What Dubai can offer nowadays aside from the tallest building in the whole world, Burj Khalifa? Surely there are plenty. There are man-made islands, such as “Palm Jumeirah”, where the “Palm Atlantis” lies at the farthest end of it facing the sea; or “The World”, an island that replicates the big islands of earth; the stomach-turning rides at the red-sand Safari dessert; extreme weather conditions for the whole year; and malls hovering all over the place, big and small, with its own theme. 
A Dubai resident that is fascinated about the malls of Dubai later formed a rap song for you to experience a little bit of the most popular emirate amongst the 7 of UAE’s. Here we go.

Congratulations to Shamcey Supsup for bagging 3rd runner up in the recently held Miss Universe 2011 at Sao Paolo, Brazil. She made the Philippines proud again, after Venus Raj made it to 4th runner up last year, a back-to-back win for the nation!
Her “tsunami walk” was one of a kind in the pageant, a walk that describes the hips being dismantled from the waist during her catwalk. Her beauty doesn’t stand alone, as her accomplishments are there to support her: a valedictorian at elementary school, a salutatorian in high school, magna cum laude from the College of Architecture at UP Diliman, and a June 2010 architecture board exam top-notcher! What a beauty and brain she is. I applaud her for her accomplishments.
Please define frustrated singer. Isn’t it that you can say you are a frustrated singer because you wanted to sing but you don’t have the voice? So how can you become a frustrated architect when you know you can be a great architect coz you have the talent? It’s only that circumstances avoid you from becoming such. Therefore you are not a frustrated architect, but rather a loser.
Hey am not pertaining to her, ayt. It’s just that she made me a good example of defining what a winner is from a loser, in my field of architecture. Lol.

After looking for a place to work and finally found it because of no other choices, I accepted the offer to become an IT Solutions supervisor in one of landmark's shops in UAE, EMAX. The work description is not what I've expected, but I think I can handle it since I was in the customer service for a long time. Not including the time when I handled 5-10 people at Mister Donut as Shift Manager. Does everything happens for a reason? On my case, everything does. I was brought into this state experiencing things like a customer is at the top of his lungs screaming at me, where customer is always right, and is always correct.
This day, I spent my first overnight at the store, to finish a laptop that was configured incorrectly.  I'm working in a mall so everything is quiet when we try to roam and look for a wifi signal that is not blocked by some proxies. I'd like to see some ghost but it's only my reflection that I saw. Poor man. And so we left the premises at 6am, thanks God we finished everything. When someone tells you you're incapable of doing things, for some reasons, you step up to that and prove that you are not. When the customer came to pick up her device, its not a tear of disgust that fell from her eyes, but rather a contented smile. Not unlike before that she headed in front of the store with red eyes and damp tissues on her nose.

Another milestone was achieved by a young talented pianist Maria Aragon when her video on YouTube was viewed with thousands turning millions of viewers.  This 10 year old girl's video was uploaded by her sister. Later , Perez Hilton gave the link over to Lady Gaga and thus became an instant hit when Lady Gaga twitted about this quoting "Can’t stop crying watching this. This is why I make music. She is the future", and she provided the channel herself for her twitter fans of 8 millions to watch! What a fantastic way to start a career in music, she was then invited into a radio station after a limousine dropped by to get her the following day at their place in Winnepeg, Canada. Ellen DeGeneres who then became interested with Maria thanked Lady Gaga for her twit. In no time, she will be a hit like Charice and Justin Beiber, who have YouTube as  their turning point. These teens are giving us big headlines, aren't they?

My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothin wrong with lovin who you are"
She said, "'cause he made you perfect, babe"
"so hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"

I'm beautiful in my way
'cause god makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Ooo there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Ooo there ain't no other way
Baby I was born-
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital h-i-m (hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah (love needs faith)

Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way

I'm beautiful in my way
'cause god makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!

This is what you get when you have a kisses chocolates with you. Wrap a big rose petal around the tip of the kisses and seal it with a glue or something adhesive to make it look like the picture above. It willbe a bigger effort than the usual roses and chocolates that sometimes just to make the valentine pass. Be more creative, I'm sure they're going to appreciate your gift more than you'll ever know. You can add a toothpick at the tip of the chocolate before wrapping with rose petals and put everything on a marshmallow for added spies. What have you done special this time of the year? I know someone terminated his employee before Valentine's day, now that's something heartless...

