This subject will be broken into sections as it is a very large topic. Some of the ideas may not be new to you, but to me they are very new. I am not a shopper and try to avoid it as much as possible.
The sandstorms ended with a 'Shamal" easterly winds. These winds blew in, the temperatures dropped, the air cleared up, the waters were unsafe for small water vessels. This is a new word for you to learn.
Thursday, January 20, 2011. Dubai Shopping Days was kicked off with firework displays, live music at various shopping centers. For the next month there will be parades, children theaters, carnivals, street dances, concerts, light shows, firework displays, ect. I have heard that businesses discount stock up to 90%. Some shops open early and close later than usual. By making a purchase one is registered to win cars, gold, gift certificates, trips, I am not sure what else. The neighbor went to the Mall of the Emirates to buy her little girl a trampoline. Jim was near Karama for a conference. He said that the shopping centers were all lit up for the Shopping Festival. The Shopping Festival ends on February 20.
Here shopping has been ramped to a whole new level.
Tiger Mart, in the International City, is one continuous building that zigs and zags for a mile. Everything in this building is from China and they have a lot of it, whatever it is. The building appears as if each zig and zag is a section and each section has categories such as electronics, textiles, home furnishings, yard furniture, toys, commodities,( Exactly what is a commodity?) fashion and accessories, etc. In each section there are literally dozens of little shops with items in it, stacked from the floor to the ceiling. The shops can be two or three deep from the main center walkway, with little walkways weaving round them. The sections are labeled from the outside, so if you know what you are looking for, it is possible to enter the building in the general area. The inside sections are marked by letters and numbers as well as labeled with a general title. Each shop is lettered and numbered within each section also. Try to remember all of those numbers and patterns, Uncle Jan will give you an “A” in math. The system does work, we have always been able to find the entrance we used and thus, could easily find our car.
In the textiles area, material is draped and displayed in dozens of shops, each hoping that you will choose their fabric and services. If you want, they will make your curtains, bed spreads, pillow shams, tapestry wall hangings, etc. for you, right there in the shop. Or, you can find a number of shops with these items already made, packaged and ready to purchase. It is a bit overwhelming.
In the clothing stores, most of the clothes appear to be the same. The displays may differ from shop to shop, but the contents are pretty much the same. Again, dozens of shops offer to sell you something that the shop right next door or behind it has. After five hours of walking around I found a skirt that I did not see in any other store. I found it hanging in a walkway next to the last store I was going to visit for the day. The price was 35 dirham. I paid 25 dirham for it.
The electronics section is very unsettling. Everything that flies, whirls, buzzes, flashes, chugs or moves by remote control or battery hangs out here. They all seem to be going at the same time. One must be careful to not step on something racing across the floor. This is the place to find pieces, parts, and whole assemblies of clock radios, computer parts, and battery operated toys, lighting, stereos, televisions, etc. I do not like this section, to over stimulating and headache inducing.
While weaving through and around the shops, there are small kiosks set up in the middle of the building. These sell a variety of items from food, hair pretty supplies, make-up, knick-knacks, flags, sunglasses, smoking needs, etc. A little bit of everything yet nothing a person needs: Except for the refreshments. Energy is essential to conquer that place.
Outside of the main entrance is a fountain, is a huge globe encircled by a long dragon. Jim took a picture of me sitting in front of the structure so you can see the size. Right inside the entrance is a huge play land for the kids. It is colorful and has numerous activities to keep the occupants very busy for hours. The photos can be seen in the “Photobucket” The grandsons spent a whole afternoon playing in the play land and did not get tired of any activity. They were exhausted when the day was through. I think they were asleep in the car before leaving the parking lot.
The only time I have been there when it was not tightly packed with people, was on a Friday morning. A large number of shops are not open and people are at mosque or church. As the day progressed, the closed shops opened, and people arrived at a steady pace. Jim likes me to walk beside him in the store, it is impossible to do. I prefer to walk behind him in there. I can see where he is going and I won’t walk into somebody, he won’t turn into me as I try to avoid turning into somebody and best of all, he is blazing a trail for me to walk through the crowds. I think that it works fairly well, as long as I do not walk to close to him and step on his heels.
We were in Dragon Mart to buy bikes for the grandchildren. We did find a place that gave us a good price for three bikes. This little shop was two shops from the main walkway. Jim went to find our entrance/exit so he could find the car and have us wait at the nearest curbside. We had to hire someone to help us move the bikes as there were only two of us and three bikes and a few other shopping bags. I had the lady bring the bikes to the main walkway with me to wait for Jim. She decided that we needed to stand in one of the side walkways and wait. I understand why she thought such thoughts, the place was packed wall to wall with people. Well, Jim would never see or find us there. I tried to tell the lady we had to stay in the main walk. She did not speak one bit of English or understand it. Jim came into the main walkway, looking for us, I was trying to get the lady with the bikes to stay by me, she kept walking back out of sight. Needless to say, Jim was getting angry because he could not find us. I was frustrated because I knew Jim would be looking for us, and the lady would not stand still. We were tired and still had a long drive home. Finally, Jim saw me step out of the side walkway to look for him. We lead the lady and three bikes out to the parking lot. Jim went to get the car and stop curbside for easier loading. I grabbed the lady’s arm and the cart that the bikes were on because I was afraid that she would try to walk off again to get out of the way. The poor woman probably thought I was going to force her into the car or something. We did get the bikes loaded. Jim tried to tip the lady and she did not agree with the amount of the tip. This was the only time she made herself understood. Jim tipped her a bit more. I thought she should have tipped me for all of the extra work I had to do to keep track of her, the bikes, and Jim.
True to the Dubai spirit, the shopping malls are also large. There are many floors of shops and parking. All of the major shopping centers have prayer rooms and the whole premise is very clean. The first time out should not be to shop, just take it all in and be overwhelmed. A purchase may be made on a whim, but a planned shopping can leave a person in tears. The choices are unlimited and just when the perfect item has been found, a better one at a better price is waiting ten doors down. Floor plans of the shopping area are available at the information desks. Parking is just as complicated. Parking on the 5th level of the parking ramp does not mean you can get to that level from the 5th floor of the mall. We had to go to the 3rd level, get in an elevator and take it to the 5th level of the parking ramp. Malls here have aquariums, ski slopes, huge waterfalls, car shows, trees, glass-bottom boats rides, scuba diving, who knows what else in them.
I don’t know how they do it, but everything is so clean here, all of the time. Everything is huge and clean.
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