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.

Back in the UAE

So, I have now been back for a couple weeks after my 2 week hiatus in the US. A very well balanced trip, including a work conference, family, friends, and you know....American things.

Fast forward to 10 days ago, when I arrived back here. How to describe the weather...Hell-ish? The humidity is at astounding levels now. Combine that with a base of around 105-110 degrees daily, and you get an oven. Literally. I am baking.

And to cope with the surprisingly bad jetlag that I encountered upon returning to Dubai, I turned to the old mainstay, Starbucks. Normally I settle for the office coffee--I'm trying to resist wasting money on things here that I can get at home. Anyway, I go to get a venti iced coffee (I needed the caffeine, let me tell you). She tells me it costs 20 dirhams. That's almost $6 for just plain ole iced coffee. WTF? Thank god I don't get it every day. Also, you all will be happy to know that they know the "fill the cup to the top with ice before pouring coffee" trick so I was totally paying $6 for a whole bunch of ice and some coffee.

And in case you're wondering, I have not heard of ANY Starbucks closing over here. And they're EVERYWHERE. So once again, the Ameri-fication of the world continues. For the record, the UAE is also host to multiple McDonald's, Hardee's, Subway, KFC, Burger King, Papa Johns, Dunkin Donuts, KRISPY KREME (and they deliver), Baskin Robbins, Haagen Dazs, and the list goes on. Yet, I still can't find a decent salad. Shocker.

Quirks and question marks

So lately, there are a few things that have been happening here that I realize I've gotten accustomed to, but which I will never accept. Also, I haven't been sharing them as they come up, so here is a bit of a list.

For example, today when I walked outside, my glasses fogged up. But, they didn't unfog. I had to take them off after about 10 seconds of attempting to walk to my car, because frankly, I couldn't see anything. Wow. Talk about humidity.

Then, a few days ago, I tried to access Craigslist. Sorry, no dice. The internet company here blocks it, with this screen below:


They say it's not accessible because it's not consistent with the moral, cultural and social values of the UAE. Wow. Craigslist is morally irresponsible, and they're making that decision FOR me. Wham. In my face.

Then, I was at the airport going to Beirut this past weekend. We actually took a flight from Sharjah airport, which is in the emirate right next to Dubai. So, because this emirate is a bit more conservative than Dubai (it's dry, i.e. absolutely NO alcohol allowed) and the women dress much more covered up, I wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Nonetheless, it was obvious I'm western compared to most of the women who were in the airport, dressed in black abayas, floor-length skirts, head wraps, et al. Two different women came up to me when I was standing in line and spoke in very sweet voices, asking me questions in Arabic.

Now, I don't mind if they have a legit question but it was blatantly obvious that I was western and that I was, in fact, the odd one out who most likely would need to ask them a question. So, I wasn't pleased. Because I got the feeling they were trying to make me feel badly about being western, or not being able to speak Arabic, or essentially we're trying to make me look foolish in front of an airport full of people. No thanks.

THEN, I was driving home from work the other day. I live in an area that isn't far from work so I don't have to deal with the dementia-inducing traffic in this city (for the record, apparently there are about 2.5 million people living in Dubai, and there are 1 million cars on the road every morning and evening. Um, what?). So, all of a sudden, boom, traffic jam. Sweet. So I can't figure it out. I mean there is almost never traffic at this specific stretch of the 10-minute ride. Thirty minutes later, it all becomes clear. On the other side of the road, a van's engine caught fire. Fair enough, given the temperature usually reaches about 120 every day now. So, instead of just rubber necking, people had STOPPED on the road to get out of their cars and watch the dousing of the fire. Not pull over and watch the thrilling sight of water flooding a van engine. No, no. Actually blocking the road to look at this. So essentially there's one lane instead of 2 plus a shoulder. Excuse me? What universe is this? Get the ef out of the way, crazies.

All of this is redeemed (albeit slightly) by the fact that it took me 70 dirhams to fill my gas tank. That's approximately $19. Sorry. Had to disclose that.

Beirut (the city, not the drinking game)

Yes, I went to the actual city of Beirut. And no, I didn't play Beirut (otherwise known as beer pong) in Beirut. Enough said.

Beirut was definitely a worthwhile trip. It was refreshing to get out of Dubai, which is a place quite at odds with itself (shiny buildings vs. dust and sand everywhere; oppressive heat vs. hypothermia-inducing air conditioning; westerners wearing minimal clothing vs. Arabs covered head to toe--you get the idea).

Beirut smells like gasoline, and dust, and the city, with a hint of salt from the ocean, which frames its western and northern borders. It's got gorgeous buildings full of classic french architecture that are crumbling, or riddled with bullet holes. It's also got dull 70s-style cement block type buildings that look as if they were built in a hurry to withstand the turmoil that has transpired there.

Meanwhile, the American University of Beirut campus is gorgeous, full of cyprus and palm trees, right on the water. Below is a picture of their graduation ceremony set-up which was happening this past weekend.


