Time Lapse Again... sorry!

Oh I am terrible- too busy writing for other people and not having the time to write on here! What can I say?

Well life plods on- romance going great, been travelling, work is great! The 'rents are here at the mo so they having a lovely Dubai holiday too... life is good!

I don't seem to have anything to rant about! That's a sorry state of affairs! Will get my thinking cap on and be back shortly!

Deal Or No Deal Dubai???

Now I know we all love a good bargain but what the heck is going on in Dubai at the moment? Deal websites are like mushrooms at the moment- surely the Emirate is not big enough to sustain all of these offer sites? Am personally looking forwward to the battle of the deal web sites... place your bets ladies and gents!

This all reminds me of when the classified websites launched here- there was Dubai Donkey, Souq.com, Ebay.ae (cheeky!!!) and Dubizzle. I think we all know how that story ended- Dubizzle rules supreme now!

So who is going to win the battle of the deals? Let's have a look at the contenders...

Gonabit- very active and possible leader
Cobone- very active but seems to have higher offer uptake
Groupon- mmmm.... either this is a soft launch or they are not as good as everyone has been predicting- weak offers
Deal Gobbler- a wanna be Cobone/ Gonabit
1 Deal Days Living Social- not launched yet
Wanamax- they gone bust aleady I think- well their website has disappeared!
Ad7vantage.com- offers through 7Days- very expensive to take part as a client!
2for1uae- another Gonabit
Lowcost Dubai-more of a touristy one and doesn't look as zooty as the other sites.

My money is on Cobone or Gonabit winning and if you pushed me- I would say Cobone will win out in the end- purely based on their more impressive uptake of offer numbers. They are both neck and neck on Facebook likes so it is hard to distinguish!

And how about this for a funny coincidence- I sent a mail yesterday to one of the new ones to ask them very politely to refrain from spamming the Facebook pages I manage- and also a little tip/ heads up that Facebook will ban them if they continue! Well I just got a phone call from them, as I am typing this, asking if I would manage their social media for them hahahah!! So, do I now enter into the fray of what I am dissing and put my money where my mouth is and show them how to do it? Or do I run for the hills!

The business model is excellent for the deal sites- they take 20- 50% off the cost of the offer! They say everything else is free- so the cost depends on how much you sell. I had one client who wanted to offer a 2000 dhs gift voucher for 1000 dhs..the site said they would take 50% off that cost....so basically if they sold 100 the deal site would get 50,000 dhs....that's a very expensive marketing campaign!!! Not including the loss of revenue on offering the deal! I reckon the best thing is a small cost deal that is for something quite niche and for a small size company who can't usually afford to advertise on this scale- you are getting massive low cost exposure through their website, social media and data bases- but not necessarily loads of vouchers being bought!

If you're a salon/ spa/ hair dressers it is a great way to get new clientele- assuming of course you really look after these new bargain hunting clients. It does have the potential to become a PR disaster- there are already reports of people not being able to use the vouchers as the salons are too booked up until after the voucher expiry. Can a small salon actually cope with an influx of 300 plus new people over a short period? Can they give them the great service required to make them a return customer? Will existing customers get fed up of voucher wielding clients in their favourite salon and go elsewhere??

Also where is the loyalty to the deal sites? I flit between the big 3 but have only actually bought 3 deals- one of which I am getting a refund on as the deal was totally misrepresented! The other two- one was half price concert ticket for a concert I was going to anyway and the other a half price brunch cos cheap booze- well I am there! I have not been tempted by the cheap mani pedis and hair cuts- just not comfortable with them. Maybe I am just not a deal person- or maybe I am but am very selective! One friend of mine buys nearly every day and has stacks of vouchers! Maybe it's possible to become a deal-addicted....oooh I really, really may need my under arm hair removing with lasers in the future- quick buy the voucher!! Apparently 20% of vouchers never get used anyway!

What would I buy regularly? Travel deals actually- reduced hotel rates for sure, the odd beauty deal if I knew the salon, meal discounts for somewhere I would normally go... I don't think I am their target customer- I have never bought The Entertainer Book either- I always get shock horror gasp when I say that! What's the point- would never use all/ any of the vouchers!! It's only me!

