Not Too Perfect Dubai

Not Too Perfect DUBAI...Take 10!

Here’s a list why:

It is just so HOT here!!! Without A/C, you’ll be a human toast! This part I think I need not explain, right? Dubai…Middle East...the dessert….you know the rest.

This is a legit rant: I hate it that moi feet get sandy/ dusty all the time!!!! I wonder why….hmmnnn

Rent for Accommodation is just unbelievable!!! With the amount one is spending for a single bed space in a room which you share with 7 other strangers, you can already afford a two-storey town house in the Philippines!

If you don’t know where to get the best buy, everything is way too expensive! Nobody can afford beauty treatments and dental care in the UAE! And the clothes? All nice and pretty....and Expensive.That is why, I am thinking about saving money for my grand shopping spree when I go back for my annual vacation in the Philippines….Uhmmm wait, It’s not really like I can abstain from shopping here… hehehe. Zara and Aldo still are my best buds…and I’m keen about paying them a visit once in a while…. ( Insane? Me? Guity as charged...and it's my moolah anyway! Hahaha!)

You can never pass a day without smelling armpits from hell!!! You know how body odor can knock you down, right? It is a curse you have to live day by day in Dubai--- those slimy, spice-loving red creatures are just every where, Oh no! Their natural scent can make you vomit! Just disgusting! Even a bus ride and a simple stroll downtown can turn to a nightmare!!! (I can’t imagine how other kabayans can have them as their sweethearts!!! Big Minus, girls! And makes me wonder, what the hell are you thinking!?!)

If you’re thinking about finding the love of your life in Dubai, THINK twice…times a hundred! You can never trust men here. Browns nor Reds….Kalahi or not….Most guys I know and heard about, they instantaneously turn into eligible bachelors and denounce their marriage vows once they spot a girl. (Poor clueless wives…) There are also numerous stories of cheating wives….so men are not just the villains here. One tip for all: if you’re coming over, better nab a guy you already know.Importing one can be the best solution, hahaha! (Winks!)

You’ll be surrounded by know-it-all, demanding, untidy and nosy bitches in your workplace. (Whoops! You didn't hear me say that!)Blame it on cultural differences, some would say. But I am no fool, I know when someone is way out of the line! So you gotta stand up for yourself and let nobody boss you around.( Except for your Superior of course!) The truth of the matter is you can never do away with office politics...So, Live it! Here, you must know how to play with the Corporate game: 1. Stick with the rules…..and 2. Keep your Cool…(Breathe in, Breathe Out....)

Why is it that the Whites get the higher pay? I’m not really complaining with what I’m getting right now….It’s just a sad fact! Here in Dubai, your pay check depends upon the colour of your skin…….

Traffic and Bus Ride. A former room mate once told me, “Life in Dubai is not THAT complicated as others would complain! Just don’t take the bus!” I realize she was right. Now, I don’t mind paying a bit more. Taking the bus would rob you off your precious time. So spare yourself from varicose veins,headaches and prevent yourself being molested by smelly maniacs! The best advise I have got: "Get a car!"

These are the few things that make me tick about Dubai but it’s nothing compared to the fact that I don’t have my baby King, my son here with me…He turned six last April and I was not with him. It’s just sad that the only parenting I can do is a weekly 10-15 minutes phone conversation. I better end this now before I get sad…..

About the author:

Rochelle Manalang is a Filipina who works as a Training Coordinator in Dubai, UAE. She has a degree in Bachelor of Arts major in Developmental Communication for Ateneo de Naga University. Her personal blog can be found here.