Day 4:
The Olsons went off to their scuba class, so I had the day to myself. I went to the Dubai Museum. I did some reading and such in the afternoon, and went to dinner with them at the marina. We played spades in the evening.
Day 5:
The Jumeriah Mosque
Every Thursday morning, this mosque opens up to the public in a program they call, "Open Doors, Open Minds." Not only do you get to see the mosque, but you have a guide that gives you a tutorial on the Islamic Faith. It was very interesting! It started with a demonstration on the cleansing process. Before prayer, (which is five times a day), Muslims wash themselves from head to toe. Our guide, an Emirate (who married Debbie from Chicago), explained this to us and demonstrated at the wash basin. Then he took us inside the mosque; everyone has to remove their shoes and women cover their heads. We sat inside the mosque as the guide talked about the faith, the customs, the rituals, the prayer, (which he also demonstrated for us), the misconceptions (i.e. the wearing of the burqa isn't mandated within the Koran; women choose what they wear; covering up is partially fashion, partially for climate reasons...protection from the sun, etc).
I'm glad I got a look inside, and the experience was very enlightening. (Forces in America, in the government, have painted a very bad light of the Arab world, and it's really unfortunate that the preconceptions have been built into us citizens.) I feel like I'm aware of these things, but visiting this mosque and visiting the U.A.E., I think made me more aware of my own ingrained mis-perceptions. The whole notion that we're almost trained to feel fear when we see an Arab or that there's something inherently bad in the Middle East (and I know this may sound like I'm stating the obvious) but there's not!!! True practitioners of the Islamic Faith are just deeply devout individuals. Just like devout Christians, Jews, Buddhists, etc. And actually, the tenants of the faith are very similar to Christianity, and notions of Thou shall not kill...lie...steal...cheat...etc, are the same! Treat your neighbor as yourself. Yeah. The terrorists who kill themselves and others "for the Koran" are NOT following the Koran; they're not being true to their faith! It's the same as a Klu Klux Klan member killing an African American and saying "the Bible told me to." Would the white Western world want everybody in it to be perceived and judged based on the terrible actions of the Klu Klux Klan? I hope not.
The difference in fashion, and the different ways of practicing a belief system should not be such a dividing force in our world. And we need to not let these misconceptions taint the way we treat/perceive other cultures and peoples. People, who are just like ourselves in many ways.
After the mosque, we went to the Golden Horse Hotel. This was the place I saw on my taxi drive around Dubai in January and I knew then I had to come back. This was yet another gorgeous and lavish hotel. The driveway outside is lined with bronze statues of horses, and the view is beautiful.
That night, we went to the beach.
Day 6
Mr. Olson drove us to the "L's". I'm not sure why it's called this. He drove us to a spot about 10 miles south of Dubai; where all the future plans for Dubai are....were...being built: Sports City, Media City; Motor City (F1 Track); Sports City; Studio City (yup, for filmmakers!); Dubailand (hello amusement park!)...and, well, they spent too much too fast, and the economy crashed (future city planners beware!) They had soo much construction going on at once, which has pretty much gone to a halt. It's a deserted desert land in the sand.
We drove past the complexes where the TCNs live (Third Country Nationals; the labour work first) and we drove past all the construction sites, and saw all the projects intended to be built (probably won't be, at least not for a long time). We also drove into a development out there that has been completed, where people (mostly expats) live, but, now they live in the middle of no where! It's called Arabian Ranches. It looks like a suburban development in Arizona. And it's amazing how much irrigation is in Dubai. Landscaping is a source of pride and symbol of wealth here. It's a symbol of luxury in the desert.
We also drove by a Bedouin settlement. The Bedouins are a nomadic tribe in the UAE. And they have camels! (We saw an entire herd!)
That night, Mr. Olson took Mikey and I to the Emirates Golf Club. Apparently, it's the only golf club in the Middle East that Tiger Woods will play on! Mike and I played tennis with the night skyline surrounding us.
I went swimming and hopped on a plane. Dubai to Moscow (what a fiasco that was!) to Chicago to Philly to home. And boy I was glad to be home!
No comments:
Post a Comment