Discuss: iDubai
2 comments
I liked these images of Dubai, but they give such a slanted, cordoned off view of the place. The city is fundamentally a contradiction and this is not at all conveyed. In the palaces of commerce, the richest Emiratis mingle with western contract workers. Almost anything can be had for money: alcohol, of course,beautiful women, Faberge eggs, Patek watches, luxury automobiles that come with surprisingly low price tags since there is no sales tax. But across the city there are other areas, Indian workers’ shopping areas and ghettos where the real business of life transpires. My favorite spots are outdoor Pakistani restaurants where you can eat Dahl, drink masala chai and order the hottest food you’ve eaten outside of India. There are outdoor cafes where you can smoke shisha, drink strong tea and read a book or newspaper (Times of London) while taking in the street life unmolested. Dubai is not all steel and glass, but this is the most facile vision of it. About 1 1/2 hours down the road is the capital, Abu Dhabi, a much more Arab town whose character is like a combination of Monaco and Muskat. I like it better. But if you want to see the world of the Arabian Gulf from 20 or 30 years ago, visit Oman; (Yemen is better but probably unwise these days). Dubai seen through the shopping mall is an Arab vision, not of Utopia, but of what they think of the west. It is shopping and accumulation as diversion and preoccupation. It is their way of giving people what they think they want. And what they fundamentally believe most about Westerners is that we are materialistic, arrogant and impatient. They take this and turn it into tourist attractions that resemble shopping Disney Lands. I love Dubai for it’s tolerance and openness; it is unique among Arab cities. But for character drive to Al Ain or visit Abu Dhabi and tuck a rolled-up prayer rug in the back window of your car. This will get you discounts and a much warmer welcome. Most of all, be willing to spend time with whoever you encounter. Arabs still have the luxury of time and for this single reason their quality of life is much higher than ours.
I liked these images of Dubai, but they give such a slanted, cordoned off view of the place. The city is fundamentally a contradiction and this is not at all conveyed. In the palaces of commerce, the richest Emiratis mingle with western contract workers. Almost anything can be had for money: alcohol, of course,beautiful women, Faberge eggs, Patek watches, luxury automobiles that come with surprisingly low price tags since there is no sales tax. But across the city there are other areas, Indian workers’ shopping areas and ghettos where the real business of life transpires. My favorite spots are outdoor Pakistani restaurants where you can eat Dahl, drink masala chai and order the hottest food you’ve eaten outside of India. There are outdoor cafes where you can smoke shisha, drink strong tea and read a book or newspaper (Times of London) while taking in the street life unmolested. Dubai is not all steel and glass, but this is the most facile vision of it. About 1 1/2 hours down the road is the capital, Abu Dhabi, a much more Arab town whose character is like a combination of Monaco and Muskat. I like it better. But if you want to see the world of the Arabian Gulf from 20 or 30 years ago, visit Oman; (Yemen is better but probably unwise these days). Dubai seen through the shopping mall is an Arab vision, not of Utopia, but of what they think of the west. It is shopping and accumulation as diversion and preoccupation. It is their way of giving people what they think they want. And what they fundamentally believe most about Westerners is that we are materialistic, arrogant and impatient. They take this and turn it into tourist attractions that resemble shopping Disney Lands. I love Dubai for it’s tolerance and openness; it is unique among Arab cities. But for character drive to Al Ain or visit Abu Dhabi and tuck a rolled-up prayer rug in the back window of your car. This will get you discounts and a much warmer welcome. Most of all, be willing to spend time with whoever you encounter. Arabs still have the luxury of time and for this single reason their quality of life is much higher than ours.