Two of the most iconic boybands from the 90s, A1 and 911, will perform live in Dubai. The concert is scheduled for Friday, September 22, 2023, at The Agenda, Media City, Dubai.
Win tickets to see A1 and 911
Simply follow Boy Dubai on Facebook and join the competition on the page. Winners will be selected on Wednesday 20th September.
911’s Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable, and Simon “Spike” DawbarnA1’s Ben Adams, Mark Read, Christian Ingebrigsten, and Paul Marazzi
A1, known for their chart-topping hit songs and beautiful harmonies, gained fame in the UK in 1999 with a series of successful singles from their first album. This British-Norwegian boyband composed of Ben Adams, Mark Read, Christian Ingebrigsten, and Paul Marazzi, went on to produce numerous Top 10 and Number 1 hits worldwide.
British boyband 911, known for their catchy pop songs and energetic performances, achieved a remarkable feat in the 1990s by scoring 10 consecutive Top Ten hits. From 1997 to 1999, they released four successful albums, including There It Is, Moving On, and a cover of A Little Bit More. With global sales of 10 million singles and six million albums, they earned platinum status more than 20 times in Southeast Asia and experienced chart success in the USA.
Some of their popular hits include “Caught in the Middle,” “Same Old, Brand New You,” “Take on Me,” and “Everytime.” They achieved great success in the UK, Europe, and Asia, earning a Brit Award for ‘Best British Breakthrough Act’ in 2001. With 5 studio albums and a greatest hits compilation, they have sold over 10 million records globally.
Comprised of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable, and Simon “Spike” Dawbarn, 911 will be returning to Dubai with an incredible setlist featuring a medley of their greatest hits.
Where to buy tickets
Tickets are still available in the following categories:
Being my favorite sport, I’ve been meaning to write about all the golden nuggets of wisdom we can get from the game of basketball.
Basketball isn’t just a game; it’s a lot like life. In both, you face challenges, work with others, and learn a lot along the way. When you watch those players dribbling and passing, you can see how important it is to adapt, stay strong when things get tough, and make smart moves, even when the pressure’s on.
The cool thing is, these lessons from basketball aren’t just for the court – they’re super useful in everyday life too.
So, let’s dive in and explore how hoops can teach us some awesome life skills. Here are 50 (among the hundreds):
Fast Break Success: Like a fast break in basketball, seize opportunities swiftly when they arise in life.
Last-Second Shot: Sometimes, life throws you a buzzer-beater moment; be prepared to take that shot.
Defensive Stops: Protect your goals and dreams with the same intensity as a lockdown defense.
Half-Time Reflection: Take breaks in life to reflect, adjust, and come back stronger, just like teams do at halftime.
Turnovers: Mistakes happen; it’s how you recover from them that matters in both the game and life.
Full-Court Press: When facing adversity, apply relentless effort and determination, like a full-court press.
Fast-Paced Game: Life can move at a fast pace; stay agile and adaptable to keep up.
The Six-Man: Sometimes, an unexpected teammate or resource can be your game-changer in life.
Overtime Challenge: Life often presents overtime situations; embrace the challenge and give it your all.
Behind the Arc: Push the boundaries in life; don’t be afraid to take those long-range shots.
Behind in Score: Even when you’re behind, a comeback is possible; keep believing in your ability to turn things around.
Triple-Double: Strive for well-rounded success in different areas of life, like a basketball triple-double.
Blocked Shots: Facing obstacles? Learn to pivot and find alternative paths, just like a blocked shot.
Rivalry Games: Healthy competition can bring out your best; use it to motivate your pursuits.
Injury Recovery: Like a player recovering from an injury, focus on rehabilitation and come back stronger in life.
Post-Game Analysis: After major life events, analyze your performance and learn from your experiences.
Rebounding: Life can throw you down, but like a great rebounder, bounce back higher.
Final Four Pressure: Embrace the pressure of significant life moments; they often lead to personal growth.
Game of Runs: Life consists of ups and downs; appreciate the highs and learn from the lows.
Three-Point Specialist: Find your strengths and specialize in them; become a “sharpshooter” in your field.
Foul Trouble: Learn to navigate challenges and setbacks without letting them hinder your progress.
Crossover Dribble: In life, adapt to changing circumstances and navigate your path skillfully.
Full-Court Vision: Develop the ability to see the bigger picture in life and plan accordingly.
