mcdelaug:

I’m sorry you experienced those things in the US. Our nation is far from perfect, and frankly it seems to be less tolerant now than it was even a few years ago.

I don't know how often this happens and where but we've been a couple of times in US tourist hot spots and there were many women with a hijab or even a burka (no kidding) once in a while and yes, some people were looking weird (maybe even us, I don't know) but I haven't experienced any direct or indirect animosity towards these women, on the contrary. I mean see it the other way around: What would happen if my wife, she loves to wear pretty short mini skirts, would walk around like that in the middle of Riad? An obvious difference in clothing will be always noticed and like it or not, it will always attract attention. What is inexcusable is any kind of direct or indirect animosity towards these persons, it is their business how they are dressed and/or look, none of ours. As long as they are peaceful like anyone else, so be it. Diversity always made life interesting. Smiley

For me, the best cities have a distinct culture that is supported by many different elements, as porker stated above.  No offense, but Dubai is still too one dimensional - kind of a paradise of materialism, no clear cultural depth there. I’m not saying that doesn’t exist, it just isn’t apparent compared all the shops and “shouty” displays of wealth.

Ask many Germans (or Europeans) and in the US, there is no place with cultural depth or any kind of culture anyway. Smiley I think we need to get away from these prejudices and preconceptions we always have that for a country/city/region to have cultural value, it needs to have a 500+ years of history and culture. Smiley 

Dubai is, similar to Las Vegas, an artificial product. This is not the Middle East. The only concern I have about Dubai are the various reports I hear from Europeans/Americans who live there and who claim that they feel like living in a bubble, with no access to the "real" outside and native people there. This would bother me. I have no cultural borders, I've been in the homes of so many different people and even if it was sometimes a bit disturbing (to say at least, when you visit the sons of the PLO rep at home, they offer sweet tea and some cake and at the same time a video of the massacre in Shatila...I had a Lebanese Christian friend with me), I learned a lot about people and their cultures. Diversity is good but we need to respect each other.


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)