Back in Abu Dhabi, we had dinner with Sam and Trellace at her apartment and then checked into our hotel.
It’s so much more humid here in Abu Dhabi than it is in Dubai. In Dubai, the humidity was around 20%. Here it is 70%! You can feel the weight of the heat the minute you step into it. It feels as if you’re pushing air from the space you want to occupy. I wonder how people can live in it and then I remember the reasons people are here. A country with only 20% native-born citizens, the UAE is mostly immigrants.
Of course there are business people and professionals who are here because of lucrative opportunities, but you also have people from places like Myanmar, Syria, and Somalia. People come here fleeing oppression, violence, and war. These are not folks who leave a cushy life for a sweeter one. They are here alone, working hard to send money back to their families. One woman told me, “We work and worry; worry and work.”
I’ve asked at least a dozen people–cab drivers, attendants, hotel employees, restaurant workers, “Where are you from?” Their answers are as varied as they are. Pakistan and Afghanistan; Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia; Sri Lanka and India. Then I ask if they have family here. To a person, they have come alone aiming to send money to their families back home. They work long days with little to no time off, trying to make life better for others–both their families back home and the people they serve here in UAE. It’s remarkable.
Did I mention this is not a tip culture? Jay and I joke that we are saving 20% just by being here. Yet, the service is impeccable. I’m sure I don’t know a fraction of what there is to know about working here in UAE. Still, people in general seem eager to serve and delighted when they can do so. I don’t know if that’s strictly a culture of hospitality or if there is something more sinister afoot. It feels authentic to me.
A few random observations:
- You know the yellow cones we set out to warn people that the surface is slippery? I’ve seen some here in the shape of a banana peel and I find that exceptionally humorous.
- So many screens. So many people viewing life through their cell phone cameras. It disturbs me.
- There are regular calls to prayer–resounding musical refrains coming from the area mosques at appointed hours. I’m sure there are those who respond; but I’ve not seen people rush to prayer rooms, which are always within a short walk of anywhere I have been. Still, I find the reminder comforting. It brings to mind the days when local churches played their chimes on the hour. I like it.
Today, Trellace worked while Jay and I played. We visited Sea World Abu Dhabi with complimentary tickets from the hotel. It was such fun; it’s been a long time since we did anything like that and we enjoyed it. We returned to the hotel and sat by the pool until time to meet Trellace and Sam for dinner. We’ll have our last meal together tonight because we need to be at the airport early in the morning.
It’s such a privilege to have been here and experienced this. We don’t take it for granted and feel so very grateful for the opportunity. Thanks for traveling along. Watch for a recap coming soon!
