Thoughts on the UAE

Ever since I was a lowly undergrad student at USC studying PPD (Policy, Planning, and Development), I have dreamt of visiting Dubai. I studied this wonderous city in most of my planning classes, and I'll blame the wonderful professors I had including Dr. Lisa Schweitzer and Dr. Miguel Kanai on instilling a desire to see this city within me. It's such a unique case of development in a place that was essentially uninhabitable in the past due to the harsh weather conditions and location. But somehow, all the money the United Arab Emirates has earned through the oil industry has turned this country into a mecca for American and European expatriates. It really is such a unique, cosmopolitan place!

After one day in this country, here are some of my thoughts and impressions of the place:

• Abu Dhabi has streets and Boulevards that remind me of West LA and sometimes even Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard around the Century City/Beverly Hills area.
• Public Transit in Abu Dhabi is wonderful! The buses are cheap and go to all the main non-residential destinations. The bus from the airport was just over $1 (4 Dirham) and the bus driver stopped a few blocks in front of the Grand Mosque along his route to let us out even though it wasn't an official stop.
• That being said, people here are SO friendly! Everyone wants to help you and welcome you here. The mosque didn't open until half an hour after we arrived, so someone on a double decker tourist bus parked alongside the road told us to sit on his bus and gave us cold water bottles until we could go inside. His name was Getachew, an immigrant from Ethiopia, and would not stop trying to give me dating advice. His Filipino coworker also said I look Filipina :) #igotitfrommymomma
• I haven't taken public transit in Dubai yet, so I cannot comment on that issue yet. However, from my taxi ride through the city and from the view out of my hotel window, it seems that there are almost NO sidewalks here! This is very different from my experience in Abu Dhabi, although it could be that this is just true of this part of town. However, where I am is where all the hotels are and where the big Dubai Mall is, so you would think they would have a way for us to cross the huge 12 lane road to get to the mall that is only one block away. I will report on how long it takes me to get there (and if I can even walk there) later. This is a VERY auto-oriented place. I wish it was more walkable.
• I have interacted with a lot of people here so far; other passengers who reside here, taxi drivers, bus drivers, retail and restaurant workers, airport employees, etc. And I have yet to meet someone who is actually originally from the UAE. This truly is a country full of immigrants and expatriates! Most of the people I have met are from South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, and so on) or the Philippines. It's really actually neat.
• Malls are everywhere!
• Filipinos are everywhere! Which is neat because it reminds me of being home, in Hawaii.

I got to visit a few places in Abu Dhabi yesterday, including the Sheikh Zayad Mosque which is an amazing example of beautiful, detailed modern architecture (something I didn't know could exist!) having been constructed in the 2000s with the world's largest chandelier, carpet, and mosque dome. And today, I'll be exploring Dubai. I'm planning on going to the observatories on top of the world's tallest building and visiting Dubai Mall. And if all goes well, I should be going on a desert safari tonight! I can't wait! :)

My British friend/travel buddy, Graham

The largest chandelier in the world