NSEP in Washington DC

Hello. I'm back from a little two day stint in this nation's capitol to attend the NSEP convocation and orientation program. Walking around the seat of power for the world's only remaining super power was quite an experience. Every building represented power through architecture and the titles above their doors. I strolled around for the afternoon and made it back to the hotel for the reception where I was quickly absorbed into the "Egypt" group of scholars. We went out to this pub and talked for hours about everything we held in common, the reasons why we're going to the Middle East, our experience so far with the NSEP, past experiences abroad, and more. I was so impressed with the caliber of people I met (think Ivy League, freaking brilliant, etc.). Someday these kids will hold positions of power, I'm sure. The next day was absorbed by lectures and informational sessions. I took off and made it to Dulles with time to spare before my flight. Oh, and one more thing: power. (Just wanted to use that word one more time in this post.)

The Midwest

I keep noticing how white people are here. I never thought of people in the Middle East as dark skinned, but all that changed after seeing the blinding white complexions of the general populace of Minneapolis. True, there are the occasional fake bakers here, but on aggregate, this place is WHITE.

So I've been back for over a week now. I'm still adjusting to life away from Dubai. It's like all the rules have changed and I need to go dig out the old manual and figure out how to make this thing go again. Working here and there to scrape some money together to feed me on my upcoming trip to Washington DC, as well as funds to launch my summer in Seattle. I'm eagerly anticipating both excursions!

My Arabian tan is slowly fading.

London Gatwick

This is just a quick check in from London. After 13 hours in the Dubai airport I finally made it out on my 2:45 flight. Let me just say that I have NEVER been on a nicer airline. Emirates economy class is like business class on all other airlines. It was wonderful: lots of space, GREAT food, displays in every seat, all entertainment on demand, amazing service.. wow. I would pay extra to travel on with these guys next time.

ok, so I probably shouldn't miss my flight. see you all stateside!

Leaving Dubai

Well this will be my last post from beautiful dubai. I get to spend an extra 17 hours here because I got stuck in traffic this morning and missed my flight. Yeah. I had to go through a bunch of trouble rebooking the flight. It's leaving tonight at 2:45am. And I've been switched to Emirates Airlines so that's cool.

The hours are going by slowly here but it's given me a chance to reminisce over the last four amazing months. I have learned so much. I have seen so much. I have grown so much. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to come here to study. I am going to seariously miss my friends. The Americans: Carrie, Greg, Kristen, Dan, Chris, Deena, Nadeen, Maria, Lupe, Britney, Yesenia, and Eric (and Oz). And then there are the middle easterners: Smiley, Jo, Ida, Moe, Areej, Jasmiin, Figo, Hisham, and Adham. Ok. I'm going to go cry now.

Thanks everybody for reading this blog. I think my readers have been better at this than the writer! I hope you enjoyed a LITTLE window into my amazing time here in the Emirates.

Bye (and look for another post or two stateside)

Relaxation In Jumeriah

Ever since I moved out of the dorms I have been spending many a long hour hanging out in Jumeriah 3--an upper class neighborhood with row upone row of beautiful gated houses punctuated by an occasional palace. Most of my time here has been spent at Central Perk.
Yes, that's the same coffeeshop that Joey, Monica, Chandler, Pheobe, Rachel, and Ross hang out at in the show "Friends". Well it's a close replica. The interior looks identical, with the same couches, chairs, and colors. In fact, "Gunthor" the barista in the show was here for an entire week making coffee and signing autographs. Wierd, if you ask me. Anyhow, the place is a good venue to kill time.

After a lot of hassle, I finely have my ticket home. I'm flying American Airlines through London to Minneapolis on the 17th at 9:10am. That means I have less that two days left in Dubai. Wow.

Tieing Things Up

So today is the last day of finals. I have a final tonight at 6pm and then I'm done at AUD. I talked to the housing coordinator here and she's letting me stay in the dorms until the 9th of may. At that point I have a friend who is staying for the summer to work for a television production company and he has a room over in Jumeriah (15 minutes away) and is going to let me stay with him however long I need to. So, I'm well taken care of here in Dubai. An Egyptian friend of mine has invited me to go to Alexandria, Egypt and stay with him for a couple weeks, so that might be happening sometime between now and the end of the month.

At the end of May I need to be back in the US to attend the convocation ceremony in DC for a scholarship that I have recieved called the Boren Undergraduate Scholarship. They are putting me up in a hotel near Capitol Hill and there is some kind of reception dinner the night before. I think the time is going to be amazing! The whole point of the scholarship is that they are sending me to Egypt for 12 months of study. I will be leaving in January of 2007 and returning December of the same year.

