Do you want to feel poor? I mean, really REALLY poor? Then I suggest a visit to the land where people buy $400,000 Rolls Royces that are driven for two weeks out of the year when they’re in town. I suggest a trip to the mall we visited where you can purchase a gold-plated cell phone that costs $30,000. Oh, and might as well go skiing while you’re in that mall…the one that’s built in the desert. We’re talking very serious money here in the beautiful man-made emirate of Dubai.Everything in this country is brand-spanking new and clean…this is due largely to the imported labor. While there are only 600,000 citizens in Dubai, there are more than 6 million expatriates who do everything from industrial engineering to information technology management to teaching to gardening. The whole time I was in the country, I don’t think that I met a single Dubai citizen. Everybody was from somewhere else!
Our business partners here are fantastic hosts, and they made sure that we got to see some of the sites when we weren’t working. For me, there were two things that I really appreciated. First, we got to visit the big palm tree island that they’ve built in the Gulf. It’s HUGE! It’s clearly visible to the naked eye from the Space Station…but I had no idea how big it was until we drove across it on our way to brunch. Our distributor has a friend who lives on the “trunk” of the palm tree, and we were invited in to his apartment building. He took us to the parking garage below the building to show us the collection of Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis that his neighbors drive when they’re in town.
The second thing that left me dumb-struck was visiting the world’s tallest building. It’s brand-new, and isn’t scheduled to be open for a couple of weeks yet. But, just standing there looking up at it was still a thrilling experience. The next time I visit Dubai (next month!), I’m hoping to visit the top of this building.
The only problem with Dubai is that it's expensive to live there (or visit). Our hotel, which is considered mid-range (a typical J.W. Marriott) was $650 per night. Internet access in the rooms cost an additional $30 per day. Would someone please explain to me why expensive hotels feel the need to charge extra for Internet access...while every Motel 6 gives it away for free? I'm surprised that Marriott doesn't charge to watch T.V. in your room...or perhaps charge for guests who opt to take a shower...or turn on a light...or use some toilet paper...or sleep in the bed rather than curled up on the floor! Sorry, but I sometimes get upset with hotels that constantly tack on additional charges for things like the Internet...ESPECIALLY when they're charging $650 per night!!!
Have a look at the video and let me know what you think!
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