Typical Day in Bur Dubai

The Little People Discuss their Big Governments (USA/Pakistan)

"Hi" said the man.

"Where are you trying to go?"

"I"m trying to take the bus to Bur Dubai," I said.

"Oh, ok. It's going the other way. You have to run across the street when you see it because it's too hot to stand in the sun. We can catch it together if you like," he offered.

"Ok."

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"I"m from the USA, Washington state," I said (which I said with hesitation for my safety as always).

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"Pakistan."

"What do you do here?"

"I teach English at the college over there, and you?"

"I'm a computer programmer."

"oh."

"I hear that in the USA there aren't many jobs now. Why is that?"

"Well, it's complicated, but I think it's mainly due to globalization, the lifting of trade restrictions, and the search for cheap labor. It's cheaper for the owner of the company to find workers that they can pay less such as India, China, etc.."

"Yes."

"How is the relationship between India and Pakistan?" I asked.

"Well, I like the Indians as people, but our governments have a difficult relationship. In Pakistan we are trying to develop, and we were making some progress, but when the war started after 9/11 then progress was difficult. Now we have too much fighting. The US sometimes uses the drone strikes to fight terrorists, but they hit innocent people."

"I know. My government does things that I don't agree with."

"Back before 9/11the people said, "Provide us evidence and we will find and hang Osama", but the USA government did not accept this and came in. They would have found him and hung him."

"Hmmm. Yeah. I don't know the answer to these things."

"There's the bus. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," as we shook hands and parted ways.

Camel Photos (why do we always refer to an animal that we are about to eat as "happy"?)

Desert Sunsets Dubai

Did Osama Really Die in Pakistan

"Do you think Osama really died in Pakistan?" I asked the Pakistani taxi driver.

"He died years ago, 5 years ago," he said.

Pakistan makes terrorist then gets money to fight the terrorist. Government-corrupt! Corrupt! Rich people support the corrupt government.

Do the people in Pakistan hate Americans?

No. They don't hate Americans. Some people just like to make drama.

I like Americans, Uk, Canadians. Respectful. I come here, talk to them and learn, "Americans, Canadians, #1!"

The Arabic speakers tell me, "Why u turn, why cost this?" But I am human.

Competing Prayer Calls, Bur Dubai

When You See Fully What You Have in America

Seeing what you have to lose (freedom, equal rights) makes the American dream that much more precious in your mind and worth fighting for and fixing. The US is imploding from it’s out-of-balance greed and individualism, but what it was meant to represent: freedom, tolerance and the pursuit of ones’ dreams is worth fixing. Republicans and Democrats (and much needed alternative parties), try living in a world without true freedom and you’ll see what you have in common and that it’s worth finding common ground in order to preserve and further our country.

A Chat About Immigration and Crime in Dubai

9/9/12

While being driven through Dubai to the health clinic my Sudanese Human Resource told me some interesting things about immigration.

"Are there good and bad parts to the city?" I asked.

"No, it is all safe," he said.

What makes it safe do you think?

The people here are good people. They don’t want to fight. They don’t want trouble.

If you are a guest worker and get in trouble, are you deported?

Yes.

So I guess it’s not worth it to commit a crime because it is more valuable to have the employment.

Yes.

Do people have guns?

No, no one is allowed to have a gun.

Will you get your (motion to cut your head and hand off) chopped off if you commit a serious crime?

No, not here.

Good.

Do people try to come here illegally to work?

No. They have to have a sponsor to work here, and the sponsor provides you with the visa.

Right, but do people find a way to come here and work illegally?

No, there is no way to get in. You can’t come through the desert, and the seaports are guarded.

Can you get citizenship?

No. This never happens in the Gulf. You can work here if you are sponsored until you are 60.

Then you have to go home?

Yes.

Conversation about love in Dubai with a taxi driver from Bangladesh

The Single Inquisition Continues.........

“Where are you going?” said the taxi driver.

“To Dubai Men’s College” I said.

“Dubai Men’s College? What?”

“Yes.”

“Are you teacher?”

“Yes, I teach English there.”

“Oh…these boys will be happy…ha ha….very happy to have a beautiful, young teacher.”

“Ummm….thanks.”

“Ha, ha, so happy they will be. It’s not like when they are little and don’t care; now they are older, and it’s different.”

(ok…can we stop talking about this…it’s my first day with them)

“Are you married?”

“No, I’m single”

“Single, why? Did no one ask you?”

(oh God..really…am I having this conversation)

“I don’t know….just because.”

“Oh…”

“How do you like Dubai?”

“I like it. The people are very nice so far.”

“It’s fake. All fake.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone is nice, but it’s fake and they come and go. Everyone is here and they don’t know when they will leave. This is why love is fake here. Real love is different. It lasts.”

“Hmm.”

“20 dirham”

“Bye. Thanks.”

Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall- The most opulent mall that petroleum can buy.

Just a little odd.

A Day in Bur Dubai

Dumbfounded After All

I arrived in Dubai about three weeks ago. Besides the solemn, beautiful call to prayer sounding throughout mall,  throughout the halls of the university, and waking me in the darkness of the early morning, I thought that things were remarkably unremarkable. Yes, grande skyscrapers rise straight from the sparse desert surrounding, but the place was reminding me in many ways of Phoenix. Although happy at the ease in managing daily life, I felt a little robbed of my great Middle Eastern Arabian adventure. However, after three weeks I am becoming distinctly dumbfounded, just not in the way I had imagined. What is truly dumbfounding is not the grandness of what money and vision can create in the desert, but the slow unveiling of the social contradictions and constraints that are happening around me, and that I am made a direct player in.

I came here to work at a men's university as an English teacher. I was given one day off the plane before I was expected to be in the classroom teaching. I should have been given more time, but my visa was delayed. Anyway, I was put into the classroom and was trying to learn about what I was teaching and teach it at the same time. I am now realizing that this was probably a preview of how my whole time here will be. I will be trying to figure out what is happening around me, and deal with what is happening at the same time.