Spirals
A lot of people are certainly surprised by my resolve to carry on with the discovery, and yes I am proving to the detractors and to the non believers, that with every Wednesday, we can find something new and something beautiful. This is one where curiosity does not kill the cat…well it may get the cat drunk, but lets save that for another day and another post.
But for now lets get down to what happened on Wednesday and whether Spirals made the cut. I really didn’t expect a huge number to turn up, but was hopefully looking for new faces. I certainly didn’t expect to stay out for more than one beer and probably even make it back by midnight, but truth is that we had such a ball of a time that yeah we ended up staying till closing time.
With the venue shifting this time round to Al Barsha, a lot of people couldn’t and didn’t make it. But there was Leon and Cyril as I walked through the door of the Grandeur Hotel. Now this place is certainly not very big and is not very well known by name as the cabbie hadn’t heard of it. But after a little brief as to where it could be, he knew where we had to be. My first impression of the place was that it just wasn’t frequented enough and that the three of us may just end up being the only ones sitting in Spirals. We had to walk through a very empty, restaurant No.1 to get to Spirals, and the décor of the place certainly didn’t flatter to deceive. The only thing spiral, were just the lamp holders dangling from the ceiling. High tables and bar stools with a total of maybe 4 tables, and one would have thought that this place could certainly have seen better days. But with Dwight on the table we were pretty confident that this could be one of those nights that could lead to a long post from me. Dwight once again has raised a lot of questions in many a mind and there has been a barrage of questions as to who he is. I have one lady from Sharjah who is hounding me for a photograph of Dwight. I am still sort of grappling with the settings of the blog and trying to see if we can have albums posted on it. If any one of you have any insights on this please do let me know.
With beers ordered and resting ourselves on those high stools, we looked around again hoping to see something of interest. Right in front of us was a pool table that looked like it was pretty new. Two gentlemen were already on it and having a game, so we waited our turn before we could hog it. A projector screen and two 32” plasma screens showing Ten Sports and ART Prime Sport sort of gave Spirals the licence to call itself a sports bar. A bunch of popular numbers in the background kind of set the mood for the evening.
Now something that is really worth mentioning is the staff. Each one of them had something that was very positive that was going through them. I don’t know what it was, and I tried to find out, but all that came across from these great guys was a smile and the question, “More beer, Sir…” It was as if there was a connect, as if they could read our mind, and we were hypnotized in just saying “Yes”. I told them they had to teach me how this thing works, so that I could try it on some woman someday if not everyday. Try to make them say YES to me. Maybe I should approach the woman with the beer question rather than talk to them of the days when I had hair…Definitely worth a shot the next time round.
As I was debating and imagining who I would be questioning in the future, the staff at the Spirals said something else that made them grow even greater in my eyes. The pool table was free…and when I say free, I not only mean that the first two gentlemen and left but that we could play as much as we wanted without having to pay for the frames. Now my friends, this is another discovery. This is for the books. As far as I know this could be the only bar in town that is not making at least five odd bucks on people torpedoing balls down a hole with a narrow stick. Now that got the three of us in the mood and we had nothing left to say but “YES”.
Now as we readied ourselves for a good game of pool, it wasn’t that we weren’t noticing the ladies that were walking in from the next door restaurant No. 2. Them with their blackberry phones in one hand and a cigarette in the other, they sat on the table behind where there were a bunch of men with blackberries as well. Fidgeting with their hyped phones they made conversation with one another and shot the occasional glance over to the pool table waiting when we would vacate it.
Now every time these well dressed Indian women, walked in through that door, there was the sound of loud music, a man on the mic and the smell of karaoke coming through. I had to see, I had to know, so I had to go. And I was right, a bright lit restaurant, with half the tables full and a karaoke machine. This was D’Fusion, the Indian restaurant with a twist. Well it was decided that once we were done with drinks that’s where we would be headed for dinner. Little did we know that later would mean 2 am.
As we played pool we met an interesting character who went by the name of Neil. Neil is from Delhi and was in Dubai for business. According Neil from Delhi, he manages small sportstars like Suresh Raina. He also sells Manchester United perfumes to duty frees all over the world and plays a good game of pool. Later we would also see that he loves to rap like Wyclef Jean and shake like Mithun Chakraboty. Being a slightly older character, these attributes seemed to make him quite endearing to the fairer younger sex. So all you men out there, there is still hope.
In addition to Neil, we came across a Dutch, by the name Cheppih. In Dubai on holiday with his nephews and daughter, he had a flight to catch to back home first thing in the morning, but he still chose to hang out with us boys and he also joined us for a bit of karaoke fun as well. Cheppih by the way is from Eindhoven and is involved in a lot of charity work. So Leon and he have promised to stay in touch so that they can work something out. Though he didn’t get to hear either Cyril or Leon sing, he and the whole lot of us present were quite taken aback by this lady who was belting out Hindi songs of the 70s so effortlessly and melodiously, that it just seemed unreal. But that’s not to take away from Cyril and Leon who with their singing prowess did manage to attract questioning glances as to who those shabby boys with the bass voices are? In fact this place had the most talented karaoke singers I have seen in Dubai under one roof. The songs ranged from Hindi classics to retro English, to love songs, to rock. There was the group that had Reshma and her friend, who chose to sing the most dramatically slow songs one could imagine. But they did sing it well. By the way did I mention that Reshma’s friend is Caucasian, pretty and loves beer too?
Now D’Fusion for an Indian place isn’t really a cheap option because a meal for three recommended by Joheb (another example of an excellent staff, who not only made sure that we were comfortable but also won worthy praise from our very own Leon, who at other times has a problem mincing the expletives), would easily cost you a good 200 odd bucks. They do serve the guests a complimentary welcome drink where you have the option of it being alcoholic or otherwise. The food too is quite good, a bit on the sweeter, blander side, that caters to people who want to experiment with the butter chicken. But it is fresh, and served hot. A beer there too costs about 30 bucks which is about the norm for hotels in and around the Barsha area, who believe that people who stay in and around the area don’t really care dishing out almost $10 for a beer. This must be the most expensive beer in the whole wide world. In fact this is the place where the most expensive beer is sold in bars…Damn…Spirals is a place that one would go to if there weren,t too many options, which isn’t the case these days. There is still a lot that needs to be done in terms of the interiors, which would make the place a little more attractive. As an afterthought, it does resemble a small storeroom that has been converted into a bar, with the entrance of the kitchen opening up into the bar area. And funnily enough it did seem that all the food for D’Fusion went through Spirals but they wouldn’t serve us the same food if we were seated in Spirals. Not too sure if that makes sense to anybody now?
But like always we guys managed to have a good time and come back happy. Would definitely recommend it to all the people who have recently moved to Discovery Gardens and the surrounding areas for a nice quiet evening. Do not miss the Karaoke nights that happen on Wednesday. And if you feel like a smoke over there, you can always step into Spirals which is a door away.
So my friends that’s another Wednesday, another discovery. Next week is the last Wednesday prior to Ramadan, and I have got a lot of hands up saying that they would like to give it a shot. I would love to see more new faces. If there are any suggestions, any recommendations in terms of bars or just simply about how long these write ups are, do drop me a line. Spread the word and tell your friends good things about discovery.
We are a good laugh and the Beer is a good drink. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
Cheers
The Beerman
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Pre Spiral
Ooooh the pressure to deliver every weekend, balance out the personal, the professional and the rant, is something that I have not been used to. Earlier the professional used to mix with the personal and the personal somehow managed to find its way in the professional. The decision to try and keep the two apart was a sound one but now the juggle has started and for some reason time these days just isn’t enough, when you’re having fun…
Hello my beer guzzling buddies…hope all is well and that discovery is what you are yearning for and a Bar is what you are screaming for. Another Wednesday is upon us and we shall not put ourselves in a predicament or in front of the idiot box to make us believe that this is life. Damn the philosophy is coming out and I haven’t had a drop yet.
