Indoor Skiing As Far Afield as Dubai

June 28, 2022

With massive, man made indoor ski resorts, skiing is no longer a winter-only sport.

In 1927, Vienna, Austria opened up the first indoor ski slope called Schneepalast. The slope was 65.6 feet tall, and the building was eventually destroyed, but the idea has stayed around. People have improved on it by creating larger and larger indoor ski slopes for people to enjoy not just during the normal skiing season, but also in warm temperatures where and when snow doesn’t fall. Indoor ski resorts are all over the world, with at least one on every continent. Ski Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was voted the best indoor resort back in 2016 and 2017, and it used to be the biggest, though Harbin Wanda Indoor Resort in Harbin, China surpassed Ski Dubai in 2017. Wintastar Shanghai in Shanghai, China is currently on track to being the largest once it is completed in 2022. There are also indoor slopes that are meant only for practice in the summer. These are training centers for athletes, without man-made snow and more akin to treadmills.

Though an indoor resort will likely never be as large as an outdoor one, Ski Dubai is one of the largest indoor ski resorts in the world. It is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East, featuring a chairlift, a freestyle snowboarding area, an area for toboggans and snowball fights, an indoor zipline and five ski runs, including a black diamond run, the highest level of difficulty in skiing. Ski Dubai also has a penguin colony of Gentoo and King penguins that people can meet and interact with. Though not the only indoor ski resort with penguins, Ski Egypt has Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, which is the most well-known. The entire area is extremely family friendly, which is why it continues to be one of the most popular attractions in Dubai.

King Penguins at Ski Dubai. Pranav Bhasin. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

For an avid skier, indoor skiing might be a very interesting experience, but it doesn’t come close to skiing on an actual mountain. Having such a limited space can lose interest towards experienced skiers, but less experienced people tend to enjoy indoor resorts more. Another factor that could affect this is that skiing on fake snow is different than skiing on real snow.

Fake snow is stickier than real snow, and it’s much harder and more packed. Skiing on it isn’t as smooth as on real snow. The composition of real snow is around 10% ice and 90% air, but man-made snow is closer to 30% ice and 70% air. Of course, indoor ski slopes can’t exactly use real snow, so these resorts are made entirely of this kind of snow. However, since it is still snow, it will melt in heat. Indoor ski resorts have to be cold to maintain it. Ski Dubai stays at a constant -4Celsius, or 24.8 Fahrenheit. Therefore, despite being located in the desert, the inside of Ski Dubai is fairly cold and a stark contrast to the outside heat.

Labor Cruelty Inside Dubai, the City of Gold

February 17, 2022

Ninety percent of Dubai's residents are migrant workers, many of whom are experiencing abuse from their employers.

Construction Workers on the Promenade of Dubai. Paul Keller. CC BY 2.0

Dubai is known as the city of gold due to its rapid growth, from a global gulf port to a busy business city center. Migrant workers arrive from Asia, Africa and different parts of the Middle East through the sponsorship program kafala. The program gives employers the permits necessary to hire foreign labor workers and gives employers complete control over the legal status of whom they’ve hired. In some cases, this causes a power imbalance among the employer and employee relationship. In addition to being exploited through the sponsorship program, migrant workers have accused employers of various forms of abuse.

Migrant workers often arrive in Dubai in hopes of making a steady income to provide for their families back home. Dubai has a high demand for labor workers and provides better opportunities to migrant workers. Therefore, they take on jobs in construction or domestic work, such as nannying, housekeeping or other household services. At times, they’re promised a higher wage or a different job description; however, after arriving, that promise was broken. Migrant workers receive their wages on a monthly basis and are required to work weekends, with an average of 16-21 hour days. Overworked migrants cannot leave the job until their contract is terminated, as those are the conditions under the kafala sponsorship. If one decides to leave, the employer can have the worker sent to prison for six months, deported and/or fined $27,225 for not abiding by the contract.

Migrant Worker Cleaning a Mall in Dubai. Iwona Rege. BY-ND 2.0

This very strict rule under the kafala sponsorship forces employees to continue working under very stressful conditions. Fear of what could happen to them binds them to their employer until the contract is completed. Due to these conditions, migrant workers have complained that employers have not paid them their wages, delayed the wages or have had their passports taken from them; preventing them from leaving. At Dubai’s Expo 2020, migrant workers claimed their employers violated UAE labor laws, with one interviewee saying, “the way they treat the staff is like slaves, I mean modern day slavery.” Women have reported being raped by their employer as well as family members for the home they work in. However, there has been no action taken against these accused employers.

