Sassy Collar Bones

I've been lucky enough to do a handful of international trips for work, and jumped at the opportunity to head to the Middle East, even if that meant going sans-Ben. While I spent the majority of time working while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there were plenty of shenanigans to be had.



Let me start off by saying that Dubai is a fascinating place. I kept comparing it to the Capital City from the Hunger Games series-- I didn't see any visible poverty. Everything was very clean, and brand new, and flashy, and over the top.

After a quick 24 hours of flying, I land in Dubai to find my friends from The Netherlands! (One of whom I've been friends with for a long time, and the other, just a brief, yet very up-close-and-personal encounter). We immediately make plans to go dune buggying the next day in the desert, which is everything we imagined it would be (sand e.v.e.r.y.where), and more (read: riding a snowboard down a sand dune).
If you're ever in the Arabian desert, please take out a questionably safe vehicle and drive down steep slopes. It's a blast.

After a few seemingly uneventful dinners, and more comments about my collar bones from strangers than I'm accustomed to, I have a day off and venture to Abu Dhabi (a 1.5 hour drive from Dubai) to check out the sites.
Let me first set the stage just in case you're not familiar with the UAE: Dubai is very much a melting pot, and accepting of all types of cultures, religions, and clothing styles. There are not laws requiring specific attire, and folks generally wear what they want. In addition, women are free to come and go as they please without male accompaniment (not so, for instance, in Saudi Arabia or other more conservative Islamic countries). Abu Dhabi is pretty much the same. Now, that being said, these are still Islamic countries, and I'm still kind of an idiot. While it's very much allowed, it's not all that common to see women out and about, alone, with exposed shoulders and knees.
So, I head to Abu Dhabi, alone, on the public bus, in what feels like a semi-conservative outfit (a full length, sleeveless dress), and I immediately understand that while I'm not breaking any laws, and people are perfectly nice to me, I can fully expect a large amount of gawking.
Chalk it up to those sassy collar bones of mine I guess?

Abu Dhabi is fantastic. The Emirates Palace was breathtaking, and the Grand Mosque was incredible (pro tip: head there just before sunset and see it lit up at night as well).
Quick Tips:

• You can "take high tea" at the Palace. It is spendy, but your coffee and tea comes with gold in it, so there's that. It also has a 2 person minimum for a reservation.
• The Palace does have a dress code posted, but they didn't appear to be enforcing it. My understanding is that they do strongly enforce it during Ramadan, however.
• At the Mosque, they'll provide you with an Abaya to wear (pictured on me below :) )

Here are just a few pics from the day.

Last, but certainly not least, we checked out the Burj Kahlifa- THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING! There we ended up getting appetizers and cocktails at Atmosphere , which is an extremely expensive (read: $30 USD per cocktail) and extravagant 2 hour affair. Only after did I learn you can just take the elevator to the top to check it out, but I must say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Quick Tips:

• The minimum at the lounge is 320AED. You also need a reservation.
• In addition to the lounge, there's a full restaurant. It's even more expensive, but if you're willing to throw down some big bucks, that's an option.
• Make sure you go before the sun goes down to understand the full scale of how high up you are.

I do want to say that heading to the Middle East, I was embarrassingly ignorant of Islamic culture. More than anything, my short time in Dubai was extremely enlightening, and folks who I worked with for only a short period were very open and willing to help educate me in a non-judgmental way on different components of the culture. I would encourage you to do some research if you aren't familiar. Here are a few articles I read that I found very informative:

• Different types of women's attire
• Gulf Burka/Burqa
• Arabic vs. Islamic Culture

Other UAE pro tips:

• Sharing a room with someone of the opposite gender to whom you are not legally married is illegal. They tend to look the other way at the hotel, but it is a risk.
• Alcohol can only be sold at hotels, or restaurants that are attached to a hotel. A lot of restaurants are part of a large maze of establishments connected by a hallway to a hotel so they can serve, but be aware if you're really on the hunt for a glass of wine.
• Also, alcohol is ungodly expensive. It's ridiculous. To keep costs down, buy your goods at duty free before you leave the airport (you can buy up to 5 bottles).