But as is the custom, before we sort of venture into where our next adventure is going to be. I take this opportunity to say what I have to say without having anybody cutting me short or trying to prove me wrong.
I’ve been getting a lot of reviews on the style of writing and though people have been appreciative of the attempt and the humour, what hasn’t gone down very well with people has been the length of the whole read. Now a lot of people would agree with me that size does matter, and not too many people are proud of small bits that don’t get you excited. But yeah I know sometimes too big is too bad and can be a pain is what some say, and I can imagine that it can be butt boring (all puns intentionally intended). So will try to limit what I have to say and get straight to the point, if at all there is any point.
There have been a lot of requests to pepper the whole thing with pictures and show people who Dwight is and is he really that super and dashing as I claim him to be. Well like I earlier I may not be a very good juggler of the various aspects to my life, but the pictures will be up sooner rather than later. But keeping all these things aside, its time to pursue the other and more pressing issues at hand.
Now in the past, the attendance though low has never been dismal and people always seemed to be walking out happy and not in a straight line. But yes it is true that the faces have been the same. We tried sticking to the city centre side of town to attract a bigger attendance, but it seems that side of town does not necessarily bring out our people at or after 9 pm. So for today the idea is to be closer to home and check out a bar in Barsha. Some founder members may find it hard to make a trip out here but if you do your efforts are certainly appreciated. A little birdy with a survey chart is predicting that by me shifting to this side of town will see popularity surge upwards, may even attract the opposite sex and might even see me become a star. The question is how much should I listen to this birdy. Well am thinking that I have nothing to lose, so will go with the bird who is forecasting some chicks tonight.
Now what is the place that we will be gracing tonight? Well a small search and minus any sort of good reviews but banking on one dimly lit pic, and the idea of adventure, the choice by my sole popular vote is SPIRALS. Now this is what I know and have found out about the place. It is located in the Grandeur Hotel in Al Barsha, very close to the Lulu Hyper Market. One review claims that this place has the biggest concentration of spiral furniture in the city and that it’s a good place for a game of pool and for sports. Well that sounds just fine for me and I hope it does for the rest of the attendees. As usual we will try to get there by 9 pm. Dwight will be present too and am not too sure about who else is going to make it, but as always you can be guaranteed a discovery and a good time.
Well I have restrained myself this time round, but the question is how long will I be able to keep the monster of words within me? We’ll have to wait and see…
And yes before I forget do make sure that all you people get yourself down to the HopFest at the Aviation club starting this weekend. It is going to be a blast, with beer from all over the world, people from all over the world, bands, food and drunks. You don’t want to miss it. I personally will be there on Friday with a huge bunch of people I may not remember and refuse to recognize after a couple of swigs, but if you do see me in the crowd, stick your hand up in the air, wave it like you just don’t care…and say the Beerman was here….
Cheers
The Beerman
Hello my beer guzzling buddies…hope all is well and that discovery is what you are yearning for and a Bar is what you are screaming for. Another Wednesday is upon us and we shall not put ourselves in a predicament or in front of the idiot box to make us believe that this is life. Damn the philosophy is coming out and I haven’t had a drop yet.
But as is the custom, before we sort of venture into where our next adventure is going to be. I take this opportunity to say what I have to say without having anybody cutting me short or trying to prove me wrong.
I’ve been getting a lot of reviews on the style of writing and though people have been appreciative of the attempt and the humour, what hasn’t gone down very well with people has been the length of the whole read. Now a lot of people would agree with me that size does matter, and not too many people are proud of small bits that don’t get you excited. But yeah I know sometimes too big is too bad and can be a pain is what some say, and I can imagine that it can be butt boring (all puns intentionally intended). So will try to limit what I have to say and get straight to the point, if at all there is any point.
There have been a lot of requests to pepper the whole thing with pictures and show people who Dwight is and is he really that super and dashing as I claim him to be. Well like I earlier I may not be a very good juggler of the various aspects to my life, but the pictures will be up sooner rather than later. But keeping all these things aside, its time to pursue the other and more pressing issues at hand.
Now in the past, the attendance though low has never been dismal and people always seemed to be walking out happy and not in a straight line. But yes it is true that the faces have been the same. We tried sticking to the city centre side of town to attract a bigger attendance, but it seems that side of town does not necessarily bring out our people at or after 9 pm. So for today the idea is to be closer to home and check out a bar in Barsha. Some founder members may find it hard to make a trip out here but if you do your efforts are certainly appreciated. A little birdy with a survey chart is predicting that by me shifting to this side of town will see popularity surge upwards, may even attract the opposite sex and might even see me become a star. The question is how much should I listen to this birdy. Well am thinking that I have nothing to lose, so will go with the bird who is forecasting some chicks tonight.
Now what is the place that we will be gracing tonight? Well a small search and minus any sort of good reviews but banking on one dimly lit pic, and the idea of adventure, the choice by my sole popular vote is SPIRALS. Now this is what I know and have found out about the place. It is located in the Grandeur Hotel in Al Barsha, very close to the Lulu Hyper Market. One review claims that this place has the biggest concentration of spiral furniture in the city and that it’s a good place for a game of pool and for sports. Well that sounds just fine for me and I hope it does for the rest of the attendees. As usual we will try to get there by 9 pm. Dwight will be present too and am not too sure about who else is going to make it, but as always you can be guaranteed a discovery and a good time.
Well I have restrained myself this time round, but the question is how long will I be able to keep the monster of words within me? We’ll have to wait and see…
And yes before I forget do make sure that all you people get yourself down to the HopFest at the Aviation club starting this weekend. It is going to be a blast, with beer from all over the world, people from all over the world, bands, food and drunks. You don’t want to miss it. I personally will be there on Friday with a huge bunch of people I may not remember and refuse to recognize after a couple of swigs, but if you do see me in the crowd, stick your hand up in the air, wave it like you just don’t care…and say the Beerman was here….
Cheers
The Beerman
Sunday, August 9, 2009
High Mile Club
Hello to the DABOW family. Hope all of you had a great weekend. A little sorry for the delay in letting all of you know how last Wednesday was. Had a few pressing matters to attend to and now that they have been pressed away, I am here once again.
It’s been quite an exciting weekend for me where there has been a lot of enlightenment and there was a lot of discussion. Some of them very interesting and the others were just discussions. But these discussions are leading to exciting times, more on this and a whole lot more when the time is right. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of announcements in the near future.
Now before we head down the rant, a small observation that has been brought to my notice. It has been said that I may get a little too critical and maybe even pushy. Well I would like to think that’s the idea. Its fodder for everybody in one way or the other and everything said here is said in the utmost humorous faith anybody can ever manage. For the record there is no malice. Well if anybody looking for an apology may have to wait till my love for beer diminishes. This is not a democracy here. It’s more like I speak, you listen, you like, you don’t like. But yeah you have the option of commenting. Now that I have got that weight of my shoulder and a mug in one hand, it’s time for discovery.
