After a long flight, we arrived safely in Dubai a couple of days ago. We're staying with a cousin and family in a nice high-rise apartment off the main highway. It's been quite an experience staying in one of the most luxurious spots on earth while anticipating our move Friday to one of the poorest.
Dubai is the lavish and crazy city we were promised. The main road is lined with sky scrapers, each building as unique as the next. Truly an architect's dream! And more are on the way with huge cranes and exposed foundations all around us.
Sports cars are everywhere and the streets are immaculate despite the surrounding desert sands that must blow onto them. Nearly everyone's car is clean and a fancy mono-rail can get you where you're going if you don't want to drive. (You might opt to take it if your car's not clean since having a dirty car is against the law - seriously!)
But the best snap-shot of Dubai is probably taken at one of their mega-malls. The stores you know and like are all here as well as many you're never heard of which you couldn't possibly afford to shop at anyway. Women in their modest black gowns with hair and faces covered are everywhere, carrying Gucci bags and pushing their Ferrari branded strollers. And around almost every corner there is some ridiculous display that you can't believe is part of the mall. How about a giant aquarium with sharks and sting-rays you can walk down the middle of? Or an indoor ski slope? Did I mention you can walk from one to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world?!
This place is truly a sign-of-the-times, showcasing the results of globalization and consolidated wealth. It is impressive for sure but you can't help but consider how fleeting it all is. And be thankful you're not caught up in it.
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| Enjoying a boat ride through the marina |
Sports cars are everywhere and the streets are immaculate despite the surrounding desert sands that must blow onto them. Nearly everyone's car is clean and a fancy mono-rail can get you where you're going if you don't want to drive. (You might opt to take it if your car's not clean since having a dirty car is against the law - seriously!)
But the best snap-shot of Dubai is probably taken at one of their mega-malls. The stores you know and like are all here as well as many you're never heard of which you couldn't possibly afford to shop at anyway. Women in their modest black gowns with hair and faces covered are everywhere, carrying Gucci bags and pushing their Ferrari branded strollers. And around almost every corner there is some ridiculous display that you can't believe is part of the mall. How about a giant aquarium with sharks and sting-rays you can walk down the middle of? Or an indoor ski slope? Did I mention you can walk from one to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world?!
This place is truly a sign-of-the-times, showcasing the results of globalization and consolidated wealth. It is impressive for sure but you can't help but consider how fleeting it all is. And be thankful you're not caught up in it.
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| Jack visiting a mosque in Abu Dhabi and loving it! |
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