Dubai... of 'Travel Channel' fame

One thing that struck me this summer in the U.S. was how much more known Dubai is these days as compared with when we moved here 5 years ago. Back then people still didn't know where the country was or anything about the culture or landscape. Now it's different largely due to television exposure. Shows and newspaper articles describing the latest construction project or tourist spot have been popping up rapidly over the past couple years and this past year they seem to be everywhere.

As a resident I have mixed feelings about the notoriety. The shows give the impression that I might live in a high priced hotel or hang out at expensive tourist spots regularly. Or they give the impression that Dubai and the UAE are a first world country. It's not true of course. The country has made enormous strides in the past decade but it's just all that the marketing makes it out to be. But perhaps I'm just being defensive because I don't want to be seen as a person who lives in opulent luxury all the time... driving expensive cars, spending half the day at the spa and the other half shopping at upscale stores.

As I reflect on these things it reminds me of how much the media shapes how we think about other places and peoples in the world. And unless you've been there yourself it's difficult to get an idea of what places are like. But it does remind me to be careful and thoughtful as I watch or read popular media. Everything isn't all that it seems to be when it's coming through the television.