Interesting bit about Dubai. I lived there for a bit in 2001 – was there when the WTC went down – and you are right on about it I think. I liked it, but it wasn’t that different than living in the US except I worked at a college for Arab women, so I did get the contact with locals in that respect. I just found your blog last week – while trying to figure out how to get myself back to living overseas – and am excited to delve more into your travels and the manifesto. Cheers!

Thanks for the stories. Very good. I’m glad I found your blog. I just got back from spending 2 months living overseas – I love the life!

Next time you’re in the GCC area, head on over to Oman. Muscat has a lot of the same characteristics as the other GCC capitals (south & southeast asian populations, modernity, cars, western brands, shopping malls, etc) but you definitely see a lot more Omanis and there is a definite feel of them retaining their culture, more than the other GCC states. I’ve heard that His Majesty the Sultan actually wanted Muscat to be the antithesis of hypermodern Dubai.

Thanks for the idea. Yeah, I am not entirely sure how to balance the sharing of details like that along with the general flow of the travelogue. I am working on a project for August that will provide a lot more practical info about how I travel, but I’ll consider adding more details to the travel posts as well.

It would be great if you get a little in detail. Such as which hotel, which car rental you booked and all that. This would be helpful for people who visit to that particular place. Just a thought!

Cheers,
Saravanan

I’ll be in Afghanistan soon, but not for travel. Maybe I’ll get luck and get a chance to stop by Dubai, I hear there is lots of gambling there