Category: Middle East

Submitted by Boris Manjic on the 2022 winter session program in the United Arab Emirates sponsored by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering…

Landing in Dubai a week prior to the official study abroad date was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I stayed at a hostel looking over the Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah in preparation for the New Year’s Eve events. Every person I met at the hostel was extremely welcoming and hospitable, to the point of me even getting an interview for a real estate company and a partnership offer from a construction project manager from Iran, Arash, that owns seven companies in four countries. From Arash, I learned a year’s worth of information relating to my major during a two hour dinner meeting. I also met Gabriele, an Italian mineral company head, who is now one of my best friends and continues to show love and appreciation to every person he meets.

After Dr. Small, the TAs, other students, and I picked the rest of the class up from the airport, I immediately knew this was going to be a month of pure happiness and opportunity. I saw the same look in everyone’s eyes that I had experienced myself my first few days here. The amount of culture shock was significant, but not crippling. I thought to myself on my first day here that it was a mistake to go on my own, but I was immediately proven wrong since I was embraced by the whole community within minutes of getting there. The day after the students landed was eventful since we went on a bus tour all around Dubai. Dr. Small led the tour and took us to five different locations. My favorite place, the souks, is an open-air market for spice and gold, where you can practice your haggling skills and get every traditional Emirati item you could ever imagine.

In regards to cuisine, Dr. Small took us to an Arabic cafe/restaurant where we got a plethora of food and drink including, but not limited to: falafel, samosas, rice dishes, Arabic tea, and hibiscus tea. It was most people’s first time eating at an Arabic restaurant and every single person enjoyed their time there and the new culture they got to experience.

In this first week, we were fortunate enough to go to the Dubai Frame, Expo 2020, a boat tour, a helicopter tour, the Mall of the Emirates, the Dubai Mall, and many more tourist attractions. Every place we went to was unique and showed the culture of Dubai despite them being tourist attractions. Looking back, it was the most eventful week of my life and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Looking forward, I hope we can experience more local areas and speak to even more amazing people.

Submitted by Ben Horney on the 2022 winter session program in the United Arab Emirates sponsored by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering…

My first week in Dubai was nothing short of spectacular – the places, food, and people. Traditionally, culture shock is associated with disorientation and anxiety; however, my experience with “culture shock” has been a bit different thus far. Yes, I am not familiar with the local culture yet, but I quickly realized that it is important to keep an open mind while traveling (this is my first time traveling internationally).

Visiting Dubai Expo 2020 especially exemplified the good that is out there and reassured me that people are more or less the same at heart wherever they live. For the readers that do not know, Expo is equivalent to the World’s Fair. It is an exhibition that showcases architecture, science, technology, etc. from each country. Each country has its own pavilion and staff; it was great to talk to the staff and make new friends.

Overall, I want to get the point across that traveling does not have to be scary. I am grateful for the opportunity to talk to people of different nationalities, and I plan on making new friends along the way. In fact, I recently befriended two girls from England and learned about their way of life. If there is anybody that is contemplating studying abroad, I urge you to take the risk and jump! You are almost certain to reap an abundance of rewards.

Submitted by Arya Shajpaul on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

In a blink of an eye, my study abroad in Dubai was over. I can’t describe how fast the month went by. I kept myself busy through lots of excursions to explore the city, enriching myself in its culture. My whole class became a tightly knit community, and I will miss spending the time with them to do adventurous activities.

Trying the foods from countries like Iraq, UAE, India, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Iran was amazing. It really encouraged me to eat foods from across the globe. When I picture biryani and hummus, I see the Arabian Teahouse in Old Dubai. The graveled floor causing your shoes to become white, the vines and flowers growing alongside each other on the ceiling, and the beautiful silverware encouraging you to eat all form a part in the atmosphere here. The food is rich in spices, flavor, and taste, proudly embodying authentic Emirati food.

Dubai has an endless amount of activities. By taking the metro system or taxi, I can do things such as water sports, skydiving, dune bashing, shopping, skiing, and much more. Skiing in Dubai was one of the most interesting activities I’ve done. This wasn’t because of the skiing. Rather, the sheer absurdity of it. No one would believe you if you told them that you went skiing in a desert. A mall called the Mall of the Emirates has an indoor ski slope with ski lifts, snow tubing, and a place to see emperor penguins. The city has plans to create even larger ski slopes in their future malls.

It was a bittersweet feeling as I went to the airport. I was happy to see family and friends, but I know I will miss the city for the food, activities, environment, and culture around me. I really hope I can visit again in the future and see the city develop.

Submitted by Arya Shajpaul on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

Family is one the biggest parts of the culture within the Arab world. Families stick together no matter what circumstances they are in, and the actions you take are not only felt by you, but rippled throughout the family. Compared to American culture, the emphasis on family is much more prevalent.

Throughout my high school and college years, I’ve noticed more and more adolescents are willing to leave their families and be by themselves in the name of independence. They tend to push family away, not happy being back at home. Being fully independent and being able to survive in harsh circumstances is one of the more brutal qualities within the American culture. It seems like being disjointed from family is becoming normalized.

