One month in Dubai

On Inauguration Day 2021, hours after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, I departed the United States for London Heathrow. I was on my way to Dubai for the first time. What I expected to be two weeks in Dubai turned into four after my travel plans were derailed due to the British government’s new coronavirus restrictions. However, I had a ton of fun and enjoyed the nice change of pace from the United States. I was thrilled by being in a new country, taking in the (diversity of) culture, and the way of life in Dubai. (For instance: why were expats there, what kind of people would go to Dubai, what’s the social structure like, what kind of views do people hold there, what customs and rules are different from the United States, etc.)

This was my first time to visit the Middle East. Usually, I hear of people from the United States transiting in Dubai for a few days at most, then heading to their final destination, usually in South Asia. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, I had just had about enough of being sequestered at home, with no opportunity to travel and explore the world. Fatigued and jaded by my tiring classes, I wondered where I could go internationally during the pandemic and stay safe.

Understandably, most countries had shut their borders to Americans because of our high case numbers and because their country did not wish to import any cases either. Critically, almost all European countries had shut their borders to Americans. I had never visited Europe before, and still wish to visit to this day, once borders reopen. I started to look for countries which were still open for tourism. The list was very small, but excluding destinations in the Americas and Africa (where variants were developing), the list essentially came down to:

• South Korea
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• the United Kingdom

So, I could visit all of the countries with “United” in their common names, as well as South Korea. I quickly excluded South Korea because:

• They weren’t officially open for tourism,
• I don’t speak any Korean,
• The trip would be too long, and
• I would have to spend 14 days in quarantine.

The latter two seemed promising at the time I booked my flights in late 2020 because the United Kingdom placed the United Arab Emirates in its list of travel corridor countries, from where you could enter the United Kingdom without quarantining. Plus, Dubai had officially reopened for tourism. There was no quarantine requirement, and no need to pretend like you were going for an essential purpose. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, while not exactly encouraging tourism, still did not deny entry to American citizens on the basis of simply visiting at the time.

Thus, I planned my trip to be in two phases. The first phase was to visit Dubai for 2 weeks, enough to be cleared from quarantining in the United Kingdom. The second was to visit London, as that would’ve been the closest I would get to visiting continental Europe for a while.

When booking, I found that round trip business class tickets were at a fraction of their usual cost. I was able to book two legs of the trip as business class (paying out of pocket), one leg as business class using a mileage upgrade and copay, and one leg I left as economy class. It would be my first time flying business class, and ended up to be hugely worth it.

I booked before the large winter wave of cases, and I had expected the situation to remain safe enough for me to travel, but of course, I was always mentally prepared to have to change my plans in our fast-moving pandemic-laden society.

To prepare, I had to research the situation in more detail.

First, I had to ensure I would have health insurance abroad should I contract a severe case of COVID-19. I was pressured into buying travel insurance from the airline, due to its supposedly superior reputation. It only covered you if you actually contracted COVID-19, though I wanted to buy one that covered more cases, such as flight/trip interruptions due to changes in law. I regretted not buying one on my own, as I not only could’ve gotten a better policy but also have saved some money, and wished I had not listened to the people who gave me advice on these matters.

Second, I had to figure out how to get RT-PCR COVID-19 testing that would produce results within 96 hours. This was the standard necessary for allowing me to board a flight to Dubai; antigen tests were not accepted. I ended up booking a standard PCR test with a standard provider a few days before, timed so it was within 96 hours but I could nearly guarantee I’d receive the results one day before my flight. I also needed a test within 72 hours for transiting through the United Kingdom, so I got a quick antigen test the day before I departed from the United States. I used both to qualify me for the requirements in the United Kingdom and Dubai.

Third, I had to ensure I was able to come back, since I knew then-President-elect Biden would likely be implementing a testing requirement for passengers returning to the United States. Additionally, there was also a chance I would need a negative test in Dubai as well to travel onwards to London (this time, to stay there for 2 weeks rather than transiting).

Fourth, I needed to ready everything for the trip. I packed essentials, as well as medicines and supplements to keep me healthy, and of course, personal protective equipment. I prepared to use my travel credit cards, and exchanged $200 in equal parts for pounds sterling and Emirati dirhams. (This ended up being wholly unnecessary and a waste of money.) I took with me two N95 masks, 10 KN95 masks, and 10 surgical masks. I would be reusing them as necessary, and would always double mask the KN95 with surgical together. I intended to use the N95 for the flight; however, it proved unnecessary when in business class, so I relented and switched to the more comfortable combination of KN95+surgical. I later realized this was indeed safe.

