All the Small Things: Part 2

السلام عليكم

Back in February, I published a post entitled "All the Small Things" in which I highlighted a few unique elements of إماراتي‎/خليجي (Gulf/Emirati) society that I noticed soon after my arrival in the UAE. Now, exactly three months later, I'd like to share with you a few more interesting aspects of the local culture to give you a more complete idea of what living in a foreign country is like.

 A Full Spectrum of Service


One of the more noticeable characteristics of the UAE is that many trivial tasks that we Americans do without complaint every day--like pumping our own gas or clearing our tables after dining in at a fast-food restaurant--are viewed not as the responsibility of the public but as the responsibility of those employed by the establishment at which you're being served. As the semester progressed, I became more accustomed to this full-service society; even so, I still find myself searching for a place to dispose of my trash and tray from time to time, and despite having the luxury of cleaning staff to make my dorm room spotless each week, I still end up doing my own dishes and dusting out of habit. You can take me out of America, but you'll be hard-pressed to take the American individualism out of me. On that note, here are a few more situations in which American might be surprised at the level of service provided:

Delivery and Dining Out 

Nearly every fast-food place (including all your typical American brands) and local cafeteria offers door-to-door delivery, and it's often free of charge. I can order everything from Starbucks coffee to a gourmet Indian feast and have it brought to my dorm in rapid fashion. Also, in lieu of drive-thru, most of these same restaurants offer drive-up service à la Sonic, so patrons aren't inconvenienced by having to leave their air-conditioned cars. But instead of orderly parking spaces with two-way speakers for placing your order, the typical scene is 20+ haphazardly-parked cars honking to get the attention of the servers or express their displeasure at their inability to extricate their vehicles from the circus.

All Things Vehicular

Oregonians rejoice! Just like at home, all gas stations in the UAE are full-service, and you don't even have to tip the attendant! Additionally, as an aside, I should mention that petrol is ridiculously cheap here, as you might expect from the world's 7th largest oil exporter. Next, for those of you who like to keep your car as shiny and spotless as the day you bought it, many parking lots, especially in places frequented by those whose wallets are fat and whose patience is thin, are populated with workers eager to wash or wipe down your ride for a handful of dirhams in a never-ending struggle against the dust of the desert.

Shopping: Where Past Meets Present

As I've mentioned before, the UAE is a study in contrasts. Ostentatious megamalls are as ubiquitous as traditional souks, and both serve as excellent examples of the cultural diversity that defines this small yet globally influential nation.

The Traditional Way

Traditional shopping is exemplified by a trip to one of the many souks (public markets) around the Emirates. In addition to large, covered marketplaces offering a wide selection of general wares for both locals and tourists alike, Sharjah and Dubai offer a handful of specialized shopping centers such as the Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Fish Souk, and Produce Souk among others. There are even souks for modern goods like consumer electronics as well as a host of stalls offering knock-off designer clothing and accessories--a 3rd-world parallel to Dubai's glamorous 1st-world boutiques. At all of these souks, however, there is one common theme: haggling. For visiting tourists, it can be a headache, but for locals, it's a way of life. Here's how a typical visit and transaction might go down:

