Dubai

I was in Dubai last week for the first time- I had zero expectations, except to see lots of high rises and expensive cars. Surprise surprise, this is exactly what I found! Dubai is a crazy place! To begin with, you see more woman in aba'ayas at disney world than you do in Dubai, making you feel like you're somewhere in middle America, and not the middle east; secondly they have EVERYTHING you would ever want!

I was so surprised to come across Bloomingdales, MAGNOLIA BAKERY, Galeries Lafayette, Dean and Deluca, Topshop, Waitrose, not to mention skii slopes (yes in the middle of the desert) and of course, the highest skyscraper in the world- It was funny to see a place like this. Its like they created this playground for expats, with all of the things you would ever miss from home. They are missing out on the main point though, they have no culture of their own! Everything is borrowed, local food- Lebanese, arts and crafts- Persia, Morrocco, etc. Restaurants in general, all have branches all over the world. 

Its not all bad, I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with some dear friends I had not seen since university and had a wonderful time- They all work in hotels; which in my experience mean long working hours, low salaries, pale skin, and generally unhappy with the lack of life... In Dubai this is all different- My friends live like kings and queens, with boats and cars and beautiful houses, fantastic tans, and even better stories. I guess its choices- Lifestyle, or Culture? What would you pick?