DSS and LSS
When I first came to this town some years back, I arrived here in the middle of the DSS, the Dubai Summer Surprises. Initially I didn’t know what to make of it; but it didn’t take me long to discover it was basically a very long shopping frenzy, punctuated by short halts of entertainment (but still inside shopping malls). Was I surprised? Well, yes, sort of. A short list of the things that surprised me includes:- Deira City Center (or Centre); never thought something like this in the desert
- IKEA (where I think I spent enough money I should now be a share holder)
- The temperature (always hovering at 49 c.)
- Dubai Skyline (awesome, I thought every time I saw it, I still do)
- The elegance (and elevation) of the apartment where we first stayed
- The unbelievable number of new and shiny cars and 4x4 vehicles
- The convenient, clean, and affordable taxi system
- The closed trucks carrying laborers like sheep (glad they’re gone)
- The demographic facts about expatriates and locals
- The disparity in salaries and wages among jobs and across ethnic groups
- The very high cost of living
- The availability of all elements of the good life (providing you got the money)
If you’re already wondering about Modhesh, I’m sorry to say this was before Modhesh was born; so he isn’t on the list. The detestable yellow creature always manage to surprise me now that I pass his cutout board figures hanging from overpasses, standing at petrol stations, and peering from behind traffic signs, among other weird poses. But overall, I lost interest in the DSS as it turned into a meaningless annual ritual. Yet clearly for many people, namely shoppers and visitors from the Arab World and Europe, the DSS is still a big attraction, and more so as Dubai gains in stature as a modern and funky tourists destination.
This summer though, the DSS seems to have been taken over by something much more sober and unpredictable: the LSS (Lebanon Summer Surprises). That’s where much of the attention and action has shifted and where some REAL surprises are popping up everyday. For example, the fact that such a total war is now being waged against Lebanon, almost out of the blue, is a bit of a surprise.
However three things don’t surprise me personally: first, the madness and inhumanity of the Israeli bombing; second, the indifference of the USA and some Western countries to the suffering of Lebanese civilians (and their unconditional support for Israel), and finally, the courage, steadfastness and high spirit of the Lebanese people.
Make your own list of LSS if you wish; but keep it wide open, as I think this is one hot summer in the Levant where the events will literally catch many people by surprise!
posted by bandicoot @ 2:17 PM
2 Comments:
Amen re affordable and convenient taxis. I always hear people complain how expensive they are - have they tried hiring a cab in any developed nation? Try adding a zero to the end. The fact that the meters don't go up in traffic is just amazing.
Certainly a lot cheaper than cabs in all Western cities I visited; I don't know about othe countries lik India or Egypt. I know it makes me feel guilty when they get stuck in traffic and never even complain about it; but a good tip can go some way to remedy that.
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