Dubai - A City of Construction

Hey everybody. So I made it to Dubai safe and sound and am trying my hardest to deal with the jet lag. I tell you, waking up at 4 in the morning and being wide awake is really frustrating. 10 hrs. difference really screws up the system. Anyways. I arrived two nights ago. Bob and Barb picked me up at the airport. It was 1:30 am and 31 degrees out. Yikes. Anyways, we got back to their house and Sam (the chocolate lab) greeted us at the door. I was sound asleep within a seconds of hitting the pillow. Yesterday. Barb and I went to the Mall of the Emirates to look around. We stopped to look at the indoor ski hill. There is something very strange about learning to snow plow inside. Although the tubing looked like a lot of fun. It was kinda crazy. Then we met Bob for lunch at the Madinat Jumeirah which is a really beautiful resort on the beach. After lunch we wandered around the canals a bit (you have to take little water taxis to get to some of the rooms) and went down to the beach. What a beautiful beach too. Views of the Burj Al Arab (the hotel that is supposed to look like a sail). Anyways, Bob then took me on a bit of a tour of Dubai. We went past the Knowledge center which has satelite campuses from tons of different unis (soon UofC). Then past the Dubai marina. I swear there must be more cranes here then anywhere else in the world. Construction is everywhere (although right now it is centered around the marina). Anyways, then we headed back to the house for a relaxing evening of reading and tv. It's funny, my mom's family is so similar to each other, no matter whose house you are at, you are sure to find the golf channel as being a favourite. Barb is in a golf tournament today (see they are all the same), but it is like 37 degrees outside (crazy to be golfing). So we'll see what uncle Bob and I get up to. Welcome to my trip!