The Unseen Connections
I was talking to my friend Rafa during my field trip yesterday, and we had a very interesting conversation. Rafa is Italian, and have a 19 year old daughter. I have two daughters, 13 and 9, so I try to exchange notes, and understand what kind of misery awaited in the future as a parent, or is there any light at the end of tunnel! Rafa mentioned that he is bringing her daughter here (meaning Dubai and RAK) for a vacation in March. I obviously asked, seriously? Why? Just like quite a few people at hive naturally suggested. Dubai or UAE won't be my top vacation destination, especially a father-daughter one. So Rafa said; have you considered the following:
- Have you seen the prices of car rental?
- a full size SUV rental coast at Dubai Internation Airport is $200/week!
- Have you seen the prices of top hotels?
- name brand hotels are 1/2 to 1/3 of their counterparts in Europe in prices
- Have you seen how many pristine beaches you can go to in UAE?
- opportunities are endless, and it is empty compared to Europe
- Have you considered what teenagers likes to do the most?
- Yes, shopping!
Sigh! An Italian who lives 2 hours south of Venice is telling to hit UAE, while I am planning on taking my family to Venice over the spring break! No Shit!
Just a couple of days back when I was strolling around old town Dubai, fairly early in the morning, I had the place to myself pretty much. I was telling myself. Damn! I rather like it here. I like to walk around these building and do some shopping. I like to talk to random people and ask them about their families, and tell them about my own family. Something I miss in the west! No one here, back in the US, ask a random person on their first visit, "How's family?", and see people responds with honestly and have a conversation about how our respective wives are giving us hard times! :)
Here I can spend hours trying different perfumes, without knowing their brands and just trust the smells, and not worry about that a nice smell is NOT going to cost a month of future college tution of one of my kids!
Where is the conflict of cultures?
Are we really that different? Young kids in Middle East still do TikTok and Facebook. They are glued to the phone just like my kids. Young couple still hold each others while they walk and hang out at the mall the same way!
Yes, they look different (more beautiful that the overweight us) and yes they wear a hijab. But is that a problem? People can dress like as they please. Also dressing up is a personal statement and I don’t want others to tell me how I dress so why it can’t go both ways?
I am very proud of this particular shot, I think the stride, motion and confidence is well captured on this shot. It is amazing what I phone can do sometimes.
I need to stop going over the top in ranting and board my flight back to Houston and I finish writing this post from my phone. There is a lot on my mind and it’s rather hard to organize my thoughts, but if you think Middle East is backward region, please look inside and think again. There is a lot to learn from looking inward.
So are you going to change your travel plans now? It does look like a pretty cool place. It also seems like it is a lot safer than I would maybe expect for the area it is in. I think a lot of Americans get the impression that they wouldn't be welcome in places like that. It's also nice to hear that the stores aren't super expensive. I would have guessed that would be the opposite. Like all name brand stuff that I could never afford.
I have been connecting through Dubai since ages, but just beginning to arrive on business in town.
She's about to give you the finger 😀
Wrong finger thankfully
Nice post, I hope you had a nice vacation.
Very beautiful as you can see the diversity in the photo 👍
Mostly work :)
I also noticed that among the local residents there are almost no overweight people. There are many tall and slender UAE residents. But I saw quite a lot of UAE residents at fast food food courts. I don't understand the reason for their slimness.
Yes, fairly accurate observation. Better metabolism and less processed food.
If you like checking our perfume, next time you are in Dubai you might want to check out Perfume House. It's a perfume museum of sorts and you have pay for entry. I've heard fantastic reports about it and hope to go if I ever get to Dubai.
Here is one of the pictures from Google maps as a sneak preview.
Ah! That looks interesting. I will try on the next trip
Would love to hear about it and see some photos if you do try it!
Blessed is he who, as an Italian, comes to take his holidays in Dubai, we haven't been doing very well lately XD
From his name I think he is very biased, he will certainly have origins from there!
Anyway, nice shots
!discovery 30
Yes, I understand the local situation in Italy somewhat. I mean as much as I can as an outsider. Rafa (Raphael) is Italian though for many generations:) He is in the oil business so that perhaps explains it
Yes, this explains a lot!
I am not a traveler( I barely go outside of home). But for me Venice also seems like more desirable travel destination. Euroleague final four will be in Abu Dhabi but I could not afford to go there even if I wanted(and I would only want to be there if my favorite basketball team will reach final four...and that would be a huge miracle).
Abu Dhabi is a great town
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Amazing post! Thanks for being part of Hive.
Have you heard about Block Horse Racing?
There’s a special reward waiting in your wallet to help you start your adventure in the BHR-Game universe.
Let’s create a strong community together on Hive!
You have a creative mind in writing this post. You are very observant as well. Pictures show diversity of human beings around the world. There are more stories to tell about various people across the globe. Enjoy your trip!
Very nice trip, the perfume place is very beautiful I really like it🥰
This post was shared and voted inside the discord by the curators team of discovery-it
Join our Community and follow our Curation Trail
Discovery-it is also a Witness, vote for us here
Delegate to us for passive income. Check our 80% fee-back Program
It's an interesting place to explore. they have different cultures in Asia, an I want to explore it when I visit this place. Thank you for sharing @azircon
It was a great trip. Although we like all your places and many places to travel. Although it is expensive, we like it.
It is of course true that anyone can wear any type of clothes, in this case I have no right to talk about it personally or others. The pictures here are beautifully depicted and presented to the world. Also, an inhuman experience. I enjoyed the place very much. Best wishes
This is such an intriguing destination to visit, with immense amounts of history, multicultural traditions, and awe-inspiring landscapes. That it houses cultures from all over Asia only makes it even more captivating, as it provides a special chance for me to observe their customs, architecture, and life. I look forward to trying it out for myself when I go there, to find out more about its history, and to appreciate the beauty of its cultural diversity. Thanks for posting this—it has only served to increase my eagerness and interest
You have successfully visited a great place. Have a great journey. And I was amazed by your writing style. It is just much than more. Great post 📯
I have a lady friend who, during the last summer vacation, went to Qatar. Previously, she used to visit Spain mostly.
When she returned from Qatar, we talked about it, and she mentioned something similar. She especially said that, although it might seem and feel strange, the security in Qatar is far superior to that in Spain and the rest of Europe, even for women. She also talked about shopping experiences and the new tourist attractions that emerge every year.
I'm not sure if the Emirates will become a famous destination ( I do have it in my must visit list), but I do believe they will gradually gain relevance, especially since Europe is declining a lot. Still, I don’t think Venice or Tuscany will face competition—at least until the Emirates decide to recreate them 😅
As a father with a great knowledge of the word, would you do the same as your friend?
!PIZZA
Nice story.
Thank you for sharing.
Back in 2006, I traveled to US only once for three months and I realized, we have a much better family and social life in India, and decided to never move to US, even if I was pushed to go there. We enjoy a much better community life here, even though, we do not have all the luxury.