After a four-hour flight from Maldives, I arrived in the Dubai airport. It’s a massive building with a space-age feel and endless duty-free shopping. The whole world seems to be at a crossroads here, with men in turbans and women in burkhas, and every possible skin color of humanity. The temperature outside was 41 celsius! From the air, I could see unrelenting brown desert and then a sprawl of construction projects. Even though I was in economy, this was very civilized flight thanks to the helpful flight attendants on Emirates, and the empty seats which allowed me to spread out and get some rest. After another six hour flight, I was in Frankfurt, where I first set foot in Europe 40 years ago as a high school exchange student.