Life maze

Dubai news

I always think newspapers are a great way to get a pulse on a city. Although they often only capture anecdotal stories and happenings, they somehow embody the general feeling of that place at that time. When they are talking about new companies and growing economies, they convey the cities energy and inertia.  When they talk about disappointing earnings and rising crime rate, they also resonate that down, slightly depressing mood of the time. Anyone interested in hearing more about Dubai should read the following papers, and it will at least some peek into the world here.  Don’t however, overly depend on the news in the press….to really know what Dubai is about, you just have to come here and experience it for yourself.

Gulf news

Khaleej Times

7 Days -this is the most candid

Hot day in Dubai

Today is an extremely hot day in Dubai, which is why I find myself writing.  Just a little commentary on Dubai for a recent acquaintance that is coming to this side of the world soon.

Dubai in a nutshell...

It always reminds me of the 'field of dreams'..."build it and they will come". And come they have, to the tune of about 4.2 million as noted from the last Dubai census. Which that census is too in itself a topic of discussion about its accuracy and thoroughness.  Nevertheless, the population sits somewhere between 2.8 million and 4.2 million and growing by the day.  It consists of about 80% expatriates and 20% UAE nationals. 

If I were to describe the Dubai that I was introduced to in Jan 2002, it would not be the same Dubai that you would meet today.  The landscape, media, people, attitudes, community and lifestyle have changed so dramatically over that time, that it would both fascinate and scare you.  You have to be incredibly adaptable and adventurous to truly embrace Dubai.  I read a great article the other day that said that the average duration of an expat in Dubai is 18 months.  Those that are happiest are the ones that don't fall in love with Dubai, but rather allow themselves to enjoy it from a distance and embrace the adventure of it.  Because if you fell in love with Dubai today, it would not be the same Dubai in 2 years.  I fully agree with this perspective, given my time here.  The Dubai I initially met was a small community where most everyone new everyone within certain communities.  Businesses were generally small, and personal relationships meant everything.  Expats could not purchase property, they were required to rent, your nightlife was good, but limited, and getting from one end of the town to another took roughly 25 minutes.  Most work communtes probably averaged about 15 minutes.

The current Dubai is much more of a small city than a community, and the nighlife is unlimited.  Traffic is a major issue so commute times have grown.   But coming from Washington DC, I still think the commutes are not sooo bad.  This place is ALIVE though, with energy oozing from every corner.  It will inspire you and awe you simultaneously.  I have fallen in love with this city, so my views are inherently skewed towards the positive, but truly this place is a great place. 

Here goes

I have been reading a ton of great blogs of late.  After being a conumer of the blog world, I have decided to finally be a contributor.  I have been so incredibly inspired by several blogs lately, that I decided I just had to create my own and see if I could in some way centralize and periodically contribute to the great thoughts and ideas out in the blogosphere.

Amy, I imagine you will be the first to read these entries, as you and I have been blogging informally since our graduate school days.  Luckily most of those random thought and banter were not preserved for a larger audience.  And  eh eh eh... as blogs did not even exist yet then.

So here goes....