Return to the Dark Continent

Well, we are back from the UAE and have mixed emotions for sure. Dubai and Sharjah both lived up to their reputations and disappointed a bit too. Some things we could never have anticipated, some things we had thought about and were confirmed. It also made us look at Kenya a bit differently, some things we appreciate more and some things we truly miss more. Bottom line, we are getting a wide-open look at a few different cultures, rounding our world views, dismissing some myths, and hopefully making us more tolerant.

Upon arrival to Sharjah airport, we blazed through immigration and got our bags without any problems. It was truly a nice change compared to the crap involving US and British airports. They could definitely take lessons on this. Having an American passport is an incredible help too, not requiring a Visa to enter the country…this helps all over the world. Enough employees manning the desks, tons of customer service folks available and most importantly…and this cannot be stressed enough…FREE LUGGAGE TROLLEYS!!!!! This is also available in Kenya and I cannot believe the idiots in America cannot figure this out. The time, aggravation, and efficiency of moving people from baggage, gates, etc…out the door is incredible. Instead of someone not being able to afford a cart and balancing four bags, running into folks, saying they are sorry every 10 seconds…there are free baggage trolleys provided by the airport. Enough said but not enough done…I implore US airports to adopt this incredibly easy benefit.

After getting through the airport, it was time to find our cousin who was picking us up at the airport. Holy Crap!! Mind you, I had left DFW in May before it got really hot, lived in Nairobi where the high has been 78 and lows usually in the mid 50’s… The blast-furnace that is the Arabian Desert, even at night, was initially unbearable. Daytime temperatures around 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) and nighttime temps 38 C (95 F) are for desert dwellers, not normal folks…wait a minute, that’s right…I am in a desert. Maybe all the dudes wearing sheets should have tipped this off? Or maybe the fact that other than “official” parks and golf courses, there is nary a blade of grass to be seen? The heat of the day was never really bearable and nighttime was just tolerable if outside. A few of the restaurants that we ate at had outdoor seating and understandable did not open until late in the evening. For the non-acclimated, this was going to be interesting as it had been a year since I had experienced triple-digit temps.

Another thing that immediately stands out, there are freaking tons of skyscrapers! I mean really cool, tall buildings. I had no idea…it is almost like Manhattan. In the middle of the desert some Sheiks decided to build this huge empire of very tall buildings…and they are everywhere. There is nothing that reminds me of DFW rather it is what I expect from NYC or Boston or a miniature downtown Chi-town. Also, there are tons of American fast-food restaurants…all with their names spelled in Arabic but their logos are plainly visible from blocks away. We ended up eating at a Pizza Hut (our guide’s choice, not mine) upon arrival and it was great. Had not had wings in over three months and it was about time! I remember making fun of my buddy PJ in Paris when he insisted on eating at a Planet Hollywood for wings after living in Denmark for months…crap, we could be eating snails or something dude! I totally take all that back now…I understand.

The service provided, everywhere, is top notch. Everyone we encountered in service positions spoke perfect English along with at least one other Native tongue. Most of them seemed to be either Philippine or Malaysian…don’t know for sure and do not know how to tell the difference…only what I was told. One thing we did notice, you do not see many Arabs working…anywhere. I think they just sit at home and count their money?

Another thing that caught my wife and I off guard were all the prostitutes! I am not talking about a stray seen walking along a dark side street; I am talking about lines of them along specific streets and hundreds of them walking in and out of bars. This was really funky considering it is a Muslim country; one would think this kind of crap would be forbidden! I guess it is “tolerated” from what we are told. I guess the Sheik that owns Dubai is all about absolutely no reason to have folks leave the city with their money. I guess he has covered all his bases. Our cousin told us that there are bars that “specialize” in specific origins of ladies….i.e. Indians, Russians, Malaysians, Eastern Europe…even Americans. I think Dubai is basically NYC, in the desert, with 60% Indian population, the rest a mix of Arabs and White Folks…and hardly any Black Folks. The streets are dusty but in great shape, hot as Hades and a ton of stuff to do so long as it is indoors and more restaurants and hotels than I am used to seeing surrounded by really, really tall buildings.

We are now trying to figure out if the job idea in Dubai is going to work. The amount of money we could make in a short period of time might make it worth living in the desert for a year or so. If not for the big bucks, there is no way in God’s green (dusty sand) Earth I would live there. We went to the Ministry of Health and it appears that my wife can take an exam in November and then get a job about anywhere she would want to. My options are pretty good considering the amount of Engineering and Sales that are going on here. So, we are excited that we have one possibility.

Upon reflection and returning back to Nairobi…we are extremely torn. My wife and I both love Nairobi, its people and everything else about it sans the corruption and carjackings. The streets are more beautiful than one can comprehend; people are nicer than anywhere in the States, and just about every amenity one could want (except consistent electricity) is here. We had committed so much to coming to Nairobi both in time (two years in the making), effort (moving all the crap from one side of the earth to the other is a chore), and energy (having to explain over and over to family and friends why we left a million dollar house in the affluent suburb of Southlake, TX for a third-world country…sucked the life force out of us). We banked a lot on this trip and it is unfortunate that Kenya is not going to be in our immediate future as we really love it here. We were looking forward to making new friends, raising our family, and creating a new life. Instead we are packing our crap up and moving back to the States for an undetermined period of time. We shall catch a break eventually…

Peace,

Dude
FBO