Days in Dubai

With my brother and his family relocated to the shimmering sands of the Middle East, how could I possibly not pay a visit? With Carrie Bradshaw and her girls dropping by all the way from the Big Apple, I figured it was time to take a look at what the United Arab Emirates has to offer. With the original city girl paying a visit, wouldn't that be the stamp of approval?

Forget any Arabian Nights fantasy about desert caravans and mud-baked abodes.

If anything, Dubai has the most awe-inspiringly futuristic city skyline I've ever seen with the towering Burj Khalifa dominating the rest of the skyscrapers. The glittering monument to Arab enterprise and western capitalism, the Emirates certainly tries to keep up with the Joneses - even strong-arming little scrubs of green to bloom in the arid desert. In the sweltering heat of the day, dozens of sprinklers are switched on to keep the perfectly manicured lawns well-hydrated.

Don't forget the fountains.


None like this here unfortunately!
Honestly didn't think I'd actually have the opportunity to blog over here. Heard my blog was actually banned in the Emirates for a while. Didn't surprise me at all. Although the city's trying to place itself as a internationally cosmopolitan city with modern hopes and dreams, it's still a largely Islamic state.

Homosexuals with an opinion would certainly be taboo here.

The pink dollar's pretty welcome here though. Not for nothing is Dubai also dubbed as do-buy. What would a modern city be without the ubiquitous shopping mall dotting the map! Despite thinking that the prices here would be prohibitive - with oil-rich Gulf folk driving the prices up, I've actually purchased a couple of items on my first day!

Nothing like a few lamps to brighten the day.