Life in Dubai

Living in Dubai truly is a unique experience. Without trying to sound too much like the city's marketing propoganda, it definately is a mix of east and west and of Western and Islamic values. Even a normal school day in the city is schizophrenic:

6am - wake up to my Dubai-bought Nokia phone's alarm
7am - catch my American-style school bus, driving past mosques and Arabic signposts while listening to English-language radio
7:55am - arrive at my British curriculum school, where both Arabic and Islamic studies are taught
3:30pm - pay a visit to McDonald's after school where I tuck into a McArabia, something that we take for granted here but would probably raise eyebrows elswehere. Sip some Coke.
4pm - surf the Internet at (usually) high-speed. Greeted by our favorite "Site Blocked" page at various intervals
8pm - order fast food from Pizza Hut. The menu specifically states that all food is Halal.

Yes, we all love to have a good moan about Dubai, myself included, but at the end of the day it's the unique vision and way of life that makes this place so special. The mix of cultures from around the world is well visible, and although the city is not necessarily seen as a melting pot, I am still very proud to call it my home.