Coach’s Timeout: Seek guidance from mentors or advisors during pivotal moments in your journey.
Buzzer-Beater Loss: Accept defeat gracefully and use it as motivation for future success.
Shot Clock Pressure: When time is limited, make efficient decisions in life to achieve your goals.
Sixth Man Impact: Embrace your role, even if it’s not in the spotlight; your contributions matter.
Court Awareness: Be aware of your surroundings and opportunities in both basketball and life.
Team Celebrations: Celebrate your collective achievements with your team; success is sweeter together.
Technical Foul Setback: Handle setbacks and disappointments in life with composure and resilience.
Game-Winning Pass: Recognize when to assist others in their pursuits; it can lead to shared success.
Clutch Performance: Step up when it matters most; show your true potential in critical life moments.
Transition Play: Embrace change and transition periods in life; they often lead to new opportunities.
Inbound Strategy: Plan your next move carefully, just as teams do during inbound plays.
Hail-Mary Attempt: Sometimes, taking a bold leap of faith is the key to a breakthrough in life.
Timeout to Regroup: When overwhelmed, take a timeout in life to regain focus and clarity.
Double-Team Challenge: Seek support and collaboration when facing particularly tough obstacles.
Back-to-Back Games: Life can be demanding; learn to manage your energy for consistent performance.
Full-Court Alley-Oop: Collaborate with others to achieve goals that seem out of reach on your own.
Draft Selection: Choose your life’s “team” carefully, selecting those who align with your values and goals.
Offensive Fouls: Recognize when your actions negatively impact others; strive for fair play in life.
Game-Winning Block: Be the defender of your dreams and protect them from obstacles.
Shooting Slump: During periods of stagnation, keep working hard; your breakthrough will come.
Fast-Break Points: Seize moments of momentum in life; they can lead to rapid progress.
End-of-Quarter Push: Finish tasks and projects strong, just like teams do at the end of quarters.
Coaching Transition: Adapt to changes in leadership or mentors with an open mind.
Timeout to Inspire: Take breaks to reflect and rekindle your motivation for your life’s game.
Flagrant Foul Response: Address unfairness with grace and resilience; rise above negativity.
Offensive Rebound: Learn from your past failures and come back stronger in life.
Championship Victory: Strive for your personal “championship” in life, celebrating your successes with joy and humility.
In the game of life, these practical lessons from basketball can help us navigate various challenges and reach our own version of success.
Play your best, stay positive, and always remember, that every situation presents an opportunity to grow and excel.
Ben&Ben, the Philippines’ top-selling band, is returning to Dubai on 14th October 2023, for an exciting night of music.
Since forming in 2016, the band, led by twin brothers Miguel Benjamin and Paolo Benjamin, has gained massive popularity for their unique blend of folk, indie, and pop music with heartfelt lyrics.
They’re a triple platinum-selling band with over a billion online streams and were named Spotify’s ‘Most Streamed Artist’ in the Philippines in 2020. They also won the prestigious Best Asian Band award at the 2022 NME Awards.
Show time & tickets
Location: Coca-Cola Arena
Time: Doors open at 6:30PM and the show starts at 8:00PM.
Tickets are available at AED149, AED199 and AED299 respectively.
Every Friday, people at work or in the community would ask, “What are your plans for the weekend?”
How do you reply?
Let me share with you some interesting facts about the weekend:
Out of 365 days in a year…231 are days spent at work – for those with 5-day work week setupOnly 104 days are left for weekendsAdd the (more or less) 30 days of leaves and public holidaysIt’s just about 34% of the whole yearHow much *less for those who work 6 days a weekThink about your priorities.
For me, Saturdays and Sundays are precious gifts we can use to recharge and connect even more with our family, either outdoors or at home.
Let’s use our weekends wisely by balancing self-care and quality family time. Avoid overbooking with excessive activities that steal moments from loved ones.
Just look again at what the numbers above say.
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Thanks for reading. Follow Boy Dubai on Facebook for more tips, relatable stories, and practical realities about living in Dubai. I only tell stories worth telling—all from experiences.
Each one requires a lot of time and energy. I had to work extra hours, day and night. Not to mention burning resources—electricity, and gears, among others. And I won’t ask for payment???
Some people didn’t understand why I was “wasting” my time. All I know, I enjoyed doing them out of passion and a desire to help in ways I could without expecting anything in return.
