With my fresh Dubai residency stamp in my dog eared passport, I can finally share my thoughts on what being a resident in Dubai is like.

Dubai is like a massive melting pot of every possible and impossible thing in the world. And melting it is, with temperatures settling comfortably in mid forties. I so far refuse to melt and spend most of my free time indoors. The only recent and quite memorable outdoor event that will take me a while to get over was being left alone on the beach in Fujairah for 7 (!) hours on my own with no means to escape, but that's another story altogether. At least I got a neat tan out of it and sea was awesome, just the right temperature, and only a little rougher than I would prefer.

It seems that Dubai is slightly hotter and slightly more humid than Qatar, although I can't be quite sure. I miss Qatar so much that I seem to forget all the bad things. If you ask me now, I'd say that Qatar has the ideal climate! :^) Dubai, however, doesn't, and it's freaking HOT! And of course I came down with a cold as I do every year around this time, so it adds to the enjoyment of not being able to have my A/C on.

Driving in Dubai is way better and easier than Qatar, people generally seem to stick to the rules more, speed less and you don't usually come across a local guy driving his Landcruiser on his own personal lane to his own personal speed limit. You don't usually come across local guys here, period. It seems that they all moved to Abu Dhabi :)

The city itself... well I never venture further than Emirates Towers anymore. I live in Emirates Hills and there is absolutely no need for me to go to Dubai proper. I am very happy about that because those few times I did have to drive through weren't the most pleasant of experiences. Before I moved to Emirates Hills I had stayed in Golden Sands area of Bur Dubai and hated every minute of it. The dirt, the lack of parking, the traffic, construction on virtually every corner, constant noise and dust... thanks, but no thanks.

Emirates Hills however is a little miracle. I haven't seen anything remotely as nice as this area in Qatar. It even reminds me of home until I get out of the car and feel the heat. I would say that Emirates Hills area is a little like Rifaa in Bahrain, but of course a lot more open. Some residential complexes in Emirates Hills and further towards Jebel Ali are really nice, like the Lakes and Meadows, and some are a little less to my liking. I can't quite grasp the Marina concept, what with those towers sprouting like mushrooms so close to each other? Apart from the obvious drawbacks (no parking, pigeon hole style apartments) there are a number of less obvious issues: how can you evacuate the people in case of any emergency since there are so few exits? I think there are only two in Marina. Those towers were built in a matter of months... what about construction quality?

Those who like shopping will find themselves in shoppers' heaven in Dubai. I think the only thing I wasn't able to find was Victoria Secret but I am sure it's there somewhere. There is absolutely everything else in Dubai, not quite as cheap as it's hyped up to be, but not overly expensive either, and with (usually) very attentive service shopping is a pleasant experience. I live close to the Emirates Mall and I think it is rather nice and it has lovely restaurants and cinema, not to mention the kids playground and Ski Dubai! I love the service in the Middle East and Dubai is no exception. I was recently served in a department store by an Emirati salesgirl and she did a great job. She wore too much Arabic perfume for my liking but otherwise she was great and friendly and helpful and I ended up buying something I didn't really need as a token of appreciation :^)

Other than shopping, there is a multitude of other activities one could pursue in Dubai. All kinds of sports (even winter sports!) are available for a price, and there is an awesome gym that I go to, Fitness First, which is really the first gym I enjoy going to, and that is saying a lot. I've been working with a personal trainer a little, and doing some classes, and I liked everything so far. I wonder what it will be like after the summer when people get back from their holidays, and whether I'll be allowed to drink water there during Ramadan, but that won't make much difference either way. This gym rocks. And it's only 10 minutes from home which is ideal really. I go to Ibn Battuta branch.

Sports aside, there are plenty events one could attend, theatre plays, ballet, various sports events, famous singers and performers come here regularly (I'm waiting for Pink!) and even in the malls you can stumble across a great show: anything from deep diving to Japanese drums to American Indian pow wow performances, some of them literally take your breath away.

And then of course there is food. More like Bahrain than Qatar, this country boasts every single way of cooking and ingredients known to man. And you don't even have to go to a 5 star hotel to enjoy a great meal. I like the restaurants and bars at Madinat Jumeirah and after "shopping around" I realised that this is probably the best place in my area to go out for a meal and a drink.

The area I live in is so quiet it deserves a note! After the horror of living where I lived in Qatar, this is paradise for the Cat. "Quiet" was my only requirement when I looked for a place to stay. And quiet is what I got! I don't hear anything! When I walk into the house and lock the door, the world outside simply switches off. I don't hear cars, people, no construction sites anywhere near here, I don't think I have any neighbours because I never see or hear them either. I have a pretty green garden, plenty parking, and it is so green and quiet all around it comes as a compensation for the years I had to endure trying (and failing!) to sleep with earplugs. So I love it here.

But... I left people in Qatar, once again, making friends and moving on. I miss my friends dearly, I am so happy Fishy is coming to Dubai. I miss someone badly. You know who you are. This is the hardest part of being here - not having people I've grown to love with me anymore. Again. Life is cruel like that. And no amount of shopping, partying, working or travelling would ever compensate for the separation from those who mean the world to you. And I don't even mention my parents who I long to be with but have to wait till at least Christmas to meet.

This is Dubai - maybe I'll grow to like it. For now it's a strange land, albeit fascinating and welcoming, but still a strange land.

And man it pisses me off when Blogger underlines the words with British spelling!! It's NEIGHBOURS, dammit, not neighbors, it's TRAVELLING and REALISING and don't mess with me today. Or ever. Yeah.

:P