Add to all these websites- coupon books, loyalty cards, regular sales- man, we shouldn't need to pay full price for anything ever again in Dubai! How are you supposed to manage all of this!! One lady I heard of has everything in a selection of marked envelopes for ease of use- argggghhhh!! I can't cope! What are the enevlopes labelled as? Spa- massage, Spa- mani pedis, Food- cheap pizzas???? The list could go on!

One last top tip I will share with you- do not surf these sites whilst under the influence! I have one friend in London who had a Chardonnay induced Group On splurge and is now having to have liposuction, fake eyelashes, hair extensions and a chemical peel all in the next month!!!


Here's an interesting article about the start of it all in The National from Dec 2010 You have to feel sorry for the Wanamax now- after all his spouting in this and the website is now gone!

Amy Winehouse- Dubai said no no no!!

Ok so I love her music, know she has had her troubles but had been hearing good things about her concerts recently- about how she has got her act together and recent tours and concerts going really well- so had been sticking up for old Amy when the nay sayers were trying to put her down! Big mistake!

Last night's concert was a debacle of monster proportions and I just don't get it! There were approx 8,000 people at the gig- 8,000 people who have paid good money to see Amy perform- who all started to boo halfway through song one!

Amy looked ok physically- nice dress, filled out a bit so she look less haggard and gaunt- but the postives stop there! She looked and acted frightened to death- her eyes were so wierd-no focus and skipping about like she had no clue where she was, she kept rubbing her arms, hugging herself, picking her finger nails in the middle of songs and drinking something out of a tea cup and gargling with it!

I seriously thought there was something wrong with the sound- you could not hear her- until she walked off during a song and her poor backing group took over and you could hear their vocals fine! She was whispering into the mike, miming and forgetting lyrics as well as walking off stage in a kind of huff about 4 times- the first time she was gone for 20 mins and we didn't know if she was coming back! So the backing band and vocalists got rapturous applause every song they did- Amy got booed at the end of every song. I know we are a hard audience in Dubai but I have never ever seen or heard that before out here- people were leaving in droves after 10 minutes!

She did do all her well known songs but they were like pale imitations of themselves- people tried to get into it but it just wasn't happening.



Just found the above on youtube- by the way this was about 5 songs in and people weren't shining green lights in her eyes- this was filmed off the big screen and it's lasers.

Worst concert ever and a lot of disappointed fans in Dubai today!

I feel sorry for her- she needs serious help and she should not be performing in front of such large audiences who have paid their hard earned money to go and see her perform!

Links to other commentary:

www.expatwoman.com
The Mirror

Update: it's happened again Amy Winehouse 'too drunk to sing' in Belgrade concert... someone needs to look after the poor girl and people need to stop paying to see her!

BBC report

Rescue Me!

I have this thing- I watch TV shows and fall into crush with certain male characters. When I started to think about it I realised the thing in common with all these crushes was I reckoned all the guys would be able to rescue me! Now those who know me in real life know I am mega strong and probably would not dream I want to be rescued by a man- well I guess deep down I do!

Maybe it’s a primeval urge- you man, me woman- come bash me over the head and drag me off to your cave! Who knows- maybe I need therapy hahahah! Anyway so it appears I do have a type and whether he’s a hero or an anti hero (as in Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights- see I remember my sixth form English Lit lessons) he’s one strong, intelligent dude that’s for sure!

My top 8 fictional character men I want to be rescued by... the only order is chronological- i.e. when I first realised I wanted them!

1. Mulder (David Duchovny, X Files)- possibly where all this started! He’s smoking hot looking, intelligent, strong yet fragile, tall, smoking hot... oh wait I said that already. And his lips- he has the most lovely looking soft lips! I spent my formative years yearning to be your Scully! How many years did I watch waiting for you to kiss her!! Shame that damn bee got in the way! I wanted to believe so badly- believe me!

2. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, X Men)- this is an old crush of mine and the only time I fancy Hugh Jackman- he’s just too camp and pretty in real life!! So what is it about Wolverine that gets me every time- is it the grizzly facial hair? The finger knives?  The smouldering eyes? Whatever he’s in my top eight! Another “ pick me up and carry me off to your cave” favourite! Always good for a weekend hangover box set fest- all the Xmen films- always perk me up!

3. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland, 24)- Oh Jack- what can I say that hasn’t been said before? You are the man of men! Alpha male does not even begin to cover it! You had me from hour one and when you kissed Audrey’s knee I nearly fainted! I loved you from the tip of your toes to the strap of your man bag. You would be able to rescue me and I would promise not to keep dithering off like that dippy Kim! Once rescued I would stay rescued! Now upload the schematics to my PDA, dammit!

