DHABI DAMES:
No Place Like Home
By Marien Oommen
Yesterday, my nephew updated his status on Facebook: ‘Singapore is a great place to live in. #BlessedToBeHere.’ In a second, someone replied: ‘Excuse me, Dubai is far better.’ Next a New Yorker comments: ‘What‘s so special about Singapore? Aren’t the laws rigid and too structured?’ My nephew hastened to explain his status wasn’t a ‘best livable city’ competition, and argued that one has to be happy wherever one is. And he was definitely happy to be in Singapore.
Now I couldn’t help commenting, ‘But of course, Abu Dhabi is by far the best. ;)’
Home is the ‘best’ place where you’re truly happy. But where is home? At present, for us expatriates who have sunk our roots deep in this great city; this is our home. It’s when we travel out for holidays that we realize how comfortable our living standards in this city are, and how much we take for granted.
Take gas for instance. When filling the petrol tank in Barcelona a quarter gallon cost you some 20 euros. Just as soon as you figured out the filling instructions and find the button that opens the petrol tank, the cost hits you in your face. Here in the UAE, while sitting comfortably ensconced on the driver’s seat, shades on, listening to Radio One, you tell the pleasant man who is ready to fill your tank, “Full super” without batting an eyelid. Bonus: He wipes your windshield too.
And it doesn’t end there! Right to your doorstep, just a phone call away, a cheerful delivery boy from a ‘Baqala’ satisfies your chocolate bar or ginger ale craving. Nowhere in the world do you get this kind of service.
Last evening we were at Spinneys and my husband’s wallet was sticking out of his back pocket, and he walked without a care. That’s our safety net.
In Barcelona this would never do. We were warned many times to be careful with wallets, handbags and to leave everything in the hotel safe.
Remember the old Mina fish market? You get many varieties of fresh fish, imported and local, with men hankering to clean them for a small fee. It’s an experience for all new expats. The newly opened air-conditioned market with state of the art modern technology, its smell and smoke free zone, makes a walk inside as pleasurable as walking on the Corniche. But there’s the flip side too. Somehow the joy is missing from the workers’ faces; here there’s a cultural divide between the seller and the buyer.
Well, not so at the El Boqueria market on the Rambla which is a spectacular sight and a must-visit for all tourists. It has character. It has élan. And it smelled a bit. There were mounds of chocolate, dried fruits, colored sweets, intricately carved fruit, a variety of juices, fish, and all kinds of meat. Happy couples, sometimes the whole family, were involved selling the produce. Here a pretty lady sliced fish with dexterity, while a young man joked about giant ostrich eggs. Whatever your heart desired was laid out in front. Multitudes walked in close proximity to each other, and yet it did not seem offensive. People queued to get a table at El Quim, whose restaurateur was made famous on TV for his exquisite gourmet creations.
Both clothes shopping and shoe shopping in Barcelona are a pleasure whereas things are more expensive here in the UAE. A restaurant owner in Gerona bewailed that with the economy not doing so well, fewer people could afford his restaurant. They preferred the cheaper fast food in touristy places.
There’s a mellow kindness about the people there, which seems to be missing here. Pretty women taxi drivers in their little black dresses were caring, and tough in handling luggage .The men are overly polite, and bow their shoulders humbly to say you’re welcome. At the railway station, a sprightly man, who appeared from nowhere, showed us the bus to get to Park Guell. Then he bowed his head, to ask for a small tip if possible. They depend heavily on tourists; in contrast in the UAE you might get a rare dose of nouveau-riche expat arrogance or indifference.
But all kudos to our city fathers who ensure that a vibrant mix of cultures is able to flourish in Abu Dhabi making it ideally livable while maintaining the unique traditions and culture of the Emirates. I have gleaned a little more about the world with this last visit to Barcelona and I would agree with Thomas Jefferson when he says: The happiest moment of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.
