Sitting in a hotel room in Dubai is such a surreal feeling, after fourteens hours of flying however I am exhausted and sleep is the only thing on my mind. It’s a shame we don’t have more time to really explore the city and get to know its people. My aunty lived in Dubai for about ten years and raised her children here with my uncle, from hearing their experiences my expectations of Dubai were set fairly high and I have to say they have been more than met.

I love the two vastly different aspects of the city and the way the old works with the new. If asked to choose I don’t think I would be able to pick between the modern high life or the rich street culture, they both have too much to offer. Walking through the souks was a definite highlight, the smells of spices and warm welcomes from locals made the foreign country seem so much friendlier. From a sociological point of view the thing that really interested me was the tolerance between cultures. Although only spending one night here it seems that many different people from different races, religions and back grounds are living in a fairly peaceful environment. The tour guide told us that people just respect each other, no one goes looking for trouble. If this is true or not I’m not sure but it seemed to be and this made me wonder if Australia is seen as an intolerant country after events like the Cornella riots.  

Dubai is a country I can see myself defiantly returning too, the vibrant culture really attracts me. I wonder if Sheffield will live up to my expectations of the UK. Being born in England I have always wanted to go back. To be honest Sheffield and the north of England has been a bit of a running joke in our family, relatives that come to visit from Yorkshire always seem a bit strange. Anyway this blog is getting a bit strange, going to sleep. See you all in the United Kingdom.  

- Alexandra Jefferies (Bachelor of Arts)