So last Wednesday was The International Beer Day and it was a good cause for celebration and to get a few like minded people together. With the venue fixed on the Manhattan, all that was left was to get ourselves there. So as we readied ourselves not knowing for sure what the Manhattan held for us, we took a quick headcount before we headed out to see if there were any surprises. Well Shetty was there, as always, screaming his support out for the planet on his T-shirt, “Trees Rock”. Dom who was just back from work and dressed quite formally, refused to change his clothes till he had had his fill of beer for the night, and then there was Leon who was back with us after an absence of a week. Amit who was still on holiday, was getting used to drinking like a fish. Cyril was going to meet us there straight at the venue. And the star of last evening, Dwight was there hoping to make a rock star appearance once again. A lot of people said they would love to or would try to make it on that night, and though we waited and we hoped, this would be the final number for the night.
Well we got a little delayed and could not really make it there by 9.30 pm. So Cyril who was wandering the streets of Bur Dubai wondering what was taking us guys so long decided to walk in and be the first to know what the Manhattan had to offer. Even I am wondering now, what was taking us for long? Since Cyril had religiously read the last posting, he went searching for Murphy’s – the sports bar. Not much of a fan of the dance bars be it Indian or South Indian, he skipped past these joints and after still not being able to find the joint, it was time to use the secret language of the brotherhood to get some information. So with a wave of both his hands and kicking one foot in front, he posed the question where he would he able to find Murphy’s. Well much to the dismay of an awkwardly standing Cyril, he was informed that Murphy’s no longer existed and instead there was Cyclone in its place. And as if a thousand bottles of beer came crashing down, Cyril was caught with panic and a bit of uncertainty and then these questions stormed right out...Would he have to sit with the boys in a loud Indian dance bar tonight? Would anyone be able to hear him speak? Would he be able to hear anyone but himself speak? Would he be able to bear it? Would there be beer? Would there be no discovery tonight? Did he have his credit card? Wonder what’s for dinner? Where are these guys? What time is it? Wonder if there are potatoes at home? What’s the scene? Where is the loo?
Well not really waiting for the guy in front of him to answer that question, the storm called Cyril approached the doors of Cyclone? With every step that Cyril took he knew that he had the responsibility of either making this night or breaking it. Breaking it would be like another round of thousand bottles breaking and another set of questions. Don’t think he wanted that, I didn’t want it, neither did the other guys, and trust me you don’t want it as well.
Well as he opened the door, it seemed like the lights just seemed to go out and the sounds in there just got very loud. Maybe this is the idea of letting people know how it would feel if your eyes failed you. No lights and lots of loud sounds that you would probably even end up making you deaf. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he once again saw nothing. Two silhouettes in the corner occupied a table, and that was all the attendance that was there. Scrambling for the exit, and stumbling through the door, and looking for a cigarette, Cyril smsed me to let me know what the scene was. We still weren’t there and nowhere near. It was time to take a call and there was just one place left in the Manhattan to check out if we could really make a night of it. So speaking very hurriedly to ensure that urgency was key, he told me that we needed to take a call. Well it was really simple and we had to give Manhattan a decent shot of a review, so told him to walk through the doors of the High Mile Club…Now Cyril was thirsty, and isn’t used to so much exertion for beer and that too alone. So as he approached the door that resembled the entrance of a plane. He had his doubts and once again there was a barrage of questions that followed…Hope this evening does not come crashing down? Can I say bomb in there without getting thrown out? Will they serve beer on this flight? What time is it? Where is the loo? Where are these guys? Wonder if they have any offers in there that Ryan was mentioning about? Well after not getting any response from the man who was holding the door open for him, he decided to step in…
I and the rest of the guys after Cyril smsed, were wondering what kind of questions Cyril would be posing when we met. Most of us were maybe even preparing replies. But not Shetty, he was busy trying to get his laundry delivered and after a few calls to his folks, his broker and the laundry, he still wasn’t ready. With Leon finishing his third cigarette without having a drop, we decided that Cyril had waited alone long enough and we had to join him and besides we needed two cabs anyways. So Amit, Leon, Dwight and I moved ahead with Domnic and Shetty to follow. Cyril had messaged again saying that he had ordered himself a draught and was in the High Mile Club. Well at least now we knew that he wasn’t alone and had a Heineken to keep him company. He did warn us about some bizarre interiors and that offers were on and happening at the joint. The cabbie we hailed knew where the Manhattan was, so the new name was catching up and the cab had already made a few trips to the hotel. As he whizzed us out of the busy streets of Karama and through to the busy Mankhool area, I really don’t remember what we were discussing. So we may have to just skip this part and fast forward to us entering the doors of the Manhattan.
The first thing that caught my attention was the door that looked like it was taking us into a plane. I sort of imagined that the seats in there would resemble the ones that you find in planes with push back seats and with a head towel and each seat having its own tray table. Women would be dressed as airhostesses serving us and the manager would be the Captain of the ship, and though a good idea the High Mile Club didn’t seem to catch on it. Instead we walked into an egg shaped room. The lighting resembled that of some UV chamber. Michael Jackson (RIP) if he had to see the place may even have had the set up replicated in Neverland to help in his skin treatment or whatever he was trying to do. With the bar in the centre of the egg and four 32’ plasma screens strategically placed so that you could watch either MTV Arabia, Dubai One, MBC 4 and MBC 2, this place certainly didn’t seem like the most appealing. There weren’t any airhostesses, nor was there a Captain. Instead there was one barman, who could use some cheering up and there was one more guy to help him around with the serving. Looking around, we found Cyril placed under the plasma showing MTV Arabia. So as we got through the customary greetings of a nod, a handshake and an expletive, we seated ourselves and waited with bated breath to know what the offer was.
Well ladies and all you gentlemen holding those ladies, you guys better take a seat because we have found the offer of the week at this corner joint in Mankhool. Now everybody knows that there are buckets of beer to offer at many places where they give you five bottles for the price of six or five bottles for say maybe Dhs 90. But this is the point where most of us found those uncomfortable chairs that we were seated on a little bit comforting and I’m sure you’ll will agree when you hear the sound that we heard. It went something like this - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. OK if you think there has been a typo, I am going to repeat myself here - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. Now isn’t that a steal for anybody out here in Dubai and to top it all it’s Kingfisher. I am not sure how much Kingfisher costs in other places, its something that I will have to check. But it is a fact that this is easily the cheapest beer I have had in Dubai.
After we had soaked in most of the shock and excitement and seen in real the bucket in front of us, it was time to cheer and wish each other a Happy International Beer Day. After that formality it was time to have a look around. The bar really wasn’t filled up nor was it empty. A lot of Indians and not many women, with weird lighting, this place didn’t really scream it was a hit. Well Dwight certainly wasn’t impressed because he wouldn’t really stand out in this place and there just weren’t any women around who would be attracted or just understand him. So he had a quiet evening and this was Cyril and Shetty got into an interesting conversation on Indian television and the latest reality offering of Rakhi ka Swayamvar.
I haven’t really watched the show but here is some information that I have picked out from Wikipedia and subbed so that you guys get an idea.
Rakhi Ka Swayamwar is a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. The show started on June 29, 2009. Wikipedia claims that Rakhi Sawant, is a popular but controversial actress and even a talk show host. Don’t know which talk show she has hopsted but in reality she has done a few dance numbers and drags the media to cover her so called realities which she calls controversies. There was a claim once that she was a man in drag as well. The nedia so straved to fill up their air time and print space are more than happy to spend a few precious minutes on her.
In the final episode held on 2nd August 2009, Rakhi Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala as her future Bridegroom from among the three finalists. They exchanged Garlands and Bridal Rings, thus being "Engaged". But they have decided in favour of postponing their marriage for sometime, and allow themselves to know each other better.
Now not many may know and I don’t remember most of the stuff that was discussed that night. But an important observation that Cyril threw up is that the initial few weeks of the show, drew three times more the audience than the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now that’s one for the ratings and one for all those who say that only cricket sells. The new mantra these days, if you want to be a celebrity, get married and let the world know. In your face all you cricket worshippers…The talk the continued on with television and I think there was a brief mention of movies as well.
