Life, Dubai Style

It's hard to sum up what life is like here, as I've said about a zillion times. I'm imagining if I took the time to type up characteristics of a number of different disorders as listed in the DSM - IV TR, or maybe there's a new version..., it might begin to define the Dubai Personality Disorder. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I've started statements with: "in real life I..." or "the Dubai Lisa...". I'm really starting to wonder about the type of person that moves to Dubai, I mean, there are all ages (although, they do restrict visas, and it is difficult to get one, or maybe just way more expensive, if you are above the age of 60), nationalities, career types, singles, couples and families. Wait, not the type of person that moves, maybe better said, they type of person that stays. There seems to be a different type of drive and motivation in careers, money, who you know, what you've done, what you have, then what I'm used to. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm in the education field and was living in small town USA for the last 4 years, but it's like a whole new breed of people! Not better, worse, good or bad, just for me, really hard to adjust to. The work world dynamics, or at least what I understand from them, remind me a little of the small town high school graduate who was the best of the best academically, socially and in sports and then they go away to college and everyone was the best of the best, so in order to prove themselves, they work like crazy and become these really focused, driven people. But, the thing is, and this is only my opinion, I think many people here tend to lose sight of the end goal and instead get caught up in the game. I'm sure it happens all over the world, but in Dubai, I think it really is just more intense, bigger, better, best, the land of superlatives (which I belong in by the way...). I ran into a friend that I hadn't seen in a while at this soccer game I went to last night, and it was great to see him, we were talking and he just started mentioning about his promotion etc., and just the way it was said was what bothered me. Of course, I'm excited that he got the promotion, he deserved it, I think it's great, but it doesn't make me like him more or less based on his work title. And, is there ever a time when it makes sense to work 6 days a week, 14 - 16 hour days, as a lifestyle, not just because of an extenuating circumstance? For me, there's not. How is that a life? The environment seems to breed huge egos. This, combined with this predetermined class system of workers, the language barriers, the level of stress, not having family support close by, it's just crazy! It's almost like you never know how you'll react to any given situation. I really worry about the way I will talk to people when I'm home this summer, and how much, in such a short time, I've seen my attitude towards other people and cultures literally change. I have never been so careless with statements about entire groups of people, or social structures in other countries! I hear myself and am shocked and embarrassed. And, what makes it all worse, is that there is a part of me that really does like it here. In a typical weekend, I do more than what I would do in a month at home. I spend a lot of time comparing life in Dubai to life at home. There are definitely good/bad parts to both, but for now, and the fact that I signed a two year contract, Dubai seems to be winning out. Although, I can't wait to get home for the summer. I think I need a break from this place.

Speaking of comparing... on Thursday night, our Friday (I don't think I'll ever really adjust to the new weekend), I went out to dinner with three friends. It was at one of my favorite hotels, the place was nice, the service was fine, food was good, conversation great, overall, just a random good night. We had a couple bottles of wine, one of the girls looked at the list and literally ordered the cheapest bottle of the kind she wanted. I don't generally think about the bill anymore, but it was around $400. And that's normal, that's what you pay here to have a good meal, the least expensive bottle of wine and an okay atmosphere. It's not even really a complaint, it's just shocking sometimes how expensive things are and how that has become normal. If I was at home, another statement used far too often, I would think about it before I ordered an $80 bottle of wine, or it would be some type of occasion, or my favorite, but here, it's not even something you can be bothered to think about.

Moving on...there are a million different end of the year activities planned and different things to take care of, so it's really busy! This weekend was awesome, like I said, dinner on Thursday, had a stroll down memory lane and had carrot cake at The Lime Tree for breakfast on Friday, went to my end of the year soccer party that night, a long, leisurely breakfast on Saturday, followed by a World Cup Qualifier match between Iraq and Australia. And, I wonder why I like this place!

Here we are in our uniforms...

The end of the year party was at the Radisson SAS in Media City, so pretty close by to where I live. It was a "pool party" but nobody on our team chose to partake in that part. Although, it did add to the excitement of the evening watching others. Another team went to a brunch before the party, I'm sure you can imagine at this point how that turned out for them! This is the beginning of the evening, by the end, we had livened up a bit.

Kelli, myself, Kim and Kathleen

Pauline and Jen, doing a little jig

We were putting on a show. When our official soccer party ended we moved to a new location in the same hotel. You know those groups of people that walk into a bar, go straight for the crowded dance floor and then somehow become the only ones dancing? Right, we were those people. As you can see, we were amazing, if only you could hear us too.

The following day, I got a text from a friend in the morning that said he was able to get tickets to the Australia vs. Iraq game that evening. I was totally excited because I had been trying to sort out how to get them and couldn't figure it out. The tickets were $100 US for Australians and $20 for Iraqi's. Interesting. While we were there, a friend came up to us (I was with another American girl) and asked why we were for Australia, or something like that, I think the response was, well, it's like you're our 51 state, followed shortly by a comment like, and, we're bombing Iraq, I'm not sure we'd be welcomed over there. It was ridiculously hot, I was almost laughing about it, except that I was so miserable. But, I find it hilarious that at this stage in my life, sweat was literally running down my arms as if someone had dumped water on me, and while it was completely unpleasant and I hated it, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as one might thing. Likely because I was one of many people feeling the same way, but I'm not sure I ever thought it would be reasonable to be using a friends t-shirt to wipe sweat off me... I think I'm supposed to say the game was awful because Iraq won, but, I'm not going to because I really had a great time! I'm sure it would have been better had "we" won, maybe next week, in Qatar. I love Australians, yes, all of them. They just seem so fun and into the game and having a good time!

So there it is, more random thoughts and weekend news. I should probably get back to work...