Well, I'm going to go get some lunch at 24/7 (the quickie mart that all the students frequent) and then study for my Econ final tonight.

More Pictures

Sharjah (emirate just north of Dubai) outdoors.



Cafeteria at the Bur Dubai bus station friday night.



Colin (looking good in my suit) and Omid--at the AUD Gala Award dinner at the Madinat Jumeriah hotel (adjacent to the Burj Al Arab).

Sheik's Dinner

Ok. So finals week is approaching. Wow. The semester officially ends may 2nd. I've arranged to stay in the dorms until the 9th. Here are some pictures:


All of the study abroad students were invited over to the one of the Sheik's compounds for dinner last week. Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al-Maktoum was an amazing host (pictured in the red hat). He personally served us during dinner and afterwards hosted a target shooting competition. He is a gold medal winner at the Olympic games in Athens for the trap shoot competition. So we talked about guns. He even invited me to go hunting with him in Oman!



Video from Sheik Ahmed's Dinner

Blog Update at The Office

Random thoughts here--So, we're beginning to feel the semester come to a close. What, I think it's a about a month and we're all outta here? In all my moving around the US, and now the world, I have experienced a normalling effect. I move to a new place, it's weird and foreign for a little while. Then it becomes home: the new normal. So, this effect has run its course and Dubai feels pretty much like home to me--the little lives we all live--sequestered on campus at AUD, our diverse excursions around the gulf/middle east, going over to friends' houses for the evening, renting movies, going to the beach. All this makes a rhythm that adds up and eclipses previous normals. So what was it like to live in the States? I'm having a hard time recalling.

Mosendam, Oman: On the Water

This is a shot from the little Dhow that we tooled around the Omani Fjords on. A few of the villages up there are only accessable by water. We were constantly passed by Omani's in speedboats, cruising to Khasib for groceries or whatever. And I didn't even get sunburned.

Article in the Gulf News

I found this one in today's Gulf News (Dubai's main paper.) Read on:


Outcry over Afghan convert facing death
By Meher Murshed and Bassam Za'aza, Staff Reporters

Dubai: Islamic scholars yesterday said US President George W. Bush and other Western leaders should mind their own business and must not interfere in the case of an Afghan facing the death penalty for converting to Christianity.

Abdul Rahman, who converted to Christianity in Germany 16 years ago and returned to Afghanistan in 2002, faces death if he does not revert to Islam. He was arrested two weeks ago after his family complained to authorities.

Bush has stepped into the row, saying he would pressure Kabul over the "deeply troubling" matter, while the United Nations says it believes Abdul Rahman will be spared.

The case, the first of its kind in Afghanistan, has put the government in a dilemma, with Western countries on whom it depends for military and financial aid demanding that it respect the right of freedom of religion and spare him the death penalty.

Dr Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, a renowned Islamic scholar with the Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Works, told Gulf News: "This is none of their [the West's] business ... Bush and the West should stay out of personal beliefs. They should not intervene in a purely religious matter of Islamic law [Sharia]."

Dr Al Haddad added: "If this penalty is carried out, it will protect many weak-willed people from deserting their religion. If the independence of the judiciary is among the bases of democracy, then it is unjust to interfere in this case. Democracy as practised by the West is fake because it contradicts itself in one of the most important bases."

Ahmad Al Qubaisi, a leading Islamic scholar, told Gulf News: "This President bombards thousands of civilians in Iraq. It is not strange that he defies the feelings of a whole nation, which considers a person who deserts Islam an infidel. Bush will immediately declare a man an outlaw if he deserts the US system and spies on America. This is a double standard by the US and the West. This stand is a crusade against the Muslim world."

The judge handling the case, Ansarullah Mawlavizada, said the courts were trying to find a "good solution" which could include persuading Abdul Rahman to revert to Islam. Abdul Rahman, 41, is in jail while his trial continues, with Sharia law, on which the Afghan constitution is partly based, ruling that conversion from Islam is punishable by death if the defendant refuses to revert.

Religious Bumper Stickers in the Gulf

I was walking back from lunch and saw the following bumper sticker.
They need to work on their english skills..

