Something Changed...

So when I herd I was coming to Dubai for a few months, I thought this is a great opportunity to make use of this time alone... I'm usually a person of strong will, and if I set my mind to something I'd do it...

I realized I'd be having a lot of time on hand, a lot of me time, a lot of alone time... and I figured this a chance for me to do a lot... but ever since I came here, I honestly don't know where the time does... I put it in my head that I want to achieve some stuff during my stay here and honestly I'm very disappointed at myself... because I've achieved none of them....

So that was my initial plan:

• I've always dreamed of learning multiple languages, so I thought this was an opportunity to brush on my French while I'm here, take a class after work or during the weekend! Obviously haven't done it.... haven't even looked into where I can take these classes.
• Be more outgoing, do activities on my own, don't be timid to learn to enjoy activities alone, even be open to meeting new people. Let's see... I'm very reluctant to do things on my own! For example there is a concert tonight that I really wanted to go and since I didn't find company I passed, I don't know why it is hard for me to do any activity on my own (except shopping to be honest, which I wish I can actually learn to control, anyway, not the point...) So, I'm not pissed at my friends for being un-supportive of an activity that I wanted to do as much as I am pissed at myself for being reluctant to go on my own, despite really wanting to go (donno if that makes any sense). The only time I go out and have fun, is when I've got company (usually people visiting), and that shouldn't be the case because my circle of people is so tiny, so I should really learn to go out  and have fun.  I also haven't made 1 new friend since I came here, work people are nice colleagues, others are random acquaintances, but a new friend, I haven't given myself a chance to meet new people... which is kind of weird, the beauty of travelling around is meeting people. 
• Make use of my free time (and the fact that the gym is right in my building) and exercise more regularly! I want to get fit and in shape! Guess what, as embarrassing as it is to say, I haven't been even ONCE to the gym. It's right in my building and I tend to find excuses for not going. Like time!! It's a 24/7 gym in my building and I'm saying I don't have time to go. And I guess this is one of the major things that piss me off at myself... like major disappointment!! 
• Develop my talent, my big dream! To read more and write more. And this is also something I'm just so pissed at myself for. Ever since I came here in Nov. 2012, I wrote no more than 5 posts, I wanted to start writing a new story and I just wrote 1 page of it... I'm just uninspired! I bought 3 new novels that are all lying on my table... And I do have time, I just don't have the will to pick up the book and read it

So I don't know what has happened to me, I've lost interest in a lot of things that I was once passionate about, I lost the will to get up and do something I want or something I care about... I'm just living from day to day with no set purpose or plan... I'm not enjoying the things I like to do... I've become so restless, it's annoying! I'm never excited about anything... and it's just not me!

I'm also so restless... before I used to wake up early, get up from the first buzz of the alarm, now... I can almost snooze for an hour, getting out of bed is like torture for me. I'm unmotivated to get up, I literally push myself out forcefully.

So I've got 3 months left here... with a lot of time on my own... I want to try and use them to see more places in the city. Depend on myself more to have fun, rather than wait for someone to join me, read more... write more, be more optimistic about life... have more fun! Be more optimistic and find motivation again.. Be out there and enjoy it... Find the stuff that excite me and I do them... 

So hopefully I can get over myself... and just live, who cares how or with who... just do the stuff that make me happy, so I can regain the will and excitement about life!

Oman... A Different Gulf!

I cannot claim that I'm an expert on on the Gulf region, I haven't been to each and every country in the GCC but I assume I know a little something... But I am a sucker for the region. I lived in Saudi and people think I'm insane to claim I love it, but I do... it was home for a very long time and it's the only childhood I ever had and knew...

So the below, is not an attack on any country it's a bunch of observations in hopes of showing admiration to Oman! 

So, again... I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, lived there for a good 18 years. Took a break back home and then I  recently moved to Dubai and have been living there since October 2012. I've also been briefly to Bahrain, and I have lots of friends in Kuwait and herd a lot about the country (but in all fairness have never been their for long).

