Saturday, August 25, 2012

Moving to chrisjennison.me

I won't be posting to this blog anymore- I've moved over to chrisjennison.me. It's a work in progress as I combine this blog with my Tumblr, but I wanted one central blog to post my thoughts and interesting pictures/quotes/videos I find. Will be back-editing some posts and putting a new design on it, but check it out. 

That's also where I'll post my observations and thoughts from the next week in Tampa at the 2012 Republican National Convention. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Final Thoughts from Dubai

Not that there are that many people who read this- i think it may just be my dad- but i felt like i needed to wrap up this blog with some final thoughts. It's now been a little over a month since I've been back from Dubai. I can't believe it's already been that long since I was in the UAE, but time flies.

I've caught up with a couple of friends who are still around my neighborhood in MD, and when I've visited the pool, parents that I knew from years past on the swim team stop to ask what I've been up to. I tell them that I followed up graduating from Syracuse by flying to Dubai for 6 weeks to intern with Ketchum Raad, a Cannes-award winning PR agency, and watch their jaws drop.

In retrospect, I can't imagine having had a more incredible experience while there. The people I met, talked to, worked with, etc. were from all over the world and had experienced the amazing places that you only read about. The conversations I had about America, world politics, travel, war, PR practices, business, were all conversations that I had only really had in a theoretical setting in school.

People often ask what was the best experience I had while in Dubai. There is no way I can limit it to just one... The whole time was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. That being said, there were a few times that I can think of: the day we dune-bashed in the desert, made friends with Pakistanis who had never met Americans, rode a camel, went to a night club on the Palm Island and made more friends in 4 Kuwaitis, who treated us like best friends; the day we met up with a friend from SU Ambulance, Momin Sherazi, who treated us to an amazing dinner and shared his experiences growing up in the UAE; and being treated to dinner by an Emirati, Hamad al Suwaidi, and his friend Sara, who ha found out about us through this blog- the hospitality they showed us was amazing, and I only wish we had met them sooner during our stay.

There are a few people who I definitely need to thank for making this experience what it was. It wouldn't have been possible without the incredible faculty at Newhouse, especially Dean Branham and Professor O'Neill, who set up the program and worked with Ramzi Raad to make out stay amazing. At work, of course I have to thank Ramzi for welcoming us to his agency and funding a large part of our stay. In the Ketchum team, work wouldn't have been nearly as interesting or entertaining without Jamie Read's expertise and whimsical comments, Elissar's laughter at the smallest things, Abi providing laughs for Elissar throughout the day, and Rima's Britishisms and swears. And without Moe Shehebar from TBWA welcoming us as if we are family, we wouldn't have been able to experience the city as much as we did.

Finally- I have to thank my travel partner, and partner in crime, Lisa. Though we didn't know each other well at all before our trip, it was great getting to know you, and I know well be friends for years to come. I couldn't have asked for a better person to travel with.

I can't imagine not returning to Dubai at some point. I also can't imagine not traveling again to that extent, and repeatedly, so maybe I'll convert this blog to a general travel blog? I've got an idea for a trip I may make next summer- stay tuned for updates in the coming months.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Back in the USA

A few wrap up posts from the last week coming in the next few days, but just wanted to share this quote I saw.

“The debate of whether or not democracy is compatible with Islam seems to be largely transforming into a debate about how democracy is compatible with Islam.”

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Dark Side of Dubai



Fascinating article from The Independent

SU in Dubai!

We met up with a rising sophomore from @SUAmbulance on Monday- he was born and raised in the UAE, so it was cool to meet up with him and pick his brain about life here.




Monday, June 18, 2012

Dubai Time Lapse


Dubai 2.0 from Richard Bentley on Vimeo.

Weekend Adventures

Our weekend was planned out with precision: Friday- travel to Abu Dhabi with a LivingSocial beach resort stay, participate in a TBWA photoshoot at FerrariWorld on Saturday in exchange for free access, and then relaxing at the beach on Sunday. We had a long weekend due to Isra and Mi'raj, or the Ascension of the Prophet, so we figured a weekend trip would be a fun change of scenery. Well... the trip didn't end up as we planned, but it was still a pretty nice weekend.