As I have talked to local Gulf Arabs, I noticed that each one of them keeps family close. Family comes first in all circumstances.  In addition, they tend to have bigger families so they must support each other by sharing what they have. It’s expected that once the parents get older, then the older siblings must start having responsibilities taking care of family. The older sibling must increasingly support the younger siblings since the parents may not be able to provide everything. It’s rare to see disjointed families due to this support system.

American culture should adopt some aspects of family since it may be beneficial to future generations by creating an environment of mental and emotional security. The added supports in Arab culture can lead to a network that transforms families into a pillar of unbreakable support.

 

Submitted by Emily Jimenez on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

During the last week on our program, we had a chance to visit a construction site. I have never been on a construction site before, and it was really cool to see the stuff we learn about in our international construction class in action. We also traveled to Oman and went on the Dolphin Khasab Tours. The boat we went on was all carpeted which I thought was interesting. On the cruise, we got to jump off the top deck into the water and snorkel. The ocean water was fantastic, really clear and refreshing. On the way back to shore, we were able to see dolphins swimming along with the boat. I’m really glad I decided to go on this study abroad, the experience I had was unbelievable. I learned so much about Islamic culture and about Dubai. It was very eye-opening, and now I can help to eliminate stereotypes.

Submitted by Emily Jimenez on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

This week, we went to the falcon hospital and had a chance to hold a falcon! I also learned that falcons are a big part of the culture and history of the UAE. Falcons were used for hunting in the desert and are prize possessions to the Emiratís. In airports, falcons get their own passport to avoid smuggling. This week,  we also went up in the Burj Khalifa. Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world and unlike other buildings it doesn’t have stabilizers. To avoid movement, the building was designed so the air funnels around the building.

 

Submitted by Emily Jimenez on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

This past week, we experienced rain in Dubai! Since Dubai is a desert, they only get rain about five times a year, and when we were here it rained four days in a row. The streets flooded, there were puddles everywhere, and there was a lot of leaking. It was funny to see that since they never get rain even if they get a little, the city is in puddles. We went to the desert too and it was crazy to experience the temperature drop. As soon as the sun went down it was freezing. Also, in the desert, we met with Emirates and had a chance to talk with them and ask them questions. I learned about how they eat with their hands, they eat in the ground, and never ask a guest why they’re there or if they’re leaving. They are also very family oriented.

We also had a chance to visit Global Village. Global Village is like Epcot in Disney World with sections from all different countries. They had Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Africa, Yemen, and so many more. Also, for a class project, Dr. Small gave us all 100 AED to find an object that has cultural significance and we presented what we have purchased the next day in class. I found a singing bowl in India. A singing bowl is used in Buddhist practices such as meditation to clear the air of bad energy. It is used as a stress reliever and to clear your head. It is now common among yoga practitioners.

Submitted by Emily Jimenez on the 2020 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

It has been a full week in Dubai as of today and it has been amazing. I have learned so much in and out of the classroom. One of my favorite parts of the week was when we went to The Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. I learned more about the Arab and Muslim culture here. I did not expect it, but women seem to have more privileges than men. For example, women can go into the men’s prayer, but men can’t go into women’s prayer. Women can also pray alone and anywhere, while men must pray in groups or go to a mosque. Also, while women are on the menstrual cycle, they can skip fasting, and it is the woman’s choice to cover up, they are not forced. On the metro, they have about two cars towards the end that are just for women and children, allowing more space for when the station is packed.

On top of the culture, I had a chance to see all the beautiful buildings. I saw the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa! We went in a helicopter ride to see all of Dubai and the Palm Island. We had the opportunity to go in the biggest frame in the world, the Dubai Frame. It was about 492 feet up and had a glass floor! This week has taught me so much about their culture and how Dubai loves to dream big!

Submitted by Travis Plystak on the 2019 winter session program in Dubai sponsored by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering…

Dubai is a vibrant city-state in the UAE and is full of people from around the world. Less than one hour after getting off the plane, I had already seen/talked to people from five different countries. The first thing we did was go to a mall where we got food and while in line I got to talk to a South African woman named Megan who told us about good places to go to out, make friends and have fun while we’re here. The mall, Ibn Battuta is a worldly place in which different sections of the building are designed to look like a culture from different parts of the world.

The next day, we took a tour of the Palm Island in Jumeirah with one of Dr. Small’s friends from the area and then had dinner with even more of them that night where we were welcomed with open arms. That night, I learned about the Bedouin, a nomadic tribe in the Arab world and their practices. What struck me as most interesting about them is that they won’t ask a traveler ‘s name until their fourth day of acquaintance. This is because the Bedouin believe that knowing one’s name is equivalent to taking responsibility for their health and well-being between the pair. If the traveler is with the tribe for more than three days, that meant that the two parties had some sort of purpose together.

Besides that, some interesting things I learned about Dubai during the first week were that people in the Middle East sometimes eat food with their bare hands and no utensils. I got to experience that first-hand at a little seafood place by the beach where me and two friends ate fish, rice, and prawns with just our hands while stray cats looked on at us. There are many stray cats in this city and they are revered creatures because of an old Islamic tale of when a cat slept on the King’s robe and the King cut off that corner of his robe in order to not disturb the cat.

There are many more things I’d like to talk about, but I have had a lot of information thrown at me in the two weeks I’ve been here and I will try to write it all down to the best of my ability.