First Stop: Getting skates fixed!
Eight days of rehearsals later... one of the lace hooks on my friend's skate had popped off. With no luck in finding a cobbler who could make the repair, we headed to the old textile Souq in search of any possible solutions. We found one in a little Arabic shoe-maker, who had his own stand of beautiful hand-made leather shoes. He examined the hook and boot, and was confident in his ability to re-apply the hook. Nervous but desperate, my friend handed her skate over, and in a matter of ten minutes the hook was back in, looked as good, and felt as strong as new. Our new friend had never seen an ice skate before; once the repair was made, he asked to take the soaker off the blade just to look at it. He felt the sharpness out of curiosity, and looked utterly amaze by it. He asked if it was for "snow walking." At that point, we of course had to explain what we were doing in Dubai, and my friend gave him a lofty grateful tip, as he only asked for whatever she wished to pay him. That is an experience I will never forget! One will often hear of hecklers and rude sales men in the Souqs, but this was a wonderful representation of cross-cultural kindness.
Our new friend's beautiful handmade shoes.
Dubai Museum
A casual afternoon of wandering followed our exciting encounter with the shoemaker. The Dubai Museum is not a far walk from the Textile Souq, and we decided to go upon finding that the entrance fee is less than 1 USD! I'll admit the presentation is a bit cheesy, but it provides a great base of knowledge of the history of Dubai, the foundations of the Islamic culture here, which trades lent to the development of the city, and how tourism became a booming industry.
My favorite part of the museum was learning about the history of trades, imports, and exports in this region. Pearl diving has long been a huge trade in the Persian Gulf. Before scuba equipment became invented and accessible, pearl divers would dive as deep as scuba divers - with just a linen jumpsuit and a nose plug! The traditional Dhow boats were utilized by pearl divers, fisherman, and for carrying goods across the gulf to trade. This is why the symbol of a Dhow sail is often prominent in modern Dubai architecture. It is interesting how quickly I would previously jump to the conclusion of the Middle East being all desert, when the sea plays an integral part in the development and life of these coastal cities.
We spent a good while wandering through the museum, and even longer in the underground air-conditioned sections. Despite the cheesiness, it is well-put together and definitely worth seeing to get a better understanding of the development and culture of Dubai.
My favorite part of the museum was learning about the history of trades, imports, and exports in this region. Pearl diving has long been a huge trade in the Persian Gulf. Before scuba equipment became invented and accessible, pearl divers would dive as deep as scuba divers - with just a linen jumpsuit and a nose plug! The traditional Dhow boats were utilized by pearl divers, fisherman, and for carrying goods across the gulf to trade. This is why the symbol of a Dhow sail is often prominent in modern Dubai architecture. It is interesting how quickly I would previously jump to the conclusion of the Middle East being all desert, when the sea plays an integral part in the development and life of these coastal cities.
We spent a good while wandering through the museum, and even longer in the underground air-conditioned sections. Despite the cheesiness, it is well-put together and definitely worth seeing to get a better understanding of the development and culture of Dubai.
Traditional Afternoon Tea
From the museum, we walked to a local restaurant for traditional afternoon tea. With a combined influence from the United Kingdom and India, afternoon tea is a prominent thing here in Dubai. Wicker tables in a beautiful courtyard made for a wonderfully relaxing setting. Delicious food and even more delectable teas helped to revive us from all of our walking in the day's heat. From here we made our way home to enjoy the evening in air conditioning. The heat really does take it out of you!
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