The Great Mosque and the World's Largest Carpet

My first time in a mosque! I have to cover my hair with a headscarf and wear an abaya so basically I'm in all black with only my round face showing and black sunglasses. The mosque is absolutely stunnning. It was first envisioned by Sheikh Zayed, the George Washington of this place, to have a Taj-Mahal- like mosque with an international feel to it. And it works! The mosque is made of material from all over the world. On the outside is a huge courtyard surrounded on four sides of arched corridors with high columns. The columns, floor and domes are made from marble imported from Greece and Italy, and inside the columns are handcut flowers and stems. Amy would appreciate this place. Its unfathomable the effort that went into this place for there are hundreds upon hundreds of columns with golden-palms at the top. The mosque is still largely in construction but nonetheless is a jewel.
Our tourguide's name is Fatima and she shows me how to wear my abaya and to tie my headscarf to cover my entire head of hair. At the far end of the mosque is the ablutions area with Chinese-imported hunks of green jade marble. She explains that they wash themselves throroughly before praying. There are walls of beautiful Turkish tile and Malaysian glass. Upon entering the dome, we take our shoes off and enter the entrance hall with a huge chandelier above, 9-ton glass doors from Italy and Greece. On the walls, the flower wines are in relief-style, or pressed out from the wall. Such intricate detail. The inside is even more breathtaking....
I am standing on the world's largest carpet, made by 1,200 Iranian women in over 2 years. It was so huge that to be carried over to Dubai, it had to be cut into 2 and transported in 2 airplanes. Iranian weavers were brought over to roll it out, cut around the columns and re-sew it back together. Amazing. There is not a blank wall to be seen; there is intricate detail everywhere. The doem above is covered in Arabic calligraphy with verses of the Koran. Straight ahead is what looks like a giant flaming candle, curved into the wall and made out of gold-covered glass tile. thsi is where the holy imam stands, facing Mecca and reciting the prayer. On the wall surrounding him is the Arabian writings of the 99 names of Allah. To be all these names, you are said to be perfect.
Above our heads is the world's largest chandelier, weighing over 11 tons (!) Kind of scary to look up and see this massive structure above your head. The mosque can hold up to 50,000 people - 20,000 alone on the carpet, and those outside in the court. Outside is a smaller structure where Sheikh Zayed is buried...Fatima tells us that there are three imams rotating everyday for- forever! Reciting verses from the Koran and praying for his soul. I say to Fatima- "Forever?" and she replies he deserves more than that. Whoa.
Craig and I get stranded outside for about half an hour with no taxi. We finally jump in with a South African couple touring Dubai and heading to the Marina Mall. The woman has the cutest little voice and reminds me of a babushka! Her husband has an Uncle-Bill like personality and travels the world. They tell me and Craig about South Africa, the bush and how we must come.
The rest of the day is spent driving to get a McArabia (so good) and lounging in the pool alllll day. Diane joins us later for tequila sunrise cocktails and more fabulous conversation. I find I am more at ease in conversation with her without Craig around. We talk about politics, worldviews and living in different places. We stay in the pool until 7pm, my fingers all pruney from the water.

