Monday, November 07, 2005

Dubai, UAE

For about half an hour this evening, I was almost blinded by the allure of Dubai. I even spent a few minutes looking for jobs there. It's like a Disney World on earth. And then I remembered it was:
1) in the desert
2) really hot
3) an Arab country
4) therefore in the vicinity of terrorist nations
5) really hot

Here is what I remember from the programme:

  • At the moment, over 100,000 Britons own second homes in Dubai; this is expected to peak at 1 million in a few years.
  • Completion of the entire development project is expected in 2007.
  • Half the (native?) population of Dubai is building it.
  • Every home in Dubai is bought before it's built, sometimes even before it's approved, so high is demand.
  • There will be a total of 3 Palm Islands, made from reclaimed land. There will also be a group of islands modelled after every nation on earth, and suitably "themed". It will resemble the earth from the air...
  • There is a giant shopping mall with themed wings: Andalucian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, Chinese. The Andalucian wing is an exact replica of the Alhambra palace.
  • Nobody is left out. Soon there will be a set of neighbourhoods - exact models of Manhattan (down to your favourite pizzeria), Venice (in case the real one finally sinks), Paris (the marketing spokeswoman quipped, "Paris without the French."), and I don't know where else...
**********

Overheard at Number 33 (been ages, hasn't it?)
Or rather, as read in landlady's day planner, which is always left open on a corner of the kitchen counter:

Olivia Private View
174, Old Bond Street

(What have I been up to without my knowledge?)

13 comments:

michelle said...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, wonder what u were up too...

Anonymous said...

Hey! My leeched connection is back! Or rather, a new one has sprung up. I need to catch up on your blog...

No Dubai for me. Paris isn't Paris without the French. :)

Anonymous said...

How about Olivia's Dubai Dispatches? They could be just as addictive than yours out of London. And if you'd get tired of all the decadence you could always visit Karachi.

With 4 flights daily and a little under 2 hours flight time..it is a breeze

Olivia said...

Jia Li - from looking up the address in the directory, it seems I was either up to luxury jewellery design, or Asian antique collecting.

Merserene - got to admit, it is worth a visit. And welcome back!

Helmi - no no, abandon all thought. From an email I received this morning from my mother it could very well be quite another sort of Dispatches. More to come in a later blog.

Anonymous said...

Dubai!!! Sounds adventurous! Maybe not Dudai but why not work abroad?
I'd love to do it again.

vanessa

Olivia said...

Hey V - why don't you go to Dudai?
:P

Anonymous said...

Currently listening to: Loretta Lynn's You Ain't Woman Enough. He he

Dress yourself up and go out and be divine! Go to an art viewing, cocktail party, bar, whatever, and pretend to be somebody completely different. Be ridiculous and have a laugh!

MattJ said...

Yeah, seen pics of these Islands in Dubai. I know I'm being mindlessly biased if I move away from Britain to another country, I'm not sure I want to be surrounded by Brits, the 'Ex-Pat' crew. I only have media and documentaries to go on but there always seems to be a 'Little Englander' mentality wherever we decide to go. By that I mean a complete resistance to learning anything about the place we are invading! Or maybe I'm just in a cynical mood today :P

Olivia said...

Rebecca - why is everyone telling me to do strange things???
*sigh* It's been a long time since I had a cocktail...

Matt - I think ex-pats would annoy me. More of those middle-aged ladies in their beige tops who carry things in Lidl bags, only it's not Portugal this time.

Anonymous said...

Because you sounded like you need it.
In middle school before math tests (I was awful at math) I would do wierd things like sleep on the floor and stuff. Just to shake up my mood. Hmmm. I still failed all my tests. But with a laugh! Ha.

Anonymous said...

A side note: you know what I would like to be just for a day? Country! Listening to Loretta Lynn yesterday, I wanted to be able to stand on a stage and sing "If you're looking at me, you're looking at COuntry!". The only hat I look any good in is a cowboy hat, and I love chaps, what can I say. And, of course, I love that song. But I'm not very country, myself.

Olivia said...

Rebecca - I love going into something with that devil-may-care mood, not caring how I do. And yes, it HAS happened before!

You love the trappings of country, and the music --- so how does that not make you country?
You should be the one going to Tx, you half belong there anyhoo...

Anonymous said...

The middle-east is not for me!!! Beside I need to stay in Houston for a bit for my parents sake, work and then take off again.

vanessa