...and the dreadful day finally arrives. Last day in Dubai.

Unbridled excitement tinged with depression befell me as soon as I opened my eyes Friday morning. It was unfortunately our last day in Dubai, but also the day we (the entire group minus Ralph) decided to go to the Atlantis resort on The Palm in Dubai. The Palm is the jaw-dropping group of man-made islands shaped like none other than a palm tree off the coast of Dubai.
For a spring break, our week spent in Dubai wasn’t much of a “break.” Judging from the other entries in this blog, you can probably tell that by the end of the week, the only thing keeping our eyes open and keeping our engines running was the fact that we were afforded such an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really only this ONE time. We would never be undergraduate students in our 20s in Dubai for a week, with the same group dynamic into which all of us fell so comfortably. We had enjoyed every last minute of our week thus far, but I think we all needed that one free afternoon to relax and enjoy a bit of a slower pace. We had discussed going sky-diving, which would have continued the high-adrenaline activity streak that started with dunebashing on Tuesday, but we opted for a relaxing, stress-free day spent at the beach, soaking up some rays. We did manage to get some thrills on the water slides, however, especially on the tallest slide called “Leap of Faith” that all of us became so fond of. (By the end of the day, it had been shortened to simply “LOF,” as the name came up quite often.) We grabbed some lunch after hours spent in the refreshing water of the lazy river and slides, and sprawled out on our huge, fluffy Atlantis towels, next to the azure water outlined on the horizon by the unmistakable outline of the Burj Khalifa and the rest of the inimitable skyline. Could it get much better?

It only did when we played an awesome game of beach volleyball with some Middle Easterners for an hour or so. No beach trip for me has ever been complete without at least one game of competitive beach volleyball, so I’d have to say that along with the tanning, the water, the beach, and the friends, minus unfortunately a little bit of sunburn, Atlantis was a HUGE success.

We had dinner plans that evening at the home of an alumna of the Delaware/Zayed exchange, Khadija. We slathered on some aloe, hopped in to some cabs, the girls sporting our new five-inch heels that the Emirati girls bought us and dropped at at the hotel for us that very morning, and we were off. We arrived about a half an hour later at Khadija’s palace, er, I mean, house. But it might as well be referred to as such. For the last time, I will say, that I have NEVER seen a house that impressive or that expansive in my life. Not only was it fenced in with guards at the gate 24/7, but it was accompanied by a huge fountain, marble staircases, white stone, and impeccable landscaping, all accented by multi-colored outdoor lighting that emphasized the grandeur of the architecture. I thought for a minute we had taken a wrong turn and arrived at a royal residence of some sort. We hopped out of the car and started snapping pictures but were quickly asked not to do so. It's a shame…I wanted to show my friends and family back in the States just how unbelievable this house was. Words just can’t do it justice. Along with the fact that it was probably three times the size of my house, and my house in Pittsburgh isn’t necessarily on the smaller side, it probably cost three times the amount.

We sat in the majlis (the salon/greeting area) for drinks, refreshments, and some farewell messages before dinner. Everything was either made of gold, marble, or upholstered in red velour. Then we were escorted into the marble dining room where we were treated to a feast. Most of us were so run-down at this point and so bummed about having to leave for the States the next morning that we didn’t have much to say. But we took it for what it was worth, enjoyed our last meal with the Emirati girls, and soaked it all in.

We moved back into the majlis to watch Hessah’s DVD she made of the trip—a sentimental array of photos taken from day one to day five, of us getting to know each other in person, not via videoconference, becoming friends, and bridging a cultural gap that the majority of American and Emirati students are not given the opportunity to encounter. For all this, each one of us is uncompromisingly grateful. We made great friends in a short amount of time, saw one of the most spectacular and truly awesome cities in the world, and experienced Middle Eastern culture in a very real way. Some tears were shed, and the night ended with the girls once again exceeding all expectations of generosity with their presentation of the gifts they bought for each one of us. They had 10 polo shirts embroidered with the Sheikh’s face on it and a quote in Arabic on the back (the exact quote escapes me at the moment), and bought each of the girls their own shaylas and abayas accented with various fabrics, embroidery, and detailing, and doused with the unmistakable musky and rich scent of Oud oil. I was also thrilled, more so than the rest of the Americans, I think, to find a personal package of dates tucked away inside my goodie bag. I had mentioned to the girls numerous times the copious amount of dates I had consumed during my month in Tunisia, so they went ahead and bought each of us a dense, vaccuum-packed bag of sweet dates.
We said our final goodbyes and kept in mind that only in a few short weeks, we might be able to see a few of them on campus in Delaware for a few days. Will and the girls were waiting to hear from the university about funding for airfare to send the class to the U.S. for a week or so at that point, so it was still up in the air. Most of the girls seemed enthusiastic about the opportunity and couldn't wait to hear the news.

Our trip had come to an end. Emotionally and physically exhausted at this point, we took our last drive through Dubai at night to arrive at the Arabian Park hotel for the last time. Some of us nodded off as Khadija's personal driver swept us away in style back to the hotel, while some of us glued our eyes to the nighttime Dubai sky. I knew that this experience was one I will never forget.

We had a relatively smooth returning flight back to London then back to Newark, NJ, and got back to campus late Saturday night, two days before classes started back up again. The jetlag definitely hit us harder on the return home than it did when we arrived in Dubai, and it took most of us a whole week to recover, coupled with classes and assignments, and disappointment that the dream was over and it was back to the old grind at school.

