Who has booked for 2022?

Changing hotel to go on the Sunday as managed to find flights from Birmingham with Ryanair £100pp cheaper!
 
Going to Dubai.

J5 RIMAL - 4 Stars - Dubai
Address Murraqabat Street, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
:)

And what I have to say is this:

I was not prepared for the emotions I encountered by simply Googling around and finding out... Cul-ture Shock.

It's not the United States. And it's not Britain. It's Muslim, and I like that (fiance's Muslim), but they don't know that I'm totally fine going to a mosque, comfortable enjoying their religion and celebrating its holidays/following its customs... I have a strong love for my fiance, and I encourage her in faith; it's part of our bond.

But that's too much info...

-----

Everything is religious. You look at their adherence to formal dress code (at least for their local population - tourists get a pass...) from what I've seen in pictures, you infer some of that from their legal system too. And, no WhatsApp. If I'm not mistaken, no Skype, no Zoom, no Teams...

The impression I get is that they're very accustomed to adherence to Islam. I read somewhere you might get mean or rude looks if you're not clothed modestly.

Well, I'll wear long sleeves. I have a decades old tattoo on my left arm, and rather than be nervously asked if I'm ex-military or something... I think I'll cover up.

I'll go to the restaurants, I'll see the museum, I'll see the city buildings, go to a mosque, and avoid the beach as it's likely a point of contention. I'll be so good... I won't misbehave; I'll stay in my room mostly.

Well, I think Dubai will be fun. And I respect those people. Their religious ideals are welcome and supported, and I wouldn't dream of being a loud Westerner in their presence. I'll be good.

EDIT:

see... Muslim.

Shk-Mo-21_16cf84b9382_large-e1567574085718.jpg
 
So, it's booked. I will travel, and I have insight about travel in general; not just to Ibiza, but travelling moreover...

-----

I think we travel for leisure, for excitement, and for adventure.

But really I can speak more about myself than any "we" or group generalization.

-----

I travel to enrich my life. I travel to identify with others and improve my harmony.

I want to be a bigger person, and by experiencing the world I can add to list of accomplishments having visited other venues. It's a benchmark in my own life. Not a measuring stick for others or a comparison of passport stamps...

It serves to help me create identity. It's a tangible framwork for me to better grasp and understand who I am, and who I want to become.
 
Going to Dubai.


:)

And what I have to say is this:

I was not prepared for the emotions I encountered by simply Googling around and finding out... Cul-ture Shock.

It's not the United States. And it's not Britain. It's Muslim, and I like that (fiance's Muslim), but they don't know that I'm totally fine going to a mosque, comfortable enjoying their religion and celebrating its holidays/following its customs... I have a strong love for my fiance, and I encourage her in faith; it's part of our bond.

But that's too much info...

-----

Everything is religious. You look at their adherence to formal dress code (at least for their local population - tourists get a pass...) from what I've seen in pictures, you infer some of that from their legal system too. And, no WhatsApp. If I'm not mistaken, no Skype, no Zoom, no Teams...

The impression I get is that they're very accustomed to adherence to Islam. I read somewhere you might get mean or rude looks if you're not clothed modestly.

Well, I'll wear long sleeves. I have a decades old tattoo on my left arm, and rather than be nervously asked if I'm ex-military or something... I think I'll cover up.

I'll go to the restaurants, I'll see the museum, I'll see the city buildings, go to a mosque, and avoid the beach as it's likely a point of contention. I'll be so good... I won't misbehave; I'll stay in my room mostly.

Well, I think Dubai will be fun. And I respect those people. Their religious ideals are welcome and supported, and I wouldn't dream of being a loud Westerner in their presence. I'll be good.

EDIT:

see... Muslim.

Shk-Mo-21_16cf84b9382_large-e1567574085718.jpg
This is a joke, right?
 
This is a joke, right?
Hi @TiffyBennett1 ! No joke! :)

I have it booked, but actually I may end up sitting it out (kind of like Ibiza in 2019...).

