Gotta Love It ...My Top Ten Dubai Favorites

I knew this would happen. I predicted it 8 short months ago.

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates is becoming common place to me, familiar. I am so sad that I cannot smell the salt water and spices in the air anymore. I am used to it now.
The strange and bizarre are now normal, everyday things. Once in awhile I see something that still surprises me, but not as much as I used to.

There are things about the middle east that I like, absolutely love......here is my top ten.

And unlike David Lettermen, they are in no particular order. I love them all equally.

• I love that I do not have mail delivery in Dubai, the Middle East - Yeah ! I have finally gotten rid of junk mail. Don't you all wish you could say that ? There is no home to home or should I say, Villa to Villa mail delivery in the middle east. You can pay monthly for a post box, which very few people do, but even then the chances of getting your letters or mail are very slim. I do not miss mail, not even a little. Not having mail delivery has forced me to go paperless. I can officially say I am mean and green.

• I love camels ! How could you not - They are large, stinky, crabby animals that thrive in the desert. They are every where and I still go crazy when I see them strolling along the side of the highway, on the beach or riding in the back of a truck. But watch for a special edition blog in November ....The Annual Camel Beauty Contest will be held in Dubai. That is right, a camel beauty contest. Just imagine camels all glammed up .I can hardly wait!!

• I love driving in Dubai. It is not for the faint of heart and yes it is quite scary. Many people that live in Dubai never even attempt to drive, but not me , I knew that if I wanted freedom and to have a normal life here I would have to drive. I can honk, maneuver the round a bouts, swerve and speed with the best of them. You are always watching...one eye is on the road in front of you, while the other eye is watching for motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed, people crossing whenever they want, cars and trucks entering the roads and highways from empty sandy lots and camels, if they are on the road and get hit it is never their fault.....goodness, gracious - the driving is fun. 

• I love that the people of the UAE are night owls. I am a night owl and fit in perfectly here. I have found my people ! This place does not come alive until dusk or even late into the evening. Many businesses do not even open until late afternoon and then stay open into the wee early hours of the morning. And the malls....they are packed and alive with adults, children and families at midnight . They are a peculiar people, but I fit right in. And I just heard....starting the 18th of October the malls will be open 24 hours for two weeks! Heaven.

• I love that gasoline is so cheap. What does gas cost in Dubai ? I have no idea....but it is cheap !I have never seen one advertisement of gas and the prices are never posted. I don't think anyone even cares. We filled up our SUV last Saturday and paid 92 cents a gallon. Besides the gas being cheap, the gas stations also have gas attendants - you never have to leave your car. You pull up, tell the attendant, "fill up with special",sit back and relax while they wash your windows and shine your tires. If you would like a drink from  inside, they will even get a person to run inside and buy you whatever your heart desires.  Oh, life is good !

• I love the white sandy beaches. Magnificent ! Enough said.

• I love the diversity of the people in Dubai and my new international friends. I don't know if you can find anywhere else in the world the diversity of people and cultures that you can find in the middle east, especially Dubai. Never in my life have I met people from so many different countries. I have learned so much about traditional dress, languages, the customs and the best part food. But no matter what....I will never eat the duck egg . The egg is an almost completely formed duck, with feathers and all. Everyone keeps saying, close your eyes and don't look at what you are eating. What ...even with my eyes closed I know what I am eating...never ! 

       It has been a eye opening lesson of life for me. I love being the
       one that is different and never thought I would ever hear my
       self say that. My life has been enriched from meeting so             many people from all walks of life.

• I love both the glitz and the grit . Dubai is a city of contrast, the most glitzy to the most gritty and I like them both, but I especially love the old sections of town, the small dirty shops and sun bleached run down Arabic looking homes with elaborate metal doors. That is where all the best treasures and food can be found. The high tech and sparkly glitz amaze me also. Gold, diamonds and expensive cars are abundant in Dubai. And if it is not all gold , many objects are gold plated, like cars, phones, statues and flagpoles. When we saw a a TV commercial for drapes encrusted with "diamond's" yesterday, we knew that the people here have a little too much money.  

