Before I left home for NYU Abu Dhabi, a question people would often ask me was if I was going to study in Dubai, despite the hundred times I tried to clarify the real location of my school. In their minds, Dubai represented a sudden boom in oil wealth, a glamorous travel hub for Emirates airline and an oasis in the desert. Yet these descriptions were too general to give me a real sense of what Dubai was like. During Eid al-Adha break, I stayed in Dubai for three days. Only after this trip did I realize the city’s distinctive life cycle could be measured in a unique relationship different from any city I'd visited before: one of day and night.

A day in Dubai starts with strong, penetrating sunlight from above and infiltrating humidity across the ground. Stepping out of the downtown apartment where I was staying with my friends, I expected high temperatures. What I did not foresee was that there would be almost no one walking or lingering outdoors. I was so used to walking among pedestrians back in China that I felt strange wandering among clusters of skyscrapers.

As funny and rudimentary as it sounds, the empty streets reminded me of the lifeless New York in the movie I Am Legend. However, it was only 10 minutes later that we decided to shelter ourselves in a taxi. Air conditioning is a necessity to be comfortable in this country's summer months. Because of the fundamental need to escape the heat, mornings on the streets of Dubai triggered a feeling of helplessness that was new to me.

After a half hour-long cab ride, we arrived from downtown Dubai to Palm Jumeirah Island, an artificial island shaped like a tree and its branches. We drove through an ornate white gate, and there we were, at the Atlantis Hotel. As soon as we got out of the taxi, we were immersed in the exact same touristy atmosphere one would encounter at any other holiday resort.

Visitors come here to see the aquarium, the water park and to dive. The place was bustling with visitors to those attractions. But again, once people lost the comfort of the indoor facilities, they hurried straight into either buses or taxies. Given the heat, this was perfectly reasonable, but I felt it was a shame that few of them stopped to enjoy the open ocean view just across the street. The dark blue sea, unlike the cyan water at the Abu Dhabi corniche, was a soothing presence.

The day was coming to its end when we took the metro to Dubai Creek. The Heritage Village just near the water was lively with teenage boys playing volleyball on the green, vendors selling local clothes, spices and crafts and boatmen anchoring ferries in the tiny ports along the creek. For one dirham each, we got on a boat with a dozen fellow passengers. As the sun was setting, it projected golden rays of warmth onto the buildings and streets on shore, the reflection creating a beautiful piece of scenery. During this time of tranquility, the city was free of the uneasiness caused by the strong daylight, and locals were starting to get ready for the busy night ahead.

We returned to the Dubai Mall when the sky darkened, and the night brought on a rapid shift in activity. Having caught the first glimpse of the music fountain on a school-organized dinner trip during Marhaba orientation week, this time I watched the entire show. A combination of light, sound and water elements was a delight. Surprisingly, two of the four songs that were played were Chinese: a pop song from the ‘90s called Kiss Goodbye, and a romantic piece about a couple transformed into butterflies after death.

Bystanders applauded after each show, making the atmosphere cozy and delightful. The waterfront served as a perfect place for people to relax and socialize in the nighttime breeze rarely found at any other time. Inside the Dubai Mall, the Reel Cinema, the indoor theme park, the rink and waterfall were the most popular spots among visitors. There was also a food court on the third floor and a handful of cafés scattered around the mall; you just needed to have a good sense of direction or become hungry enough to find them. With so many late-night visitors, Dubai stayed fully awake and spirited.

I was utterly fascinated by the day-to-night cycle around which Dubai and its residents live. The city can almost be personified as someone who loves to stay up late and refuses to wake up to the morning sun. This feature of Dubai is intriguing and special, unlike most early-rising big cities in other parts of the world.