The Resort City

Life in Dubai has been fairly surreal. Everyone here is a tourist. It has been so weird to be treated like I’m on a vacation by all the workers in the city. They are overly nice and welcoming every time I walk into a hotel or a nice store. Most people come here to drop money, so priced are marked up. I don’t know how expats live here. I guess if they can afford rent, they can afford to keep up with the Dubai lifestyle. I know everyone has their own maid-- I even have a maid! Labor is so cheap that many people probably have their own cooks. Otherwise, I bet residents here just go out to eat. There is really only one supermarket, Carrefour, and the selection of food is limited (compared to my Wegmans, of course). Gluten free options are virtually nonexistent, so I have just decided not to eat this semester. No big deal. ;)

Another aspect of living in this resort town is dealing with actual locals. They assume that everyone else is a tourist. Many men, then, hit on women, looking for a week-long fling. This is not okay with me. I do not appreciate the staring, honks, or awkward pickup lines. And I thought only Americans were so rude.  I guess boys will be boys wherever they are… but where are the men?! Anyway, the most uncomfortable situation I’ve encountered thus far has been with a man in the supermarket. As I was checking out, he causally started to chat with me. When I got to the register, he refused to let me pay for my items. He told me that as a welcoming present to Dubai, he was going to pay for everything. Of course, with my luck, I had the most awkward basket of stuff ever—feminine hygiene products and two bars of chocolate. Haha. Lesson learned: never talk to strangers!

To get away from this unrealistic city and out of my vacation mentality, I have tried to focus a little more on my classes. Unfortunately, almost all of my classes are covering the same material. I’m in the process of getting a certificate in Middle Eastern Studies, so all of my courses here, whether dealing with Islamic politics, architecture, or history, all start at the beginning of Islam and work toward the present. Today I mentioned to one of my professors that I am bored with all of classes due to the endless repetition. I don’t even bother studying for quizzes, because I’ve likely heard the same thing enough times to at least get a B from just listening during lectures. My grades don’t transfer back to Ursinus anyway. He was distraught to hear about the course overlap and how little I was being challenged, so he asked me to present the reading to the class on Tuesday. I’m actually a little excited. I finally have some academic work to do!

Wow, I guess the old Holly is back. I need academia. I’ll never get away from it. I thought I could run away from it for a short time, but I can’t. I belong with books and research. Beaches and the Radisson can’t satisfy me for long. I am Holly Smith. Did I actually believe I could be happy with myself not getting A’s? haha.

Today, I am going to leave a question. For my birthday, should I spend $500 on a piece of jewelry for myself from Dubai (which I will have forever) or on skydiving at the end of the semester (which is a once in a lifetime experience)? I’m honestly looking feedback! :)