Camp Oman

So Greg and I are taking a few of the girls up to northern portion of Oman tomorrow for a passport run. (us Americans have to leave country every sixty days or face a stiff daily fine of 100 deehams.) Thankfully we're going to make the most of it by camping on the coast! Ruthie's family has a bunch of camping equipment: a tent, sleeping bags, cookstove, tiki torches.. well, we probably won't need those... you get the idea. I pick up the car tomorrow, (split 5 ways, it'll be a cab fare) and we'll be gone for two nights. I'm making like Greg (who bolted from six classes this week to run off to Istanbul.) by skipping my International Management class on Saturday. This will allow us time to drive back to the city. Everyone's goal is a fun cheap weekend. I'll see about putting up some pictures when we get back.

Good Morning Qatar

Doha, Qatar--Behind my villa at dawn.

DP World: Some Comments

So what is a typical American in Dubai's perspecive?

Most of the Americans, here at AUD, see the hoopla in the states over the takeover of six US ports by Dubai Ports World as just a bunch of thinly veiled politics. A chance for politicians to get some air time before elections. "How could intilligent people overreact so much?" we've been asking. Below the grandstanding this is largely about America's distrust of Arabs as a people. "They're all bad guys," we seem to think. The outcry against the deal is based on many naïve and unwarranted fears.

Most people don't know that the UAE is the most liberal of all the Gulf Countries, and a great partner on the war on terror--one of the most pro-US countries in the Middle East. While the Arabs here are always a little peeved at the US for some reason, at the same time they still love us. They like our movies, coffee, music, business practices, cars, television, food, universities, cities, landscape, and pretty much everything else about us. Dubai is westernized to the extent that I have to continually remind myself that I'm not back home or in Europe.

Even if this country was more conservative/fanatical, it still doesn't discount the fact that a corporation is taking over these ports. Corporations (and most people in Dubai, it seems) want one thing: to make money. I think the US can find no better partner than a company who's profitability depends on free and unhindered (by war, or bombs, terrorists, or whatever) flow of goods into our country.

I find two things ironic in all this. The first is that the democrats and the White House have switched sides. Hillary Clinton is suggesting legislation to block ports from being run by foreign firms, a super America-First stance usually reserved for the right wing. And Bush is arguing for the softer 'let them trade' position. One that placates Arab sentiments and reinforces our image around the world. Something we heard non-stop from John Kerry in his 2004 campaign. The second irony is that, in our rhetoric, we are holding the UAE government responsible for the fact that terrorists on 9/11 used private banks and airlines in the UAE, but we, at the same time, try to tell the Arab world that the Dutch government has no proper ability to apologize for cartoons published in their private newspapers. Seems like a double standard to me.

Singing in the Rain

So I woke this morning with a start--some big crashing sound. My first thought, honestly, was that one of the surrounding construction sites just suffered a horrible accident. But then in a few moments the crashing sound happened again. This time I couldn't deny that it was the sound of thunder. I threw open the window to let the steady droll/patter lull me back to sleep. Instead I was entertained by regular hoots, hollers, and singing-in-the-rain splashing from celebratory locals--thrilled at the treat of this once a year downpour.

So I finely got up to discover what the storm had left in its wake. Well, the parking lot is a lake. The desert safari has been cancelled. Dorms are flooded. Traffic is nuts. People stand around staring. All this reminds me of a foot of snow in Minneapolis... or an inch in Seattle.

Standing in the gulf at night.

Gripes and The Desert Flyer

So the cover story of the current campus paper "The Desert Flyer" is about us jolly Americans on vacation here in the Middle East. Some of us got phone calls a couple weeks back and, as Allison put it, tried to be as diplomatic as possible. Most of the comments of mine that made it into the article involved trifles like campus size and lack of cultural activities. Here's one interesting tidbit: none of the Americans were willing to comment on the academic quality and standards of AUD. "Its too soon to tell" we said in unison (without even coordinating our stories beforehand.) I avoided the question by saying I would need more time to compare AUD with my university at home. To be honest, at the time of the interview, I had my doubts--now they've been confirmed. Let me explain:

