OrangeJar on TV

This was recorded by Mirzi earlier today using her new camera. We didn't get the hosts' intro but hopefully, I'll be able to post the whole thing when we get the copy from ABS-CBN. Audio's not so good but you can hear the interview and narration. ;) Hehe - ignore my side comments. I will also post this in www.orangejar.com later.

OrangeJar on TV & bdays and annivs

Got some news! To know more kindly go to OrangeJar.com.

Just got an update: script is still being revised, so it's lined up for this Friday, but it might also get pushed to another date. Cross your fingers! ;)

belated happy birthday to raq (sept 20 - we were too busy eating chicken at nando's restaurant to post about it).

and belated happy anniversary to my dearest sister janette and brother kuya roy. yesterday marked eight adventurous years for the couple -- can't believe it's been that long already! love ya!

Exhibitionist: out in dubai

Now here's something I never thought I'd see in Dubai - an exhibitionist. I actually saw a guy jerking off in between rows of cars just oppostive where I parked yesterday morning. Because I am not entirely sure of his nationality, I will not mention it here.

Given the laws here, it's something that I think these offenders would not be too keen on doing. Especially that parking lot, there are always police patrolling the area even in the morning. Like what I usually do when I encounter his kind, I ignored him and pretended he was not there (hmmm... last night, somebody from my back kept calling me 'Miss! miss!' but since I didn't drop anything, I ignored him and went on walking... could it have been the same person?).

A few seconds later, seeing that I was already pulling out of the parking lot, he shifted his position, still jerking off, and looked around, probably trying to spot another victim.

For two seconds I considered reporting it to the police, I didn't for two reasons:

1.) Yvette's verbal offender already got him lashes and imprisonment,

2.) I'm going to be late for work.

In the first reason, I didn't think I can have that on my conscience and it was easy to decide on because though I've never verified it, I've been told once that flashers and public masturbators are not really prone to violent acts. This lead me to a quick search on what are considered sex crimes.

According to Wiki, these are the common sex crimes:
* Rape, lust murder and other forms of sexual assault and sexual abuse
* Child sexual abuse
* Statutory rape
* Frotteurism: sexual arousal through rubbing one's self against a non-consenting stranger in public
* Exhibitionism and voyeurism, if deliberate and non-consensual, called "indecent exposure" and "peeping tom" respectively in this context.
* Incest between close relatives - laws on what is permitted and not permitted vary widely.
* Telephone scatologia: being sexually aroused by making obscene telephone calls
* Sex with animals
* Sexual harassment
* Sexual acts by people in a position of trust (such as teachers, doctors and police officers), towards any person they are involved with professionally.
* Extra-maritial relations are illegal in some places. In Islamic law, it is illegal under the term Zina (See also Polygamy).

So, where does public masturbation fall in? I think it's still exhibitionism but there's another meaning to exhibitionist - a totally different concept and not illegal, at least in the US, or meant to shock.

Back home I've encountered some of these types of sex crimes -- when I was in high school there was this flasher who wore a coat over his bare upper body and exposed privates, over untied pants (it's usually not scenes you can easily forget) who was always at the corner where I waited for a jeepney between 6 to 6:30 am. I only saw him twice, the first time, he called I looked back and saw him. The second time, I knew enough not to look. It was later, when my neighbor and classmate told me that she was often victimised by the guy because she usually left the house between 6 to 6:30 whereas I left the house usually at 6:30. Who says a sex offender can't be punctual?

When I was in college, we -- two friends were with me -- went on a jeepney and as I sat down, I saw the guy opposite me jerking off, partially covering his private part with his clutch bag.

Watching a movie once, one of the only two times I saw a movie alone, I got rubbed from behind by this guy! And it was a Dolphy movie (a popular comedian, family act back home). I moved, the guy followed, I moved again and intended that if the guy followed again, I'd report him. Good thing, he decided not to. It helped that I moved to a crowded area (the moviehouse was full, standing room only).

There are lots of sick people out there. And though I've really been complacent here, always cocooned by that thought that no real harm or petty crimes will happen I have to consciously remember that crimes DO happen. People's belongings get stolen, houses are robbed, women are raped and yes, sex offenders like public masturbators also show up. Though I thought that guy posed no real harm, he has violated my sense of security and personal space. I just used to sit there, waiting for my car's engine to warm up, apply a little make-up or arrange my stuff... now, I think, I'll just be locking myself in while waiting.

Accident prone

I see see many accidents on the road, I'm no longer surprised. So when, in a psychologist press conference last week to orient the media on the different aspects and interrelations of their profession and ours, I was surprised that there is also accident counselling. Though of course I think it's mostly for people who were actually in the accident. Anyway, my point is, my senses are being deadened with what I see almost everyday that I asked Raq how many times she has been stopped because a car is being towed away, in the 5 years or so that she has been driving. Not one is the answer.

I've been stopped 3 times to let a tow truck tow the car away.

I've only been driving here for nine months but I feel like I see accidents too often. Of course all the other people on the road with me saw it too, but I feel like I see more than one person's share. For instance I've seen three accidents happen in the space of one hour -- and those were three separate incidents in different areas -- I was driving from our office at DIP to an interview at Garhoud. The scary part was, all of those could have been me, the difference was mere seconds!

I went to Jumeirah last week just to take some pictures and as I came out, the police and the ambulance was at the corner, with some people running to the scene.

I've seen a white car hit the back end of a truck, the impact made the car swing to the next two lanes (it was on the rightmost lane, so it swung from right to left covering both mid lanes). This happened on Emirates road, good thing I was on the leftmost lane.

On Sheik Zayed road, about a month back, this woman was hit from the back and again, I saw it happen. As I passed by, the woman was rubbing her neck. It was then that I realized I shouldn't wear this hard clip that I've been using on my hair -- in case the same thing happens to me, it would be more painful if my head hits the headrest hard.

Yesterday morning, there was a slight accident on Sheikh Zayed road and another one on Al Khail road.

Only this afternoon, the lane I was in was held up because this van bumped into the car ahead.

That's just some of it and I'm already feeling like I'm always seeing accidents. Well, as long as I'm a spectator and not in it, that's good I guess. I just pray everybody starts driving more responsibly, though. The accidents I see, the accidents we hear happening are, as they say here, too much.

Dubai drivers, please, just a few reminders:

- Use your light signals for instance (and your headlights at night!).
- Follow the rule, slow cars on the right, fast cars on the left.
- Give a girl some space and time to move into the next lane if you want to pass (and don't flash if you know there's nowhere to go!)
- Stick to your lane when in a roundabout, don't change lanes please! (Only this afternoon, this taxi tried to cut into my lane as we were turning. He adjusted his course and occupied half of the lane to his left).
- And I guess the most important of them all: please don't be an a**h*le on the road.

Breather

Full days everyday. Am just taking a breather before heading out again...

Saw Pink the other night - it was so humid!!! She was great of course but I can't get pass the humidity - we were swimming in our own sweat within seconds of getting out of the car.

And for some reason, my lil mac won't accept the file format of the short video I saved so I won't be able to post it here. Man, it was hot!

Am feeling the crunch of living in Dubai more and more -- we've noticed little price increases in grocery goods and even the car wash fee increased recently. From 20dhs, it's now 25dhs! Man, we used to bitch only at the flat rental fees then Salik, now these little things are also creeping up. Oh no!