Dubai Part I: Off to Dubai

Mark, Samia and I  in Dubai, 2004

We were living in Dayton, Ohio when I left for Dubai and my appreciation for travel began.  Flew to Gatwick airport in London from Cincinnati, where I boarded an Emirati Airways flight to Dubai.  This would be a baby step into new worlds, as I shared the middle row on the plane with three gentlemen wearing black sashes and turbans.  This touch of the exotic mixed quite well with the trout appetizer served with my meal (it would have disappointed had I paid for it, but pretty cool when it is unexpected and free!)

The diet coke I requested to accompany my meal was also exotic, by virtue of being covered with Arabic characters.  I had to resist an urge to snag the can as a souvenir, correctly predicting I would soon be drowning in Arabic inscriptions.  The funny thing was that the can featured the old type of tab that you peel off, rather than the “push tab” that has been around for years in America. I actually pulled it partially off and began trying to shove it into the can before deja vu struck me and I laughed at my folly.

When we landed in Dubai I was a bit dismayed by the lack of signage instructing where to go, but eventually muddled through the proper checkpoints to gain my entrance visa and be greeted by Mark.  Mark actually lives in Sharjah, the emirate next door to Dubai (the United Arab Emirates consists of seven emirates, which includes Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi), but his apartment is only twenty minutes from the airport.

That first night Mark and I stayed up late just shooting the breeze.  I had brought many presents, which were passed out and relieved great space in my luggage for return gifts.  Samia looked wonderful, showing ever so slightly (she is expecting in July), and her nephew Shahwali is here visiting.  Shahwali is Foi’s son (Samia’s sister, whom I met at their wedding).

Had to ask for access to a PC so I could e-mail Kim and communicate my successful arrival (we will have no phone contact for the duration).  Realized how weary I was because I simply couldn’t overcome Mark’s keyboard, which had Arabic characters embedded on the keys, but I had made it to a brave new world.