A tale of Arabian Nights in Modern Times.
Contributed by Nargiza Ogulchansky (SEAF), with the help of Donald Nicholson.

…I was sitting in the office without even thinking about the possibility to travel anywhere, when my boss (oh, I am very lucky to have such a boss) offered me the chance to join he and his wife on their trip to Dubai. It was so sudden, that I first thought it was impossible to do, mainly because my exit visa had expired and I knew that a new one takes considerable time.

Getting an exit visa is one of the most important things for an Uzbek citizen to get if one wants to travel. The procedure is quite bureaucratic, requires filling out forms, submitting documents and takes about three weeks (if not longer). Very inconvenient, and I think, our Ministry for Internal Affairs should change this regulation and make it easier for people to travel.

Anyway, and in spite of the difficulties and shortness of time, the lure of seeing the Palm Jumeirah, now considered the Eighth Wonder of the World, I knew I had to try. It was very difficult but I succeeded in getting my exit visa within a week. Getting a plane ticket proved to be another challenge as Uzbekistan  Havo Yullari  is the only carrier, flying to Sharjah three times a week, but the planes are usually booked  weeks in advance.  However, my persistence paid off and two days later than my friends, I was able to join them.

The first thing that strikes you about Dubai is how modern it is. Sharjah is much more modest than Dubai, while Dubai is richer and more developed, and I could say, very unique. Most of the buildings are new, very modern, designed by world famous architects. There in the skyline I saw Burj Dubai  the world's tallest building.

Along the coast they have built man-made islands shaped like a palm tree and another that portrays the world.  Rising above these are new houses, apartment buildings and other facilities that will grace and change Dubai's imprint for centuries to come.

It's not just the buildings and wide streets that amaze you, but the people, too. The population is so diverse with many foreigners coming to work and visit. Everyone speaks English along with Arabic, even though it's not their native language. If it were not for the desert, Dubai looks and feels more like a big American or European city, rather then Arabian. Business opportunities are everywhere ranging from small trading companies to mega deals.

The Ski Resort in the Emirates Mall is amazing  while 35 degrees outside (or much more in the summer) - it snows inside like in the deep woods somewhere in Russia. I felt like I was living a fairy tale from the Arabian Nights but in a modern setting. Great tourist attraction in itself.

And yes, they have a HASH in Dubai, too. A very good friend John, who kindly hosted us there, invited us to the HASH, where we had great fun deep in the desert, with jokes around the fire, lots of beer and barbeque. It was nice to find out that some local Arabs participate in the HASH, enjoying the same fun as the expats.

Dubai is rich in culture with great mutual respect for each other. There is no pushing, shoving or shouting on the streets or in the malls, shopkeepers are more than happy to serve you. Whenever I met someone's eyes, a friendly smile appeared on the face of the beholder. 

I could not keep myself out of comparing Dubai with Uzbekistan, and the difference was in everything! Starting from the airport in Sharjah, where nice-looking Arab women in black and men in white long dresses smile to you and wish you good luck, everything there was so easy and pleasant, that I could hardly believe I was living a real life. When you get inside a store  you feel like they waited for you a whole life, and are very glad you came. In Uzbekistan it is far from something like that. Having a pleasure of shopping almost every day, I did not have a chance to go into any of the hotels, but everyone who stayed in a hotel, give very high marks to the quality of services. I think Dubai is one of the best places where Uzbek hotel or store managers could get very good training on how to improve their services.

I felt sad when it was time to leave and the fairy tale had ended with us getting into the plane back to Uzbekistan. The plane was full, and the passengers were not very nice to each other while arranging their hand luggage in places. One man was unhappy with his food, and wanted it to be changed, and they had a quarrel with one of the stewardesses because of that. During the whole flight we had a pleasure of watching a movie of a very tragic story of a poor man in Siberia.

And the Uzbek reality had begun. We were called to the CIP bus, where a group of bad mannered Uzbek men spoke very loudly as in a bazaar, and then when we came to CIP lounge in the airport; it was strange they managed to get their luggage faster then anyone else. They were given a priority only because they had “friends” or “big brothers” among the airport/customs employees. There wasn't any “Green Line” where passengers with nothing to declare could pass.

But anyway, I am happy we could use (even being less prioritized) the CIP rather than standing hours in the huge, mad and shouting line in the other non-CIP hall of the airport, where the passport control officers do their job while ignoring the plight of the people. Same with the baggage delivery service where one waits for up to an hour. 
However, I dare to dream of someday going back to the fairy tale that is modern day Dubai.

(If you need any additional information on this topic, please, do not hesitate to contact me on my e-mail: seaf.uz@gmail.com).

Always yours, Nargiza.