Richard Dawkins and Robyn Blumner (CEO and President of CFI and of the Dawkins Foundation) were in Dubai this past week, and both sent photos. I don’t have many captions, but these show you the intricate topiary and some of the food. (Photos by both RD and RB.)
A topiary plane!
Camel meat for dinner. Robyn said it “tastes a lot like beef but drier and chewier.” Sounds like beef jerky to me.
Some pictures of the flamingos in Dubai at the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary:
My book at the mall in Dubai. Robyn said that they didn’t carry Faith Versus Fact, but that was no surprise to me.
I like that “Why Evolution is True” has the little blurbette from Richard Dawkins on the cover. I don’t know if that counts as “meta” but it’s nice.
Very interesting! Thanks to both for sharing.
What are those guys doing in the 6th photo? Rocks, a drum, sand painting?
Also, Jerry takes way better food photos than Richard!
Oy, what makes you think I took the food photo? I didn’t go near the camel meat. Only the first three photos are mine. I thought Jerry would like the topiary cat. In Dubai they even topiarise their coastline
https://bit.ly/33zfqWZ
Richard
I meant no offense, Prof. Dawkins!
Taking pictures of food.
I’m so glad you didn’t eat the camel meat. Many years ago, I read camels cry when they are sad. How would one know if it was sadness or not? Probably some kind of myth, but enough to make me feel sorry for them schlepping people all over the desert in the heat. I’d cry.
It’s funny to imagine Richard pausing awkwardly over his food, fumbling to get the phone out, “I got to take a snapshot for Jerry of your dish” — “he likes … pictures of food”
The topiary is incredible – although I can’t help wondering about the sustainability of achieving it in Dubai? The horses’ heads put me in mind of The Kelpies in Falkirk: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kelpies
Interesting angle on the theme!
The topiary cat has quite the jowls.
Something about Dubai is off-putting, to me at least. It’s the artificiality of the place, combined with an implicit glorification of wealth, not unlike Las Vegas, which I also loathe.
“I’d go to Dubai, but it’s full of the sort of people who’d go to Dubai”
No offence to Prof Dawkins!
Dubai is a monstrous and cynical waste of resources. Even Disneyland is more honest.
That topiary cat looks menacing, but I like it. Is Dubai like a giant Disneyland? I assume you can drink alcohol there?
This makes me wonder what brought Richard Dawkins to Dubai. Are there some powerful atheists in that part of the Islamic world who wish to help out the Dawkins Foundation?
Presumably not a Templeton Foundation grant.