Visiting The United Arab Emirates: Old Dubai

"Sometimes one day in a different place gives you more than ten years of life at home."

~Anatole France

After a good night’s sleep in our luxurious hotel in Dubai, we had one full free day before we began our back-to-back business visits. We fought through jet leg by taking a tour of the city of Dubai, seeing both the old and new.

Dubai was well known as a fishing and pearl-diving community until the late 1920s when the invention of artificial pearls and the Great Depression led to the collapse of the international pearl market. They focused on alternative sources of money by leveraging their port to re-export goods from Indian and Iranian traders. 

We visited the Dubai Museum, which showcased what life was like during the fishing and pearl-diving era. Fishermen and divers left home early in the morning, came back at noon, and then went out again after afternoon prayers. A replica of one of the pearl-diving boats has a prominent place just outside the museum, which is housed in the original Al Fahidi Fort built in 1787, the oldest existing building in Dubai.

Continuing on our tour of Old Dubai, we crossed over “The Creek” in traditional boats to the Gold Souk.

From the dock, we walked over to the Gold Souk, (souk or suq means market in Arabic). What we found was an array of gold merchants for which the souk was named. Interestingly, the Emirati government has taken great care in maintaining standardization of the price of gold and requires vendors to adhere to these regulations so the market remains viable. The price of gold that day is always posted and all vendors stick to it.

Also at the souk were spice merchants, home décor and textile merchants, and all other goods, smells, and chaos you might imagine in a crowded market. Only a few shops (mostly the gold shops) were air conditioned and big enough to walk around without sharing personal space with an eager salesperson. But mostly, I just walked around taking in all the sights and smells that you might expect to find in a traditional Middle Eastern market.

Walking through the Gold Souk felt a little like walking through an obstacle course or the gauntlet. Merchants were constantly trying to get you to stop in their store. I walked out of there with nothing because 1) I didn't see anything immediately that I wanted and 2) I was so turned off by the constant in-your-face salesmanship that I didn't stick around long enough to see if I DID want anything they had to offer. Even so, I loved the experience.

Capstone: UAE and India

"If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad."

~Jane Austen

After spending ten days in The United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and India (Mumbai) with 65 of my closest friends (truly), I'm excited to share some highlights with you. 

From the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to the Gateway of India in Mumbai, with my birthday in between, this was the capstone course for my Executive MBA program at The University of Utah, which I have been doing for the last two years (one of the reasons very little was posted on this blog in the last two years). We visited and toured many businesses in both countries and got to see a few of the sites too. So get ready for some pictures.

Holy Week: Tuesday

"By His word and His example Christ has show us how to draw closer to Him."

~Henry B. Eyring

Found photo here

Events: Parables and Teachings
Prophecy: "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old." (Psalm 78:2)
Summary: Jesus was the master teacher. On this day, He teaches the awaiting crowds at the temple and the mount of Olives through sermons and parables. His powerful teachings on this day include the parable of the Ten Virgins, the Widow’s Mite, and the Greatest Commandment, love one another. He also emphasizes the importance of serving others: “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto the one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Scripture Reading:
The Greatest Commandment: Matthew 22:35-40
Ye Have Done It Unto Me: Matthew 25:31-46
The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Ten Virgins: Matthew 25:1-13

Holy Week: Monday

"The blessings of the temple are available to us all—young and old and everybody in between.
It is in the temple that we remember who we really are and see with clarity who we really can become."

~Jean A. Stevens

Photo found here

Events: Jesus Cleanses the Temple, Heals the Blind and Lame
Prophecy: "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." (Isaiah 56:7)
Summary: Three years prior to this Easter Week, Jesus Christ had cleansed the temple in Jerusalem and called it "my Father's house." On this day of Easter Week, Christ once again clears the temple of money changers but, in his role as Messiah, claims the temple as "my house." He teaches in the temple, and the blind and lame come to Him and He heals them.
Scripture Reading: Christ cleanses the temple, heals blind, and teaches: Matthew 21:12-18; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48

Seeing how upset Jesus was in the account of Jesus cleansing the temple and the depictions of this story in art always used to surprise me. But I've come to realize that he acted strongly because he felt so strongly that it is important to be respectful of sacred things.

This reverence for that which is sacred has guided how I learn about other religions, their books of scripture, their cultures, their dress. People of many religions are often mocked for their beliefs or their outward symbols of belief. Mormons, Muslims, and Jews alike. I want to be more careful when I speak of or observe another's beliefs, which they hold sacred. It IS important to be respectful of sacred things, things you deem to be sacred. It's also important to be respectful of things that others hold dear.

