[from kuwait city to dubai.]

even santa claus could not have dreamed up such a gift.

for christmas my aunt and uncle surprised me with a trip to dubai.  perhaps the most enchanting city one can imagine.  i am only beginning my years of travel but something tells me that no other city on earth is such a manmade wonder as dubai is.  i don’t know what to make of it but it is a sparkling jewel in the middle east that reflects unthinkable architect and innate human beauty.

with a day trip to abu dhabi i am able to see life here through my aunt and uncle who have spent so much care and time in making sure that this is a special visit.  amongst the wonders that they introduce to me are: the burj al-arab, the only 7-star hotel in the world that is shaped like a sailboat – this is where we had christmas dinner.  the burj khalifa, the tallest building the world that consists of the georgia armani hotel and the world’s largest mosque and residences.  the emirates palace hotel – located in abu dhabi this is a 6-star hotel that was home to sheik kalifa (president of the UAE).  he built a new palace so this form residence has been converted into a hotel and spa resort.  the al-qasr hotel -in arabic ‘al-qasr’ means ‘the palace’.  in the heart of dubai the front entrance to this architectural wonder is lined with numerous gold statues of arabian horses.

there were other little cultural shocks too.  such as being a tanned, blonde westerner strolling through public – i felt so ignorant towards this magnificent part of the world.  yes, there is violence and disparity here – as there is everywhere – but there is a charm and beauty here that i don’t think most westerners witness, fabricated by our media there is a lot of truth to be told.  true, i do not know enough or understand it all myself, however, after walking through the streets i am reminded that there is just not one way of living….in fact, we could learn a lot about the respect and integrity of the people here.

in what has been a whirlwind of christmas celebrations, my first exposure to the middle east and the comfort of family i am forever appreciative of the love and worldview that my aunt and uncle has instilled in me – without question it has sparked this new will to live a happy life, a life that is a result in not giving up on your dreams and embracing the great, grand world that is out there.