I've just had one of those surreal experiences...

I am currently in Dubai, UAE, with a group of 9 students and Miss Naveed (from the English Department) attending the BSME Performing Arts Festival.

We flew in from Karachi yesterday and teh children are busy in their workshops preparing their contributions to tomorrow's end of Festival performance. THe kids all seem to be having a ball and are throwing themselves into the activities.

I accompanied the group that went on the back stage tour to one of the local theatres, which was very interesting and great to see all the bits that you never get to see when you are front of house.

The surreal experiencene of the title was just now as I was walking around school checking up on what each of my little one was doing in their workshops. As I walked through the playground I could hear the chorus 'Hosanna, in the highest', coming loud and clear from somewhere near. Now having lived in a muslim country for over a year, I am used to hearing the azan (call to prayer) and even the Friday sermon, but I have never heard a christian song being broadcast. As I walked on I realised that we are next to St Mary's Church and that that was where the song was coming from.

Dubai is very different to Karachi. Here everything is bigger and better than the last thing. There are literally 100's of Malls, all containing the same stores and it would appear that retail is king! Naveed managed to get to IKEA last night after teh children had been despatched to their host families, and is now trying to find a child with a big enough case to fit a plate drainer in!!

I am left with strange feelings about Dubai, the compulsive shopper that lurks beneath my handsome form, thinks that it is in heaven. However, when I see the indoors ski slope, with real snow, I think of us only 2 hours away across the Arabian Sea, desparately in need of electricity for our daily life. Whilst, here all that power is being used to create snow in the desert. I don't know the answer, but it does make you think...