Onwards to Kuala Lumpur

View over KLCC from the hotel room at Hilton Sentral




Petronas Towers




All this flying between different timezones takes it's toll


Spent the whole week in KL working. I really like KL, first of all, it's a real city which isn't what you can say about Dubai. A part from that people are nice and the climate is much nicer than Dubai. I have been quite a lot in KL and other areas in Malaysia, mainly for vacations over the years but also a number of times for work over the last years. I can warmly recommend going to Malaysia.

Posted at 04:00AM Mar 16, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Another Brunch at Jumeirah Beach

Gathered for Dubai's favorite Friday happening


Back from Dhaka it was time to spend two days in Dubai before heading towards Kuala Lumpur. Since we had some new visitors to Dubai it was time for Dubai's favorite Friday happening, the brunch.

This time we went back to a old favorite, Jumeirah Beach Hotel which wasn't as good experience as before, the food is still excellent but there was a general lack of service which isn't what you're used for there, especially not with those prices.

Posted at 04:00AM Mar 14, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Dinner with the gang

Fredrik and Jennys new apartment




Ready for dinner




Work hard...sleep hard...


Tonight Fredrik has invited the gang for dinner in his new apartment that was just finished. It's always nice to meet your friends when you are back in Sweden and we always try to find time for at least one dinner. As usual however, since people are traveling and working a lot, people are getting tired quite quickly.

Posted at 04:00AM Jan 30, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Impressive ornaments




Not the best weather UAE has to offer


Today Charlotte took my parents to Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

Posted at 04:00AM Jan 14, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Trying to find the camel races, ending up at a endurance race

When we where at Bab Al Shams we saw a race track and thought that it might be one of the tracks for camel races so we went by to ask when the race was and the answer was on Sunday. So this morning we woke up really early (5 o'clock in the morning) and after loading dogs and parents into the car we all set out to go to the camel races. Arriving early we didn't really see any camels and we got the explanation when we asked around, this was apparently the UAE endurance race for horses... not a camel race... Just goes to show that you need to double check things. Anyway, we got a explanation of how the race works by one of the organizers which was good but I must say that it must be the most boring spectator sport ever invented. Horses are at the stadium for 10 minutes every 2 hours, the other times their out on the 160km track racing... Unfortunately I lost the pictures from the race when I changed camera, that's another story.

Posted at 04:00AM Jan 12, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Lunch at Bab Al Shams

A oasis in the middle of the dessert




Charlotte and my parents


Trying to see something besides the standard skyscrapers of Dubai we today took a trip to Bab Al Shams desert resort to have lunch with my parents. Luckily enough there was good weather today which has been a rare thing this week so far unfortunately. It has turned out not to be the best week for my parents to visit with all rain that has fallen.

However Bab Al Shams was a nice experience, being a oasis in the middle of the dessert. Definitely a place worth going back to.

Posted at 04:00AM Jan 10, 2008 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Adding a Denon AV reciever to the setup

Denon AVR4308


Since it's Christmas and the season for giving it's time to update the A/V setup with a new receiver that is ready to handle the new sound formats of Blue-Ray and PS3 games. Also, it doubles as a excellent HDMI switch towards the TV. It's a excellent receiver and I like the fact that it has 4 HDMI inputs and 2 HDMI outputs which allows it to be connected to both a TV and a projector.

Posted at 04:00AM Dec 26, 2007 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Christmas signs in Stockholm

The yearly Christmas display shop-windows at NK


Passing by the shop-windows at NK on my way down to the central station to take Arlanda expressen to Arlanda to go back to Dubai, I got reminded that Christmas is closing in. The yearly redressing had been unveiled and December was just around the corner.

Posted at 03:39AM Nov 26, 2007 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Jumeirah Beach again

Fredrik is enjoying the pool




Everyone gathered around the pool bar




Fredrik and Erika in front of Burj Al Arab




Sunset with Burj Al Arab in the foreground


Today it was time for a relaxing day by the pool at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Charlotte was out with Fredrik and Erika yesterday and I arrived late from Egypt so we decided to have a relaxing day today. Eating brunch and hanging on the beach is one of the few things you can do in Dubai to spend your weekends so it's not uncommon that you end up on the beach when you have friends visiting.

Also, it was a good time to try out the new underwater house I bought for my Panasonic LUMIX camera a couple of weeks ago. It will be further put to the test when we go diving next week.

Posted at 04:00AM Nov 17, 2007 by Tobias Karlsson in General  | 

Fredrik and Erika are visiting Dubai

Today Fredrik and Erika are coming down to Dubai for a weeks vacation. It will be fun to have some friends over from Sweden even though this week is a bit crazy with the move from the apartment in Dubai Marina to a house in Arabian Ranches, also I have to go to Egypt for a presentation and the day after they leave I will go to Sweden for a workshop and once I'm back in Dubai from that I will go to South Africa once again for customer meetings and to hold a training.

Posted at 04:00AM Nov 16, 2007 by Tobias Karlsson in General  |