The girls found out a few days later that no funding came through to send the class to the States. However, some girls' parents were keen enough of the idea of their daughters experiencing a few days in New York City, university life at Delaware, and a day in Washington, D.C., that they decided to fund the trips on their own. So in two weeks, we will be welcoming a handful of Emirati girls to our campus, showing them around Newark, and taking them to our nation's capital for a day. We are just as thrilled as they are, but we can only hope to live up to the standard of hospitality they established during our trip. And they set the bar pretty darn high. We'll do our best to keep them busy and give them an authentic experience of academic life at an American university. Looking forward to seeing them again in a few short weeks!

The view on the way to Atlantis.

Skyline at sunset before on our last night.

Last group shots taken at Khadija's house.

The days left in Dubai begin to dwindle...

Our TA on the trip, Sara, a Lebanese PhD student at UD, is writing her dissertation on the rapid industrialization and economic growth of Dubai and its sustainability. Hailing from the Middle East itself and having traveled to the UAE once before in 2007, Sara helped bridge the gap between American and Emirati culture and gave us a secondary perspective on Middle Eastern values besides the ZU girls. While all of us were out exploring the desert on Tuesday on our dunebashing adventure, Sara was at Zayed University being interviewed for a teaching position to begin in the fall. She was told she would find out at the end of the week and was anticipating the news throughout the entire tail end of the trip. (Side note: Alhamdulilah, she found out just last week that she got the position! Mabrouk Sara.) But ever since her visit on Tuesday, she had been telling us, “Just wait til you see Zayed. You’re going to want to transfer.” How right she was…

We spent the majority of Thursday afternoon at Zayed. At first glance, if someone were to tell you that ZU was a five-star resort, you’d believe them. The main building looks like a submarine that has run aground, with a huge outdoor courtyard with pristine blue tile pools, white stone decks, lush palm trees, lounge chairs and huge umbrellas. Inside, the atrium is by far the most impressive space—a huge indoor lounge with sandwich and coffee shops, plush sofas, and palm trees (of course.) The university, founded in 1998, offers undergraduate and graduate programs for about 6,000 male and female students and has a few campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Will gave us a tour of the facilities, followed by a discussion with communication professor and radio show host James Piecowye. From his bright pink tropical print shirt, thick red-rimmed glasses, bleach-blonde hair, and sporadically detectable Canadian accent, it’s easy to see how James has created a successful career niche for himself as a talk radio personality. He says since he is not an Emirati citizen, he allows the guests on his show to say most of the things he “would lose his job” for saying: things that might be considered criticism of the royal family or of the UAE government, etc. He could have talked for hours about the fascinating political culture in which he must find creative ways to work around the restrictions on media freedom while upholding a certain level of listener interest. He has gotten some flack, he says, from conservative Emiratis who text the hotline during the show and say, “Your show is the worst one on the radio today.” After knowing James for only half an hour, you’d assume that he wouldn’t walk away from such a comment with his tail between his legs. And you'd be right. He responds with quick-wit to comments like that with, “You just wasted three durhams on that text.” The time we spent with James was well worth it; it was fascinating to get a Western ex-pat’s view on media license in a Middle Eastern country and to find out just how much the envelope can be pushed in a country where the government monitors all media and you can be deported for outwardly critical commentary.

The discussion that ensued after James’ presentation was one that Ralph had beenitching to have since day one. His inner journalist was displayed as he asked some probing questions about the girls’ expression of personal freedom, the role of their parents, and the role of government in their everyday lives. We landed on the subject of the "Sex and the City 2" movie, which was set in Abu Dhabi (but not filmed there because the sheikh found the content too explicit for that direct of an association.) We discussed the role of women in Middle Eastern culture, not just specifically Emirati culture, and whether or not females are inherently oppressed in nations governed by shariah law. Once released, the movie was banned in the UAE, and the debate that transpired was over the grounds on which the movie was banned: was it because “sex” was in the title, because the movie mocked Arab women, or because it belittled Arab culture in general? The Emirati girls talked about the role of religion and the strong cultural implications that penetrate every aspect of daily life in the UAE.

Mashaikh, who goes by Mash, posed the most profound question towards the end of the discussion that left most of us practically speechless: does the US have a culture? I thought about the question for only a second, and responded with somewhat of a chuckle, “Actually, not really.” There is not one single religion or culture that dominates the United States. There are so many different ethnic groups, so many different backgrounds that comprise the American populace that it’s hard to just peg one as the overall “cultural” experience of being an American. The Emiratis, however, are mostly all followers of the same religion and even of the same sect of Islam, so they have that common thread running through their cultural experiences as Emiratis. It is extremely ignorant, therefore, for Americans to assume anything about the Emirati people or of Islam without attempting to recognize the origins of the people or of the religion first. Hessah even gave all of the American students a copy of a book called “What is Islam?” for us to gain a more thorough understanding of daily life in the UAE.

We had lunch made by Looya’s cook right there in the conference room. Looya brought three huge chafing dishes full of cous cous with lamb, fish, and chicken for all of us (it was enough food to feed an army.) Aside from the sheer amount of food prepared, I was astonished at how good it was. Having a cook and maid is standard for most families in Dubai.

