Culture & Courtesy at the Dubai Mall

This was my very first time to the Middle East and frankly, I had no idea what to expect in terms of culture and conservatism. Besides knowing that Middle Eastern women wear burkas, I had no idea how conservative I needed to be as a tourist. Whenever I travel, I try to make it a point to research a country and their attire so I can dress appropriately. I’ve learned that it’s safer and smarter when you don’t stick out like a sore thumb, especially if you’re a solo traveler. For this trip, I brought long black maxi dresses, and tried to leave the skin tight clothing at home. When I got to Dubai, I was actually surprised to see that many of the people I saw were dressed very similar to what I see back home in the USA. Maybe I only saw tourists, but I definitely saw my share of t-shirts, skin tight clothes and short shorts.

Something I found interesting when visiting the Dubai Mall were these pamphlets, located at every information booth. It was a little reminder that no matter how many short shorts I actually saw, we were in a country that valued conservatism – and those short shorts were probably offending someone.

Aside from the courtesy procedures, the mall in itself was pretty incredible. I was traveling with someone who was not quite the little shopaholic that I am, but I did definitely make a mental note to come back ASAP. Besides having a gazillion high-end stores, I was more than happy to find a great H&M, and other stores more around my budget range.

Besides the incredible shopping, there was also a giant aquarium, giant waterfall, giant fountain display outside… I guess when you’re in a city made out of money, everything just comes out bigger and better. We didn’t have time again to see and appreciate everything (not to mention the fountains were all cancelled because of the sandstorm) but hey, just more reasons for me to come back to Dubai someday!

Ski Dubai

I hate skiing. I don’t know if it’s my lack of coordination, or the fact that I hate being cold, but the combination of both of these things define why I always avoid this activity if at all possible.

However, there’s something about being in another country that gives me this urge to experience everything. And since Dubai is famous for its indoor ski park, I suited up for what was bound to be a disaster.

Ski Dubai is located in the Mall of the Emirates and is also the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. They say they have 5 runs (I only saw 2, but I’m not a skier so what do I know) and a snow park where you can things like go tubing or watch penguins.

I paid for a 2 hour slope pass (180 AED, approx $49 USD) and told myself I didn’t need lessons (mistake #1) since I vaguely remembered what I’d learned from the skiing lessons I took when I was 10 years old. Also, ski lessons would cost me extra money and time and how hard could a bunny slope be?

After receiving all of my gear – even a jacket, pants and socks (US ski resorts take note!) I suited up and headed for the slopes!

The fact that I was able to make my way from the door to the ski lift in itself surprised me. I had my iPhone out most of the way, taking pictures so it looked like I was just busy, instead of clumsy. I plopped down on the ski lift and watched myself go higher and higher to what seemed like a never-ending mountain. In retrospect, I don’t think it was really that tall but when you’re attached to two skinny boards and have no sense of coordination to begin with, it’s pretty scary.

I decided to get off at the halfway mark and stood at the top of the slope for about 20 minutes trying to figure out how I was going to make my way down. I saw countless little kids speeding by and nobody was falling, so I gave myself a teenie push off the edge and… WHOOSH!

Suddenly I was sliding down on my butt, poles and legs flailed out in a desperate attempt to stop myself. I think every expletive possible was coming out of my mouth, while the other half of me was praying that I wouldn’t run into anyone. After about 30 feet I managed to stop and realized that I couldn’t move my fingers because they were so cold. I was stranded in the middle of the slope and every time I tried to get up or take my skis off, I would slide down a little further.

After a few minutes of this, a little kid stopped and attempted to help me up. He managed to get one ski off of me and I tried my best to slide my way to the side of the slope, out of harms way. I decided I needed some time to recuperate and regain my composure when the Ski Patrol came up to me and started yelling at me, saying I was in desperate need of ski lessons and that he was going to kick me off the slopes if I couldn’t get it together. He did tell me how to properly stop and I managed to make it down the rest of the hill, practically skiing sideways because I was too afraid to go at any normal speed.