After talking about Freddie Mercury and his track Bohemian Rhapsody we ended the night early which was a very conscious decision as most people who do not turn up believe that these nights end up going till very late. Also I was suffering from a bad case of flu (not the piggy one) which I have shaken off since then and feeling much better now. So by 11.15 pm the lot of us bundled out of the bar happy and having something new to talk about. Not bad for a good evening out and I am imagining that everybody was
Alright so here is the review of the place now. The High Mile Club is not a place to go to if you trying to impress somebody. The place is gaudily weird and the service does leave a lot to be desired. We didn’t really try the food there but am guessing that it won’t be much to write home about. The interiors are funny and make for maybe two great pics at the most. Now we come to the best part of the place. It’s the beer which comes for cheap. A draught of Heineken would cost around Dhs 22 and like I mentioned earlier the offer is quite a killer one. So drinks are cheap and it’s a good place to go out with the mates. The man to woman ratio was 100:0, but to be fair the place could do with some woman folk around and they wouldn’t be uncomfortable. The televisions are a bit distracting and the music is quite faint, which is a bad thing because I would probably hear the guy next to me fart and that’s not something I want. The choice of music also could do with some change. I would personally recommend some Disco and retro stuff to go with the ambience. The furniture is simple mixed with an attempt to look a bit modern. You have high barstools that resemble a urinal and there are low single seat chairs that are simply put as uncomfortable. The bill for a bunch of five odd guys was Dhs 132 for just beers and it was quite a sight to see people pulling out 10 buck notes rather than the usual scene of 100 bucks. I would imagine that a joint like this would have regular customers and that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for anybody to become a regular there.
So another exciting evening, another long post, people you better get used to it. I would like to see a little more participation if people can manage it, because people may be getting a little restless seeing the same faces. A new catalyst would be welcome. So if you all do decide to come along, don’t forget to get a friend along. We are a good laugh and the Beer is a good drink. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
Cheers
The Beerman
Gonz Beer Trivia
Beer is an essential source of B complex vitamins.
It’s been quite an exciting weekend for me where there has been a lot of enlightenment and there was a lot of discussion. Some of them very interesting and the others were just discussions. But these discussions are leading to exciting times, more on this and a whole lot more when the time is right. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of announcements in the near future.
Now before we head down the rant, a small observation that has been brought to my notice. It has been said that I may get a little too critical and maybe even pushy. Well I would like to think that’s the idea. Its fodder for everybody in one way or the other and everything said here is said in the utmost humorous faith anybody can ever manage. For the record there is no malice. Well if anybody looking for an apology may have to wait till my love for beer diminishes. This is not a democracy here. It’s more like I speak, you listen, you like, you don’t like. But yeah you have the option of commenting. Now that I have got that weight of my shoulder and a mug in one hand, it’s time for discovery.
So last Wednesday was The International Beer Day and it was a good cause for celebration and to get a few like minded people together. With the venue fixed on the Manhattan, all that was left was to get ourselves there. So as we readied ourselves not knowing for sure what the Manhattan held for us, we took a quick headcount before we headed out to see if there were any surprises. Well Shetty was there, as always, screaming his support out for the planet on his T-shirt, “Trees Rock”. Dom who was just back from work and dressed quite formally, refused to change his clothes till he had had his fill of beer for the night, and then there was Leon who was back with us after an absence of a week. Amit who was still on holiday, was getting used to drinking like a fish. Cyril was going to meet us there straight at the venue. And the star of last evening, Dwight was there hoping to make a rock star appearance once again. A lot of people said they would love to or would try to make it on that night, and though we waited and we hoped, this would be the final number for the night.
Well we got a little delayed and could not really make it there by 9.30 pm. So Cyril who was wandering the streets of Bur Dubai wondering what was taking us guys so long decided to walk in and be the first to know what the Manhattan had to offer. Even I am wondering now, what was taking us for long? Since Cyril had religiously read the last posting, he went searching for Murphy’s – the sports bar. Not much of a fan of the dance bars be it Indian or South Indian, he skipped past these joints and after still not being able to find the joint, it was time to use the secret language of the brotherhood to get some information. So with a wave of both his hands and kicking one foot in front, he posed the question where he would he able to find Murphy’s. Well much to the dismay of an awkwardly standing Cyril, he was informed that Murphy’s no longer existed and instead there was Cyclone in its place. And as if a thousand bottles of beer came crashing down, Cyril was caught with panic and a bit of uncertainty and then these questions stormed right out...Would he have to sit with the boys in a loud Indian dance bar tonight? Would anyone be able to hear him speak? Would he be able to hear anyone but himself speak? Would he be able to bear it? Would there be beer? Would there be no discovery tonight? Did he have his credit card? Wonder what’s for dinner? Where are these guys? What time is it? Wonder if there are potatoes at home? What’s the scene? Where is the loo?
Well not really waiting for the guy in front of him to answer that question, the storm called Cyril approached the doors of Cyclone? With every step that Cyril took he knew that he had the responsibility of either making this night or breaking it. Breaking it would be like another round of thousand bottles breaking and another set of questions. Don’t think he wanted that, I didn’t want it, neither did the other guys, and trust me you don’t want it as well.
Well as he opened the door, it seemed like the lights just seemed to go out and the sounds in there just got very loud. Maybe this is the idea of letting people know how it would feel if your eyes failed you. No lights and lots of loud sounds that you would probably even end up making you deaf. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he once again saw nothing. Two silhouettes in the corner occupied a table, and that was all the attendance that was there. Scrambling for the exit, and stumbling through the door, and looking for a cigarette, Cyril smsed me to let me know what the scene was. We still weren’t there and nowhere near. It was time to take a call and there was just one place left in the Manhattan to check out if we could really make a night of it. So speaking very hurriedly to ensure that urgency was key, he told me that we needed to take a call. Well it was really simple and we had to give Manhattan a decent shot of a review, so told him to walk through the doors of the High Mile Club…Now Cyril was thirsty, and isn’t used to so much exertion for beer and that too alone. So as he approached the door that resembled the entrance of a plane. He had his doubts and once again there was a barrage of questions that followed…Hope this evening does not come crashing down? Can I say bomb in there without getting thrown out? Will they serve beer on this flight? What time is it? Where is the loo? Where are these guys? Wonder if they have any offers in there that Ryan was mentioning about? Well after not getting any response from the man who was holding the door open for him, he decided to step in…
I and the rest of the guys after Cyril smsed, were wondering what kind of questions Cyril would be posing when we met. Most of us were maybe even preparing replies. But not Shetty, he was busy trying to get his laundry delivered and after a few calls to his folks, his broker and the laundry, he still wasn’t ready. With Leon finishing his third cigarette without having a drop, we decided that Cyril had waited alone long enough and we had to join him and besides we needed two cabs anyways. So Amit, Leon, Dwight and I moved ahead with Domnic and Shetty to follow. Cyril had messaged again saying that he had ordered himself a draught and was in the High Mile Club. Well at least now we knew that he wasn’t alone and had a Heineken to keep him company. He did warn us about some bizarre interiors and that offers were on and happening at the joint. The cabbie we hailed knew where the Manhattan was, so the new name was catching up and the cab had already made a few trips to the hotel. As he whizzed us out of the busy streets of Karama and through to the busy Mankhool area, I really don’t remember what we were discussing. So we may have to just skip this part and fast forward to us entering the doors of the Manhattan.
