This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote<\/mark><\/strong> We are never definitely right; we can only be sure we are definitely wrong\u00a0Richard Feynman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n See me, feel me<\/mark><\/strong> We\u2019ve been watching\u00a0DXB Unheard<\/strong>, basically so that you don\u2019t have to. It\u2019s an eight-episode podcast that \u201ccelebrates and uncovers the untold stories of Dubai\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The idea is fine \u2013 get a broadcast pro (British daytime TV stalwart Kate Garraway) to chat with Dubai folk to \u201cexplore the hidden gems, personal triumphs and extraordinary experiences\u201d of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not terrible, and the production values are pretty good; but boy is it short on insight \u2013 Dubai apparently is a wonderful place to live, a real melting pot, a hotbed of style and pop culture, etc. \u201cIn this series I get to introduce you to people who want to open your eyes and your mind to another Dubai, the one that is unheard, and explore what this city and its residents are all about\u201d says Ms Garraway; but for instance there\u2019s not much about the people who build the apartment blocks, staff the mall stores, or clean our homes \u2013 and of course there\u2019s not much about the kind of people who are buying those $10m+ villas on the Palm (or where they got the money). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We aren\u2019t sure who exactly the podcast is for \u2013 maybe out-of-towners who are thinking about a holiday or a job here? \u2013 but even allowing for the desire to see only the good stuff it\u2019s a bit of a missed opportunity. Dubai is genuinely interesting, even if you aren\u2019t going to ask any of the hard questions, and it deserves something that looks beyond the gloss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to try it for yourself, look for DXB Unheard<\/strong> on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go now<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0The Agenda is still a bit light this week, but it’s your last chance to catch some of the exhibitions that are closing soon to allow the galleries to wheel in their big Art Dubai Week shows. Three that you really ought to check out before Saturday:\u00a0Shama Al Hamed<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at Aisha Alabbar,\u00a0Nour Malas<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at Carbon 12,\u00a0Hady\u00a0Boraey<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at Fann \u00e0 Porter …<\/p>\n\n\n\n One to put on your list for a pre-artweek visit: lovely expressive calligraphy by Ali Pasandideh<\/strong><\/a> at Kutubna Cultural Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stressed UAE …<\/mark><\/strong><\/strong> Apparently work-related stress<\/strong> is prevalent in the UAE, with 90% of professionals regularly responding to work emails and calls outside official hours: 76% reporting their work-life balance has worsened since the pandemic: and 59% saying they find it hard to switch off. Market research agency Perspectus polled 2,000 people, which didn\u2019t include team magpie …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Big deals<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Six of the top 10 cities experiencing the fastest price growth in the\u00a0luxury property market<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0last year were in Asia and the Middle East. Top three were\u00a0Seoul<\/strong>\u00a0(+18.4% YoY),\u00a0Manila<\/strong>\u00a0(+17.9%) and of course\u00a0Dubai<\/strong>\u00a0(+16.9% \u2013 there were 436 transactions worth at least $10m between June 2023 and June 2024). Dubai had the highest five-year growth (+147%). Is this a good thing or a bad thing?\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operatic deals<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Dubai Opera<\/strong>\u00a0is running another short-term money-off promotion \u2013 25% discount on tickets for some (but not all) upcoming performances, but only if you book\u00a0before Monday 7 April. Use promocode\u00a0EID25<\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0Tango After Dark<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>(top tango to the music of Astor Piazzolla: 26\u00ad\u201327 April),\u00a0The Pulse: Gravity & Other Myths<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(post Cirque du Soleil fusion of acrobatics, music, and light: 9\u201311 May),\u00a0Carmina Burana<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Maribor Ballet does Edward Clug\u2019s ballet version of Carl Orff\u2019s crowdpleaser: 23\u201324 May): and\u00a0Stomp<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(fun percussive dance: 29\u201331 May).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow the likes<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Campseek<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0works on the principle that if you like that band and I like that band, maybe I will also like some of your other tastes too \u2013 it\u00a0lets you see what other music fans of a particular band or music genre have been listening to on Bandcamp. No guarantees, but it\u2019s certainly interesting … Try it\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Design for performance<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0In case you missed it last time, our in-depth report on\u00a0World Stage Design<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>. It’s\u00a0an impressive\u00a0pretty special event, and this year it\u2019s being held in Sharjah (18-25 October) …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Park life<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>A bloke called Elliott Cost is running a fundraiser for his award-winning website cum art project\u00a0One Minute Park<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 contributors upload a minute of video taken in their local park. This is a truly serene place on the internet, well worth keeping. Check it out\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong> Turn a map into a slide puzzle<\/strong><\/a>; specify a location (like your area) and a size,\u00a0with optional\u00a0watercolour mode. Best to start with 3×3 \u2013 that\u2019s difficult enough! Try it\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong> Bert and Ernie on\u00a0Sesame Street<\/strong>\u00a0were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra’s\u00a0It’s a Wonderful Life\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark><\/strong> Marathon : Tired<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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