Dubai.... I've arrived!!!

So very tired!!  After a 14 hour flight from the US to Istanbul, a four hour layover and another four and a half hour flight to Dubai, we arrived at 2:30 am.  Customs was very disorganized and not consistent; some of the other students were just waved through! For a country that is based on international trade and service I was expecting it to be streamlined and efficient.  However, that was our introduction to the Middle Eastern way of doing business! 









After meeting and counting off on the bus, we left for our first destination.  The museum was very informative about the history and culture of the local people.  It's amazing to see how much has been accomplished in a relatively short amount of time.  I never realized that Dubai was a not only a port, but also had a large river, which the locals call a "creek".   It was interesting to see the origins of Dubai and the progress it made to be the city it is today.  It’s fascinating to see the mixture of being a port city as well as a desert.  We learned that there are very few natural resource, so most of the economy was (and still is) dependent upon foreign trade (with the exception of the natural oil supply in Abu Dhabi.)  

Al Fahidi Fort

 

Dahlia and Me!

Our next stop was the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. Be sure to visit the website.   They allowed us to ask any question without apprehension or fear of offending.  I found it to be an excellent program that worked very diligently towards breaking down barriers and informing people of the real UAE culture. We discussed everything from courtship customs, to women's rights.   There was a lot of misinformation dispelled in that session.  It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to ask questions and learn first-hand about the culture.  Too often we rely on the media to portray a country without knowing all the facts.  We then went to the mosque on the grounds.  It is a beautiful facility.  We learned the proper names for different areas, why the dome was originally included (great acoustics!), the call to prayer, and the position for prayer and why it is a submission, not a supplication.  I enjoyed seeing the Bastakiya Mosque and learning more about it.  The guides were very friendly, open, and informative.

Metro Station... looks like a hotel lobby!

We made a quick stop at the prince's palace to take pictures of the peacocks then went to the gold and spice souk.  It was a different experience to be there and see the little shops.  Bargaining is expected and, quite frankly, a lot of fun.  I bought a nice dress and top as well as several souvenirs for friends and family back home.  The gold souk had some beautiful jewelry, but it was a bit disconcerting to be constantly asked if we wanted imitation purses and glasses at almost every moment. Personally, I don't want to follow a stranger into a back room to look at illegal goods.  What was especially difficult is that often the same person would keep asking to the point of being uncomfortable.   We then took a ride on the metro, which was very interesting to me since I am currently working in the transportation field and we are planning to expand the Metrolink in Riverside County.  I took many pictures and plan to share my experiences with my colleagues.

After arriving back at the hotel there was a roof top BBQ.  The skyline was beautiful, but I was so tired that I didn't eat much and went straight back to the room.