The people were vibrant--happy to be back in their home country after a recent skirmish that shut down Beirut's airport and made people retreat into their homes and away from Lebanon--nothing new in the last few years. There are 10 million people living outside of Lebanon and only 4 million living inside, but people have been flooding back into the country for their summer holidays and to see their family members who have stayed.

There is a heavy french influence--gorgeous architecture, good food, sophisticated and well-dressed Lebanese people. A large percentage of the country is French-educated and Christian. It was amazing to see of tons of churches and mosques, even on the same block sometimes.

Of course, there were reminders of the latent tension--tanks in the streets anyone?:


But right down the street was this main square, with gorgeous cafés and great people watching:


But, bullet holes and partially abandoned buildings are reminders of what has happened in Beirut in recent times:


But with sights like this, it evens out really quickly:

What once was?

So, I was having a conversation with a fellow New yorker the other day, who also lives in Dubai, about how the UAE is only 30-something years old (since their independence from Britain) and Dubai as it is thought of now is really only around 15 years old, so basically, a lot of the original culture is all but lost, and frankly, most of the Emiratis don't like foreigners.

Case in point, an Emirati woman who sits next to me in the office. She dislikes me to the point where, at first, she just didn't acknowledge my existence. Now, it's graduated to her specifically saying hello to the girl who sits on the other side of me when she walks in, but not to me. And she only speaks Arabic. Loudly. Across my desk. All the time.

When I'm walking in the mall, it's not like in New York where people have mastered the twists and turns to avoid heavily bumping into people. Emiratis don't get out of the way. You are expected to avoid hitting them let alone touch their perfectly ironed abayas and dishdashas. Also, they cut you off while driving like it's going out style. But you're expected to swoop and swerve to accommodate them because after all, they were here first. Sidenote, I'm extremely glad I'm not Indian or African or any other race that Arabs deem below them, because as annoyed and disrespected as I feel sometimes, the way that those from Africa, India, and South Asia are treated would make your jaw drop.

Basically, my work nightmare is an example of a lot but not ALL Emiratis, according to some of my other Arab friends. They just don't really like all the hoopla and the immigration and the focus on all this crazy stuff that's going on here (individually rotating building floors?).

I snapped the photo below driving through the Jumeirah neighborhood, which was one of the first neighborhoods in which expats lived when Dubai was first starting to expand across the desert. This is a gorgeous mosque, and one of hundreds in the Jumeirah neighborhood.

If you are not Muslim, you cannot enter a mosque. However, there is one mosque, called Jumeirah Mosque, that Sheikh Mohammed, the guy who runs Dubai, decided to build so that other cultures and religions could enter to try to better understand the Islamic faith. This is one of the few construction projects here that I think of as useful, smart, and strategic.

Mission Accomplished

The glory that is high speed internet has graced my apartment building, FINALLY, and I sat in the internet office for an hour after work one day to get it connected.

I have to admit, not having the luxury of internet at my disposal at home was so painful, as many of you from my constant whining about it.

Well, whining is over, and posts will again resume now that my crankiness has subsided with this new development.

To represent this new era, below are pictures of the Dubai Sunrise and Sunset, from my balcony and at the beach--on the same day.

Sunrise over Dubai Free Zone (approx. 6:30 am):

Sunset, Jumeirah Beach (approx. 7:00pm)

The word is out

When I started writing this post a couple days ago, I figured this subject matter would be a bit of a surprise to some reading, but it seems the New York Times caught on way before I did. Several articles have been printed in the recent months having to do with adolescent boys and girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

While this is more extreme than the UAE or other countries in the Gulf, it can give you a bit of insight into just how strict and traditional these cultures are, in large part due to the religious revival, as The Times calls it, happening in the region right now.

Though I haven't written awhile, the new ideas and realities that have hit me in the recent weeks have only grown exponentially in number. On the 2-month mark of my arrival in Dubai, the shock and the novelty of all of the hoopla has begun to subside, and I am now much more aware of the latent themes and customs that exist here.

Yea, there's the indoor ski slope, and malls a mile long, and the tallest building in the world, and the highest number of cranes and "designer" cars per capita in the world, but there's also a society that is in the midst of an identity crisis. Dubai is more or less the biggest anomaly to exist in a long time. It is a "western" haven in the middle of a region still very much set in its traditional, age-old ways.

There was an article in the New York Times this past Sunday about "mad" people, a new group that has started a new phenomenon where they are fighting the stigma of their mental illnesses by "owning" their mental illness and putting it on display in some cases, much like GLBT or disabled people have started to "own" who they are in recent years in U.S. society, finding a heightened level of identity and community amongst themselves and acceptance and support from others. I was having a conversation with someone about how there have been so many changes in our society just in the last 10 years; I think the Millenial generation (which just so happens to be the category I fall into) especially has helped to spur these changes, as more and more people that I have known at one point or another, or people they know, are starting to get engaged at surprisingly young ages, change sexual orientation, enter into experimental relationships or life phases, etc without as much fear about society or their family's judgment.

