I spotted this Rolls-Royce in the parking lot of my office building the other day. Look how it dwarfs the Camry parked next to it.
It was funny and amazing at the same time. Imagine someone having enough money to be able to afford a rolls-royce, and then going to work in it, and parking it among ordinary cars. I don’t know why I find it funny.
Too bad there is no valet parking in Dubai Internet City.
Which cars have you spotted in your work place?
Image via WikipediaI am back in Dubai after spending around 36 hours in Casablanca.
I really liked Casablanca. Given that I went there from Alger, the contrast between the two cities was very high.
A little background first, Algeria and Morocco are two countries of North Africa with similar culture and languages and religion, but still they are entirely different from each other. Algeria is fighting against terrorism and law and order problems whereas Morocco is a peaceful country with lots of tourist attractions. The relationship between the two countries on a political level is also not very good as the countries fought a war over a disputed territory.
So when I walked in the streets of Casablanca, I noticed the difference in the lifestyle of both cities. Casablanca was a lot more lively than Alger. Although there were people out in the city of Alger, they seemed to be under strange pressure, fear of unknown, uncertainty. In Casablanca, the streets were full of life and color. People seemed relaxed and cool. There was no tension in the air.
Unlike Alger, the city is full of beaches and beautiful girls. There is so much street beauty in Casablanca that a walk down a Casablanca street will raise your heartbeat two fold. Talk about working out.
It’s a pity my stay was very short. I am looking forward to another visit and explore the city more in greater detail, and take some pictures.
I am participating in a competition in which the blogger who gets most subscribers in a month will win.
I want to win this competition with your help. At the time of writing this I have 81 subscribers. Let’s see how many more I can get in one month.
If I win this competition, I am going to give away US$400, exactly 50% of the cash prize of the competition, to one of you who subscribe to my RSS feed during July 1 to July 31, 2008.
Here is what you can do to participate:
1. Subscribe to my RSS feed through your favorite RSS reader, or through email (don’t forget to confirm your email subscription by clicking on the activate link in the confirmation email)
2. Leave a comment on this post after following step 1 (please leave a valid email address). I will verify your subscription and add your email address in the draw.
3. Spread the word to double your chances of winning (that is, two entries in the draw instead of one). Make a post on your blog about this post (with a link back to this post). Leave a link to your post in the comments to get credit for it.
I shall keep updating about the status of the competition and where I stand from time to time.
Help me win the competition and win yourself.
I am in Alger right now and this city turns out to be better than I thought. Despite beautiful landscapes, here are my observations about the city.
1. I walked through the streets of Alger, and it doesn’t feel an African country at all. Or perhaps my impression of Africa was very different. It feels like I am walking in the streets of Rome or some town of Europe. I have never been to Europe so I don’t know how Rome really looks like. Nevertheless, since French ruled this country for a long time, it is natural for the architecture to be similar to that in Europe.
2. There is nothing for tourists in the city. Since the country is recovering from a long war, things are getting better slowly and gradually. According to the locals, in few years time the country will be a major tourist attraction.
3. People of become quote rough in the war trodden city. Since they are not used to tourists, they don’t know the meaning of customer service. So a waiter can refuse to take your order or simply say that the chef is too tired today and he can’t make this particular dish that you are ordering.
4. Most residential buildings in the city have blue doors and windows. When I asked a taxi driver about it, he had no idea why it was so. He said that’s the way it has been for ever.
5. The only languages spoken here are Arabic and French. Hardly anyone speaks English. I am lucky that my colleague speaks both these languages otherwise I was alone it would have been impossible for me to survive here.
6. Most buildings here are very old (with blue doors and windows, of course). I hardly saw a modern architecture.
7. The city is by the sea but there are no beaches in the city. There is no place for people to relax on the seashore.
Image via WikipediaI am on my way to Algeria and Morocco. Casablanca, baby!
That’s the perks of the work I do here. Never in my life I had imagined that I will go to these two countries. Well, maybe Morocco but Algeria… no way!
I will be back by July 3. Not sure how many blogging opportunities I will get there, but whenever I do I’ll make sure not to miss it.
