If Only They Knew ....

I've still not gotten used to it.

My driving up to Building Number Four (yes, in Caps!) in my big red car and swinging my legs out *swoosh*. Handing the keys to the valet and with a *flick* of my hair, pushing my sunglasses up my forehead as I walk into The Lobby of Building Number Four.

Balancing my diary and numerous "notes", I nod at the security guards (a total of three on my way up) and I check my lippy in the elevator.

I open the big heavy wooden door and enter a roomfull of kandooras. The Big Kandooras of the company. The men who I am sure must be pulling in hundreds of thouands worth of bonuses. Men with titles like CEO and GM and Executive Director. And some women.

As I sink into a plush leather chair and pour some bottled mineral water, I pay attention to what's being said.

Surprisingly (for me!) these are things I understand and this is a place where I belong. Actually, this is a place where these Big Kandooras think I belong.

And sometimes, in the midst of frantic notetaking and giving my two cents worth ("do we need to rethink our communications strategy?", "how can we ensure that we don't fall short of our KPIs next month?") I catch myself out.

I see a glimpse of myself ... perhaps in the shiny glass top of the table, or in the windows if I am sitting on the right side ... and I don't really see The Girl in the Suit. I don't see the girl with a sleek blow-dried bob and plenty of ideas to bring up the KPIs a couple of notches.

All I see is BPC. A girl who walks around barefoot ... even in the office. Who closes her laptop (without turning it off) at 4:30ish everyday and drives home with her windows down (even in the summer) singing along to Rashed el-Majed's Mashkalni/Guitara's Ya Ghali/Shereen's Ah Ya Leil. I see BPC of the spit bubbles and 'mujhey ghumaaaaaaaaaao'. The BPC who loves the PowerPuff girls and makes funny faces at kids in next-lane cars.

And then I look around at the Big Kandooras - these are the people who can make or break Dubai - and I think 'Wow! You go girl!" .

So yeah, I've still not gotten used to it. The kandooras. The power talk. The plans we hatch in an office that will impact the whole city.

I wonder sometimes if somebody will catch me out ... catch me out with the twinkle in my eyes that says more BPC and less CCD ... but then I look at myself again and I think 'Nah'.

In this suit, this shiny,blow-dried hair, this impeccable french mani-pedi .... no one, no one can guess that I still blow spit bubbles.

Heh.

If only they knew ;)