The Beach Rotana, the hotel we were supposed to stay at:



FerrariWorld features the world's fastest roller coaster, take a look:


Here's what the weekend consisted of:


  • Thursday night: we were both exhausted, so we decided to have a low-key night. We headed over to the Dubai Creek for a dinner cruise on one of the many Dhows. Pretty reasonable price, with a great meal.

  • Friday: The day we were looking forward to! After getting a late start to the bus station, due to the metro being closed before 1 p.m. due to the weekly "day of rest"being on Fridays. After a 2 hour hot-and-cramped bus ride that only cost about $7, we arrived in Abu Dhabi. Walking around, you can easily see what everyone means when they describe this Emirate as older, less polished, and less "young." It is the capital of the UAE, but it is very much old-business, with an older population. Regardless, we were excited. We headed over to Al Arish, a port side restaurant that came highly recommended, where we feasted on a buffet of traditional Lebanese and Arabic chicken, beef, fish, and desserts dishes. We then decided to head over to our hotel, but unfortunately we were not allowed to check in; we had given our passports to the agency so that our visa's could be renewed, and the hotel absolutely refused to let us check in without them. So... we headed back on a much nicer, cheaper, less crowded bus to Dubai, and headed to the movie experience of a lifetime. We went to the Platinum Suites in the Dubai Mall's theater, where we watched Men in Black 3 in style: in La-Z-Boy recliners, with pillows and blankets, and waitress service throughout the movie.
  • Saturday: We headed over to Wild Wadi Waterpark for the day. Highlights:
    • The Burj Surge- A massive, whitewater slide that takes the rafts nearly vertical.
    • Tantrum Alley- Another, sister waterside that takes the raft on consecutive trips around what amounts to drains... you circle around it before dropping down into the next one.
    • Master Blasters- This intricate network of water raft slides shoots you around the whole park, for what amounts to about 20+ minutes at a time. 
    • FISHO- the fish spa. The doctor fish (as gross as this sounds) suck on your feet and legs, "promoting new skin growth."


  • Sunday: I took off at about 11 am for the Jumeirah Beach Walk, to 1847. It's named after the year that the safety razor was invented. After an awesome shave and haircut, I was off and back to meet Lisa at the Jumeirah Beach Park for the rest of the day. 
Back to work for the short work week!





Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Food of Dubai

I can safely say that over the past few weeks, I have eaten extremely well. Two highlights:


  • Last night, we went out to grab a quick bite. We ended up at Zaina, only about a block from our hotel. Highlight: camel kabobs. A little sweet, very tender.

  • After reading about it in one of our guides, I knew we had to check out Al Bait Al Baghdadi, or "The Baghdad House." It was featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations!






Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Most Expensive Billboard in the World

We saw this billboard/exhibition the other day, and while I didn't think much of it other than that it was cool and not very surprising in a place like Dubai, we just found out that it is the most expensive billboard in the world, costing $500 a second. The promoters said it would cost $1.3 billion to operate for a month.


Monday, June 11, 2012

#BeTheChange

A little less fun, a little more work in this post...

For the past few weeks, I have been supporting the account for PepsiCo in the Middle East. Yesterday was the culmination of our efforts, as we hosted the PepsiCo CSR Youth Forum, a day of lectures, workshops, and discussions to encourage awareness of sustainability issues among youth in the Gulf region. Here are some highlights from the day:


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Make It Count

A friend shared this with me, and while it's not at all specific to Dubai or the Middle East, I wanted to pass it along. Enjoy.


Friday, June 8, 2012

Random Thoughts

Haven't posted in a bit, but a few thoughts from the week:


  • Yep, it gets hot as hell here.
  • Met a Kenyan man at the Sheraton in Deira. He has been here for 6 months, and sold both Lisa and I on the necessity of visiting his country to see a lion in the wild... not kidding.
  • This city has to be one of the friendliest, its people the most welcoming.
And this photo is from Humans of Tel Aviv, but I think it sums up the Middle East in general in a unique perspective:


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Headlines of Arabia

Although things are normal enough here, some of the laws and customs of the Arabic region continue to mystify me, including how people are treated for their "crimes."

