Dubai

I just returned from a quick trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates...

...Interesting place !

 Saw mosques in many, many places.

 New construction was everywhere...many new high-rise buildings.

 Most buildings seemed to include a water feature of some sort, fountain, pond, etc. 

Maybe as a result of being in a desert country...

 A large, resort hotel out on the large man-made island,

shaped like a giant palm tree.

 ...and more construction...

 Including the world's tallest building.

 Cool, new Metro system opened in 2009.

 ...and more buildings...

 The tall building, called the Burj Khalifa, towers above Dubai Mall,

the world largest shopping mall.

(it doesn't really lean...

...it just took a wide-angle lens to get it all, and it's a little distorted)

 The Beach in the "Marina Area",

with the luxury hotels on the Palm showing in the background.

The beach-front street is lined with shopping areas,

restaurants, and high-rise condos. 

The pool on the 8th Floor of my hotel.

(Sat here to post "Baby Number 7,000,000,000")

That's it for now.  Didn't have much time for photos, many of these are from the car as we zipped around.  I hope to be there again early next year, so I'll try again.

Take care all.

- Mark W. Laughlin

7,000,000,000...

“Baby Number 7,000,000,000”

I read in November’s National Geographic Magazine that, according to the U.N., the world population was expected to reach 7 billion in October, 2011...7,000,000,000 !  They used words like “expected to reach” and “approximately”, because, as you can imagine, it’s tough to get an accurate count of so many of us.  And of course, more of us are being born every moment.

The point of the short article was that if “Baby Number 7,000,000,000” was born in one of the wealthier countries (the USA, Western Europe, Japan, etc.) then there is a good chance that the baby will reach the ripe old age of 100 years, because conditions are good in those countries, and progress is made continually  on nutrition and health care.  Life expectancies are growing, as access to healthy foods and good health care increase, and as we live healthier lives.

I had a grand-daughter born in October.  Was she “Number 7,000,000,000” ?  Well, that’s pretty tough to answer, but she could have been.  Will she live to be 100 years old ?  Well, I certainly hope so, and I wish her, and everybody else on earth at that time, all the best, and I hope their quality of life continues to improve.

-          grand-dad ...(Mark)