Adventures in Dubai

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Hello all! Tom and I are updating from the lobby of the Traders Hotel by Shangri-la in Dubai, United Arab Emirates after paying 20 Dirhams (equivalent USD 6) for a 45-minute Internet session. Unfortunately, we won't be able to upload pictures to this blog throughout the trip because we don't have a mechanism to bring them from the camera to the Internet...so keep an eye out for them on this blog when we return!

But what a trip so far! The flight from NYC to Dubai was long, but we were made VERY comfortable by Emirate airlines (complete with aisle ceilings that lit up to create a starry sky for us to sleep under!). It's been great to have this 2-day layover in Dubai, splitting up the 21 hours' worth of flights before arriving in Dar es Salaam, TZ for the main events.

Our experiences in Dubai have been incredible...every inch of our journey so far has been colored by BEAUTIFUL people! From the young man sitting next to us on the plane who happened to have grown up in Dar and is now returning home to TZ for the first time in three years after attending Brigham Young University, to the Pakistani man working in an Iranian carpet/tapestry shop who sold me a silk scarf for 100 Dhs less than listed price after chatting amiably with him for fifteen minutes or so about his life story, and even to the myriad of taxi drivers (who have given us a great taste of the local flare!) who love practicing their English on us and telling us about their city. Surprising moments: seeing women in floor-length black burqas wearing jeans and tennis-shoes underneath...walking by a man in a full set of white robes and headdress talking on a cell phone pushing a stroller with a kid playing a hand-held Playstation...flipping channels in our hotel room upon arrival last night and stumbling upon The Office with Arabic subtitles...it's AMAZING how universal and interconnected our societies truly are, despite distance and seemingly irreconcilable cultural differences.

Sunday morning our flight leaves from Dubai to Dar, and we can't wait to finally see the end results of Findlay High School's efforts, and meet the community that will benefit from all the hard work!

مسالم , ("Peace", spelled courtesy of our Arabic keyboard at the hotel's computer!)
Tom and Leah

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Comments

[young man from BYU]

that young man from BYU really enjoyed meeting you guys !! enjoy ur selves u guys while TZ..........