Always something new to discover

Have you noticed how there are some places where there is always something new to discover? You think you have visited often enough and seen everything there is to see — and then, here you are again, and you uncover a whole new world of wonder that you had no idea existed!

For us, Dubai is like that. First, because we have had the good fortune to visit often and in different seasons; and second, because we have stayed with our family in different parts of the city, each area with its own attractions.

Thus, we have been here at festival time; we have been here in the thick of the prolonged summer heat and in the middle of the short and delightful winter, each day appreciated more heartily because we know how soon the heat will rise again from the desert sand around!

We have lived in the heart of the city as well as on the outskirts, which with rapid development, soon became part of the city itself and now, in yet another area, we wake up each morning (and fall asleep each night) with a view of the tallest building in the world through the window.

Perhaps, if we lived here year round, we may get blasé about it — but right now, it evokes a thrill each time we look at the Burj Khalifa, steel and glass glistening during the day, lights twinkling at us at night, celebratory or promotional lighting in all the colours of the rainbow enthralling us and keeping us transfixed on our balcony, reluctant to re-enter the apartment and rejoin the family …

Of course, we look beyond the beauty of this new home we are visiting and the loving company of our family and we set out to explore the stores around in search of everyday requirements. Where will we find ready-to-heat chapatis without which our meal is incomplete? And where will we get the freshest vegetables and juiciest fruit?

Grocery shopping — or should I say, searching — is always a morning venture and thus we tramp along different routes and make different discoveries on a day-to-day basis. Our morning walks turn into mini adventures when we unexpectedly locate the small outlet of a well-known supermarket chain or when we stop to click photographs of an awe-inspiring building or a handsome well-cared-for pet out for his morning exercise, or a boat cruising slowly along the canal …

For us it is all special — and this time around, there was also the Expo to explore.

At first, we were reluctant to be a part of the crowds that, like us, wanted to view the many pavilions we had read about. Back home in India, we avoided socialising and stayed away from all gatherings for over two years — and being a part of such a massive event was totally out of character for us. But we masked up — in our overcareful case, we double and triple masked up — and we made the trip.

The Expo has been, after all, not an ordinary event but a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has drawn exhibitors and viewers from all over the world!

And now, having experienced all that, and no doubt, with more treats in store, we wonder: When we return to India, will we, with our heightened senses, see the trees that block our view of our neighbour’s house in a different light and appreciate the leaves in each season, the flowers, the birds, and all the other everyday items — or will we just grumble that we can’t wave to our friend across the road?

Will we find wonder in the familiar when we are back home?

Or do we only find it in Dubai because being with the family makes everything special for us?

— Cheryl Rao is a writer based in India