Going Native

It’s a lament summed up perfectly by one of my favourite Dubai bloggers…I’ve lived in the UAE for two years, and am very happy and proud to call it my home. But when it comes to really mingling with the locals…it just doesn’t happen. I’d like to think that I’ve embraced the cultural diversity of living here – I’ve visited the main mosques, gone to cultural breakfasts, and marched my parents round all sorts of guided tours (they love it!) and they were all fascinating.

At one point we had an Emirati intern who worked in our office. Just 21, she was a fashion and business student, whose make-up and accessories were as interesting to us as her background, her outlook on life, and her aspirations for the future. But that’s the exception rather than the rule. What do to? This is a step in the right direction.


Last week I was in a store when a local lady entered. She was completely covered but I could tell she was older than me as her abaya swooshed past me, with four clamouring children in tow. I offered her my spot in the queue – anyone with four demanding children needs even small breaks when shopping. She wouldn’t hear of it and we passed a few pleasantries about under-staffing in the store.

Silence fell as we waited for our turn. And then, I reached into my handbag to pay. My new purse just happens to be the latest Stephen Sprouse neon Louis Vuitton...(I was having a Tanya Turner moment: don't judge me!).  Her eyes locked onto the purse, then onto mine. “I LOVE that purse” she said. And so began another chat about fashion. Cultural differences broken down by handbags, anyone?

My colleagues think I’m hilarious (many have lived here for two or three times as long as I have, and have never done any of the tours etc that I have) but to me it seems like the obvious thing to do when you move to a new country or city. And especially one as enthralling and as misunderstood as Dubai, and the Middle East in general.

Until my next fabulous fashion purchase catches the eye of a local lady, we’ll also be here during Ramadan.  Small steps, but steps, nonetheless.

Only in Dubai

A strange man knocked on my door late last night. Rein in your enthusiasm, it's not THAT kind of story. Apparently some smoke alarms have been going off randomly in the building and he was checking all of them. He was kind enough not to comment on my pj's or the faint smell of tan in a can as he came in. Always interested in these handyman jobs (not interested enough to actually do them myself, of course) I stayed around to see what he was actually doing.

He duly climbed up his little ladder and unscrewed the alarm. After staring intently at it for a few moments he unleashed his killer electrical skills, honed after years of training........and BLEW ON IT. Yes, that was the extent of his knowledge. I watched to see if there was anything else he had up his sleeve, but nope, that was it. He pronounced the alarm 'ok', packed up his ladder and left. I have to say, I'm not completely confident in his verdict - but who am I to argue?!

Beirut Bedlam

Yes, we survived Beirut. Or should that be: Beirut survived us? It's safe to say that we fully embraced everything the city has to offer. We gave and gave until it hurt. Where to start?

Firstly, the serious stuff. Beirut is GORGEOUS. It looks like Cannes when you come into land, rolling green hills with hotels and apartments built into them. And the European feel continues when you head into the city. It's just like Paris. And everyone speaks French, which adds to the effect. Yes, I spent the whole weekend speaking French - amazing how it comes flooding back to you after a few (ahem) g and t's.

Our hotel was in a seriously cute residential/shopping area (near the ABC mall, fellow Beirut travellers) which meant that literally ten steps from the door were all sorts of gorgeous restaurants, bars, shoe shops. Bliss. And the actual mall was a far cry from the sterile and anodyne malls in Dubai, this was partially open air, with lots of foliage and breezes. Oh and because Lebanon isn't a Muslim country, you can have a glass of wine (ok, a bottle) with your lunch, without having to be in a hotel. So lots of relaxed cafe culture vibes in full effect. Yes, people of England, this might sound tame to you, but after a year and a half in Dubai, this is great news!

Sightseeing: there's a lot to see in Beirut and the surrounding areas. the actual city is so gorgeous. The downtown area has been restored after the war, and looks just like a Parisienne arondissement. There's even Roman ruins to take a look at. Spent many a hungover hour checking it all out, with frequent food/wine breaks, natch.

Thanks to our NBF Joe Le taxi (a taxi driver who was really called Joe: genius) we had our own personal driver for the trip, who scooted us round the whole city (nothing like spending hours in a car with a wicked hangover). He even took us out into the hills to Jeita where we spent a hilarious, if painful few hours exploring caves and countryside via cable car, boat and train (no really). It was a little like the Krypton Factor crossed with Survivor. Or maybe that was just the previous night's antics catching up with me.

So, that's the serious culture/sightseeing part wrapped up. What about the rest? They call Beirut the Ibiza of the Middle East....and if by that you mean you can have the most insane nights out ever, where anything goes, then yes, it deserves the title. I'll keep it short as quite frankly, there's so much to tell when you've been out til 6 am each night, and also, I suspect some of the stories are only truly hilarious if you were actually there.

Some highlights will follow soon....I'll preface them by saying, if you're blonde, female and western in Beirut, you're definitely a novelty. And you attract a LOT of attention. You can't walk 2 paces down the street without every car honking and trying to pull over and pick you up. Which really isn't as predatory as it sounds....

Melting Pot

One of the things that I love abut Dubai is the diversity of people that you meet. Last night after work I nipped down to the pool for a swim. There’s getting to be quite a nice community feel to the place, families are moving in (a work colleague has just moved in with his wife, two children, and two cats!) and as I left the gym the other night another colleague was on his balcony with a beer.

So, last night, at the pool, there was a German guy sat in the sun with is laptop, a Taiwanese family teaching their young son how to swim (cute!) and a French family playing in the kids’ area.

At work my colleagues are from (in no particular order): Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, India, Toronto, Germany, Singapore and Saudi. That’s just the PR team – the advertising guys are from even more far-flung places. Oh, and there’s a Manc and a couple of Brummies too.

It’s very multi-cultural and completely fascinating chatting to people about where they’re from, their customs, beliefs, (religious and just generally!). There were exclamations of horror that I had never heard of ‘Hardees’ – a fast-food place here that everyone loves. Likewise I have enjoyed explaining the word ‘munter’ (this defies translation and is still a mystery to my team.) It’s all about the sharing of information, people!