I had some time, so I went ahead and booked. Then, and to my surprise, an employer reached out with a job opportunity. It may start before I leave for the trip, in which case I'll politely call J5 and of course leave a seat empty on the airline.

Maybe I can switch my dates?

I think though because I already postponed once (I had a flight to Bishkek, & then they had given me an "open ticket" through December to reschedule) they may be intolerant of any further rescheduling.

It's wheels up 18:25 at LAX on the 22nd of January though, so if I wanted to reschedule it might already be too late.

But I don't want to reschedule... I'm excited about my trip, and about life with my fiance, who I mentioned is Muslim. She wouldn't be going on the trip, but like them she is Sunni and I welcome the opportunity to understand their lifestyle; even if it is dramatically more regional than that.

It would be a social experiment in immersion and my own miniature ethnography of Dubai. If the employer is open to it, I'll try to keep the trip but I think they want to bring someone on by later this week.

It would be unfortunate if they told me to scrap the trip and then decided that they wanted someone else for the job. But the reality is I need the job more than a vacation.

1642585676010.png
 
Hi @TiffyBennett1! No joke! :)
Oh, I'm sure that your booking of the trip is not a lie.

Everything is religious. You look at their adherence to formal dress code (at least for their local population - tourists get a pass...) from what I've seen in pictures, you infer some of that from their legal system too. And, no WhatsApp. If I'm not mistaken, no Skype, no Zoom, no Teams...

The impression I get is that they're very accustomed to adherence to Islam. I read somewhere you might get mean or rude looks if you're not clothed modestly.

Well, I'll wear long sleeves. I have a decades old tattoo on my left arm, and rather than be nervously asked if I'm ex-military or something... I think I'll cover up.

I'll go to the restaurants, I'll see the museum, I'll see the city buildings, go to a mosque, and avoid the beach as it's likely a point of contention. I'll be so good... I won't misbehave; I'll stay in my room mostly.

Well, I think Dubai will be fun. And I respect those people. Their religious ideals are welcome and supported, and I wouldn't dream of being a loud Westerner in their presence. I'll be good.

My notes on this, after living in Dubai for 5 years.

Everything is not religious. A lot of Emirati's wear local dress because it's easier (imagine not having to worry about a wardrobe choice! I'm sold!) Of course to the mosque everyone is dressed appropriately. Any religion/culture does the same. I honestly think it was a great thing that I felt like I should be dressed modestly when I went out to the mall or to a restaurant. I know not everyone feels the same, but the places where 'westerners' are dressed up like they would be in Ibiza - locals wouldn't be seen dead at anyway!

WhatsApp is always available, as is Zoom/Teams/Google Meet. Or else business will never be able to get done. Yes, whatsapp/facetime calls and Skype are restricted (not at the Expo site but everywhere else). Most people have a VPN these days, use that if needed.

I have a half sleeve and tattoos on my neck, hands etc. You do not need to cover them - no-one will give a crap.

What's the point in travelling so far to stay in your room. Explore, see the sights, eat at some of the 10k+ amazing restaurants that the city has. Visit the old part of the city and get immerse in some of the culture. Ignore the parts of the city that are built to look like they have culture.

And I can categorically promise you - you won't be the loudest westerner there.

If you'd like more of an insight into what some of the locals are actually like - this youtuber is my favourite: https://www.youtube.com/c/KhalidAlAmeri
 
Would like to book Bali as in earlier years. One of my favourite places on this planet. But Indonesia is closed , I heard ( read ) for germans. And the other thing for me is : After Heart attack 2020 I dont wont to be too far out. The climatic conditions are difficult in Indonesia ( temp , humidity ) If I get in trouble , Ibz is much safer : Good Health service , easy transport back to germany. After a shit like this , I have to be careful.
Never thougt , that I have to consider such things for holiday
Want to book for May or June in 4 weeks. April is very nice , I know , but a little to early maybe. Never was there at this time. People told me the island is beautiful in spring.
 
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My notes on this, after living in Dubai for 5 years.

