" Bakpakchik Becomes a Desert Rose " United Arab Emirates by bakpakchik

United Arab Emirates Travel Guide: 4,987 reviews and 14,397 photos

Love At First Sight ... Not!!

Summer 1998

Came to Dubai for a summer vacation. Haaaaaaaaaaated it. I thought it was hot and dull and boring. I was wrong. I was hte one that was hot and dull and boring ....

Went back to Karachi and decided to never come back.

Second Time Lucky ...

Summer 2001

Dragged by my mom to what I thought would be yet another drudged summer in the Land of Nothing. I had another think coming.

This time I had fun. I had so much fun that I didn't want to go back home.

I did go back home at the end of the August. I returned for a few days in October. Then again in January.

The Big Move

February 2002

I got together with a photographer friend I had made in Dubai and we did a reportage piece on Afghan refugee camps in Northern Pakistan. The paper that printed the report offered me a full-time job. I packed my bags and here I am in Dubai. Getting ready to celebrate my first anniversary.

I love Dubai. All of it. The malls and the beaches. The desert and the date palms. The crazy sales during the shopping festival .....

Intro Written Jan 22, 2003
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Reviews (11)

And they waited and waited .... - United Arab Emirates

And they waited and waited .... Favorites (11)

Ladies and gentlemen ... behold the patient smiles. My darling parents followed me through Bur Juman during my entire... more travel advice

Bored? No chance. - United Arab Emirates

Bored? No chance. Favorites (11)

How long can you shoot the backs of cars? I turn to subject inside the car. Papa is blissfully unaware of a certain... more travel advice

Red light! Red Light! Favorites (11)

Okay, so the car is stopped. What next? No chance of putting that camera away. I shoot the traffic jam. Ah, I love it... more travel advice

Lights everywhere ... - United Arab Emirates

Lights everywhere ... Favorites (11)

Yes, i do mean every possible surface. Notice the date palm. And the tiny one behind. These are only two of the... more travel advice

Travelogues (4)

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Comments (39)

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dsantosh Dec 1, 2004 at 6:01 AM

Great phtographs. Bringing back old memories.
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srhussaini Dec 1, 2003 at 4:42 AM

Good narration, you made me understood how happy u were with that camera....Same here too...
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supune Jun 29, 2003 at 5:18 PM

you really are trigger happy with the camera. it was an enjoyable read. thanks.
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Martin_S. Jun 11, 2003 at 9:26 PM

;O)) Ujala, loved your UAE Challange, I think you would have made a lovely pancake. The yellow sunset shot from your "toilet" is wonderful, you must have held it in for hours to get that yellow shade. But a Puerto Rican belly dancer in UAE !!!
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tpangelinan Jun 8, 2003 at 5:57 AM

Enjoyable reading, and photos!
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babazula May 17, 2003 at 1:58 PM

Tesekkurler
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Klapmutsen May 14, 2003 at 6:44 AM

Congratulations for the excellent page
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bakpakchik May 5, 2003 at 5:48 AM

wallah habibti,i am SO NOT lebanese. in istanbul, people would keep talking to me in arabic though. but really, lebanese? Noooooooooo
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metha May 5, 2003 at 5:23 AM

habeeebtiii , your arabic is improving so fast ...are u taking creative arabic language !!!! U speak kind of labanesss ,,haaaa
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norain Apr 30, 2003 at 4:47 AM

great photos