So, you, a Westerner, have just landed at the airport to take your job in Abu Dhabi.

What would be the first 10 things that would make an impression on you?

Yes, this is today’s list.

10. For a dry country, they sure do have a great variety of alcohol on sale at the duty free store in the baggage-claim area.

9. This is the line for the retina scan/photograph? I’m going to have trouble breaking the law here, aren’t I.

8. Wow. They weren’t kidding about the heat. And I didn’t think people could really melt, like the Nazis in the Indiana Jones movie.

7. So, a four-lane freeway all the way into town, and nobody on it?  Was this how the Santa Ana Freeway looked in 1955?

6. Sure do have a lot of mosques.

5. I haven’t seen this many monster SUVs since I was in the parking lot at the NASCAR race.

4. That’s the call to prayer, huh? That’s louder than I thought. Seems like the mosque couldn’t be more than 100 yards away. Oh. It isn’t.

3.  If they call it the United Arab Emirates, why are most of the people I see apparently from India? Or Pakistan? Or Bangladesh?

2.  I could swear I saw three Ferraris on the ride into town, but I know that’s impossible.

1.  Who knew Al Jazeera has so many sports channels .. and who knew so much bad American TV is available in the UAE on basic cable?