The Museum

There is something about museums. I simply find them fascinating. Especially in Dubai. While in Malaysia, the museums seem to be an endless spoon-feeding of information in glass displays, Here, in the UAE, the museums are so interactive, that the moment you walk in, you will feel as if you've been unconsciously time warped back to few hundred centuries and eons ago. 

It is an extremely interesting experience. The museum curators put a tremendous amount of effort into recreating the ambience of the old times, that you can't help but be awed and inspired by everything you see, hear, feel and touch. Kudos to all of them!

In the Dubai museum, they even place sand along the corridor, to stimulate a feeling of being in the desert in the night, looking at stars, the sun and the moon; wax figurines looming at every corner, engrossed in their daily activities (they look very real, so much so that when you see a person sitting on a chair, twitching all of a sudden and standing up, that one would be taken aback, thinking, "Hey! This is alive!", and jump a few steps backwards). 

It is also very heartening to see to find out that while construction companies go around building skyrisers and famous landmarks, they ocassionally stumble upon artefacts of great values, and civilizations of the ancient times. Yet, they patiently wait for the archaeologists to carry out their studies, map out the areas, collect the artefacts, before they resume working on that land. 

Being an archaeologist, can be pretty fun too! Imagine yourself crawling on all fours, sweeping away sands, grass and dirt with your bare hands/gloves, peering through a microscope, and suddenly you discover a miniature spear, pot and lid! Wow! It's the discovery of the century! It's the answer to your roots, your origins and your identity! Wouldn't you be excited? Had I been born here, I would have aspired to be either an archaeologist or architect. It brings much joy and excitement to the world's little kids and adults alike. 

Most people think that museums are boring. They are only for those who have nothing better to do. Indeed, if possible, most avoid museums, or leave it until the last destination on their list of sites to visit. Yet, to me, if one would like to understand the country they are living in, the local culture and tradition, visiting museums are a real eye opener to the people that we interact with daily, to appreciate the transformation of a city that has been through trials and tribulations, just to be on par with the giants of the world. 

As I walk through the time capsules of Dubai Museum, I gained a heightened and elevated sense of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who not only united the seven Emirates, but also walked around the country, hunting, diving and farming with his subjects! It requires a person of true calibre and charisma. One with a vision, who sees and understands the plight and need of his nation. 

Today's politicians are a far cry from our early founding fathers. Blinded by the sight of the original goal, today, they've been diverted to other side topics which are of the least concerns of the people. History, indeed, has a lot to teach us. We, on the other hand, still have much to learn. 

Merchants, discussing on the trading value of their priceless goods

Real Pearls! 

A man diving for pearls!

Decorative button (Look how simple the designs are!) Simplistic, yet captivating!

Miniature arrow heads! Cute, yet dangerous! 

Look at this pot! Just imagine how much time and effort the people put into carve these concentric circles around its circumference! 

The miniature lid

This is one of the buildings excavated at Jumeirah! Wow! What if a person who did not care about ancient civilizations just bulldozed the whole area? The discovery of this ancient civilization would have been erased from history forever!