The first thing that caught my attention was the door that looked like it was taking us into a plane. I sort of imagined that the seats in there would resemble the ones that you find in planes with push back seats and with a head towel and each seat having its own tray table. Women would be dressed as airhostesses serving us and the manager would be the Captain of the ship, and though a good idea the High Mile Club didn’t seem to catch on it. Instead we walked into an egg shaped room. The lighting resembled that of some UV chamber. Michael Jackson (RIP) if he had to see the place may even have had the set up replicated in Neverland to help in his skin treatment or whatever he was trying to do. With the bar in the centre of the egg and four 32’ plasma screens strategically placed so that you could watch either MTV Arabia, Dubai One, MBC 4 and MBC 2, this place certainly didn’t seem like the most appealing. There weren’t any airhostesses, nor was there a Captain. Instead there was one barman, who could use some cheering up and there was one more guy to help him around with the serving. Looking around, we found Cyril placed under the plasma showing MTV Arabia. So as we got through the customary greetings of a nod, a handshake and an expletive, we seated ourselves and waited with bated breath to know what the offer was.
Well ladies and all you gentlemen holding those ladies, you guys better take a seat because we have found the offer of the week at this corner joint in Mankhool. Now everybody knows that there are buckets of beer to offer at many places where they give you five bottles for the price of six or five bottles for say maybe Dhs 90. But this is the point where most of us found those uncomfortable chairs that we were seated on a little bit comforting and I’m sure you’ll will agree when you hear the sound that we heard. It went something like this - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. OK if you think there has been a typo, I am going to repeat myself here - five bottles of Kingfisher for Dhs 55. Now isn’t that a steal for anybody out here in Dubai and to top it all it’s Kingfisher. I am not sure how much Kingfisher costs in other places, its something that I will have to check. But it is a fact that this is easily the cheapest beer I have had in Dubai.
After we had soaked in most of the shock and excitement and seen in real the bucket in front of us, it was time to cheer and wish each other a Happy International Beer Day. After that formality it was time to have a look around. The bar really wasn’t filled up nor was it empty. A lot of Indians and not many women, with weird lighting, this place didn’t really scream it was a hit. Well Dwight certainly wasn’t impressed because he wouldn’t really stand out in this place and there just weren’t any women around who would be attracted or just understand him. So he had a quiet evening and this was Cyril and Shetty got into an interesting conversation on Indian television and the latest reality offering of Rakhi ka Swayamvar.
I haven’t really watched the show but here is some information that I have picked out from Wikipedia and subbed so that you guys get an idea.
Rakhi Ka Swayamwar is a reality show broadcast on NDTV Imagine. The show started on June 29, 2009. Wikipedia claims that Rakhi Sawant, is a popular but controversial actress and even a talk show host. Don’t know which talk show she has hopsted but in reality she has done a few dance numbers and drags the media to cover her so called realities which she calls controversies. There was a claim once that she was a man in drag as well. The nedia so straved to fill up their air time and print space are more than happy to spend a few precious minutes on her.
In the final episode held on 2nd August 2009, Rakhi Sawant selected Elesh Parujanwala as her future Bridegroom from among the three finalists. They exchanged Garlands and Bridal Rings, thus being "Engaged". But they have decided in favour of postponing their marriage for sometime, and allow themselves to know each other better.
Now not many may know and I don’t remember most of the stuff that was discussed that night. But an important observation that Cyril threw up is that the initial few weeks of the show, drew three times more the audience than the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now that’s one for the ratings and one for all those who say that only cricket sells. The new mantra these days, if you want to be a celebrity, get married and let the world know. In your face all you cricket worshippers…The talk the continued on with television and I think there was a brief mention of movies as well.
After talking about Freddie Mercury and his track Bohemian Rhapsody we ended the night early which was a very conscious decision as most people who do not turn up believe that these nights end up going till very late. Also I was suffering from a bad case of flu (not the piggy one) which I have shaken off since then and feeling much better now. So by 11.15 pm the lot of us bundled out of the bar happy and having something new to talk about. Not bad for a good evening out and I am imagining that everybody was
Alright so here is the review of the place now. The High Mile Club is not a place to go to if you trying to impress somebody. The place is gaudily weird and the service does leave a lot to be desired. We didn’t really try the food there but am guessing that it won’t be much to write home about. The interiors are funny and make for maybe two great pics at the most. Now we come to the best part of the place. It’s the beer which comes for cheap. A draught of Heineken would cost around Dhs 22 and like I mentioned earlier the offer is quite a killer one. So drinks are cheap and it’s a good place to go out with the mates. The man to woman ratio was 100:0, but to be fair the place could do with some woman folk around and they wouldn’t be uncomfortable. The televisions are a bit distracting and the music is quite faint, which is a bad thing because I would probably hear the guy next to me fart and that’s not something I want. The choice of music also could do with some change. I would personally recommend some Disco and retro stuff to go with the ambience. The furniture is simple mixed with an attempt to look a bit modern. You have high barstools that resemble a urinal and there are low single seat chairs that are simply put as uncomfortable. The bill for a bunch of five odd guys was Dhs 132 for just beers and it was quite a sight to see people pulling out 10 buck notes rather than the usual scene of 100 bucks. I would imagine that a joint like this would have regular customers and that it wouldn’t be a bad idea for anybody to become a regular there.
So another exciting evening, another long post, people you better get used to it. I would like to see a little more participation if people can manage it, because people may be getting a little restless seeing the same faces. A new catalyst would be welcome. So if you all do decide to come along, don’t forget to get a friend along. We are a good laugh and the Beer is a good drink. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
Cheers
The Beerman
Gonz Beer Trivia
Beer is an essential source of B complex vitamins.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
International Beer Day
Welcome all you thirsty souls to another rant that will end up with somebody among you not remembering tomorrow how they got home tonight (quite a long salutation, but this is Dubai where if its not the largest, biggest, longest, thickest or largest again, it just does not matter)
Yes its another Wednesday and the enthusiasm of many is certainly running high with the thought that they will be getting high this evening. We will get to that in a short while and get all the details out as to which watering hole we will be pursuing. But for now lets make a small announcement. I, the Beerman solemnly pledge not to vomit any more words in your inbox (*conditions apply...exception to the rule are Shetty, Aria ke Daddy, Dunga and all ex girlfriends). From now on all my thoughts, announcements and proposals will be posted on my blog that I have started. Tried to call it DABOW (Discover a Bar On Wednesday). Had a good ring to it, like dubao (pronounced du-bow which in hindi means to sink, da-bow in Hindi means to pressurise...well i thought it worked very well and aptly, but someone has already taken that name on the blog site and i couldn't be bothered looking elsewhere). So instead I have to call it Discover a Bar and the link to the site is http://dicoverabar.blogspot.com/. You'll can feel free to jump on board and post comments or just be a fan...I wont mind...
A bit on the weather, dusty and suffocating out here in Dubai. I myself am suffering from the flu (which my dad attributes to the constant mention of beer), but rest assured I will be there to provide all the wholesome entertainment you guys need (could make a career out of this)
Well went ahead and posted the last two mails up there. Will get the pics up soon from last week. I already have a follower as well. So am very proud of my good start. Well the follower is keeping himself abreast of things and has done some research and found out that tonight is International Beer Day ( I know...I couldn't believe it myself, and its cool because the objective is very much similar to mine). For more on International Beer Day, you can start by looking the article up at this Indian tabloid paper. Here is the link http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/aug/050809-Beer-Day-Bangalore-news-Indian-pub-unnoticed.htm . SO this is all the more reason that we all come together and celebrate our first known International Beer Day (I am assuming that none of you guys knew).
