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13 March, 2007

Dubai paradoxes

The expectations are often the reverse of reality.

1. Dubai is roasting hot
Take an overcoat: most of the time is actually spent freezing to death in glacially over-airconditioned offices and shopping malls.

2. Women have to cover
Nowhere else in the world do women wear sluttier clothes even in the workplace than in Dubai: skin tight jeans, plunging lycra, shoes that the wildest London fetish club would baulk at.

3. People speak Arabic
Hardly anyone speaks Arabic: as witnessed tonight by a poor, presumably diabetic Arab man struggling to communicate in English with a Filipina as to whether there was sugar in an (English labelled) soft drink.

4. A dry, desert city
Humidity reaches nearly 100% in Dubai in summer because it is coastal, and the condensation actually irrigates the desert, so the dunes are covered with clumps of plants. In interior and mountainous regions it is much drier, and the desert is barer.

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16 Comments:

Blogger Natasha said...

Ur observations couldn't get better :D

Especially the over-airconditioned offices. Puzzled people have asked me many times why I wore woollen socks in the middle of summer...I only wish I could wear mittens too :P

13 March, 2007 02:30  
Blogger Al Ain Taxi said...

"You can't drink there"

or

"It's dry"


I've heard that one a few times

13 March, 2007 11:24  
Blogger hedoorientia said...

Very interesting.. and amusing! :)

13 March, 2007 13:24  
Blogger Crankyputz said...

Great observations...i miss my air conditioning, funny how 11 years in Canada and now I am alergic to Air conditioning.

13 March, 2007 17:45  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quality observations...

No mention of ' new entrant ' du giving rival Etisalet a run for their money...49% of which is theirs anyway?

And we though a 'car-tel' was reporting bad driving on Shk Z road?

13 March, 2007 19:49  
Blogger screwed.mind said...

Saying:"It's a tax free heaven"

Reality:"You will freely pay taxes in all sort of names"


Saying:"Dubai has a giant market for freehold property"

Reality:"Free Hold! you must be joking!"


Saying:"Exteremely multicultural environment".

Reality:"Your color of passport will define which culture you belong to"

Saying:"It's an Islamic country"
Reality: NO COMMENT!!!!

13 March, 2007 22:13  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I really don't find your blog that funny...it's more disgruntled/sarcastic. I mean if you're living in a country, you're supposed to obey and the peoples rules/laws...if you're from another country and it's so bad there...it's simple..go back to your place of origin? Am I being too hard? I am just being realistic and blunt. I found your comment about slutty clothes meaning the jilbabs and hijabs offensive...Allah said to cover...go have a fight with HIM and see what happens lol...do something constructive for God's sakes...I am from South America and I have noted the progresses of the arabs/muslims...I am blessed to be a muslim actually...I can love and appreciate the the greatest human being that ever lived...the holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) and I can obey and love my God (Allah)...not a muslim? Too bad, I am truly blessed...alhamdulillah!!! To sit and let others insult or make an offensive remark about islam or anything to do with islam is like joining in with them anyways...I am sure my comments will cause a furor LOL. HA.

14 March, 2007 16:47  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

2. Women have to cover
Nowhere else in the world do women wear sluttier clothes even in the workplace than in Dubai: skin tight jeans, plunging lycra, shoes that the wildest London fetish club would baulk at.


That statement is pointless without pix.

Your readers need photographic proof of that :)

14 March, 2007 19:42  
Blogger secretdubai said...

I found your comment about slutty clothes meaning the jilbabs and hijabs offensive..

Did you? Where exactly did you find those comments? What I wrote was: "skin tight jeans, plunging lycra, shoes that the wildest London fetish club would baulk at".

You claim to be a muslim - if you were, you would know that jilbabs and hijabs are loose-flowing, all covering, modest garments that in no remote stretch of the imagination could be termed as sluttish. They are not jeans, and they are not made of lycra, and they usually conceal shoes. (You might also want to note that Gulf women don't wear jilbabs, they wear abayas).

So I can't tell if you really are a muslim or not, but I am certain that you are a complete and utter moron deliberately looking for offence where there is absolutely none.

14 March, 2007 22:22  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ugh. I've also lived in super humid places and I abhor the fact that everywhere inside is like a meatlocker. Can't they find some sort of medium?

15 March, 2007 00:15  
Blogger screwed.mind said...

@ Anonymous above

I am from South America and I have noted the progresses of the arabs/muslims..

You're an idiot... most of the world's Muslim population is actually not Arab at all so simply equating Arabs and Muslims one to one is nothing but a blessing of your idiocy!

Your motive is so dubious and childish that doesn't trigger even my very primitive logical sensors, forget about being furious afterwards!

I have a suggestion pal, you just don't defend any religion please!

15 March, 2007 03:15  
Blogger LocalExpat said...

anon 14 March, 2007 16:47 ,

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA

;-)

15 March, 2007 14:08  
Blogger Tim Newman said...

Nowhere else in the world do women wear sluttier clothes even in the workplace than in Dubai: skin tight jeans, plunging lycra, shoes that the wildest London fetish club would baulk at.

Hmmm....you need to come on a cultural exchange visit to see me some time. In my workplace on Sakhalin Island, which includes a construction site office, I have seen women in thigh-boots, fishnet stockings, and skin-tight red leather jeans. I swear I'm not exaggerating.

16 March, 2007 14:13  
Blogger Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

That is soo true! I spent most of my time in Dubai speaking Urdu!!

17 March, 2007 22:38  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You need strong legs and arms too to cope with the air conditioned offices.

When I was last there I struggled to get inside the office buildings because the difference in air pressure was so great due to the air conditionining.

Dubai Visits

22 March, 2007 21:24  
Blogger MsM said...

It is such a relife to read your blog. i was stressing about work clothing for my work experience and was thinking i was going to be arrested for having cap sleeves. I bought a heap of shirts that are great for Australian offices.

Spoke to my mum and she said i had nothing to worry about and that yes most women there wear next to nothing. This prompted me to ask ''does that mean im more muslem than most of them?'' and she was like ''yes''. By the way im 100% non beliver.

Thanks a lot

29 October, 2008 08:01  

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