My Dubai

Okay, I have officially HAD it with people complaining in Dubai. As if people who have lived here for years and years complaining isn't enough (if you hate it so much,why don't you leave?!!!!) there is a whole load of people who have no more than a few weeks of Dubaiiing under their belt and feel entitled to pass judgement on Dubai.

Fine, everyone has a right to their own opinion. But just because YOU THIHNK Dubai sucks doesn't make it the truth.

Case in point is a blogger who stumbled across my blog (sabizak.blogspot.com) and very tactlessly chose to educate me about the vices of Dubai.

Now, if she had said anything worth half a thought, I might have let it slide, but the pure ridiculousness of her accusations is definitely worth comment.

Saizak says: Dubai is one of the suckiest, most racist places on this planet. The goras and arabs are ROYALTY and Indi-Pakis are shit.

BPC says: Define 'sucky'? If, for you, sucky is an immense sense of security, a police force that does it's job, no power cuts, affordable water and electricity, god road, excellent parks and public facilities, then YES, Dubai is very, very sucky.

If you have seen the goras and Arabs treated like royalty and South Asians treated like shit, then there is a reason for it.

Tell me honestly, what class of South Asians comprises the majority of the UAE's expat South Asian population? MOST of them are construction workers, municipality workers who clean the streets etc., store clerks nad generally people working in low-paying, low-level jobs.

Now tell me what class of goras choose to live an expat life in the UAE. Do you see any gora construction workers, municipality workers , store clerks ... anybody working in low-paying, low-level jobs.

No, these guys come out here to make big bucks. Now don't tell me that there is any place in the whole world where a construction worker will get the same treatment as an office executive.

When you talk about 'treatment', why do you always look at how the poorman is treated. I am supposedly Pakistani. I get a pretty good salary: almost on par with my local colleague and EXACTLY the same as my gori colleague. I get a lot of respect in my workplace too.

The South Asians you see getting treated like doormats are those who treat the Goras like God. Trust me, the amount of ass-kissing I have seen South Asians doing for a Gora is disgusting.

As for the Locals, well, this is their own country and they have every right to receiving preferential treatment here.

Sabizak says: Dont know how u can stand for third class treatment and then like the place. But i guess everyone has different values.

BPC says: I will repeat what I said above, that I have a great job with a great salary, and have a great workin relationship with my colleagues of all nationalities. In my personaly life, I have friends from all over the world, Locals, Europeans, Arab expats ... I have never felt any discrimination on basis of my skin color.

I am very curious about this 'third class treatment' that you are suffering. Please tell me what exactly you are referring to.

Sabizak says: I remember once reading on ur blog that u dont like poor ppl or something to that effect. I guess Dubai is nice n purged of those types.

BPC says: I have no idea why you remember reading on my blog that I don't like poor people. That doesn't seem like a thing I would say. Please point me to the blog entry that says so.

What I definitely don't like is lazy or compacent people. And lots of times, I refuse to sympathize with 'poor' people because more than being victims of their destiny, they are victims of their own lack of ambition.

There is nothing that one cannot acheive if one works hard enough. I refuse to feel sory for a beggar who has thirteen poor children to feed and bringthem all out on the street with him to beg for alms. HE is just a menace to society. His kids should be in school and he shouldn't have thirteen bloody,fucking kids in the first place.

So yeah, I am glad there are no beggars in Dubai.

Sabizak: GODDAMN artificial place. Perpetual amusement park with nothing substantial to offer. The fucking place doesn't even have a decent bookshop or library. But I guess they'll start thinking about once the finish furnishing it with the ugliest high rise structures in the world (which is never)

BPC: You almost make me want to laugh there. Dubai is 'artificial'? What, you want it to be all organic, growing crops without chemicals and people living in mud huts or what?

Wake up, it's 2006. Air-conditioning and highways are there to make our life easier.

But I suppose what you really meant to say was "Dubai has no culture". Well, that's a very misconceived notions held by many new expats like you. Expats who come to Dubai and go to a few shopping malls, a few good restaurants, go on a desert safari, have a look at the Burj Al Arab and think that's all there is to Dubai.

Culture is not a homeless person that you see standing on street corners all the time.

Have you bothered to make any local friends to find out what the culture is? I guess you haven't, because if you had nurtured a realtionship with any locals, you would know that 'culture' is still very much there. You can't expect expats to show you what the 'culture' is like, can you.

Actually, if you want a crash course on the 'cultural' side of Dubai, visit Bastakiya. That's if you want to learn more about the culture of the people of this country.

If you want a fill of culture in a more modern sense, then there is no reason why you can't get any. There are at least twenty art galleries in Dubai displaying the work of international artists. There are atleast four venues that have independant screenings of foreign/art films every week. There are multitiudes of art/craft courses on offer. The Madinat Theatre almost always has a major production on. There are smaller theatre groups that have new plays and popular productions up on a constant basis. International troupes and theater groups visit the country all the time to give performances. There are culinary tours with world-famous chefs.

If you haven't found anyhting here besides malls, it not because there is nothing on offer. It's because you're lazy.

You say that Dubai doesn't even have a decent bookshop or library. HELLO. If you came from US or UK and compared stuff ot Barnes & Nobles, I would understand where you are coming from.

But you come from Lahore. What do they have there?! Liberty books?!!!! And you tell me you can't find anything to compare with that?

Maybe if you tore yourself away from the Nine West and Monsoon stores, you'd be able to see that there are a bunch of Magrudy stores around which are HUGE and have thousands and thousands of books. You also have smaller bookstores by the gazillions. Even Virgin Megastore in Mercato and in Mall of the Emirates has a huge book section.

New books too epxensive, betcha didn't know that there are second hand bookstores in Dubai too. Thre's one in Jumeirah Plaza and one in Ibn Battutta mall and you can pick up books in extremely good condition for as little as five dirhams.

Want cheaper books? Head to one of the charity shops (bet you didn;t know Dubai has those either?). On Thursday, the charity shop of St. Mary's Church clears up their books section and you can buy a whole carton for fifteen or so Dirhams.

Lazy. Again.

If you opened your eyes and gave Dubai half a fair chance, it would surprise you. It would welcome you with open arms and show you that it has so, so much to offer.

And if you still complain, then too bad that Dubai is just a city. Because if Dubai were a person, it would ask you why you are still here ...