Too many links in this post today...
Anyways now its time to take a trip down memory lane and go back to last Wednesday and speak a little about the star of the evening...Dwight. Now after the bombardment of all those long two mails, I sort of got like maybe three replies. One was Shetty, who seemed pretty inebriated (you may have to look the word up on wikipedia) even in his mail. then there was Sangeet, who sort of trying to be revolutionary, coins in a few strong words (the whole idea of mayo being made by egg hasn't gone down too well with him), and leaves the country on holiday. And finally there was my sis who wrote in from the States wishing she could have been there on these Wednesday nights. But that's not to say that people haven't come up to me and asked to be put off the mailing list or simply asking if Dwight is "single" (Just to let all you wonderful ladies out there know...I am SINGLE), or confusing Dwight to be my alter ego. For the record, Dwight is not me and I am not Dwight and Dwight exists. Some of you have seen him in pics, some haven't. As mentioned earlier the pictures will be up soon. It is work in progress. But I like the way people have come back. The response has been good, and people are, like I mentioned, just curious to know where next.
I guess its time to address that question now as to where we gonna meet tonight. Well Timeout Dubai sent me a flyer the other day promoting the Manhattan in Mankhool, close to Bur Dubai, opposite Manazel building where part of the Emirates staff stay (The elongated address is for those who may not have their geography right, or may just not own a GPS yet...). Now am not too sure what the offers are because the link on the flyer just took me nowhere nor did the flyer itself mention anything ( I hope they were not thinking that the view of teh Manazel building was an offer we couldn't refuse). So while I kind of put my team to find out what the offers are, here is the other team coming back with a little bit of history on the Manhattan ( yes it has History...)
Well the hotel which is kinda centrally situated used to be called the Meena Plaza hotel. Never really been there (but yeah I do hang around that other building that houses the trolley dollys) but what I have heard from many, is that it used to be a sleaze joint. So to sort of shake up the image, the smart thing to do was to change the name. Anyways, the reviews on the net of the place (as per the old name) is not too promising. There are complaints of broken toilet seats, unfriendly staff and most likely than not of female escorts, who loved to just hang around the place. Going through that flyer again, this is what I got, (as per the new name and hopefully managemnet) there is a l(o)unge bar called the High Mile Club (old habits die hard, wonder if a change in the name will change the sort of clientele), then there is Murphy's sports bar, the picture of which seems devoid of anybody or any activity, they have an Indian night club and a south Indian night club (am guessing the people here are from God's own country, hence the differentiation).
My search on these bars or any sort of review has been futile I must say. I can't seem to find any posting of these joints on Timeout or anywhere on the net. But what I do know is that most of these bars did exist under the same name before Meena Plaza became Manhattan (I have a source who gives me all the info on such places).
I feel like putting on my detective hat on and going to see what these places are all about. So what say boys and girls are we up for some adventure in Dubai and for some beerstorming tonight. Dwight's gonna be there too for all those who would want to be clicked with him. If things don't work out there we can always make a beeline to the nearest tried, tasted and tested watering hole in the vicinity. Worse comes to worse we may just catch a view of the bus that picks and drops the Emirates staff as we walk away from the Manhattan.
If people are not comfortable with this arrangement and would like to be seen elsewhere with Dwight, please do forward me your suggestions and I will gladly look into it. Don't forget to view the blog and become a follower. Try replying on the blog so that it looks like there is some sort of activity there...
Till we meet people...Happy International Beer Day...
Cheers
The Beerman
Yes its another Wednesday and the enthusiasm of many is certainly running high with the thought that they will be getting high this evening. We will get to that in a short while and get all the details out as to which watering hole we will be pursuing. But for now lets make a small announcement. I, the Beerman solemnly pledge not to vomit any more words in your inbox (*conditions apply...exception to the rule are Shetty, Aria ke Daddy, Dunga and all ex girlfriends). From now on all my thoughts, announcements and proposals will be posted on my blog that I have started. Tried to call it DABOW (Discover a Bar On Wednesday). Had a good ring to it, like dubao (pronounced du-bow which in hindi means to sink, da-bow in Hindi means to pressurise...well i thought it worked very well and aptly, but someone has already taken that name on the blog site and i couldn't be bothered looking elsewhere). So instead I have to call it Discover a Bar and the link to the site is http://dicoverabar.blogspot.com/. You'll can feel free to jump on board and post comments or just be a fan...I wont mind...
A bit on the weather, dusty and suffocating out here in Dubai. I myself am suffering from the flu (which my dad attributes to the constant mention of beer), but rest assured I will be there to provide all the wholesome entertainment you guys need (could make a career out of this)
Well went ahead and posted the last two mails up there. Will get the pics up soon from last week. I already have a follower as well. So am very proud of my good start. Well the follower is keeping himself abreast of things and has done some research and found out that tonight is International Beer Day ( I know...I couldn't believe it myself, and its cool because the objective is very much similar to mine). For more on International Beer Day, you can start by looking the article up at this Indian tabloid paper. Here is the link http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/aug/050809-Beer-Day-Bangalore-news-Indian-pub-unnoticed.htm . SO this is all the more reason that we all come together and celebrate our first known International Beer Day (I am assuming that none of you guys knew).
Too many links in this post today...
Anyways now its time to take a trip down memory lane and go back to last Wednesday and speak a little about the star of the evening...Dwight. Now after the bombardment of all those long two mails, I sort of got like maybe three replies. One was Shetty, who seemed pretty inebriated (you may have to look the word up on wikipedia) even in his mail. then there was Sangeet, who sort of trying to be revolutionary, coins in a few strong words (the whole idea of mayo being made by egg hasn't gone down too well with him), and leaves the country on holiday. And finally there was my sis who wrote in from the States wishing she could have been there on these Wednesday nights. But that's not to say that people haven't come up to me and asked to be put off the mailing list or simply asking if Dwight is "single" (Just to let all you wonderful ladies out there know...I am SINGLE), or confusing Dwight to be my alter ego. For the record, Dwight is not me and I am not Dwight and Dwight exists. Some of you have seen him in pics, some haven't. As mentioned earlier the pictures will be up soon. It is work in progress. But I like the way people have come back. The response has been good, and people are, like I mentioned, just curious to know where next.
I guess its time to address that question now as to where we gonna meet tonight. Well Timeout Dubai sent me a flyer the other day promoting the Manhattan in Mankhool, close to Bur Dubai, opposite Manazel building where part of the Emirates staff stay (The elongated address is for those who may not have their geography right, or may just not own a GPS yet...). Now am not too sure what the offers are because the link on the flyer just took me nowhere nor did the flyer itself mention anything ( I hope they were not thinking that the view of teh Manazel building was an offer we couldn't refuse). So while I kind of put my team to find out what the offers are, here is the other team coming back with a little bit of history on the Manhattan ( yes it has History...)
Well the hotel which is kinda centrally situated used to be called the Meena Plaza hotel. Never really been there (but yeah I do hang around that other building that houses the trolley dollys) but what I have heard from many, is that it used to be a sleaze joint. So to sort of shake up the image, the smart thing to do was to change the name. Anyways, the reviews on the net of the place (as per the old name) is not too promising. There are complaints of broken toilet seats, unfriendly staff and most likely than not of female escorts, who loved to just hang around the place. Going through that flyer again, this is what I got, (as per the new name and hopefully managemnet) there is a l(o)unge bar called the High Mile Club (old habits die hard, wonder if a change in the name will change the sort of clientele), then there is Murphy's sports bar, the picture of which seems devoid of anybody or any activity, they have an Indian night club and a south Indian night club (am guessing the people here are from God's own country, hence the differentiation).