Bucket List, Updated



We've been in country now for 17 days out of 42. Here's a look at the bucket list so far:


  • Ski Dubai: Indoor ski, tubing and snow park First weekend!
  • Scuba Diving, in an Aquarium, in a Mall
  •  //Found out it's ridiculously expensive to do if not certified. Note to self: get certified in the states\\
  • Desert Safari: 4x4ing, dune boarding, etc., likely this weekend This past weekend
  • Rooftop movie at the gardens in Wafi: seeing Inception this Sunday  Awesome movie and awesome time
  • Rugby: Matching up the top 5 teams in Asia, the Asian 5 Nations International Rugby Tournament this Friday (possibly UAE v. Hong Kong or Kazakhstan)  Didn't end up going cause of the heat, but it's getting too hot now to go to another.
  • Drinks at the Souk Al Bahar, overseeing the Dubai Fountains downtown
  • Dhow dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek
  • Brunch on a Friday (first day of the weekend here; brunch is a big deal here), then drinks at the Irish Village nearby
  • Dubai Aquarium
  • Diving at the Palm (Jumeirah Beach)
  • Tour at the Jumeirah Mosque, the only mosque in the city open to non-Muslims.
  • Ride a camel
  • Explore the Gold Souk
  • Visit the Al Ain Wildlife Park
  • Set foot on the World (islands)
  • Wild Wadi waterpark
  • Travel to the top of the Burj Khalifa
  • Travel to Oman for the day




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Qatari Artificial Cloud for 2022 World Cup

Just goes to show how outrageous some of the Gulf countries are- this video shows the artificial cloud that I was talking about in that last post.


Simple lunch, sidetracked.

This is how most of the more interesting experiences have happened while here- not turning down invites, seeing how things happen.


Lisa and I decided we were going to go across the bridge to the other half of our office complex and have an easy lunch of some appetizers, hummus dishes, etc. While waiting at the elevator, one of the guys asks where we are going to lunch, and if we would like to join him instead for a "traditional Arabic lunch." We go along, and it turns out that this is more like a traditional shisha session... Everyone ordered their shisha before they even order drinks.


With the two of us, its 6 in total- a Lebanese man from TBWA, two Brits from that side, and a Palestinian from Ketchum, my side. Topics from lunch:
  • Palestine v. Israel: The borders from different years, the international recognition of Israel, occupation of cities over the years, settlements in the territories, etc.
  • Football vs. American football vs. baseball: How American sports are terrible, because of instant replay and how it's not the referees call.
  • How I Met Your Mother: Ted vs. Barney, with several references thrown in.
  • The invention of artificial clouds for the 2022 World Cup... say what?
  • A few English language semantics lessons from the Lebanese guy to the Palestinian.


"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." -Michael Crichton 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Both Sides of Intolerance


Weekend #2 (Sparknotes Edition)

Hey! So it's already the second day of the third week of work, but I realized I needed to share what my weekend consisted of:


  • Thursday: 
    • After wandering around the Dubai Fountain, unable to find the restaurant that we had planned on going to with 2 for 1 dinner, we ended up at a Lebanese restaurant overlooking the fountain again. I'm telling you, every time the fountain goes off, it is astounding.
    • At 8:15, we headed over to the "Top of the World" at the Burj Khalifa. This is the path up to the observation deck. Absolutely amazing view, at the 124th floor, 38 floors higher than the Empire State building.
    • We went to Karma Kafe, a bar and lounge in the Souk Al Bahar. After having a drink there in what was a surprisingly relaxed setting, we wanted to head over to the Library Bar, a place that has been billed as one of the top cigar bars in the world, just to see what the hype was about. After hopping in a taxi and heading to the Ritz-Carlton, we realized we ended up at the wrong hotel, and went wandering around, finally ending up in the "DFC"- Dubai Festival City. We found one of the top bars for young workers in the city, Caramel. Called it an early but successful night.

