Post by Ben BlaneyPost by HelleratI have nothing to say except I dislike it here immensely and really, really, really, miss
Dubai.
I'm really sorry to hear that. Would like to hear your thoughts on Dubai. I
spent a lot of time there between 2004 and 2013. I always found it fine, but
not particularly appealing. I prefered the vibe in Doha and Muscat. When I
lived in Kuwait I'd nip over to Dubai at weekends for a beer, obviously.
I have three friends living there now - one a pilot for Emirates, one an HR
person for Emirates, and one a teacher in a British school. From what they
tell me, Dubai's problems are magnified with the continued growth, and its
benefits are shrinking with the continued growth. I'm afraid I don't feel much
pull to visit; but I'm constantly fighting the urge to book a flight to Oman.
Curious your take.
Oh, we overlapped! Were you with Emirates yourself? G was in private aviation maintenance
and sales, using Dubai as a hub for the whole of the Middle East, Turkey and India. He
travelled a great deal and it was much better for his job that we were living there than
had we stayed in Geneva. We were there from for 10 years, from 2010 to 2020 - G retired
earlier than planned because of Covid, so we left Dubai then. The place changed
dramatically during that time and I hear from friends still there that it has changed even
more rapidly since we left. I am a born Londoner and city person at heart, which is why I
loved the city life of Dubai - the Opera House opened whilst we lived there and we got to
see Spamalot, amongst other things, which would have never have happened in Geneva or
Cyprus, unless we'd gone back to London on purpose. I think both Doha and Muscat are
quieter and more Arabic than Dubai, which I would guess is why you preferred them? But the
sea and sunshine were never far away and the main thing was that I never had to wear
tights or a winter coat all the time we lived there! I also loved the mix of all kinds of
people in Dubai. The scent of Oud in the Malls. Emirati men in flowing white robes and
women in black abayas covering up the latest in expensive fashion. The abras and the
souks. The calls to prayer 5 times a day, and people stopping on the side of the Al-Khail
road during rush hour to take out their prayer mats and face Mecca for Mahgrib.
Eye-opening. Obviously, and probably the foremost reason I enjoyed Dubai, was that we had
a much better income and thus standard of living whilst we were there than we have had
before or since. We were very lucky in the timing. To be blunt, I was spoilt. A beautiful
large house and garden, cars, meals out, holidays, cleaning ladies, shopping (malls not
really my thing, but a much better choice of food from all over the world than in
supermarkets here or even Switzerland), extremely good health care if you were insured and
found the right doctors. A lot more happening there than anywhere else I've lived apart
from in England. Though I do remember one day I came home in my gas-guzzler and felt like
a Stepford wife as I missed our driveway and only realised I'd gone too far because I
tried to turn into a house with the wrong coloured car.. Other than that, we were able to
afford to send our daughter to a private school where she studied the International
Baccalaureate and as a result, got into a good English university, which would definitely
not have happened had she stayed in the state system in Geneva. That was huge, as she had
been going off the rails in Geneva and probably wouldn't have done as well academically as
she did if we'd stayed there. She hated Dubai, and us for moving there, though, and left
as soon as she was able to, but I think she will say now that she benefited a lot from
being exposed to people from so many cultures, as well as academically.
The other side of the coin was the poverty and living conditions of the Moslem workers. I
volunteered to help as much as I could, though not being a Moslem myself, the help wasn't
necessarily wanted or accepted. Our daughter nearly got us deported as, aged 16, she
floated a scheme to persuade workers on construction sites to form a union in order to
fight for better health and safety, which was strictly against "local" rules. We nipped
this in the bud pretty quickly, but it was the start of her career as an anarchist and she
now works for a union herself, for minimum wage but sticking to her principles.
Post by Ben BlaneyPost by HelleratI have tried to write more but it descends into a moany unhappy rant so I won't bother.
A problem shared is a problem halved. Lean on your friends. We're here for
you.
Thank you, Ben. The sun was out today, the skies were clear blue, I had coffee with
friends, it was fine!
--
Yassas,
Anne, Exceptionally Traditionally-built Hellerat