Ahlan from Dubai!

Ahlan wa Sahlan! Hello and welcome from Dubai. My Dad and I arrived late last night after a long flight from Dulles to Qatar and then from Qatar to the UAE. We were graciously welcomed by his co-worker Joe and Joe's lovely wife Lumenita. We're staying at a beautiful Villa owned by my Dad's company right out of the heart of Dubai.


My first impression of Dubai (besides the smoltering heat) was one of complete and utter shock. This place is so extravagent, it looks like Las Vegas mixed with NYC, with HUGE skyscrapers, beautiful buildings and all the lights. It is a very hot spot in the Middle East, and proves to be very Westernized. It almost feels like home, to be honest, everything is written in both Arabic and English and there's a Starbucks or McDonalds on every other street corner! To one side of the city there is the gulf, the water's crystal clear and is a magnificent shade of green. To the other side is the desert, a vast space of sandy dunes as far as the eye can see. The desert is beautiful in its own right too.


Today, after a good night's rest, I experienced my first "call to prayer", done 5 times a day, I'm sure I'll be getting used to it! After a needed cup of qawa (coffee) Joe and Lumenita gave me a quick tour of the city. First, we went to a "souk" or market, and enjoyed a wonderful Thai lunch. Since it is Ramandan, many restaurants are closed, so finding one that's open and serving food was a large challenge. After lunch, we walked around the souk and I saw the worlds ONLY 7 star hotel! We then headed to the "mall of the emirates". Let me preface by saying I was on a mission to find a new suitcase (a liter of shampoo exploded in one of mine during travel, leaving me with tons of suds and a big mess to deal with, needless to say although I flew first class, my luggage did not) During the summer months the malls are a big hangout because of the heat, which is almost unbearable. You can even cool off and ski inside on the indoor ski slope if your heart desires! I walked out of the villa this morning and my sunglasses immediately fogged up, "It happens ALL the time" , Joe says to me. I also wanted to buy some light linen pants, that are very fashionable here, if of course your not covered from head to toe in a black muslim female's veil. We struck out at the mall of the emriates but found success at the Ibn battuta mall which is very close to the villa. Both malls were AMAZING, with many designer stores and crazy cool architecture. Tonight after the "breaking of the fast" tons of places are going to open up and many muslims stay up all night eating and drinking tea, so we are going out on the town for some good food! Im hoping to catch up on some sleep, my body's starting to feel all the travel. Hoping all is well in America! Will write soon! Ramandan Kareem! Ma'salaama!