Um, yeah, so like I was saying in a previous post, we seriously could've been at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. This place was nuts (not to mention HUGE). There was even a place called, "Via Rodeo," which I'm sure was named after Via Rodeo in Beverly Hills, as it was made in the likeness of that special little strip of Rodeo Drive...
The food court number 1 was basically a mega sized modge-podge of American fast food companies (Food Court number 2 was full of other American chains, though not fast food. Yeah - they had a Chilis - apparently its a big deal over here...). The only difference between Food Court Number 1 and any American food court is that the restaurants' signs are written in both English and Arabic. The Subway sign was particularly interesting: the S and the Y on the English version have little arrows drawn off of each letter. The same sign written in Arabic has the same little arrows at the beginning and end of the word, "SUBWAY," however I'm sure Arabic isn't really conducive (or at least it looks strange) to having cute little American marketing/advertising arrows drawn at the end of letters.
I had DAIRY QUEEN for lunch (bleh). In Dubai. I haven't had Dairy Queen for YEARS. And I come to Dubai and its the first fast food I ate. I think my other choices were McDonalds, KFC, Subway, Papa Johns, and then some other restaurants (if Wendy's had been there I'da been all over it). If that doesn't say something about what American culture/consumerism has done to the world, then I'm not sure what does...
Attached to the Mall of the Emirates is Ski Dubai, a GIANT extension to the mall that, coincidentally, resembles exactly what you'd think a building made to house ski slopes in the middle of the desert would resemble. See that giant thing extending up up and away? Thats the indoor skiing facility. We didn't actually have time today to step inside to really view the slopes, but I'm thinking we are going to have a bit of time tomorrow or at least before we leave next Thursday to go and see it. Apparently they're building a bigger one in Dubailand, which is Disney's new venture here in Dubai. As if one of these things wasn't enough - apparently there is more of a demand for indoor snow skiing in a desert climate than one would've originally thought...
See that building in the distance in the picture below? Its kinda hard to see through the atmosphere. That is the Atlantis, a brand-spankin new hotel (they haven't even had the grand opening ceremonies yet - that's next week) on the Palm Jumeirah, that man-made island made to resemble a giant palm that is dredged from the bottom of the sea. We are going there tonight to eat at this restaurant called Ossiana. Apparently its very chic (someday someone is going to have to explain what the word "chic" means, because, well, I've adopted it into my vocabulary, but I'm not really sure just exactly what it means...). I just called because their website says "Dress Code: Formal" and I wanted to know if formal meant formal as in winter dance formal, or formal as in Jimmy Buffet formal. Apparently it's the former because the lady who answered the phone suggested I wear a tux. Um, no.
2 comments:
AMAZING!
Great pictures but.... are you ever going to work or did you just TELL everyone you were going there to work? I laughed at jara's comment and I concur!! have a great time and keep blogging so the poor slobs at home can wish they were with you!! LOL A.L.
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