Everything is not religious. A lot of Emirati's wear local dress because it's easier (imagine not having to worry about a wardrobe choice! I'm sold!) Of course to the mosque everyone is dressed appropriately. Any religion/culture does the same. I honestly think it was a great thing that I felt like I should be dressed modestly when I went out to the mall or to a restaurant. I know not everyone feels the same, but the places where 'westerners' are dressed up like they would be in Ibiza - locals wouldn't be seen dead at anyway!

WhatsApp is always available, as is Zoom/Teams/Google Meet. Or else business will never be able to get done. Yes, whatsapp/facetime calls and Skype are restricted (not at the Expo site but everywhere else). Most people have a VPN these days, use that if needed.

I have a half sleeve and tattoos on my neck, hands etc. You do not need to cover them - no-one will give a crap.

What's the point in travelling so far to stay in your room. Explore, see the sights, eat at some of the 10k+ amazing restaurants that the city has. Visit the old part of the city and get immerse in some of the culture. Ignore the parts of the city that are built to look like they have culture.

And I can categorically promise you - you won't be the loudest westerner there.

If you'd like more of an insight into what some of the locals are actually like - this youtuber is my favourite: https://www.youtube.com/c/KhalidAlAmeri
This is an excellent post
 
I'm currently waiting to see if Man Power is confirming IBZ/Pikes this summer. He did hint at something on FB the other day & that gig would be off the scale good..
 
Oh, I'm sure that your booking of the trip is not a lie.



My notes on this, after living in Dubai for 5 years.

Everything is not religious. A lot of Emirati's wear local dress because it's easier (imagine not having to worry about a wardrobe choice! I'm sold!) Of course to the mosque everyone is dressed appropriately. Any religion/culture does the same. I honestly think it was a great thing that I felt like I should be dressed modestly when I went out to the mall or to a restaurant. I know not everyone feels the same, but the places where 'westerners' are dressed up like they would be in Ibiza - locals wouldn't be seen dead at anyway!

WhatsApp is always available, as is Zoom/Teams/Google Meet. Or else business will never be able to get done. Yes, whatsapp/facetime calls and Skype are restricted (not at the Expo site but everywhere else). Most people have a VPN these days, use that if needed.

I have a half sleeve and tattoos on my neck, hands etc. You do not need to cover them - no-one will give a crap.

What's the point in travelling so far to stay in your room. Explore, see the sights, eat at some of the 10k+ amazing restaurants that the city has. Visit the old part of the city and get immerse in some of the culture. Ignore the parts of the city that are built to look like they have culture.

And I can categorically promise you - you won't be the loudest westerner there.

If you'd like more of an insight into what some of the locals are actually like - this youtuber is my favourite: https://www.youtube.com/c/KhalidAlAmeri
Wow.

Okay, I stand corrected. :)

My tattoo isn't a half-sleeve. It's more of a tribute to the time period in which I got the ink... Everyone was getting tats, and I got one on my arm, mostly just to have one.

I guess covering my tattoo isn't as important to everyone.

I get the impression that
The majority of Sunni Muslims believe tattooing is a sin, because it involves changing the natural creation of God, inflicting unnecessary pain in the process. Tattoos are classified as dirty things, which is prohibited in Islam.
but again, not contrarian...

My focus is religious because I was raised Catholic. Everything was always about God and Jesus and communion, confession, then confirmation...

And now, like I said, my fiance is Muslim. That has been a really happy coincidence for me, because she has had, and in general they have a lot of religious influence in their lives.

Is Dubai super-conservative Islam? I doubt it. But are they religious? I think probably, yeah. And they have some very stringent laws that reflect their socialization.

-----

here is another video:

https://youtu.be/v5Loa_zFAng
 
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I was so boastful and arrogant, and now I feel a little foolish for saying that I was going to Dubai, because now I cannot go.

I may have mentioned that a job was considering me for employment, and that that was more important than a travel.

Well, the job worked out and I'm employed now, but I will not be going to Dubai because I am on the desk from Friday the 21st.

So, I will not be able to meet you in Dubai, or experience the beauty and wonder of the United Arab Emirates.

Thank you for tolerating my shenanigans. -SoulC
 
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