You would think that we would be bombarded by questions about culture and life in the UAE in general. After all, we left our comfort zone to live and work in another country for a variety of reasons. I look at that as a brave decision and would expect some interest in that from the folks back home.
Such is not the case. I see old friends and after the usual initial pleasantries, there seems to be no curiosity about my life abroad. Of course I am about to bust inside to tell them stories and experiences but now I am to the point where I am in “Don’t ask, don’t tell” mode.
Even my own dear and loving mother’s eyes glaze over when I tell tales about my life in Abu Dhabi. I don’t brag or get into anyone’s face about my situation so I just gave up. I have had more meaningful conversations at airport bars with complete strangers about what I do and where I live.
I don’t know if it is envy or fear of the unknown. I am not complaining, but I suspect most people are comfortable in their lives and anything “outside the box” is a threat to the status quo.
An American moving to the Middle East is an oddity and maybe they don’t know how to handle it so avoidance of the issue becomes a coping mechanism.
I just want to ask if other expats have experienced the same phenomenon. I don’t feel put out but I expect some interest in what I am doing from the friends and family back home. I don’t get it. But anyway, I am over it now. It’s not easy being an expat but the pluses definitely exceed the minuses. I have made friends from all over the world and I have experienced and done things that would have never been possible if I had stayed in my homeland. My life is better for it…. I just wish my buds back home realized this.
