“O’ Nadda, Nadda, Nadda
When roses are blooming on her cheek
And if they refuse to give you to me
I will tear down the high mountains.”
On returning to London, I planned a one-day stop in Dubai. After a few weeks in India, I arrived in a city known for its grandeur, which can be felt almost at every step. The variety of architecture and details delights, modern and functional urban solutions satisfies, and the number of attractions to choose from is pampering. But Dubai is also known for its multicultural character, where over 80% of the inhabitants are expatriates, mainly from Middle East, Asia, Africa. In a short period, they built a majestic metropolitan city in the desert, and they proved how impossible it would be to turn to life.
Despite all these people-friendly amenities, it was somewhat difficult for me to get around here, especially with only one day to explore; my schedule was quite tight. The main attractions on my list were separated from the metro stations by gigantic shopping malls, really gigantic ones. It’s like comparing the Titanic to a cruise ferry in Europe. I didn’t make it to Miracle Gardens on time because it took me over 40 minutes to get through the shopping centre, where I made the wrong turn a few times. I barely reached Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), but it took me over an hour to go through all the checkpoints and queues. Navigating around these gigantic shopping centres is even more difficult because of the multitudes of people who, it looks like, have found a place to rest here. However, they seem not interested in shopping in the present here, mostly in top-class stores. People stroll along these marble corridors between the golden shops like awakened flies in winter – unhurriedly and seemingly – the same as on a Sunday walk in the park. I probably would have fallen into their rhythm to drift with them and feel the atmosphere, but I was in a hurry to watch the sunset… which I ultimately missed -it was already dark when I reached the top – so I just looked up and brushed my fingertips against the much closer moon today