Earlier this week I had a one day trip to Oman (Muscat), and although it is very short of a time to know about the country it was long enough to know that Oman stood out from the rest of the Gulf, or at least the countries where I have been.

For starters, I have to say its a beautiful country. Lots of nature and culture. And I can't say they controlled it but I have to salute them for preserving it. This is a country that doesn't care about building skyscrapers, why would they when they have beautiful mountains in every corner and the Gulf running through the entire city. I was told their buildings don't exceed 8 floors and coming from a place where people compete to build the tallest tower in the world, I have to say it was quite soothing seeing greenery and the sky, I kind of miss them! I think Omanis learned to appreciate the beauty of their country that makes them stand out.

I was also impressed by their active participation in the different sectors and working fields. I got out of the airport and received the shock of my life, I was riding in a cab where the driver was a local Gulfy. In my head I thought he must be an exception. And then the three cab drivers we rode with were Omani... I later learned that none-locals aren't even allowed to be cab drivers.  They believe during a taxi ride they are the best fitting people to educate passengers about Oman. They know their country better than anyone!! And I think that just triggered respect.

I then got to the hotel where the door man and bell men were locals. The music in the reception was played by an Omani. And in my head I thought... "Wow! This is a country that can sustain itself even if it's expats leave!" For a minute I was surprised, even felt awkward because in other countries in the Gulf, locals leave the perceived low end jobs for expats! But I realized... this is how the world works. I'm glad I've lived to see a self sustaining Gulf country!

The culture is also interesting. The way they dress and the pride they take in the different colors of the head turbans. I was also impressed by the building designs. They're not after the modern look... here in Dubai I barely see anything that looks Arab or represents the heritage, but in Oman, I've seen an HSBC with an arabesque design and I loved it. We are Arab and we have a look that makes us distinctive, so why not brag about it and educate the world on it... In the several conversations I have had with Omanis I have noticed that they pride themselves in their ethical standards and their manners... and I would say anyone could say that, but I honestly felt it.

Finally, I felt extremely welcomed! They were happy we were visiting, asked if we're coming back and hoped we stay longer next time... even asked how things were back home in Egypt by more than one person.They expressed their love for Egyptians and how we are welcomed here... and with all honesty... I was never more comfortable in conversation around a local Gulfy except there! 

I loved Oman, loved the nature, the culture, the people, the ethics... Would love to go back again, not for work, but for a holiday!! 

- I understand my observations may not be accurate due to my short stay, I also understand some observations about other Gulf countries may be stereotypical and I apologize for that. I hold A LOT of love and respect for these countries and people. 

Dubai: The Arab Land of Dreams!

So I've been in Dubai for a little over 10 days now and I'm still discovering what this city is all about, however there are a few things that I have started to figure out!

First of all let me say... Dubai is definitively a great city to live in, no question asked. Yet... you know when you have such high expectations in a place after all the stuff you hear and then you come here and you're like okay... I was expecting a lot more. It is a nice, clean, organized, good quality of life city but there is nothing really special about it. Its a typical city! - what we call in Arabic... "3ady!"

Maybe my lack of "impressiveness" comes back to the fact that i was born and raised in KSA, so things are pretty much similar all over the gulf if you give people their liberty! So it's nice but I wasn't heart stopping-ly amused. And if you tell me, "oh shopping here is crazy," we kinnda have all these shops in Egypt, and the prices aren't all that different!! - in my humble opinion :) 

Of course the construction here is beyond impressive, however it's all artificially and financially made! So ya, they have the tallest building in the world, the biggest fountain, the largest aquarium and probably a bunch of other Genius World Records...but there is nothing really natural about the place! And after a while it hurts the eye to see 40 skyscrapers, each in it's own design lined up next to one another without any synchronization as if competing for the weirdest design award! - again, I'm just saying!  

So, me being Egyptian and just moving here from home, let me tell you what I miss and don't miss about home!

