September slipped by, I dream of Dubai…
Over the summer many places I went, either through a train station, in a shop, or just walking down the street. A beautiful scent captured my thoughts. It was all-powerful, intoxicating, mesmerising, and unforgettable. I just had to find out what it was? I was in olfactory suspense…it wasn’t an obsession per se, but more of when I come across it…leaving it entirely up to fate. It was unexpected and sudden. If I was just (as usual) rushing through London and suddenly breathing in this aroma, I would immediately feel relieved and relaxed (though no idea why…). Totally forgetting the daily grind, I found myself drifting and removed from the humdrum, as though I was floating and looking down at all the activities surrounding me. I was detached and free for just a moment. Then, quite by chance on browsing in Zara, I thought I’d give their perfume a try and then pow! I found that elusive and all-encompassing fragrance that had sent me on a merry dance all summer. It is called ‘Magnificently Dubai’ wow, at last I could finally envelop myself in this expressive concoction. 
“From sunrise to sunset, bathed in adventure”. This got me wondering about Dubai too, now one of the ‘worlds no.1 destinations’ and looking what it’s got to offer I can see why. Before I didn’t give it a thought, as I prefer more historical and cultural places yet what they’ve created here in a short space of time is rather fascinating. What’s “not to like” except…I don’t have much appreciation for skyscrapers. Dubai having the world‘s tallest building is clearly not enough, they also claim the ‘worlds largest shopping mall’, amazingly the ‘worlds biggest picture frame’, ‘worlds largest water park’, etc. All in all it’s totally extra, taking everything to the next level. One wonders..is there nothing they haven’t thought of? Well looking behind the facade, a lot is going on, such as the cost of all this magnificence. Like low pay, hard labour, substandard living and work conditions, not to forget the environmental impact. It’s not something I will cover here except to say, that perfume certainly got me thinking about a destination I would’ve never considered at all. It’s just “too new” for me. Though on enjoying this pungent woody scent, with the surprising accents “of leather, tobacco and nutmeg” my mind conjures up Morocco instead. In addition I’ve been conducting some research on Dubai and found that there are some charity shops! They are pretty low on the ground, but at least they exist! There are cheaper malls than the main designer focused Dubai mall, so it’s something I would now consider, but definitely not before I’ve done Vegas! Oh no, the allure of going into a charity/thrift shop with a shopping trolley is just too good to miss! I must go, like soon.