You stroll leisurely through the souk, glancing at each stall as you walk by. You're here to buy your mom a new pashmina scarf. To an outsider, the selection of shawls might be overwhelming, but you've been to the markets enough times to know who the reputable sellers are. You can distinguish quality craftsmanship from souvenir junk, and you're not persuaded by the incessant barrage of "Excuse me, sir, step inside, best pashmina, special price" that follows in your footsteps. After a few minutes, you arrive at your destination--a "hole-in-the-wall" stand covered wall-to-wall with woven fabrics in a plethora of colors and patterns. You greet the shopkeeper, and from your demeanor, he instantly sizes you up, concluding that you're a respectable adversary, not some bumbling tourist with more money than sense. Haggling, you see, is like a game of chess. It's psychological warfare--a series of calculated moves in predictable sequences in an effort to prove you're the dominant member of your species. As you peruse the shelves, he inquires if there's anything in particular you're looking for and offers you some of his finest scarves while describing their quality in great detail. One of them catches your eye. It's a lovely floral pattern. Gold stitching on a blue background. "I'd like this one," you inform the shopkeeper, "how much?" "150 dirhams," he replies. It's an outrageously high price, and you act insulted, but in your mind you know it's just part of the game. "I see pashminas like this all the time. 50," you reply. "Sir, it's best quality, won't find anywhere else. Maybe I feel generous today, give you special price. 100 dirhams," he counters. "Eh, maybe I'll go look at some other shops ..." you start. "Ok 80 dirhams, but that's as low as I go," the owner offers. "I have to feed my family you know." Still, you're not convinced. "I guess I could afford to pay 70 dirhams," you say, "but only if you throw in a bracelet as well." The owner ponders your offer for a moment before replying, "Ok you buy both, but for 80." "75 is all I can afford," you answer. "Ok, ok, 75." And so it ends. The shopkeeper gets to brag to his friends that he sold you a pashmina worth 50 dirhams for 75, and you're satisfied because you were willing to pay 100 for an item of this style and quality and you got a bracelet for free as part of the deal.

That's haggling in a nutshell. Love it or hate it, it's how business is done if you want to shop the Middle Eastern/South Asian way.

The Modern Way

Not much explanation is needed to describe shopping the modern way in the UAE. Nearly everything a person could ever want can be found within the brightly-lit corridors of the world-record-holding Dubai Mall, and if you've got the cash to spend or a hefty credit-limit, Dubai is your playground. You can buy a Patek for yourself and Louboutins for your girlfriend, sign a lease on a luxury condo, order a custom-tailored kandura, enjoy camel-tenderloin and exotic tea at an upscale restaurant, scuba-dive in a massive aquarium, and finish off the day with a french pastry and some Turkish coffee at a cafe with a prime view of the Burj Khalifa as well as a fountain show that makes the Bellagio envious ... all in a day's work, as they say. Even if you have a smaller budget, you can still get your shop on at over 1200 stores, goggle at the parade of luxury cars valet parked near Fashion Avenue, grab a bite to eat at one of the many multicultural fast-food establishments in the massive food court, and conclude your visit with ice-skating at the indoor rink on the premises.

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Well, that's it for today's post, but stay tuned, 'cause I'm going to Doha, Qatar tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll have lots to share with you about that excursion when I have the time to write again.

As always, thanks for reading!

~MH

Türkiye

Ahlan!

Due to a deluge of projects and midterms, I haven't had the time to update this blog the past few weeks. But seeing as things have finally slowed down a bit, I'd like to take a moment to share with you a few reflections on my incredible spring break trip to Turkey--a country with a vibrant culture, fascinating history, and beautiful landscape. Be prepared for a lengthy post! :)

Due to its transcontinental location along key waterways like the Mediterranean and Black seas as well the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Turkey has always been one of the great crossroads of the world. Accordingly, its lands have played host to a plethora of empires, many of which were among the most influential throughout recorded history. If you recall anything from your world history courses, you might recognize a few of the following names, all of which had a stake in this region at one time or another: Alexander the Great, the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuk Sultanate, the Mongol empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
Today, remnants of this diverse, turbulent past can still be seen, forming the tiles of the multicultural mosaic that is modern Turkey. And when I say multicultural, I mean it. Where else in the world can you enjoy an Arab-inspired meal in cave dwelling built by early Greek Christians while sipping wine that would make Tuscany jealous while in the middle of a landscape that looks like the moon and the American southwest had an illegitimate love-child?

With that, please fasten your seatbelts, 'cause you're about to be transported to the magical land of Turkey!

 

DAY 1: Travel & Arrival in Istanbul

5:00 AM. "It's not that early ..." you say as you set your alarm the night before. I mean, you'll be able to sleep on the plane, right? WRONG. Waking up before sunrise and then spending your entire day shuffling through airport lines interspersed with periods of continually changing positions in an effort to get comfortable while trapped in the confines of economy class next to foreigners that don't bathe regularly should be banned by the Geneva convention. But such is the nature of air travel--a necessary but thankfully temporary evil. However, seeing as I was rewarded for my troubles with a week in Istanbul and Cappadocia, I can't really complain. And hey, the food on Royal Jordanian was actually pretty decent, something that can't be said about travel on most US-based carriers. Anyway, after a full day of transit, myself and my 3 travel companions finally arrived at our cramped but hospitable accommodations tucked away along a side street in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul's Old City.

