Margot, Dubai
hopefully more than a class assignment.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Illegal drifting in Dubai is a dangerous hobby in Dubai
Illegal drifting has been the hobby of many young nationals in the Emirate of Dubai. Mary Achkhanian investigated in further details in what seems to be a deadly leisure activity. Radio Report
Friday, February 24, 2012
A fire breaks down at the tennis court on the campus of the American University in Dubai
DUBAI- A fire occurred at a tennis court of
the American University on the morning of this Tuesday. The tragic incident
cost the life to two students of the university, whose identities could not be
revealed.
At 6.15 A.M., a security guard of the
university noticed a large smoke cloud around the tennis court, but spotted the
incident too late since he was taking a cigarette break. No witnesses have been
declared yet due to the fact that the Tuesday was declared on holiday, and only
four other students, under examination, have been declared present on campus. There
are no evidence yet on how the fire started, apart from three cigarette bugs
found on the crime scene.
The Media City police chief Constable Meedo
Taha declared to the press, “the curious fact of the matter is that we could
not find any evidence of gym bags or a clear indication that whoever was on the
tennis court was there to play tennis.”
The police have found a bag containing Dokha
and pipes on the tennis court, and the police chief Meedo Taha declared that
the detectives have reasons to believe that the students used the tennis court
for illicit exchanges.
Three out of the five cameras that have a
shot on the tennis court could not get any images because of the smoke, one got
whipped out, and the last one is under examination. The police are interviewing
the dorms inhabitants, looking for more explication. Some students living at
the dorms spotted the cloud between 6.05 and 6.15 A.M., but none could
identified more evidence as to how it started. The four students declared on
campus at the time, within which three are not dorms inhabitants, are being
questioned.
“It is curious that we see students on
campus on an off day,” said police chief Meedo Taha. “The buildings were closed
prior to 6 A.M., so the question of where the students were going remains
open.”
An official statement on the behalf of AUD
was issued, saying that, “all flags at AUD will be flying at half mast for the
next two weeks, in remembrance of the students who tragically died in this
morning’s fire.”
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The zoo welcome Adelie penguins from Antarctica to raise its popularity.
To bolster its popularity, the Dubai Mall had open an underwater zoo four years ago, presenting mainly reptiles and fish. As new attractions saw the light of day in Dubai, the zoo slowly lost its popularity. In an attempt to regain the public interest, the zoo owners welcomed a new species of penguins from Antarctica. Learn more about the zoo and its new inhabitants.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Article 1: Obesity in Dubai, the solutions.
Obesity is a raising issue in the UAE due to the sudden modernization of the population's lifestyle. Since the younger generations are more subjects to overweight, the government, as well as universities and private institutions, try to encourage the people to start or to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, the obesity rate in the United Arab Emirates in 2011 was 33.7%, placing the country in fourth position worldwide, after Saudi Arabia (35.5%), and before the USA (32.2%). Such statistics put the Ministry of Health of the UAE on alert.
Ahmed, an employee
at the Ministry in Dubai, said, “The population of the emirate, foreigners or
nationals, is over-weight. We are aware of the numbers and we try to encourage
people to go outside and simply move, as a start. We created facilities, like
the cycling track in Jumeirah, to give them opportunities of being healthy.”
However, these
actions may not be enough considering the bad eating habits of many in Dubai.
Donabelle, nurse at the American University in Dubai, said that obesity for the
women can be explained by the confinement. “It is also easier here to go to a
restaurant or a fast food to eat,” she continued, “than to cook. Not many
people cook, and the burgers, sauces, and soft drinks become regular meals
among the students in the university, for example.”
Staying fit goes
hand-in-hand with sports, and Donabelle remarked that about half the people in the
university do go to the gym, but the other half is clearly inactive and over-weight. “I have
students coming in, asking me advice on how to lose weight. There is no magic,
it is all about eating vegetables and walking at least two hours per week.” She
finished by saying that, to lose weight, people should look for fit friends, to
keep themselves motivated. “It is all about self-discipline, that many students
lack here,” she concluded.