Sunset in Abu Dhabi

The days seem to be blending into one. I am writing this account on Wednesday night in the small hour of 2:30am, on my balcony mind you. So Tuesday I woke up at one in the afternoon after a much-needed rest. Me, Craig and Diane all ate lunch (right after breakfast!) outside on the patio. Bernadette, the housekeeper, makes the best lunch - rice, salad and beef! Me and Craig are really starting to get along quite well- yay! The sun was brutally hot but it was so nice to be right in the pool all day. Good ol' Shayne (love him) came over for a bit - conversation is always jolly with them. Hours spent lounging around in the pool, talking about...what? We went inside after a bit to look at some guide books then showered and over to Shayne's for a quick movie- Lord of War ! Muhaha. I was wearing only my white skirt and a tank and felt practically naked downtown with all the men (Indian and Arab) staring at me...
So we go to the Meridien hotel for some grape-flavored shisha. So nice. And social. With the pool right before, the shisha goes down sooo smoothly and gives you a nice little buzz :) After shisha, we head over to ChiChi's for some 5 dirham marguaritas!!! We were all so excited; they were nice and strong...at least the first one was. I noticed like 4 men sitting by themselves at the restaurant- weird. Also, guess what? You can smoke in restaurants here! That won't last long... S+C were explaining to me the huge cultural differences that exist around here, like how men hold hands as a sign of friendship or give each other hanoosh! as a joke. Won't go into explaining what that is...You'll have to find out yourself. In in the US, it would considered totally homosexual...Hmmm... Joe joins us later and the drinks kept pouring. We headed right into another cab and over to their favorite pub P.J. O'Reilly's Irish pub for karaoke. Mel was already there her very Italian, Cara-Marzilli-like sister Natalie. Karaoke is always fun, especially when the singers suck! Joe bought me drinks all night, he's so sweet :)
Anyway, I don't remember exact details from PJ's but I do know it was fun and a great atmosphere. I went home to Craig's with Joe afterwards where we talked out by the ocean wall. Bed by 4am, oops! I could tell how late it was because I could hear the call to prayer ringing out throughout the city.
WEDNESDAY, May 26th
Great day. Start the day right, at 11am with a bizarre film "Brick" and Bern's tuna sandwiches and brownies. Mel and Shane came over with Mel's dalmation Coco - how cute! We played out by the pool all afternoon, while Craig tried to kill birds with the hose. Haha hilarious. Splashing and swimming and talking - perfect. We stop quickly at Mel's place downtown before renting JETSKIS!
For real cheap, we rent 2 jet skis for 1 hour. How fun. It was great to have Mel there, another female. We were both shy about taking off our towels, in just our bathing suits, being the only girls around, surrounded by peering men. I adore Mel - she's great and very fun. Man, how I love jet-skiing. Especially holding on tight to Craig ! He went so fast and we hit so many waves- jumping and riding and racing racing racing Mel and Shayne on the other one. We looked great. The water was so so blue! Jet-skiing in the Arabian Sea- does it get any better than that? We kept yelling YEE-HAW! and WOO-HOO! into the air. Craig let me drive near the Corniche in calmer water- I felt so bad-ass!!! I kept speeding up, then turning and racing Mel. Great fun. Also a fantastic way to see the entire skyline of Abu Dhabi. We went up real close to the Emirates Palace- all of sudden, a patrol boat comes speeding over with a massive gun pointed at us! Not allowed to be in that territory- we almost got shot!!!
On the way back, we hit the HUGEST waves and went flying; so so fun. A bunch of big boats were out at sea, so we followed them and went riding off their waves. My bum was so sore from all the bumps. Salty and thirsty after an hour, we head back into the pool. Me, Diane and Craig lounge in the pool for over 2 hours, conversation just flowing like a fountain. Diane is so funny- she tells the longest stories and goes off on such random tangents!! But it keeps conversation good... The sunset was absolutely beautiful. Craig and I went out to sit on the wall, with our legs swinging right over the rocks as the big, fat orange sun sank lower and lower. All the jet-skiiers were heading home after a long day. With the palm trees, the pool and the sinking, flaming sun, it was just picture-perfect.
We had a nice sit-down dinner with Bill, Diane and Bern and I got to talk a little with Bill, but he didn't say much and eye contact?? But I was looking at the pictures in his office- he's met so many powerful political leaders, like Prince Charles and Camilla, and the Sheikh Mohammed...how cool! Then we talked for an hour on Skype with their daughter Michelle. She seems really cool, I'd like to meet her. After dinner, Shayne and Mel picked us up for a movie at joe's. He lives so far away, but in a very lovely villa. We watched Borat (first time for me). Oh my god. I literally laughed my ass off... Its the very meaning of inappropriate but freakin' hilarious. Joe and I didn't really sit together but snuggled a bit at the end of our soiree. Craig and I spent like an hour looking at pictures on Facebook and checking email. He accidentally walked in on me in my bra and got so awkward...haha!

