In the past few weeks, I have met up with a few friends (or friends of friends) who are new to the region.
One is a friend who just moved here with her husband and daughter, and the other is a family who is here for a few days, visiting their relative (who also happens to my relative) for the first time. Both groups are North American and have never been to the UAE before.
Talking to these people makes you realize how much we take things for granted sometimes... Seeing the UAE through their eyes is a truly enlightening experience. They're amazed at the grandeur of things....at the choices that are available...at the shops and stores and restaurants we have...at the weather and the beaches and the hotels...at the fact that this is an Arab country...and that this country is probably unlike anything they've ever seen or imagined.
And it makes you realize...that beyond the daily traffic woes...and the ever increasing cost of living...and the overbearing heat and humidity in the summer, and the sometimes poor quality of customer service...and the often useless bureaucracy of governmental institutions...beyond all that, and despite all that...this is a great place to live in.
A friend asked me a few months ago whether I liked living here. I told him these words exactly: "I live comfortably, I have a good job, I do not pay taxes, my family's close, we have great weather (and great beaches) almost all year, I have a great group of friends that I've known since high school (if not longer), and rarely a weekend goes by without it being chock-full of activities...what more can one ask for?"
Really...what more can one ask for?
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10 comments:
thats a healthy way of looking a things DS ...
I couldn't agree more.
Nicely said!
Hi...this is my first contribution...
I am glad that you like living here ... but i came to realize something from talking to friends who moved here from different part of the world and from those who come from this part of the world... it seems that no matter how different our culture, race, and religion ...one thing i found that we have in common... we all seem to see the "grass greener from the other side of our fence"!!! .... while many fly from the UK to get away from the miserable rain and cold weather... many of us here long for a midday tea inside a cozy apartment next to the fire place looking outside at the rain .... and while many are enjoying the lavish lifestyle here .... we wish for a simple day to day life.... the beaches ...the mountains....the deserts...the farms....... offcourse there are always those who are satisfied no matter how greener the grass on the otherside!
No place is perfect...and this place is definitely not perfect...and of course the grass is always greener on the other side...it's human nature to always believe there's better out there.
But my point is, the UAE is a good place to live in...and it's what you make of it that's important.
A family member of mine went for a week's vacation and compared to Vegas. It's not the first time I hear Dubai compared to Vegas, what do you think?
Other than that, I think the grass is pretty green here! I might compare grasses between neighbours but all that and said, after travelling quite a bit, I like my grass just the way it is!
C.
Nice post ya Sunshine,
How are you? It's been a while.
All I can say is that every single place in the world has its plusses and minuses. Even prisioners miss prison life because it is structured and you don't have to work for your food.
Of course very few of us would like to live in prison. However the point is that we need to look at things positively (as you've done) because if we think negatively we will only be putting ourselves down and feeling bad when we could be happy :)
As for your question.. "what more can one ask for?"..
my answer is simple "A free helicopter with free fuel."
PLEASE ALLAH grant me this wish.. it's Friday after all :-)
Buj...where would you take that helicopter? :)
dxb sunshine.. it's simple. i would use the chopper for daily transport.. daily traffic jams in dubai are a joke!
Hello dxbsunshine, my husband and I are moving to Dubai in November and I've been reading a whole lot of depressing, whining, crazy angry blogs and it's making me feel a bit blah about everything. Your little ray of sunshine has wiped all of that away. It's nice to see that there are some people who do enjoy living in Dubai. I am almost positive that I will - forewarned is forearmed!!
Thank you
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