First Impressions

Dubai....interesting place.  As some of the locals have said, Dubai is like NYC, very very diverse culturally with only 10% of the people living here native Arabs while the rest are ex-pats working and living here.  There seems to be quite a disparity between the two groups incomewise. In chatting with some of the volunteers here, the cost of living is high, but income is okay, but like back in the states, it’s tough to get ahead for normal working people.  I’d heard about Dubai in that there were Ferrari’s on every road etc, but I’ve yet to see even one super car.  Mini vans, SUVs and small white cars rule the day.  Actually the two most unusual cars I’ve seen are a Chevy 1500 pickup and a new Ford Mustang! Odd to see here.

So Dubai is very open and accepting....it is a Muslim country (Emirates) and you have to respect that part of the country, but it also is less conservative than Abu Dhabi. We keep asking about customs and things like touching and hugging, which is okay within our team ( hugging an athlete for instance) but isn’t proper with natives.  Hospitality is the name of the game here and the people are so very friendly. I’ve enjoyed talking to everyone I’ve met.  We are treated so well and our hosts will bend over backwards to help.

Speaking of...well, speaking, English is really the second, or even first language here.. all signs are in Arabic and English and as I take it, all the foreign nationals living here use English as the main language....lucky for us.  Our bus guide, in conversation talked about how in Dubai, with so many different cultures mixing, that it really is a very tolerant place, much more so than back home.  Maybe not in every way, but people here have no concern of what nationality you are or the color of your skin.  In some ways, that mimics what we experience in Special Olympics at a world games.  

With all the disappointing rhetoric we hear lately in the US, it’s a refreshing attitude.

On the bus ride from AD to Dubai, it was like sensory overload as far as commercialism.  I’ve never seen such huge billboards along roads and buildings were plastered with digital colorful gaudy advertising. Everywhere. This is sort of a cross between Vegas (w/o the gambling) and NYC.  This is a huge vacation destination and hub for money to be spent.  It’s a clash between traditional Arab garb and western clothing and also cultures, but it seems to coexist.

If one was in construction, this is the Mecca for that industry.  There is building everywhere. The desert is literally turning into concrete with development going on everywhere we’ve driven. Sky cranes dot the skyline line everywhere.  The sky scrapers are crazy, with such unusual architectural styles and seemingly an emphasis in going as tall as possible.  Hopefully I can get a few photos to post here at some point. 

We had our first workout today, such a relief from host town activities. The athletes just want to run.  It all went well and we start competing in trials tomorrow.  Head coaches meeting tonight, so I’ll get the skinny on all details track and field related.  Looking forward to getting in the track groove.