Pictures from the Burj Khalifa:











Karma Kafe:

Caramel:

Dubai Festival City:

  • Friday:
    • After waking, doing my Latin, and getting in a quick workout, we headed to brunch at Long's Bar in the Towers Rotana. Brunch is a huge deal, apparently. Delicious food.
    • In the late afternoon, we were picked up by DRT, our desert safari tour company, from the Mall of the Emirates. After an hour drive out of the city, we pulled over at the side of the road, when three SUVs pulled up next to us in the sand. We switched from our 15-passenger van to the SUV's, which were outfitted with roll bars along the inside roof. We quickly sped off, drifting down the dunes, fishtailing, having an amazing time. We eventually ended up at the "bedouin" camp, where we were able to ride a camel (so cool!), watch belly dancing, and  eat a feast of Middle Eastern food. We sat with three Pakistanis from our bus, who were some of the friendliest guys of this trip yet. They told us that they had never been to the States, and that we were actually the first Americans they had ever met. Unfortunately, when I updated my phone's software, I lost both pictures and videos from the trip, as well as the email from one of the guys, so I lost their names and any way to contact them...
    • After returning and taking a quick shower, we decided to head out for a bit. On a whim, we decided to head to Atlantis, on the Palm Jumeirah (the palm-tree shaped island). We were going to check out the closing party for Nasimi beach, b/c it was featured on TimeOutDubai.com, but ended up at N'Dulge night club instead. After a slow start when we got there (about 11 p.m.), the place got crowded around midnight. We got curious when the staff started bringing out bottles with sparklers lit in them, so I asked- they were bottles of Dom Perignon that went for 3500 Dhs, or about $1000. Lisa asked one group of four guys what they were celebrating- they were just here in Dubai for the weekend to get away from Kuwait, where they work. They invited us to join the group, and it was a pretty amazing night.


  • Saturday: 
    • We went to the Jumeirah Beach Park for the day. $1.25 equivalent to enter a paradise of white beaches, clear and refreshing oceans, and an amazing day. Slept, read, relaxed, and decided that I would be ok with living in Dubai.


All in all, an amazing second weekend.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Lottery Ticket

My parents joke around about how I should buy a lottery ticket, because I'm so lucky; my friend Dan commented yesterday that I've done pretty well for myself, and it's paying off.

I do have a pretty damn good life.




Saturday, June 2, 2012

Americans are dumb.

Don't get me wrong- I love America, our history, our freedoms to do what we want and express what we want. But Americans are dumb... And I'm no exception.

I had this idea back when I went to Israel talking to a student from the Interdisciplinary Center. He was accompanying our group on the trip, was a former medic unit commander in the IDF, and was studying law. We stood at a bar on the beach, talking about American politics, and he knew absolutely everything.

The people that I've met here echo that- they are some of the most educated people I've ever met, be it at Ketchum RAAD or on the street. They all know multiple languages, they know more about the world and history and current events and culture than I've ever even heard or seen.

In conclusion:


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Click Click Click

This post is a bit off-topic, as it's not so much about my time in Dubai. However, I find it very appropriate, given that Chancellor Cantor's speech at the 2012 Commencement was about the "click click click" and the interference of technology in everyday interaction.

While doing research for Cartoon Network Arabic, one of our clients, I was looking into the effects of laughter on the development of children. I came across a companion editorial to a study which showed that fast-paced cartoons hurt the executive function of the children who have grown up in a "digital-native society," and it included the following statement:


"Deficits in executive function, whether transient or permanent, have social implications as well. I recently encountered 2 college students who were sitting outside a café in an urban mall. As they soaked in the rare Seattle sunshine, I noticed that one of them was talking on her cell phone and the other was texting. I could not help but feel that the technology that we all carry in our pockets is tearing at the social fabric of society. What 10 (or maybe 5) years ago would have been an interpersonal interaction in which each young adult had the other's undivided attention was suddenly an ongoing conversation with dozens or possibly hundreds of other “friends.” Indeed “undivided attention” is difficult to come by today, but it is central to being authentically present. Focusing on what one's friends have to say is central to friendship, and multitasking friendship by allowing other people or things to intercalate themselves into encounters would seem to undercut it."


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

New site

Hey all- I'm playing around with a new website, chrisjennison.me. Give it a look, though it's a work in progress. I'll keep posting on here for the time being.

Humans of Dubai #2


“We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges..." and diversity of thought begins with diversity of people and communication between them.

