Jump to content

Your view, right now


SoulMonster

Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
8 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Dubai Marina, yes. 

Dubai is somewhere that I can appreciate but never want to visit. It's very modern and glitzy on the surface but I wouldn't trust myself not to get drunk and end up in jail for the next 30 years. :lol:

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Dazey said:

Dubai is somewhere that I can appreciate but never want to visit. It's very modern and glitzy on the surface but I wouldn't trust myself not to get drunk and end up in jail for the next 30 years. :lol:

Family vacation, so no partying for me. 

Dubai has become less conservative though. Tourists can even buy alcohol at liquor stores. I was enjoying a Corona at the balcony earlier. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SoulMonster said:

Family vacation, so no partying for me. 

Dubai has become less conservative though. Tourists can even buy alcohol at liquor stores. I was enjoying a Corona at the balcony earlier. 

It’s not buying it that concerns me. It’s jumping in the hotel fountain naked at 3 am AFTER buying it that I’m worried about. 😂

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dubai shouldn't exist, it's the vanity project of a few oligarchs with more ill-deserved money than sense. It's a nonsensical waste of resources to try and create/maintain a metropolis of that size in that sort of environment, and it's built off the backs of labourers who toil in horrendous conditions to keep other, more fortunate people in conditions of obscene luxury.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Graeme said:

Dubai shouldn't exist, it's the vanity project of a few oligarchs with more ill-deserved money than sense. It's a nonsensical waste of resources to try and create/maintain a metropolis of that size in that sort of environment, and it's built off the backs of labourers who toil in horrendous conditions to keep other, more fortunate people in conditions of obscene luxury.

Yes, that's exactly how I feel. I find the whole Dubai decadence thing utterly depressing. Almost makes me root for the downfall of capitalism. The fact that they harbour drug criminals doesn't make it any better. I always have a feeling that everyone in Dubai is a rich asshole (and most likely criminal on some level) who feels so much better about themselves than all the rest and is above the law. And now I found out Soulmonster is taking his family there. Maybe it shouldn't surprise me, as a Norwegian he's somewhat of an oil-sheik as well of course :lol:

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Lio said:

Yes, that's exactly how I feel. I find the whole Dubai decadence thing utterly depressing. Almost makes me root for the downfall of capitalism. The fact that they harbour drug criminals doesn't make it any better. I always have a feeling that everyone in Dubai is a rich asshole (and most likely criminal on some level) who feels so much better about themselves than all the rest and is above the law. And now I found out Soulmonster is taking his family there. Maybe it shouldn't surprise me, as a Norwegian he's somewhat of an oil-sheik as well of course :lol:

 

12 hours ago, Graeme said:

Dubai shouldn't exist, it's the vanity project of a few oligarchs with more ill-deserved money than sense. It's a nonsensical waste of resources to try and create/maintain a metropolis of that size in that sort of environment, and it's built off the backs of labourers who toil in horrendous conditions to keep other, more fortunate people in conditions of obscene luxury.

Yes. Decadence and unnesssary spending is disgusting, but whatever. Dubai is an amazing and impressive place. Same goes for Abu Dhabi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20220115.jpg


Definitely issues with Dubai. It is an authoritarian regime with little accept for criticism. No free speech, no free press. And there's been cases of exploiting foreign workers. 

As for environmental damage, yeah, that can hardly be avoided when a city grows from 300k to 3m over a few decades. As for the amount of energy required to maintain it in a desert region, yeah, surely, but they have those resources. They make a lot of weird choices with their wealth, but it seems to work. 

All this being said, it is a very awesome place. A very multicultural hub in the middle east. You don't see much of the obscenely rich Emirati, mostly middle and lower class people from all over the world who have come here to work in tourism, media, tech, business, industry. And droves of tourists from all over. I have traveled a fair bit and Dubai must be the most ethnically mixed place I've been. And it is immaculately clean and so safe. For family vacation it is absolutely splendid. 

You can avoid it on principle but that won't fix issues with authoritarian, Arab regimes. I believe tourism is the key to change and throughout the times I have visited Dubai over the last 30 years, the place has become less conservative and better. Maybe it's unconnected but I can't believe it hurts. 

The picture above was taken just now from the balcony over Jumeirah Beach. I never tire from that view. 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

20220115.jpg


Definitely issues with Dubai. It is an authoritarian regime with little accept for criticism. No free speech, no free press. And there's been cases of exploiting foreign workers. 

As for environmental damage, yeah, that can hardly be avoided when a city grows from 300k to 3m over a few decades. As for the amount of energy required to maintain it in a desert region, yeah, surely, but they have those resources. They make a lot of weird choices with their wealth, but it seems to work. 

All this being said, it is a very awesome place. A very multicultural hub in the middle east. You don't see much of the obscenely rich Emirati, mostly middle and lower class people from all over the world who have come here to work in tourism, media, tech, business, industry. And droves of tourists from all over. I have traveled a fair bit and Dubai must be the most ethnically mixed place I've been. And it is immaculately clean and so safe. For family vacation it is absolutely splendid. 

You can avoid it on principle but that won't fix issues with authoritarian, Arab regimes.

Who said anything about principle? I'm talking fear, plain and simple. :lol: 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...