Changing Lanes

I remember how I used to tell my friends where I had reached on my way to a place where we were meant to meet. I never used street names, we Dubai people hardly seem to use them [unless the few known famous ones], I used to pin point my position according to the landmark around. Like saying I had reached Strand Cinema signal even though that junction is called something else. But slowly these landmarks are vanishing. My parents still call the bus stand [now going to be metro station] opposite Al Ghurair City as the one opposite Deira Cinema. Deira Cinema was one of the not so famous old cinema in Deira unlike its more famous old landmark, Dubai Cinema[Demolished and being replaced by Emirates Bank building]. Thinking about Al Ghurair City, it used to be a brown building called Al Ghurair Centre with that Sindbad play area [I think it was called Sindbad] and there logo on each of its tower like things[now been replaced by a bunch of helipads instead]. Also I'm not too sure if many people know that there was an Al Shaab Cinema ages ago where the Abu hail bus stand is, next to Galadari junction. Galadari junction was several years back called the Galadari Roundabout. That was one huge roundabout which during it last few years was a traffic heaven which resulted in its transformation into a junction that is now mutating into multiple bridges, tunnels and what not.

Thinking about the old times, we used to divide Dubai into two parts. One was Deira, north of the creek and Bur Dubai, south of the creek. Even though we had Karama, Quasis, Satwa etc; we still used to put them all together under these two parts. Now its a different story. I guess Deira is now the old suburb part of the city [till Palm Deira comes up I guess] while Bur Dubai is the small creek side area.

I miss those quiet days sometimes. Life was a laid back stroll and not this fast track bullying life.

Well coming back to the main topic of this post; 'The Clock Tower'. I took a pic of it a couple of days back. While I was going through my pictures today, I just stared at 'The Clock Tower' picture and wondered how long will it be till its demolished for development and mostly shifted to a more secluded place. I suppose it'll get the same treatment as 'The Flame Monument' [built in 1969, relocated in 1998] near the airport.

Anyway here's the picture that got me thinking....



Hopefully this Friday I'll be taking pictures of the 'Our Own English High School' on the Oud Mehta road as I've heard its being demolished to give way for a metro station. Though I still don't believe it but I can't find any news online confirming or denying it so I'll have to belief the words of the ex-students. So some pictures need to be taken before it vanishes too.