Dubai, from back-street to front

A good place to start an intrepid exploration of Dubai is at the beginning: both Dubai Museum and the Heritage and Diving Villages on the Creek proudly display the Emiratis� rich heritage and traditional tribal culture. Not only for the edutainment of tourists, these exhibits are also intended to educate young Emiratis about their ancestors� way of life in the not-too-distant past (pre-1970s). It�s a nation�s effort to maintain culture, and you�re just as likely to bump into schoolkids as you are tour groups.

Visit the Heritage and Diving Village in the evenings during the cooler months of the year and you could be the only foreigner joining scores of families cheering on their sons in rifle-throwing competitions. When you�re visiting the souks to take in the pungent aromas of spices or haggle for jewellery, have a look around and you�ll concur that this is where Emiratis (and expats) like to shop. Actually, it�s the only place they could shop before the shiny air-conditioned malls were built.

Explore Emirati neighbourhoods on National Day (December 2) and you might see male tribespeople perf-orming the traditional liwa or ayyalah dance, or little girls doing the hair dance. Wander the backstreets during Eid Al Fitr (the three days of feasting after Ramadan) or Eid Al Adha (the four-day celebration after the pilgrimage to Mecca, or Haj) and you�ll spot brown Bedouin goat-hair tents (or modern air-conditioned marquees) set up for families, neighbours and even strangers to eat and socialise in.

Head one or two blocks from the glam of Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotels to the beachside neighbourhood of Um Suqeim, and you�re likely to see goats and lambs tethered to lampposts or grazing in front yards, unknowingly awaiting slaughter for the feast. Even outside Eid periods, you can see chickens wandering the streets, gardens overflowing with bougainvillea, kids playing in the dirt alleys, old Emirati ladies in burqas pottering around the courtyards, and rickety stainless steel water coolers where you can quench your thirst.

While Emiratis can appear somewhat reserved when in Dubai�s malls or on the street, keep in mind that these people pride themselves on maintaining their traditions of hospitality and generosity, and won�t hesitate to respond when asked a question. Make an effort to speak to them and they�ll offer up suggestions, advice, and, more often than not, their services. When we wanted to photograph falcons, we asked the owner of a falcon supply shop for advice. He immediately suggested we head out falconing with him anytime we pleased. The day we called he was ill � but he put us in touch with his friend. Half an hour later we met Majid and his little brother on a Dubai roundabout, and in another half hour we were out in the desert photographing their splendid falcons. Majid and his friends meet in the desert nearly every afternoon with their falcons and are happy to show curious foreigners the art of falconing.

If you�re interested in shopping, ask an Emirati woman for tips � their knowledge is impressive, their enthusiasm infectious, and they have honed their bargaining skills to a high art.