dubious dubai
A P R I L 6 , 2 0 1 1
pat + dad // the arabian desert
we knew it was ambitious to spend christmas in the middle east.
dubai, located on the tip of the saudi peninsula, was said to be a middle eastern shangri-la -- a disneyland for adults, and a paradise for the expats that pour in each year.
it was also rumored to be somehwat of a ghost oasis -- a smooth, shiny new city amidst the endless desert and its harsh, gritty terrain, with all the allure of a modern world, but not enough people, or culture, to truly fill it.
as we drove down the empty 5-lane highways and passed the countless construction sites frozen in time, buildings half-complete, and properties totally abandoned, we realized that dubai was, indeed, lacking people and original culture. despite being labeled as the middle eastern “melting pot,” (and many of its undoubtedly awesome architectural and cultural achievements) we found dubai to feel like little more than a knock-off (or extreme amplification) of western capitalism.
despite all this, we were happy to be together, in a warm climate, and it was to be mad’s first christmas away from home. the obvious question looming in her mind was, “does santa claus know where dubai is?” a question that quickly morphed into “does dubai know what santa claus is?”
the moment we stepped foot into our hotel lobby we were greeted by tinsel, faux christmas trees, and the tunes of a mediocre ‘80’s christmas soundtrack (which turned out to be the only christmas album, playing on repeat every hour, every day for 2 consecutive weeks (possibly longer – we didn’t stay to find out).
we hit the ground running. well, not literally. unfortunately for us, dubai was not pedestrian friendly, nor was it generous in it’s public transportation. we were dealing with a city that hadn’t discovered the necessity of sidewalks or unsegregated busses yet (women and men had to occupy different compartments).
one thing we usually excite ourselves with is our desire to experience public transportation in every city we visit. whether the Sky Train in Bangkok, the subways in Chile and Hong Kong, or the metro-bus in Istanbul, if there is a public transportation system you can bet you’ll find us navigating it. not in Dubai -- though you can’t say we didn’t try.
although the above-ground subway system is so new that it’s still under construction, the “P.C.” morals for traveling it were a bit dated for our taste. there was a front car specifically designated for women and children, with rear cars reserved for men-only. in order to even get yourself to the platform you have to be a bit reckless -- leaping in front of traffic while running across 2 major 4-lane highways with cars whizzing by at full speed. we opted to take a taxi instead.
where to, you might ask? the mall, of course. dubai’s malls are world-famous. they are the worshipped cathedrals of consumption, where dubai is reduced to “do-buy,” and you can find any name brands your heart desires for prices more expensive than home.
though the whole experience was outrageously expensive, one extravagance worth the investment was sky rocketing to the top of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world (!!), which beats our own chicago’s beloved sears tower by about 30%. from start to finish, the impeccably-designed experience was world-class, in contrast with all our other customer service experiences we had up to that point (not a middle eastern strong suit).
the story of Khalifa is literally written on the walls as you enter and make your way toward the elevator lines. the elevator experience is one we will never forget, complete with music, ceiling mirrors and wall-to-wall video screens displaying beautiful footage of space travel. we felt like we were leaving the Earth in our little elevator and rising into the cosmos. when we stepped off onto the platform of the observation deck we were awed by the view. never had any of us stood so far above the earth while still being connected to it. tt was absolutely breathtaking…
christmas came and went in a flash. the days leading up were filled with the shop-til-you-drop fever and an extensive home decorating spree in which we drew life-sized christmas character cutouts and pasted them to the wall (missy’s gay santa claus, a chimney, a christmas tree and bear skin rug, a grinch, reindeer and more).
the morning came and we all ran to the homemade hearth to tear open our gifts and turn the dining room table into a full-blown ping pong tournament with our new ping pong set. the afternoon was filled with sand-dune buggy thrills which left us all buzzing, and a little nauseated.
the evening was the cherry on top – a middle eastern belly dancing buffet in the heart of the desert (literally). it was absolutely a christmas to remember.
our trip to dubai was no doubt unforgettable. but all in all, we found it to be a city living beyond of its financial, cultural and economic means. the Earth itself seems to be repelling against it, and will melt anything that isn’t kept artificially wet all day, everyday. the famed tiger woods golf course uses 4 MILLION GALLONS of water PER DAY to keep its bright green lawns from shriveling back to their natural sand dune state.
from air-conditioned beaches with cooling pipes running below the sand (so you don’t singe toes on the way from towel to sea) to the winter wonderland ski-mountain encased within a metal dome, dubai is a world of contradiction and indulgence. dubai felt to us like a square peg on a round planet. an illusory oasis -- a mirage of modern consumer values overlaid onto an ancient, unforgiving landscape.
we were so so grateful for our experience, but probably won’t be in a hurry to return anytime soon…
