A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Some Remaining Observations

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Some Remaining Observations

In the mall at Abu Dhabi, I saw a lady completely covered in black, from head to toe.  She was very tall.  Her towering figure allowed no exposure of her features except for her height.  That was the most conservative expression of Islam that I 

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – The Soul of Dubai

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – The Soul of Dubai

“I have never seen a place with such little soul.” This was a comment of a friend who visited Dubai last year.  It was a provocative statement.  When I heard it, I took a step back and probed my memory of Dubai.  Was it a 

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Abu Dhabi

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Abu Dhabi

It came time to say goodbye finally.  The tour group boarded the plane to fly back to Dubai.  Yang, a fellow tour member, invited me to her home in Abu Dhabi.  We arrived late night after an hour and a half of driving from Dubai.  

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Dubai First Impressions

A Whirlwind Tour Through the Middle East – Dubai First Impressions

  I have never seen so much sand in my life. The wonderful aerial views of the United Arab Emirates greeted me in a variety of forms: first a coastline, then what seemed like ranges of barren hills.  Finally it was all sands in vast