My search on these bars or any sort of review has been futile I must say. I can't seem to find any posting of these joints on Timeout or anywhere on the net. But what I do know is that most of these bars did exist under the same name before Meena Plaza became Manhattan (I have a source who gives me all the info on such places).
I feel like putting on my detective hat on and going to see what these places are all about. So what say boys and girls are we up for some adventure in Dubai and for some beerstorming tonight. Dwight's gonna be there too for all those who would want to be clicked with him. If things don't work out there we can always make a beeline to the nearest tried, tasted and tested watering hole in the vicinity. Worse comes to worse we may just catch a view of the bus that picks and drops the Emirates staff as we walk away from the Manhattan.
If people are not comfortable with this arrangement and would like to be seen elsewhere with Dwight, please do forward me your suggestions and I will gladly look into it. Don't forget to view the blog and become a follower. Try replying on the blog so that it looks like there is some sort of activity there...
Till we meet people...Happy International Beer Day...
Cheers
The Beerman
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
BIGGLES
Gents, Shetty and the rest of you who did not turn up...
The review and the post party details are a little delayed but I was busy getting drunk last night to be inspired what to write today...But all excuses aside and without further ado, here's the story of A Wednesday...
Well it started with myself arriving a little late because i had to drop off the car and pick up a few people and also make sure that Dwight was along as well...(psst....what....they don't know who Dwight is? ok...)
So for all of you who were not present at the unveiling and introduction of Dwight, just to let all of you know, Dwight is the unofficial mascot of Discover a Bar on Wednesday nights and will have photos uploaded soon. By the way we realised that night that other than Dwight always being right, he has super powers as well. The kind of attention he got us that night, don't think anyone of you guys got me that kind of attention, but lets get to that detail later.
So after arriving late and making Royston wait for about half an hour (he used that time well to get acquainted to the friend he brought along, his new blackberry), we were still not sure where we were headed, Cactus Jack or Biggles. After a quick scan of both venues (they were practically side by side), it was unanimous that we all needed some live music and a bit of World War I memorabilia and hence Biggles is where we all bundled into. Our first agenda for the night was to take a head count we realised that it didnt matter as we were just a handful. There was Dom in his new sleeveless sweatshirt, flexing his muscles, Sangeet who was next to him, scanning the menu for something vegetarian to eat other than pop corn (I recently broke the news to him that mayo is made from eggs, so he had to give that up as well. options for him as so limited these days). Facing him was Roy who still wasn't confident enough to call for a beer, and next to him was Amit, the other Jain on the table who has done the smart choice of taking to seafood these days, and then there was me who was staring at the propeller on the ceiling that just kept going round and round and round and round...Shetty who is normally a core member of this group was absent becasue he was rebelling by revelling at another gathering at the Belgian Beer Cafe.
So with all the orders placed and the beers on the table and I having a Guinness in my hand for the first time, we cheered and drank. the Guinness did taste a bit flat but it didn't matter as the band was on, and they were pretty cool for the night. Next was to make sure that Dwight was photographed at Biggles, so I decided to place Dwight at the far end of the table with the band actually performing in the background. So as I was setting the frame with my cheap slim camera, and fiddling with the flash settings, I kinda attracted the attention of one half of the two piece band with the flash going off a couple a times. To my credit I did attract the pretty half which was also the curious and suspicious half. So a little bit of curiosity and a whole lotta suspicion brought her off the stage in the middle of her performance and walk to our table. As she neared it I can only imagine the kind of thoughts that were running through her head considering the kind of stereotypes that are portrayed by bald beer guzzling men. It could be possible that she was getting ready to use Roy's most used line, "SECURITY, get in here". But as she did approach the table, and she saw Dwight's sexy smiling face, she just couldn't resist and with a good laugh all possible stereotypes went out the window. Now the bald man was funny...I Like...
From then on the beers kept flowing, a pizza followed as well, french fries with no mayo please as well. the lady, (whose name I never got, which I am sure I will in the course of time) got us involved in friendly banter, asked about Dwight (who by then was sporting a cape over his flashy suit), invited him to sing a song on stage. She was Dwight's No.1 fan from then on. She also made sure as a true fan she got a picture taken with him. And Dwight the sport that he is signed an autographed tissue just for her. He doesn't have a phone yet, else you can only imagine the calls that he would be having to deal with. Then all of us were introduced to the game play your cards right. Simple, effective, and quite involving. One lady was a card away from picking up 1300 bucks. How she will be ruing not going with her table and calling the last card higher. But yeah good fun, the prize money rolls over to next week, so for all you greedy guzzlers, you know where to be if you feeling a little short on the moolah...
So after all the noise we made from the table and me going on stage, I somehow did attract the attention of also some organisers who deemed that I should be entitled to a Guinness which would be on the house ( i felt again that the beer was flat again but it was free and cold, so sipped it without knowing any better). So people I take this as the first success of our efforts. We managed to sway people for one free beer. Wooohooo...For the lot who don't know what i am talking about, do refer to the preview mail...where I said we would sway the world...well just people for free beers...
Well then just as we were about to call for our last drinks for the road, in walks Cyril, who is as thirsty as can be on a hot Dubai summer night. So in come his drinks, Dom by then is on Hoegaarden no. 5 and we are all feeling the need to call it a night. But me in a middle of a sermon, putting forth my views and possibly even forcing it down the throats of people present, i met with opposition from another over well opinionated man in Cyril. Well after he sucked me in the verbal duel which was really not going anywhere, I suddenly realised that the band had left, and so had the lady (didn't get her name), and most of the other people around. the waiters were just hanging around to make sure we paid before they asked us to leave.
the bill worked out to around 500 odd bucks which was pretty reasonable for the six people around. The band was pretty decent though it did seem that they were lip syncing that Britney number. But all credit to them for getting the crowd involved and keeping us in the spotlight with the friendly banter. Would really recommend it for a good evening out with select friends. Watch out for the themed nights they have going out. I think Friday nights are karaoke and Mondays may be Quiz night (don't really remember it after all the beers now....)
So well past 2 am is when we walked out drunk, stuffed, happy, smelling of smoke and not really looking forward to the day ahead. Just like the good ol days... 
Watch out for more long mails and a lotta pics. Looking for suggestions for coming Wednesday. Let me hear it people...
Cheers
The Man...The Machine...The Beerman...
Gonz Beer Trivia
Guinness may be unsuitable for a vegetarian diet, as the production process involves the use of isinglass, made from fish. It is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the vat. The isinglass is retained in the floor of the vat but it is possible that minute quantities might be carried over into the beer.
It's Wednesday
All you lovely people and the rest of you at the back over there.
Hope you find this long awaited mail long enough to make all of you realise that all is well on my end and am still alive, kicking and drinking.
(cue background music)
Well as it is my inevitable endeavour, to meet people, make friends and then have a good bitch as well as discuss current affairs and also stuff that is just simply put as inane, I woke up one morning saying that I just don't do enough of this. Loneliness being my kryptonite, The Gonz had to make a decision and had to do it fast. So about a month ago on a hot summer day as I limped out of Welcare hospital (they could have offered me a wheel chair you know), I said that I had to change the world and save it from utter boredom. People needed to know that beer isn't a bad thing...People needed to experience a bit of Dubai and kinda live their life...It took me two days to come up with that objective line, but by then it was Wednesday and I took it as a sign, that this was the day when all people would know that the Gonz was also BEERMAN....Burrrrrrrrp....