Day 2: Dubai

Ten in the morning, Craig wakes me up so we can leave with his mom and her friend to get over to Dubai. I try to pull myself together for a 2-hr car drive to Dubai. Luckily, we had a driver, Hanif, and I had to speak very little. On the way to Dubai is construction along the entire way. Unfathomable amounts. Along parts of the desert were camels, their silhouettes in the distance, sticking up above the hot sand. Cute little guys...and then, out of the middle of a desert, appears a city. The Burj Dubai is unmistakable and stunning. Not quite finished but I am in love with the shape and profile of it, especially from far away. We also spot the Burj Al-Arab along the coast, the form of a giant sailboat. Dubai has the coolest skyscrapers- like a dream made to life. Each one downtown has an aesthetically pleasing feature to it - incredible. Craig and I hop on the Big Red Tour Bus like 2 little tourists, to be taken around the city all day. My hangover refuses to go away. First we check out the creepiest store I've been in at the Wifa Mall- it's called Memores and is themed French 1890s style. The music they play is soo creepy, with little children's voices in the background. Men dressed in weird suits come out the shadows to spook you. But of course everything in there is upwards of 2000 dirhams...
Our first stop is the Deira museum with the oldest building in Dubai, an old wind fort. I learn about the first kind of air conditioning that existed in the middle of the desert- wind towers that trap the cold air. The museum inside shows the massive industrial growth here in the 70s, 80s, 90s and mostly now. Its so cool to be in the middle of a hotspot (no pun intended!) where so much is going on at once, and continues to grow. Back on the bus, we drove past the city's "creek"- a huge ass river with little boatrides called abra. We covered some serious territory on that bus, which took us to all around the city. My favorite around here are all the beautiful mosques buried in between two buildings, mosques just everywhere! And so many men wearing the long white robe and white hejab tied with a double cord- driving a Range Rover!!!
We finished our action-packed day at the Al-Mashid and the Burj Al-Arab with some cocktails. Absolutely gorgeous hotels. Craig bullshitted his way into getting a free abra ride through the canals that connect all the hotels along the beach. We finished the day with marguaritas poolside with Craig's friend Danna. The great Burj stood majestically in front of us, jutted out in the water. So beautiful. On our way back, we took a cab to the A.D. border then....hitch-hiked our way back to Abu Dhabi city!!! Craig has such a good luck/ karma. We're at this gas station in the middle of nowhere, and a guy signals us over and offers us a ride back for 50 dirhams. No problemo! Nice guy. Traffic cop from Abu Dhabi; we all talk on the way there. When we try to pay him when he drops us off, he refuses the money ! Nice guy...Unbelievable luck.
I took a heavenly shower cuz between the blisters from my new shoes, my back and a 12-hr long headache, I am a wreck. We order pizza and decide to stay in for the night after a very long, fun day.

Arabian Nights in Abu Dhabi

I am staying in a palace. Picture Aladdin or a scene from 1001 Nights, with balconies, charming beds, Persian rugs and marble staircases. Craig's house is a dream and of course no one knew this because he's so non-chalant and in a different mentality than me. This is just where he grew up, a place in the world, a material house. I see it as an exotic, wealthy space and just what the doctor ordered. Upon arrival, I enjoyed seeing all the Arab men wearing their white clothes over the head (I promise I'll find out the name) and the architecture is beautiful. I walk into the Arrivals gate and say "Uh oh"...No Craig- only creepy Arab and Indian men looking at me. And I look like I was spit out of a cave after four years. But soon he arrives, with Mel, who I love instantly. She has a British accent and is half Italian, half British but grew up here. Craig's friends Shane (from South Africa) and Joey (from Scotland) are up front. The weather is instantly hot and muggy, even at 10pm.