Working out is
presented to everyone with events such as the Dubai Marathon, which takes place
on Friday the 27th. Appearing on the official website of the
marathon, a countdown indicates that the registered members will just have one
more day to wait.
“The Dubai
marathon was created in 2000, but was not very popular at that time. We have
come a long way since, and ten times more people participated last year
compared to the first year,” stated Dunia, member of the marathon’s
organization. “Usually, people participating in the marathon are already in
pretty good shape, but we also have the 10km and the 3km runs. This way, we
encourage everyone who likes running, or simply wants to exercise outside.” She
added that, in order to help people for the D-day, they created in their
website a page with nutrition tips, and a step-by-step guideline for people
interested in participating, from beginners’ preparation months before, to the
breakfast on the morning of the marathon. “It is a great experience,” said
Alia, who participated in the 3km run last year. She added, “it was very well
organized, and there are so many people, you feel the motivation coming from
everyone.” She also mentioned a feeling of achievement and satisfaction when
one is finished. She concluded with a smile, “It was very diverse. People from
all ages and all nationalities were participating; from all weights as well,
and they did not feel out of place.”
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Photo journalism
Out of the four photo-reports, two photographs really stood out to me.
This is the first one,
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Caption in the NYtimes: Health Ministry officials said Saturday afternoon that at least 168 people were hospitalized. |
I think that the colours are very powerful, the contrast between the left and the right sides bring a lot of energy in a still picture. The man is directly in the center, and I find unusual the fact that he is wearing a suit, and holds a water bottle, so close to a fire. From his attitude, the viewer can deduce a kind of habbit of the Egyptian population to face such incidents, which is sad.
The second picture could not be downloaded, so here is the link,
I find a lot of sadness in this picture. If you see the full diaporama, it starts with a "happy" picture, though holding a lot of sadness. The viewer can only understand the meaning behind the picture if he or she reads the caption. The sixth picture of the slideshow (there are a total of twelve pictures) shows more despair and distress in the angle and in the people. There are more visual correlations between the captions and the pictures in the second half. This picture, intitled A man stood amid the rubble of homes in the village of Zahel, is the exact opposite of the first picture. The viewer learns nothing new from the caption, because the picture, to me, is worth a thousand words. I find interesting the evolution of the pictures and the captions, and this last piece sriked to me as some kind of grand finale to the report.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Different styles of reporting
As our first class assignment, we have to compare the two following videos:
&
I am going to start comparing by following the five main points given in class: tone, voice, perspective, pacing, and structure. The tone of New York Times's "Linking Gaza to the Outside World" is more informative, while The Monocle Briefings's "Barbers' Tales" has a lighter tone, more entertainment-driven. The distinction is also made by the song playing in the background of "Barbers' Tales." The reporters are talking via voice off, and do not appear in the video at all, allowing a richer visual to the audience. As for the voice, the man in "Linking Gaza" is more monotone, detached from any emotion, working only on transmitting the information to the viewer. The two reporters' voice in "Barber's Tales," on the other hand, is light, and conveys cheerfulness and intimacy. The perspective is as well quite opposite, as in the first video, the reporter seems to take a very outside and objective position, as the woman in the second video transmits feelings in her documentary, and seems to be in direct relation with her interviewees. The pacing is different as the first video seems more still than the second one. In the first one, the reporter is following the action, whereas in the second video, the reporters are creating the action. Finally, the structures though are comparable, as in both videos, the reporter comments on the images. However, in the first video, the commenting seems more direct than in the second video, where the reporters are "reciting" an article after taking all the required shots. In both cases, the interviewees are showed in their regular "duty," giving more life to both documentaries.
I would tend to take the first video more seriously, due to the tone and perspective, but would enjoy watching the second video more, as it is entertaining as well as informative. The two videos are obviously not treating the same kind of information, which makes it hard to compare on content. The first video really takes the viewer to the heart of the action, but I would tend to remember more the information given in the second video, as the colors and sounds are more developed. As for the reporters, the first one seemed more in the action than in the second video.
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