Read

They Don't Make Webs

Also, in the same temporary nocturnal spot mentioned in the post below, we got the chance to feed a camel spider some bread.

Magical Sight

AL AIN -- We made a temporary nocturnal settlement in a desert area off the Al Ain/Abu Dhabi road, and were fortunate enough to see this large black scorpion scurry across the sand.

Be Sure to Use the Metro When You're in Dubai.

Selected Pictures from Abu Dhabi Art 2009

photos by existential al ain

Abu Dhabi Radio

Classic(al) FM 105.2
on your dial in Al Ain

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.

Good Morning

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Rain in Al Ain Revisited

I got the full recording of the lightning/rain/thunder "sound effects" -- 26 minutes MP3 of the rain/thunder/lightning for relaxing and other psychogeographic purposes (e.g. listening to it with headphones while walking in a desert area on a sunny day.)

If anyone is interested in aquiring a copy (for free, of course) of this 26-minute "Rain in Al Ain relaxation tape [MP3]"...

(Read more to get your free copy). (Also check out here and here).

Up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Al Ain.

If You Were Awake...

...at 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning (January 14, 2009), you would have known first-hand...





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...that we had thunder, lightning, and rain in Al Ain.

Zoom!

Thank you Fatima S. for this video footage of the Al Ain Zoo!

NOTE: If you have any video, photos, text, or any other media, having anything whatsoever to do with or within the town of Al Ain that you'd like to have posted, please send it to existentialalain@yahoo.com

Please add any instructions as to who is credited for what, or for any anonymity requests, etc. Copyrights to submitted material belong entirely to the authors of the submitted material.

Mail Bag

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR EMAIL. I'LL OCCASIONALLY BE POSTING SOME MAIL THAT I RECEIVE HERE. HERE'S A FIRST INSTALLMENT.


I love your blog -- without being unkind, most of the other people's UAE blogs I have seen have been so soulless, kitsch, shallow, pretty unchallenging and depressing -- but yours is great, and shows an intelligence and aesthetic /ambient consciousness the others are missing ( I studied film, art and philosophy before becoming an EFL teacher .)

Is UAE a good place to be? I am planning on bringing my family with me next year to teach at ----.

All the best,

R----



*******************************************************

HERE IS MY REPLY:


Hello R----,

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you like the blog. I highly recommend this place (especially when having a family) -- and your film, art, philosophy will not go to waste out here. It will expand (in interesting directions). If you go ahead with your plan, I hope to bump into you some time.

Best regards,

Existential Al Ain



READERS ARE WELCOME TO RESPOND TO THESE POSTED EMAILS (see the email address at the sidebar).

Transport, or UFO Landing #1

AL AIN -- I made this sound track for listening to when outside at nighttime, preferably while looking up at the night sky.

Original music made by Existential Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates, 2008 (using a home-made radio oscillator).

Click on the conch shell below to download:
Single track: 16'26"

Existential Soundtrack, #9

graphyAL AIN -- I intended this recording to be a travel companion for any kind of walking activity one might do in a city, town or country setting. Listen to this recording when you're walking down a busy street in Cairo, or when you're enjoying the humming silence of the Alps.

This psychogeographic recording captures the peaceful and harmonious sounds of grass hoppers in the early evening, while at the same time these natural sounds are coupled with constructed rhythmic oscillator frequency modulations to subtly enhance your sense of movement.

All the sounds in this recording are authentic and original, and were made in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (2008).

Click on the conch shell below to download:
Single track: 43 minutes, 21 seconds