Existential Al Ain

Mysterious and Interesting Nighttime Cloud over the United Arab Emirates

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:54:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:47:00 +0000

Dates and Flowers in Al Ain

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:33:00 +0000

Now Rain in Al Ain

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Occurred: Saturday, 28/03/2009, 4:35p.m.

Electrical Storm in the Sky

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:19:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:36:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:42:00 +0000

Rain in Al Ain Revisited

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:30:00 +0000

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.

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:02:00 +0000

If You Were Awake...

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:38:00 +0000

...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!

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:26:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:13:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:38:00 +0000

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

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:56:00 +0000

AL 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

Leaf Sculpture, 2008

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:05:00 +0000

AL AIN -- Leaf sculpture, using leaves and sand. Made in Markhaniya district.

It's Like You're Really There, Series, No.1

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:28:00 +0000

AL AIN -- This is a sound and picture project, "It's Like You're Really There", and it's best experienced when looking at the supplied picture (above) and listening to the accompanying sound file (click on the conch shell icon below). No.1 in the series is "Tire change in Sinaiyah industrial area, 2008".

Click on the conch shell below to download:
2'59"

Electroplexy

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:08:00 +0000

AL AIN -- We don't need air conditioners right now (it's been quite cool), and I've almost forgotten what they're like when they're on. This is a sound recording of an air conditioner with child's voice, a clock's pull-chain, and water faucet sound. I taped the recorder (not shown) onto the outside of the air conditioner in order to get an extreme close-up sound recording of the air conditioner (and the sounds inside the villa). A villa in Markhaniya district, with permission.

Click on the conch shell below to download:
5 minutes, 25 seconds

OSM Sculpture 01

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:05:00 +0000

AL AIN -- Near the American School (see the building in the background. This photo is a view of the back of the school).

Art structure built (see foreground of photo), using materials found on site. We used old pieces of wood, bricks, and chunks of foundation concrete to make this On-the-Spot-Materials sculpture.

The OSM sculpture is made to be temporary. This one remained standing in its spot for three days, between September 6 2007 and September 9 2007, was photographed and viewed during that time, and then we disassembled it before the first day of school.

It was a dark and rainy night

existentialalain@yahoo.com (existential al ain) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:32:00 +0000

AL AIN -- I made this recording (2007) using a simple Olympus micro digital recorder, wrapped in a zip-lock bag. The recording was done in the evening hours in Asharej district, near Twam hospital. There are six natural sounds, and one mechanical sound, that make up this "sound composition" recording. If you listen to the recording in it's entirety, 4 min. 19 sec., you'll hear the sound of rain, a human voice, a cat's meow, wind, thunder, a bird's chirp, and finally a (somewhat broken) music-box mechanism that I found in the wet sand. Enjoy.

Click on the conch shell below to download: