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