Baithak - A place where Pakistani Bloggers get United.
Somewhere in Hague there is a Bad Hotel. Now that’s an interesting name for a hotel, if you think about it. If the receptionist is not polite, you already knew, it’s Bad Hotel.If the room service sucks, it was expected, because it’s Bad Hotel. If the house keeping is not up to the standards, […]
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So, I instantly liked Honda CR-V in Part 1 and after taking the test drive the deal was sealed. Now I had to go through the actual process of buying the car. Since I got the car financed through the bank, there was lot of paper work involved. Here is all what was required […]
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Ok I am back. It was a pretty busy trip but I got a chance to see Europe up and close. Well, not as up and close as I wanted to but still enough to get an idea of how life is like over there. The regular blogging will now resume. Post from: […]
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By Baithak.Net
I am flying out tonight to the Netherlands. This is going to be my first time in Europe since I was 8 years old. So really it’s my first time because the time when I was 8 years old doesn’t really count. I don’t know if I will be able to blog at all, […]
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By Baithak.Net
This post at Get Rich Slowly blog inspired me to write about all jobs I have ever done in my life, till this today. The first paid work I did was when I was around 12 years old. I was an astrologist. I used an astrological computer software by the name of Fortune Teller […]
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Recently some petrol stations in Dubai have been trying out self-service petrol pumps. Today I happened to stop at one such petrol station for a fill-up. It was not a new experience for me as I have been using self-service pumps when I was in the US, so it went pretty smooth. The only […]
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Image via Wikipedia The month of Ramazan started on 1st of September and since then things are a bit different in Dubai. The biggest effect has been on traffic. With variation in office hours and malls opening till late night, there is always a rush-hour on the streets. So whenever you go out you […]
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After liking the car on the first day of my search and then taking the test drive, Honda CR-V was the obvious choice as it matched all my requirements. So without further delays I started the process of purchasing a new CR-V. I got it financed through a bank so it took exactly two […]
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I am back in office after two weeks of vacations. I stayed in Dubai taking care of the formalities one has to go through after having a newborn baby. It’s still not over yet. A lot has to be done. In other news, I have booked a new Honda CR-V and I am expecting […]
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August 26, 2008 was the date when my wife and I were joined by a new family member. It’s a little girl we are going to call Tabeer. That explains my absence from the blog and lack of new posts. It might remain that way for next few days and until I adjust myself […]
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By Baithak.Net
Image via Wikipedia Today I test drove Honda CR-V and the experience was almost mind blowing. I have never driven such technologically advanced vehicle before. Of course these are the perks of living in Dubai that it opens the world for you by making everything available.The first thing that I noticed in the vehicle was […]
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By Baithak.Net
Image via Wikipedia After spending about 6 hours in Doha I realized that Qatar is not even close to where Dubai is today. Dubai is a decade ahead of Qatar. If you go to Qatar after living in Dubai for a while you will notice the difference immediately after landing at Doha airport. But if […]
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Image via Wikipedia By the time you are reading this I should be in Qatar on a business trip. This trip is rather quick as I was scheduled to fly out of Dubai in the morning and return by night. The check-in at the airport was pretty quick today. It took me less than 15 […]
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Just last week I posted the video showing the Dubai Mall from inside during the final stages on its construction. Today I am going to post another video about Burj Dubai, the “under-construction” tallest building in the world. This video is much better and professional as it was made for Discovery Channel. Enjoy!Post from: Umar […]
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By Baithak.Net
I have launched my photo blog here. I have a passion for photography and although I have a very hectic lifestyle I try my best to take out as much time to click some photos as I can. Previously I used to post pictures on this blog but lately since my blog is focused on […]
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By Baithak.Net
Dubai Mall, the “under-construction” biggest mall of the world, is scheduled to be open to public on October 30, 2008. Some dude sneaked into the mall site and shot this video. Since everything is under construction, there is nothing much to be fascinated about this video, except for you get a glimpse of how construction […]
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Image by peevee@ds via FlickrKhalid asked, “What is required to start a business in Dubai? Do you have to find a local partner? How much $$$ you need to start a small software house?”There are two ways to setup your company in Dubai, free-zone and non free-zone. If you are setting up company in free-zone […]
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Although I have replied to questions previously but from now on I am going to do it in a more formal and organized way. I will open my blog for questions at least once a month (most probably on a Thursday) and answer all the questions asked by Monday. This is round 1. Ask me […]
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I started blogging back in January 2004. Yes I am an old blogger but didn’t actively start blogging since maybe one year ago. I was reading a few blogs back then and decided to start my own thinking I would have plenty of things to say. But it turned out that I kept struggling to […]
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Image by swruler9284 via FlickrIf you have been surfing the web long enough, then you probably already know about StumbleUpon and perhaps actively use it. But in case you don’t know about StumbleUpon then in this post I am going to tell you all about it. By the end of this post you will be […]
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Image via WikipediaHere is an interesting post about an American who visited Dubai over the weekend. This is by far the most comprehensive tour of Dubai I have seen anyone taking. The descriptions are pretty accurate. If you are thinking about visiting Dubai, perhaps this is how you should plan your trip. Here is the […]
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Wow, it’s already August. Here are the most popular posts from July 2008.Stranger in Dubai - A tale of a young professional trying to relocate to Dubai, not knowing what Dubai is all about.License to drive - I finally passed the road test and got my UAE driver’s licenseDubai - Information for beginners - A […]
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Below is an interesting video to watch if you are into fashion and style. With all the major brands of the world available in Dubai, it is very easy to adopt your own style. And the fact that Dubai is full of people from different parts of the world actually helps, because you can be […]
