1. I arrived in Dubai on May 1, 2008. Hard to believe it's been that long.
2. The heat isn't so bad this time around. It's 44C today(111F) and it's not really a huge distraction. I've been eating lunch outside on the patio, sans A/C, and it's actually quite pleasant.
3. The Arabic is improving. The lady of the house and I can go three or four sentences into our greeting before retreating to English. Trying to stay diligent with the practice, but laziness periodically sets in. People are occasionally impressed with our pronunciation.
4. It's possible that I now drive like a jerk. There'll be no way to know until I return to the painful traffic-politeness of Portland.
5. I am now quite a bit more sensitive to portrayals of Arabs and Muslims in the media than I was when I left. Did you know that the U.S. Media often misrepresents Arabs? Did you know that Sayid from ABC's Lost is British and of Indian decent, and would never be mistaken for Iraqi by anyone who had ever met an Iraqi? This is the kind of thing which now drives me crazy.
6. I don't miss much, (aside from family and friends) but I admit that I miss my neighborhood dive bars. I wasn't really prepared for their absence.
Posts
1 comment:
Its funny how the local dive bars become a major part of your life! One of those things you take for granted I guess.
Post a Comment