Here's a picture of our hostel in all its pink-painted glory. Fun fact: it used to be a police station, and the basement (where our room was located) used to be the jail! Nonetheless, the beds were quite comfortable, the bathroom was clean, and our next door neighbors,  three flamboyantly fabulous South Africans, were quite friendly and entertaining.

DAY 2: Major Landmarks of Istanbul

Ayasofya (The Hagia Sophia)

This was definitely my favorite architectural stop on our tour of the city. It was really fascinating to see how the space was transformed over the ages as Turkey shifted from a Christian empire under the Byzantines to the predominately Islamic state it remains today. One example of this was that much of the Christian iconography was defaced, since in Islam it is forbidden to have images of people and animals in a place of worship; however bits and pieces of the old mosaics remained, and despite the addition of the minarets on the exterior, the place still felt more like a church than a mosque.

The Basilica Cistern

 

Not much to be said about this landmark, as the pictures do a pretty good job of illustrating the ornate columns and stone medusas that adorn what used to be a massive water storage facility in ancient times. As with many historically important cities, Istanbul has many layers, and it was interesting to see this subsurface example of Byzantine engineering prowess.

DAY 3: More Istanbul Highlights

Masjid Sultanahmet (The Blue Mosque)

From the beautiful symmetry of its exterior domes and minarets to the intricate complexity of its stained glass windows and mosaics on the inside, the Blue Mosque was a magnificent sight to behold.

Topkapi Palace and Museums

Visiting the sprawling Topkapi Palace complex took up the majority of our second day in Istanbul. Our first stop was the Archaeological Museum where we were able to see some phenomenal examples of marble sarcophagi like the Alexander Sarcophagus seen above. The name is a bit of a misnomer, since Mr. Alex himself wasn't entombed inside this burial fixture; however the carved decorations depict a scene of his conquests with some of the original colors remaining. Topkapi also boasts an extensive collection of bejeweled clocks and artwork from the private collections of its previous inhabitants, but perhaps the most important artifacts on display are the sword and cloak attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.

DAY 4: The Golden Horn and Bosphorus

For our final day in Istanbul, we embarked on a full-day tour of some of the lesser known but equally interesting sights of the city. In the morning, we took in the fabulous frescoes of Chora Church and the ornate interior of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy as well as scenic vistas from the tops of Yedikule Fortress as well as Pierre Loti Hill. In the afternoon, following a delicious Turkish lunch, we visited the Spice Bazaar (where I purchased some authentic Turkish tea!!) and Rustimpasa Mosque and finally concluded our day with a 1.5 hour boat cruise up the Bosphorus strait, returning to port just as the rain clouds arrived.

Chora Church

Greek Orthodox Patriarchy

The Bosphorus

DAY 5: Travel to Urgup (Cappadocia)

Day 5 in one sentence: If you think air travel is fun, just wait til you get to spend 13 hours on a bus!

DAY 6: Ballooning, a Breakfast Fit for a King, Ihlara, and Kaymakli (the Underground City)

Ballooning

Another 5AM morning. This time, however, we had a different sort of airborne excursion ahead of us--just as cramped, but infinitely more enjoyable: Hot air ballooning!!! This was hands down the best experience of the entire trip; in fact, it just might be the most incredible thing I've ever experienced while traveling.

