Hey there
I thought that I wanted to take a photo of myself paddling out in a Santa hat and send it as a Christmas email – but then the photos of the surf in Malaysia turned out to be so grey and depressing (and tiny uninspiring looking waves) that don’t photograph well…so I canned that idea.
Turns out that I got to go to Dubai for a few days. Nothing too exciting, a lot of meetings and a presentation. Before you read on, here is the disclaimer: This is not an insightful and in-depth look into the social, political and state of economic affairs in Middle Eastern countries. What it is, is an email intended for the reading pleasure and procrastination activities of cubicle dwellers on Monday morning. Now read on…
Dubai is one of the most westernized of all Middle Eastern countries. It used to be a major hub for international flights between Asia and Europe before dodgy airlines like Malaysia Airlines decided to fly direct. However with a far-sightedness uncommon in most royal families owning oil-rich lands (Brunei royalty being well-known for their need for gold-plated toilets and chocolate rooms in their summer houses), Dubai is determined to become an international cosmopolis before the oil supply runs out – hence the super-rapid development – most of the skyscrapers have been built in the last 3 years.Which is probably where people like me in the construction industry come in.
Dubai is not just Sheikhs in long white robes and full length black burkhas – I was told this a few times during my trip that Dubai is the world’s biggest market for….G-strings. If you’ve ever wondered what the ladies wear under that black coverall, its sexy lingerie. And those loose robes and leather sandals that the men wear to the office? Infinitely more comfortable than that noose they call a Versace necktie. And the young ladies not in burkhas looked like Shakira with flowing blond tresses, exotic features and skin-tight tops and figure-hugging jeans.
Dubai is also apart from desert, super-modern skyscraper, sprawling acres of Sheikh’s personal villas, wonders like a full ski ramp & snowboarding park and the famous 7-star hotel the Al-Burj. And the food – oh the food. Food is brought in from the other countries surrounding Dubai. Prawns, mussels, seafood so big and luscious, juicy apples, oranges, the best pineapple flown in this morning from the Philipines…imagine what you could do if your country were the international hub for flights between Asia and Europe AND had all the financial resources of an oil-rich nation. Oh yeah baby.
The only downside was the horrendous traffic. Rapid development and everyone wanting to get their own Porsche 4WD means gridlock – roughly 1 hour to get from place to place. Heat is not too bad since it’s winter now, it’s a cool 24 C at the moment but it gets to 50 C in the summer.
Dubai blows the mind. Different from Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore…anywhere. Kind of a jaw-dropping astonishment at how all of this could spring up from the desert. Most cities have a kind of organic growth that takes place over decades or a century but all of this is all so new and decadent. Inflation is increasing 30% every 3 months and the Dubai property columnists predict that the bubble will burst soon.
I guess that if fancy shopping malls and flash cars aren’t your thing then Dubai wouldn’t suit you at all. Maybe it wouldn’t be for me after a while. But as a stopover on your way to Asia or Europe – it is definitely worth booking yourself into a nice 5-star hotel and taking a look around. I didn’t get to check out the Wild Wadi Waterpark with it’s standing wave machine but that’s for the next trip…
Till the next email…Merry Christmas!
Soooo not in a burkha,
Shi.