Du break it Dubai it

We expected an epic journey, but the flight passed quickly. There were dozens of good movies on demand. Unfortunately, we decided to watch "Date Night." Terrible. Then I slept through "Raging Bull" three or four times as it played on loop.

As we exited the air conditioned Dubai airport/mega-mall, we were struck by a wall of hot air that felt much like being assaulted by a moist leopard-print slanket.

The hotel was fancy but generic. It played Disney elevator music throughout the lobby/mini-mall. We joked that they should play music from Aladin, but had to settle for Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid. A late-night barber was readily accessible, but I managed to resist Polly's nudging.

Polly also discovered a night city tour operating out of the lobby. We boarded the bus with a group of tourists and our Bangladesh-born driver announce "i am not normally a tour guide." On the tour we stopped by the beach, the Atlantis hotel, and a quarter mile from the tallest building in the world. Polly was unimpressed, insisting that "it doesn't look that tall." The tour was dominated by descriptions of hotels, condos, the privileges of citizens and the difficulties of foreigners. All the significant buildings and man made islands here are shaped like something novel (replicas of the empire state building, the Sydney opera house, and twin towers, a giant fish and larger than life airplane.) Although it does not rain in Dubai the windows are drenched with AC condensation induced sweat so it appears to have been raining.

Also, there are a lot of birds in Dubai's airport.
Also, neither NYC or Dubai (twice) have found the knife I mistakenly left in my carry-on.
Also, Polly and I swear we heard a cat just now.