Today is April 21st, it is about 6:20pm, and I am sitting in a plane on my way to...Istanbul!
I arrived in Dubai 5 days ago with the firm intention and objective to obtain my visa to Iran within 1 business day like I had been confirmed on the phone when I last called the consulate a week before.
So when I got told once at the consulate in a very cold, indifferent and inhospitable maner that it would actually take at least two weeks and that the letter of invitation that Shabnam's uncle wrote for me in the middle of the previous night had to actually be stamped by the Iran ministry of foreign affairs, I was just shocked and very much disappointed. I insisted and insisted. I wanted to go to Iran so badly.
But in a very strange and new way for me, I actually quickly got over it and relativized. It was not the end of the world after all, and if it was not meant to be then, then it was just not meant to be then. So I immediately decided to go to Turkey instead. Why not? Always been curious about this nation.
So, that incident made me realize how much of an incredible effective impact my vipassana meditation has made on me and on my temper. I was stunned.
Though Dubai was supposed to be a sort of intermission in my trip, to switch from one continent to the next, I realized that more importantly, it was also the most perfect way to conclude my journey through (part of) Asia. Let me explain ...
Chantal who was my most wonderful and energetic roommate from Sulawesi, back in July last year, is working for a large resort restaurant here in Dubai. So when I told her I was coming to visit, she immediately arranged for me to take advantage of the available staff guest accommodations. Probably the cheapest deal one could ever get in all of the Gulf region. $2.50 a night, with all three buffet meals included!!! (Well, technically the meals also cost $2.50 each but i managed to be sneaky and not pay for any of them.)Insanely cheap for the area. But until I arrived, I was not really conscious of what I was getting myself into.
Through the past 13 months in Asia, I had heard from so many people that their brother, or sister, or dad, or uncle,etc...was working in UAE or Qatar or some other Gulf country and that it was how they could afford their lifestyle which was moderately higher than the standard middle class, and what by far helped them move away from the poverty line. We even met a random man in the middle of nowhere in Kanchanpur, Bangladesh who was visiting his family in the village and checking on the construction of his very nice home, money that he saved up from working in Saudi Arabia. So the Middle East and more so the rich gulf countries are one of the major source of income and booster to the middle and upper middle class for most of the Asian countries. (Actually, the same goes for the US with Mexico)
And so, when i realized that I was to stay amongst these emigrants and take advantage of their accommodations, I got so excited and amazed. Though most people would not necessarily agree, I actually felt privileged to be given such opportunity. I didn't get to really dig any deep at all into the life of these migrant workers, but just being able to be amongst them 24/7 and seeing their "home" away from home, was quite interesting. According to Sheena and the international press though, the conditions I got to see are not representative of the majority of the workers conditions in the Gulf.
So in some ways, it was a perfect way to close the loop of my journey through Asia, and allow me to see the other side of Dubai, the one that absolutely no foreign tourist gets to see or is aware of when flying into the city. It made me realize, while walking the streets, how many of these migrant workers there are in Dubai, and see how the fact that everyone is on the same boat, influences the behavior of all of them. They are all overly nice but don't necessarily seem happy. Sacrificing your family life back home and having everything to loose, for a job that most often exploits you with long hours and little to no career growth potential can indeed be a source of unhappiness I suppose.
Needless to say I was also thrilled to get to hang out with Chantal again. It had been such a long time since Kadidiri. And we both had a lot of catching up to do, and we both, I believe, were able to see tremendous change in each other in terms of maturity and mentality.
I also got to see Nasser yet again (3 times in less than 6 months, a record!) and spend quite a bit of time with him. Gosh this guy is way to hospitable! Hahaha!
I hung out almost a whole day with Sheena from Ivey. She is taking on the terribly hard and challenging task of opening her own organization of sustainable tourism in Dubai with a focus on environmental and social sustainable development. Dubai is probably the least environment conscious place on the planet. Who builds a ski resort in the middle of the desert!? Like we agreed with Sheena, if Dubai was environment conscious, Dubai would not exist. A modern western city should not exist in the middle of the desert.
Reconnecting with my cousin Benedicte and her husband Philippe was so pleasant as well, as it had been forever since we last saw each other and actually talk. Such a refreshing day for the both of us I believe.
And last, having diner with Francois and his family, (Francois used to be my big big boss at LVMH but is now more of a friend) was so nice. In some masochistic way it made me miss my old job a bit (maybe the action of the job) or perhaps made me realize how happy I was to have quit. Both him and his wife Marina affirmed me that I had lost like 20kg. No way! I definitely have lost quite a bit of weight while I was in Nepal given how many times I got sick. But certainly not as much as 20kg. Mom, don't worry, I am not starving myself, and am eating as much as I want. It will just take a bit of time to regain the weight i have lost. And well, anyway, traveling through Asia, backpacking for so long is definitely a sure factor to losing some weight.
Though I had planned to spend 5 days in Dubai to relax, read, sleep, and do nothing, I actually didn't get much time to do any of this as I was almost everyday twice a day meeting up with someone. I didn't realize how many friends are in Dubai. And I didn't even manage to see Mike and Jen. Next time inchallah!
So these 5 days in Dubai went way to fast but concretely helped me see one of the dark links of the Asian culture. But most importantly for me, it allowed me to become conscious of the change vipassana has been producing in me. Especially during the episode with Sheena when I realized that I had lost a whole week of photos from my time in Nepal, including my favorite photos of the trip. And yet, some slight frustration, but which quickly vanished. Those who know me well will understand how incredible this is for me.
So yes, Dubai was a fantastic experience. Would I recommend it as a vacation destination? Absolutely not. But should you happen to be there for a few days "against you will", it is definitely a place that has a lot of interesting things to offer if you dig a little.
So a big thank you to Nasser, Chantal, Sheena, Benedicte and Philippe, and Francois and his ladies for making my time in Dubai such a great experience.
On, did I already mention in my blog that Angelina and I had decided to meet up in Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela from mid May to mid June? I last saw her on February 15th before she headed back to Brazil, so I am so happy, and also particularly excited that I, we, will finally get to do the Camino! Bucket list item: check!
Salam Aleikoum!
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