So AUD's got problems. It's a mix of students who don't apply themselves and transient faculty. Right now over half of my statistics class is getting an F. I can't believe it. How could over half of a class flunk? Part of this comes from a particularly difficult prof, but most of the responsibility rests on the students. Many of them either don't come to class or simply don't do the work. Cheating at AUD is a BIG problem. During a group project, one of the Saudis in my group began our meeting by phoning his friends to get finished projects to "refer to". When I asked him about it, he said that everybody does "it" here. He went on to tell me how he cheated on a final for one of his previous classes. Cheating seems casual, almost assumed. I keep getting the impression that many of the students don't particularly want to be here. Their parents perscribed an education and they're more interested in having fun. This attitude broadly affects the faculty. There's a pretty high turn around rate here. For instence, Eric Benson, the senior member of the business school faculty, has only been here a little over a year. The administration understands this weakness and is working to draw better more permanent faculty. They just finished an 11 story housing complex (which is VERY nice) on the back corner of the property for faculty. This should help with retention by removing the hour and a half commutes from their work equation. Of course things aren't so simple. Do I need to qualify obviously broad generalizations? Read the title. This is a gripe session. Yes, I have met great professors, administrators, and students here at AUD. This school is still in its infancy. Give it fifty years and I'm sure many of these issues will have dissolved.

Let's hope there is no follow up article. I won't be able to dodge the question so easily next time.

Sunset at Qurum Beach, Oman

Blog Neglect Syndrome

Yes, I am guilty of blog neglect. I admit it. I suppose part of my delemma is the complexities of my thoughts about this place aren't sorting themselves out neatly into blog posts. The longer I am here the more complex those thoughts are becoming. So this thing could spiral out of control. It seems like I've been skipping stones across the surface of things and hey that's fine. I could continue with the I-went-here, I-did-this-or-that kind of posts, but I had planned this blog to consist of that and more, and I suppose I haven't caught my angle on the whole thing yet. So, yes I went to Oman last weekend. I had an awesome time. I have pictures to prove it. But I haven't been able to get below the surface of it. What is Oman? Who is Oman? What is my take beyond the acid free scrapbook club page? I liked Eric's post on Oman's history as a country. Greg summed up the play by play with great commentary. Allison, well, she's awesome. So, what can I say? ...umm.

The syndrom continues...

Maybe Chris summed it up best.

Abu Dhabi

Last weekend (Thursday) I went to Abu Dhabi with Ruth to visit some of her family friends. We hopped the bus from downtown (cheap!) and were picked up at the Abu Dhabi bus station by a wonderful Indian family. The object of the day was to see the sights of the city. They took us out to a world traveling bookstore ship called "The Doulos" which was currently docked at the port (also the oldest ship on the seas--commissioned in 1914). Next we went for some amazing Indian food at a local resteraunt and drove around the city to see the various sights (Like the king's residence and the royal hotel.) The town was littered with sheikh's palaces. Abu Dhabi is oozing with money. After a thorough drive, we were all pretty brain dead from all of the food we ate. The day ended while we lounged on the couches at their house for a few hours before they drove us home to Dubai.


(L) The Doulos (R) city view from the ship


(L) on board bookstore (R) the tallest flagpole in the world


(L) Ruth and the kids [and giant penguin] (R) snow scene in the mall


(L) an arab enjoying the water (R) coastal road

Colin's Arabian Walkabouts

Church

Today I attended my first authentic UAE church service. The service was held in an unofficial manner at a villa in a residential neighborhood. Upon arrival, the people I rode with explained that while any church of over 40 people that does not meet on appoved land is not officially legal, it is nevertheless known about and tolerated by the government.

I was greeted by a duplex conversion. The central wall had been half removed and thus both living rooms combined to form a sufficient, although cramped, meeting place for around 100 people. (They hold two services each Friday.) The lectern stood in the very center so that whoever was speaking looked directly into the partial wall, but could address people on both sides equally. Everybody sat in white plastic lawn chairs and seemed comfortable with the lack of isles and elbow room.

The service began with a time of greeting and people rose from their seats and spoke to the group of happenings in their homes and families and things they were thankful for. Then an Indian man led some songs with his guitar, announcments were made, and the pastor stepped forward to teach from the Bible. His text came from Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" and was delivered with great care and passion as he exhorted us: "God is not about a system but a relationship."

Afterwards, the chairs were instantly put away which made room for everyone to mingle. I talked with people, hovered outside in the sun, and left with my ride. In summary, I was impressed by two things. Firstly, the international mix of the church. I heard and met people from Indonesia, Lebanon, China, India, Australia, South Africa, France, Nigeria, and the US. It was no hidout for white collar expats. I also appreciated the stripped down nature of the whole thing. Everything was humble and unimpressive on the outside, but it gave room for something deeper. This church was people, not a building, not an aesthetic, not a rock concert, not an existential spiritual experience--but real people--in communion with God and each other. I was impressed.