People I've met this week:

  • Ahmed, a 12 year old Emirati, who rode the chairlift at Ski Dubai with me. He then proceeded to kick my ass in a race down the hill... who knew that there were good Emirati skiers?
  • Imran- Pakistani security guard at TBWA\RAAD for the night shift, he has been in the UAE for 6 months. He started the conversation, and asked me questions about America and about my perspective of the Middle East for almost 40 minutes. 
  • Conan- a Brit who works on the TBWA side, he has only worked at the agency for about 8 months, and has been very open to doing activities and things with us on weekends since he's newer too.
  • Sana- a young Moroccan woman who has only been in the UAE for a year and only been with TBWA for a month. Her undergrad degree in Morocco was in communications, and she's been getting her Master's in the UAE in communications with a focus on PR. She was asking me all about the Newhouse curriculum in PR, and was telling me that she is contemplating getting her PhD in communications.
The people, buildings and sights here are truly like a dream sequence.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Cinema Under the Stars

Went to the Wafi neighborhood yesterday after work to watch a movie under the stars. The whole event was free and takes place on top of a shopping mall between a few open-air restaurants. They cover the roof with bean bags and carpet, and show movies once a week on Sundays. One of the best and most unreal experiences yet- open air in the cool summer weather, watching Inception while enjoying a Carlsberg and a shwarma sandwich. Though we got back to the hotel a little later than I had hoped, it was an awesome experience.


Everyday Things

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”  –Bill Bryson

Traveling is a brutality.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.”  –Cesare Pavese

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Weekend #1

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." 
             -Lao Tzu


So ends the first weekend of travel through Dubai. Having lived in country for a few days and only going to work, Lisa and I wanted to travel a bit more through the city, but we didn't want to have fixed plans, but rather wander instead. So here's how the weekend went:


Thursday night:


Started off by heading to the Dubai Marina after work. When I say the Dubai Marina, I mean a marina unlike any other marina that you have ever been to. Restaurants and open eateries sit next to shops and stands, ringing the waterways. We found an Iranian eatery, where I ate the most delicious mixed kebabs I've ever had. When we went to go pay, the owner came out and insisted that we sit and enjoy a complimentary pot of tea before leaving. 










We then walked further down the waterway and stopped at a sort-of courtyard, decorated with Arabian relics and lights, to smoke a shisha. Since neither of us really had any idea what we were doing, they showed us, although laughing while they did. We ended the night but walking around through some of the bigger waterfront hotels and stopped for a drink at Le Royal Meridien hotel.


Friday:


After waking up far later than I had planned, we headed to the Jumeirah Beach walk, a collection of shops and restaurants near the public-access Jumeirah Beach Resort (JBR for short). 










After checking out the walk and the beach, we headed over back toward the Dubai Mall near the Burj Khalifa, to grab a dinner and drink near in the Souk al Bahar and to watch the Dubai Fountains. This fountain, in the Khalifa Lake at the base of the Burj, is the largest in the world, with a lightshow, choreographed to famous Arabic and English songs. Though we didn't see Michael Jackson's show, check out the video below:









Saturday:


Starting off the day right, as my Dad would think, by going skiing. Except this time, we went skiing in a mall, in a desert, in Dubai. Pretty damn cool. We got a two hour pass, which included skis, boots, and an overcoat and baggy ski pants to wear over our other clothes, all for $50 equivalent. The big drawback was that there was only one run, but I guess that's understandable, given that it was indoors and in a mall.









We then went over to the traditional Souks (open-air markets) in the neighborhoods of Deira and Bur Dubai, the oldest neighborhoods in the city. After taking the metro to the station at Union, we walked along the waterway by what looked to be fishing and shipping boats. These boats definitely showed a less modern area of Dubai, as they smelled briny, were covered in rust, and were stacked 4 and 5 deep since there weren't any docks. After getting "ripped off" for two small drinks at 10 Dhs ($3.30ish equivalent, which I didn't see as too bad), I later got another much larger water for only 2Dhs (less than $1). We wandered around by the Gold Souk in Deira, and found the Heritage House, which is a fully-restored house in the style of classic Arabic architecture, which was kinda cool to see. 


