Have you ever been to Dubai? If yes, skip the next paragraph, but if your answer is negative-close your eyes and try to create and image of what Dubai looks like. What are the streets like, the smell, the air, the noise.
I'm not judging anyone here, but most of you probably have an image of a modern, rich city, where only wealthy people live, isn't it?
Now I'm going to tell you about what I though Dubai is. In fact what it is to me now, after 3 months here. After all my idyllic visions were killed by the reality. Type in Dubai in Google Images and you have all the Burj Khalifa, Burj al Arab, The Dubai Mall, the slope inside, all the super-awesome-too-cool-to-exist things that are here. I do not try to deny the fact that they are awesome, they really are.
You know, I often go jogging to the JBR walk, a fancy place with all the posh cars and luxurious hotels next to the beach. There are a lot of constructions going on there, due to rapidly growing need for infrastructure. It feels really awkward. When you pass all the Bentleys and Rolls Royces you also pass buses, where you see tired faces of workers, who spend many hours building all the breathtaking places, only to know that they will never be able to feel what is it like to be inside.
To experience the real Dubai, not the one created in the 90's but in the 60's (wow that's not old either :D )You can visit the neighborhood of the fish market and the gold souk(I don't really now how to write the second word). Even though you'll see things characteristic for the rich Dubai (Guinness records, a lot of gold an Porches), this is the only place in this city when I truly felt the poverty surrounding me. Old, destroyed buildings, terrible smell, ill cats on the streets and people on the bazaar trying to sell me a Rolex. It was nothing like the Dubai I knew.
This was like cold water on my body. I woke up. Realizing that I only saw wealthiness of this place, not letting my mind to believe that not everyone here has money. Of course, not everyone is a billionair, but never thought of where all the people from the constructions live. Always driving on the roads next to all these expensive cars.
I won't finish all my thought today, but I wanted to give a brief reflection, and to show you the Dubai that differs from the Dubai shown on 9gag.
No baking today :)
Feel free to email : jk.in.dubai@gmail.com
xx,
J.
*This post is only my opinion and some of the things written here are only MY impression and may not present the real state of union.