The Burj Al Bling Bling

Last Thursday, Liz, the American Club coordinator and overall surrogate mom for all us study abroad students, arranged for a free tour of The Burj Al Arab: the world's most luxurious hotel. From the moment our taxis pulled up to the front doors we were treated like guests. A very classy Indian man, who's name now escapes me, guided our jaw dropping group through the main lobby, two resteraunts, and a typical suite.

The place is absolutely amazing. Every detail of this hotel is completely over the top. Like Allison said in her blog, we were talking afterwards about how boring life would be once luxury like this becomes old hat. After The Burj becomes mundane, what's left? Although the place was amazing, it was thankfully too much for me. I wouldn't feel comfortable staying there beyond some one in a life time splurge for some very special occasion. It was too gold guilded (everything was gold plated), too colorful, too extravagant. The Burj is like downing three consecutive peices of honey glazed Baklava: too rich.


The Group


Burj Lobby View


Lobby Looking UP!


Outside the Suites


Suite Entry


Suite Bathroom


Al Muntaha (The Ultimate) Resteraunt (delecately balanced 52 floors/200 meters above the sea opposite the helepad. See top photo.)


View from Al Muntaha to the Southwest. The AUD campus is nestled among the pictured buildings.

Khor Fakkan (pt 2)

For the first morning at Rudy's hostel, on the main drag in Khor Fakkan, I was awakened at 5:30 am by the Salat trumpeting from each mineret in town. There was no point in going back to sleep because I had over ten hours even at this point. So I rolled out of bed, packed up a small bag of things, and stumbled out into the dark morning. The streets were mostly quiet at this point, but I managed to hitch a ride to the Corniche (beach) and made it down before sunrise.



I wandered down the beach and found a bunch of men fishing with four wheel drive trucks... I imagine they dropped their nets out the night before and I had just caught them as they were hauling them onto the beach with little toyota 4x4's.


A fence (pictured) stopped be from continuing so I left the beach and stopped by the Oceanic Hotel. This place was some musty smelling Bollywood flavored establishment: the only hotel in town, with the market squarely cornered. The dive center was closed until later ( I wanted to check prices for snorkeling). After this I trespassed for about a hundred yards to make it around the point to my intended destination: a little private beach I had spotted earlier.

I spent the rest of the morning out there. I sat in the sand, and read some. I played around on the rocks. I caught some crabs and had fun playing with them. (They probably had a lot less fun than I.) Here's a family photo:

Click this link for a short video of "Whitey" and "Mr. Brown" in action.

Then I got in a protracted fight with a dungeness crab:

Then, after the intense confrontation, I turned on my camera, in a like manner:

Sandstorm

So I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought, upon stepping out of the dorm building, was: "fog". But then I realized that while the air was cool enough for fog, it was far too dry for it. Everything was bathed in a thick haze. It turns out, in the night, a mild sandstorm engulfed the city. Nothing stopped or even slowed, I suppose. The worst it did was gradually lend everything a light dusting. My hair is powdered with a light grit. My "side bag" (That Sarah Hoffman gave me for my birthday, thanks!) has collected the same. It also created a great sunset. (Above: This picture was taken while standing at the front gate (pictured at the top left) of AUD.)

(Sunset at Jumeria Residence. The AUD campus is one block forward and on the left of this street.)

Trip to Khor Fakkan

Now that I am back in civilization, I can post a bit about my trip to Khor Fakkan. I'll try to give it a little more detail than a complaint about the taxi service.

Sunday the 8th, I said goodbye to Tim Fincher at breakfast, checked out of the Le Meridean Fairview hotel and caught a cab to the Diera Taxi Stand. The place is more of a bus station than a taxi stand, so I don't get the name, but anyway, I arrived just as the last call for the Fujeirah bus was sounding so I waited a half hour and caught the next bus. There was a little discussion between the bus operators and I concerning my three huge bags. It was determined that if the bus filled, I would have to buy two tickets (Dh25 each). If the bus was not full, one ticket would be fine. So, after wedging my bags into the back seat of the bus, I milled around the station, watching TV, drinking Pepsi, snapping a few photos before the time came and the bus pulled away towards Sharjah and then the freeway.

