Report 1
Two diving trips to the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. The UAE’s manic development drive has a heavy environmental cost; the once pristine reefs on both the east and west coasts are now being covered in sediment by monstrosities such as this. But the Peninsula, which is largely uninhabited, remains a refuge for both marine life and enterprising divers. Typically, I go with ADSAC, my dive club. We leave from Dibba harbor in Oman around 7AM and travel north on an Arabian sailing dhow, which has been modified with an engine. Typically, the sea is calm, but during the heavy spring tides, I become very seasick. The water is clear, so we usually see a many fish and a plethora of marine plant life. After two dives, we go back to Dibba, arriving around 5PM. The whole affair costs about $45.

Report 2
Driving back from Oman, I pass through Sharjah–the most religiously conservative emirate–Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. I am often struck by the juxtaposition of these three dissimilar provinces: Sharjah’s overt religious observance, Dubai and its profligacy, and Abu Dhabi’s reticence. Dubai often reminds me of one who wears a tailored tuxedo to a dinner party for the first time: he wants to be recognized, but his affected style causes revulsion. One must always consider that near each luxury hotel are employees working 12 hours a day for $200 a month. What a country.

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