ferrari World, and what ever other “Theme Parks” end up in this region). I have seen some comments over the past few months on why all these organisations are heading to the UAE. Quite simple really... have a look at the population within a 6-12 hour flight! But that is only partially related to this post’s purpose.
Possibly more important to having some good Theme Parks, with both Warner and Universal opening here this will naturally include a considerable stake in the local “movie industry”. And given one area of my previous academic life there is the point of interest; there really isn’t one yet! So here is the opportunity. Many regions have built their brand and shared aspects of their cultural identity through cinema. Think of the New Zealand scenery that has featured in more than Lord of the Rings, think of the deserts of Tunisia that have featured in more than Star Wars, and the list goes on. How long will it be until the UAE makes it’s way on The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations? How many storylines could benefit by the utilisation of the landscapes in the UAE (and Oman for that matter), and the proximity to India... forget about “Dubailand”... “Emiratiwood” anyone?
Possibly more important to having some good Theme Parks, with both Warner and Universal opening here this will naturally include a considerable stake in the local “movie industry”. And given one area of my previous academic life there is the point of interest; there really isn’t one yet! So here is the opportunity. Many regions have built their brand and shared aspects of their cultural identity through cinema. Think of the New Zealand scenery that has featured in more than Lord of the Rings, think of the deserts of Tunisia that have featured in more than Star Wars, and the list goes on. How long will it be until the UAE makes it’s way on The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations? How many storylines could benefit by the utilisation of the landscapes in the UAE (and Oman for that matter), and the proximity to India... forget about “Dubailand”... “Emiratiwood” anyone?
Monday, August 13, 2007
Internet Censorship
Many people know that the Internet is censored in many parts of the Middle East. In the UAE you sometimes come across websites, while clicking on links from one site to another, where you are welcomed by a page provided by EIM (Emirates Internet & Multimedia) informing you that it is blocked. For the most part it really isn't an issue as you can imagine the sort of things that are likely to be blocked, but yesterday while searching for some Al Ain photos I came across a strange one. Flickr (the popular photo sharing host) has now joined the list of blocked domains which I guess they have their reasons for. Just as a matter of interest I opened up You Tube (the popular video sharing host) to see if that was now blocked, but it is still accessible. I find this all a little puzzling since so many people utilise Flickr for uploading photos to share with family and friends while overseas (and it was something I was always going to do to share some of the photos that never made it on the Qatar blog). So now you can no longer share photos via Flickr but can upload videos of whatever you want via You Tube... weird.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Cambridge Diploma
Spotted this sign the other day and being from a marketing background know the benefit of branding things. Not sure about the ties with Cambridge University here, but I am sure they would at least appreciate the fact they have a presence in Al Ain.
Monday, August 6, 2007
SAEL anyone?
There are normally at least a couple of ways to spell Arabic words in English seeing how most of it has to be done phonetically. While I know how to spell "sale" I can appreciate this spelling of "sael". At the end of the day we know what they mean!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Having a mission
As you would imagine you can buy an endless supply of second (or third etc) rate toys here. 
They are very cheap and not meant to have a long lifespan, but they do entertain for a certain amount of time (for one reason or another). I had to buy “A” this, but I think it is obvious the reason goes beyond his love of the movie “Cars”.
It is good to have a mission in life and I think “TO RANK FIRST AMONG SIMILAR PRODUCTS” is as good as any as not much really falls this far down the quality scale. What I am not sure about is “The Cars Congregated In World”, nor why this truck is “High Speed”, “Grand Car”, “Deluxe Car”; but, it is a bit of fun!
They are very cheap and not meant to have a long lifespan, but they do entertain for a certain amount of time (for one reason or another). I had to buy “A” this, but I think it is obvious the reason goes beyond his love of the movie “Cars”.It is good to have a mission in life and I think “TO RANK FIRST AMONG SIMILAR PRODUCTS” is as good as any as not much really falls this far down the quality scale. What I am not sure about is “The Cars Congregated In World”, nor why this truck is “High Speed”, “Grand Car”, “Deluxe Car”; but, it is a bit of fun!
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