Greetings from Dubai!

For the first blog I asked my fellow students to give a brief overview of their experience so far in this wonderful city. Some decided to discuss individual experiences that they have come across in the city while others took this time to reflect more broadly and critically. Here are the initial reactions for our first week of studying abroad:

Josh Hammerling writes:

Dubai is a magnificent synthesis between the eastern and western world; a fusion of tradition and modernity. Like a real-life Epcot Center, over one hundred different nationalities are represented and like Disney World, the buildings are flashy, there's no trash on the streets, and everything seems too perfect to exist in the real world. -

Kyle Morean writes:

Dubai is a visual marvel. It is an unparalled blend of the world's cultures and ethnicities. It has incredible potential to be both the hub and bridge between western and eastern societies. The countless skyscrapers demonstrate Dubai's financial prowess and unprecedented global investment. The Burj al-Arab (the icon of Dubai) is both an architectural masterpiece and example of Dubai's dedication to tourism through appeal to the world's wealthiest.
Dubai is a microcasm that places western economic development and individualism within an eastern political structure and religious tradition. As Dubai continues to grow, it will be intriguing to see if and how it inspires other metropolitan areas to develop in the Middle East (Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, etc.). There are so many layers to this society that all thrive upon this development that it will be interesting to see if anyone can actually afford to live here in 10 years or if Dubai will simply be THE travel destination for the most wealthy. Dubai has incredible political potential to work towards cultural and global tolerance and I hope that this potential wont be squandered for the sake of making money. In the mean time, the few decision-makers here continue to build bigger, taller, faster with little environmental consideration and virtually no criticism. After spending one week traveling throughout this city, I have a new-found appreciation of just how much money can buy.

Maren Anderson writes:

Last night we took a crazy adventure to the Global Village. Dubai's
version of Epcot Center at Disney World. As we, four white girls,
traversed the desert at 10 p.m., we were the only white faces that I could spot. I felt comfortable and uncomfortable; I felt enveloped by a foreign culture that many Americans are taught to be afraid of today. I thought I would be scared, but I wasn't.

I risked and in that chance to travel in to the desert and experience
amusement park splendor Dubai-style, I feel like I have found another
home, another place in the world. Or maybe, I have just realized the
power of the basic elements of humanity. I felt connected to Arab culture through a basic human desire: fun.

I've struggled in the first week to boil our experiences in to a
distinctive significant experience. I guess, what I've once again
experienced is that the world is a human community; everyone struggles,
cares, laughs and celebrates the joys of everyday life. The scope of my world has expanded and I am so excited that through PLU and these
uncomfortable and challenging experiences, the world is becoming my home.

Erika Meyer writes:

I've never been in the place that is making news before. When 9/11 happened, I was 3,000 miles away with no friends or relatives even remotely close to any of the tragedies. The war on terror is hard to deal with as an American citizen that doesn't agree with it, but I also don't know anyone that is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The last time my hometown made the news was...never. So to be in this place - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - is life changing in many ways.

Isaac Van Mechelen writes:

When we got here it was a humid night. I figured that the weather would be consistent from then on but it has been changing very sporadically. The men that helped the group with our luggage were very polite. The next day we took our tour of the city and it was very interesting. That evening a few of us went walking through the city and got lost on our way back to
the hotel. From here on my thought of the city was that it was a city ofconfusion.
The following day we took a guided bus tour. Our tour guide gave many
facts about the city including various laws and the cost of living.
Touring the city was an amazing experience and it involved seeing all
sides of the spreading growth of buildings. The third day a group of us
walked around and got lost on another side of the city. After that the
city became much easier to navigate and now I have been to nearly all
corners of the city.

Erin Fry writes:

My overall reaction to studying in Dubai can be summed up by the word "amazement." I am constantly interested in the developing culture that surrounds me and how everything works well together. Dubai, with its incredible move into the modern world leaves me in awe. I love how it continues to hold traditional values, yet progresses with the world. One would think that with all the structural construction into the modern age, the same would go with the people. Now, the people have certainly embraces modernity, yet they also keep traditional values and dress. In all honesty, I was originally intimidated by the culture, but the longer I stay, the more I find the beauty in tradition within a progressive society.

Along with the excitement of being in such an interesting and cultural diverse city, we have also been immersed in the political and global issues that affect this area as well. The most recent issue that has occurred is the visit from President Bush. From publications and personal remarks, it is apparent this visit is rather impacting. The general attitude I have received is annoyance. This stems from multiple factors. Some include the traffic jams it has caused, and others from the remarks provided by the president himself. I understand the annoyance because it too has caused our group to have to shift our schedule. Although it is frustrating, we continue to be flexible with the current situation.

My visit to Dubai thus far has only been a week, however in that week I have been pushed into a culture full of change and with strong opinions of the outside world. If anything it has opened discussion for interesting conversation.

Look for the next blog tomorrow as the PLU students react to a front-page open letter to George W. Bush in Gulf News. The letter comes a few days before President Bush is scheduled to be in the United Arab Emirates and is highly critical of his foreign policy in the region with regards to Iraq, Iran and the Israel/Palestine conflict. I will preface the next blog by saying that many of us heard the letter as it was read to us by student Shannon Schrencengost as we congregated in Kate and Erika's room. The reactions were fairly strong and many of the students couldn't wait to react the next morning in class. Every day I tell myself how perfect our timing has been to be in this region. From the Strait of Hormuz altercation with American ships and Iranian speedboats to Bush's visit to Abu Dhabi later this week, it seems like the stars are aligning for a breadth of discussion, inquiry and of course, dialogue with the locals.

Here is the link to the article http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorial_opinion/region/10180995.html (pardon the lack of a direct click link, I'm a bit blog impaired).It's a valuable read to get a general idea of the editorial opinion of Gulf News and perhaps more importantly, presents a form of a "free press" that has been challenged in many Arab countries. I challenge you to read this column keeping in mind that it run on the front page of an English-speaking newspaper in a Muslim country. Look for the blog on our reactions Sunday or Monday.

Tomorrow we are off to Sharjah, an emirate that is rich in museums and lacks the flare and luxury of its sister emirates of Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Peace (journalism),

Nate Hulings