Old Farts in New Delhi

Where in the world, tell me, where in the world….

So, I’ll start today’s blontry with a picture quiz. I’ve been on a business trip most of this past week. Based on these pictures, can you guess where I’ve been? You want some clues, I’ve got your clues right here, but I am DUBAIous you will need one.

Yes, you are correct sir. I have been in Dubai again this week. I was there for an education fair and to meet with education consultants; I had oh about an hour and a half I wasn’t working. Things were bubbling back in Delhi so I worked on things there morning and night and the rest of the time we were at an education fair meeting with potential students and their families or talking with education consultants. Or actually to be more accurate we were standing in our booth. Traffic was very poor until the last day of the fair.

Anyhoo, as I noted, I did have an hour and a half I wasn’t otherwise occupied so I decided to see one of the sites of Dubai I didn’t see the last time I was there: a shopping center. Mall of the Emirates to be exact. This mall is amazing. It is roughly the size of Rhode Island and it was decorated by the same guy who decorated the Versailles Palace. Ah-mazing. It is now not even the largest mall in Dubai. The new mall is as large as Vermont. But I digress.

In the time I had at the Mall of the Emirates, I didn’t begin to make a dent in one floor. I saw every upscale store brand I think I have ever seen in the US, Europe, or Asia, plus several that I have never seen. The mall is so large it has two mosques. And a ski resort. You may have heard about this, before I am here to bear witness.  I have seen and it is true. From the time you walk in, you feel like you are at Dear Valley or some other upscale ski resort. There is even a lodge for après skiing. As you can see they even have human sized hamster balls. Here are some pictures.

As I end this week, I will change my usual ending from Namaste to Namascray – The crazy in me recognizes and salutes the crazy in you. That seems about right.

Namascray