Mysterious and Interesting Nighttime Cloud over the United Arab Emirates

No rain, no wind. Just a single cloud low in the sky. Then a flash within the cloud, then another flash, and then a few more. Approximately 7 minutes later, the cloud disappeared. I've managed to get three separate flashes caught on video.

A Diversion -- A Walk to the Taxi in Downtown Al Ain

Dates and Flowers in Al Ain

Now Rain in Al Ain

Occurred: Saturday, 28/03/2009, 4:35p.m.

Electrical Storm in the Sky

Occurred in Al Ain: Wednesday, 25/03/2009, 9:35 p.m.

NOTE: The sound you hear during this video is the wind against the microphone. There was no rain (sound) or lightning sounds at all. As a matter of fact, there was an eerie silence throughout except for the wind. I recommend using the mute button when viewing this video.

Existential Al Ain Goes to Dubai

EXCLUSIVE -- In the recording below you'll hear an excerpt of Rajaa al-Sanea, author of Girls of Riyadh, speaking about women, literature, writing and more during the "Women's Writing from the Arab World: Mansoura Ez Eldin, Haifa Bitar, Sahar el-Mougy, Rajaa al-Sanea with Hani Nakshabandi" talk at Dubai Festival City on Friday, February 27, 2009.


And I managed to get Rajaa's autograph in my own copy of Girls of Riyadh.










NOTE: The recording you'll hear is in both Arabic and English simultaneously, because as the talk was conducted in Arabic the audience had remote on-the-spot-translation devices in order to hear the talk in English.