Blind Date with the UAE: First Impressions of My New Home

Surprise…or maybe not a surprise to some, I am off again! After accepting teaching positions with SABIS in the Western region of the United Arab Emirates, Matt and I now find ourselves in a familiar setting…an immigration office wondering “what the hell are we doing?” I have come to think of these moments just before I lay myself at the mercy of a new culture as similar to the feeling of walking into a blind date, and truth be told, I have been to more countries at this point than on blind dates and certainly had more success with the former. But with Valentine’s day upon us I thought I would take this moment to look at this unique culture as a potential love affair, one that I plan to flirt a bit with first, before opening a bottle of bubbly.

So here is what I know so far: Located on the Arabian peninsula, the UAE is comprised of 7 emirates united under one  president (Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi) but each sovereign and ruled by an autonomous Sheikh. The UAE is an Islamic nation whose muslim locals make up a mere 20% of the population, the remaining 80% comprised of Expats ranging from Pakistanis to Europeans. Dubai has in the last decade soared to overwhelming wealth and development now boasting Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building, as well as an indoor ski slope. The UAE has grown in recent years from oil funds while they sit on 10% of the world’s oil…not bad for a country less than half the size of Washington state!

At this point my first impressions, despite being warned about Matt and I holding hands in public, showing too much ankle and having to acquire a “drinking licence” are optimistic. Located within reach of countries that have been on my travel wish list longer than I have been “borrowing” airplane blankets, and boasting cuisine that has been salivated over by the likes of Anthony Bourdain and James Martin, I jumped at this dream date. How could I not be intrigued by  a culture so widely rumored about through media sources, and yet mysterious to the Western world? I am putting my “to-do” list on hold, rolling down my pant cuffs and borrowing a tip from an admired adventurist: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness.” ~Mark Twain. Hopefully my love affair with the UAE is sparked at first sight, but like most true romances, it will be a labor of patience, time and magic carpet rides 🙂 And I don’t think I will have too hard a time holding off on the bubbly this dry Valentine’s….it’s prophet Muhhamed‘s birthday.