Holy Week: Palm Sunday

"It is fitting that during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter morning we turn our thoughts to Jesus Christ, the source of light, life, and love. The multitudes in Jerusalem may have seen Him as a great king who would give them freedom from political oppression. But in reality He gave much more than that. He gave us His gospel, a pearl beyond price, the grand key of knowledge that, once understood and applied, unlocks a life of happiness, peace, and fulfillment."

~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Photo found here

Event: Jesus's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Prophecy: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zechariah 9:9)
Summary: Jesus Christ rides into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, and is greeted by multitudes of people shouting Hosanna, waving palms, and laying down clothing and branches for Christ to walk on. They recognize Him as their King. “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9)
Scripture Reading:
Triumphal Entry: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-36
Prophecy of Triumphal Entry: Zechariah 9:9

When I was in Jerusalem in November 2015, I walked the half-mile route down from the Mount of Olives on the way to the Old City of Jerusalem. Not only did it provide a stunning view of the city, but I was reminded of the significance of this place in biblical history.

From the Mount of Olives, you can see a green area, which is the Valley of Kidron—the site where King David first established Jerusalem. Most cities in Israel were founded around springs of water rather than defensible positions. King David established his city above the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley. This was also an area that didn't belong to any one of the 12 tribes of Israel, so it was a neutral place to locate the capital city of united Israel.

Olive Trees in Jerusalem. Photo by me.

In reading the four gospels in the New Testament, we know that the Mount of Olives, adjacent to Jerusalem's Old City up on a ridge to the east, played a significant role in his life. It served as a place of refuge for him. On Palm Sunday, fulfilling prophecy, Jesus descended the Mount of Olives on a donkey in a long procession which we have come to know as "the triumphal entry" into Jerusalem.

The road from Bethany to Jerusalem, down the Mount of Olives, is a steep descent and winds its way past a Jewish cemetery. These burial grounds have been used to lay to rest more than 150,000 Jewish faithful including important rabbis from the 15th to 20th centuries. They believed that when the Messiah returned, they would be closest to being resurrected so they could enter Jerusalem in triumph.

But Christ's followers knew of his divinity and believed him to be the Messiah. Palm Sunday commemorates the day of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We call it Palm Sunday because of the palm fronds and leaves that were laid out before him on his path to Jerusalem, a custom symbolizing victory. He was greeted by multitudes of people shouting Hosanna and waving palms. They recognized him as their King. This set in motion the events leading to His Atonement, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.

Holy Week

"Every attempt to reflect upon the Atonement, to study it, to embrace it, to express appreciation for it, however small or feeble it may be, will kindle the fires of faith and work its miracle towards a more Christlike life. It is an inescapable consequence of so doing. We become like those things we habitually love and admire. And thus, as we study Christ’s life and live His teachings, we become more like Him."

~Tad R. Callister

For years, I have felt that the commercialization of Easter, with its chocolate bunnies and egg hunts, was lacking in terms of howI want to celebrate Easter and springtime. Springtime brings with it a feeling of new birth. Baby animals, eggs, tulips, and fresh grass all add to this feeling of newness. And Easter is about Jesus Christ, his life, atonement, crucifixion, and his resurrection, a new birth.

To capture this feeling, I've decided to take time to study the last week of Christ's life during Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday this year. I've found various suggestions and guidelines online and plan to share my thoughts each day during Holy Week. And I'd love to hear what you do to commemorate the events of the last week of Christ's life during this week.

If I were...

"I used to just crastinate. Then I decided to go pro."

~Unknown

As I've mentioned before, I have loads and loads of half-written, unpublished posts. Time has been taken with homework and other obligations for the past couple of years while I've been in my Executive MBA program, which I'll write about at some point. But until then, I think I ought to just start publishing some of those posts. Get myself back in the swing of writing. So here's a fun one to start.

If I were a month, I'd be April.
If I were a day of the week, I'd be Friday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be dusk.
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a beluga.
If I were a direction, I'd be west.
If I were a gemstone, I'd be a sapphire nestled between two diamonds.
If I were a tree, I'd be a redwood or a jacaranda or a Japanese maple or a Sequoia. Because who can decide when it comes to these exceptional organisms?
If I were a tool, I'd be a power drill.
If I were a flower, I'd be a gardenia on a summer afternoon in southern California.
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be a cumulus cloud on a crisp autumn day.
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a cello.
If I were a color, I'd be sky blue.
If I were a fruit, I'd be a strawberry.
If I were a classic element, I'd be earth.
If I were a periodic table element, I'd be oxygen.
If I were an amino acid, I'd be methionine.
If I were a food, I'd be cheese, oh glorious cheese.
If I were a place, I'd be home.
If I were a material, I'd be lace or maybe wool.
If I were a scent, I'd be lily of the valley.
If I were an herb, I'd be rosemary.
If I were an item of clothing, I'd be a scarf.
If I were a song, I'd be Ashokan Farewell.