“If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then it wasn’t wasted time.”
While doing those things without pay, I built connections that soon translated into good relationships. These remarkable people became a significant part of my journey as they connected me to countless opportunities I wouldn’t have known about had I not met them.
I mean, those connections allowed me to get paid doing the following:
Multiple freelance web design gigs
Write scripts for radio ads
Becoming resource speaker
Guesting on branded TV shows
Blogging and creating content
Teaching short courses
This proves that when you give without expecting, you open doors to connections that hold immeasurable value.
So if there’s an opportunity for you to use your talents and skills, for goodness sake, do it. The Bible says, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Do you know that song?
Twenty years ago, did you see yourself doing what you’re doing today?
Life was so different back then. Many of us were still single, had just started work, or were probably still in school.
And it’ll be the same way twenty years from now. Some of us will be senior citizens by then. Our kids will be grownups. We’ll probably be retired. Sadly, some of us won’t be here in twenty years.
Every time we look back, many of us wish we had done things differently in the past, taken certain opportunities, or expressed our feelings. But one of many things I learned all these years is to LIVE WITH NO REGRETS.
Time flying fast also tells us an important thing – we can avoid regrets by taking action NOW.
Make choices aligned with our values. Put premium on fulfillment, not just retirement.
Seeing others achieve great success in their 20s and 30s influenced that desire to retire early.
I thought when I reached 40, I should be able to jump out of the corporate world and will be looking after my own business already.
As I approached my 30s, the pressure began to weigh on me.
But reality hit me. With a growing family, starting a business without any guaranteed income is a risk I cannot afford to take. My savings were not enough to sustain me and the family for a potentially long period without a salary.
Not about my timing
As I was pondering those thoughts, something changed within me. I was reminded that it’s not about my timing, but God’s perfect timing. Yes, I can plan anything I want, but if it’s not aligned with God’s purpose, it won’t happen as I see it.
So I stopped looking at other’s timelines and stopped chasing society’s expectations. I learned that it is wiser not to let the pressure of society or the success of other millennials and Gen Zs discourage me.
Different timelines
We all have different paths, different timelines, different responsibilities, and different purposes. I shifted to fully trusting God’s timing instead, knowing that He has proven His faithfulness in my life many times in the past.
Letting go of the need to rush brings unexplainable peace. Knowing that God’s plan will eventually prevail brings comfort.
No registration desk, no program, no fees—just a meet-up among a few like-minded people. Jon Santillan revived the idea of meeting together (again) now that the situation is becoming more tolerable.
It just started with a WhatsApp message:
We met over breakfast. Feast on a smoothie of updates about life, the challenges of running a business, the pain points, the small and big wins, the aspirations, and growth.
What do we gain from this kind of meetups
The idea of meeting up provides more than just exposure. It helps build relationships that nurture our personal and professional growth. That’s one area where the group Filipino Startup Founders, which currently thrives over WhatsApp, sees an opportunity to evolve into a more dynamic online and offline community.
It’s just the same feeling as gathering together with family and friends. Not only is it enjoyable, but this meetup also amplifies a growing relationship among businessmen, advisers, game-changers, entrepreneurs, technologists, and startups within the Filipino community in the UAE.
It also promotes a sense of belonging. Conversations over coffee and meals can leave you feeling incredibly inspired, encouraged, and determined.
Here’s what everyone has to say about the meeting.
Jon Santillan, founder of Denarii, which recently created a buzz after they were acquired by Careem, aspires for this group to serve as a catalyst for more Filipinos to join the tech startup scene, with the hope that one day they can build their own company, raise investment, or even be acquired.
I am a believer that we have a lot of exceptionally talented Filipinos here in the UAE and beyond who just need a platform to be amplified and to be in the right environment. I hope this group can be a moving force to achieve that.
Jon Santillan
Mariben Eustaqio, Founder and Managing Director of eZone, loves meeting fellow Filipino entrepreneurs because it simply inspires.
I believe it’s important to build a community of like minded individuals to support one another and to be able to exchange ideas and experiences that may help the other.
Mariben Eustaqio
“Starting and building a business in the UAE can be a challenge, so having the right support group is important. Together, Filipino entrepreneurs can do more by promoting our roles and presence in the UAE so that we will no longer be underrepresented in leadership and business”, she added.