The drive out was quite interesting. After we left the city, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. First of all, the driver drove the thing like it was a sports car. Secondly, as the city gave way to the desert I realized that I was headed into something more different than anything I had experienced up until that point. Cities are cities, but the bizaar terrain of the desert, the Islamic hick town nature of the villages, and my brooding over the fact that I was leaving English in Dubai, gave the journey an alien mood. I arrived in Fujeriah and quickly negotiated a fare with a crusty Pakistani (ALL of the cab drivers out there are Pakistani!) man in his beat up early nineties toyota. [It's funny, they all have those funny carpet covers on their dashboards.. Who uses those things?? ; ) ] We drove most of the way along the coast and I was astonished at how many ships lay perched along the horizon. I counted 48 at one point. I couldn't tell which ones were oil tankers and which ones were empty container ships, but I'm sure there were both. We passed by an oil terminal, where the oil tankers pull up to load oil. This one was rather small and I would guess it wasn't used for intercontinental shipments.

So, following the directions I had secured over the phone, we pulled up to a little gate along the road, and I unpacked my bags. The hostelkeeper's name is Rudy. He's a philipino (I never asked him how he arrived in a place like that!) and he kept a very neat house. The rent was Dh45 per night (which is about $12.) I booked two nights, dropped off my bags and walked across the street to a local cafeteria called "Hi Broast Restaurant". I was nervous until they served the food. WOW! The chicken was great. They also had awesome flatbread, salad, hummus, and some tasty fried desert bread, which was my favorite. My first day in in hick town arabia ended with a trip down to the beach and an early retirement to work off (or prolong) my jet lag.

Taxis and Buses

The taxi dropped me off at the "Diera Taxi Stand" and I was immediately accosted by men who wanted to drive me to Fujeriah. The first question I have is this: "How dumb do you think I am?" Why would I want to pay you dh100 to drive me to Fujeriah when I can pay dh25 and ride on the bus 50 meters away? Sheesh. I will admit, I pay too much money most of the time. I paid dh25 for a car from Fujeriah to Khorfakkan (Which, I am told is usually dh10-15) I paid dh50 for the 1 1/2 hour ride back to Sharjah (I am told, this is dh25 tops in a shared cab) My, (and their) excuse is the three huge bags I am dragging everywhere with me. I like to think of them as my three body bags. (morbid? yes.) So, in conclusion, yes: I am an American. I have to pay a premium for this I have found. (either that or I still have to work on my haggling skills.)

Comments

Quick admin note here: I was wondering why people were emailing me with their comments and not just commenting directly in the blog. Well, thanks to Starbucks Matt,(!!) I found out the comments were not working for some reason. Well all is well that ends well. The comments should be working now. So comment away!

Tour By Taxi

This was my first chance to get some time to expore Dubai. Tim Fincher and I left the hotel and walked across the freeway (which was an adventure!) to Our old digs, The Sofitel Hotel at City Center. The hotel is connected to a mall, which we slipped in to for some breakfast at this bargain place that Tim heard about. It was a very english meal: Grilled tomato, mushroom, sausages, one egg, toast, some beef bacon, and. All of this for under 20DHS (which means, "Under six bucks")



We hopped a cab which took us to the Diera Gold Souk. We were bothered by "Copy Watches? Rolex, Movado, Omega.. Very Cheap!" literally every minute. I told Tim it was because he looked so American. I, of course, blended in naturally. (Right: On a Dubai Creek Water Taxi)

After tramping around the souks for a while we hopped a water taxi over the creek to Bur Dubai. Tim mentioned the Dubai Museum, so we headed over to it. The mesuem is set inside a fort which is the oldest standing building in Dubai. The place was restored in the mid nineties and converted into a Mesuem. The enterance fee was under $1 and was well worth it.



Dubai Meseum



After we finished downtown. We decided to check out Dubai's newest mall called "Mall of the Emirates" (oddly familiar?) The Place was colosal. I would say the largest mall I have ever seen. I am still awed by the strange contrast of traditional Muslims in full Hijab and Burka shopping at stores like Forever 21, and Calvin Klein! The indoor ski slope was closed, so we could only snap a few shots through the glass.

Mall of the Emirates (Central Plaza, Ski Dubai, Starbucks!)


Sheik Zeyed Road (Emirates Towers, Financial District Skyline, Starbucks!)


Sheik Zeyed road is the main thoroughfare betwen old Dubai (ie. the creek, souks, downtown) and new Dubai which is spinging up at an ABSOLUTLY GROSS speed from the financial district to Jumeriah Beach Residence (which is where AUD is located, sweet!). I cannot fathom how many of those huge construction cranes they had to import into this city. I am not exagerating. There must be at least two hundred highrises/huge buildings under construction right now. I'm not kidding. At least that many. Maybe more like 300.

Well, we ended the day back at the hotel where I quickly dozed off into a three hour nap. We ate some dinner at Chili's down the block and turned in at the hotel.