On the way back to India from Nairobi I had a six hour stopover in Dubai. There is plenty to do in the airport in Dubai and for once I let the shops drag me willy- nilly to check out their merchandise. I wanted an SLR camera and so went straight for the camera store after checking my gate and looking firmly at the clock! One can very easily spend six hours in Dubai just window shopping. There is so much to see and buy of course.

Wading through the crowds I went into the camera store. I guess my tongue was hanging out and it was obvious that I wanted something and was going to buy. In a trice the same sales man who had sold me a pink Sanyo two years ago homed in on me and said let me shoe you the deals we have in our SLR range. From then on it was all the way downwards to that money machine and a purchase was made!
He first pulled out the latest Samsung and showed it to me. 500$ he said and it has all the latest gizmos. I was not impressed at all. So I said what can I get in the SLR range and a Canon, nothing else. I was told the Canon is the best so I don’t want any other brand.

In minutes I was staring down at the most gorgeous Canon EOS 1100D and he said the wide angle lens was also part of the deal for just 27$ and he would throw in a case to carry it all. I was hooked and said I would buy provided it had a rechargeable battery. Don’t buy otherwise as batteries are expensive and such a waste to keep buying.

It took him some time to set my camera up once the payment of 584$ was made. That is what is great about the store. They set it all up for you and that perfect for someone who is pretty dumb when it comes to cameras like me. He showed me how to adjust the lens, how to remove the battery for charging and all the simple questions I needed to know.

Then it was a matter of minutes when the case was in my hands and I was sent off with a big smile. I passed the gold store feeling very pleased with myself for resisting buying a gold bracelet and spent the money I had saved from the conference on something I really needed as a journalist.

Dubai is a great shopping experience and every time I fly through it I pick up something as you get great deals in the airport and the stuff you pick up is all branded with stamped and sealed bills.