Abu Dhabi takes its high rises quite seriously. I am waiting for my guide Georgette who has gone to arrange my tickets and secure my entry to Qasr Al Hosn — the oldest stone building in the city of Abu Dhabi. I stand on one of the broad pavements adjacent to this national monument. A huddle of skyscrapers surrounds me. I crane my neck up trying to count the number of floors, a seemingly impossible task. An unfamiliar booming noise sends me limping a few feet away for cover. My ears ring and in a few seconds I conjure up horrible thoughts of never seeing my loved ones again. A…