Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Superficial congeniality. Isn’t that the word I used to describe Dubai before I made the move here?
Well it’s been a while since then — in fact, I feel I have lived a lifetime since then. Have I been proved right or wrong? Well that’s a subjective question so the answer is very relative as well. I met a lot of people, broken some reservations about people and places and debunked some myths. Overall, yes the place does breed superficial congeniality but some real deals also slip through the sieve. I have an amazing set of friends — who are on the same wavelength as me and don’t look for a reason to be nice or nasty.
Apart from that Dubai has the habit of picking you up and throwing you into this whirlwind of activity. There is so much to do, so much to see and how can you forget the constant lure of shopping! My first month here went in getting used to this place. I couldn’t believe I had finally made the move and that I was doing something so exciting — live, breaking news. I also met a lot of people who said they don’t like Dubai and hate the rat race and the traffic and the constant partying or politicking that happens. To them I say Boo Hoo, too bad for you — I realised that I should have listened to Keith (GW’s long-suffering UAE bureau chief) a long time back when he told me I need to get out of the pond of Bahrain and swim with the big fish (no pun intended). I absolutely love Dubai — for all that it’s given me. Self-confidence, growth, money, loads and loads of new shoes and last but not the least my dream car. In the 92 odd days I have been here, I got my driving licence (in the second attempt), picked up my pepper white with racing stripes spanking new Mini Cooper, found a tiny little cozy apartment of my own, host an Oprah like talk show on radio and get mentioned in the newspapers because of the controversial topics that I pick up. For a person who lived with her folks, flunked her driving test three times, never owned even a bike, was always asked to avoid controversy — I think that is leap in lifestyle. So I guess, a place is what you make it to be, what you achieve, the energy it generates and the wings it gives you.
