Women, Censorship, Sex, and the United Arab Emirates

An incident happened today in the clinic where I have no idea was a big deal to some people with such constricted minds. Although I didn't personally witnessed what happened after as it was only gossiped by my doctor.

A woman with her husband and kid came to our room for a consultation. I thought they were a Lebanese or Syrian family because the woman was wearing a pair of cropped jeans and a sleeveless shirt that certainly exposed her cleavage and the man was wearing a black in black suit. It is, for some Arab descent, like the ones I mentioned acceptable to dress such. 30 minutes after we treated her son, little did I know she was the talk of the town at the reception.

The family was a local Emirati. That was the revelation. For a country that proclaims itself  "open" I didn't understand quite well why such move was a taboo. The UAE has positioned itself in the 21st century setting; and the introduction of media, influences of modern expats that fill the country  has placed its culture on loose ground. Should freedom cost us prejudice? Is culture more important than our choices? I couldn't help but  be happy for the couple that despite the criticism they got, they were brave enough to stand for what they believed necessary. That despite a turn against what they were accustomed to, managed to have lived a life they wanted.

The other week I was in Al Wahda Mall seated about 3 tables away from a family. A girl about 2 years old couldn't be stopped crying. Her father shouted and slapped her I think twice in the face really hard while she was  on her mother's lap. Moments later a tear or two came falling from the mother's eyes. The sight of it has brought me to pieces. It was clear domestic violence in public. How I wish I were brave enough to stand for them.

Censorship also is big deal in this country. I took these shots from Russian Vogue about 3 months ago and look what they do in pages with nudity on. Anything that is pornographic is blocked online. Alcohol is controlled. Point is, the more people are choked with all these restrictions, the more people will get curious.

The United Arab Emirates is caught between years of tradition, cultural diversity and  modern day globalisation, that, it is now even harder to extract what is pure judgement. 2030 is Abu Dhabi's planned date towards change, and I hope its people, its minds will go as well with the times.:)

WHICH ONLINE SHOP SHOULD YOU SHOP?

I know I'm not a full expert on this as I haven't tried shopping from each shop, but my little knowledge could somehow help you where to use that plastic. Online shopping, like they say, is the new porn. The thrill of waiting for the package, the call from the courier that it has arrived, the excitement of opening the box- priceless.

Suppose you're in Kenya and wanted to wear something by Rick Owens. You're in the fashion house packed place like Dubai but wants a Rad Hourani pants. You are in the Philippines and desperate of a Raf Simons hitop sneakers. Or you are too tired to go out and just wants stay in the attic and shop, online shopping is the answer. As a general rule, if the item is available in store, it is better to buy it in store.

So let's start by giving you few tips.

1. Always make sure that the site is legit and what they sell are real.
          Yes, to avoid you ending up crying.
2. Compare prices
           That item could also be available at some store.
3. As  much as possible, avoid North American shops( SSENSE.com and ALOHARAG.com).
          Only buy from them if you can't find the thing at any other shops. Why? They don't remove the tax        even though you are ordering outside the Americas.
4. Sign up for their newsletters and like them on Facebook.
          Once you are a member, you are the first people to receive info's about their sales and they often give free shipping or promo codes. Take advantage of these.
5. Know if your country charges customs duties
          You don't want to be charged again for that pair of shoes you just purchased. Trust me, that's based on experience.
6. Know the shop's delivery methods
7. Shop at stores that offer free shipping without minimum purchase. Shipping cost vary. Some store base it on country of delivery and some on amount purchased
8. Email their customer service for any queries about the anything.
9. Check all your favorite shops everytime for their promotions and contests.
10. Europe-based shops remove VAT on purchases made outside their territory.

DDU vs DDP

What are these? This is one of the things you have to consider shopping online. Yes, that dress is lovely but wait until DHL won't deliver it in your doorstep until you paid in full the customs duties. Nightmare. The first time I shopped online I never knew this until it happened. I purchase the Maison Martin Margiela Incognito glasses for 250 pounds. Sure it arrived after 3 days, only this time a 80-pound customs charge came with it. So to avoid this be sure to know what are these first.

DDU stands for delivery duty unpaid which means
1. Your purchase doesn't have extra taxes and duties
2. You are paying cheaper for the product  
3. Get ready to pay customs fees when the item arrives
DDU works if your country doesn't charge customs fees like the United Arab Emirates(although not all the time).

