Desert genius

So, living in the desert for many many eons has not completely ruined the lives of ancient bedouins and modern day Arabs. In fact, they have invented buildings with natural air-cooling systems (via placement of hallways/windows) as well as the best clothing to protect them from the unthinkably oppressive sun.

They also seem to know how to grow plants without wasting precious water. There are these areas all around Dubai that are basically sand with these black snake-looking things coiled on the surface. When I first got here, I thought maybe it was...to prevent cars from sinking into the sand? Someone forgot their hose? A strange way to decorate the ground in lieu of grass?

In fact, it is an ingenious irrigation system. Along the hose are little mini-spigot, as you get see below.


These spigots drip water directly into the sand/ground, avoiding the evaporation and water waste that is inevitable with sprinkler systems. Eventually, with patience and the absence of sand and dust storms, you end up cute little plants.


Which is charming, though slightly disarming, since honestly, the desert is not meant for plants, except maybe the occasional palm or shrub. Especially when the Middle East is constantly in a major water-supply crisis, and Dubai uses probably a majority proportion of the water available to grow some grass and plants that will start to die immediately unless they are watered constantly. Seriously? How about all the people who need to drink water? Just a thought.

What's a heat index?

So for all of you who think I'm embellishing when I try to convey to you the heat which envelops me every time I step outside here, below is a chart to explain to you the heat by which I lose significant amounts of hydration.

Seeing as how temperatures reach about 105-110 throughout the months of July and August, you can see that we are PERMANENTLY in the red. I.E., in extreme danger of succumbing to a heat disorder. Not that I'm complaining. It's better than the rain and gloom in Brussels.

A true Gen Y-er

I'm starting to grasp the idea of video, so here's a little clip of what I see on my way home to Dubai Marina . Oh, technology. I'm going to have to use this more often...I'm sure it will be more enjoyable than some of my never-ending novel-length posts. Yes, I know I can be a rambler. I'm working on cutting it down, ok?

The end of an era

No, I'm not leaving yet. It's the end of an era in two other respects, though. Number one, it's almost the month of Ramadan, during which all Muslims are told to fast by the Koran from sunrise to sunset for an entire month. This can be a good and a bad thing. It's a good thing because Iftar, i.e. breaking the fast, means that there are lots of fun feasts and mini-parties in the evenings. It's a bad thing because things slow down since people are fasting all day, so business can be a little out of whack.

The other era coming to an end is that of everyone being on month-long vacations. Soon, everyone of all colors and creeds will once again return, back to school, back to work, back to traffic everywhere, the office humming, and, as everyone might surmise about me--a lot more people who might, possibly, on occasion, get on my nerves. But only because it is not appropriate to eat, drink, smoke, etc. during the day in front of people who are observing Ramadan--so more to come on how it will be to live, work, experience through it.

Also, sidenote, I created an 'America' playlist on my iTunes. I never struck myself as someone who would do that, especially given how I feel about our country under the tutelage of George W. At this point, it doesn't matter. I think the more prone you are to representing your country in a place where Americans are few and far between, the more proud you become of your roots, even if you're not always happy with it or in awe of it, or pleased with how it deals with its own problems and those of the rest of the world. Sounds kind of like how people sometimes feel about their parents?

UAE VIP

The concept of VIP in Dubai is a bit different here than in other places. Obviously all the run-of-the-mill celebrities and rich businessmen from all over the world that roll through get the usual attention, but there is another group of people in Dubai that are treated with as much, if not more, reverance and respect.

The local emiratis, in many cases families and descendants of sheikhs, have the money and social prestige that is centuries old, and often it's the little things that show you how much they are catered to but in a more automatic way. Though many of them don't really buy into all the hype that everyone else does, if they do decide to try out some of the luxury hotels, restaurants, etc., they get the best from start to finish. They always get the valet to park their Ferrari, Mercedes, Range Rover, etc., and get the best parking spots. They are always the first ones to be waited on or attended to in any store or restaurant. They get the coveted reservation spots, the best tables, the best quality everything.

Their status is very much reflected in their appearance, which is why they wear their traditional dress everywhere--it actually helps to distinguish them from "the rest", i.e. many of the people who have flocked to Dubai who have crowded, sullied, and complicated the locals' world. Their disdashas and abayas are always ironed and clean, the men have immaculately groomed facial hair, the women wear tons of makeup and wear designer shoes and carry designer handbags that cost thousands of dollars. Many of them wear designer clothes underneath their black cloaks/dresses.

As I've mentioned a few times, one of the curious showcases of wealth and status is how low a number one has on one's license plate. So, for example, the Dubai plate with just '1' is the ruling Sheikh of Dubai's car. Anything under 200 or so is pretty legit, but 3-digit plates get preferential treatment for the most part, since it means that the person shelled out a sizable sum for a piece of metal stamped with a low number.

Imagine my surprise when I went to the mall the other day and parked next to this gem:


Talk about a celebrity siting--and I didn't even have to see the actual person to know that it was a VIP. I'd say anything under 100 is ultra-VIP. Speaking of which, I saw '6' at the mall yesterday, and was shocked that it was affixed to a BMW X5, since you'd think with that kind of leverage, it'd be an even more outrageous car. Go figure.