So on the day of Biden’s inauguration, I departed from the United States on a flight to London Heathrow, where I connected to the flight that would take me to Dubai. I had a 14 hour layover in London, which was thankfully made better by the fact that I had lounge access.

The trip was relatively safe, but very tiring. The only real danger of catching the virus from someone is if they walk past you in the aisle; otherwise, the air is circulated so frequently and the new air was filtered with HEPA filters, to the point that it is basically impossible to catch COVID-19 if you sit in your seat and there is nobody in the seats immediately next to you, and you keep your mask on whenever someone goes past you. That, as well as the fact that everyone has had negative COVID-19 tests (which is obviously not to say makes it all risk-free—just that it’s better than nothing), and eating when everyone else has finished eating for a few minutes (so that the air can circulate and be rid of potential virus-containing droplets), made my trip very safe. I was more concerned about contracting the coronavirus in airports. Thus, I made sure to double mask and wear at least a KN95.

In the lounge in London, I had my first taste of a full English breakfast. I learned that black pudding is not like American pudding, and it’s absolutely revolting to the American palate. The 14 hour layover proved much rougher than I expected. I got no sleep on the plane because it was only late afternoon/early nighttime during the flight. Just as I wanted to sleep at midnight Central Time, the usual London fog dissipated in favor of radiant sunshine, which struck directly into the lounge from the east through huge glass paned windows. The radiant glow caused me to have a rough time sleeping on a low-quality couch in the lounge. I was thankful my amenity kit included an eyeshade and earplugs, as they were much needed that morning.

After a few hours of uncomfortable rest, I woke up and waited for the time to pass so I could board my flight and sleep on a lie-flat business class seat to save my sanity. The lounge’s food’s quality was disappointingly poor, but I was grateful to have a few free meals and a decently good place to rest in the airport. Had the border been open, I would’ve checked myself into a hotel to get some shuteye, but this was impossible during the coronavirus pandemic.

I boarded the flight to London around 9pm that night local time, and would awaken at 6am local time in Dubai and land just an hour later. My first view of the Arabian desert mesmorized me, and seeing the urban sprawl of Dubai during a sunrise landing was truly breathtaking and beautiful, especially to the untrained eye of an American tourist desperate to travel internationally after a rough year in quarantine.

Arriving in Dubai, I was informed I would have to take another PCR COVID-19 test, but it was free and so I couldn’t really complain about double checking I didn’t contract COVID-19 on my flights. The only complaint I had was the line was an hour long and there was scant social distancing. The test results were necessary to begin receiving room service at my hotel.

After passing immigration and grabbing my baggage, I made my way to the metro station entrance, only to realize that it was closed. I was very confused; it was Friday morning at 9am. Isn’t this a very reasonable time for me to expect that the metro be operational? I quickly realized it was probably closed because of jummah. I was in a Muslim country, and needed to learn of the cultural and societal differences. Later, I realized that weekends in the United Arab Emirates were Fridays and Saturdays, and that the weekday was Sunday through Thursday.

I figured that I might as well get myself a taxi, despite it being pricey. I was beyond exhausted, having spent the last 30 hours traveling, and honestly was glad I didn’t take the metro, because it would’ve been the end of me. The taxi ride was indeed pricey, but it was a regulated cab and well worth it. I was surprised to see that an Arab woman in a full burqa drove it. To stay on the safe side in a Muslim country, I handled my own baggage and didn’t make eye contact with her.

The ride to the hotel was absolutely beautiful. Driving along Sheikh Zayed Rd, which is actually a 12 lane freeway and the main trunk road of Dubai, I glimpsed at the clusters of skyscrapers and the buildings alongside the highway. Of course, I passed by the Burj Khalifa. Billboard ads were everywhere, and to my surprise, almost always contained English, and sometimes was accompanied by Arabic. This was my first indication that this country truly is an English-speaking country where the locals speak Arabic among themselves and conduct government matters in them. Otherwise, however, English was the undisputed lingua franca. Not knowing English in Dubai, even only knowing Arabic, is a massive handicap.

