Too Good To Be True

Dubai is a lot easier to see than it is to explain.  Most know it is one of the seven states of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but even that is hard to understand.  I won’t test your patience by naming them all, but I’ll mention Abu Dhabi which most of you might have heard.  Each state has its own ruler who together with his colleagues form the Ruling Council who in turn elects/appoints ministers to oversee foreign affairs and defense.  All else is left to the head honcho in each state.  These states are notable because they happen to sit on a sea of oil and gas (which they haven’t even bothered with yet), and have created wealth that even Bill Gates and...

In Summary, Let Me Say

I travel because I like to spend part of my time out of my comfort zone.  Our trip to Qatar, Kuwait, and Dubai certainly qualifies on that count.  That’s not to say that I was ever uneasy on our trip (unless you count the time that I spent with my hand tangled in the bowels of an airplane seat).  We had all the creature comforts one could ask for.  Great, but long, flights.  First class hotels.  Great food.  Wonderful hospitality.  Yet we knew that this was something out or our prior experience or even out of our world.  It wasn’t just the women wearing their abayas and veils or the men and their dishdashis, nor was it the incessant calls to prayer that...

Never Ending Cup of Tea

I last visited Kuwait in 1983.  My company was then involved in developing and implementing a major computer system for the Kuwaiti government.  I remember two things about that last visit.  The water towers, two of them, now called the Kuwaiti Towers.  I know, it seems a little odd that one would remember water towers, but these are no normal water towers.  I guess you could call them designer water towers.  They were and are architectural and design marvels.  They guard the northern approach to the city as well as provide water to most of the central area of the city.  I thought at the time that if you ever wanted to conquer Kuwait, all you would have to do...

The Perils of Travel

Those of you who are weary road warriors know that travel is never easy and the unexpected is the rule.  Cancelled flights, smelly seat mates, crying kids banging on your seat back are all part of the game.  I have had the odd, pleasant travel surprise, but they are so few and far between that memory fades. I hesitate to relate my own recent travel saga because I know that all of you will be able to “top that”, but I’m inclined to proceed if only because if I don’t tell the story, S. certainly will.  I think I can paint myself a far more sympathetic character that she would be inclined to do. Our air travel plan for this trip set up well.  I quick trip to...

The Arabian Peninsula

The image above is not exactly what comes to mind when one thinks of the lands rimming the Persian Gulf, but this skyline and others like it throughout the region have become the face of the “New Middle East”.  Yes, I know they are protesting in Bahrain, Oman, Yemen and points south and west, and yes, I know that autocrats, kings, despots, and even some benign dictators populate the circles of power in many neighboring countries.  We are on our way to Doha, Qatar and from there will proceed to Kuwait and finally to Dubai of the United Arab Emirates before we make our way back to Doha again for our flight back to Houston. I was watching the in-flight monitor as...