Of Souks and Shopping Malls

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I admit it: I am a hypocrite.

Often I have told people that I have little interest in visiting Vegas. Often I have explained how much I dislike Florida (sorry, Kyle!). The reasons I usually give for this bit of travel snobbery revolve around how fake everything seems to me. Everything seems like a movie-set facade; look behind that facade and you'll find little of substance.

Yet, oddly - even before I moved to Sudan and it became much easier to reach - I long have been intrigued by that weird little emirate on the sultry Arab/Persian Gulf: Dubai. Why would I ever want to go to a place that appeared to be one big air-conditioned temple of capitalism run-amok, a miraj of over-the-top architecture and grandiose projects built on the backs of near slave labor? Well, perhaps precisely for those very reasons. I was curious to see with my own eyes if these were accurate images; perhaps, also, to compare it with my experiences of Saudi Arabia. I wanted to see how this strip of sandy coastline developed from a tiny pearling village and trading post into one of the most iconic cities in the world, all in a matter of decades.

Now, living in Sudan, I have 1) easier access to Dubai - there are daily direct flights on the low-cost airline, flydubai - and 2) more practical reasons to go. Dubai sort of serves as a stocking up station for those living and working Khartoum, since you can find almost anything you want in its souks and malls, and usually for prices much lower than you get in Sudan. I ended up getting a number of odds and ends, such as towels and a decent skillet - along with a number of grocery items! - that are hard to come by in my new hometown and/or are beyond my budget. Even though it has been just over a month, most of us who made this trip were rather overjoyed by the rich variety we found in stores such as Carrefour. Seeing us, you might have thought we'd been in the wild for years.

But the main reason for this long weekend - at least for me! - was not to shop. It was, as I said, to investigate the myths and realities of Dubai.

***

We arrived on the last day of Ramadan/the day before Eid-ul-Fitr (the reason we had the holiday in the first place), which added a unique flavor to our visit. Our plane landed bright and early at 6am; as we disembarked, the humidity slapped us in the face (the fogging of my glasses every time I left a building would become a recurring theme of our three days in Dubai). Groggy from the overnight flight, all we could think about was getting settled into our hotel and finding a place to eat and quench our thirst.

However, we soon discovered that this was not going to be an easy task, even in the most "western" seeming areas. After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we ventured over to the nearby Mall of the Emirates (the first of many on this trip) hoping that maybe, just maybe, even with Ramadan still in force, that we could rustle up a coffee. We wandered the empty halls, passing shuttered store after shuttered store. Coffee-shops abounded, but all were closed. Perhaps it was just too early? Perhaps we just needed to be patient? We noticed a crowd starting to gather by the entrance of Carrefour, the French "hypermarket" that would become one of our favorite shopping destinations; perhaps we could find something there to take-away. As soon as the gates were opened, we rushed in and swept up some delicious looking breads and pastries and some bottles of juice. One of my colleagues, as soon as he paid, tried to open his milk, but a security guard came rushing at him - "No drinking! No eating" Thus began a day of covert meals. Some cafes and restaurants, like old-time speakeasies, pulled their curtains and put up temporary screens to shield views of their food and drink from fasting Muslims passing by; others simply stayed closed till iftar. I knew to expect this, but others in our group, less familiar with living in a Muslim country (and who were able to eat and drink fairly openly at our school) found the restrictions more challenging.

But the next day was Eid - freedom! Eid Mubarak! But, wait - now the souks were closed! Well, it is a holiday.

Tiffany and I were not going to let this stop us, however. First fortifying ourselves with coffee and pastries at Paul (a French cafe in the Mall), we made our way down to Dubai Creek, the center of the old Dubai and perhaps the most "Middle Eastern" part of the city. The Bastakia Quarter, a warren of recently restored wind tower homes (originally of Persian merchants), sits on the bank of the waterway; souks of all sorts (for textiles, spices, gold) cluster on both shores. Despite the ferocious heat, we explored the area, even hopping on a couple of abras (little wooden boat-taxis) to criss-cross the Creek. When we needed some respite, we ducked into a wonderful oasis in the Bastakia, a cafe built into the courtyard of one of the historic homes; the fresh juices, enormous salads, and homemade ice-cream were some of the best food we had had since moving to this part of the world - and setting the stage for a day of gluttonous enjoyment of all the food options available in the city. Next stop in the area was the Dubai Museum, built into Al-Fahidi Fort, the oldest structure in town - a fascinating window into the astoundingly rapid growth of the city.

