Two or so days ago there was an item in the paper about the RTA increasing parking tariffs on paid parking meters in the city to 2 dirhams an hour. As is usual with these kinds of stories there was little info on when this would be done and if the new tariff would apply to every hour or just the first one. Well the RTA army has done it again. I am not sure how but overnight it seems they have descended on the city and not only changed the actual charging mechanism on the meter, but also managed to update the notices displayed about the new tariff and in some cases update the parking zone number (used for paying via SMS). New fees shown in the picture – happily a full day is still 10 dirhams.
Category: reality
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the RTA army does it again!
[new parking tariffs] -
green “wudu”
“Wudu” is the Islamic act of washing parts of the body using water. According to Wikipedia – Muslims are required to be clean in preparation for ritual prayers which are prescribed to be taken 5 times a day.
[Wudu Washer – from the Xpress]
There are four obligatory acts that have to be performed, if one is omitted then all must be performed again. These are:- washing the face once
- washing both the arms (including the elbows) once
- performing Masah on one fourth of the head
- washing both the feet once; up to and including the ankles
The water that is used for this process may only be rain, well, spring, sea or river water; or water from melting snow or hail; or water from a big tank or pond. It must be clean, and cannot be re-used during the process. So as you can imagine this uses a great deal of water. In fact, according to an article I read in the Xpress newspaper, two million pilgrims use fifty million litres of water EVERY DAY during the Haj in Saudi Arabia.
But there is some good news, a company is now producing a high-tech automatic Wudu Washer in Kuala Lumpur that will save up to 80% on the current water usage during ablutions.
I think this is great news, especially in the desert (where it is kinda scarce to start with).
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the law…be careful
There have been a couple of stories in the papers over the past few weeks about a proposed new smoking ban to be implemented here in the UAE. Today’s article in the 7days newspaper had some very good news in it. Ok well I think it’s great news.
Smoking has been banned in restaurants and indoor bars in the UAE, an official from the health ministry confirmed to 7DAYS yesterday.
Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, who heads the National Tobacco Control Committee, said the new tobacco laws announced last week mean that enclosed public spaces such as restaurants and bars will need to apply to have a separate area where people can smoke.
[Smoking is barred] story from the 7days -
odds and sods
There have been a few interesting and entertaining regional stories online and in the newspapers over the past few days, I thought I would share them with you today (probably because I have nothing else to tell you).
Firstly the amusing story in the Telegraph about the Saudi woman who is seeking a divorce from her husband of 17 years after finding that he had stored her number under the nickname “Guantanamo” on his phone. One can only assume (like they do in the article) that he is likening his time in the detention centre to his experience of the marriage. Apparently she may settle for financial compensation instead.
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“all good things…
…must come to an end, or they wouldn’t be good things”! At least that is what my granny would always say at the end of our holidays with them. I am not sure where the saying came from but I have never felt that the two things have to be mutually exclusive. I mean, what would be so bad about having good things forever??? I guess what I am trying to say is that our holiday is over, and it was very good indeed. In fact we have been back in Dubai for a week but I have just not been very inspired to write until today. I know this is a blog about my life in Dubai, but seeing as how I travelled to France from here and back again, I feel I can sneak in a little bit about my holiday. Pretty please?
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