(cut background music)
Well after the dramatics and all that background music, this is what we did and what we do. I and a few of us are on a mission to discover Dubai, discover things that people wouldn't have known, or some people just don't want to know. Discovery could be in a place, in a person, in conversation, in music, in interiors, in exteriors, in food, in drink, in a fart...but I tell you there is discovery...Since there was only one word that could define all the above mentioned, I call it Discover a Bar ...
clapclapclapclapclap... Thank You (bowing to the standing ovation). We do it every Wednesday, and trust me people are really look forward to it. It's the one place and one thing, where people get to be who they are, wear what they want, talk what they like and laugh like you just don't care...
So going back a few weeks, I was joined by Sangeet at the Belgian beer bar and cafe at the Crowne plaza at festival city. Joined later by my cousin Domnic and his room mate the fountain of knowledge and wikipedia master (Rajesh) Shetty. Sitting outside watching the dhows go by under the Business Bay, I said we had to do it again and so we ended up there again the following week, the same crowd with the addition of Royston and Yulrika (Sangeet still thinks she Brazilian...hahahahhaha). Royston ended up having one beer too many, and he is quite a sight with all the faces that he makes. The following week we ended up at the Seaman's Club. Yulrika didn't turn up because someone told her acting was her thing, so she was ended up standing in front of a mirror at home trying to be a Spanish. But Roy as there and so were the rest of the gang, and Augustine, the man with the membership at the Club. the following week we were at Somerset at the Movenpick hotel. We had a few new faces this time. My friend Amit, who is on holiday was present, Cyril and Leon came to the party, Roy (who could only have one beer because he couldn't lift his head because of a stiff neck...seriously
), Sangeet, and myself...
And now we come to today...in case you didn't realise, it's WEDNESDAY....woooohooooo... So here is a publicly personal invite and a recap to all of you to come and join us this evening and be a part of "Discover a Bar Nights". My dream here is to be able to able to swing enough of a crowd so that people realise that we who wear shorts, who have hairy legs and hate wearing shoes while sipping beers still warrant to be able to walk into any hotel, bar or restaurant and have our credit cards accepted for business (it really simple and logical, but then again this is Dubai, where logic is as rare as Gold Flake cigarettes). That way we will ensure that no one gets turned away, and that maybe down the line we could all be entitled to free beers one day...I want to be the most powerful beer-drinking man, Dubai has ever seen. I have a dream.....
Anyways...after my devious plan to take over the world of Dubai, here is what is happening and this is the most important paragraph of this mail. so pay good attention to detail here...Tonight the plan is to go to the Millennium Airport Hotel and walk into either Cactus Jack (recommended to me because of good drink offers, music and a DJ) or Biggles (read in Time Out Dubai that its reasonably priced and pub grub is good and it features flying memorabilia from World War II). So come one, come all, bring your wife or bring your partner, or bring both. Get the husband, get that hot chick you fancy, get the guy next door, your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, or that hot chick you fancy (being subtle is not my forte), your brother, your sister, your folks, parents, or that hot chick you fancy (yes...again...). Get just about anybody who enjoys beer, conversation and lots of laughs. Well we plan to get there by around 9 - 9:30 pm. There aren't going to be any reservations. Just walk in by your drink and enjoy the night...Will see you guys there.
Till then have an aweosme day people.
Cheers
Ryan a.ka. Mr G a.k.a the Gonz a.k.a Kabira a.k.a the future most powerful beer-drinking man in Dubai
PS - Bring cash and come...and spread the word...
Hope you find this long awaited mail long enough to make all of you realise that all is well on my end and am still alive, kicking and drinking.
(cue background music)
Well as it is my inevitable endeavour, to meet people, make friends and then have a good bitch as well as discuss current affairs and also stuff that is just simply put as inane, I woke up one morning saying that I just don't do enough of this. Loneliness being my kryptonite, The Gonz had to make a decision and had to do it fast. So about a month ago on a hot summer day as I limped out of Welcare hospital (they could have offered me a wheel chair you know), I said that I had to change the world and save it from utter boredom. People needed to know that beer isn't a bad thing...People needed to experience a bit of Dubai and kinda live their life...It took me two days to come up with that objective line, but by then it was Wednesday and I took it as a sign, that this was the day when all people would know that the Gonz was also BEERMAN....Burrrrrrrrp....
(cut background music)
Well after the dramatics and all that background music, this is what we did and what we do. I and a few of us are on a mission to discover Dubai, discover things that people wouldn't have known, or some people just don't want to know. Discovery could be in a place, in a person, in conversation, in music, in interiors, in exteriors, in food, in drink, in a fart...but I tell you there is discovery...Since there was only one word that could define all the above mentioned, I call it Discover a Bar ...
clapclapclapclapclap... Thank You (bowing to the standing ovation). We do it every Wednesday, and trust me people are really look forward to it. It's the one place and one thing, where people get to be who they are, wear what they want, talk what they like and laugh like you just don't care...
So going back a few weeks, I was joined by Sangeet at the Belgian beer bar and cafe at the Crowne plaza at festival city. Joined later by my cousin Domnic and his room mate the fountain of knowledge and wikipedia master (Rajesh) Shetty. Sitting outside watching the dhows go by under the Business Bay, I said we had to do it again and so we ended up there again the following week, the same crowd with the addition of Royston and Yulrika (Sangeet still thinks she Brazilian...hahahahhaha). Royston ended up having one beer too many, and he is quite a sight with all the faces that he makes. The following week we ended up at the Seaman's Club. Yulrika didn't turn up because someone told her acting was her thing, so she was ended up standing in front of a mirror at home trying to be a Spanish. But Roy as there and so were the rest of the gang, and Augustine, the man with the membership at the Club. the following week we were at Somerset at the Movenpick hotel. We had a few new faces this time. My friend Amit, who is on holiday was present, Cyril and Leon came to the party, Roy (who could only have one beer because he couldn't lift his head because of a stiff neck...seriously
And now we come to today...in case you didn't realise, it's WEDNESDAY....woooohooooo... So here is a publicly personal invite and a recap to all of you to come and join us this evening and be a part of "Discover a Bar Nights". My dream here is to be able to able to swing enough of a crowd so that people realise that we who wear shorts, who have hairy legs and hate wearing shoes while sipping beers still warrant to be able to walk into any hotel, bar or restaurant and have our credit cards accepted for business (it really simple and logical, but then again this is Dubai, where logic is as rare as Gold Flake cigarettes). That way we will ensure that no one gets turned away, and that maybe down the line we could all be entitled to free beers one day...I want to be the most powerful beer-drinking man, Dubai has ever seen. I have a dream.....
Anyways...after my devious plan to take over the world of Dubai, here is what is happening and this is the most important paragraph of this mail. so pay good attention to detail here...Tonight the plan is to go to the Millennium Airport Hotel and walk into either Cactus Jack (recommended to me because of good drink offers, music and a DJ) or Biggles (read in Time Out Dubai that its reasonably priced and pub grub is good and it features flying memorabilia from World War II). So come one, come all, bring your wife or bring your partner, or bring both. Get the husband, get that hot chick you fancy, get the guy next door, your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, or that hot chick you fancy (being subtle is not my forte), your brother, your sister, your folks, parents, or that hot chick you fancy (yes...again...). Get just about anybody who enjoys beer, conversation and lots of laughs. Well we plan to get there by around 9 - 9:30 pm. There aren't going to be any reservations. Just walk in by your drink and enjoy the night...Will see you guys there.
Till then have an aweosme day people.
Cheers
Ryan a.ka. Mr G a.k.a the Gonz a.k.a Kabira a.k.a the future most powerful beer-drinking man in Dubai
PS - Bring cash and come...and spread the word...
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