     

• I love the architecture . No two buildings are the same, expect the two towering "Chrysler " buildings.  You will never see buildings like this in the United States. The few requirements are ...Glass, steel and colored lights, with the final requirement ...how unusual or abstract can we build it.  I have stood in awe at some of the buildings and think, " how did they do that ? It was announced last week that Saudi Arabia was going to build a skyscraper taller than the tallest building in world , the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Oh no, I can sense the competition to go even higher is on.

• I love string cats ! Cats, cats and more cats roam the city. They are everywhere and can be seen in the strangest places. One of Dubai's string cats even made it all the way to France last week on an Emirates Airlines flight. The stray cats are called string cats because of their long sleek skinny bodies .They have Arabic looking eyes and the pointy ears. The string cats behave as if they own the place and we, the humans are in their way. Cats with attitudes...gotta love it.

Of course there are things about this city that drive me crazy, IE,the taxi's and the laid back attitude about getting things done, but the positives far out weighs the negatives.

Everyone keeps saying ...it is easy living in Dubai and nothing could be more true than that statement. 

   

Tolerance and Understanding Around the World

I used to a one of those people that thought I understood, but in reality I really did not. I lived in my safe little bubble in Utah and had never lived outside of it. I thought I knew all there was to know about life, tolerance and understanding.
When we were raising children, we tried so hard to impress on them not to pass judgement, learn to be tolerant, not be prejudice and try your hardest to understand anyone that was different.
I can say that our children get it and I am so proud of them.
Moving to the other side of the world has made me realize how much I did  not know and how little I did not understand. People are people, no matter where they live. The majority of us only want a few simple things from life such as love, family, comfort and peace.
But as similar as we are, we are also different and and we need to be tolerant and accepting of one another.
Are we certain that one way is always the right way for everyone? Certainly not!
The way I do something as an American  should never be assumed as the right way for a  person that lives in India, Dubai, etc.
What we don't understand we need to find out more about it. What we are afraid of ?
Before I moved to the Middle East everyone kept asking me if it was going to be safe. Was I afraid for my life? What about the terrorists?
Terrorists are everywhere, even home grown  and living in the United States.
I have found the UAE to be extremely safe and welcoming. Just because people are different here does not mean that they will hurt me or even want to cause me harm.
Actually it is quite the opposite.
I could have stayed home in Utah, afraid to live outside my bubble, afraid that someone that was different than me would cause me harm.
Wow - I would have missed out . It would have been my loss. The short time living internationally has helped me grow, it has expanded my understanding and certainly strengthened my tolerance. Okay I get it now.
I have been reading books, articles and delving into the customs, culture and the  religion of my new home. I think I finally understand and so many things now make better sense to me.
We as Americans have so many freedoms. We live in a great country. Many of the people I have met in the middle east dream to visit the United States one day. But for most of them it is just a dream and they know that it will never happen.
We need to wake up and be the great people we used to be and open are minds and arms to greater tolerance and understanding. My husbands says it all the time, "Just because we as American have the right, it does not make it right".  
That's is so prophetic and true. We need to think how our words or actions may harm, insult or humiliate someone before we do them. 
I am so grateful for this experience - so happy that I had a chance to learn, grow and understand better. Hopefully, those I meet here in the Middle East will also come to know and like me as the American for who I am and that they will be tolerant and accepting of my beliefs and differences. The " shoe is on the other foot" now and I am the outsider trying to fit in and be understood and that is OK with me.
That is my little soap box, I can get off of it now.
I am not left or right,  I am down the middle. I try to do what is right and treat others like I would want to be treated. It is really simple.
My parents taught me well. Thanks Mom and Dad.

What a Saturday Drive ...Goats and Great Scenery in Musandam, Oman

 

An hour away from Dubai, UAE is Musandam, Oman. We hopped in the SUV on a Saturday and decided to go for a drive. Before we knew it we were at the United Arab Emirate and Oman border to the north.

