Dubai Shopping Festival: One World - One Family - Research Paper Example

Public Cultural Event My visit to Dubai last year was certainly one of the most vivid and memorable ones that I can ever recall, owing to my participation in the city’s world-wide popular cultural event that energized and entertained me throughout its duration of one month; The Dubai Shopping Festival lives up to its name, as this shopper’s paradise offers the craziest of bargains and lucky draws along with live recreation for adults and families alike, showing off Dubai’s rich heritage through its gala of displays and parades while at the same time bringing people and cultures from all around the world under one roof. Now I have always been the type who surrounds himself with new cultures and my recent trip to Dubai gave me an entire wealth of culture all at once. I arrived in the city not knowing the language or their behavioral mood swings, which I had been a victim of in my past travels to less developed countries (Geertz 1). I cannot call Dubai a developing country because as soon as you arrive at the airport, the terminal is exactly like the ones you will find back in the States. Honestly, it is even better than back home. I was new here, but they were used to seeing 'aliens' like me all the time, which is why I was not given a second glance. For me, these Arabs were strangely beautiful to look at, with their gleaming white 'gowns' and turban-like headgear. I was truly in a modern desert with crystal clear glass for a terminal roof. I was greeted by a man who touched my nose with his, which honestly speaking, greatly alarmed me at first, but apparently that is how everyone here greets one another as it is a part of their culture. As I had arrived just days before the Dubai Shopping Festival officially began, the airport was lit with banners showing the symbol of the festival; a red and green shopping bag with a family drawn on it. Names, dates and venues of various shows were also advertised with bright pictures on these banners; Dubai was certainly proud of its famous cultural festival and wasted no space to inform visitors of what fun they would be experiencing in the upcoming days. I was driven to a hotel that really matches the likes of those back in States, the hotel I was to stay at could have really given The Trump Towers a run round the windmill. On the way to the hotel, I kept clicking away at the skyscrapers looming above; Dubai can easily be called New York 2.0 or maybe even 3.0. All along the road the streets were brightened with streetlights linked with trails of red, green and white lighting; the official colors of this festival. Seeing them gave me butterflies, making me realize how badly I was anticipating the famous Dubai Shopping Festival. Yes, this festival that everyone kept talking about back home was the only reason I was here. A festival of color, lights and people from all around the world, it truly is a cultural phenomenon. As a travel enthusiast this was a must see for me and I had been planning to visit since it first began. At the hotel I was greeted by the manager himself, who was so pleased at having a western national lodge at his hotel; they really respect the West and its inhabitants in this city. The view from my room was something I could have only dreamed off; the whole city was lit up. Dubai, during this festival, really looked like something out of an episode of Star Trek minus the floating cars. This hotel was really growing on to me and I was already thinking about apartment shopping, which would be no problem at all thanks to the amazing deals and bargains this festival offers to shoppers throughout its month long fiesta. The Dubai Shopping Festival kicks off with a stunning display of fireworks, illuminating the night sky and the city with hundreds of breathtaking colors and designs and leaving all the watchers awe-struck. These spectacular fireworks brighten up the city every night throughout the duration of the festival, but are especially electrifying on the opening and closing nights of the festival. Other than displaying various artistic designs, another reason why these fireworks attract people from all around the world is because the lights depict flags of all the countries whose culture is inculcated in the Dubai Shopping Festival. I was literally screaming my lungs out cheering when the fireworks marked out our beloved star spangled banner in the sky. The opening night of the Dubai Shopping Festival is certainly one all festival goers look forward to. As soon as the Dubai Shopping Festival begins, shopping malls throughout Dubai are packed with the much-awaited raging discounts and offers that could blow one’s mind away. Certainly being a dream come true for shopaholics, this festival promises a retail experience like no other; branded and normally oh-so-expensive items are up for grabs with sales going up to seventy five percent off at Dubai’s magnificent malls, while Dubai’s night souqs (Arabic for open-air marketplaces), that sell traditional Arab clothes, rugs and handicrafts, offer an ethnic flavor for visitors’ shopping lists and give insight to Dubai’s rich heritage. These Arabs do believe in the saying, 'shop till you drop', for you can see trolleys filled with goodies and appliances that have had their prices cut in half. Adding to the shopping fun is enjoyable activities and competitions in Dubai’s larger-than-life malls related to this multicultural festival, where shoppers take part in various entertaining programs full of games and quizzes with winners leaving with extravagant prizes such as laptops, LCD televisions and even ‘scratch and win’ coupons. I recall taking part in one such program, ‘Musical Chairs’ it was called, where I competed with men and women of diverse nationalities. Although it may sound silly for grownups to play such a game, it was actually quite exhilarating, with the crowds of Arabs and expatriates all cheering us on and enjoying in the fun. The