Christian here again. I'm grinding out a 24-hour layover here in Dubai and since I decided to leave the airport yesterday afternoon and evening, I thought I'd share a few of my initial impressions on the City of Gold. (My KCHAG blogs part 2 and 3 are on their way, so don't worry).
First off, if there is one thing you need to know about Dubai (you may already know it), it's that the city only speaks the language of flashiness, luxury and wealth.
What do I mean by that?
Everything has been built, designed, and created to satisfy some material purpose. For example, if you fly Emirates first-class, on arrival to Dubai you are greeted by chauffeurs who take you to the swank Emirates First Class Lounge, where you are presented on arrival with a gold-encrusted iPad and an array of expensive cheeses, wines, and other fancy dishes to enjoy while you are there. Beds and sleep pods are available at no additional charge so you can unwind and relax on your layover, no matter how short or long.
If Dubai is your final destination on your travels, should you request Emirates' signature chaffeur-drive service, upon exit of the airport you will be greeted by any one of a number of luxury cars to take you to your final destination. These include Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins and Maseratis, by the way.
Or listen to this one. I think you'll like it.
The famous Dubai Mall, located near the also-famous Burj Khalifa, doesn't just have every shop you could ever possibly want to visit inside it. It does, but it also has a LOT more.
By a lot more, I mean a gigantic aquarium on one level, that will come to host over 33,000 animals over time, with over 400 sharks and rays alone making their home there. It features an enormous glass viewing window and viewing tunnel where amazed crowds can gawk at all sorts of sea creatures gracefully gliding through the azure-blue water.
By a lot more, I mean that there is an ice-rink on another level within the mall. AN ICE RINK. This is a city that experiences sickeningly-hot summers, a city that was still sitting at 100°F (38°C) when I stepped outside at 10pm yesterday. It's in a desert, Yet within this one mall is an ice-rink the same size as the one in Rockefeller Center in New York City, where hundreds of Emiratis and other tourists can enjoy a skate with family or friends, no matter the heat outside.
By a lot more, I mean there is a cinema with over 22 different screens, the largest in Dubai. There is an indoor theme park called Sega Republic located on yet ANOTHER level. A THEME PARK, PEOPLE. The size and scale of this mall is something incredible to behold.
There is every shop and store you could possibly think of within this city. From Louis Vuitton and Armani to H&M and Mango, you can find something for every taste and price range. The whole culture surrounding the city is one of owning the most luxurious items, the most exotic cars, the biggest properties. With all the stores surrounding the people here, it's no wonder they are so in love with pursuing their materialistic, vain, shallow goals. It is encouraged and welcomed here.
The Dubai Metro is another good example of the luxury Emiratis have become accustomed to.
The driverless, incredibly smooth-riding trains are constantly air-conditioned to provide relief from the crushing heat outside.
For a small extra fee, you can get your train ticket upgraded to Gold Class. This gives you access to a cabin with plush leather seats, footrests, and a huge panoramic window at the back of the train to let you gaze at skyline passing you by.
There is a seperate cabin for women and children, which can either be viewed as a sexist thing or you can view it as providing women comfort and safety when using the train.
The trains are always sparkling-clean, and there are heavy monetary penalties imposed for everything from eating and drinking within a train to entering the wrong cabin at the station.
It's quite an impressive metro system.
Also, All the buildings around the main city center are all built out of incredible futuristic-looking glass and shiny metals with incredible designs, giving off this weird Tomorrowland/Looper/Blade Runner vibe (if you haven't seen either of those 3 movies, I highly suggest you go and do so. At least Google it so you know what I mean).
You just can't wrap your mind around it; somehow, in the vast emptiness of the unforgiving desert, one of the world's leading cities has sprung up from seemingly nothing. Not only that, but it continues to provide unparalleled luxuries and amenities to its residents, making it one of the most desirable places to live in the world for many people.
However, with that being said, I would never want to live in Dubai, nor stay here longer than I really needed to.
It is so fake.
Everything is so cold, all glass and metal and marble and shiny surfaces.
This isn't somewhere that makes you feel at home, that is warm and welcoming. This isn't somewhere people want to stay forever. This is a transient city, with people leaving and coming every few years and no one ever establishing any deep, meaningful relationships with one another.
Everything in this city pampers and spoils you and makes you numb to the hurt and suffering of others around the world. You become discontent with everything and nothing satisfies you for very long, because you are used to constant stimulation of the senses here in Dubai. In short, you become an unfeeling person.
Although seemingly a vibrant, busy city, in Dubai you must remember that a few miles outside the city are endless stretches of barren desert. You are surrounded by absolute nothingness; you really are on the edge of the world, in the middle of nowhere, so to speak. That alone would be enough to drive me insane.
I need life around me, I need warmth and comfort and a sense of community.
That's what I love about being Armenian so much: we have such a strong sense of family and community. Go anywhere there are Armenian communities around the world, and you are welcomed home as if you had never lived there your whole life. Family is of utmost importance to us, and so are the relationships we build with the people we love.
Although I'm sure Dubai has this just as many other cities might, for some reason I felt that the city was devoid of all that I just spoke about.
It sucks the life out of you until you are someone you never thought you would be.
Dubai is a city that initially leaves you feeling easily impressed, awed, and in love but, like a seductress, ultimately leaves you feeling empty, lost, lonely, and discontented.
PS-Sorry for the weird highlights on most of this post. I have no clue what that's all about and I;m trying to fix it as soon as possible.
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