We then rearranged our plans and visited Hessah’s uncle’s printing press, the largest one in Dubai. They print Qur’ans for free and distribute them to mosques all over the city.
We had some free time before dinner and after some deliberation between going to see “Ski Dubai” in the Mall of the Emirates, going to the Karama mall famous for its knock-off bags, shoes, watches, and accessories, and taking a boat ride on Dubai creek, we opted for the ferry ride to watch the sunset and take in the sights and sounds of the city as much as possible. We returned to the old souq and boarded the ferry, spending the next hour soaking it all in, taking pictures and posing for pictures, and watching the sun blaze down past the horizon, illuminating the Dubai skyline more beautifully than I had ever seen it.

We made it just in time and hopped off the ferry just as the sun had nearly disappeared. We shuttled back to the hotel, donned our dinner attire, and headed to the Madinat Jumeirah hotel to check out the souq inside the hotel and grab a bite to eat. We settled on a Persian restaurant that ended up being a bit pricey, but worth every bite. We enjoyed some incredible feta cheese with pita, mint, and tomatoes as an appetizer, then delved into our main courses ranging from lamb stews to mahi mahi kebabs accompanied by freshly squeezed mint lemonade, or Persian yogurt drinks called Doogh (pronoucing “dough), made with yogurt, salt, mint, and ice cubes. It was delicious, and definitely very unique. We were seated outside along a man-made pool lined with lit-up palm trees and fountains with the Burj al Arab illuminated in the background. Feeling quite full, some of us ventured to the bars next door and grabbed some drinks, reminiscing about the week and planning the next day we would be spending in Atlantis on the Palm Island!

The Delaware group at Zayed

The atrium in Zayed.

Zayed's design is architecturally very unique, looks almost like a submarine. Pretty cool.

The outdoor courtyard at Zayed.

Tom and the girls hamming it up at Zayed

Sunset on Dubai Creek during our ferry ride.

Conor on the ferry

Conor and I on Dubai Creek

Greg and Kaitlyn on the ferry

The Delaware group at the Madinat Jumeirah hotel for dinner Thursday night. The Burj al Arab, the world's only seven-star hotel, is illuminated in the background.

Lanterns like these are typical merchandise found in souks, like the one in the Madinat Jumeirah hotel.

Day four in Abu Dhabi

Our fourth day in the United Arab Emirates was spent in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE located about two hours south of Dubai. The ZU girls said they don’t visit the capital all that frequently, as there "isn't much to do there." After all, they do live in Dubai, and after spending just a few days there, I was able to understand why one would never feel a need to venture outside of Dubai to experience the culture of the Emirates.

Our first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, named after the sheikh who is considered to be the father of the UAE. He passed away in 2004 and now rests in a tomb right in front of the main entrance to the mosque. Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE and the eighth largest mosque in the world. I had visited mosques in France, Tunisia, and had seen other mosques in Dubai prior to this visit, but none of them can even hold a candle to it.
The magnificent white marble was imported mostly from Greece, the 35 TON Persian carpet in the main prayer room imported from Iran in multiple pieces then sewn back together upon arrival, and the 9 TON principal chandelier made from millions of Swarovski crystals was imported from Germany. Sheikh Zayed had envisioned the mosque as an effort to “unite the world,” so the internationality of the various components of the structure was heavily emphasized. The gold-capped minarets and columns gleamed in the hot Wednesday afternoon sun, and the reflecting pools lining the arches all along the façade sparkled a bright blue against the crisp white arches and pillars.

The attention to detail and the intricacies in Islamic architecture are astounding, particularly the Moroccan style, in which Sheikh Zayed was created. One of the prayer carpets in the minor prayer rooms was an exact mirror image of the art on the ceiling—abstract patterns and designs with huge floral motifs. The garden theme flowed from each room and corridor, each vine dotted with roses and flowers chiseled out of semi-precious stones, into the next (heaven, according to Islam, is a garden.) It was truly breathtaking.

In Islam, it is haram to depict any religious figure in human form, hence the controversy that blew up after the release of Danish cartoons depicting Mohammad as a man with a turban swaddling a bomb atop his head back in 2006. It is fascinating to me, however, that such a restraint on a form of expression has consequently created one of the most beautiful and revered styles of art in the world today. With the illustration of humans out of question, Islamic art has evolved over centuries into a mastery of the abstract; and designs, patterns, and motifs have beome the dominant form of expression. I liken this cultural constraint on a form of expression to the way most Muslim women dress in the Middle East. With an emphasis on being respectful and covering up, women have found other, more tasteful, more beautiful ways to express themselves in their appearance. Decked out in floor-length, black, flowing fabric accented by bright jewels, beading, or delicate embroidery on the cuffs and tips of the scarf, floating on six-inch heels with a sense of grace that I could never even hope to replicate, these Emirati women exude an extremely refined sense of femininity. I find them to be ten times more elegant and more beautiful than women or girls in America or Europe wearing skin tight pants or short skirts, with coiffed hair that had to have taken hours to perfect and exposed cleavage. The beauty is in the details—the Muslim women’s elegant and tasteful form of expression has been determined by the constraints to which they must conform, much as the Moroccan style of architecture is created within the constraints of Islam and has produced an unique finesse for the abstract.

