Life was hectic working 6.5 days every week, 14 to 18 hours a day, so something had to give and the blog became a prime candidate. That, and coupled with my desire to go offline, this will probably be my last blog for a very long time.
Before I go, I want to recall some of the images that captured my imagination in 2015, when I did not have time to blog at all.
The hospitality at the Sheraton Mall of Emirates, Dubai, blew me away. Whether rose petals on the bed to welcome me back, to wish me happy birthday, or some animals in folded towels for amusement, I was well looked after. The staff at the Senabel restaurant and the Club Lounge would greet me by name and made me feel welcome, home from home.
The Global Village, Dubai - at once gaudy and strangely attractive - a night time feast for the eyes. It cost 30 AED to get in and the shops inside the pavilions named after continents sold mostly cheap and tacky merchandise. The amusement park atmosphere evoked in me a marvel that I missed in my childhood. I bought two pashminas from an old man from Kashmir.
The Dubai Metro - fully automated, efficient and clean, this is the dream of modern transport. I took the Gold Carriage to have unimpeded view of the run on the Red Line from Mall of Emirates to Jebel Ali and then in the opposite direction to the international airport station at Rashidiya. From a forest of high rise to the desert, what a ride.
Before I go, I want to recall some of the images that captured my imagination in 2015, when I did not have time to blog at all.
The hospitality at the Sheraton Mall of Emirates, Dubai, blew me away. Whether rose petals on the bed to welcome me back, to wish me happy birthday, or some animals in folded towels for amusement, I was well looked after. The staff at the Senabel restaurant and the Club Lounge would greet me by name and made me feel welcome, home from home.
Over the top wedding gold jewelry at the Gold Souk, Dubai. At a brand name much loved by the Indian contingent, the gold necklaces were literally flying off the shelves. Buyers were three deep and without a strong arm, tentative shoppers could not get a look in. And not a single security guard in sight, such is the law and order in Dubai.
The Global Village, Dubai - at once gaudy and strangely attractive - a night time feast for the eyes. It cost 30 AED to get in and the shops inside the pavilions named after continents sold mostly cheap and tacky merchandise. The amusement park atmosphere evoked in me a marvel that I missed in my childhood. I bought two pashminas from an old man from Kashmir.
The Dubai Metro - fully automated, efficient and clean, this is the dream of modern transport. I took the Gold Carriage to have unimpeded view of the run on the Red Line from Mall of Emirates to Jebel Ali and then in the opposite direction to the international airport station at Rashidiya. From a forest of high rise to the desert, what a ride.
The Waterfall sculpture at the Dubai Mall - breathtakingly beautiful with figures of men diving in front of a man made waterfall. Of course there are also the Burj al Khalifa and the Dubai Dancing Fountain at this well keeled shopping mall, but to me this sculpture gave me awe and pleasure.
The Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi - spectacular, monumental, truly awesome. I much prefer this to the Blue Mosque at Istanbul - the white marble so dazzling, the chandeliers so sumptuous, and the craftsmanship so exquisite. Reality beckoned at the car park - a guard picked me up for not donning my scarf.
The Miracle Garden at Dubai - beautiful models of houses, animals, decked with flowers. Petunias and marigolds created a riot of colours, the gardens kept spotlessly clean by an army of men from the Indian sub-continent. Most people in the service sector in Dubai came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Thailand.
The Ibn-Battuta Mall - an interesting concept for a shopping mall, themed along the places that the explorer Ibn-Battuta once visited. Quite how the locals conceived the image of a Chinese boat baffled me. However, the abundance of imperial reds and the motifs used definitely screamed Chinese. More is more.
Sidewalk stuffed with merchandise, Sharjah - I went one piping hot afternoon to Sharjah to enjoy some art and afterwards wandered around the empty streets looking at the place I imagined Dubai once looked like. The price explosion at Dubai must make places like Sharjah look extremely competitive, with dresses retailing for only 100 AED.
The Shoe Gallery, Dubai Mall - There are shoe shops and there are shoe shops. The cavernous shoe gallery at Dubai Mall was something to behold. Exquisite shoes, outrageous shoes, and mortgage-sized shoes were displayed enticingly among marble columns under seductive lighting. After this all other shoe shops pale into insignificance.
I close this blog with a view from the Sheraton Hotel Mall of Emirates. In the foreground is the Burj al Arab, dominating the skyline. I once inquired about high tea at this seven star establishment but balked a the price and wondered if the view of the Jumeriah beach and the environs plus the food was actually worth paying a king's ransom for an afternoon tea.
The Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi - spectacular, monumental, truly awesome. I much prefer this to the Blue Mosque at Istanbul - the white marble so dazzling, the chandeliers so sumptuous, and the craftsmanship so exquisite. Reality beckoned at the car park - a guard picked me up for not donning my scarf.
The Miracle Garden at Dubai - beautiful models of houses, animals, decked with flowers. Petunias and marigolds created a riot of colours, the gardens kept spotlessly clean by an army of men from the Indian sub-continent. Most people in the service sector in Dubai came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Thailand.
Sidewalk stuffed with merchandise, Sharjah - I went one piping hot afternoon to Sharjah to enjoy some art and afterwards wandered around the empty streets looking at the place I imagined Dubai once looked like. The price explosion at Dubai must make places like Sharjah look extremely competitive, with dresses retailing for only 100 AED.
The Shoe Gallery, Dubai Mall - There are shoe shops and there are shoe shops. The cavernous shoe gallery at Dubai Mall was something to behold. Exquisite shoes, outrageous shoes, and mortgage-sized shoes were displayed enticingly among marble columns under seductive lighting. After this all other shoe shops pale into insignificance.
I close this blog with a view from the Sheraton Hotel Mall of Emirates. In the foreground is the Burj al Arab, dominating the skyline. I once inquired about high tea at this seven star establishment but balked a the price and wondered if the view of the Jumeriah beach and the environs plus the food was actually worth paying a king's ransom for an afternoon tea.