Having spoken loads about Mumbai where I currently am, I'm now liable to tell you guyz something about the vibrant city that's DUBAI! I've spent a big chunk of my life in that wonderful city.
Dubai is the commercial capital of UAE (just like Mumbai is to India). It's an ultra modern city buzzing with activity all through the day and night and all through the year. To me, Dubai is just a modern version of Mumbai, complete with the crowds (which is cosmopolitan but dominantly Indian), the streets, etc. The difference is that DXB is spick and span and there's no way you'd find people openly and indiscriminately littering about the place - they do it discreetly!!!! Being a small country, UAE is a lot easier to manage than Mumbai, yet the cleanliness has got to be appreciated. Dubai has developed immensely in the past 10 years mainly and I've seen it grow in front of my eyes. One day I travel on a road and there's a multistoreyed tower under construction and the next time I go there, the tower is fully occupied and operational and not just that - there's a new skysraper springing up beside it!
The latest feather in Dubai's proverbial 'cap' is the emerging of The Palm and The World - 2 prestigious man-made islands coming up pat in the middle of the Arabian Sea and where someday, I hope to own a plot and a sea-facing bungalow!
Dubai is culturally very rich too, and at the heart of all the modernisation is a Dubai that is still rooted to its.....well....roots! Ladies and girls are respected and have zones reserved for them at all public places. The Holy month of Ramadan is a period of fasting from dawn to dusk for the followers of Islam but also a period when mutual respect for relegion is displayed in all its fervour as people of all faiths refrain from eating/drinking in public. All festivals - be it Muslim or otherwise - are given due respect and celebrated with aplomb - crackers are burst and festivities abound for Diwali, Onam and Christmas alike! There is freedom of religion out there....they don't stop you from practicing your religion and culture - all they ask is for you to respect theirs!
It's quite safe at all times though the perennial risks of theft or crimes of a more serious nature are always there - but then I'd like to see some place in the world that's insulated against these risks! The public transport system is amazing and its perfectly possible and even easy to survive there without owning a vehicle.
As is well known, Dubai is a tourist and shopper's paradise - it's a melting pot of all cultures in the world, Its brimming with pristine beaches (clean ones too!), sprawling and lush gardens, amusement parks and a few zoos and the world's best hotels and resorts. Dubai's climate is not as bad, considering it is bang in the middle of a desert. The months June to September are unbearably hot and frustratingly humid but the lovely months of December to February are so pleasant, cool and breezy that they almost make up for the heat! The other months are generally pleasant. The occasional showers in the winter months are an absolute delight and a thrilling respite from the regular heat!
Phew...............that was some post - I feel like I've just written an essay! Well, Dubai's an awesome place but it kinda makes u accustomed to luxury to such an extent so that u don't know challenges. I have no regrets about having been there n have loved it with all my heart! But yes, there's just no place like home! And Mumbai's home........
The best thing about Dubai is that it is a foreign country and still so close to home - a hop, skip and jump away! Dubai has made me the person I am today and I have loadsa memories associated with it - More on them in the days to come!!!!!!!!!!!!
For now, Tally-ho!!!!!!
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