I had come prepared with my own head-scarf to wear while touring the mosque, as all of the American girls in the group had been instructed to do. I think all of us were a little surprised to be ushered off, separated from the men, and directed into a ladies’ dressing room where we were each given a plain black abaya and shayla to wear for the duration of the visit. Considering this was uncharted territory for the Delaware girls, we asked the Emirati girls to help us appropriately wrap the shaylas around our heads and necks. We walked, American next to Emirati next to American, out of the dressing room to meet up with the men in our group. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a feeling quite like the one I had for that hour or so spent walking around in traditional female Emirati clothing, touring the most grandiose mosque I have ever seen, and maybe will ever see in my life. I felt a stronger sense of unity with the Emirati girls during that hour than I did chatting with them on the bus about what music we like, what we do in our free time, and finding out how much we had in common.

We had spent a significant amount of time talking to the girls about the societal norm of wearing the shayla and the abaya prior to our visit to the mosque as well as during our videoconferences prior to arriving in Dubai. Women wearing head scarves, burqas, and niqabs is an issue that is scrutinized the world over, mostly in Western countries by people who believe these women are oppressed by men and are forced to wear clothing that covers their hair, faces, necks, and bodies entirely. It was clear to me, as well as to my American classmates, that the UAE is more progressive than many other countries in the Middle East. In the ZU girls’ case, their families have the most influence on their decision about whether or not they will wear the traditional Emirati ensemble. Some of them even say that they have the final word in the matter.

After a mere hour spent in the abaya and shayla, I returned to just the outfit I had put on that morning in the hotel—a floor length black dress with a white long-sleeved cardigan. This outfit was conservative for my standards given the weather that day (aroung 85 degrees.) Only my hair, neck, face, and part of my chest were exposed, but I felt completely naked. I felt the need to conceal the patches of skin that were not covered up more so than when I do in the summer time at the beach wearing a two-piece bathing suit. It was an odd feeling, really.
We left the awe-inspiring mosque to head to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a research-based organization geared towards alternative sources of energy and environmental sustainability. It attracts graduate students to live on campus in Abu Dhabi, pays for housing in your own ultra-modern flat, and for most living expenses. I realize I’ve said that places I visited were “the most [something] or “the best” [something] quite a lot, but the UAE really does have that effect on you. Not to beat a dead horse, but Masdar’s campus was the most innovative and modern facility I have ever visited. The majority of the energy comes from the solar panel farm located just off-site, and with virtually indispensable funds from the Sheikh, Masdar is able to afford the most cutting-edge technology. The visit made me seriously doubt my decision to study international relations instead of engineering. Maybe in another life I’ll be a science whiz and live in a desert-themed flat in Abu Dhabi…

Next on the itinerary was a quick question and answer session at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, we were welcomed very warmly with a buffet of sandwiches, drinks, and desserts, going right along in line with the unparalleled hospitality we had been treated to everywhere we went. Both the Emirati students and the American students seemed to be frustrated with the responses they offered to questions dealing with the UAE’s stance on the revolutions taking place all over the Middle East as well as U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. I happen to think the MFA isn’t particularly used to visits and questions from a mixed group of American and Emirati students coming for answers about the UAE’s foreign policy and the changing political atmosphere of the Middle East. However, if there’s anything I’ve learned from visits to a few embassies in my travels abroad, one shouldn’t expect to get answers that directly address the question.

The visit to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi was bit more informative. The MFA, however, definitely had the US Embassy beat with the welcome wagon. The only issue shied away from was the WikiLeaks scandal, as they said they were not licensed to comment on certain aspects of what accusations were true.

We left the embassy around 6 pm and headed on the three-hour route back to Dubai. We talked to the girls about marriage and dating—topics all of us were interested in finding out about but hadn’t had the opportunity to bring up. The girls told us that people do date before marriage, although for the most part it has to be conducted in secret. They also told us that dating usually starts by a guy “stalking” a girl he likes in a mall or public place to get her attention, and sometimes involves him shouting out his phone number to her multiple times as he walks by her. I don’t know that I’m a huge fan of the “dating” scene here in the States, but that has got to be tough.

We stopped along the way for a quick visit to the Emirates Palace, a luxurious hotel where the Sheikhs stay when the seven of them conference. Of course, it was decorated with only the finest materials and planned with only the most elegant designs in mind. It was the nicest hotel I've ever been in...just a taste of the high life.

We got in to the hotel around 9 pm and had dinner just as a Delaware group, which gave us more of an opportunity to discuss the day’s events and what we learned about Emirati culture from the girls. Overall, I think the visit to the mosque was the most unforgettable visit of the day, and was the most intimate experience we had all week with Emirati culture.

Sean and Conor in front of Sheikh Zayed mosque.

Sara, Ralph, Kate and I in front of the mosque. What an incredible background...

Totally unfamiliar with the proper wrapping technique for a shayla, I enlisted the help of Famouti upon entering Sheikh Zayed mosque.

The nine-ton principal in the mosque is breathtaking (made of millions of Swarovski crystals and imported from Germany.)

Below the nine-ton masterpiece rests the 35-ton Persian carpet.

A courtyard at the Masdar Institute.

The flats where Masdar students are housed for free. Designed to look like rolling sand dunes, the architectural design of the flats are not only unique, but very logical given the location!

Not sure if this congregation of people was a class meeting outside in the courtyard or simply just a meeting, but either way, I loved that the aesthetically-pleasing campus is incorporated into everyday functions. I would certainly want to just hang out in the courtyards on campus all day.

The Emirates Palace lit up at night. Stunning...

