Dubai

Bourj al Arab
Originally uploaded by Jane Rubio.

Dubai is a monstosity. I hated it. Now most Lebanese people are surprised when I say this. They're like, "It's nice. . ." But really they all hate it, too. But they have to say it's nice because they all have some relative over there or maybe they, themselves, will have to go there to make money. But it's horrible and ugly and no one would chose to live there. They just go because that's where the money is, so it's nice.

I hopped on the bus tour and got to see a million malls and five star hotels. I got to see Bourj Dubai in its construction phase. Currently, Taipei 101 (which I had just seen) is the tallest building in the world at 500 m. In two years, it will be Bourj Dubai at 950 m, and they're making it so they can extend it, if need be.

They have a mall with an indoor ski slope. They're building a hotel--underwater. And the real estate is just going like hot cakes to people from all over the world who are investing like crazy. The whole place is under construction. People are coming all the time.

I saw the headquarters of CNN, Showtime, ESPN, and all the media centers. Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has done an amazing job of attracting businesses and foreign investment through smart regulations and laws.

But it was hot as hell. I could see the sand just floating, just sitting in the air. No one goes outside. It gets to about 40 degrees in the summer. (I have no idea what that is in Fahrenheit.) And they have really nice malls.

It was pretty disgusting and scary, and I couldn't figure out why anyone would go there for their vacation. If you have to go there for work, that's one thing--but on holiday??? Why? . . .They say because the shopping is good.

I didn't take out my camera very much. It was my first time in the Gulf, and it was almost exactly as I had pictured it. Just like Houston but hotter, and the people were those sterotypical Arab clothes. The pictures are at www.homepage.mac.com/janerubio/PhotoAlbum34.html.