Dubai
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2008
1
2
6
Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Friday, February 22, 2008
Dubai feels like a mix between Hong Kong, Southern Utah, and Central Asia. The entire construction effort is fueled by imported Asian labor, the buildings are tall like HK, and even the bus stops are air-conditioned most of the year. I highly encourage looking into some of the architectural projects that are going up there as they are simply brilliant. The UAE tends to let them be creative and run with a design or idea.
My first night in the city I was in for quite a treat
The best hosts ever!!!
. Eliza lined up a nice evening at Babalshams courtesy of the Education Minister. I wish I had brought my camera and taken more photos of the food there, but I can assure you it was over the top. I did a little dancing and had a cigar to round off the evening. (see photos) On my way back from Ukraine there was another night of fun lined up as Eliza had VIP tickets to the Dubai Jazz Festival. None of the bands played jazz...we weren't the least bit surprised. The event was held in media city. Dubai has all of these convenient districts where major companies in the industry rent or build office space. They have sports city, media city, etc... They are building an entire district around sports stadiums to support the events and teams they don't have. Kind of a "build it an they will come" attitude towards development. It appears to be working as it is the fastest growing city in the world. The only thing I don't really like is the cost of taxis. I've grown accustom to my transportation in Beijing and having a motorcycle in the states.
Enjoy the photos
