Circumstances

I've been reading American Prometheus, Kai Birdand Martin Sherwin's biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer. On the issue of his involvement with and alleged membership to the Communist Party, much of the evidence that was used against him was nothing more than circumstantial: the social circles with which he interacted, the people he met, and the ideas they exchanged. In a large sense, his emerging interest in social justice throughout the 1930s was all but unique for an intellectual in California at the time. And, inevitably, it was this social conscience that led him to the occasional interaction with communists. Reading this part of the book, what stands out is that to that point in his life, he had no interest in politics. His energies were thoroughly and entirely devoted to his scientific imagination and his existential self. If it were not for the circumstances in his life which led him to the Bay Area or the relationships that he formed there, it is certain that his concern and involvement in issues of justice would have never teetered towards communism.

This notion of circumstance was on my mind as Julie and I spent our Christmas weekend on Sir Bani Yas island at the Desert Islands Resort. Playing the determinism game is all too easy but the extent and way in which circumstances affect our lives (and have affected my life) is just too much to pass up sometimes. Around the same time that I was in South Africa, the uncle of one of Julie's friends from school noticed an ad in the classifieds in some South African newspaper for a job in the UAE. That job turned into the Director of Tourism on the island (ironically, the first time that I heard about Dubai was also when I was in South Africa). In the meantime, Julie and I ended up in the same house in Tacoma, again, largely, through circumstances out of our control. Additionally, if Julie had never met Sarah when she studied abroad in Kenya, we would have had no connection to Sharjah or the UAE. If Sarah had never married Said she would never have ended up teaching at Wesgreen. If she hadn't, obviously, Julie and I wouldn't have either (and the familiar trains of causality could be followed out forever). And so it is only in looking back that we can order and clarify these odd, fractured, and utterly diverse life experiences. Any words that we use to explain them--fate, determinism, luck, serendipity--do not come close to really giving true justice to how wide they really are.

In this light, our Christmas took a turn for the unexpected when Jessie, Julie's friend from school that I mentioned earlier, asked us if we

would like to stay at Desert Islands Resort at greatly reduced rates.

All that Julie and I had to choose was whether or not to go.

After scanning the hotel's website, the decision seemed easy. A few weeks later, we raced through Abu Dhabi, following the E11 further west along the Persian Gulf. The harsh desert landscape still set the customary background but upon entering the emirate of Abu Dhabi, palm trees and other shrubs filled not only the center median but both sides of the infinitely straight road. Sheikh Zayed (the universally admired first ruler of Abu Dhabi and the UAE) and his vision to transform the desert into a green land was in obvious practice and a sharp contrast to Dubai. To support this landscaping was one the most extensive irrigation projects I have ever witnessed, with plastic tubing stretching the 350 km+ distance we drove through the emirate. Turning off E11 on one of the final exits before Saudi Arabia, we glided past the island's desalination plant before passing through the departure lounge and on to the ferry. Twenty minutes later we were on to the southern part of the island.

With the sun already set, we moved north on the island with the occasional sand gazelle in the bush. Fifteen minutes later, the gently lit wind towers--

the symbol of south Arabian architecture--arose over the low ground cover.

Closer, we circled the lake and pulled up to the hotel, guarded by its four wind towers all leading to the grand entrance. We exited the bus and were greeted in the foyer with a tray of champagne or sangria.

The main lobby brought our first Christmas Eve cheer: several Filipino staff (who I reckon are the largest Christian population in the country) all sang carols around the Christmas tree, Santa Claus greeted the guests, and a real, child-size, ginger bread house rested in the corner. All the festivities were set amidst the Persian rugs lining the floors, the drift log benches and mother-of-pearl inlaid tables, the magnificent chandelier lit the room. With champagne in hand, we passed through the festivities and right up to our room, only having to check in once we were settled. In the room, we were greeted by our bags delivered from the mainland, a Nespresso maker, a fruit basket, and a stocking filled with a chocolate Santa and some other Christmas treats. The spacious room itself overlooked the Gulf and was filled with a blend of Middle Eastern art with a slight safari feel. Dinner was spent at the staff lounge at a party hosted by the island's CEO. As the night wore on, the first streams of lightening began to show. On the drive back, the timid looking sand antelope's now looked terrified in pouring rain. In the room, the wind creaked the faux-wind towers and the rest of the hotel.

Outside, thunder crackled and the constant lightning pounded the Persian Gulf. We sat on the porch drinking Nespressos until it flooded and we had to go inside.