As we approached the Oman border, the signs everywhere said - NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED. I could not resist and had to snap a picture. Jeff was a getting little nervous as one of the Omani Guards approached our car. I hurriedly took the picture and put the camera away. I guess that  neither one of us would really want to visit an Omani jail today.
Below is a picture of us approaching the border patrol at Oman.

 

 

Should we go into Oman? What the heck, we have our passports and some dirham (UAE money), lets leave the UAE and cross the border into Oman.

We applied for our Oman visit visa, paid our 100 Dirham ( @ 27.00 US dollars) and were on our way.

 

 As we crossed the border, it felt like we had stepped into a third world country. Not only did the structures and over all landscape change, but there was a different feel in this area of the country. At the UAE/ Oman border animals such as goats and cows were roaming loose everywhere, many of them running or causally strolling in the middle of the four lane road.

 

The cows in the picture were resting in the middle of the four lane highway that runs through the town of Al Jiri. Goats ran around in gangs, chasing after one another, darting in and out of traffic.

 

Nope , never had seen that before.

 

 

 We have been to Muscat, Oman, but we had never been to Musandam. Musandam is in the most northern part of the country. On a clear day you can see Iran. The road to Khasab hugs the corniche, winding it was up and through the rock filled mountains and showing us scenery that was breath taking. 

As the road winds along the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, each turn uncovers countless photo opportunities. There are over 20 species of dolphins and whales that inhabit these waters and I can see why.

If I were a dolphin or whale, this is where I would want to live, right here in the waters surrounding Musandam.

 

 

The beaches were stunning !The beaches were abundant with not only large sea shells, but also random rocks sticking out of the sand like they had been placed there as "rock art. As we continued on the road to Khasab we passed through old, very old, fishing villages. In some of these areas civilization goes back thousands of years. That's right, thousands. Isn't that amazing ? Many of the structures had been built upon older homes foundations, with very few of them being inhabited now. And don't forget the goats, they were growing in numbers and everywhere.  

The fishing boats, nets and traps were scattered and littered everywhere along the shore line. We were fascinated with the small villages and friendlly people. It appears that they live very simple lives, still fishing, the occupation their ancestors did, but with little change in the process.
If the heat had not been so unbearable we probably would have explored more. Wondering in and out of the ruins, old homes.

We made it to Khasab and explored the small city until we knew that we better head back to the UAE.
In Oman it is all about the door or gate on the front of your home. The house may be dirty, run down and very old, but it is all about the doors and gates. They are the showcase of the home, the thing about your house that tells every one about you. The doors are brightly colored, vivid and unusual.

Every door we passed by, I had Jeff stop the car so I could take a picture. Okay, I think I have enough pictures of doors to last a lifetime, but they are beautiful, exquisite and tell a history about the family that lives behind them.

 

We will come back to Musundam. We need to come back and spend a day on one of the day trips to the surrounding islands. There are small fishing villages that are only accessible by boat and while out on the water, the dolphins are so plentiful they perform and chase the boats. This place is magical, it has stood still in time and its beauty of the land and sea has been preserved.

 

We stopped at the beach for a few minutes, picking up sea shells, when we were approached by Ali, the boat tour guide. Ali wanted to take us for a ride in his boat, it would only cost us 150 dirhams and he would even feed us ( OK that scared me just a little). But it was getting late and we needed to head home. Ali is a fisherman by night and tour guide by day. His face was wrinkled, craggy and very leathered by the sun. He was a joy to chat with. We got his business card. When we come back we will make a point to contact Ali. I don't think I will eat his food but I would ride in his boat. Below is a picture of Ali next to his tour boat. Isn't it cute !?.

 

 

We had a blast on our spontaneous Saturday drive to Musandam, Oman. Beside the mystical beauty of the landscape, we enjoyed the simplicity of the people, the way they live, the ancient history of this country that is visible everywhere and the goats. The goats were like licing on the cake. The goats running loose all over contributed to overall intrigue of Musandam,Oman.

I wish my family could see this wonderful place. It is a treasure untouched and seldom seen by many people.

Please don't ever change !