Old and New Dubai: day three

A beautiful, hot, and sunny Tuesday was dedicated to familiarizing ourselves with "Old" and new Dubai. I say "old" because Dubai's existence as a world hub for tourism and trade doesn't start much earlier than the 1950s. In fact, the majority of the industrial development and the construction of the Dubai we see today started in the 1970's. Oil was discovered in Dubai in 1971 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai) and since then, trade has skyrocketed and the Middle East's world monopoly on oil supply solidified. We learned all about this history of the UAE as a young political entity (it was formed in 1971 as well) and much more in the Dubai museum in the marina area of the city, near the Al Fahidi Fort. We got a glimpse into the Bedouin settlements thousands of years ago in the desert with houses made from palm fronds with modest furnishings and souqs offering sumptuous and pungent spices from around the world, and bold textiles hand-woven on the spot. Spent a few hours ambling about the museum with the ZU girls and then hopped back on the bus to visit the Bastikkiya area where you can find the old Souq and the spice souq on opposite sides of Dubai Creek.

While in the old souq on one side of the creek, we sampled karak tea (black tea made by boiling the milk with the tea) from a little stand. It was incredible!! Tasted a lot like chai but a little less spicy, but soo good! The Delawarians were anxious to get to experience the souq after being told that we could get just about anything at a fraction of the original price. The key is to offer, at most, about 1/5 of the price vendors ask for, and if they don't accept, simply walk away. Chances are they'll ask you to come back and give in to your final offer. Ralph asked some of the ZU girls to explain how to shop in the souq, and Looya, wearing Bulgari and Cartier jewelry and heels worth more than all of my shoes combined, responded with, "Do I look like the kind of girl who shops in the souq?" Very accurate response, I guess! She's
We hopped the ferry to cross Dubai creek and reach the spice souq side of Bastikkiya. The creek was probably one of the coolest parts of old Dubai, in my opinion. There are ferries crossing to either side all day every day, transporting souq-goers to the Meccas of fake watches, shisha pipes, and multi-colored jeweled slippers. The ferries are long, old wooden boats that can carry 20-30 people. Each one proudly dons an Emirati flag. Dubai Creek is lined with hundreds of these old wooden boats, as Ralph explained, that come from Iran and other gulf countries, chock-full of cargo ranging from Persian rugs to Toshiba flat-screens. These old boats contrasted beautifully against the ultra-modern skyscrapers in the background.

The olfactory experience of walking through a spice souq in Dubai is something you can't stumble upon just anywhere. The narrow pathways in the markets lead you around corners, through roofed breezeways, and then back out onto the bustling streets in Bastikiyya, dotted with pedestrians, trucks unloading cargo, and men fraternizing outside their shops in the afternoon or going to mosque for afternoon prayer. Such a stimulating environment. When I visit markets like this, which reminded me very much of the ones I saw in Tunis and La Marsa a few years ago while studying abroad in Tunisia, I am reminded of how such places could be overwhelming for people. Trucks rumble by, vendors hustle you into their shops offering "low" prices and "rare" goods, you are surrounded by people rushing past, you smell things you've never smelled before...it's a lot to take in. But I live for places like this. The charm of the marketplace is such a rarity in the states that when I get the opportunity to visit one abroad, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I don't tend to shell out cash either. I just soak it all in, sniff the unmistakable scent of incense, various spices, and perfume mixed with the old musty smell of the marketplace, and enjoy. Forgive me for sounding corny, but spending money in the souqs was never necessary for me to feel like I had something to bring back with me.

Next was our 2:30 appointment at the Burj Khalifa back in downtown Dubai. We had about 45 minutes to drive there, find the place, and get our tickets, because apparently they go fast and if you miss your reservation, you might get screwed. We got dropped off in front of the Dubai Mall and had only 10 minutes to find the entrance to the tower visit and get our tickets at will call. We ran around like chickens with our heads cut off, asking for directions to the tower visit, switching directions every so often as we checked our watches and felt a little panicked. Eventually, Aisha led us in the right direction and we found the entrance to the Burj. Ralph got our tickets and we were off!

The visit to the Burj Khalifa incorporates some interactive aspects about the history of the building, its construction, and some impressive statistics. If there's anything I learned in Dubai, it's that you can pretty much assume that every building is "the world's biggest" of its kind or includes some unique aspect that sets it apart from anything like it on any other of the 6 continents. The Burj, of course, is the world's tallest building, towering over the rest of the Dubai skyline at 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) and over 160 stories. It: 1) has the highest number of stories in the world; 2) is the tallest free-standing structure in the world; 3) has the highest occupied floor in the world; 4) has the highest observation deck in the world; and last but not least, 5) has an elevator with the highest distance traveled in the world (http://www.burjkhalifa.ae.) With its completion in January 2010, it trumps the Eiffel Tower 293 times over.

We took the elevator up to the 124th floor and walked out onto the observation deck holding our breath, then all you could hear was gasps and exasperated "oh my gosh"s from everyone in the group. I have never seen a view that quite parallels the one from the Burj. If someone had showed me the view and told me I was in an airplane, I would have believed them. Every skyscraper around paled in comparison, they looked small!! I don't even think words can describe such a view. One half of the observation deck looked out into the vast desert just up to the horizon, dotted with buildings and skyscrapers close by then just sand for miles and miles past them. The other half of the deck looked out onto more skyscrapers, some shorted buildings, then the gulf. The water shimmered a bright turquoise and reflected the intense sunlight. The only thing that gently reminded me I was up that high was the subtle pressure in my ears after having them pop at least 6 times on the ride up the elevator. Unfortunately, I neglected to charge my camera the night before and had already taken 900+ pictures, so my pictures from the Burj are pretty sparse. However, I pirated Conor's camera and took probably close to 50 pictures so we have those at least!