4. Sawyer (Josh Holloway, Lost)- Guess I like a bad boy- but was he bad boy really? I got so lost in Lost I can’t remember! This is one that does transfer to “real life”- fancied him in the Davidoff commercial too hahahah! Not usually into blondes but make an exception for him- plus I really want him to call me Freckles, pick me up and carry me off to his bivouac! I also want to play with his hair!

5. McSteamy/ Mark Sloane (Eric Dane, Greys Anatomy)- while most other girls were dreaming about McDreamy- I just couldn’t see it- I wanted the tall drink of water that was McSteamy! Why? He’s stronger a bit more mysterious, less wimpy- more of a real man in my eyes I guess!  His face is what gets me- it’s lush! I want Dr Mark to smile that hot smile at me! 

6. Captain Jack Harkness- NOT Sparrow! (John Barrowman, Torchwood)- I can’t believe this little sci-fi gem passed me by for so long- found and watched all last year and oh man did I crush Captain Jack. Sometimes living in Dubai we are out the loop TV wise and stumble across things not knowing what the background is- so basically I had a full on crush developed before I found out JB is gay in real life- so illusion shattered! Still think he’s hot though but I know we can never be together! Not cos he’s gay but because he is possibly the Face of Bo! (geek Dr Who reference- sorry!)

7. Eric Northman- (Alexander Skarsgård, True Blood)- yes I know he’s a vampire- I don’t care- I would, I would! This one is a cross over from crushing of the Eric character in the books to adoration of the screen character! I never liked Bill in the books either! He’s tall, brooding, so strong, hot bodied, funny- oh man getting all hot and bothered just thinking about it! Ok so him rescuing me might make me have to join the legions of the undead but who cares! 

8. Dr Cal Lightman/ Tim Roth- a new surprise entry! Have just watched all of Lie To Me- except the last episode of Season 3- I don’t want it to be over yet!  So I keep dreaming about him and he rescues me every time! Guess I want him to do the head tilt and funny hand thing at me- see to the centre of my soul, fall madly in love and let me cook him baked beans on toast for the rest of our happy lives! Yes, luv!

Oh god just realised maybe it’s a long coat thing??? 

Time to do a comparison to try and draw some conclusions?

The Man Chart- click on it for larger version!

So I guess in summary I am looking for a 42.5 year old, American, brown/ blondy haired, clean shaven, short haired, over 6 foot guy in some sort of long swishy coat, must look good in a white vest and with a degree and who knows how to handle a gun!

Now where in Dubai am I going to find him? 

Answers on a post card please- or in the comments section below at least!

(Am worried now- is it just me that has these mega, never gonna happen crushes on fictional characters??? I do hope not!)

Hala Febria!

Have been wondering what to muse about for the last couple of days.... do I mention The Benihana Kuwait Social Media PR Fiasco? Not sure- don't want to get sued! Click here though for the full story.

It was amazing watching it break all over bloggerdom and tweetdom yesterday morning and now seeing it in the broad sheets and on the radio...still can't get over the GMs comment in the middle of his I am going to sue you rant- BTW are you Lebanese? I know this is a serious issue but that bit makes me laugh so much!!

I really want to credit the photo above but cannot find the link to the person on Facebook anymore- so sorry- but thanks for the laughs! Let me know if you know who you are...and I will credit you! I really hope that Mark from 248am.com comes out of this ok!

So I think the power of Twitter has finally arrived in the region- it was flailing around for a while but now has the power to bring a whole country into revolution and issue an SMS (that's a Social Media Slap) to companies sueing bloggers! So get ready for the Twitter take off UAE!

Oh and I bet you want to know why I've called this post Hala Febria- it means Welcome February and is the name of the DSF like shopping festival in Kuwait- during February (believe it or not!) and it's the first day of the new month and been watching the Kuwait blog and twitter scene with interest... so now you know why!

What else is going on? Bit dusty in Dubai- everywhere had a layer of dust on it inside and out- I wish it would just rain already! Dubai needs a cleanse! We do like a bit of weather here as even though you would never believe it- clear blue skies do get a bit tiresome after a while!

So that's it from me- off to do more Twitter/ facebook investigating, researching and stalking! I will get Tim Roth to reply to me!

BTW I am British :)