What I miss about Egypt::

• Mama... obviously and every lastingly! Baba... all the time! Mondy... my awesome sis! And Monmon... for some reason, I miss him more since I got here! LOL - psychology is an insane game!
• My car... taxi's here are expensive and it's not a small city. It would cost a lot if you decide to cab your way through life! 
• Friends! This place needs lots of company so you can go out and have fun... I mean you're never going to go out at night alone.. it doesn't make lots of sense!
• Missing out on events :( - Like missing my best friend's first baby coming to the world; and what seems like missing Christmas and New Year with the family... and who knows what else will happen while I'm here!
• Knowing my way around! I have "zero" sense of direction and I used to get lost in Cairo, so you must imagine what it's like to be here. 
• Food... here the food is tasteless. I had the worst sushi and the worst burger in my life over here! And the rest is just.. bleh! Tasteless!
• "Ya Anesa," - I miss that word! Ever since I came here it's all about "Madame!" Tab I'm not a madame! Seriously!
• Mobinil - I miss you! The network here is annoying. It never works, the normal network stinks; and 3G stinks even more! And I hate all those rules against free calling apps on the phone, they're blocked! They kind of killed the idea behind iPhones! Seriously!! No wonder Blackbery's are a lot more common here!
• The cheapness of cabs - seriously I never realized how much that was a blessing!
• The Culture - I miss the place having a character... here it's all man made, financially enhanced buildings... the locals are almost none existent, and it's people from all walks of life... not every interactive with one another, so it's just a disconnected community.
• The sound of the Egyptian accent and the faces of Egyptian people. Ya, we have a lot of crap happening in our country and it's not the number one destination to live at, however if you think when you get out of there you won't miss it, you're crazy! You will enjoy life wherever you are, but you will miss it, a lot and you will smile every time you hear an Egyptian and you will get excited when someone asks about your country and you will be very proud to be Egyptian :)

What I don't miss about Egypt:

• Traffic and pollution - seriously here the streets are relaxing! I definitively don't miss cars beeping all the time.
• I don't miss the 127, 128 and the Shaheens - the cars here are the most beautiful thing to watch! Never knew it's pleasurable to watch cars! They sell Ferrari's and Harley's in malls:)  
• Public transport - you see it's a mixed feeling! I miss how things were cheap back home; however I rode a metro here, and man it was pleasant!! It was an un-stressful experience. And the prices are very reasonable!
• The freedom- here everyone is free to do and dress up the way they want. No one can really object; and everyone is respected. That could be the most outstanding thing about this place.
• The seriousness for work - people here really take their jobs seriously, and they work hard and a lot. During the week, its a busy bee cycle. Of course it's hectic but it's brilliant!
• The arrogance of sellers - here they're all so friendly. If they stop calling me Madame! LOL!
• Walking in the street carefree - if anyone knows me they would know I hate walking in the streets! I would take my car rather than walk for three minutes; not because I'm lazy but because it was sort of humiliating to walk in the streets of Egypt, with the trash, the terrible traffic and the hormone driven men! Here, I voluntarily walk in the street; where traffic rules are clear, I cross the road without the need to run, people are very respectful, there is a clean pavement for me to walk on and men are "trained" or obliged to co-exist with women without the need to harass them... it's brilliant! 

So that's all so far! I guess the key factor here is cleanliness, freedom, organization, huge buildings, the kick ass BIG malls and whatever crazy stuff they can do with their money, like building an aquarium with sharks in the middle of a mall; but other than that, nothing heart stopping. Lesser than than expected, at least for me. And for the record the airport is not all that crazy! It's just an airport, blown outta proportion! - you can call me picky! or over expecting! - I'll live with that!

So yeah... Dubai is the Arab Land of Dreams, or so I like to call it, its the center of the region, the place where everyone aspire to live for someday, even me! And despite all mentioned above, I'm enjoying it and enjoying the decent quality of life here... but I miss home too... and I always will!

I was just trying to draw a realistic picture for the sake of expectations adjustment!