Our visit lasted an hour, then we descended back into the Dubai mall and met up with the rest of the ZU group for some lunch. Ralph took some people from the group outside to get some more shots of the Burj, while Sara, Kate and I needed some pampering in the form of a little mani/pedi. It had been a packed few days so far and we figured we could use a little break. Shurooq came with us and we had a great opportunity to get to know her, such a nice girl. We met back up with the group for dinner at The Social House restaurant in the mall. We were seated out on the terrace overlooking the pool right in front of the Burj. Every half hour there was a fountain show that coordinated with a song (an Arabic or English song, alternately.) The UD students would get up from dinner almost each half hour to go stand by the water and get a closer look at the fountain show and snap some pictures. Conor got up for one of the shows which happened to be to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," and looked across the table and thought I was coming with him to watch it. I was actually getting up to use the bathroom, so Conor was stuck watching it all by himself and felt like a huge loner. Oops, sorry Con!!
We were all wiped out by the end of the day, and after grabbing some gelato and walking around the terraces along the water after dinner, hopped in some cabs and turned it in for the night.

We took advantage of every group photo op possible! This was taken right near the Dubai ferry on the Dubai creek.

Ralph and the Emirati girls.

One of the many pathways in the souk.

The Bastakiya district of Dubai is also referred to as "Old" Dubai. With the remnants of the spice trade and small merchant-domination of the economy, it's a fascinating juxtaposition to the skyscrapers and ultra-modern architecture found in the more modern areas of the city.

We toured the Al Fahidi fort in Bastakiya before navigating our way through the souks. Old-fashioned Emirati homes were outfitted with these air-conditioning towers that simply circulated the warm air out and cooler air in.

Fancy footwear sold in the souk.

We sampled Karak, tea boiled with whole milk and warm spices. Delicious!

A Shi'a mosque in Bastakiya. The majority of Muslims in the UAE are Sunni.

Cargo ships from Iran on Dubai Creek.

Images of Old Dubai.

The Burj Khalifa towers over the rest of the Dubai landscape at a staggering 2,716 feet (http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/the-tower/fact-figures.aspx). We went to the 124th floor of a total of more than 160 stories!

On the observation deck of the Burj. The feeling you get looking over the edge cannot be mimicked through photos. You have to see it to believe it!

Hatta and dunebashing: day two

Woke up with a bit of difficulty this morning at 7:30 to get ready for the exciting day ahead of us. We headed down to grab a delicious breakfast in the hotel before meeting up with the ZU girls and Will at 8:40 for our departure to Hatta. The Hatta heritage village is a preserved community in the desert in the UAE that offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Emirati people hundreds of years ago. It was great to have the ZU girls along to act as personal tour guides for us Delawarians. We learned about some really fascinating and historical Emirati traditions, including the importance of the majlis (the equivalent of a parlor or living room in an American/western home, but with emphasis particularly on its function as a place to welcome guests into the home and also where citizens could meet with officials in government to discuss important issues.) The attention that Emiratis paid in maintaining such rooms that welcomed guests with open arms made a lot of sense to me in the context of our travels so far.

Since we met the ZU girls on Sunday, they have been nothing short of the most hospitable and generous hostesses I've ever met. I've been received warmly everywhere I have traveled abroad in the past, from families with multiple kids in their own houses to older single women in a small city apartment. But these girls have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that we, as guests in their country, are only getting the best of the best. They have paid for EVERY dinner we've had together as a group and insist on buying us snacks, water, and anything else we could need. Geaya, for example, has proved the unprecedented extent of Arab hospitality for us. Tom, in passing, happened to mention that he needed a charger for his Dell laptop. Geaya got on her Blackberry, called up her cousin, and within ten minutes, Seif had driven in his luxury SUV to us and dropped off a bag of computer chargers for Geaya to give to Tom. Then, at the Dubai mall, Tom was walking around with Geaya and Seif and they went into the Polo store. Tom mentioned that he liked a particular polo and Geaya and Seif immediately starting asking him his size and what color he likes. Tom, being privy to their sneakiness and willingness to do anything to make our visit to Dubai more comfortable, said something to the affect of "Oh no, don't think I'm going to fall for that. I don't want one!" After some coaxing, Tom admitted he liked the black one and was told that Seif was going to buy himself one of the shirts. An hour later, Geaya produced a Polo bag with the exact black polo Tom had picked out and said "Seif wanted you to have this." Unreal! We in the states of course believe in warmly welcoming our guests, but Emiratis put us to shame! We have tried to tell them that they do not need to be paying for our meals, our activities, and even these generous gifts, but they insist. It also gets to the point where refusing to accept their gifts because we feel uncomfortable accepting such altruism becomes offensive to them. We're all getting used to saying, okay, this is way too nice, but they want to do it. Let it be.

We hiked up to some towers in the Hatta village to soak in some incredible views of the rocky desert landscape around us—huge slate mountains with green lush palm trees in the valley below all under the hot, arid afternoon sun, but with just enough of a breeze to keep us cool. It really was something.

