Happy Birthday to me?!

Last few days in Doobs. Wednesday and Thursday I take it easy like Sunday morning, just pop out to the shopping centres. I purchase a cool souvenir - a pendant of my name in Arabic, bling bling! On Thursday night I meet up with the McKinsey crew at a sponsored event. They all seem lovely, despite the fact the poor souls have to endure Tina on a daily basis (ha!). Perhaps that could be the reason for the copious drinking.  

Friday we head off to the Atlantis, for brunch and another pool party. This brunch is too legit to quit - for DHS325 (approx AUD$100) its unlimited food and drink. The website states there are 228 dishes - this is true. And there is no 'filler' - its all good in the hood. There are stations for noodles, dessert, salad, roasts, seafood - everything. There are even stations for cheese and bread. I spy a cheery chap standing in front of a 'tropical' drink station and decide then and there to only drink my alcohol if it is packaged in fruit. 

As the brunch winds down, a bunch of wait-staff come over and present the table with a cake - A has done it again, although this time the birthday greetings are for me. My birthday is in October, he is just being funny. Dubai humour I suppose. 

And then we hit the pool party. We watch Netherlands thrash Brasil, and run into Tina's boss (hi Tim!). After a few hours we head home. 
So what can I say about Dubizzle? It's a nice place, and I think that while I didn't see everything it had to offer (didn't get a chance to see Burj Al Arab or take a day trip to Abu Dhabi) I have seen most of it. Here's my Dubai denouement:

• it is a shoppers paradise, and if you come at the right time, there are very decent bargains on offer - up to 70% off designer brands in some cases. 
• expect that in some cases there may be a language/comprehension barrier. 
• respect the culture and cover up. There are signs displayed at the entrances to shopping centres asking for women to cover their shoulders and wear clothing at least to their knees, but despite these warnings, some tourists still do not comply. Whilst I did not see any 'mall police' in action, apparently there have been cases of some young women asked to leave and return when they are dressed more appropriately. I think you should show courtesy to the country's beliefs and not dress like a skank - in fact, that's pretty much good advice for anywhere, Muslim country or not. 
• pedestrian crossings are more of a 'suggestion' for cars to stop, so be careful when walking around the roads. 
• take the time to see the neighbouring cities, and see the 'real' landscape of Dubai. 
• when compares to Australian cost of living, its pretty cheap. Also, the fact the ratio against the Aussie dollar is 1:3 doesn't hurt either. 
• usually prices are rounded up to the nearest DHS5. 
• finally, what happens in Dubai, stays in Dubai - unless you have a blog, haha!

Special shout-out to the boys of Club 1801, thanks for letting me stay for the week. If you're ever in Brisneyland, feel free to drop by so I can repay the favour. Also, special love-out to Tina, I am still your friend despite your gassy tendencies. 

Shukran. 

And now, on to Paris!