What hit me when chatting about how "far" U.S./western society has come in recent decades was how much I feel stunted living in this region as a 23-year-old female. While I don't have to wear any traditional Middle Eastern attire or cover my face, I feel restricted in other ways. My (somewhat) outspoken, (at times) explicit New Yorker mouth is painfully out of place; I am stared at because I have blue eyes, let alone for wearing a dress that leaves my legs exposed from the knees down. Living in a city that is literally being built as we speak leaves MUCH to be desired in terms of customer service and competent processes no matter where you go. Even the heat hinders what I am used to; I can barely go outside now during the day, completely eradicating the walking around and use of public transportation to which I am so accustomed.

Culturally speaking, many of the friends I have made here around my age (most of whom work with me) have some values that I would associate with 1950s America: no sex until marriage, marrying exclusively within their religion, living with their parents until only after they wed. And this is not strictly Muslims; on the contrary, there are many different variations of Christianity that are quite ubiquitous in the Gulf region, and still these conservative cultural values percolate.

Of course, the Arab Millenial generation gets in their partying, drinking, socializing, etc., but underlying the western activities that have gradually crept into the social fabric here are some very anachronistic values, compared to western standards anyway. Even when I talk about pop culture or some of the things that 20-something girls talk about amongst themselves, I am sometimes shocked at how little my girlfriends here know or are comfortable discussing--and then I remember that they weren't in liberal schools and universities in a country with significant civil rights, or with class and extracurricular options like GLBT alliances, Planned Parenthood, sex education, etc.

So all this translates into very "limiting" practices by the standards I have grown up expecting. Case in point, the internet is censored here. Since most of the businesses that control the infrastructure of this country are government-owned, they can censor internet sites or television that is deemed "not in line with the morals and values of the UAE." Public displays of affection are not allowed--no kissing, no hugging, hand-holding if you're lucky. Being homosexual is illegal. Having sex before marriage is illegal (read about a girl who was gang raped in Saudi Arabia and then incarcerated for it). Drinking alcohol in your home (only legal if you are a non-Muslim anyway) is illegal unless you have an alcohol license (they won't even sell it to you without a liquor license). Since hotels are the only establishments allowed to serve alcohol, all the bars, clubs, and decent restaurants are located in hotels to conform to the rule.

Granted, Dubai can feel perfectly normal at times. Women can drive, most of the people living here with full-time jobs and families are expats, and there is an ever-increasing number of restaurants and hotels to explore, not to mention the massive malls. The sky-scrapers are impressive, and the speed at which everything is built is truly jaw-dropping, helped out by the enslaved workers who have to work in 120 degree heat and are skinny enough to make you realize how much obesity has infiltrated our society and our psyches to the point where it is no longer surprising.

I'll drive by a building with 100 South Asian men sitting in the shade of the new mall they're building, trying to escape the suffocating heat for 5 minutes. And they'll stare at me. And then I'll get stuck in 20 minutes of traffic just to go 3 blocks in the middle of the day because the road that was open yesterday is now closed. But a new bridge just opened up a few minutes away. And a new hotel just opened, right next to the 10 others on the beach. There goes a Porsche, and a Bentley, and a Rolls Royce, and a Lotus, and a Maserati. It's so hot I can't breathe. Damnit, there are no more parking spaces at 9 am in the morning. There's sand in my shoes. Every single pair. Yea, that's my thought process almost every single day.

Cultural differences

So clearly the title of this post could be the title of every post, because the cultural differences here are apparent each and every day. Unfortunately, it would be a bit tourist-y and offensive of me to take pictures of some of them in public, but I am trying to be sneaky about it.

Anyway, today after work we decided to go to Mall of the Emirates, which has now become a regular stomping ground as it literally has EVERYTHING in it, including an all-in-one store the size of 2 Wal-Marts, clothing stores, banks, food courts, movie theatres, ski slopes...you get the idea. Anyway, we went at around 6 pm...around 7 pm, the call to prayer began to sound:

Prayer call in the mall (just click play on the page that pops up)

You can hear me and my friends talking in the background, but what was so interesting to me was, all of the people sitting around us, from all cultures, most if not all of them NOT Muslim, did not bat an eye. It was like a little interlude, and then when it was finished, it was as if it never happened.

The prayer call happens 5 times a day, as Muslims are supposed to pray at dawn, mid-morning, mid-afternoon, evening, and then later at night. There are two mosques in this mall, one for women and one for men, and I have witnessed people spilling out into the corridors of the mall when the mosques were full. They actually section off certain passages when it gets too crowded, because they have to take off your shoes and they lay out these large prayer rugs for everyone. All part of the clash of western-style malls with traditional habits.

That's all my relevant news for now--besides the fact that the internet probably won't be installed in my building for another 3 weeks. Amazing. Although, everything is under construction all over the place, constantly, as the pictures below show. These are the cranes (it's like a halo effect!) at the Trump International Hotel and Apartments site on the Palm Jumeirah, which is one of the man-made palms off the coast of Dubai. It has been given the moniker "8th wonder of the world" over here--a bit optimistic, don't you think?