Another interesting tradition we learned about is the use of the Oud oil in Emirati and Arab cultures. Oud oil is a very expensive, very pungent perfumed oil used in ceremonies, such as weddings. The wedding party will pass around a vile of Oud oil to the guests, along with coffee and other offerings, to enjoy and sample. The smell is a lot like a more concentrated, musky version of frankincense. Viles of this precious oil can go for as much as 1000 durhams, according to Noor.

We took tons of pictures, ambled around Hatta village, and bonded with the ZU girls. Instant connections were made. Each of us was able to joke with and speak freely with at least one of the ZU girls by the end of the trip. (I think the dance parties on the bus, courtesy of Looya's iPod playlists, might have helped a little too. It was really cool when all of us, Delaware and Zayed students alike, starting busting out the lyrics to "Cooler than Me" by Mike Posner on our 3 hour drive to Hatta. It was one of thoseaha moments where you realize that although we are thousands and thousands of miles away from these girls and our cultures are on almost polar opposite ends of the spectrum, we have a lot in common.)

Speaking of the 3 hour pilgrimage to Hatta, whew...what a trip . It was probably one of the most interesting experiences I've had in a motorized vehicle in a while. We decided before we left Dubai that morning that getting to Hatta would be easiest by crossing the border into Oman, driving through Oman for a bit, then crossing back into the UAE to reach Hatta. This would have been an hour and a half, tops. However, when we reached the Omani border, both Zayed students, Will, Delaware students, and Ralph, were shocked to see humongous wire fences topped with barbed wire and guards with machine guns that stopped just about every vehicle crossing through. Two guards came onto our bus and started interrogating us about why were a group of Emirati girls were crossing into Oman in a van full of Americans. What a CRAZY scenario! They asked for all of our passports, which not all of us were carrying on our persons, and after some deliberating and attempts at convincing the guards of our harmless plans from Noor, Geaya, Mash and Looya, we were told that we couldn't cross the border and would have to drive along the UAE/Omani border the whole way and remain in the UAE at all times. This ended up being a 3 hour trip! Although it wasn't the best possible route, it gave us more time to just get to know the ZU girls, which was awesome.

Fortunately, once we left Hatta to go back to Dubai, we crossed the Omani border and Ralph was able to set foot in his 98TH COUNTRY! What a world-traveler. We took some pictures of him in all his glory and some group pictures in an area where we were, admittedly, pretty lost. The driver didn't really have a great idea of which direction to head in next, so most of us were joking around as we walked around the Omani desert that it was probably the most ridiculous situation most of us have found ourselves in. Lost in the DESERT in Oman?! I mean, come on, that definitely doesn't happen every day. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason...so the 3 hour detour was simply a way for us to hang out with our Emirati friends more, and getting lost in the Omani desert was simply a way for us to, well, say that we did just that!! Not many people can, I guess. And Ralph has an interesting aside to tell when he mentions his visit to his 98th country!

We drove back into the UAE to tick our next item off the list: DUNEBASHING!! Scratch what I said before about the drive to Hatta taking the cake as the most memorable motorized vehicle experience I've had. What could be more unforgettable than getting interrogated at the Emirati/Omani border and getting lost in the Omani desert? Riding quads over sand dunes in the desert, that's what. All nine students and Ralph can now be considered conquerers of the dunes. Ever since day one of POSC444, all of us have been dying to give it a try. Mash, one of the ZU students, along with many other girls, mentioned to us in our get-to-know-you blogs that she is an adrenaline junkie and goes dunebashing all the time. We hopped off the plane in Dubai awaiting Monday afternoon for the sole purpose of being able to do so. We all grabbed bikes, helmets, and with our hearts racing and our hands trigger-happy, hopped on our quads and disapperaed into the desert for the next hour. I don't think pictures or words can do this experience justice.

First of all, the guys running the place simply pointed out the handles to me and said, "Gas...brake...reverse. Go!" That was it! I had no idea how to maneuver the bike over the huge dunes that just drop off into sand pits without any warning. It took some getting used to, but by the end, I was flooring it over the dunes, marveling at the deep red mountains of sand to my left and right. There were a few times where I would find myself completely alone, without any of any of my friends in sight in any direction. It sent chills down my spine and was a bit unnerving, but it was such a cool feeling of just being utterly alone. I'd say being alone in the desert is a pretty mind-boggling experience. Despite burrowing the rear wheels of my quad into the sand and being detained for a good ten minutes as Greg and I tried to dig it back out, the hour was, I think, the most fun hour I've ever spent abroad.

Covered in sand, grinning ear to ear, swapping stories of wipe-outs, brave moves we pulled, we piled back onto the van to head back to the hotel. We were all in stitches as Sean told us about how he decided to head way out into the desert and consequently ended up with a dead bike. He had to hike back 15 minutes in the sand, helmet and shoes in hand, to get a new bike. Although it is unfortunnoate, I can't help but think that something like that would happen to Sean :)
We scrubbed ourselves clean of the sand and headed out for dinner with the Dean of the school of communications at Zayed U. We were all exhausted from such a long day of touring, our ventures into Oman, and bashing dunes, but a few of us rallied and headed out for drinks downtown right by the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. We walked outside of the bar, in the Address Hotel, and were dumbfounded at what we saw. I'll have to post some pictures because I think describing the view, again, wouldn't do it justice, and it's now 2:30 am Dubai time. Time to turn it in and get ready for a day in Abu Dhabi tomorrow!


