Yesterday was Black Friday in the States and, just coincidentally, we planned to spend the day at the Dubai Mall. Mall culture is huge here – and I guess that makes sense, given that for about half the year, it’s so hot that going outside is almost unbearable.

We didn’t plan to shop–the real attraction in Dubai was Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Some of us in the family really like going to the top of tall things. Others of us would be content sitting on the plaza below the tall things and gazing upwards, perhaps sipping a cool refreshing beverage…but hey, compromise is the name of the game in family travel, right?

So off we went.

The Dubai Mall includes an ice rink, a movie theater, and an aquarium that offers glass-bottom boat rides. It is thus possible to buy new underwear, skin cream, a zillion-dollar diamond necklace, and feed the giant grouper, all under one roof.

Kind of amazing.

Now, I’ve been told that the countries of the UAE are really into having the “most” of something–tallest building, fastest car, biggest mall, whatever. And you might think that the Dubai Mall might want to rest on its laurels, what with having a 10 million gallon fish tank inside a mall that itself rests in the base of the tallest building in the world.

But hah! Being BEST means always finding new ways to win, obviously.

So alongside the clear wall that allows shoppers to see the fish swimming around is a plaque announcing that the Dubai Mall Aquarium has won the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest single panel of acrylic.

I know, I know. You’re realizing you totally forgot about that competition, because if you’d only known, well, that particular plaque would be hanging in your living room, dammit.

But take heart. I think that soon they will be announcing the competition for the biggest double piece of acrylic. You should totally enter.