January 26, 2011. The tallest of towers came to a new height as it opens the first gold vending machine "Gold To Go" (gtg) on 124th floor, just above the observation deck. Visitors,expats and locals alike can now have the after-sought souvenir at the ground floor of the building too. More vending machines are expected to rise within Ski Dubai, Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, and other historic places around Dubai and the whole Emirates.

As memorabia, the gold bar boasts of pure 24k yellow gold embedded with Burj Khalifa's picture logo and with weights to choose from 2.5 grams to an ounce, which equals 28.3 grams! The lightest costs around AED500, not bad for investment, is it not? Considering the rising cost of the precious metal over the years, this simply shouldn't be missed!

Catered as the land of gold, Dubai is always creating firsts of the world. Abu Dhabi had its first last May 2010 at Emirates Hotel that became an instant hit on it's first night. Where else can you buy souvenir and investment rolled in one? Germany, Japan, Spain and Italy: keep rocking!

Dubai, UAE. January 21 is the start of the most awaited shopping time of the current year. Now on it's 15th year of revitalizing trade industry in the Emirates, it promotes shopping sprees, discounts, and entertainment extravaganzas from the whole city. Tourists from all over the world gather in a month-long celebration to enjoy the bountiful event. Theme this year is "One world, one family, one festival" means to me that a family that stays together enjoys the festival to the fullest. From the "land of gold", this is Jzerx reporting.

Since 2005, Flickr is banned in the UAE for reasons I still cannot comprehend until this day though if you have a smartphone with wifi capabilities, whether using Etisalat or Du SIM cards, you can open Flickr! When I was browsing gulf news to check what is happening aside from GITEX that started October 16, 2010 at Airport Expo, Dubai, I saw this news that as of September 2010, Flickr users that are based or just visiting Dubai for days, can now access their account.

Flickr host images and videos and can be linked to Facebook and other networking sites in a flash. The only thing I don't like about creating an account in Flickr is that it hosts no unlimited images. I'll go check other hosting sites that I can save unlimited pictures and that I can generate income from publicly or privately storing those images upon viewing. Any comments or suggestions are open, if you have one. Shareapic is a nice site to start but somewhere along the line, I cannot view my galleries coz of slow internet, such glitches are things I don't like and rather look for other sites. Coz what if my internet is dial-up and I need some of my pictures? Then I'll be damned as Jurassic! Going back to Flickr, at least it can host videos as well.

Dubai October, 2010. This month, we celebrate the 30th annual GITEX Technology Week (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition). Collaboration of different worldwide companies with their newest, available, and future gadgets; exhibitions; global conferences; business solutions in terms of IT and the latest of technology; leaders summit; consumer electronics featuring mobile applications and content; and gulfcommunications are on top of the list for this week to happen.
This is the largest IT exhibition that you cannot see anywhere else, and it's happening only once a year all through out Gulf region. IT products, gadgets, computers, mobile phones and application, and the best of traders and suppliers gather around to have their best sale ever while shoppers enjoy a big drop in prices during this week purchasing in volume or individual is a personal and advantageous choice. Both IT fanatics and faint and a no getter of technology will enjoy this week the most. This is one of a kind here in Dubai and the rest of GCC, aside from getting it's name to have the tallest skyscraper around, the Burj Khalifa.
Every mall outlets that sells these items complies with GITEX prices, while exhibitions and other formal functions require attendees for an entrance ticket, which isn't a pain in the ass while you roam the vicinity and hoping that your name will be called on the raffle draw. What can you ask more about this week? Maybe a bigger shopping spree to enjoy it to the fullest!
Happy GITEX everyone!

I was walking around in a Wal Mart store, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back.  The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.  The cashier said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll."  Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''  The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''  Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. 
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.  Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.  "It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas.  She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her".  I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.  But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now.  I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there."  His eyes were so sad while saying this.  "
My Sister has gone to be with God.  Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''  My heart nearly stopped.  The little boy looked up at me and said: "I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet.  I need her to wait until I come back from the mall."
Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself.  He was laughing.  He then told me "I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.  I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."  Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. 

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy.  "Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''  "OK" he said, "I hope I do have enough."  I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.  The little boy said: "Thank you God for giving me enough money!"  Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister.  He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.  But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.  My mommy loves white roses." 
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.  I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.  Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.  The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.  Was this the family of the little boy?  Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young woman had passed away.  I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.  She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.  I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.  The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.  And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

PRAYER:
Dear God, the person reading this is beautiful and strong.  Help them live their life to the fullest.  Please promote them and cause them to excel above their expectations.  Help them shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love.  Protect them at all times, lift them up when they need you the most, and let them know when they walk with you, they will always be safe.

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: 'With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to the other, and with the threat of swine flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"