Here are a series of pictures of the Burj Dubai (world’s tallest building) as we get closer to it. Our original intention was to go to Festival City – one of the many malls – but if you miss your turn-off, you are up a creek. It is often easier to just change your destination than to try to get back on the path to where you originally wanted to go. So, our destination changed to the Dubai Mall.
These pictures were taken at dusk and, yes, there is a significant amount of pollution, but this was also the evening of our foggy day (see previous entry) and there was still a significant amount of fog hanging around. Warm and foggy, imagine! In fact, we had to run the windshield wipers because it was condensing on the outside of the windshield and making it nearly impossible to see to drive.
The frame of the building has reached its highest point, now they are just filling it out. They haven’t announced exactly how tall it has turned out to be, yet.
Archive for the ‘Dubai traffic’ Category
Burj Dubai, fog, traffic patterns
January 1, 2009Back by a popular demand of one
December 1, 2008
We got off the beaten path and into a busy neighborhood. You can see how the pedestrians just walk freely out into the street. No one here knows about “look both ways before crossing the street.”
The woman above is wearing distinctive clothing that is not local, but is definitely Muslim. I have not found out, yet, what nationality this style of dress indicates. Notice the Hardee’s advertisement with the juicy burger.
Here we have a Wimpy burger joint. The woman in yellow and her companions are in African style dresses. Notice the guy with a box on a handcart. Before I took this picture he was actually out in the middle of the road. And by the way, where’s Waldo?
Above is the sandlot, now empty, that had an untold number of cricket games going just yesterday.
I tried to take this picture to show the woman with the beautiful shayla with blue beading and sequins on it. She is in the center of the picture, just heading into a door. This neighborhood is predominantly East Indian, so it is rare to see an Emirati here.
Yes, this is a TGI Thursdays restaurant. There are also TGI Fridays restaurants here, but Thursday is the end of the week, so someone took advantage of that fact. Kinda like the Southern Fried Chicken restaurants that look suspciously like Kentucky Fried Chicken, right down to using SFC in their signage.
Here we have the Tourist Star trading company. There was also a Tourist Cafeteria in the neighborhood with hamburgers and fries on the menu. There were a lot of little hole in the wall food joints, most of which looked pretty questionable. I don’t think they have invented the Food Inspector here, yet.
Someone was kind enough to feed the pigeons.
We ventured into this neighborhood for a reason — the search for sewing supplies. Our efforts did not go unrewarded. We found a tailor supply shop and I bought a bunch of stuff and we chatted with the owner. I will definitely be going back as a loyal customer.
We often see public service type advertisements around town. Things like “UV rays can harm your eyes.” I particularly liked this one – Say no to Obesity. If I had only known it was that easy. “NO!” and the pounds just drop away.
Even better, I should fight obesity. Just haul off and let it have one right in the kisser! Just like any bully, it will turn tail and run away.
I took this picture of this mosque just because it is beautiful. Mosques are usually white, so to see one with a little color and interesting decoration was a pleasant change.
Here is a better, closer shot of the Burg Dubai, world’s tallest building for the moment.
And, one last shot showing several buildings and how each one has to be unique. They definitely don’t do the same thing twice.
How to park
November 23, 2008
This is the “sidewalk” outside our apartment. Good luck walking on the sidewalk. Don’t you just love the no parking signs?
Not Unusual Here
October 17, 2008If you scare easily or are already afraid for our safety, don’t read any further.
Unfortunately, the driving exhibited by the SUV in the YouTube video below is not unusual here. Aggressive driving here is beyond belief. They honk, they flash their lights, they tailgate like nobody’s business and lane lines are considered mere suggestions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOW-3SCSDw0 (You might want to mute it for language content.)
Add rampant jaywalking and you have an average day in Dubai.
Amazingly, we’ve only witnessed one accident in the two months we’ve been here. We were standing at a bus stop and heard a delivery truck slam on his breaks trying to avoid the taxi that was cutting in front of him. He didn’t make it. He yelled at the taxi driver who acted like it was just another day on the job. No biggie.
