Out and About in Dubai

Dubai Mall Aquarium

I’ve been to The Dubai Mall many times since it opened last year.  I didn’t think I would like it as it’s hyped as the world’s largest mall (based on total area) – blah blah blah.

But, it’s actually quite a nice mall.  I don’t go evenings nor weekends when it’s a bit packed but as a lady-of-leisure now (ha ha – I still get a kick out of that phrase) I go mid-day and mid-week and it’s a very pleasant experience.  At least it is more pleasant now that I’ve figured out its labyrinth of a parking garage.

When the mall first openened up, you could walk right up to the Aquarium without having to pay. Now it’s roped off and unless you fork over some dirhams, you must stand a few yards away.  The mall plays classical music over the speaker system and I remember my first visit being absolutely mesmerized by the fishies in the tank (my nose only inches away) listening to philharmonics and feeling like I was suspended in a Discovery Channel show.

I try to avoid looking at the Aquarium these days because as an avid scuba diver, I get this intense feeling of wanting to jump into the tank to say hello to all the little fishies (and huge sharks) and am always jealous when I see the other divers in there.  The mall offers a scuba discovery program where guests can pay to dive in the tank but I think it’s all wrong (for me, I mean) because it’s so artificial.  I’d rather dive in the real ocean.

In case you were wondering what world record the Aquarium holds…I’ll tell you!  It holds the Guiness World Record for World’s Largest Acrylic Pane. So there – another Dubai world record!

Besides the Aquarium, other water features in and around the mall include an indoor ice skating rink, this cool water fall with sculptures of freedivers, and one of the largest water fountains in the world – the Dubai Fountain - which is 25% larger than the Bellagio’s in Vegas.  I haven’t seen it myself yet – so no photo, sorry.

Water Fall

On my last trip to the mall, I also saw this really cool water feature – a drinking fountain!  These little stainless steel guys below are actually quite rare in Dubai.  It could possibly go down the Guiness World Record books as the only drinking fountains in a Dubai mall (joke).  I don’t know why, but there is quite a stigma here about drinking tap water.  I drink it at home and coming from a city with the best drinking tap water in the world I have of course tried to order tap water in a restaurant but I just get these awkward or blank stares so I’ve given up.

Looking at the drinking fountains I don’t think anyone has ever used it so I thought I’d be the first.  Except I stupidly chose the one on the left and if you look closely at the photo…the spout was pointed directly at me – so you can imagine I got a little bit wet.

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I had been dreading the eventual day when I would have to start haggling for purchases. Haggling is an integral part of the local culture and is a game that has to be played as the stated price of most things are grossly inflated. I’m not talking about buying groceries in Carrefour or food at a Burger King (imagine: You want 10? I’ll give 5 for that Whopper! No? Okay 6!).

But when visiting places like the souks or Dragonmart, it is expected to haggle for your wares. Now I’ve never haggled for anything in my life. I didn’t have to in NY – I’d just wait for sales or mark-downs. And many times, I could buy things cheaper on the internet than I could at a local shop. The closest I’ve ever come to haggling was buying glow-in-the-dark 1999 glasses in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. I saved myself one dollar. Yep, one whole dollar. I was quite proud of myself.

Lately I’ve been wondering if there exists Haggling for Dummies as I own Cooking for Dummies and Knitting for Dummies and believe you me, I have referenced those books for years! Quiche Lorraine? No problem! Socks knitted on double-point needles? Easy!

But then again, I’m not so sure a dummies book on haggling would be of much help anyway. I mean, I know (in theory) how to do it – not only have I read everything about it on the web but I’m Chinese – hello! – I’ve grown up watching my mother haggle everything on the streets of Chinatown from gold, diamonds, to even my wedding dress!

And every time she has done it, my sisters and I would groan, roll our eyes and exasperatingly say, “Mom! Just pay and let’s go already!”

Aha! Little did we know then what it’s like to live in a haggling world where full-price is never paid except by unsuspecting tourists. DB once paid 20 Dhs for a small jar of curry at the spice souk only to find out later that another shop was selling it for 10 Dhs and you can get something similar at the grocery store for 5! No 14-day price adjustment policy here!

Recently, DB and I went to the Jumeirah Antique Museum to look for bedroom and dining room furniture. The name is a bit of a misnomer because it’s not really a museum but a 65,000 sq ft dusty maze of a warehouse in Al Quoz filled with merchandise from many different countries such as Moroccan lamps, African masks, Kashmir pashminas, Vietnamese ceramic, Indian wine racks, Omani silver, Pakistani swords, so on and so on, with sections, rooms, or aisles devoted to each particular category of wares. There’s also a framing section (like for pictures). And as they do sell wholesale, there’s the usual souvenir kitsch such as miniature crystals of the Burj and Emirates Towers, made-in-China key chains and perfume bottles, etc. AND, if you are in need of a life-size penis ashtray or a penis can opener – look no farther than the Moroccan lamp room as there are a couple on display. Perhaps someone mistook the lamp room for the penis section/aisle/room? Hmm…

There were no bedroom sets nor dining room tables but it was great fun weaving in and out of the narrow aisles looking at all the goodies on display. It was so dark in some areas that I might bring a flashlight next time and pretend that I’m exploring some underground Arabian treasure trove.

The only thing that we came away with were two small red Moroccan-like floor lamps that you can put tea candles in.

Here is my first time haggling skills at work:

-”Sir, how much is this lamp?”

-”80 Dirhams madams” he says. Oh god, this is where I’m supposed to counter with an offer of half.

-“Um, can you give me a better price?” I asked instead. Ugh, failure, failure, failure. He nodded, punched some numbers into a calculator (ah, that old game) and offered me 140 for both lamps.

-”Um, will you take 120?” I counter. No! I’m supposed to say 80, Will you take 80 for both? Why didn’t I say that?

-“They are worth 155, I am already giving you discount of 140,” he replies. Crap, why didn’t I pay more attention when my mom did this? What would mom do? What would mom say?

-”Um, so you really won’t take 120?” holding my breath.

-”130,” the man says.

-”Okay!” Sold! …Wait, why did I give in so easily? Sigh.

Well, I must’ve been really pathetic at this game, because after the man wrapped up the lamps, he came back and sold the lamps to me for 110 without any further haggling from my end.

Actually I think he said, “I now give them to you for 100″ but I suck so much at this game I may have haggled him up. 110!

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