Chris Baraniuk is coaching Cirque du Soleil’s first venture into the Middle East.

Infamous for brief, nay terse, (though prompt and reliable) email messages, his New Year’s letter home is insightful and most interesting:

Happy New Year. I hope you have a year of happiness.

Greetings from Dubai. As I sit at my laptop in my apartment, the noise of the construction on the building beside me is very loud. Construction stops only from 2 – 6 am.

Dubai has 15% of the world’s construction cranes. Judging from the brief travels I have taken, I do believe it. I have not seen an area that is not under construction.

Despite this, there are many fascinating things here in Dubai. Our apartments are almost on the beach. It is a tourist area with many hotels and apartments, and the beach is quite nice, blue clear water. Most of the tourists here are from Europe, and a large number of the new wealthy Russian class. Our apartments are considered 4 star, and are definitely luxury. I am not really sure how people can afford to come here as a tourist. But tourism and trade are the big money makers here.

Oil only accounts for about 10% of the economy. The leaders foresaw that the oil will run out, so they rapidly set the economy on a different path.

The buildings in Dubai are quite amazing, tall, slender, each seems unique. All seem at least 40 stories high. The world’s tallest building is under construction here, apparently it will be twice as high as the Empire State Building.

At Cirque we were told many things about how to dress, act, etc. while in Dubai. Most have proven to be false, as many people dress as they would in North America. Some women dress in traditional clothing. Very few women are covered except for their eyes. Of the people living here, only 10 % are from the Emirates. Everyone else is a foreign worker: either a labourer from India, Pakistan, Philippines, a hired professional expat, or a tourist.

There is shopping, shopping, and more shopping here. There are a large number of huge shopping malls. Our show site is on the parking lot of a big shopping mall. It has 5 different sections, each with a different geographical theme: Egypt, Persia, India, Tunisia and Andalusia. The Mall of the Emirates has an indoor downhill ski slope. It is probably worth trying….We are now in the middle of the Dubai Shopping Festival: 45 days of special sales….. Perhaps I can afford something if it is on sale…..

Yesterday I went to Dubai Creek, where the center of the city is and the older areas. There is an historic quarter with older houses that have wind towers to trap the air as a form of air conditioning. The weather now is quite pleasant: usually about 20-23. In the summer apparently it can get to about 40 – 45. In order to get to the older area, we took a boat across: about 33 cents. The boats are mostly for the workers to get back and forth. These are much more civilized that the boats that go across the river in Bangkok.

We visited the spice and gold souks yesterday: outdoor markets where you can buy spices: saffron, liquorice root, dried oranges, cinnamon sticks in big bags. Of course, all the vendors want you to buy from them: “for you, best price”. The gold market was row upon row of shops, an unbelievable assortment of usually over-the-top designs. Apparently gold is a good buy here. A friend looked at some diamond earrings. The vendor started at 2900 dirham, best price was 1900, and oh yes, best price again was 1700.

There are a huge assortment of cashmere scarves, shoes, and knock-off watches, handbags. The vendors on the street constantly in a low voice: fake watches, Rolex, handbags…. Two artists got pulled into a shop, the door locked and she left with a designer handbag for about $60.

It is interesting to see all the maps in books about Dubai. Most have all of these areas on the map, but it says u/c beside it, meaning under construction.

There are 3 big Palm Islands being constructed out in the ocean off the beaches. They dump sand in the ocean, let it settle and go from there. One of these is near out apartments. Unless you are very high up, you can’t really see that that is what is it is. You can however, from Google Earth. If you are interested…

Burj Al Arab: The world’s only “7 star” hotel. It gave itself the 7 stars. It apparently is a 5 star luxury. It is the shape of a sailboat. Taller than the Eiffel Tower, it is the world’s tallest hotel. It must be outrageously expensive. It is connected to the shore by a causeway. You have to pay about $ 100 just to walk across to see it. I doubt I will go.

There are numerous safari trips you can take out from the city: go riding camels, four wheeling, sand surfing, have an overnight trip.

So, so far Dubai has been a unique experience. I spent Christmas and New Year’s at Cirque parties by the beach, not at 20 below zero.

As unique as it is, I still miss home and all my friends. I hope you are doing well.

Take care

Chris