DDP stands for  delivery duty paid which means
1. You're paying extra for their calculated customs duties
2. You are paying a little more for the purchase
3. You are not paying a cent when the Fed-Ex delivery man knocks at your door.
DDP works for countries that charge customs like the Philippines. Prices vary from country to country when shopping at sites that delivers in DDP because customs duties also vary from country to country..

Here are some international trusted and legit sites where you can shop. There are a lot there but these are the sites I like. They are much organized, easier to navigate, and they have very good stocks.

Net-a-porter.com (womenswear) and MrPorter.com (menswear)
1. If you want to look like a celebrity, these are the shops to go.
2. Big designer labels and runway pieces are sold
3. Careful when shopping. Items are so well paired and styled on the model. You don't want to end up buying the whole look.
3. Delivers in DDP.
4. Charges shipping cost- 20 pounds
5. They remove tax if you live outside the UK.
5. They have an outlet for their off-season stocks.  Theoutnet.com


ssense.com and aloharag.com
1. Sells womenswear and menswear. More on street looks.
2 .They don't remove tax.
3. Charges shipping fees(depends on cost and country of delivery)
4. Delivers in DDU

Luisaviaroma.com
1. Very good selection of pieces for men and women
2. Sells also runway pieces from big labels and the up-comings.
3. Offers free shipping to some countries, otherwise free if you reach 500 Euros.
4. Delivers in DDP.

Oki-ni.com
1. Only menswear
2. Sells from suits to t-shirts. Very good selection of under the radar, and Japanese designers
3. Removes 20% VAT(although it will only appear like 15-17%) at checkout(email customer service for this)
4. Delivers in DDU
5. Offers free shipping to its mainline labels like Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, etc.
6. Free international shipping if you reach 250 pounds

LN-CC.com
1. Sells for both men and women
2. Under the radar designers and up-and-comings. Very good pieces by Issey Miyake, Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, and my new favorite Tze Goh.
3. Removes 20% tax in full at checkout(email customer service for this to work)
4. Prices are a little lower than others
5. They sell books and CD's, vinyl.
6. Delivers DDU
7. Free shipping on all items without minimum purchase(if the item is on full price).
8. Ships at 40 pounds worldwide if the item is on sale

Antonioli.eu
1. Also sells for both women and men.
2. Very good selection of labels and runway products.
3. Delivers in DDU
4. Price posted is  without VAT.
5. Ships worldwide for 30 Euros

Brownsfashion.com
1. Sells menswear and womenswear
2. Removes VAT on checkout
3. Delivers in DDU(i think)
4. Shipping cost vary

So for example I want to buy this Rick Owens shoes which is available on 7 sites I mentioned. Where should I buy this? I will use Pounds as currency and the item will be delivered in Abu Dhabi, UAE(where I'am now). Final price in red.




1. SSENSE.COM sells this for 990 USD(604 pounds) + shipping cost 70 USD(43 pounds) + delivers DDU= 647 Pounds
2. ALOHARAG.COM  sells this for 1125 USD(686 Pounds) + free shipping above 600 dollars + delivers DDU
3. LUISAVIAROMA.COM sells this for 623 Euros( 547 Pounds)-free delivery and duties included
4. ANTONIOLI.COM sells this for 583 Euros(512 Pounds) + 30 Euros(26 pounds) shipping + delivers DDU= 538 pounds
5. MRPORTER.COM sells this for 547 pounds( duties included) + 20 pound shipping= 567 pounds
6. OKI-NI.COM sells this for 513 pounds(after removal of 20% vat) free shipping + delivers DDU.
7. LN-CC.COM sells this for 460 pounds(after removal of 20% vat)  free shipping+ delivers DDU.

So where am I going to buy this? UAE does not charge customs duties(especially when items aren't that expensive) so I'll get this shoes at LN-CC.COM because they sell it the cheapest and I will not worry about customs charges after. If I'm not sure about whether or not customs will charge me because this shoes is expensive and heavy(which is their usual basis, I have been charged by UAE customs once when I bought an eyewear costing 370 pounds. my other purchases, although heavy but not pricey was cleared custom fee-free), I will go for LUISAVIAROMA.COM  because they deliver in DDP.

If I live in the Philippines, I will opt for LUISAVIAROMA.COM or MRPORTER.COM because(although it won't be 547 and 567 pounds anymore. Prices vary from country to country because of duties. for MRPORTER.COM's case, this shoes now cost 693 pounds including delivery and duties, difference of 126 pounds from its UAE price). The Philippines charges customs very high and the computed duties from these stores are actually cheaper. I ordered  sandals before when I was in Manila and it only costs 140 pounds but I paid 90 pounds for the customs fee because it was computed according to price, weight and volume. So imagine my shocked when DHL told me that.

That's it. The trick is compare prices and buy things where you can get it the cheapest.

Use that plastic and happy shopping.:)

Dubai Mall Fountain and At The Top, Burj Khalifa

If I were on the death row or living the last 24 hrs. of my life, the Dubai Mall Fountain would be my last wish to see. :). I can stay there for hours just looking at how beautiful and amazing this fountain is. When I first saw on TV the ones in Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, I told my self " I have to see that live" but its Dubai counterpart is even better. Designed by WET Design(the creators of the Bellagio fountains) and costs a whopping 200 million dollars. Oh, how I wish I can afford one.LOL.

Morning, I was at Ibn Battuta to watch Pirates of the Carribean 4 on IMAX. The movie sucks big time and the IMAX theater back at SM Mall of Asia is waaaaayyyyyyyyyy better than here.Very disappointing. I have watched a lot of movies in this format but the special effects done here were so flat. I was expecting fast or moving camera works, and something bursting like the ones in Harry Potter 4 and 5 and A Christmas Carol because that's where you would appreciate IMAX 3D.

Anyway, I ended my 2-day trip at the Dubai Mall for my 7 pm scheduled tour at At The Top, Burj Khalifa. and I thought it'd be interesting to include the fountain as well. So there I was outside waiting not minding the heat and humidity just for you.lol. I wanted to share to you my video on how this works but I'm having trouble uploading it. So it's better if you just Youtube it yourself. There are tons of them there. I specifically recommend the I will Always Love You and Con Te Partiro shows. Very beautiful and emotional. And if you want to see it live, show starts at 6 pm and runs every 30 minutes.

Here are some few outside shots of Burj Khalifa- the tallest building in the world

People, including I patiently waited for the first show at 6.

 This is how wide the fountain is

 

My ticket for the 7pm tour. At The Top is Burj Khalifa's 360 degrees observation deck for tourist who wants to see Dubai that way. It is on the 124th floor. Purchase your tickets online at their site for 105 AED(roughly 30 USD). Tickets at spot on cost 400 AED. Timing is every 30 minutes.

The best time to come here is between 6-7 pm(summer) so you can witness Dubai at daytime, sunset, and night. Come winter(Dec. to March), make it at 5-6.

The assembly point. Security is very airport-tight here. Everything is checked with x ray machines and metal detectors so avoid bringing anything that would  trigger the alarm.

There are 2 elevators going up and down the site which only has the 124th floor key. So if you're planning to escape at the 100th floor, it's not possible. The elevators also are very fast and steady. You can't feel it moving at all. The only thing that will tell you you're actually going up is when your ears start to pop. and the trip is less than a minute.

The open deck. This is one third of the whole floor. There is a small gap between the 2 glass barriers so you can take out your camera and take photos "reflectionless".

the fountain at work

the Dubai Mall

The Strip

This shot is taken on the closed deck.Noticed the reflection? It's bad taking photos here but the view is still very nice

if you want to use these telescope, it's 10 AED.

 I did not know the lake is this big

here's a short video i took of the fountain

the Dubai Mall fully lit at night

this is what's left of the tower from the 124th floor.

Sometimes I just hate my camera. Very blurred pics at night. the other third of the observation deck

Souvenir shop

 on my way to the exit

This is how it was conceptualized and designed

The people behind this building

I love this space

yes, there is one Gold "ATM" here. there is also one At The Top.

Original bolts used building this structure are for sale. Price? 4,900 AED. Forget it.

 At night

And see how people wait for the show regardless how humid it was that day.

here's another video of the fountain on ground before I left

outfit:

Eyewear:    Incognito pilot(in gold) Maison Martin Margiela
Stripe shirt:    Rykiel Homme
Backpack:    Eastpak x Christopher Shannon
Shorts:   Zara
Pull-tab bracelet:   Maison Martin Margiela
Hitops:    Alessandro dell' Acqua