I had a strange feeling, first I missed the place, and it made me proud that one of Canada's small cities' ghetto is actually a thriving, culturally- rich , nicely designed area compared to many many highly perceived places of this poor world. I felt as if I just started to know the place again, even when comparing this place to other Canadian spots, it actually stands out.
This area has a huge number of infested pubs all around, and it felt almost surrealism, that I am going to an affordable, close to home pub, what's more, it does not have to be in a hotel, and one can sit on the outside.
In Dubai, one can only get drinks in hotel joints, this has its disadvantages, but I can never forget Khaleej Palace's hotel lounge, the epitome of ethereal class and coziness, a place where you can have your wine , pistachios and have a nice chat with friends over low, soft music and gentle, dim- lights flickering. And it is something I won't get to experience in my blue-collar, small city. Though after many encounters with old uni friends, the curve for wanting my Heineken decreased quite aggressively , especially and quite particularly after I met my beloved friend M, a heavy drinker, and who also pitied my downfall as an unemployed person, so she kept buying me shots. So now, I reached my saturation point, and I am done with the booze, I decided to quit three weeks ago, though I did not crack the news to M, poor her, I am her third friend who stopped drinking. But the decision might not be so incessantly binding, though I feel I am done with alcohol.
But after many encounters with old friends, I can not but notice the sparkles, in their eyes, “you went to Dubai!”
Dubai became almost synonymous with big cities' names such as Tokyo, New York, and London.
And I remember when I was with my friend K in the west-side,the busy bustling bartender, who had the aura of wanting to ignore the customers' re-iterated chatter, changed features when K was talking about Dubai with him, it is like an open window to leave re-iterated localism, and more breath of fresh internationalism. The bartender looked relieved for having such particular and perpendicular talk on Dubai.... yet another person moving to Dubai, leaving the dwindling riches.
I must admit, with all the economical slow-down in Canada, Canadian's are still the nicest, friendliest, most behaved people on planet earth, sorry if that comes off as exaggeration, but at many stops in UAE, UK, France , I would have fired many of their sales representatives on the spot, not for their lack of facial expression such as a smile, but for the very fact for being shity at what they do supposedly -best-
I remember my first eating out experience in a pizza place in Canada, the waitress was this cute, pregnant Canadian whose smile I would not substitute for any waitress somewhere else, I was bewildered, and exactly I knew that I am back home. I will never forget those two stiff-faced, cold-blooded British ladies, though I must admit, those are the oddballs, but the chances are far less slim in Canada, so imagine.
I am glad that I am back to Canada, services are easy to get, everything is organized and well planned, there is no stark manifestation of class division, and everyone gets paid according to their qualifications and not place of origin. There is no constellation of a monotonous group clustered in a failed public transportation system, there is no stomach cramps occurring from excessive passings from extremely cold air-conditioned places to extreme hotness and humidity, there is no shortage of taxis, and it is not an privilege to get a taxi in a split second, and there is not silly federal laws.......in UAE, given the shortage of taxis, a Dubain taxi can't pick a Sharjian who is going to Dubai, leaving a trail of wasted fuel, and more empty taxis adding to the already congested crazy traffic jam.
And in Canada, there is no pernicious, filthy smelly body odors.....and muffins are local commodities and are quite cheap, nothing beats Tim Horton's French Vanila or hot chocolate, sales are really sales, cotton quality are far superior, it is really sad that with all the high name Dubai is getting, the UAE still gets a cheap cotton quality form Turkey, yet another class division but on an international basis.
And.....Even though both in Canada and UAE girls can get their share of guys eyeballing their physique, in Canada I would not never and ever be mistaken for a prostitute, given the fact I was wearing a big huge coat that covered me really well. It was during that heavy, crazy rainy day, when it took me FIVE hours to return home, yes no sewage system in Sharjah, it was flood everywhere. I remember when I return home, it was late, a shady car, passed by, and open its door slightly, I hurried quickly, thank god nothing happened.
What's more, planning in Canada is not about resurrecting tall buildings, you do not dump and place, and buildings actually have lined-parking lots of each apartment!
And most importantly, I do not miss the traffic jam, four hours everyday wasted to commute forth and back from home to work. I took my ride at 7:15 am and came back home at 8 and sometimes 8:30 pm.
Last but not least, I miss UAE's thriving social life, the quality of Iraqis I met, and most importantly, the economic BOOM, I had a call for a job interview after four hours from sending my resume. Things are quick and dream jobs can happen on a much faster paste in the UAE, and I know for sure If I don't find any dime for me in here, I am going back straight and will bear all the odors and the hectic traffic. It is no surprise that many Westerners and naturalized citizens of western countries of Arabic origin are all there, so many Iraqi Canadians-Kiwis-British-Austrialians....I even met our Iraqi neighbors in Amman, now I am Canadian and they are now Kiwis.
And I met neighbors from Baghdad. UAE is truly the transit point of people I knew from the past or even online buddies I chatted with for a long time who by the way knew people I knew either way, real life or online, a crazy, social-interlacing chain.
After three months in Canada, I miss the exposure and the new learned experiences found in that Gulf country, I miss meeting top notch people, I miss feeling that I am part of a bigger goal, and I am way too ambitious for the slow-motion Canadian economy, Three Months of sending my resume and no ONE single interview, I truly hate how this country makes me feel, I hate doubting myself, as if I have nothing to offer. But no worries, MBA/UAE is my next target, and self-employment is my long-term business target, I will never want to be susceptible to economic down-turns, whether it is the national or the global economy, yeah I am talking big , so what!
