Vanity Fair

...not just a magazine.

Gentle Readers,

A few things I've learned about License plates and phone numbers: They're status symbols here. License plates are almost as important as the flashy car they adorn. the closer the letter to A, the better, the more distinct a number sequence the better, the fewer numbers the better. Just to put it into perspective; the license plate B 123 just sold for 36 000 000 dirhams or 10 million dollars. Phone numbers are the same. They can be purchased if you have the money, or acquired if you have the clout. A number such as 5444444 is worth upwards of 75 000 dollars.

It occurred to me that the lavish lifestyle so normal here would be the status quo in the US as well if there were no taxes. Here, there are no taxes whatsoever, land is free, and families receive housing subsidies. You connect the dots.

This evening was quite the experience. Many of us foreign students had to go the municipal clinic this afternoon for a medical exam. It included a blood test and x-ray and despite the first world reputation, the clinic didn't exactly live up to the reputation of the country... 20 of us were shoved into a small waiting room by a screaming Pakistani doctor who didn't speak English and told to prepare for the x-ray. A good bonding experience is a polite way of putting it I guess. The blood test was something for the record books as well. The 'nurse' who had presumably been sitting there for hours went after my forearm as if she were digging around inside it with a garden hose. Who knows how clean the garden hose was too...

Afterwards, Ed and I decided to ditch the university bus and do some exploring. Leave it to the cab and coach drivers to tell you what life is really like behind the glamour in the UAE... We ended up at the Outside Inn, the hang-out I previously told you about. Fosters, Peanuts, company of a good friend, and a chili dog later, I had forgotten where I was. Glorious.

Time to watch some Frontline. Again, Thank you L.B.S.