Mariben’s business is not just a typical business setup consultancy. Their Plant-It-Forward initiative aims to bring communities together where entrepreneurs are able to contribute to the restoration of the environment as they set up their businesses through eZone.
Annabel Jean Demana, founder of siz.ae, a peer-to-peer designer fashion rental platform (app) for women, said it was such an enlightening and insightful meetup with experienced startup founders from many different industries and areas of expertise!
Everyone is just extremely helpful and genuinely rooting for one another to win at their businesses. Wish we can make this consistent and grow into a bigger community in the future.
Anabel Demana
Siz is not just another P2P app out there. The platform aims to empower women to feel their best without breaking the bank, by sharing designer clothing through renting and lending.
For Jay Tolentino, an independent financial coach and host of Pera & Purpose podcast, the growing business community coupled with inspiring stories such as Jon Santillan and Denarii, gives hope to aspiring overseas Filipino entrepreneurs that they have a fighting chance to successfully transition from their day job to owning their dream business.
It’s nice to see more Filipinos getting involved in the tech startup scene especially in this part of the world.
Pag-pa-padala, or requesting a favor for someone traveling to ship items for us, is a common practice among many expats, especially in Filipino communities abroad.
When requesting such favor, be mindful and sensitive about their time, space, andpriorities.
Here are some ethical guidelines to observe when requesting such favors:
1. Choose the right person
Select someone you have a close relationship with and who you trust – could be a family member, a friend, or someone who has expressed willingness to help in the past.
Make sure the person is comfortable with the responsibility.
2. Be mindful of their convenience
Your request might add weight or take up space in their luggage, which can be inconvenient for them.
The item should be easy to carry and won’t take up much space. Do not burden them with excessive weight or bulky items.
3. Offer payment, if appropriate
If the favor may cause inconvenience or extra expenses for your friend, offer to cover any relevant costs, such as excess baggage fees or customs duties.
Make it clear that you understand the inconvenience. Be willing to compensate them accordingly.
4. Explain the intention
Be honest and upfront about why this favor is important to you.
If it’s a gift for your loved ones, share your desire to make their day special and how much it would mean to you if they could assist you.
5. Acknowledge their right to decline
Respect their decision if they are unable or unwilling to carry the item. Understand that they may have personal reasons – such as limited space, weight restrictions, or concerns about potential legal issues at customs.
Don’t guilt them or pressure them into agreeing.
6. Be transparent
Give your friend detailed information about the item—size, weight, and any relevant customs regulations or restrictions.
This will help them make an informed decision and be aware of potential issues at the airport.
7. Be grateful
Regardless of whether they agree or not, express your appreciation for their consideration.
If your friend agrees to carry the item, give them a small token of appreciation or send them a thoughtful thank-you note after their trip.
Approach the request with sensitivity, understanding, and respect for the other person’s boundaries. If they decline, be gracious and explore alternative options.
And, when you have requested a favor for something to be shipped for you, you MUST make an effort to collect it. Don’t expect it to be delivered to your door.
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I wanted to get fit and feel better about myself. But every time I plan, I struggle to start. One time I’d say “I will start exercising tomorrow, or next month, or at new year,” but it never happened. I will always have excuses.
So, I decided to join organized running events that require me to pay to register. (And these races in Dubai cost a fortune, huh.)
And because I paid, I was more motivated to do it and prepare for it. Else, money would go to waste.
Second thoughts
The first race was really tough. I was catching my breath; and finished among the last runners. I was very tired, and I even thought about quitting several times along the way.
The same thoughts came back during the next few races. One voice was telling me to quit, and another was saying I can do it.
Every run presented different challenges, opportunities to push my limits, and a chance to accomplish something remarkable. Eventually, consistently joining these races helped me become stronger, both physically and mentally.
Halfway through last year, I was already enjoying it. Every finish made me very happy. It’s like seeing beautiful results from hard work.
Everything I learned from those runs became so valuable that I used those lessons in other aspects of my life. When things are hard, I just look back at how I go through the races—how I condition my mind and how I draw strength from the Lord to finish well.
Investing in ourselves
When you’re very invested in something, you will do everything you can to accomplish it, no matter how challenging the process may be.
Being invested in something does not only mean putting money into it. It’s about spending time and effort on things we want to make better. Like working on a better relationship, learning to be smarter about money, or simply acquiring new skills.
Indeed, the best investment we can make is in ourselves.
So, what will you invest in (your time, effort, or money) today?
