…what’s there to do?
You can swim with the sharks or ice skate… at the Dubai Mall
When you’ve got such a high concentration of shopping malls in one country it’s good for business to do something “different” to attract the crowds.
Cue giant aquarium at the Dubai Mall.
(©MRandin)
The Burj Al Arab (©MRandin)
Want an honest description of the Burj Al Arab? How about this one by Sam Wollaston of The Guardian who described it as “fabulous, hideous, and the very pinnacle of tackiness – like Vegas after a serious, no-expense-spared, sheik-over.” Continue reading
Aside from driving around in an air conditioned car and spending time in a cool shopping mall, you could also try… skiing.
The entrance to Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates. (© MRandin)
1. Everyone still works with landmarks even though there are street names
(©MRandin)
In the 1980s, Dubai was the epitome of the U2 hit, “Where the streets have no name”. Instead, directions were given using landmarks, which were sometimes as vague as “turn right at the first set of pink buildings and then left at the one with the blue balcony railings”. Continue reading
Someone decides to put “miracle grow” on the buildings
At one time, the Dubai World Trade Centre, with its 39 floors, was the tallest building in the city.
Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
Not so far from the truth. A bus stop sign in Satwa, Dubai (©MRandin)
My family and I moved to Canada from Dubai in 1997. At that time Dubai was a not-so-talked-about dot on the map, vaguely located “near Saudi Arabia”, for many people. Some people even wondered if we went to school on camels or had to hunt for our food. When my brother once told someone he grew up in Dubai, that person’s reply was “To buy what?”
Try the restaurant at the top of the Atomium. M. and I were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food and the service. It’s possible to compose your own three or four course menu but make sure you reserve a place at the restaurant as soon as you get in. We had about an hour’s wait but there’s plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime. Continue reading
Oh, those dreaded ‘moules-frites’… (©MRandin)
If you throw a stone in Brussels, chances are you’ll hit a chocolate shop. Each window is dressed beautifully, chocolate manneken pis are a plenty, you get chocolate on tap and since it was Valentine’s weekend, Brussels was bursting with chocolate hearts of all sizes. Continue reading