I had booked myself a decently priced hotel room. At just $50/night, it would only get me an old motel room in the United States. In Dubai, it got me a room in a 4-star hotel in a high rise building. Arriving at the hotel, the bellhop collected my baggage and sent it to my room once I had got it. After resolving a mishap where my reservation had been mistakenly canceled, I was thankfully still able to book a room and within an hour, was given the keys. I entered my room, took a quick (but thorough) shower, and immediately closed the blinds and went to sleep around noon.

That night, I awoke after 12 hours. It was midnight, and I was fully awake. I exited my hotel in t-shirt and shorts. It was a chilly 65ºF with wind gusts. Thankfully, the place I was in had many 24 hour eateries available. (At the time, they were able to remain open all night. Later, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they closed at 1am. But I was able to avoid being impacted by this.) I decided to go somewhere cheap (Zaatar w Zeit) and ordered a very inexpensive zaatar dish. I could barely find a seat on the outdoor seating patio because there were so many people at that time of night eating. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then, I bought some snacks at a small bodega. Apart from pork not being sold in it, it looked like any supermarket in the United States, only it was condensed into a few small aisles. I also visited the local Carrefour supermarket, and though it was not a hypermarket and didn’t have everything I was looking for, I bought a British power adapter because the one I brought with me broke. (In the United Arab Emirates, they use British plugs.)

That night was magical. I thought nothing would be open. Instead, I discovered a thriving halal night life in Barsha Heights, complete with restaurant and grocery facilities. And the weather was perfect. I strolled through the area my hotel was in and thought I had entered a whole new world, so familiar yet so different. What a way to start my journey in Dubai.

Coming to Dubai meant quite a few changes from the way of life in the United States.

First of all, both the United Arab Emirates and the United States are multi-ethnicity, multi-cultural melting pots. This meant there were a diversity of people. However, the ethnic compositions massively differed. Obviously, this was not a majority white country. However, beyond what most people might guess, it is not a majority Arab country either. 90% of the population are foreign expatriates. 65% of the entire population are from South Asia. The rest are white British, European, or Americans, as well as people from other parts of Asia, especially the Philippines and Central Asian countries (“the Stans”).

I had begun learning Hindi out of pure personal interest, long before I even thought of visiting Dubai. Before coming to Dubai, I tried to start learning the Arabic script, and some very basic Arabic. Although I knew English could be used in Dubai, I didn’t want to be impolite and ignorant. The last thing I wanted to come across as was an ignorant American.

Instead, I came across as… Filipino? I have had Filipino friends of mine originally think I might be Filipino in the United States, but it seems most people in the service industry thought I was Filipino by my looks. (As far as I’m aware, I’m 100% Han Chinese.) This impression was further compounded by the fact that the Filipino English accent was most similar to an American English accent.

Once, I went to a currency exchange place in a mall, and I asked the guard for where I could find the exchange rates. He asked me if I was looking to exchange Philippine pesos. Outraged, I asked if he could tell where I was from by my accent. He could not. While racism is officially illegal in the United Arab Emirates, racial profiling is deeply engrained into the culture, in order to accommodate for the diversity of the people living there. (What I mean by this is people need to know what culture/ethnicity someone identifies with in order to provide them relevant services. Unfortunately, this is often accomplished by racial profiling.)

Telling people I was American in Dubai never satisfied anyone. In fact, quite a few merchants would say “ni hao” to me rather than “hello” before I opened my mouth. Everyone always wondered where I was really from. In the United States, if you asked me this, I would say I was born in Texas and I’ve lived there all my life. But in Dubai, I understood that I could not rely on the American concept of political correctness. “My parents are from China,” I would reluctantly say. This would either cause two responses: either “that makes a lot more sense” or “really? I thought you were Filipino!” (Followed by my aggrevation intensifying.)

But I don’t think many Filipinos speak Hindi-Urdu (Hindustani), so maybe that would make it more obvious I’m not Filipino? I scant used Hindi, but I certainly used it more often than I did Arabic. I once had to buy dhokla by speaking to the employee in Hindi, since their English speaking skills were not good at all. I had never expected that knowing Hindi would be useful in the Middle East, but here I was, comfortably navigating South Asian-run shops with little fear they would not understand me. Turns out, roughly 30% of the population is Pakistani and roughly 25% is North Indian. That means almost all South Asians in Dubai will speak Hindi-Urdu. Therefore, believe it or not, it is much more useful to know Hindi in Dubai than it is to know Arabic.

