The Red, White, and Blue.

Check out the video, quite humorous, but also frustrating as a fellow American. How can people be so far removed from the major things going on in the world? I don't expect people to be able to name all the capital cities of African countries, but basic geography or current events? For sure the interviewers hand selected their interviewees though I'm almost positive they didn't have to sift through many.

Your thoughts? Your jokes?

Show ME the Money DOOBAI !!!

"Overworked and Underpaid" - This was the title of an article in a recent issue of 7 Days (Dubai's weekly newspaper covering an array of interesting and bizarre topics). Struck by the title and amused by my colleagues clipping the headline to post below their office name tags, I checked out the article and discovered something new.

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You drive the streets of Dubai and luxury cars by far out number the economical vehicles. Malls are always packed with women carrying designer handbags and wearing overpriced sweatshop jeans. Go to one of the local hot spot bars and you will be promised a evening filled with people parading off their bottles of top of the line champagne through exaggerated light and music shows ending with their name being projected on the wall.

From these observations you'd assume that Dubai is filled with people making good money to be enjoying such luxuries. Interestingly enough, the surveys show otherwise:

1. 54.8% of people earn less than 3,000 AED a month (roughly $800)
2. 21.3% of people earn less than 1,000 AED a month ($270)
3. Less than one of five get health insurance
4. 60.9% want new jobs because their salaries are just too low
5. AND only 4.6% of people in Dubai earn more than 20,000 AED per month (roughly $65,000 annually)

Long Layovers Suck! - (Retro Post)

Making my journey back to Dubai from Seattle is not a simple hop, skip, and a jump away. 9 hours to London, 7 hour layover, and than another 6 hours between Heathrow and Dubai.

Jet lagged and Seattle sniffly sick, it's been rough trying to keep myself entertained and awake for 7 hours in the LHR Airport.

Why can't they make airports more interesting?!? All you have to choose from is duty free shopping, coffee, some food, drinking (something which I prefer not to do by myself), and some really expensive time on the internet.

There should be movie theaters, maybe singles lounges where all the single travelers can meet to shoot the breeze, or yoga studios, ski slopes, anything!!!!!!!!!

Map

Also cool to know, there is an article on Dubai in the latest National Geographic. 'Sudden City: Dubai'

Geography Lessons

Conversation one evening while home in the states (not telling which city . . .)

Setting: Local nightclub hot spot

Me: Hey Mary*, so great to see you!

Mary: Alisha! OMG! I haven't seen you forever! Where have you been?

Me: Yeah, I've been out of the US for awhile. I'm living and working in Dubai.

Mary: Super confused head tilt, Oh, really . . . uh, that's great!!

Me: Asked in the most kindest, unsarcastic way possible -- with extreme effort, You don't know where Dubai is do you?

Mary: Hmmm, (AND I PROMISE YOU, THIS IS NOT AN EXAGGERATED OR FABRICATED STORY) uh, Germany?

Me: Confused look, waiting for the punch line, realize it's not coming No . . . Dubai is in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia? Iraq? Asia? waiting for anytype of confirmation . . .

Mary: Smile Oh

Me: So what are you doing these days?

Mary: I just finished my second year of Med School on the East Coast

NO JOKE!!!
*names have been changed, more to keep me from getting hate emails rather than protecting the uninformed...
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As a result of this discussion I had a huge realization of the poorness of my nation's geography education. It was a call to action for me, Alisha, to spread the word to my fellow Americans where exactly Dubai was located, and once and for all end this myth of Dubai being located in Germany.

Below, a map of the United Arab Emirates; a nation made up of seven emirates including the Emirate of Dubai. It is located in the Middle East neighbored by such countries as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar.



Red Circle: Dubai



STOP THE MYTH: Germany -- nowhere near Dubai!