Yeah, who wants to live in Dubai?

So, Dubai, simulacra…Sheikh Zeyed Road, lined with some of the most amazing skyscrapers ever built(all in the last 10 years or so), manhattan on the edge of the persian gulf. Yet, 100 metres to either side of this spectacular street, your spot in the middle of a wasteland, not even that gorgeous empty desert, dunes drawn out to the horizon, but flat dusty waste (old sea bottom?) Its flat, fabricated, so artificial, but still pretty cool…a giant free trade zone, malls like you’ve never imagined, and a culture that’s all but disappeared (where are the bedoins, the camels, the tents? See “syriana” with george clooney) I’ve been to dubai a few times now, but I don’t recall having ever met a citizen of the emirate…Bangladeshis, Lebanese, Jordanian taxi drivers, southeast asian waitresses, but never a national of the UAE. It’s a strange thought, really, that one could visit a country and not once have an interaction with someone from that country…I even went for a drive in the desert, up and down the dunes, supper under the stars at a ‘real’ bedoin camp, a ‘real’ tourist extravaganza, and not one emerati! That said, I’ve seen them, mingled at the mall, seen them at a distance cutting fresh tracks at the indoor ski-slope (and it is no small thing, this ski slope in the desert!) Flowing white jalabyas, that constant fidgeting, adjusting the kaffya, ladies in black, head to toe…As much as it is touted as a great place to live, its 43c at night, the malls are still malls, and for the most part, it’s a desert wasteland. I’d much rather live in the jungle.

But helas, we were there on business…8-5, in the conference room, learining about every department in the unit…how to do field finances in an emergency deployment, rule of law and the protection department, sexual violence in humanitarian crises, the importance of having a will and a ‘proof of life’ question in case of abduction…yeah, grandma, its pretty important. But to be in a room full of some of the most experienced relief workers around—many of whom I worked alongside in Darfur…what a priviledge. And while we were meeting, the unit was also preparing to deploy to Lebanon—what a terrible trajedy. So, I’m still pretty new to this business of humanitarian relief, but I have to say that I felt a part of the community that makes up this team…less experienced, to be sure, but to be there together, to hear of their experience, and share my own, I realized just how significant/valuable my little bit of experience happens to be—I wasn’t silent, I had thoughts and experiences and questions to contribute to the different workshops. I think I’ve found my dream job! I was so impressed by the creativity and leadership brought to bear on the development of this Emergency response unit. Most of the members were young in their careers—late20s to mid-30s—and they weren’t simply functioning as an office in a box, ready to be shipped to whatever disaster…they rove through other country programmes and develop the internal capacity of the agency as well…very cool! Right, keep it brief, two shots for y’all:
1.Dr.Carmen at the gold souk
2. mystery location—hint:one could be excuse for thinking it was a pyjama shop…note the gender composition of the persons in the frame!
3. lovely ladies—Carmen, Jen, Melissa (can you guess which one loves George Clooney?)
Peace,
C