Abu Dhabi Festival of Thinkers

The Festival of Thinkers is a conference to celebrate thinking and learning, and to welcome well-known thinkers from around the world to share ideas and knowledge. This conference brings in many people including 15 Nobel Prize winners and performers to be a part of the Festival.

Richard scored an invitation for us to go and we were excited to be a part of such a fancy evening, especially since it was held at the Emirates Palace which is the super up-scale hotel that cost 3 billion dollars to build. Monday, November 2, 2009 we attended a Gala Dinner at Emirates Palace from 7:30 to 11:30 pm.

The Dinner was outside, in the warm coastal air, with at least a hundred large tables set with crystal, china, and silver. We ate 4 courses, each an hour apart, so that was a little interesting to be eating the main course at 10pm. But, that is normal here - they stay up and eat late. We drank water and watermelon juice out of heavy crystal goblets made in France with gold stamps on the side. Yousef, the Emirati stting at our table said they cost $350 each. The stage hosted singers, an artist, and many kinds of dancers. My favorite was the Bollywood dancing, so lively and colorful. Oh yeah, and there was an acrobat spinning below that hot air balloon/globe as well as fireworks. That's how they roll out here in AD (Abu Dhabi), extravagance.

Yousef (new aquaintance), Rich, Me

Kera and McSean

While I saved our seats, Yousef the UAE native asked if he could sit down at the table. I said yes, motioning to the seat next to the one I was saving for Richard. Then for the next 15 minutes, I had the most surprizingly nice conversation with Yousef. Surprizing only because after living in the country for 11 months, this was my first conversation with an Emirati man. He was so friendly and outgoing, asking me about myself and my feelings about living in Al Ain. I openly told him my shock at his willingness to talk to me and of how it was a first. How I thought the lack of conversation was because I am a western woman and/or perhaps that they (the Emirati men) are all married. I told him that I live in Al Ain and then he explained to me that he is the normal for Abu Dhabi; not overly out going, and that it is not that I am a woman, or American, but rather that the people in Al Ain are so very traditional and often close-minded. He said that may be the case there, but in Abu Dhabi I would be talking to the locals everyday. Interesting... and promising. Now I kind of want to live in AD so that I can talk to and become friends with the local people. I really do want to get to know the people and culture here, but how can I do that if I never talk to them?

Thanks Yousef, you were hope in a condora.