What's New in Old News?
The official newsletter of the Peripatetic Historian. April 2023, Vol. 2, no. 11.
There’s no place like home—at least for a while. The thirty days from mid-February to mid-March put the “P” in Peripatetic. Jericho, Aqaba, Amman, Belfast, Nablus, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Tulkarm, and, finally, back home to Ramallah, Palestine—another “P”.
With spring now in session I am hunkered down in Ramallah, working hard on new projects, lining up speaking engagements (including a three week British tour), and trying to shout loudly enough to trigger a Comet Madness avalanche. A couple of months as homebodies, then we will be back out on the road for the summer tour.
In the April Issue:
Peripatetic Field Report: Dashing Around Dubai
Comet Madness Update
The Peripatetic Blog
Let’s get started…
Peripatetic Field Report
Dashing Around Dubai
Dubai was easily the most astounding destination on the March itinerary. I knew it was going to be opulent, excessive, and over the top. I knew that it housed some of the top wonders of the modern world: the tallest building, the largest Ferris wheel, and the Middle East’s largest shopping mall. I knew more than twenty million tourists visited the city every year.
And yet, despite what I knew, I was still overwhelmed by the reality of this amazing city.
Dubai is a field of glass and steel mushrooms, freshly sprung from the desert sands. Forty years ago this was a sleepy, two camel town. Two generations later and it is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. Newly minted skyscrapers crowd the skylines in every direction. A sleek metro speeds millions of riders between the Palm islands, the world’s tallest building (the Burj Khalifa—2,722 feet high), and the Gold Souk of Deira.
Dubai is immaculately clean, a Singapore on steroids. Public spaces are buffed to a high sheen and litter is non-existent. It induces synaesthesia—everything looks like a new car smells. A bit disorienting for a man who values the old and antique.
Imagine my relief when I finally peripateticated into a historical remnant, trapped in the amber of the surrounding city. On the northwestern side of Dubai Creek—which is actually a nine mile tidal inlet, not a proper creek at all—stands the Al Fahidi historical neighborhood, a relic of a vanished town. This small oasis of sandstone and teak buildings preserves nineteenth century Dubai, the winding alleys and traditional homes that existed before the advent of steel and glass.
The area has been renovated and restored. The villas once owned by sheikhs and wealthy merchants now house a variety of museums. I spent a very pleasant afternoon taking in the exhibits of the Culture of the Sea Museum, an institution devoted to explaining how the earliest residents of Dubai carved out a life on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf. Short answer: pearl-fishing, fishing, boat building, and maritime trade. It was a fascinating, thoughtfully-designed presentation. Where else would you be able to put on virtual reality goggles and swim with pearl divers?
After this lovely reminder that life existed here before Gucci and Pierre Cardin, I returned to the 21st century.
Dubai is hot and the air quality can be poor, but what has been accomplished on the southern edge of the Persian Gulf, in fewer years than I’ve been alive, is stunning.
Four days sated my appetite for the bright lights and big city. I wouldn’t want to live in Dubai, but it was a fascinating visit.
Comet Madness
A Report from Belfast
As noted in the previous installment of What’s New in Old News, my February ended with a quick hop to Belfast. Despite nine years living in the UK, this was my first visit to Northern Ireland.
Belfast is a beautiful city, filled with lovely architecture and a pedestrian-friendly downtown. I spent a happy afternoon taking in the sights, and capped it with an evening lecture at the Ulster Transport Museum. We drew about forty people. A lovely time was had by all—especially the speaker, who had forgotten how much he enjoys standing in front of an audience spouting nonsense.
Approaching the Event Horizon
From Belfast to Spokane: I am pleased to announce that Auntie’s Bookstore, a Spokane institution, has just confirmed an evening of Comet Madness for 7:00 p.m., Friday, July 21, 2023. If you happen to be in town, drop by to hear me discuss the book with Professor Kevin O’Connor of the Gonzaga History Department.
Auntie’s is currently stocking Comet Madness, so if you really want to make them (and me) happy, dash into the store tomorrow and snag your copy.
Alternatively, you could simply press this handy button and Amazon will be happy to deliver a copy right to your door:
Media Events Proliferate
Past and future events, virtual and in-person, are now collected on my website’s Media Page. It’s a one stop shop for those who cannot get enough Comet talk.
The Latest from the Peripatetic Blog
New Blog Post:
PeriBlog XXIII: The Salted Land: The Peripatetic Historian travels south along the Dead Sea, visiting Jesus’ baptismal site and Lot’s wife.
Closing Thoughts
My Palestinian friends assure me that the rainy season in Ramallah only lasts from December to February. After an abnormally dry rainy season, March attempted to fill the gauge and make up the deficit.
I’m not complaining. I imagine that the blazing hammer of a relentless sun draws nigh. Best to soak up the rain like a human sponge, relishing the damp as long as it may last.
Be safe, be sensible,