The next morning began with a leisurely buffet for Christmas morning. First, we played on the sand-filled water barriers that resembled a spattering of sausages along the ocean. Then we geared up for the island's esteemed game drive. The island was originally set up under Sheikh Zayed's vision, guidance, and patronage.

However, when it was set up, it was basically his island. His majlis (a sitting place to ponder or discuss legislative matters) was situated at the high point of the island where he had a 360 degree view of his land, and he had a clear idea for how he wanted this land to look. His dictum to green the desert determined the current state of the island. Once a craggy desert island with no fresh water, he implemented a massive land reclamation and irrigation project.

It is estimated that two million meters of plastic tubing water trees, shrubs, and other ground cover throughout the island. So, driving throughout the island, you don't see the conventional desert landscape. Instead, this island is lined with near perfect grids of plants, all watered via irrigation tubing.

With no clean water and a salt-laden interior, the island is fulfilling Sheikh Zayed's vision of greening the desert. Furthermore, the landscaping was not just for his own viewing pleasure, it is used as a food source in the native animal reserve on the island. The island has the second largest population of Arabian Oryx in the world (an animal that is nonexistent in the wild) as well as a smattering of other antelope, gazelles, deers, giraffes, hyenas, and a few cheetahs.

Upon entering the gate on the eastern side of the island, our drive began began with the flirtations of a philandering ostrich. She casually pecked at me through the side of our open Land Cruiser. For the rest of drive, we saw the range of Arabian and African antelope and oryx, urial sheep, a number of giraffe, two resting cheetahs, and, my one of my favorites of the day, the small guinea fowl. Besides the cheetahs, they are all living semi-independently, with

some of their food provided and the island's plants providing the rest. What was surprising about the whole experience was how much the conservation was a work in progress (the island has only been open to the public for a little over a year).

Currently, there were just too many animals for the amount of food that was available and it showed in some of the trees that had been devoured.

Back from the game drive, we went to the pool before heading out for our snorkeling. Spotting fish was not easy in the hazy water after the night's rain but it was nice to be out in the water.

We spent the rest of the day with our friends and hosts on the island along the eastern side of the island for what sounds like a traditional South

African Christmas, braiing (barbecuing).

The next morning we finished off with another great breakfast and some time at the beach in the wind. And so we spent our over-the-top Christmas in full luxury at the Desert Islands Resort in circumstances largely out of our control, in an entirely unexpected situation (one that I suspect would never happen again), in an utterly remarkable place (for what it is trying to accomplish, no matter how over-the-top).

National Day

As Dubai's doom makes the rounds through the international news circuit, such omens seem far removed from the routines and regularity of life here. Sheikh Mohammad, the rule of Dubai, went as far as blaming the overly (overtly?) negative media coverage on "a lack of understanding about what is happening in Dubai." To a certain extent, from what I have read and heard, this doesn't seem to be completely inaccurate. In all of the news coverage I have seen, not one thing has mentioned what was actually going on in Dubai. This story broke late last Wednesday on the the final working day in the UAE before Eid al-Adha (always corresponding with the Hajj, literally "the Festival of Sacrifice" commemorates Abraham's obedience before God through his willingness to sacrifice his son). Consequently, all government ministries, banks, schools etc. were officially closed. The timing then suggests that the problems of delayed payments and restructuring of Dubai World were either accidental (i.e. someone prematurely leaked the extent of their debt problems) or they were trying to burry their problems over the long weekend. Whatever the case, from what has happened, this uncertainty seemed to challenge international markets until the beginning of this current week. Since then, the situation has only gone deeper into the country's political intrigue.

Rumors of family rivalry (Sheikh Mohammad and Sheikh Khalifa--the ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE--are cousins and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and ruler of Dubai are said to have very strained relationship), political struggle, and most dramatically, political centralization and economic control fill the background of the nation's problems. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have an uneasy relationship conflicting over everything from Dubai's spendthrift ways, their trade with Iran (an enemy of most Sunni-Muslim countries), Dubai's de facto role as the economic hub of the country to Abu Dhabi's political control over the country and the emirate's massive oil wealth. Amidst such conflicts, Dubai's debt problems were only deepened by the fact that Abu Dhabi would no longer write a blank check to bail out Dubai. For the first time, the certainty behind Dubai's investments was undermined, the balloon was popped. The five billion dollars that Abu Dhabi banks did lend Dubai earlier this year was not used to repay some loans but instead to play a game of chicken with lenders, affirming a "mutually assured destruction" with lenders if they were not to come to an agreement as to how and when Dubai would pay back its loans. Furthermore, Abu Dhabi's response that they would only offer a case-by-case "bailout" (versus the blank-check bailout that was always assumed) is seen as Abu Dhabi's attempt to take further control over Dubai and further centralize the UAE under their control.

