DIOR'S FLOWER WOMEN

Fashion industry would be completely different if Christian Dior never existed. He once said that he designed flower women. Back in WWII, his designs became staples. Today, all of us have at least one of his classic saddle handbags, if not more.

Dubai - a sudden city of luxurious glamour, booming industrialization, inquisitive fascination towards Western modernism. A society which ¾ of its population consists of foreign labor, and the rest are locals who live comfortably off of property ownerships as well as adequate government benefits. I try to imagine what this unique Emirate will become in merely three to five years, and the possibilities are unfathomable. One can easily be drunken with joy, living off of sweet scent of opulence.

Walking into the world’s first 7-star hotel (Burj al Arab,) I felt overwhelmingly blessed. Staying in the two-floor suit, I felt undeservingly pampered. Dressing up for dinner each night, I had fun!!! In striving for enlightened balance, I often sat in my “thinking spot” located beside the suit’s living room. Burj al Arab (Tower of Arab) is nicknamed the “sailboat hotel” for reasons other than its exterior shape. Looking out the window, ocean water glistened at dawn then sparkled at dusk. Movements of tiny ripples seemed to whisk our “sailboat” mildly across the sea. “Thinking spot” was my zen several times throughout each day. In midst of material extravagance, I yearned not for anything other than the act of giving back. Yes, I am very conscious of how lucky I am to be living this life. My will is to help relieve pain for as many as I can, so they too, can someday see as many beautiful places in the world as I have. How strange it was to realize where sweet opulence had led my thoughts to. Like a flower woman Dior had designed, I blossomed in Dubai.
photo of my "thinking spot" inside the suit of Burj al Arab


photo of Dubai at dusk