A week in Dubai – enough time to get away and recharge. You know, when I hear about Dubai I can’t help to just think about the uber unprecedented growth, the questionable sustainability, and a mysterious patch of the desert that became famous for nothing. It’s kind of annoying if you think about it. A big marketing scheme, no doubt. Oh, what the hell – let’s have fun!

My hotel room was not bad. I like the warm color scheme, medium tone wood floors, and hi-tech gadgets throughout, although I didn’t quite understand the curious mix of retro-psychadelic floor rugs and modern furniture. Anyways, the room service was nice and it was nice to be escorted to the lobby restroom.

Dubai has done a marvelous job of attracting expats to live there. I mean, you have MacDonald’s there, Starbucks, T.G.I.F., Fuddrucker’s, Chili’s, IKEA, for god’s sake. Everything you could think of. Really pretty inviting, and with the masses of foreigners (i.e. non-Emiraties), you can feel at home while being away from home. That is, if you are into that kind of thing…

I actually don’t like the fact that 90% of the population is non-native. It kind of lacks the culture effect. It’s a fun place, no doubt, but no place to really live and raise a family. Definitely an exciting place to venture business, take risks, and meet some new contacts. It’s the hype factor- it keeps on feeding itself. Meanwhile, traffic is ridiculous and you kind of have to live with that.