Live from Dubai!!!!

Hello friends, Sorry for the extremely exteeeeeeeeeeeended silence..........And thanks for remembering me during my self-imposed exile Pallavi and Avrosh!!!! Well the fact of the matter is that I was held up with my exams till the 6th of May and then, freaked out with friends for a couple of days and then, I've been here in Dubai for the past one week..........Gosh, its a week already.....unbelievable......been so busy catching up with long-lost friends and taking in quite gleefully the innumerable changes that have clouded this city in a seemingly short span of time (one month short of a year!)..........it feels, to put it subtly, nice, very nice to be back! Having said that.....what better topic to blog about than the changes that I see here, my reminiscences here and some things that have lingered in my mind!!!!!!

It's hot here..........an absolute furnace and I'm getting cooked in it........want me for lunch anybody??? Or dinner maybe?!!!!!! Well, let me be over with the wisecracks and tell you something more meaningful!

Yea, so the changes here...........too many to be listed out.......here are a few of them! Some of the roads have given way to mounds and mounds of construction material to give momentum to the ambitious project of a railway in UAE. New, suave and strong buildings have come up where dilapidated concrete structures once stood. New malls have come up.........there seems to be no end to the number of malls coming up here.....I mean "shop till you drop" is fast becoming an understatement!

The city seems to be stretching into the desert and in a few years from now, there won't be a desert here, going by the developments! Yet, overall, the feel of the place remains the same......the same warmth (heat let's say!!!!!!), the same cosmopolitan crowd, the same resplendent evenings marked by multi-hued lights along the streets.......yes, this is where I've spent 14 precious and memorable years of my life! Let me share something with all of you........Dubai has hosted 10 Shopping Festivals...each having a unique theme. Three of them that have truly touched me have been "Dubai.......the city that cares", "Mothers" and "One World...one Family". The former has almost become a motto of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the second has lingered as a sub-theme at best for all subsequent festivals while the last has stayed on as the very essence and spirit of the festival year after year.

Dubai......the city that cares......yes, how else would you define the welcome that tourists get at the hotels when they arrive, the services offered to them and the efforts that go into making their stay a pleasant one?? Apart from tourists, life for residents here is very well taken care of.....services and amenities-the very best, hospitality unlimited, shopping - need I say anything????? So, Dubai cares for its people........

Mothers..........how can a theme such as this one not touch your heart......Only recently- 3 days back on 14th May - we celebrated Mothers' Day........So much has been said about the role of mothers in the development of the child, about their contribution to society, about their trials and tribulations that we hardly need to look further for role models........Mothers are the epitome of unconditional love, sacrifice, understanding and tolerance. What better way to honour them than to have an entire festival to celebrate their being!!!!

Coming to "One World....One Family", this is undoubtedly the theme that reflects the true spirit of the DSF and brings to fore the cosmopolitan atmosphere prevailing here......the camaraderie that people share irrespective of lineage, religion, place of origin and language. All barriers are cut across to bring about an environment that is tolerant, respectful and affectionate towards only one race - the Human race; only one family - the World! Yes, this is the ultimate theme in terms of suitability to the place and the cause!

So that brings us back to where I started..........nothing's changed......not the familial atmosphere, not the respect.......just the facade.....the screen-saver as you may call it....its the cover that's changed, but the glory of the book remains blissfully intact!! Dubai......the city of glory!!!!!

Well, well......that was almost an ode to this place.................I guess I just got carried away in my memories and they've translated into this post on my blog for all of you to read and take in!!!!!!!!!! Gosh sometimes, I wish I had Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve which could hold my memories for safekeeping and have me return to them and take a sneak peak into them as and when I wish! (Gee.....I'm a total Harry-Potter-aholic!!!) But on second thoughts.........I guess this blog IS my pensieve and you guys can take a sneak peak into it too.....anytime you want!!!!!! I'd love you to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, that's for today......I hope I'm a tad more regular with blogging.....having broken the ice today!!!!!!!

Till next time................it's Tally-ho from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!