I managed to stay off my butt and slid down the slope a few more times, before braving the ski lift to the top to do the ‘extended bunny slope.’  With the help and coaching of a few Texans, I didn’t fall down again either!  I’m pretty sure my horrible ski skills at least provided entertainment for everyone around me, as the staff laughed every time I got back on the lift and I definitely saw people pointing at me while I was sliding down.

After an hour of this nonsense, I’d had enough (and my fingers were swollen and in incredible pain) so I left. Was it fun? Yes. But I have no doubt it would’ve been more fun if I actually knew how to ski, or if I hadn’t been so weak from being hospitalized the day before. I can definitely say one thing though – I’ve never seen anyone ski like me!

The Burj Khalifa

When I wasn’t rotting away in Dubai hospitals, I did actually get a few hours to see the tallest building in the world – the Burj Khalifa!  The building in itself is more than 160 floors high and 800+ meters tall.



I made reservations online 2 weeks before coming to Dubai, after hearing that the 100 AED tickets (approx $27 USD) sold out rather quickly. These tickets give you general admission for a specific date and time.  There were still 400 Dirham ($108 USD) tickets available the day we got there (for immediate entry), but there is no way I was going to pay 4 times the price for the same thing!

Our reservation was scheduled for 9 AM, the first time slot of the day. The place was already packed so we picked up our tickets at will call, and shuffled through security only to wait in even more lines and escalators for at least half an hour. I will credit the Burj Khalifa for creating an experience by lining quotes, mood lighting and photos along the walls so it never really felt like we were waiting.

After a long elevator ride, we arrived at the 124th floor! It was a bit disappointing, considering the building goes up to 160+ feet but the view was still incredible. Dubai was in the midst of a sandstorm, so we didn’t get to see very clearly but it almost felt like you were in another world, looking down at places built by lots and lots of money. The outside deck was extremely windy and I’m pretty sure we would’ve been blown away without the guard rails!

At the end of the day, the Burj Khalifa is one of those things that you have to experience at least once in your lifetime. It’s definitely expensive (especially if you don’t plan ahead) but money in general is what Dubai is all about anyways. I’ve heard sunset is phenomenal, but unfortunately our travel plans prevented us from booking then so hopefully I’ll get to return someday and see Dubai at it’s finest!

Hospitalized in Dubai

What does someone with 40 hours in Dubai do?

Go indoor skiing. Ride some dune buggies. Sandboard. Go see the tallest building in the world. Go on a desert safari. Go shop your heart out at some of the most incredible malls Dubai, and the world have to offer.

All of these things and more were in my initial Dubai plan. In fact, my trip started out great. I had a wonderful 15 hour flight on Delta, and even got a free upgrade to a beautiful suite at our hotel. My dad and I ate some delicious middle eastern sweets, I indulged myself on ketchup chips and went to bed thinking – “tomorrow is going to be an incredible day.”

I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up uncontrollably. After about 7 hours of regurgitating everything my body had within itself, I finally dragged my body down to a clinic to figure out what the problem was. The doctors didn’t seem to know, but they at least got me to stop throwing up and able to stumble around without nausea a few hours later. Luckily, it was also a clean and great place. Unluckily, it cost me more than $500… Money which I would’ve much rather spent on… shoes?

 Hopefully my travel insurance will cover some of this! >.<

Cheap Studs

When it comes to earrings, I’m not a ‘studs’ person. I like them big, flashy, and dangling down to my shoulders... (Insert all jokes and judgment here). However, I saw this amazing deal on the streets of Myeongdong that was too great to pass up!

Yep you’re reading that right – Approx $1 USD for each and any of those amazingly cute studs! Now I’ve found deals on earrings for $2 or $3 before, but never $1… With this good of a selection!

So if you’re in Korea, be sure to hit up Myeongdong and find $1 earrings.  There are some just on the streets, and a few in little accessory storefronts behind Forever 21 as well. They may not be the best quality in the world, but they are $1. So don’t complain!  These were my finds…

Adorable right?? Happy Shopping!