With the pandemic, cases got worse as most employers did not pay the migrant workers their wages. The lack of income left workers stranded in Dubai with no money to fly back home or provide themselves with basic needs. A Sri Lankan embassy source based in Dubai said, “the two most common complaints from the worker are that employers don’t give them salaries and that they are harassed either physically, sexually or verbally.” The UAE has settled requirements that help protect migrant workers rights, yet there has been non-compliance and no way to ensure workers are not being abused and/or taken advantage of.

To Get Involved: The organization Migrant-Rights advocates the rights of migrant workers affected by the kafala sponsorship program. They also assist migrant workers who need assistance.

To learn more click here.

To support Migrant-Rights’ organization click here.

An 8-Day Tour Around the World, Virtually

December 11, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused many to experience FOMO, or the fear of missing out, for travel plans which have otherwise been canceled. That said, with a little creativity and a socially distanced trip to the supermarket, not all travel plans have to be lost.

If you’re interested in taking a more in-depth virtual visit to an international destination, check out our guide on international staycations. However, if you’re looking for a DIY brunch in Milan, a virtual afternoon in Cape Town, or an evening in Singapore, then continue reading on for a list of eight international destinations that you can (briefly) visit from the comfort of your home.

Day 1. Have Brunch in Milan

*Homemade panettone, a popular Milanese sweet bread. Nicola. CC BY 2.0.*

Milan is truly an international city. The capital of Italy’s Lombardy region boasts an eclectic blend of Milanese cuisine, innovative fashion, and museums which are second to none. In planning a stay-at-home brunch in Milan, one need look no further than the numerous menus of the city’s 8,785 restaurants for inspiration.

Consider making Sarpi oTTo’s famous quadrotti, the Italian equivalent of avocado toast; one just substitutes avocado for any number of toppings from their menu including hummus, chicken pate, or ricotta and asparagus. Or try your hand at making some pastries like vegan almond and carrot cake, chocolate croissants, or a homemade brioche inspired by the California Bakery. Likewise, taste coffees inspired by Biancolatte with recipes including bicerin, an Italian-style mocha espresso, caffe shakerato, or a simple caffe americano.

Day 2. Visit the Museums of Cape Town

*A train pulling into a station in Cape Town. George M. Groutas. CC BY 2.0.*

Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, is one of the most historically rich and culturally diverse cities in all of Africa. The second-most populous city in the country, Cape Town is home to a number of popular destinations such as Table Mountain, Cape Point, and world-renowned beaches.

Another popular attraction of the city that can be enjoyed virtually is its excellent museums. The Iziko South African National Gallery is known for its contemporary South African, Dutch, British and French paintings, and offers several virtual tours from exhibits within the Iziko museum system. Likewise, the District Six Museum is home to collections documenting and memorializing the forced removal of 60,000 residents from the District Six region of Cape Town during apartheid in the 1970s. Offering a number of virtual educational resources, one can learn more about the history of apartheid and the movement for restitution.

Day 3. Dine at a Hawker Center in Singapore

*Diners eating at the Holland Village Hawker Centre. Premshree Pillai. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.*

Hawker centers are food markets featuring a blend of cuisines reflective of Singapore's status as a global city. Known for their unique food culture, they draw millions of tourists to the country annually. Famous food halls include the Newton Food Centre, which was featured in “Crazy Rich Asians,” the Chinatown Food Complex and the Tai Hwa Eating House. The latter two are home to the first and second street food locations to ever receive Michelin stars.

For those curious to try out some of the best that Singapore’s hawker centers have to offer, Spice N’ Pans has a list of 20 recipes with how-to videos straight from the city-state’s food stalls. Popular favorites on the list include Hainanese chicken rice, chicken satay, and Teochew fish porridge.

Day 4. Travel Throughout the Middle East

*Visitors walking through Petra, Jordan. Chris Yunker. CC BY 2.0.*

In the Western world, the Middle East is often overlooked as a travel destination. However, this region is home to a variety of diverse cultures that would be a pity to overlook. Sites such as Petra, Jordan, the Isfahan mosque in Iran, and the Kadisha Valley in Lebanon continue to captivate audiences to this day.

To get a taste of what the Middle East has to offer, consider taking a virtual tour in one of the 16 countries in the region. The travel and culture blog Where Sasha Went offers a great guide to a variety of tours available to anyone. The ancient port city of Jaffa in Israel, flashy Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the rugged country of Tajikistan are just a handful of locations which can be toured from your computer.

Day 5. Experience Australia’s Natural Diversity

*A view of Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock. Angelo Failla. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.*

The land down under is home to some of the most unique and beautiful natural landscapes in the world. Whether it be the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast, the vast desert regions of the interior, or the tropical forests in the far north, Australia is truly home to something for every nature lover, regardless of what they may be interested in.

