Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Things People Do With Their Money...Only in Dubai

There is a lot of money in the middle east. In the UAE, specifically Dubai, you see it everywhere. Money is spent extravagantly and lavishly, sometimes on some of the most unusual things and /or in excess. Automobiles, homes, animals and buildings...it does not matter.

I have mentioned it in previous posts but expensive luxury cars are so commonplace in Dubai, that it seems normal to see Ferrari's, Rolls Royce and Maybachs all around you on the road. But have you ever seen a baby pink expedition ? I have and it is simply beautiful. It looked like cotton candy on wheels.

The Rolls Royce Ghost in the picture below pulled up along side of us on Jumeriah Beach Road. The young men driving the car looked as if they were 14, okay, maybe 16. I wondered if their dad knew they had his car out for a spin ? They were happy to smile for the camera shot, then off they went. I sure hope they got the car home safely, with out any new scratches or dents.


Have you ever seen a Rolls Royce covered in artificial grass - the whole thing - in Astro turf ? I had never seen any car covered in fake grass, let alone a Rolls Royce. Don't quite understand that one.

If they want it, they have it done.


Gold plated cars, they are here - like the one in the picture below. Not just gold colored but gold plated. When these cars are custom ordered from the factory, they cannot have the standard V6 or V8 engine - no that would be too normal, they order them to have a V 12 motor. You can hear the cars with the  V12 motors roaring up behind you, even with your windows rolled up, loud and thundering. Your car shakes as it roars on past.



Not only do you see extravagance with luxury cars, but you see other things - so many other surprises. I don't stare in astonishment anymore when I see someone carrying a monkey on their shoulder or stop to gawk at a gargantuan villa.  

You never know when you will see something unusual, out of the ordinary. One thing I have learned while living here in Dubai, always keep your camera on your person and close.
Be ready for a picture when you least expect it.

Larger than life vases, planters, which always seem to be shaped like something - tea pots, people or horses. Full body horses shaped into lamps or how about gold plated life size horses.

The horses below are probably better taken care of than most "live" horses. They are shined, cleaned and spruced up every day. Brilliant to look at and shocking to see them out in public without high powered security surrounding them.


Horse and camel racing is huge in Dubai and there is no expense spared for a prize racer. There was even an elevator built at the Meydan Race track that would accommodate horses to be brought to a restaurant on the the top floor. A horse in a restaurant ?

Camels are cherished in the middle east and and coming up soon is the camel beauty contest. yeah !!.  I have waited for months for the camel beauty contest. The prize for the winner ....millions of dollars. Did you read what I wrote ...a camel is the winner!

The contest is next week and I can hardly wait to see which camel beauty will be crowned the winner. There will definitely be post about the camel beauty contest in the future.

In a recent article in the Gulf News, a Saudi writer wrote about the the extravagance of the "millions" of dollars spent recently on the purchase of 20 camels. 20 camels! All I can think is that they must have been some pretty special camels. Oh, the things that could be done with millions of dollars instead of purchasing 20 camels.

Snow in a desert ?!. The chance of it snowing here -  well... it will never happen.  But don't not be despaired, you can order snow and have it delivered right to your door. In fact a company in Dubai will turn your villa and surrounding property into a winter wonderland. It may not be icy cold, but it looks like the real thing and they can spray it thick enough that you can make a snow angel in it.
I was lucky to see the "snow falling " or being sprayed around the grounds and the roof top of a very large villa last week. A large group of children stood around cheerfully watching as the snow sprayers did their work. I got my camera out to take a picture and my battery was dead....no worries, I am certain I will see it again.

The artifical snow is not only reserved for villas and surrounding property. Dubai is also well known for its Indoor Ski Resort at Ski Dubai, the only one like it in world. Groomed mountains that can you can ski, snowboard, tube and sled on, down big hills with fresh  man made snow and the best part of Ski Dubai, live penguins.
They imagined it and built it.


Gold plated flag poles, man made islands, diamonds enrusted on  items to numerous to mention, unusual and magnificent architecture. The architectural wonder - the new residential twisting building in the Marina is almost complete and ready for occupants. You look at it and are astonished that the building is standing upright and wonder in awe, how did they do that ?

In other country's some things are imagined, thought about, but in this country they do it. There are no limits and if they want it, they figure it out. Imagination is everything here and money makes it happen.

I have never in  my life seen anything like I have seen here and when I leave Dubai I am certain I will never see things like this again - the extravagance, the obscure, the unusual. It is what makes Dubai what it is today.

What an experience and I feel lucky every day I am here that I get to live and witness it.
 

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing your experience in Dubai!!! Its really nice place or I can say adventurous place.

    weekend activities dubai

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