An important thing any American traveling abroad should do, but many might not do, is prepare themselves to explain why our country has taken the foreign policy actions it has. As the United States is the world police, mentioning you are American, much less any mention of the United States, provokes an opinionated response of your country wherever you go in the world.

“What do you think of Biden vs. Trump?” they would ask me. This is not only a minefield question in the United States; if anything, it is even more a minefield to traverse through in Dubai. Unless you are dealing with Europeans or Syrians (more on the latter later), you do not want to be praising Biden and dissing Trump. All of the South Asians with whom I spoke about this topic indicated they liked Trump, for he was “strong, did not start any wars, and brought peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords.” Meanwhile, Biden was seen as “weak/soft” and “too old”. “I would have liked to see Trump win reelection,” they said. “Well, there’s a reason why only Americans can vote for their own president,” I thought to myself.

Meanwhile, when I would encounter Europeans on my trip, mostly from the desert safari day trip that I booked, I would focus on the general liberal sentiment in the United States—Trump was racist and mean, not polished enough to be president, and botched the coronavirus pandemic response, and Biden was a better mannered, much-needed replacement.

If you were raised to not offend, then although your personal political views are not salient when discussing with strangers, you should always be ready to respond to what the United States government has done. You don’t have to defend, but providing the American perspective is what non-Americans crave to hear when they ask about the United States. It is up to Americans to accurately but carefully portray their country, and hopefully not be too biased by their personal political views to explain objective truths about the relevant geopolitical implications of the United States’s recent actions.

Usually, I did not think much of people’s opinions of our presidents or of our country. However, when I was in Dubai, I met a Syrian whose brother immigrated to the United States, became an American citizen, and then came down with a debilitating, paralyzing disease. He told me he wanted to see his brother, but could not due to the Trump travel ban. When I told him Biden had repealed the travel ban as of a few weeks ago, he was in disbelief and asked me to double check. I did, and sure enough the policy was gone. Because Americans voted for Biden in November 2020, this man could now see his paralyzed brother. I have to hold back my tears every time I think of this.

Paying for things in Dubai is similar, but better than in the United States. The nice part about the Emirati currency, the dirham, is that it’s pegged to the U.S. dollar in order to sell oil at stable prices. The Middle East’s oil-producing nations, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all peg their currencies to the U.S. dollar because they receive all of their international oil revenues denominated in U.S. dollars. As a result, Americans can enjoy a truly stable exchange rate when making transactions with their credit cards in the United Arab Emirates. The dollar is also the global currency used in trade. Therefore, Americans enjoy an advantage when transacting abroad, as their currency is taken in foreign countries, since everyone needs U.S. dollars in order to buy things. This continued to hold true in the United Arab Emirates; while its government may be flush with U.S. dollars and might not want any more of it, merchants certainly wanted cold, hard U.S. dollar cash. The only cases where I needed to use cash in dirhams was at the souks in old Dubai and other stall vendors. Even then, many of them would take U.S. dollar when I told them I didn’t have enough dirhams on me to cover the cost. Paying at restaurants, shops, and for your metro card can be accomplished through contactless payments (Apple Pay) as well as using a traditional card, though the former was preferred due to the pandemic. As a result, I did not need to exchange too much cash.

While Al Ansari Exchange provides the best USD to AED exchange rate among the major currency exchange places in Dubai ($1 = AED 3.64), it is still not as good as the exchange rates you can get using your credit card, which is closer to the mid-market rate of $1 = AED 3.6725. Plus, they always charged an AED 6 exchange fee.

I discovered a hack to get the best exchange rate for dirhams, second to using a fee-free ATM card. In the International City, there is a China sector. This is the de facto Dubai Chinatown. The supermarkets and Dragon Marts (indoor bazaar for selling cheap Chinese things) there take US dollar at a more favorable rate than any currency exchange I’m aware of: $1 = AED 3.65. One supermarket took Emirati dirhams, Chinese yuan (renminbi), U.S. dollars, and Omani rial, at rates close to their respective mid-market exchange rates. Therefore, it’s better to go spend your USD in Chinatown or with Chinese merchants, who will give you change in dirhams, which you can then use to pay for other things. I brought many $20 bills along with me for the trip, which always proved to be valuable.

