Backwards is the way forward
I played tennis with my tennis buddy Neo last night; it’s my lame attempt to keep in shape of sorts. With Dubai’s obsession of looking good, toned, tanned, trimmed, waxed, manicured, pedicured, highlighted, lowlighted, liposucked, botoxed with eyelash curler and lip liner at the ready...you cannot help but surrender just a little. Well to offset it, we heartily stuffed our faces with chocolate and smoke a gazillion fags afterwards whilst solving the world's problems.
Last night we were talking about how one regresses when you move to Dubai, albeit the material side of life may have improved (improved being highly relative), but the rest of it just takes you back 5-10 years in time both professionally and personally.
Let me site an example for both cases; back in London, I would only club perhaps once a month and go out for the occasional drink after work. When I moved to Dubai, I started going out two nights a week, which soon increased to three. Prior to Dubai, I had never experienced a vomiting episode as a result of alcohol however, since being out here I have successfully vomited out of a moving car! Now I’m not judging this to be good or bad, it’s merely an observation.
I am single, so this will not apply to all; my living arrangements took me back in time where I found myself living like a student. I rarely cook for myself anymore instead have become "takeaway queen".
On the professional front, the absolute basics of being on time for work! In London, I would religiously turn up half an hour early, whilst now I seem to struggle to arrive only half an hour late. I must add, I am currently making a conscious effort to improve this - I’m now only 10 minutes late on some days. Btw, I didn’t add that last sentence for fear of my boss reading this!
Meetings with clients - I’ve refused to let myself slip up on this, but clients are rarely on time.
Meeting with clients for the sake of meetings! In London, you would only meet a client when you have a firm set of objectives, whilst here I think clients want to meet you to feel important. In turn, employees think you're not working effectively unless you are stalking clients to discuss what could have been a 10-minute phone conversation.
Office etiquette - this is another posting altogether! You have the opportunity to work with colleagues from different cultures, which is always a rich experience. I no longer find myself twitching when one of my colleagues clears the phlegm at the back of her throat. Neither do I look in disbelief whenever I am interrupted by a 3rd person whilst engaged in work conversations. You have to turn a blind eye at the way certain nationalities communicate with another. Finally, I am no longer amused at my colleague who sits there and openly picks his nose followed by dreadlocking his nasal hairs because I am now a mature 30 something (snigger!).
Not only that, your patience wears incredibly thin, communication skills blunten, vocabulary reduces almost to pigeon English and some of your pronunciation leaves you in despair! PCness deteriorates, you develop the tendency to repeat yourself, you develop the tendency to repeat yourself, you bend the truth, you become a racist, bigot, lazy bastard, shopaholic, alcoholic, selfish bitch and a horn happy road raging lunatic...but refrain from the one finger salute as this results in jail or deportation!
Joy!
Last night we were talking about how one regresses when you move to Dubai, albeit the material side of life may have improved (improved being highly relative), but the rest of it just takes you back 5-10 years in time both professionally and personally.
Let me site an example for both cases; back in London, I would only club perhaps once a month and go out for the occasional drink after work. When I moved to Dubai, I started going out two nights a week, which soon increased to three. Prior to Dubai, I had never experienced a vomiting episode as a result of alcohol however, since being out here I have successfully vomited out of a moving car! Now I’m not judging this to be good or bad, it’s merely an observation.
I am single, so this will not apply to all; my living arrangements took me back in time where I found myself living like a student. I rarely cook for myself anymore instead have become "takeaway queen".
On the professional front, the absolute basics of being on time for work! In London, I would religiously turn up half an hour early, whilst now I seem to struggle to arrive only half an hour late. I must add, I am currently making a conscious effort to improve this - I’m now only 10 minutes late on some days. Btw, I didn’t add that last sentence for fear of my boss reading this!
Meetings with clients - I’ve refused to let myself slip up on this, but clients are rarely on time.
Meeting with clients for the sake of meetings! In London, you would only meet a client when you have a firm set of objectives, whilst here I think clients want to meet you to feel important. In turn, employees think you're not working effectively unless you are stalking clients to discuss what could have been a 10-minute phone conversation.
Office etiquette - this is another posting altogether! You have the opportunity to work with colleagues from different cultures, which is always a rich experience. I no longer find myself twitching when one of my colleagues clears the phlegm at the back of her throat. Neither do I look in disbelief whenever I am interrupted by a 3rd person whilst engaged in work conversations. You have to turn a blind eye at the way certain nationalities communicate with another. Finally, I am no longer amused at my colleague who sits there and openly picks his nose followed by dreadlocking his nasal hairs because I am now a mature 30 something (snigger!).
Not only that, your patience wears incredibly thin, communication skills blunten, vocabulary reduces almost to pigeon English and some of your pronunciation leaves you in despair! PCness deteriorates, you develop the tendency to repeat yourself, you develop the tendency to repeat yourself, you bend the truth, you become a racist, bigot, lazy bastard, shopaholic, alcoholic, selfish bitch and a horn happy road raging lunatic...but refrain from the one finger salute as this results in jail or deportation!
Joy!
posted by ReginaFilangee at 8:39 AM
2 Comments:
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"get off" how forward of you ;)
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