midnight fashion shows taking place in these malls during this festival are no less: local talent is showcased on dazzling models wearing designs and clothes of various countries and cultures, including that of Dubai’s. My camera never stopped snapping pictures of all the glitz and glamour I was exposed to during these shows. Another attraction of the Dubai Shopping Festival is the all-time favorite Global Village. Walking around in the Global Village was really a mighty treat indeed. From France, China to good old US and all the major countries in between, the Global Village has it all. It consists of stalls that are set up in fashions that represent their respective nations, while inside these stalls all the famous goodies and items of their respective countries are sold. These pavilions act as ‘safe houses’ for visitors, where they can meet and interact easily with people of the same nationality as their own (Pratt 40). I must say that if one wants to visit the entire world in a matter of hours without the jet lag, Dubai Shopping Festival's Global Village is the place to be. Walk around and you not only notice the 'wares' but also men walking around in stilts, just like in Disneyland without the cheesy Disney characters walking around. I have not even started on the 'fun zone', the biggest one I have seen so far, yet. From go karts to the wildest roller coasters one can ever find, the Global Village has it all. Before I even entered this recreation area, cheerful shouts and screams of people on various rides could be heard from far away, tempting me to try out the rides from which the highest screams came from. I could have sat on all of them had I not gorged myself silly on the amazing pita bread and 'hummus' the hotel had offered as a complimentary dinner. One incident vividly comes to mind where, as I entered the food court in the Global Village, I was literally sent into a different world. The aroma of barbecued 'kebabs', eastern rice, Chinese cuisine and my favorite, fast food, encompassed the air. Now for a person coming from abroad, McDonalds was what we termed as fast food. However, here in this single food court, they had almost every fast food chain from all around the world. The kebabs from Afghanistan were so soft and juicy; I did not hesitate buying a second round. Truly, the Global Village is the best thing about the Dubai Shopping Festival where you are free to explore international cultural diversity as well as Dubai’s own heritage. Among the many amusing highlights of the Dubai Shopping Festival is the Dubai Shopping Festival Street Carnival which is held during every weekend of the festival. In it, performers such as musicians, jugglers and unicyclists keep the public mesmerized with celebratory displays of their talents. Visitors also enjoy jazz events and live concerts performed by renowned artists. Furthermore, cultural performances from all around the globe take place on different platforms set up in various areas of the street the carnival takes place at. Each of these platforms has a particular theme, related to the countries they represent. I particularly enjoyed the performance on the Arab platform, where the male dancers (all of whom wore white ‘gowns’) held rifles while dancing in a spiral circle whereas the female dancers, dressed in shiny colorful robes and wearing golden headgear, flipped their long dark hair in sync to the traditional Arab music playing in the background. That performance really hyped up the crowd, which mostly consisted of Arabs. The Street Carnival is certainly a major attraction for families, as I deducted from the amount of tiny tots I saw roaming around with their parents, with happy smiles pasted on their painted faces and their hands filled with cotton candies and balloons of different shapes and sizes. I was not surprised though, owing to the fact that the Street Carnival was littered with redemption games, rides and creative art activities for these young ones. Once again, raging discounts were offered by every single stall I passed by at the carnival. However, the cherry on the top was the unique parade of acrobats and dancers which was so feisty that it could put the ones in Rio Di Janeiro to shame. Even if you’re not a shopping or entertainment enthusiast, the Dubai Shopping Festival is still the place to be, owing to the Dubai Marathon that is always scheduled during the festival. Arabs and visitors from around the globe take part in this marathon, either to actually win it or to have a good time with friends and family. A whopping amount of prize money awaits the winner and had I been in better physical state, I might have given it a shot. Another program that brings together people from diverse cultures during this festival is The Big Boy Toy Exhibition, which according to me definitely does justice to its name; Power tools, power boats, power cars, power everything all under one power roof. The best part was that gadgets and gizmos from all around the world were literally set on tables for visitors to gawk at, me being one of them. The theme of the famous cultural Dubai Shopping Festival is “One World. One Family. One Festival” and it is rightfully chosen. This festival really attracts and brings together people from all around the globe due to the tax-free mammoth deals and discounts it offers on literally everything, from designer shoes and bags to cars and apartments, you name it. Not only this, the Dubai Shopping Festival gives an insight to its rich culture and that of various other countries as well through its array of amazing performances and activities suitable for individuals and families alike. Bursting with fun, shopping and culture, the Dubai Shopping Festival is truly one event you cannot miss. Works Cited Geertz, Clifford. “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight”. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 1972. Pratt, Mary Louise. “Arts of the Contact Zone”. Modern Language Association. 1991. Read More