In the late afternoon, we tried out the brand new metro, a sleek system that would not look out of place in a Star Trek movie, to return to the "new" Dubai: this time to the base of the Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world, and to the overwhelming Dubai Mall. The Burj, for all its issues - Dubai couldn't afford to finish it when the economic crash occurred, so had to borrow money from Abu Dhabi (hence the name change from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa); it also is nearly empty, as it is harder to entice tenants in these tighter economic times; oh, and apparently the building is plagued with water and electrical issues due to its extreme height - is impressive. Even being right next to it, the tower seemed unreal, as if it had been photoshopped into the background. I went a little snap happy with the camera!

The Dubai Mall, which is next door to the Burj, was a wonder of a different sort. We had been overwhelmed by the size of the Mall of the Emirates, but this place - well, we worried we were never going to find our way out! Every high-end brand is represented in the labyrinth of stores; a self-contained gold souk meanders through the center of the building; there is a full size ice rink (an attempt to draw the ski crowd from the enclosed Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates?); a huge cinema; restaurants galore (we just had to stop for some sushi). As this was Eid, the place was packed with Emiratis and expats, as well as a large contingent of other Gulf Arabs coming to throw around their money. If all this wasn't surreal enough, there were stations throughout the mall where local "culture" was being exhibited - traditional dancing (on a disco-lit floor), Bedouin weaving, falconry (with live falcons). These scenes could not have been more incongruous.

Once we were able to figure out how to escape the mall, we emerged into the humid night to find a fire-works like display of dancing water spouts shooting from the enormous artificial lagoon wrapping around one side of the complex. The Burj, soaring above us, was a riot of flashing lights. It might have been my imagination, but I swear I heard the sound of energy being sucked from across the Arabian Peninsula to fuel this display...

To round out the long day, we slingshotted back to Dubai Creek, finding a local cafe on Al-Shindagha Promenade. As I smoked my apple shisha, and Tiffany and I tucked into a delicious kebab (yes, more food), we watched the dhows slip by and the less ostentatious lights of this neighborhood play across the dark water. It seemed another planet from the Dubai we had just seen. But was it really?

***

You can't escape the dark realities of modern Dubai. The drive to be the biggest, best, and flashiest has come with a big price tag, not just financially but also socially and culturally. The buildings go up so rapidly because the labor is cheap - essentially indentured servants brought from South and Southeast Asia and, increasingly, Africa. The financing for most of the early expansion was built on shifting sand, which was revealed when the global economic crisis hit the emirate. Thousands of westerners who had come to get rich fast in the overheated Dubai economy suddenly were faced with losing jobs and having to account for large debts; many simply absconded, leaving behind everything - including their cars (you can find these dust-covered corpses in some places in the city, still). Many buildings are nearly empty. Many of the big artificial islands that were being constructed in the Gulf are now nothing more than sandbars. Still, the government does a good job of keeping up appearances, despite being broke. Everything gleams and glitters. The metro runs smoothly and efficiently. The city is perhaps the world's most impressive smokescreen.

Yet I couldn't help but be fascinated by this bizarre place. In some ways, despite the dramatic physical changes and population explosion, the new Dubai builds on the trading heritage of the old Dubai. The old-fashioned souks of central Dubai might be seen as precursors to the megamalls. Merchants from around the Indian Ocean used to come here to wheel and deal; Arab sailers set forth from this port to return the favor (even now, wooden dhows ply Iranian ports). Today, the wheeling and dealing is just done on a much grander scale; the merchants and consumers come by plane more than by ship.

I wouldn't want to live in Dubai. But I am glad I embraced being a hypocrite and made the journey.

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Comments

[Tina Bui]

Great pics!
As always, your pics are amazing. I don't know how you don't just get overwhelmed with the place, the blog writing or the picture taking. I'm like a kid in the candy store-- taking EVERYTHING without really thinking about the quality of anything! I'm so glad you share your gifts with us! Miss you! -T

[Nat]

<3 Chihuly!
http://www.chihuly.com/

[Tracey]

On the Road again!!
James, As always, it is fun to travel vicariously with you! Glad you are well and traveling!! Happy Thanksgiving!!