Everyone drives aggressively, but they are also constantly aware of what everyone else is doing. Does that count as driving defensively? As a passenger, I’ve gotten fairly jaded and it doesn’t phase me anymore. It is amazing how close people drive to each other and manage to not collide. I suspect that Paul will do all the driving when we finally get wheels. He didn’t like my driving in the States, he definitely won’t like it here. I would fit right in. 😉
Shopping, driving, ogling
August 25, 2008Saturday, August 16th – We experienced “weekend shopping” yesterday. We had been warned about it, but we had to check out of the hotel, so we needed things like sheets, towels, pots, pans, dishes, etc., in order to begin living in our new apartment. So, we had no choice. We took a taxi to Deira City Center, which is a large mall a short distance from here. Most of the things we needed could be purchased in Carrefour, a large (and I mean LARGE) store not unlike a super Walmart. I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in a mall or store at one time. It was a mad house, not unlike the old jokes about the JC Penney white sales. AND people here drive shopping carts like they drive cars.
We purchased our refrigerator (only appliance not provided with our apartment). If you are wondering about prices here, we got a large side by side with ice maker in the door (656 liter capacity – don’t know what that is in cubit feet) for approximately $1,300.00. Try that in the States! For the most part, prices are comparable or lower for most goods. The rents are sky high, but we don’t have to worry about that.
Gary B. asked what I would miss and I haven’t figured that out, yet. I have found many things that I am delighted are available, however. Fruit juice, REAL fruit juice is cheap and easy to come by. We can buy bottled lemonade that is actually made with lemons and tastes like lemons. Yummy! There are also many other fruit juices available – Mango, Orange, Apple, etc. I have yet to see CranApple, CranGrape, or CranWhatever. The juices aren’t all apple, pear, or white grape base with a little of the titled juice thrown in either. In fact, you can go to a food court restaurant and order fresh squeezed orange juice with your entree.
Our first load of laundry is running right now. The “directions” on the machine are all in symbols, so I hope I have guessed right. I thought the swirly symbol meant wash, but it turned out to mean spin, this lead to the discovery that I should read the symbols from the right to the left, not the left to the right.
It is interesting being out in public and discovering that you are some kind of oddity. The East Indian men “check me out” when I walk by, which wasn’t too unexpected, except that I am old, grey and overweight, so really didn’t expect to get ogled. On other occasions, though, women have given me a thorough look up and down, so I am not sure what that is about. My clothes are not unusual, so maybe it is my grey hair (which I have not seen much of on other people) or my weight (not many overweight people here either) or my pale skin (not much of that in the crowds where we’ve been shopping either). The cab driver, yesterday, seemed very interested in Paul’s appearance and asked us what country we were from. Perhaps he hasn’t seen a ruddy, red bearded guy before.
So, let’s talk about driving/traffic. The only thing I miss at this point is the freedom of having personal transportation. However, we are not in any hurry to start driving here. Lane markings are apparently only suggestions. You don’t actually have to stay in the lane as you round corners or even when driving straight. Changing lanes is done simply by nosing your car into the other lane. You can signal after the fact to let them know what you did. There is NO patience at a stop signal. If the light turns green and the first car does not immediately move forward, horns honk. No dilly dallying allowed. Construction is in progress everywhere, so detours are everywhere also. New buildings are going up everywhere, but infrastructure is not necessarily keeping up. There are plenty of main arterials, but the commute traffic problem is, in part, due to the lack of side street alternatives. No one has laid out a grid of streets, things just sprout up wherever and however large they want to. This plus the total lack of street addresses makes getting around a major challenge. Neither one of us is eager to join the chaos that is traffic.
The rapid transport train that is currently under construction will run right in front of our apartment building. I don’t know where the nearest station will be, but hope that it will be within walking distance. The train does not go right by the college, but will be a short walk (again depending on where the station is placed), although there is talk of a shuttle bus from the train to the college. It is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2009, so my hope is to hold out and taxi/carpool until then.
Sunday (tomorrow) is my first day of orientation/work. I’ll be glad to have something other than shopping to do and to be around others who are new and as bewildered as I. Will let you know how it goes.
Living the Travel Channel 