So has any of this affected the day-to-day life in Dubai?

The easy answer is "No." The more complete answer is that amidst National Day, it is hard to tell what normalcy would be like.

After Eid over the weekend, UAE marked their National Day on the second of December. Any anxieties or concerns over the Dubai's economic woes were addressed and firmly responded to during the commemoration of the country's 38th birthday. In one of Sheikh Khalifa's addresses to the nation, he affirms, "We would like to assure everyone that our country is stronger and better off, since our economy is fine and our society enjoys welfare. The global financial crisis will not be a reason for hesitation or retreat, not a justification to lead us to despair or inaction." Such a statement sets the stage for much of the discussion that surrounds National Day. The persistence, resilience, strength, dedication (the list could go on...) of the people of the UAE bestow a firm foundation for the nation. It is from this basis of ardent patriotism that the country will thrive amidst and against any negative circumstances (that always seem to arise from outside of this country). Sheikh Mohammad proclaims that the country is on the right path because its achievements would not be possible if "God hadn't set for us a tryst with history." He continues elsewhere:

"It spite of the weight of the consequences of the global financial crisis, the wheel of progress and achievement in our country did not stop turning. It safeguarded the power of our economy, placed it on the road to recovery and boosted it by the way of the inensification of government investment in infrastructure at the national level... You, dear compatriots, are the wealth and weapons of our nation, you its pride, joy, and delight. I know that your motherland is the most expensive thing you have and the love for your country is deeply planted in your hearts... So gather your thoughts, light up your minds, roll up your sleeves, work hard and take initiatives, always look forward, and believe that God will not let good work go without reward."

In the UAE's exhaustive goal of self-promotion, such high-minded proclamations could be easily dismissed as nothing more than rhetorical or verbose quips, hollow attempts to kindle the deepest patriotism to glorify the nation and motivate its compatriots. This judgment would be all to true if these affirmations were detached from how people experience and live out their patriotic and nationalistic sentiments in this country.

Through gestures that amble between genuine pride and jingoism, patriotic fervor and xenophobia, National Day is the biggest celebration of the year. At the center of the celebrations is the UAE Flag.

The colors appear EVERYWHERE on stickers, shirts, hats, buttons, headbands, balloons, streamers, horse saddles, and, of course, flags themselves. It genuinely feels as if there are as many flags in a country of less than 5 million people as there is in all of the United States. But these aren't your ordinary flags. They range from the highest flagpole in the world in Abu Dhabi, a 300-meter flag along the highway outside of Ras al Khaimah, a 50 by 25 meter water-proof flag that was hauled from the Corniche in Abu Dhabi, to Sharjah's unfurling of the world's largest flag (covering the absurd area of 22,813 square meters, about four football pitches). Flags, stickers, streamers, balloons and decals of the sheikhs also adorn cars in about every imaginable fashion. Driving around and showing off one's car serves as one of the main celebrations during the evening. While these over-the-top displays stand out from National Day, at a less strident level, National Day more closely resembles a Fourth of July celebration from anytown USA. Sharjah Old Car Museum hosted a car show (with cars that were decades older than the country itself), a parade ran through the streets around the Burj Dubai, and Abu Dhabi launched a mega-fireworks show.

While these displays of patriotism are not negative in and of themselves, the hype that surrounds them lends itself to an indeterminable arrogance, especially set to the background of the larger political/economic situation. So the questions is if these celebrations are to hide what is happening, as a response to what is happening (i.e. to prove something), or despite of what is happening (i.e. that the UAE will always celebrate and that it cannot be brought down)? Whatever the answer(s), as the stories about Dubai World and National Day are brought together, the comparison seems strangely similar. In the case of Dubai World, something that will potentially not be as bad as it initially made to seem was made to seem much worse in the mainstream media. As for National Day, a celebration of pride in the nation's history is taken to obscene levels, something good is blown out of proportion to seem much more important than it actually is. So, it seems that if any moral can be drawn it is that as long as Dubai does not relinquish its grandiloquence, the media coverage will follow suite, giving it the grand coverage that its overblown ways seem to all too easily lend themselves.

The Ascent, and Fall, of Dubai and Speculation Grows Over a Tense Rift, With Billions at Stake both from the New York Times and What Price for Dubai's Bailout? from Al Jazeera are the best articles that I have read to this point. If you are interested, Gulf News has the best information about the crisis from Dubai's perspective.

I highly suggest following the links from above the visual sense of what is going on here. Words can only go so far in understanding what a spectacle National Day is here.