It’s really interesting here – so many amazing buildings, and most of them empty! Also, I’ve seen women wearing the black abaya my friend living in Saudi Arabia was discussing – I’m not sure I could pull it off, I’m warm in the light long sleeve shirt I wore for dune smashing yesterday. I’m also very curious to see what the New Year’s Event tonight will be like. The place we’re going has two night clubs, and I really don’t know what to expect.
I don’t think we’ve met any Emiratis yet – everyone is from somewhere else…
This morning, we’ll see a couple of things, including the Emirates Hills which I understand is to be a sustainably built housing development, and then we’ll have a break in the afternoon which I hope to use to get a few pictures up, if I can get through the school filters, which don’t like images.
To finish the background information, you can’t talk about Dubai without talking about the construction…
So, why all the information about Dubai? Well, when I posted this October entry, I had just heard about an opportunity – I was in a hopeful mood, and now that it’s finalized, I can make a bit of an announcement…
Yes, I’m REALLY excited, and yes, I’ll be writing about it. How much will be posted live from on-site will depend on internet access, which has been described as “really good dial-up…we’re sure it will work if your computers are right.” But there will definitely be somethings as the trip unfolds, as well as (probably tons of) pictures by mid-January when we get back.
This is the first “Tomorrow’s News Today,” which is basically me staying up too late reading the New Zealand Herald (or, if I’m REALLY up too late, the BBC website) and wanting to share…
Background on this one… way back in summer of 2005, I found myself on the doorstep of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) where, among other things, I bought a nifty t-shirt and got caught up on issues of nuclear proliferation. This was kind of early in round one between IAEA and Mr. Ahmadinejad, and there was a lot to figure out, and our truly awesome IAEA hosts gave us continues to serve me well.
Also, history class says democracy started here, and what’s not up for argument is beautiful landscapes and my eternal personal gratitude for introducing the world to gyros, so a little recognition never goes astray.
Both potential fodder for future discussion, but for now, I’ve got an alarm set and want to get some sleep beforehand, so I’d better stop before I get started. Staying up too late is a long-term issue for me, so look for much more TNT coming up.
Seems everyone’s taking a hit these days, if to slightly different degrees… This caught my eye, as I’d already been planning some posts on Dubai, which will be coming later (those of you reading this one now are ahead of the game).
Anyway, I’m not sure who’s the primary source on this article, so I’m listing both and you can choose which one to read.
What’s to downsize? Dubai has used oil money for all kinds of architectural and engineering projects. See below for a few, though just a warning, the first one requires a head for heights…