The cost of living in Dubai, however, varies widely depending on where you direct your spending, because there is a very evident three-tiered economic class system. The working lower class, which comprise the majority of the population, pay little for cheap groceries at Carrefour and little for rent, and make fewer than 10,000 dirhams every month (US$2,722 = AED 10,000). They cannot afford to eat out at restaurants every day or shop in the malls. As a result, if you wish to visit Dubai, you will find a world of contradictions in terms of cost of living; hotels are either very cheap or very expensive, restaurants and food-serving establishments in touristy areas are very expensive (except for fast food, where it is the same cost as American fast food), groceries are very cheap, malls are very expensive, and the food shops in Al Fahidi are cheap. Go figure.

I went to all of the main tourist attractions people say to go to in Dubai except for skydiving. I didn’t want to spend that much money for such a risky activity. I visited four malls: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City Mall, and Ibn Battuta Mall. I visited both the old city and the new city. There are many different districts of Dubai, each with its own character. The old city of Al Fahidi’s vibe was completely different than viewing the Bellagio-style fountain show at night beneath the Burj Khalifa, outside of the Dubai Mall. Each were good in their own way.

I can confidently say going to Dubai in the winter was the right decision. In the summer, there is nothing to do except stay indoors and keep cool. The scorching hot summer sun and triple digit temperatures (in Fahrenheit of course) inhibit many outdoor events. Going in January and February, the temperature is a steady 70ºF every single day, and at night it’s only dipping a few degrees below that. The temperature is perfect, though the sun still bakes those who stand underneath it for too long. Air conditioning was much needed and very welcome.

The places that people don’t usually talk about, but are good places to visit nonetheless, are the ones that struck me with quite a lasting impression. Especially the seasonal attractions. They probably receive less attention because people who visit Dubai in the summer can’t go to those attractions anyway. However, if you visit in the winter, they are open and they are gems. For instance, Global Village is only open in the winter in late afternoon/early evening. But it’s a great place to visit to explore all of the different cultures from an Arab perspective (and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all—it gives a different perspective on global cultures). The Dubai Miracle Garden is also only open in the winter, when the flowers and tourists alike won’t be burned to a crisp. And the desert safaris, which are a must-do, do not occur in the summer either. Walking along the beach is also very much a winter activity. The only year round event that seems to be a constant is going to the mall to window shop and eat at restaurants. And visiting the Burj Khalifa. (Although, if you do that, you might not have much fun out on the outdoor observation deck on the 124th floor, on account of being burned by the sun while the triple digit temperature wind blows on you.)

Sure, the food in Dubai is very good, with lots of variety. I went to several restaurants with a unique kick, including several Middle Eastern restaurants. They were all pretty good, and a nice change of pace from what I can get in the United States. However, I often found myself eating the AED 25 ($6.80) combo at Jollibee to not go broke. (While I am able to afford eating out every single day for all three meals, I would rather not spend thousands of dollars more than I already did.) The American/global restaurants I found in Dubai were always slightly more expensive than they would cost in the United States. The only exception to that would be Din Tai Fung, which is somehow more expensive in the U.S. than it is in Dubai.

I became a “regular” at the Al Ustad Special Kabob restaurant, a great place to get affordable kabob, after the propreitor recognized me by my third visit and told me “you’re a regular now, here’s our card so you can call ahead for pickup.” Honestly, I was very touched. It is a delicious, affordable restaurant in Al Fahidi, and was my go-to whenever I wanted to eat something nice but not pricey. I hope to visit again the next time I’m in Dubai. By then, he will have probably forgotten me, but I will not have forgetten him.

One of the cool parts about Dubai is the indoor skiing available in the Mall of the Emirates. While it’s just one slope split into an easy and a hard slope, it’s still quite impressive. I skiied for about five hours, and did fine despite not having gone skiing for many years. It was wonderful to be able to ski in the middle of the desert.

The beach and the Palm Jumeirah are very touristy areas, which are highly developed but quite repetitive and predictable. I did not really visit these areas often because I felt like I could find this in any city in Florida. While it’s cool to travel through the Palm, the shape is only cool when you look at it from a birdseye perspective.

The Dubai Frame, which I visited towards the end of my stay, presented an interesting contrast between old and new Dubai, and was focused on sharing how Dubai’s development had been and will be.