Picture this ... you're soaring above a surreal lunar landscape filled with "fairy chimneys" and canyons evocative of the best Utah and Arizona have to offer while the sunrise paints the sky a canvas of orange and pink ... dozens of colorful balloons drift by, borne by the breath of the morning breeze while you hold your camera over the edge of the woven compartment trying to decide what to shoot next yet unable to make a decision because there is a perfect photo in everything ... a blast of hot air warms the back of your neck as flame erupts from the propane burners, providing just enough lift to keep the basket from brushing against the canyon floor below ... and then you're gaining altitude, up, up, up until you can see for miles and miles ... then a graceful descent, and when its all over and the colorful folds of fabric come cascading to the ground, the ground crew greets you with a smile and a glass of champagne ... and you think to yourself: Ahhh, c'est la vie.

That's Cappadocian ballooning for you.

Breakfast at our Cave Hotel

What's so special about breakfast that it deserves its own section in this post? Well ... the breakfast at 4ODA Cave Hotel isn't your typical low-budget grab-n-go hotel fare. Each morning of our stay, the owners and their staff prepared a feast fit for a king (and it was included with the cost of our room!) consisting of local cheeses, homemade bread, Turkish mezze, eggs your way (they even make omelettes if you'd like!), a selection of fruit preserves (my favorites were the apple/quince and the passion fruit varieties), hot pastries with meat, cheese and herbs, Turkish tea, Turkish coffee, and even a cereal bar! As if this breakfast wasn't enough, the accommodations were 5-star worthy, and the owners were the nicest people you could hope to meet. They drove us around in their personal car, made us dinner reservations at the best places in town, secured us discounts on tours and activities, and even assisted us in getting cold medicine and arranging our bus transfer back to Istanbul. If you ever visit Cappadocia, you HAVE to stay at 4ODA in Urgup. And no, they didn't pay me to say that :P

Hiking in Ihlara Valley

Exploring Kaymakli

The most well-known feature of Cappadocia is its abundance of cave dwellings. To hide from invaders, early Cappadocia settlers carved cities and churches out of the soft volcanic rock, and many of these are still visible today. Perhaps the most impressive of these dwellings is the underground city of Kaymakli. Designed to mimic a tree's root system, Kaymakli's multileveled network of rooms and tunnels is still a marvel of engineering even by today's standards. In its heyday, it had everything from stables to wine-making facilities as well as ventilation shafts for fresh air and massive stone doors for protection. We toured the complex with an adorable old man named Mustafa who has been a guide at the site since 1967. I'll never forget his voice saying "Ladies and gentlemen, watch your head, watch your step" before we entered each room and tunnel.

DAY 7: Highlights of Cappadocia

For our last day in Turkey, we went on a full-day guided tour to see the "highlights" of Cappadocia, which included an up-close look at "fairy chimney" rock formations that resembled everything from a camel to a cowboy, a hands-on visit to an artisan pottery shop in Avanos, a photo-op near Uchisar Citadel, a delicious clay-pot kebap meal for lunch, and finally a visit to the UNESCO heritage site at Goreme where stunning Christian frescos are preserved inside rock-cut churches.

The Camel Chimney

 Visit to an Artisan Pottery Workshop

"Evil Eye" Talisman on a Tree Overlooking Uchisar

Goreme

DAY 8: Travel Hell

Because air travel, lengthy layovers, cross-country bus rides, and public transit are just the bees knees, let's put them all together into a 32 hour super duper awesome travel marathon! First, we were thrilled to repeat our 13 hour overnight bus journey from Urgup to Istanbul. Next, we rode the metro to Ataturk airport, where we were forced to wait for 7 hours until our flight was scheduled to depart. Then, guess what? 2 hour delay! Yay! Next, we took a 3 hour flight to Amman and waited 3 hours in Queen Alia airport. While we were waiting, I did manage to capture this pretty cool photo of the sunset, though :)

Finally, we took a 2 hour flight to Dubai, spent an hour at the airport going through passport control and getting our luggage, and then took a cab ride home, arriving at AUS just after 2AM. WHEW. Talk about an exhausting two days. Would I plan such a return trip again? Nooooope. But was it worth it? Hell yeah! I had the time of my life touring Turkey avec mes amis, and I can't wait to return someday to see even more of the country.

I'll leave you with a group pic of myself and my travel companions, aka "The Fantastic Four." As always, thanks for reading! مع السلامة

 ~MH