Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

[whipchick]

Welcome to Dubai! This brief quiz will prepare you for some of the many beautiful sights, exciting shopping and dining opportunities, and cultural practices in our emirate. Don’t worry-you’re not being graded! But your answers will be recorded in case we need evidence later.

Let’s get started!

Which of these will you NOT find easily/affordably in

Comments

[halfshellvenus]

I have actually wondered how, as an independent woman whose coloring alone would make her stand out, you manage to tolerate the strictures of that country. My family went to Morocco when I was a teen, and the relentless staring alone was really unnerving.

No street addresses! I can't imagine how people find anything. In a town of 10 houses, sure, but a city that size?

Gold-bar-dispensing ATM has me boggled (do people buy things in units of gold bars?), and personal ice-cream truck as well. That's luxury.

The six months of unpaid "training" for taxi drivers makes me Grrrr. That is such a hard life, and it shows how desperately the money is needed that people put themselves through that.

Placenta facial! :(

The last section, though, was probably my favorite. Camel units!

Well done, and yes, please hide after voting. :O

[whipchick]

The weird thing is, it really is underneath rather than in the open. Most people here are from somewhere else, and the dress code isn't really enforced - lots of Filipinas in shorts and short skirts. India is where I get the most staring, with Myanmar a close second.

I have to give the taxi directions to a landmark and then I direct him from there :) The city is very much divided into named sections and that helps.

I thought the ATM was a myth until I saw it, but I think it's meant for tourist amusement :)

[rayaso]

This was worth so many camels of wonderfulness I can't even begin to count them! I was cracking up through the whole thing, not just over the sometimes bizarre (by my parochial standards) information, but the playful humor of your writing.

[whipchick]

Thank you! I gratefully accept your camels!

[millysdaughter]

One of the princessbride's friends spent a few years there. She misses many things about Dubai -- but they have five daughters, and it is not a great place to raise teenage girls.

[whipchick]

Yeah - on one hand it's super safe, on the other, it's not a great place for teen rebellion unless you're fabulously wealthy.

[lrig_rorrim]

This is all just so damn weird to me. And also kind of scary. Definitely, definitely change the access on this later. In the meantime, I'm glad you shared it with us.

[whipchick]

I go back and forth between being happy to be here and excited to leave :)

[drwex]

I am surprised camels have gotten that cheap. Many years ago when I last looked they were priced like a top-end mid-sized car (~$35,000 iirc)

I'll probably be here 3-5 more years

I had thought this was (more or less) permanent for you?