Finally, we found the entrance to the Souks, which reminded me of the markets in Jerusalem- close quarters, full of sounds, smells, and sights, with older men sitting hunched in corners and children running and playing through the streets. Things I heard and thought while walking through the souks:


- "Hey, Mr. Bond! Want a spy watch?" It's funny to hear any Western culture hurled at us to try and bring us into their stores.
- "Want Rolex? Omega? Breitling?" "No, thanks." "Oh, ok. How about Viagra?"... I wonder what American and western business men have been through here??
- After realizing that we're American, 10 consecutive shop owners come out. I found it funny that literally every one of them tried to sell pashmina scarves- if I said no to the first 9, then why, Mr. Tenthbusinessman, do you think I'm suddenly going to buy the same scarf from you?


Anyway, it was definitely an amazing weekend and a great start to my short life in Dubai.



Thursday, May 24, 2012

#FirstWorldProblems






But more like #UAEProblems... for Americans here.
  • No texting.
  • No iPhone internet.
  • No Netflix.
  • No Hulu. 
  • No Pandora.


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Humans of Dubai

So, after only 3.5 days in Dubai, I've come up with a project for the rest of my time here, albeit not an original one. Courtesy of @ciaraschoe, I've discovered a project called Humans of New York, which profiles people throughout NYC. Just today, I've had some amazing interactions with some of the residents of this city, and have decided that from now on while I'm here I'm going to snap a photo of a person and include their story or a quote... let's see how long this lasts.


  • In the Hallmark store at the Mall of the Emirates, I spoke to the cash register a bit after checking out. He was from Tibet, and hadn't been home in 5 years. He told me that his only hope is that he could return home at some point in the next few years to visit his family.
  • Walking through the train station today, I inadvertently made eye contact with a woman wearing a full abaya, who immediately diverted her eyes. Not surprising, but still makes you think.
  • At Trader Vics after work while having drinks with the TBWA staff, we spoke to a Lebanese man named Saad, who told us about his time growing up in that country.
  • We spoke to a Palestinian coworker named Moe whose parents moved when they were 8 and 9 to Syria. He was born and raised in Damascus, and began telling us that he and the rest of the Arabic world wants Al Assad out of power, but that it is a long ways off if the Russians and Chinese remain allies of Syria. He said:
"Whether you're Israeli, European, or American, you're scared shitless of Islam. You think that we're out to take over the world. But thats simply ignorant."

Bucket List, Updated



Having been in country for a few days, we've got some new ideas for what we'll be doing outside of work over the remaining 37 days here...


  • Ski Dubai: Indoor ski, tubing and snow park
  • Scuba Diving, in an Aquarium, in a Mall
  •  //Found out it's ridiculously expensive to do if not certified. Note to self: get certified in the states\\
  • Desert Safari: 4x4ing, dune boarding, etc., likely this weekend
  • Rooftop movie at the gardens in Wafi: seeing Inception this Sunday
  • Rugby: Matching up the top 5 teams in Asia, the Asian 5 Nations International Rugby Tournament this Friday (possibly UAE v. Hong Kong or Kazakhstan)
  • Drinks at the Souk Al Bahar, overseeing the Dubai Fountains downtown
  • Dhow dinner cruise on the Dubai Creek
  • Brunch on a Friday (first day of the weekend here; brunch is a big deal here), then drinks at the Irish Village nearby
  • Dubai Aquarium
  • Diving at the Palm (Jumeirah Beach)
  • Tour at the Jumeirah Mosque, the only mosque in the city open to non-Muslims.
  • Ride a camel
  • Explore the Gold Souk
  • Visit the Al Ain Wildlife Park
  • Set foot on the World (islands)
  • Wild Wadi waterpark
  • Travel to the top of the Burj Khalifa
  • Travel to Oman for the day





Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Photos from Around @TBWARAAD












Welcome to Everything

We wandered into the Dubai Mall yesterday after work, where we were greeted upon entering the elevator with a voice that said and television that read, "Welcome to Everything." There is some of a lot of things here, but that statement may be a bit bold... Although its still much larger than any US mall I've ever been in. A few pictures from the walkthrough, as well as a few from the first day at Ketchum RAAD: