The Surprises

My morning chores completed, I would sit down with a cup of tea and read the newspapers. This had been my routine for years, it relaxed me, this is how I began my day. I was shocked to find that Dubai did not have any daily newspapers. I would have to wait, I was told, for the next flight bringing the papers from London or Karachi, or Bombay (Mumbai). But one gets used to new routines, I read a week’s news instead, with my cup of tea. The first English daily newspaper Khaleej Times was launched in 1978.

Our apartment was in a busy area near the Clock Tower roundabout and the Phillips Building. Dubai did not have any street addresses as yet, most locations were known by their proximity to a landmark or by an office or showroom they housed. We would see camels roaming about freely through the vacant sandy lots. I was astonished one morning when I drew the living room curtains and saw a camel right outside my window!

I felt safer having a watchman in our apartment building. Abdullah practically “lived” in the front entrance. He was a kind, old man. At night he would bring out his “charpai,” which is a four-footed bed, simply constructed and very practical for hot and humid climates. Abdullah kept a watchful eye on the kids.

A view from our apartment window.

Neighbors would stop by to say hello or “sabah al khair” (good morning) on their way to their apartments. I liked their informality. Our next-door neighbors were a friendly Italian/Arab family. They had two children, a little older than ours but they played together all the time. I had never seen anyone make pasta at home but I got a chance when my friend asked me to come over. What a sight it was, long strands of pasta stretched all over chairs, tabletops, and ironing boards. Our children played in the room dodging the pasta while we calmly drank coffee and chatted.

I persuaded my husband to watch a Bollywood movie with me. So off we went to the souk to check out the movie posters. This was the only way to find out what movies were playing. Coming out of the theatre that night I was taken aback to hear a strange buzzing sound. It was eerie. There were about fifty to sixty taxis parked right near the steps of the theatre. The buzzing was the taxi drivers repeatedly chanting out their destination in unison, Deira Deira Deira, Bur-Dubai Bur-Dubai Bur-Dubai, Sharjah Sharjah Sharjah, indicating where the taxi was heading! There was no bargaining, no questioning, people quickly sat in the taxi and sped away. Dubai was such a safe place then, there was no possibility of a taxi driver cheating or taking advantage of the passengers. The theatre parking lot was empty in a few minutes.

In the first few days in Dubai, I had seen so many ladies wearing glittering gold necklaces, bracelets, and rings, I just had to go and see the Gold Souk myself. I am not a big jewelry wearer and I wasn’t going to buy anything. But a whole street of jewelry shops displaying hundreds of pieces of jewelry in their windows is a unique and awesome sight. No wonder the Gold Souk has been an enduring attraction for locals and visitors alike.

We were prepared for difficulties settling down in Dubai. There weren’t any! There were many surprises, most of them easily manageable.