I have only been here a night and already I'm in love with the Middle East. Or at least the rich, secular, Dubai, palace bit... Craig and his friends all agree that Abu Dhabi is chiller and the people in Dubai are assholes. "You'll see," they tell me. Keep you posted. The drive from the airport, we pass the world's 2nd largest mosque, in the process of being finished. It is stunning. Great big domes rise up into the night sky and a courtyard down below reveals all these beautiful archways and mosaics. I can't help thinking of the cover of the Aladdin movie at the sight of the dome. God, Americans are so stupid.
Craig lives in what I imagine is the Beacon Hill, the Park Avenue, the Rodeo Dirve of Abu Dhabi. On a jeti that juts out into the bay, his neighborhood has a guard gate and the world's collection of the nicest cards I've ever seen all in the one place. If there's one way to flaunt your wealth around here, its what you drive...and how many. Already, in one evening, I have seen such nice Ferraris and Porsches, it would put L.A to shame. Craig's house in almost at the end, on the sea side. His mom is wonderful...I love her instantly. She immediately shows me my own guest room, complete with its own bathroom, a king size bed, with the most luscious duvet that you just want to melt into bed. Which I eventually do.

I think I've been transported to a five-star hotel. Seriously. This is even nicer than the Ritz. Quick chat with Mom and Dad then off with friends to Shayne's house to watch Clerks II. But not without stopping at Marrouche's for some incredible schwarmas. When you haven't eaten a proper meal in 24 hours and you eat this- oh man, I had to keep myself from groaning. Me and Mel are the only girls there out of a crowd of about fifty other men. Takes some getting used to. On the way home, I catch a glimpse of Emirates Palace- a grandiose (on any scale) palace (literally, I mean, come on!) complete with its own jewel-encrusted gateway dome, archways and more jewel-encrusted entrances. God, I love it here!
When we get home and 2am, I get into my leopard prints robe and silk slippers that Diane set aside for me and sink into bed with those gorgeous pillows. But not before going out on my balcony and pining to my prince- just kidding. I look out at the view of the water, look up at the sky, look at the stars and say a quiet thank you for this opportunity.

I cannot remember the last time I've woken up so incandescently happy in such a comfortable place. I spent my first few waking moments trying to actually enjoy how comfy I was and how I actually did not have to get up for anything or be anywhere at a certain time. Heaven.
Bernadette, their housekeeper, makes us incredible pancakes, bacon and coffee, which we ate right in front the TV. Then-outside! By the pool! Craig and I walked down the coast line, along the big concrete blocks, right along the azure blue water. Craig sublty mentions that his neighbors are all either heads of government or own something big. Driving through is a car show of every house with a Ferrari or Porsche parked out front. One guy even paints the inside of his garage to match his new car every week. Hey Americans, wanna know where all your money is going with the high petrol prices? You got it! Wealth come to life.
The whole day was spent lounging in the hot tub or pool, talking with listening to Diane's great stories. What a sweetheart. She just had surgery on her feet so she's still resting. We talked about everything- from the birth of her two children to organized religion to living abroad.
Later on in the day, Shayne came over to chill out. We took another walk to see the Emirates' Palace- so beautiful. In the other direction, 5 hours on water and you hit Iran! I wanna go!
We get ready to go out around 4pm to do some shopping first. I haven't brought nearly enough clothes so Shayne and Craig become my posse of shopping dudes. The malls here are incredibly ostentatious as anything and all brand spankin' new. Even outside, every building, every street, every car is new, new, new. And anything "old" (30 plus years) is getting torn down and rebuilt. As a result there is construction partout (Pardon my French, but I'm writing this from France and sometimes their words just fill so...perfectly).
I buy some sandals, top and shirt. Much better. Quick stop at Shane's for a Fawlty Tower episode then off to Bambu! for all-you-can-eat-and-drink!!! Bad idea....We order a shitload of appetizers, soup, pork fried dumplings, and guzzle beer upon beer (and wine!). Joe the Scotsman joins us, then Mo- my favorite. He's this huge Arab dude, a local, with a passion for comics and a refusal for alcohol and pork. He's not exactly in good company...