The Burj Khalifa actually was my last major tourist attraction that I visited. I unintentionally saved the best for last because I was unsure how much money I wanted to cough up to visit the 125th floor or the 148th floor. The 125th floor gave the same impressive views as I saw when I went up the Shanghai Tower, which is the second tallest building in the world. Maybe I should’ve coughed up an extra $50 for the 148th floor views. Nonetheless, I stayed in the Burj Khalifa from around 2:30pm to 7:00pm, capturing the skyline view in the afternoon, at sunset, and at night. Plus, I got to view the beautiful fountain shows that take place right below the tower from 100 floors above the ground. I had watched them from the ground, but it is a whole different experience seeing a fountain show from a bird’s eye view.

When I got tired of being a tourist, I wanted to satisfy my Chinese needs by visiting the de facto Chinatown I mentioned earlier. I found a very inexpensive noodle shop that served great beef noodle soup. Going there and speaking in Chinese was very soothing; I felt great because I was with my people. And nobody could tell I was Chinese–American. :)

At Dragon Mart, I bought a cheap inductive charging stand for my phone and AirPods at $15 USD (and paid with USD too). It turns out, when you buy from Chinese vendors, they will give you a discount for being Chinese, usually their wholesale price. (This is why I always speak Chinese to Chinese people, unless they are ABCs.) I also needed to buy a suitcase, and that was made cheap too when I found a Chinese luggage vendor who also gave me “the Chinese price” and a recommendation of what they sell to their fellow Chinese compatriots when they return to the homeland. When shopping in Dragon Mart (or at any other vendor in Dubai), I would buy from a vendor who’s the same ethnicity as you are, and speak in your mother tongue, unless that would bring you a disadvantage. For me, it made me feel closer to the seller in a multicultural, multiethnic society such as the United Arab Emirates, always strikes up a nice chat, and I can be reasonably sure they’re not trying to rip me off or sell me trash. (The same does not apply in mainland China. Imagine if everyone got a Chinese discount for being Chinese in China. In your dreams.)

I was supposed to leave Dubai after two weeks of being there. But at the end of January, the British government suddenly announced they would be halting all direct flights between Dubai and the United Kingdom. This caused my return flight to be canceled, and my plans to go to London for two weeks were tossed away. Thankfully, I had not booked any hotels in London yet, so this was quite easy to do. First, I had to extend my hotel stay in Dubai. My tourist visa gave me 30 days to visit from the day I entered the United Arab Emirates. I then had to rebook with another airline. After much strife, I was scheduled to fly back via Frankfurt am Main, Germany, taking Lufthansa for my Dubai–Frankfurt am Main segment.

Thus, I stayed in Dubai for nearly a month. While the U.S. CBP immigration inspection officer was surprised to hear I had stayed for that long for tourism when I returned to the United States, I thought it was a reasonable length of time to stay in Dubai. There’s a lot to do, and I spent my time slowly enjoying every part of it. One attraction per day, if at all. Some days, I caught up on work, or just went to a coffee shop and relaxed. There was no longer this rush to do everything in two weeks anymore. As a result, I explored more of Dubai then I expected to explore, and I had a lot more fun than if I had to fly into London and quarantine for a few days, before only being allowed to explore the outdoors of London under the pretense of “exercising”.

While Dubai got banned from direct flights with the United Kingdom while I was there, I still felt very safe from COVID-19. The daily case incidence rate had risen a lot since I booked my flight to Dubai, yet it was still better than the United States per capita rate at the time. (This remained true until about two weeks after I returned to the United States.) Therefore, from a risk management perspective, I had selected the less riskier place to be in, and therefore decreased my chances of contracting COVID-19. Staying alive is all about minimizing risk. Besides, the United Arab Emirates, although probably the most liberal country of the Middle East, is still a strict country where you can be fined for any disobedience of the rules (much like Singapore). Therefore, everyone wore masks, whether inside or outside. On the metro, in the malls, while skiing, while on the desert safari. You could only take it off when eating. I remembered being so thankful that masks here were not an option or a political statement. They were required, and if you didn’t comply, you would be penalized. If you continue to not listen to rules, you get deported from the country. Enforcing a strict mask mandate is the right way to respond to a public respiratory health crisis.

When I returned, I took great memories of Dubai with me. I also transited through Germany in Frankfurt am Main, and that’s my only experience of being on continental Europe thus far. I also never spent my pounds sterling, so I guess I’ll be keeping them for forex investment purposes now. But I brought back just a few dirhams, which I will be saving for my next trip to Dubai. Because I will be coming back one day. It is a wonderful, world-class city. And I’m glad I visited it when I did.