I returned from Dubai a week ago. Had a great time. Faye, Peter and Goldie are fantastic hosts and I am so lucky I could enjoy their home for a week. Faye made amazing job in decorating her new home in only 6 months. When she comes to my place she will be slamming it. I have no garden and no swimming pool.

Faye is the best guide in Dubai. She is an expert in all Dubai shopping malls. She knows all personal assistants at every shop we have been in. As I visited during the last week of Dubai Shopping Festival I maxed my credit card. Faye also arranged appointments for things I do not know how to get in Kiev or my experience of getting them in Kiev is such I prefer not to have them done in Kiev. So thanks to Dubai visit I have best highlights since I left Moscow and a complete new summer wardrobe from Ishtar Tailoring in Satwa. These fantastic tailors made my complete wardrobe in 3 days!!! I am not going to post how many bags and pairs of shoes I bought.

I was also lucky to meet Karen. I have not seen her since I left Seoul and it was great to catch up with her. We had a long lunch and a fantastic curry dinner at her new place. After the dinner we went dancing and singing karaoke until 4 am. Have not had such fun in a year. Karen and Guy - thanks a lot! Karen - if you go to Seoul please let me know!

I love Dubai. It's skyline is amazing. Faye tells me that 7 years ago it had not exists. She showed me some funny looking building about 25m tall which was few years ago "Hard Rock Cafe" and told me that this has been the tallest building in the city. Now Dubai skyline reminds me of Hong Kong or Shanghai - there are so many skyscrapers. Unfortunately due to credit crunch there are not fully occupied. Credit crunch or not - Dubai is one huge construction site. Peter said that actually all construction halted some time ago but Dubai skyline remains adorned with numerous cranes. It is cheaper to keep than to dismantle them.

Palm and Atlantis are amazing. Atlantis huge aquarium filled with all kinds of fishes is fantastic. But keeping Sammy - a female whale shark in captivity is horrible. They should let her go.

I also like Dubai's mix of traditional UAE and Western culture. You can see a man in a dish dash having a coffee with a woman in abaya and hijab in Starbucks. Most abayas have elaborate embroideries on sleeves. Some ladies wear hijab in a way which shows their hair. All ladies in abaya have impeccable makeup.

I hoped to sort Dubai photos last week but as situation in Ukraine continues its downhill direction after work I am too exhausted. One evening last week my attempt to sort photos ended with me deleting hundreds of Dubai photos both from a card and the disc. I will never/ever work on my photos again when tired.

It was great to spend a week in a warm and sunny climate especially as Kiev is covered with snow and temperature is -7 degree Celsius.

While I was in Dubai Igor was with Catherina, Kees and Wiebe. They took great care of Igor. Many thanks for that!

Of course it's not over

Last Friday evening Yushenko addressed the nation on TV. But actually he spoke to Tymoshenko.
He accused her of signing a disadvantageous gas deal for Ukraine and for leading the country to the crises. Read all at http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/12765.html.
Immediately on Saturday Yulia asked the President not to fall into “hysteria”: http://eng.for-ua.com/news/2009/02/02/123045.html. Her exact words in Russian are: Для того чтобы бороться с кризисом, нам нужны политическая консолидация, холодный и трезвый ум, железные нервы, сила воли, решительность и глубокое чувство ответственности – именно то, чего всегда не хватало, не хватает, и будет не хватать Виктору Андреевичу. (My free translation: To fight with the crisis, we (Ukraine) need political consolidation, cold and calm thinking, iron nerves, strong willpower, decisiveness and deep sense of accountability – all of these (qualities) Viktor Andreeivich (the Prez) – never had, does not have and will never have.

While Yulia and Yushenko continue to exchange punches, Yanukovich takes a role of a referee http://eng.for-ua.com/news/2009/02/02/131038.html (For those not well versed in Orange revolution protagonists Mr. Yanukovich is the “other” candidate” who rigged 2004 presidential elections.)

The “gas middleman” Mr. Firtash from RosUkrEnergo called today to establish a gas consortium with Ukraine, Russia and Europe. Of course in this consortium Mr. Firtash wants to play a part. See Bloomberg:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a7fZhJ7lkiBA.

Personal faces of this crisis for last weekend: On Saturday a boy asked me for some money in front of a pastry shop. An acquaintance told me she was asked in a supermarket by a man if she could buy some vegetables for his family as he does not have any money. One large car dealership disappeared in a day. The other car dealership put “bottom price” sign on all its cars. There was a long queue in front of the Nadra bank ATM at Artemova Street. One pregnant lady who has difficulties with her pregnancy told me she cannot afford to take a sick leave or take a maternity leave as she needs her salary to pay her mortgage.

For average people life is getting more difficult by day.