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Dubai is a fast growing city. Thousands of people migrate to Dubai every month in pursuit of a better life and career opportunities. In a recent survey Dubai was ranked 2nd most favorite place to live and work. And no wonder, since Dubai offers the best of everything, and it’s getting better everyday. In two […]
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By Baithak.Net
Image by Liquid Lucidity via FlickrDo your grocery shopping from hypermarkets like Carrefour, Hyper Panda, Geant, and such. They have better variety at lesser prices. As cliche as it may sound, you will save a few bucks compared to shopping from your friendly neighborhood grocery store. It all adds up over time.Part 1Part 2Post from: […]
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Dear readers, I am participating in this competition in which I have to gain maximum RSS readers in July. Currently I am among the top 10 blogs and need a final push to be able to win the contest. Please subscribe to my blog through RSS reader or email, and help me spread the word. […]
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Go to Dragon Mart. Yes it is full of Chinese shopkeepers selling Chinese stuff, but its pretty cheap. Like, half of what’s sold in the malls cheap. So what if everything is made in China! Guess where most of the stuff you buy in the malls is made in? Chances are it is made in […]
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Although Dubai is not for the lovers of frugal lifestyle, but there are ways to get the most out of your money. In this new series I will discuss ways to save money in Dubai. This is the first part.Avoid malls. Seriously, whatever is sold at the malls can be bought at much lesser cost […]
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By Baithak.Net
Image via WikipediaI have previously talked about carpooling in Dubai and the way government is not sure how to deal with it. Finally they have come to their senses and came up with this.Yes, a full fledged website to encourage car pooling. The way it works is that now you have to register yourself as […]
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I was told that Dubai becomes a ghost town duing July-August because everyone goes on vacations.Well, we are into fourth week of July and nothing much has changed yet. It is slightly less congested on roads but everything else is still the same. In fact the traffic was worse than normal last night. Talk about […]
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Image via WikipediaOk, so, I have been living in Dubai for six months now. That is more than enough for a trial period. The most frequently asked question is how am I liking it in Dubai.
The answer is not a simple yes or no. I wish it was, but it’s a little complicated than […]
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Image via WikipediaOk, now that I have got a license, the next logical step was obviously to buy a car.
In Dubai, you need a car to buy a car. There is no point in hopping around from one showroom to another in a taxi. You are better off renting out a vehicle and use […]
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Image via Wikipedia.
The beach above is not in DubaiWell, unfortunately, there are none!
It would have been great to have some nude beaches in Dubai, but as it stands none exist in Dubai, or anywhere else in the UAE, for that matter.
Yet, people from some Western countries fail to understand this and do not hesitate […]
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Usually I don’t talk about weather a lot, but for last three days it’s been extremely hot in Dubai. So hot that I don’t remember living at a hotter place. The maximum temperature has easily been over 50C (122F). Good thing everything is air conditioned in Dubai so you don’t feel the heat if you […]
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One thing that you cannot miss in Dubai this summer is Modhesh.
This yellow cartoon character is the mascot for Dubai Summer Surprises shopping festival. It invites people to visit the malls and take advantage of the mini shopping festival happening these days. There is also a theme park based entirely on modesh. It’s called […]
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Dear readers, while I highly appreciate that you come to my website every day to get the latest insight on Dubai, I recommend you also subscribe to the RSS feed through your favorite reader or email. Here are the 5 reasons why you should do it:1. No need to browse the website everyday. Latest posts […]
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While boarding the plane during my last trip to Algeria and Morocco, I noticed the display screen loading the Linux operating System. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, considering my IT background and all. I felt a little bit safer knowing the airplane was not powered by Windows. Imagine the operating system crashing in […]
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Image via WikipediaIf you are considering moving to Dubai, or just want to know more about how things work in Dubai, then I can give you following pieces of information that I gathered over the months I have been in Dubai. My first days in Dubai - What I went through during the initial days […]
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By Baithak.Net
Ten weeks, two thousand dirhams, and two attempts later, Dubai Road and Transport Authority recognized my driving skills and awarded me with a UAE driver’s license. Yes, after I failed my first attempt, I failed my second attempt as well, and managed to pass on third attempt. A brave new world is now open for […]
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By Baithak.Net
A want to extend a warm welcome to all the new subscribers and readers to my blog. Thanks for becoming a reader. I work hard to make the contents interesting and I am confident that you will enjoy reading my blog, even if you don’t live in Dubai. Let me give you a little background […]
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After living in Dubai for few months, I have found out workarounds and loopholes and hacks into the way Dubai works. I am sure it’s true for any city but since Dubai claims to be oh-so-organized and huge and what not, it gives ineffable pleasure to do something in a different way and beat the […]
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Image via WikipediaYesterday I met a guy who had just arrived in Dubai from Karachi. In fact, we picked him up from the airport. He was a friend of my office colleague. After talking to him for a while and listening to his thoughts about Dubai, and realizing the fact that he is considering the […]
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Image via WikipediaIt can be done in 4 easy steps. Prerequisite: Google account 1. Click here (opens in new window) to view the subscription options.2. Click the Google button the subscribe via Google Reader.3. Click “Add to Google Homepage” or “Add to Google Reader”, depending on the one you use. 4. Confirm your selection. There. […]
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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 […]
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Here are some of my most popular posts for the month of June 2008:Hot Girls in DubaiBook Review: How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleService ChargesCarpooling in DubaiTerror Alert in Dubai
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Thanks to all of you who responded to my request and subscribed to the RSS feed of my blog. Things are looking good so far and I am on my way to winning the contest. However, I noticed some readers subscribed via email but did not verify their subscriptions. The way it works is that […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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