"You know what I'm wearing this weekend?"
"What?"
"Jeans! All. Weekend. I'm not bringing any other pants. It's not worth it, I won't even think about wearing them when I can wear jeans."
Jeans are typically a staple in my wardrobe, my pant of choice. They are comfy, sturdy, versatile, and all around amazing. But here, I rarely don my trusty blue trousers. At this point in the semester, I hadn't worn jeans in well over a month, and was almost as excited to wear them as I was to see the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Looking back, it's a hilarious paradox that I was so excited to wear western clothes and then so shocked I was when I was once again surrounded by western clothing...
I stepped out of our car and onto the sidewalk. As I waited for the others to pile out after me, I stood amongst the concrete jungle, gaping at the towering structures around me. My awe was disrupted by a flash of skin. Was that an elbow? Wait. Knees? What? I was startled. I realized that the person who passed was a girl and that she was wearing a short romper, something that I've seen hundreds of times in the States and never batted an eye. In this moment, however, I wanted to give her my jacket; but then I remembered, this is how we typically dress in western cultures. And apparently here? Dubai is an exception to many other cities in this region. I looked down at my skin-tight jeans. Hmm. What an interesting experience it is to be removed from your culture only to be reintroduced and to see it with fresh eyes.
(**I think it is important to state this caveat: Neither culture's dress is better or worse than the other, just different. Further, I stand by my previous statements that there should be some sort of sensitivity to cultural dress. Despite Dubai being a predominately ex-patriot city, or a city with few Emirati residents, and despite it being culturally acceptable to wear western clothes, I believe tourists should show some degree of sensitivity. If you're going to wear western clothes, at least be slightly more covered. But then again, Dubai is a special case.)
One of the things that makes Dubai so fun is that it takes everything to the next level. Want an island resort? We'll just make it ourselves– the island that is. Coffee? How about a 23-Carat Gold Cappuccino? Skiing? No problem, just go to the mall. The buildings are stunning and tall. I've never seen so many skyscrapers in one place. We were surrounded by mirrors, lights, fountains, and gold. It felt like everything glittered. It was a beautiful testament to the capabilities of humankind.
As we roamed Dubai Mall, we were beyond impressed. The four-story building houses an aquarium, ice rink, movie theater, and thousands of stores and restaurants. There were hallways of normal stores like Hollister and Bath & Body Works, and hallways of designer stores like Prada, Rolex, Jimmy Choo, and Tiffany & Co. It was unreal. Our four hours of roaming didn't even begin to make a dent. We loved it. It was so fun to be in the city, wearing jeans, and shopping.
But, not all that glitters is gold. We also talked about how it would be difficult to live in a city like Dubai. Everyone is so wealthy, designs change so often, expectations so high, that it would be hard, both physically and emotionally, to keep up. Impossible even. In that moment, we caught a glimpse of what it would be like to be unrealistically wealthy, spending your days roaming the isles of Cartier and Louis Vuitton, dining in the sky, and drinking 23-carat gold cappuccinos. While I wouldn't choose to live that life everyday, it's definitely fun to drop in and pretend for a weekend.
The trip to Dubai was a much needed break, an exciting re-immersion into city life and partial reminder of our own culture. It gave us a unique insight into our culture and values, as well as a glimpse into the impacts of globalization and the lives of the wealthy, which raised its own sets of questions: What makes this culture unique? What about our culture? How are we similar? Different? Are the values of the culture reflected what they promote? If someone were to view American culture, what do we promote and how accurately does that reflect our values?
May you fearlessly engage the world around you. May you have the opportunity to experience new cultures and the courage to take it. May you go, see, and return again to see your own culture with new eyes.
Salaam,
Anna