I’m about halfway through my 5 hour layover in Dubai and i’m posted up on a cushioned one seater at a starbucks; sipping green tea and watching the thousanda of people in transit walking by. I’d upload a pic of my vantage point, but the wifi here is terrible. You’d think a country with an infrastructure this rich, would have a stable connection to the internet at the airport, but alas, that is not the case. With that, all i’m left with to describe this scene is words…

This is the first time i’ve touched down on middle eastern soil and it’s been quite a culture shock. Way more so than in Korea. For starters, the main strip of the departure terminal is a seemingly endless Duty Free shopping center. Every name brand you can think of is represented here. It’s clear that i’m in an arab nation, as all signs are both in english and arabic. Many arab women are fully covered, exposing only their facial features. Next to the bathrooms, are ‘prayer rooms’ and periodically, an islamic prayer chant can be heard over the PA.

Not to be lost, however, is how multinational the people in this airport are. Every step i take, i hear a new language. There are arabs, africans, europeans, americans, asians… All of many varieties. I’ve been chatting with a guy from South Africa who builds golf courses in China… It makes me wonder what’s beyond the walls of the airport? Is this a microcosm for the cultural representation of the city or is everyone just trying to make the most out of their layover just like me?

In just under 3 hours, i’ll be on my way to Brazil. Havent been back “home” in 2 years. But right now, i cant stop thinking about Seoul. As soon as i left the city and got on the express train from Seoul station to Incheon airport, i started to feel the uncomfortably familiar feeling of nostalgia and longing that i’ve come to know when travelling alone. It must’ve been bottled up as i experienced Seoul with 25 classmates. But this is the emotion you feel when you’re in a transition period. You put what youve just experienced into perspective and realize how lucky you are to have been there. You miss the people you were with and you think about the next phase of your journey and do what you can to calm the anxiety. And i’ve been here before…i remember this feeling… When you’re somehere youve never been before and you ponder what a massive planet this is. Here it goes again…….

AS

Playlist

Pretty Lights – Taking Up Your Precious Time (was on repeat the entire 10 hr flight from Seoul…lulled me to sleep and brought me back to consciousness)
The Orb – The Orb’s Adventures Beyong the Ultraworld