The Water is Safe! and Other Revelations
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2007
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28
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Trip End
Jul 03, 2007
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Saturday, March 3, 2007
I, too, had this mindset before I came here. Dubai was a distant, vague abstraction somewhere in the Middle East where people spoke Arabic. It was a "developing" country (even though Dubai is not a country; it is a city in a country); and if Congress is any indicator, it was a dangerous country, that couldn't be trusted to man a US port! I was also warned by several different people not to drink the water, or face gastro-intestinal illness.
NEWSFLASH! I've been drinking the tapwater here for the past two months, and have yet to fall ill. The water is perfectly safe, although most folks drink out of water bottles, because the water, like most in seaside cities, is brackish. Plus, in the summer, you can't get a drop of cold water out of the tap. However--should you ever find yourself in the United Arab Emirates, rest assured that if water flows from a tap, you are safe in drinking it.
Anyway, I think tapwater is an indicator for a country's status. The United Arab Emirates is not a "developing" country (although it is certainly still developing itself in terms of skyscrapers!). This is a first-world country, and Dubai is a Western city. In fact, it resembles an North American city--English-speaking, numerous sky-scrapers, and nearly everyone is an immigrant.
This country has made its fortune off of oil, which has insured development earlier in the century. Besides this, it means that nearly every native Emirati is financially well-cared for (and then some!)--meaning, no one is discontent. I have not seen a shred evidence of Arab/Islamic extremism, which Congress was so certain defined the UAE that they turned down the infamous port deal. I haven't even seen any Anti-Americanism, which is something I've seen in every other country I've been to.* Nobody cares where you're from!
And the technology here exceeds that of the United States! I bet you didn't know that there is a new Blackberry that recently came out...and you're not going to, for several more months, till it hits the US markets. Maybe you don't even know what a Blackberry is, but that's what they use here, instead of the old-fashioned mobile/cell phones. I bet you didn't think it was possible to have a ski-slope inside of a mall, either; or build a sky scraper taller than the Sears Tower.
Now, when I go to the grocery in the states, I get annoyed at how there has to be a choice of EVERYTHING; I can't just run in and buy milk--no, I have to check through six different brands, compare prices, compare quality, look for the right size, and THEN make my selection. Here, you have even more choice: you get all the American brands, plus European, Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, Japanese, etc. brands. You'll see familiar chain restaurants, like McDonald's (no surprise!), but also KFC, Baskin-Robbins, Pizza Hut, etc., and at about 70% of the price they sell it for elsewhere.
This city is also famed for luxury--it's on its way to becoming a resort city, like Myrtle Beach, only better. Kind of like the Riviera in France. Like Monaco. Yes. So, if you are looking to take a vacation in a service-oriented, safe, wealthy, modern, upscale area famed for its luxury, shopping, and pleasant weather, come on down to Dubai. (Just make sure you come during the winter!)
Granted, I am located on the far Western side of the city, past Jumeira, which is sort of the Beverly Hills of Dubai. My experience reflects my location, which is like ten miles away from the more sane center of town. In the center of town, you get more cultural things, like souqs, museums, etc. But I don't feel like I'm in the Middle East, even with all the mosques around and folks wearing their (gracefully elegant, I hasten to add!) traditional clothes. I can't practice my Arabic, although my Arab/Iranian accent is becoming quite strong!
The country seems to be in the midst of an Identity Crisis--which is perhaps why you're not supposed to insult native dress, customs, or Islam in any way shape or form...and hopefully, I have not offended anyone in Intelligence by saying that Dubai, for all practical purposes, looks pretty Western to me! (Because I certainly don't exhort the toll this is taking on the above traditional values.)
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*Also, Yemen. Sana'a really is an authentic, conservative Middle Eastern city. There, you really don't drink the water; there, there are no sky scrapers;** and there, you really do run the risk of getting kidnapped. I told any number of people there my country of origin, and it never made one bit of difference. Can we please stop thinking in those terms?
**Skyscrapers in the current sense; although they made inroads on this centuries ago
