February 5, 2004

• Taxi drivers are a great source of information. In Dubai, they revealed their family history and the social change prevalent in the capital. I have chatted to cab drivers from Pakistan, Iran, India, and the Lebanon during my time in Dubai. What I had also noticed was the large amount of Chinese prostitutes in the city. Alcohol is only permitted in bars located in hotels, and it was in these establishments that I saw these prostitutes plying their trade with Westerners and Arabs. They were even in my hotel bar. Not one sight of a non-Arab man nor a non-Chinese woman in that bar. And it was a Pakistani taxi driver who provided a brief history lesson. Apparently, Filipino prostitutes were prolific in Dubai but they were driven out by the arrival of Russian prostitutes who were in turn bulldozed by the Chinese from the Mainland. Some Russian prostitutes still remained in their own areas in Dubai. I have to admit I was ashamed to see so many Chinese prostitutes who were surprised to see me! 

  
  

  The phone in my hotel room rang at all times of the day and night. When answered, it was always the voice of a woman speaking in what I thought to be Arabic. A quick respite of, “You got the wrong room” followed by the phone slamming down was always my response. One time, the woman spoke in English and pressed personal questions of what my business was in Dubai. Naturally, I refused to answer and hung up. It was only much later that I learnt from an Arab-Australian that prostitutes rent out a room in a hotel for a month, then proceed to call all the rooms in that hotel to tout for business. That certainly explained all the phone calls I was receiving for no apparent reason.

  
  

  While on the subject of prostitutes, one night I was returning to my room when the door of a room four doors down opened. An Arab man exited and quickly scurried to his room which was next door to mine. As he scrambled to open his door, my eyes noticed his left hand was clutching his underwear! He glanced at me a little embarrassed, and I just laughed.     

  
  

  It was also in Dubai that my anti-religious views of not only Christianity but also of Islam were being shaped. Muslims are not supposed to consume alcohol and yet here in Dubai, they were in all the bars I visited happily drinking. And openly playing with prostitutes. Before I went to Dubai, a Muslim friend was telling me of someone she knew that was prostituting himself to Arab men in Saudi Arabia. In my hotel bar, I went to watch a Russian band that was performing and got chatting to an Arab man. The subject steered to religion: “I try to be a good Muslim. But look at me and look at all the other Muslims in here drinking and cheating on our wives with prostitutes. I hope Allah will forgive us.” Yes indeed. Hypocrites.

  
  

  All in all, I was relieved and glad that our proposed move to Dubai never happened. Life would have been much more difficult on a non-Arabic woman than a man in an Arab Muslim country.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  Bur Dubai. Across the water crossing lies Deira.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Moi standing on Deira. The Dubai Museum is situated on this side.

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  View of Bur Dubai from Deira. The spice and gold markets are located there. I found them to be nothing special. And the beaches are not that nice despite what the Arabs say.

  
  

  Click on the pics to enlarge.

  
  

  Tomorrow: the photos of Japan…finally.

  
  

  Some other funny pics:

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

   

  • 7:45 am
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