To get a glimpse into the biodiversity of the region, a number of virtual experiences are available for free. The famous Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has a number of 360-degree views of the most popular sites in the park. Likewise, one can tour the Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough, one of the world’s most famous natural historians. Additionally, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary offers 18 live webcams so viewers can get up close and personal with the sanctuary’s koalas, dingoes and collection of reptiles.

Day 6. Taste the Tacos of Mexico

*A taco food truck in Mexico City. Ted McGrath. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.*

Mexican food, and more specifically tacos, have been a staple of the American food canon for decades. However, what is often lost when one visits their local taqueria is the history behind the recipes, culture and heritage of favorites such as tacos al pastor and pescado.

Enter “Taco Chronicles,” a visually engaging docuseries on Netflix which centers around the history, traditions and varieties of tacos found throughout Mexico. Each episode highlights a type of taco, then showcases interviews with families, experts, food writers and restaurant owners as they discuss the process and history of their personal recipes. If you are going to sit down for a couple episodes, it is highly recommended that you have a taco in hand; the stunning cinematography and in-depth descriptions make any mouth water for guisado and carnitas.

Day 7. Visit the Best Museums of Europe

*The front entrance of the British Museum. David Woo. CC BY-ND 2.0.*

Europe is world renowned for its museums. Each country on the continent can boast its own collections of art, history, science, technology and cultural innovation. Several of these museums, like the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Galileo Museum in Florence, Italy, have been featured in the article, “8 Museums from Around the World to Visit Virtually from Home.”

That said, countless other European museums are deserving of recognition and worth your time if you have a couple of free hours. The British Museum currently offers the Museum of the World digital collection, self-described as an “experience through time, continents and cultures, featuring some of the most fascinating objects in human history.” The Vatican Museums offer virtual tours of a number of rooms from the Holy See, including the iconic Sistine Chapel and the halls of the Chiaramonti Museum. Finally, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, offers an extensive online catalog of art and cultural artifacts from Europe’s largest country.

Day 8. Viva La Habana

*A view of Havana from the Malecon. Nick Kenrick. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.*

For many, the sights and sounds of Cuba’s capital city are lost, largely due to the ongoing tensions between the island nation and the United States. That said, Havana’s unique history has shaped it to be one of the most fascinating and culturally vibrant cities in the world. Featuring sites like the Paseo del Prado, institutions such as the International School of Havana, and foods like fried sweet plantains and cafe cubano, the city holds something for everyone.

To enjoy Havana from the comfort of your home, consider trying your hand at cooking Cuban recipes. Saveur offers a great starting point for recipes, including popular favorites such as ropa vieja, a Cuban-style shredded beef, fricase de pollo, a type of chicken stew, and the ever-famous cubano sandwich. Additionally, a budding film industry has begun to take hold in Havana, offering films that showcase beautiful shots of the cityscape. Movies like “Four Seasons in Havana” and “Wasp Network” are both available on Netflix.

Exploring Dubai’s Emerging Food Scene

January 25, 2020

Dubai’s emerging food scene is attracting some of the best chefs from all over the world. One of those chefs is Reif Othman, who has worked in a variety of kitchens, from fine dining restaurants to innovative pop-ups. He’s taking Chef Ching He Huang on a tour of this eclectic foodie paradise to show why professionals are choosing a life in Dubai.

Reinventing Electronic Music With Dubai’s Cellist DJ

January 4, 2020

When classical cellist Aaron Kim was diagnosed with critical hearing loss, he had two choices: to keep creating music or to stop altogether. Kim chose the former and has since discovered a passion for electronic music. Combining his classical training with new sounds, Kim produces unconventional electronic beats for the emerging underground music scene in Dubai. The freedom to create music on his own terms, without any rules or structures, has helped Kim break and overcome barriers that once held him back.

A Cycling Guide Through Dubai

December 8, 2019

For endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, cycling holds a special place in his heart. After all, he holds the world record for cycling around the planet. So when Beaumont discovered there was a growing community for cyclists in Dubai, he had to check it out. Along with enthusiast Stewart Howison, Beaumont bikes through vast deserts, picturesque hills and city landscapes, discovering some of the most scenic biking trails in the world. Join this dynamic duo as they uncover parts of Dubai you’ve never seen before.

A Hub For Art and Pop Culture in Dubai

July 11, 2019

Alserkal Avenue is a massive Dubai art hub housed in a complex of 91 warehouses that were once the site of a marble factory. This center of creativity is home to galleries and workshops where artists are given the tools they need to create as well as perks like an artisan cafe, a vinyl record shop and a sneaker store. Vilma Jurkute, the director of Alserkal Avenue, gives architects and photographers Anna Devis and Daniel Rueda a tour of this carefully curated community founded by businessman and patron of the arts Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal.