Innsbruck - here despite it never being on my to-see list

This is the second year that I've spent St. Patrick's Day in the Middle East. Last year I was in Lebanon and all the clubs were promoting it just like anywhere else. This year, I'm in the gulf region and the day is a non-event. There are no pubs and certainly no Irish pubs. Alcohol is available and I'm sure somewhere in this emirate, there is Guinness. We're having dinner in the coffee shop so maybe I'll find something there to raise a toast in honor of St. Pat.

I have yet to take a picture of something interesting here so I'll have to put my mind to the task at hand. I'm staying in Dubai but I'm working in Sharjah which is one of the conservative religious emirates. People live there because it is cheap. Sharjah is full of apartments, mosques, and business offices. Dubai is the emirate of mega malls, luxury beach resorts, night clubs and high prices.

I paid 50 cents a copy today for some work materials. 48 pages, nearly $25. I paid $4 for a pack of gum and a pack of mints. It's crazy. The growth in the emirates is insane. In one part of Sharjah today I counted 31 cranes over 28 new high rises. Then I lost count because there is so much development. The same in Dubai. Who are all the people that are going to live in these buildings? What country will be left empty once everyone moves here? It's that intense.