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DUBAI
Land of Endless Luxuries (3/3)
Celebration of excess is the norm in this desert oasis

Variety is the spice of life
In this surreal world, camel racing vies with auto racing, and falconry with tennis matches on rooftop helipads. Even a crushed-diamond-and-ruby massage at the Six Senses Spa doesn't turn heads.

The social scene, not surprisingly, centers on the 46 themed megamalls, some of which even have their own magazines. Here willowy fashionistas in stiletto boots peruse designer boutiques alongside traditionally clad Arab couples pushing baby strollers. Young Emirati men survey the parade from cafes. And forget fast-food burgers and fries. These food courts offer United Nations-worthy options: Japanese, Indian, Iranian, Turkish, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese.

The old Dubai
When you've overdosed on excess, head to Bastakiya, a newly renovated 100-year-old Persian neighborhood with traditional adobe houses and trademark wind towers. A few have been turned into galleries and restaurants. Nearby, the Dubai Museum reveals the history of the sheikdom as a backwater of Bedouins and pearl divers when oil was discovered in 1966. But with the oil due to run out in 10 years, Dubai is banking its future on tourism and trade.

Not much is left of the old Dubai. You can hop a water taxi across the creek to the textile souk and shop for the finest silks from Asia, or the spice souk, where Iranian merchants peddle saffron, turmeric, coriander, frankincense and cinnamon in colorful mounds. Or you can browse the 300 shops of the gold souk, where Indian and Arabian women load up on their bridal dowries. Echoes of the call to prayer in this older part of town remind one that tradition and religion still hold sway over the glitter and glamour.

Still, in its rush to become the world's premier vacationland, "Dubai is like a spoiled child: ‘I see it and I want it,'" says Caroline Newton, 56, a tourist from Adelaide, Australia.
But that child just might be leading the way to a new Middle East.

Vocabulary Focus 

peruse (v) ---to look at something in a relaxed way

bank on (phr. v) ---to depend on something happening

hold sway over (phr. v) --- to have power or a very strong influence

Specialized Terms

falconry (n) ---放鹰打猎 the sport of hunting small animals and birds using a fast-flying bird of prey, the falcon

helipad (n) ---直升机升降坪
a place where a single helicopter can take off and land

fashionista (n) ---时髦女郎；急于赶时髦与流行的人
an avid follower of clothing trends and high fashion