http://futurismic.com/2009/04/11/the-utter-ballardian-weirdness-of-dubai/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://futurismic.com/2009/04/11/the-utter-ballardian-weirdness-of-dubai/comment-page-1/#comment-23618 Ian Sales Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:22:01 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6931#comment-23618 I grew up in the Middle East, and lived in Dubai in the 1970s and Abu Dhabi 1990s. I know plenty of horrors stories about the place, but that Independent article is a hatchet job and not a balanced piece of journalism. The implication that all expats live the life of Riley on the backs of slaves from India and the Philippines is a gross distortion. But then, the truth never did sell newspapers... I grew up in the Middle East, and lived in Dubai in the 1970s and Abu Dhabi 1990s. I know plenty of horrors stories about the place, but that Independent article is a hatchet job and not a balanced piece of journalism. The implication that all expats live the life of Riley on the backs of slaves from India and the Philippines is a gross distortion. But then, the truth never did sell newspapers…

]]> http://futurismic.com/2009/04/11/the-utter-ballardian-weirdness-of-dubai/comment-page-1/#comment-23525 jon Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:20:22 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6931#comment-23525 wow... I read the whole article and I really do feel like I've read Ballard's latest draft. Although I'm not sure even Ballard could have described the tragedy vs jadedness within an aura of luxury quite like the real thing. wow… I read the whole article and I really do feel like I’ve read Ballard’s latest draft. Although I’m not sure even Ballard could have described the tragedy vs jadedness within an aura of luxury quite like the real thing.

]]> http://futurismic.com/2009/04/11/the-utter-ballardian-weirdness-of-dubai/comment-page-1/#comment-23488 Ali S. Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:57:27 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6931#comment-23488 Dubai, is like the ultimate mirage that everybody knows isn't real but yet are quite content to ignore its falsities. I am the child of a South Asian ex-pat couple and was born in Sharjah a small city near Dubai back in '84. Stayed there until I was 12 years old - before we immigrated and became Canadian citizens - and even than as young as I was I couldn't ignore seeing the slave like treatment of ex-pats from the India, Pakistan and the Philippines. So glad we left when we did. All the horror stories emanating from that city would turn your blood cold...and it's especially chilling when you hear it from friends who thought they could make it big in that city just to have their money taken, their passports taken away by employers and worst of all threats of abuse. Ugh. Dubai, is like the ultimate mirage that everybody knows isn’t real but yet are quite content to ignore its falsities. I am the child of a South Asian ex-pat couple and was born in Sharjah a small city near Dubai back in ’84. Stayed there until I was 12 years old – before we immigrated and became Canadian citizens – and even than as young as I was I couldn’t ignore seeing the slave like treatment of ex-pats from the India, Pakistan and the Philippines. So glad we left when we did. All the horror stories emanating from that city would turn your blood cold…and it’s especially chilling when you hear it from friends who thought they could make it big in that city just to have their money taken, their passports taken away by employers and worst of all threats of abuse. Ugh.

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