The beautiful reveals of a slower pace...

During Ramadan, normal activities quieten down as people fast and reflect.  Office hours are shorter, many restaurants are closed (although some stay open to offer takeaway/delivery or a cordoned off eating area), and there is a peaceful vibe around the city.

Embracing this slightly slower pace allowed us to "smell the roses" and take more time to notice and appreciate things we can sometimes overlook.

For example,  we realized just how gorgeous of a gym we get to frequent in our building.

In fact, its views and surround were actually worth a blog post in and of itself!

The pics below are taken from the Burj Khalifa's gym on the 72nd floor and show the nearby areas of Business Bay, Downtown Dubai and DIFC.  The building site at the front of the top photo is part of the new Opera District which will include numerous cutting-edge apartments around the Dubai Opera.  The waterway near the back of the photo is the Dubai Creek which opened earlier this year - another incredible engineering feat as they impressively shifted one of their main highways to accommodate the waterway. 

Business Bay and the new Dubai Creek areas

Emaar Square and DIFC areas