Noor, Looya, Sean and Tom pose for a photo op at one of the observation towers in Hatta.

Documentation of Ralph's sojourn in his 98th country was an absolute must, so we hopped out of the bus by the only sign that had "Oman" on it and snapped a few pictures.

The Delaware group in Oman.

Lost might be a bit of a strong word to describe our status in the Omani desert—but it did require some instruction and discussion with the bus driver plus a tad of best-guessing to get us out of there.

Sean, Tom, and Max put on their game faces before an hour of solo exploration of the Dubai dunes.

Some unexpected extra time on the bus provided for some great photo ops. Gotta make the best of everything, right? Beautiful rock formation in the Omani desert.

Caught Ralph on his quad before he disappeared behind the dunes. The sand was a rich, rusty red color and was super-fine. Seeing nothing but sand for miles and miles finally met by the bright white line of the horizon on that overcast day was a view I'll never forget.

Dubai day one!

After a few weeks of uncertainty of the possibility of sending 9 students in the honors section of Global Agenda to Dubai for spring break, and a long 14 hours in the air traveling, we FINALLY made it!! We arrived in Dubai this morning, Sunday, March 27 around 8 am with (alhamdulilah) no setbacks or problems. Seems like the 9 of us, plus Sara and Ralph, are meant to be here to soak in as much of this phenomenal city and culture as possible.
It really hit me that we were going to be in the Middle East for the first time in our lives (for the majority of us) when Professor Begleiter, with an hour left in our last leg of the flight from Heathrow to Dubai, came back to my row and said to us, "We're flying over Iraq right now. Out your right-hand side window is Kuwait City." My jaw dropped when I finally realized that our plane would be landing in the UAE in a mere hour.
Funnily enough, I (and Conor and Sean) signed up for the honors section not even knowing from the get-go that a trip to Dubai was in the cards. Safe to say it was the greatest shock and greatest treat to learn the second day of the class that Ralph was trying to get funding to send each of us there for the entire week of spring break. Great things happen when you least expect it, I guess.
Our first day couldn't have included a better introduction to the Emirati lifestyle, thanks to the girls at Zayed University with whom we had video conferenced three times while back in the states.
We were greeted in the Dubai international airport by Will, one of the girls' professors at ZU. He escorted us back to the hotel around 10 am. After a solid 14 hours of traveling we learned that we couldn't get into our rooms until 2 pm, but all of us made the best of those four hours. Conor, Greg, Kaitlyn and I needed to move around after being cramped on a plane for so long, so we took a nice jog around the hotel and found ourselves unable to keep saying, "Just running in Dubai, no big deal." It was truly like a dream, looking at the skyline of such a dynamic city that had literally gone from desert to an international metropolis in the last ten years as we relished in the dry heat that was such a welcome change from the freezing cold weather in Newark...we were all on such a high! We came back to the hotel for a little R&R by the pool with the rest of the group: did a little tanning, a little napping and recooperating, and a little swimming before being let into our rooms at 2.
The hotel itself is perfect for our group. We all noticed from the moment we stepped in just how international Dubai truly is. Ralph and Will mentioned to us that we had probably seen more Iranians in the hotel lobby than we had ever seen or possiblywill see in our lifetimes. Tourists from all over the world also found themselves at the Arabian Park Hotel along with our group. The fact that people from every continent come to Dubai, and the fact that on almost every corner of downtown Dubai a new building is going up or one is being renovated, are irrefutable testimonies to the exponential growth and potential for future growth in the Middle East thanks to the oil industry.
We relaxed a little at the hotel after checking in before taking a shuttle to the Wafi mall from the hotel to meet up with the ZU girls. We met up with them at Galler, a Belgian chocolate shop that serves everything from crêpes to the most decadent hot chocolate, for a snack and just to break the ice before our first big dinner together as a group. I think the majority of us in the Delaware group were surprised to see that the majority of the girls had shown up. We weren't sure how many to expect, but by the time 6 pm rolled around, we had a huge table filled up by Delaware and Dubai students, sisters of some of the Dubai students, Ralph, Will, and Sarah. The conversation flowed easily as we discussed everything from music and movies, school, clubbing in Dubai, and dress code, to gender roles and politics. It was an amazing feeling to be able to get along so well with girls who come from a very different world.
The girls are all incredibly sweet, they refused to let us pay for anything the entire night! They treated us to the chocolate, a walk through a haunted house in the Wafi mall, AND an incredible meal at Wafi gourmet, a traditional Middle Eastern restaurant where we sampled baba ghanouj, hummus, fattouch salad, shwarma, stewed eggplant, kebabs, and much much MUCH more. I have never seen a table so full of food! We loved the meal, the conversation, and the beautiful view from the rooftop table we had at the restaurant of downtown Dubai. What a night!
Early morning tomorrow: dune bashing and other crazy adventures to be had in the desert!

Inside the Wafi Mall.

Some of us had never savored the pleasures of a "chocolate bar" before.

Our Lebanese and Middle Eastern feast at Wafi Gourmet left no room for disappointment (or any more room in our stomachs!)

Emiratis and Americans delighted in the Middle Eastern specialties and had a great opportunity to bond over a shared love for a great meal.