In a culture where religion and antiquated propriety have long ruled the roost, Dubai is quickly becoming the beacon of the modern world. The New York Times did a story package investigating how Dubai's yuppies are faring in a city where modern temptations are clashing with religious identity. NYT sums it up in this paragraph:
"It is a land of rules: no smoking, no littering, no speeding, no drinking and driving. But it also dares everyone to defy limitations."
In an interview with NYT, Abu Zanad, who moved to Dubai to work in real estate, said, "“It is very disorienting. I felt lost. There are fancy cars, but don’t speed. You can have prostitutes, but don’t get caught with a woman."
This package is complete with a slide show that really puts a face on the young, vibrant society that's growing in Dubai. It really moved me because it reminds me of my own struggle with religion and real life. They are late 20-somethings who seem so lost in this glittering society being built around them.
When I was in New York this summer, I felt a little like some of the people interviewed in this article. Everyone has an agenda. You don't talk, you network. And leave your hometown behind, because you're in New York now. However, on the weekends, you would see people secretly flocking to their churches, the nearest library, or even lying in Central Park alone. Because in a city of staggering masses and blinding opportunity, you realize that you are very alone.
But New York has always been fast and shameless. The difference with Dubai is that they are becoming modern at the speed of light, leaving behind whoever can't keep up.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/09/22/world/20080922DUBAI_index.html
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On an unrelated and yet still related note, they were talking on NPR about how Dubai is becoming more of a destination for Indians seeking the city life than Delhi.
I spent a couple of days in New York this summer, and I was already starting to see the way of life that the city is so known for. It's just as you described it. Los Angeles is kind of the same way...like another planet or the setting of a fairytale. Wonderful and terrible all at the same time.
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