My First Bus Ride Impressions of Dubai

The bus showed up early and to Bernard’s surprise neither he nor the driver had any idea where we were supposed to go. Three mobile phones later, the Mica exchange girls and bearded Bernard were circling the block of the hotel until the Zayed teacher, Nancy arrived at our hotel to guide us through the rapidly urbanizing dust flying city. Tall impersonal modern buildings gave way to shorter adobe structures. Compared to the metallic shine of the skyscrapers these sand colored dwellings seemed to mesh so well with the landscape; almost as if the desert had opened up and popped them out of its brown dry earth. As we got into the residential areas the minarets from local mosques peered over the houses. Intricate mosaics of interwoven lines swirled up the carved towers. In the distance the tallest building in the world to be leered down upon the neighborhood. Its metallic form glowing in the sun. Nancy wondered if the girls would arrive on time or late to Maryam’s grandparent’s house. It was common here to arrive later than expected according to Nancy. Not all that surprising since most of Europe is the same. However we were the ones who arrived late to meet the receiving line of local Emirate abaya clothed women who would be our connection to this different culture. The girls were very welcoming and we were led into a huge room that was lined in couches, called a Majlis. The ceiling had huge crystal chandeliers that lit up carved wooden stars made up from two rotated squares. (continued by hand in my journal)