T13#26: After one year, you know you’re in Dubai when
By Grace on Jan 10, 2008 in Thursday Thirteen
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After one year, you know when you’re in Dubai when:
1. The beauty salons have painted doors that you can’t see what/who is inside. Sometimes, it looks like a plain wall until the someone opens the door!
2. People bid millions of dirhams for a car plate.
3. Overt shows of affection between a man and a woman are frowned upon but no one blinks and eye at two men holding hands.
4. Someone says “yes, no problem, I’ll get it done for you in 20 minutes” and you know it’s going to take 3 days.
5. You can’t find any pork products even a simple bacon on major supermarkets like Carrefour.
6. But there are over 100 brands of catsup occupying one entire lane of the supermarket.
7. The malls are open until past 12 midnight!
8. Children are more awake than you are at 10 pm inside the malls on Thursday/Friday nights.
9. Your laundry basket has no socks in it because you never wear them!
10. Going out for a barbeque on any day is possible, without the worry of rain.
11. You see a woman in a g-string and a woman covered in black cloth all over in the same beach spot, wading in the same waters!
12. You woke up at the call of prayer at 5 am.
13. You get excited when it rains!
It’s exactly one year since we stepped out of Emirates Airlines at Dubai International Airport on January 13, 2008. It’s just remarkable to think how time went so fast. I guess this is what happens when you blink.
Happy anniversary. Hope this next year is even better.
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Robin | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
I enjoyed your 13 Dubai factoids!
THanks for visiting my blog.
Dee
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Dee | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Overt shows of affection between a man and a woman are frowned upon but no one blinks and eye at two men holding hands.
-> really?
But there are over 100 brands of catsup occupying one entire lane of the supermarket.
-> Is there KFC or Papa catsup from the Philippines?
The malls are open until past 12 midnight!
-> Wow! I’m gonna love it there.
Congratulations on your 1st year stay in Dubai!
shiera’s last blog post..Thursday Thirteen #9
shiera | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Here’s to your next year in Dubai. Happy TT.
pussreboots | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary in Dubai.
Carrefour here has section for non-halal food, good for us ‘coz we can’t resist for a week without eating pork huh!
In the market there were stores that sell roasted pig also.
#11, and with matching tudong (clothing for their head) while swimming, right?
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bing | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Hahaha! I could never get over seeing men holding hands… too gay-ish for me. And # 4 I really hate. “Inshaallah”… Godwilling, *SIGH*. I want to hear “yes, right away!”
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Candy | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Really interesting to hear the differences between here (Oregon, US) and there. The car plate thing is just crazy, but the open-late malls sounds wonderful
Rob at Kintropy | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
I can’t believe that you have been in Dubai for a year already.
Jaxie | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
These details are just fascinating! I’m really enjoying them.
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Darla | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Very educational. I don’t think I could handle the lack of rain, altough it would cause quite a celebration.
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Rian Fike | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Sounds like in Egypt except there you can find porc meat if you really look for it, lol !
Gattina | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
100 kinds of ketchup? Who needs more than Heinz?
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Susan Helene Gottfried | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
As always, I love learning about your new home. I am amazed at the subtle, but probably annoying, differences in living in a Muslim country. 5 am prayer, no pig products, the salons, amazing. I’d love to see a picture of a woman in a g-string next to a woman in an abaja. Wow.
Happy TT, Grace!
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On a Limb with Claudia | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
How interesting! Great list! Happy TT!
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mitchypoo | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
I hope your having a great day. The desert here gets cold at night and in the early morning.
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Donetta | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
Happy Anniversary! Dubai sounds like a place of such mixed signals and inconsistencies…and a very interesting place. Here’s to another great year!
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jennifer in OR | Jan 10, 2008 | Reply
As much as I LOVE to shop, I’d be falling asleep after 10 at the mall.
Happy Anniversary, Grace!
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Christine@AreWeThereYet Mom | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Happy Anniversary in Dubai! what a fun list to read, can’t imagine not wearing socks as I freeze with A/C and I was amazed you have a Carrefour, just like us here in Spain. And we also celebrate rainy days!
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Mar | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Facinating! Noting like living in a place to learn the real ins and outs of a new culture.
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Nicole/Tickled Pink | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations on your anniversary! One thing you also must ask yourself is:
Am I more or less tan than I was when I got here??
THE REAL ESTATE SCHMOOZER! | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
I’m actually very much enjoying your blog! I wish you had pictures of some of the things you talk about. I didn’t do a Thursday Thirteen this week. But I loved reading yours! Great post….
~Maria
Maria | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
You make it sound so interesting. I’d love to see visit Dubai sometime.
Nicholas | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
I have tagged you on my blog.
Jaxie | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Shiera,
Yes there are lots of Philippine brand catsups available here. Actually, lots of Philippine products everywhere, anything you can think of!
Grace | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Hi Claudia,
Actually, we can buy pork products here in certain supermarkets, just not in Carrefour. Pork is readily available in Spinneys.
If there’s none, I wouldn’t be here for a year!
Grace | Jan 11, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations on your first year in Dubai. I hope the next year is even better!
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tanabata | Jan 13, 2008 | Reply