Archive | September, 2008

The Skytrax World Airlines Awards 2008 unveiled

24 Sep

The world’s most recognized and respected airline awards has been unveiled just recently by The Skytrax, the most respected award giving body that recognizes excellence in the world’s airline industry.

Singapore Airlines for the third time now has been named World’s Best Airline, winning the 2008 Airline of the Year title in the latest Skytrax World Airline Awards 2008.  The Southeast asian airline has also won Best Business Class award and Best Airline in Asia.  Qatar Airways was named the Best Airline in the Middle East while Dubai’s Emirates Airline garnered Best Inflight Entertainment.  The awards were mostly dominated by Asian Airlines.

Here is the complete list of the Winners of the 2008 World Airlines Awards:

AIRLINE OF THE YEAR:  Singapore Airlines
BEST LOW-COST AIRLINE:  easyJet
BEST CABIN STAFF:  Asiana Airlines
BEST INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Emirates
BEST FIRST CLASS LOUNGE:  Qantas
BEST BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE:  Virgin Atlantic
BEST ECONOMY CLASS:  Asiana Airlines
BEST FIRST CLASS:  Cathay Pacific
BEST BUSINESS CLASS:  Singapore Airlines
BEST PREMIUM ECONOMY:  EVA Air
BEST AIRLINE : EUROPE:  Lufthansa
BEST AIRLINE : AFRICA:  South African Airways
BEST AIRLINE : N AMERICA:  Continental Airlines
BEST AIRLINE : MIDDLE EAST:  Qatar Airways
BEST AIRLINE : AUSTRALASIA:  Qantas
BEST AIRLINE : S AMERICA:  LAN
BEST AIRLINE : Transatlantic:  British Airways
BEST AIRLINE : ASIA:  Singapore Airlines

Top 10 Best Airlines in World by Skytrax ranking:

  1. Singapore Airlines
  2. Cathay Pacific
  3. Qantas
  4. Thai Airways
  5. Asiana Airways
  6. Malaysia Airlines
  7. Qatar Airlways
  8. Air New Zealand
  9. Emirates
  10. Etihad Airways

Eid Al Fitr holidays announced

22 Sep

Official Holiday: September 29 – October 5, 2008

Dubai.  The Minister of Health and Chaiman of the Civil Service Commission, Humaid Mohammad Al Qattami has issued today a circular declaring Monday, September 29, 2008, until Sunday, October 5, 2008 as official holidays for Eid Al Fitr.  All ministries and other federal government offices and institutions will be closed for work on the said dates and will resume work on Tuesday, October 6, 2008.

more info on shaikh hamdan

21 Sep

I have been receiving a lot of inquiries on Shaikh Hamdan.  So, I decided to post some information about him.  Here they are:

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Dubai Crown Prince. He is currently the chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. He is as well president of Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Autism Centre and the Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.
Shaikh Hamdan was born on Novemeber 14, 1982. He studied at the Rashid Private School in Dubai and then moved to UK’s Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. He has attended specialised courses at the London School of Economics.
One passion of him is poetry being a poet himself. His poems are mainly romantic, patriotic and about his family. He publishes his poems under the name Fazza (فزاع). He is also an accomplished horse rider having won several awards at local and international endurance races, including the Gold Medal at the Asian Olympic Games.
He was in included in Forbes 20 Hottest Young Royals (at no. 6)

References: Gulfnews.com, Forbes.com, wikipedia

dubai’s expats’ english

16 Sep

“you will come today?, what to do?, it looks good, no?” are few improper english words that you would usually hear among dubai expats (mostly south asian)

one thing that i was happy about going abroad and working overseas is the possibility of improving my english communication skills.  but when i reach dubai, my expectation had changed.  i found most of the expats speaking improper english. when you try speak proper english you would notice that they would hardly understand you.  so, you will be obliged to speak the way they do for you to be understood.  it’s not much of a problem if i look at it if we are only after understanding each other.  the clear consequence of this is your english communication skills is at stake.

what about you? do you consider speaking improper english a threat to improving your english communication skills? let me know.

WHAT IS LIFE?

14 Sep

I just have one question for now, and I’m hoping for a well-explained answer, either biblically or logically founded.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?

From: Aleihs Tazzy

Dear Aleihs

If we are to take the meaning supplied by most dictionaries, we will utterly be misled.

life [līf]

(plural lives [līvz])

noun

1. existence in physical world: the quality that makes living animals and plants different from dead organisms and inorganic matter.

The dictionary defines life as the physical existence of humans and other living organisms. This is not the truth (the whole truth)!

There are now more than six billion living people on earth. If we go back to the early 19th century, there are only about six hundred million; earlier, few hundred millions; further, few millions, and if we continue to travel back in time, we will end up finding only two human life on earth. The inevitable conclusion is that before human beings and other forms of life came into existence, life does exist. It came from the original source of life — God.

(Acts 17:26-28) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.

So, life existed even before the physical world and human life came into existence. The Bible calls it the life of God.

(John 1:4) In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

(Ephesians 4:18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart…

The question being asked to me is “What is the meaning of life?” The biblical answer is: life is the cause of existence of everything there is; and the purpose by which it was made to exist.

The life we have now on earth is both temporal and eternal. Our physical being will cease to exist when the spirit that sustains physical life leaves the body.

(James 2:26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The spirit, after leaving the body, returns to the origin of life.

(Ecclesiastes 12:7) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

We can not understand the true meaning of life without understanding its purpose. A life lived not with its purpose was lived in vain and wasted.

(Ecclesiastes 6:12) For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

A life spent for the purpose by which it was meant for is a meaningful life.

(Acts 20:24) But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

A life must be lived and be given willingly by somebody who understands its purpose.

(Mark 8:35) For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

God gave us life for us to spend in service to Him, with our entire being and faculties.

(Luke 10:27) And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

The end of our earthly life and existence is the beginning of the next phase of life, which is life eternal, after the resurrection.

(1 Corinthians 15:36, 42-43, 51-54) Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die…

…So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power…

…Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Therefore, the true meaning of life is existence and awareness without end, without death, misery and troubles.

(Revelation 21:4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Life is existence without end or death being lived with its eternal purpose just like the life of God; the source of temporary life on earth.

(Ephesians 3:11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord…

Sincerely in Christ,

Bro Eli F. Soriano

Bro Eli F. Soriano

(Bro Eli Soriano is the author of esoriano.wordpress.com and the Presiding Minister of Church of God International)

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