An Awfully Big Adventure : There's so much to see in the U.A.E.

Monday (3/18) Mohammad had to attend his work conference (which is how we got the business class flight) so I was left to wonder the city on my own. I walked by myself to the local mall (it seems like every 3 blocks there is a local mall) and did some light shopping. I was so proud of myself for venturing out alone, but truly this city has to be one of the safest cities in the world. That evening Mohammad was able to take me on his conference outing to the Sheikh Mohammed Cultural Center in Dubai. It was a great experience. Our host explained Emirati customs and even dressed one of the girls up in abaya (long black covering) and niqab (the face veil). He also guided us into a nearby mosque. For many visitors this will be the only time they ever enter a mosque in their entire life! Our guide did an EXCELLENT job introducing the Emirati culture. He answered questions like, what do men where under their thobe (long white clothing that men wear),who started this whole abaya thing, and what does the older Emirati generation think about all this crazy growth and expansion? It was very interesting.

Dubai is a very large city.
If you've never been to a desert city, please note that is not smog/pollution. It is sand in the air!

Good Morning Dubai

The view from our hotel room looking down. The pool is actually 5 stories up.

Mohammad enjoying the view

Our Emirati host (who, like many Emiratis, went to school in the U.S. and lived in Texas for some time)

Our dinner of traditional food, fish machboos and chicken machboos.

I can't remember the name of this dish, but it's like veggie lasagna and those are the Emirati donuts at the end !

Our host helping one of our group members dress is abaya and niqab

The center is located in the old part of town with traditional houses

This is inside the mosque our host brought us to. It was so interesting to watch the reaction people who had never been inside a mosque before. I think they were surprised at how normal looking mosques are.

Tuesday I decided to sleep all day. I woke up around 2pm to get ready for the second night of outings. Tuesday night was the Dhow boat dinner cruise! I had such a lovely time! We met up with another couple from the states. They had been living in Abu Dhabi for 4 years and absolutely loved it! They get to travel so much it makes me jealous! During the hours of chit-chat, there was one topic that came up that I would like to share. U.A.E. is by no means a conservative country. Women and men are free to walk around wearing anything they like. That being said, there are small signs posted on the entrance to most public places (like malls) kindly asking women to please cover their shoulders and knees while out and about in public (this does not include beach areas where you are free to wear the smallest bikini you can find). Many western woman (maybe 1 out of every 10 western women I saw) did not respect this rule. I felt slightly embarrassed and ashamed of my fellow Americans who were walking around in the shortest skirts and dresses and wearing cut off tops or see through mesh tops. The only equivalent I can think of would be if one were to visit the beach in America on a family outing and see dozens of topless Europeans walking around. Surely, we don't allow women to expose themselves at our beaches, so why would we expose ourselves in foreign shopping malls? In case you are wondering, this law (about covering shoulders and knees) is not currently enforced. It is simply a suggestion asking women and men (there was something about men too, maybe not wearing sleeveless shirts, but I don't remember) to please respect the local values.

Self Portrait... what else do you have to do while waiting for your husband in a hotel?

Us on the boat!

Mohammad was steering... oh no!

The boat we almost got on... not our boat!

So much to look at on the boat cruise!

Beautiful view (Burj Khalifa in the center)!

My new friend and I discussing our travels!

Wednesday was a very interesting day. It was Nowruz (Persian New Year) and Mohammad's last day at the conference so I again ventured out shopping to another local mall. This day seemed to be the most social day ever. I was stopped many times and asked where I was from and if I truly was a Muslim (which I get in the states also, but somehow wearing an abaya in Dubai makes me even more a conundrum). I had an extra special barista at Starbucks, who after asking where I was from and if I was Muslim, handed me my frap with a little suggestive eye action and an extra special, "Mashallah! You look soooo nice in abaya". Once Mohammad was free, we visited the Gold Souk and went to a fancy Persian restaurant for dinner. They even had a sofreh haft seen at the hotel!