Dubai - Phase One - Almost done :-)

Three and a half months into the middle east and I have almost earnt my right of return home for a quick respite from the on going learning process that is life in one of the world’s most odd cities, Dubai. I guess it is the perfect time to do a little reflection on my life here and provide some insight to what I have learnt and experienced here.

I think one of the best things that I have learnt here is more personal that any kind of perspective on culture or civilisation. But this is not that surprising as after all the only thing we can really learn about is ourselves, everything else is just speculation on how we think other people feel and the reasons behind their actions (I will get to these speculations later…).

I am now over the need to behave as a function of the expectations of others. For the first time in my life I have started to gain a level of comfort with who I am and am now happy to do my own thing without fear of judgement (most of the time anyway :-p). I guess this realisation came about when I noticed that people are funny creatures when it comes to their interactions with others, I am no exception to this. But I am over catering myself to others. But no means am I not caring about how I treat others, but no longer do I care about doing things to impress or conform to others expectations. A perfect example is how I am now happy to avoid in general the social life here in Dubai. I mean at first it bothered me, I felt like I should go out and socialise as if there was something I was missing. But upon further investigation much of social life here in Dubai for a white westerner is about networking to further your career, finding women (or paying for them), impressing others with your material position in the world and all this lubricated with the expensive alcohol of the middle east, imported from over the world. All of this I have hated ever since I can remember. Being social to further your career is disingenuine. I am only friends with people I love and enjoy being around, I just can’t stomach pretending to be interested in someone because I think it may benefit me… Just not the kind of person I am, probably never means I can be a politician, but I would rather be a real person whatever I end up doing than being fake… So I don’t care about all the crap that goes with making it in the western world. I will work hard and rely on being an interesting person to talk to… No pushing myself to be social anymore… I am just going to be…. Wherever that takes me in my career I want to be… Not where the fake “Mr. Nice to get something out of you” would have gotten me.

What else have I learnt out here?

Well I really am ashamed of the way the white race has interacted with the world as a whole. Given that we are so well educated you think we should know better than to continue to go around the world buying up as much as we can and thinking little of the long term consequences, but we still do it. The lack of vision coming from the average well educated expat is laughable, but it is no laughing matter. I look at myself. I will never (touch wood) have to worry about starving and I am clearly in the phase of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs known as “self actualisation” so I have great opportunities in this world. What better to do with these opportunities and economic/social freedoms than try and make the world a better place? But all expats (on average) tend to think so much more about themselves and not about the world. This is a true tragedy given that having been around the world, they should have a “world view” rather than a “self view” when approaching the question of what to do with ones life. Granted there are many people out there doing great things, but generally most are out for the money and nothing more…. (Am I any different/better? is a question I have on my mind constantly)

Also the Middle East is a sell out. I have seen little out here to indicate to me that the “greatest natural resource known to man” is not being squandered. The amount of cash that has been flowing out here and all that is to show for it is a few fancy skyscrapers, some awesome hotels and a crazy dictatorship of kings and fiefdoms (Saudi). All of that money could have been invested into education, sustainable development and social programs for locals and peoples of other countries. I wont even go into the lack of culture here also… I would love to be able to see Iraq (the only Gulf country I wont see) I have a feeling it may have been the only decent place out here… Figures doesn’t it. Oil tends to ruin everything the world over L

One thing that Dubai has taught me is that we can build anything if we have enough cheap labour and cash. But you can’t buy a community and that is one thing Dubai lacks in spades. Ha! I used to think Canberra was a soulless city… Mate, it is heaven compared to here…

But positive things are: There is so much potential out here. Things could be turned at the drop of a hat to something better. Dubai could have a royal decree (they love those things out here) to become the worlds “sustainable city” invest cash into sustainable technology, social building projects etc. Maybe even start democracy and offer citizenship to people. Saudi still has massive cash flows coming its way, these could be used for the betterment of their whole society rather than their few thousand princesses etc.. But provided you have self white people out here leaching off everything improvements are unlikely…. Saudi is the best example of this. Anyone ask why Saudi was never invaded? I mean it’s as much a dictatorship as Iraq was… Ha! Cause they were giving the oil to the Yankees at a good price… Amazing that people allow the media to say Yankees went into Iraq to free the people… But I wont go there except to say that I haven’t come across Yankees out here and I fear the day I have to learn about them… They truly are to the 20 – 21st what England, Spain and France was to the 17-19th Centuries [whoops got negative again L.. it’s easy out here, trust me]

Being exposed to so many other cultures has been great. I have had close dealings with people from all over the world in the space just over three months. Russians, Ukrainians, Moroccans, Tunisians, Bahrainis, Saudis, Indians (a billion!), Lebanesse, Palestinians, Pakistanis, Kuwaitis, Iraqis… And in general most people are the same. In general people are great and are a pleasure to be around. The only reason people do bad things is through ignorance… Whether it be not realising cars are bad for the environment or that material possensions don’t determine how “cool” you are, because being cool is a load of shite anyways. And also that increased integration of the world will eventually remove the need for war, only if we take the time to actually integrate. Living in the some city or even suburb does not mean you’re integrated. Dubai has taught me that, this is the most segregated place I have ever seen. I fear Australia is walking down a similar path too….

But what is the most important thing I have learnt? => That I am ready to start building a future and that the only future I want is one shared with those I love, particularly the one I love the most. Living alone sux and living with people that aren’t people you love sux also (no matter the tax free benefits this brings). I have learnt that I am no longer afraid to commit to things I truly believe in. Whether it be my lifestyle choices or my choice in beautiful, intelligent, caring brown girls who have a “warmth” you can’t help but want to be close to :-p Love you babe!

So here I am a week from my flight home. My only real fear is that I wont be able to come back to Dubai. But I know I have to, this is a quest I must complete, but all I can really think about is being with people I love again. I am over fleeting relationships, shallow friendships…..

I could write loads more but I wont ramble. These three and a half months have been great. I have hated and loved them. I would never have made it without my babe even at a million miles away she has always been at my side, even if Etisalat and a nokia phone were needed to keep her there. See you all in a week or so!

Saudi Arabia - Homosexuality

So what happens when you hide all the women from the men? Well the men turn to their fellow men for love of course… Jail is the perfect testing ground for such a theory. See at the end of the day a man is very different from a woman… He does not look for love he looks for satisfaction. The base urges are what need to be satisfied. Only when these are fulfilled can a man even consider the higher things such as love and romance. So in jail, with no women around the man has nothing satisfied, not love, not connection, not intimacy, and definitely not the most crucial of all things… getting off. So to whom does the in mate turn to in these desperate times? Well he turns to his cell mate, his showering partner…. He does what he has to do to survive… As Jesus said, “Man cannot live on bread alone”, now it was not only the culinary appetite he was referring to here, and self inflicted pleasure can only take you so far. The same tests hold true to other institutions that leave men to their own devices, the Navy, the Army, the Air Force (except Top Gun of course….;-p), all boys boarding schools, the Catholic Church and more than any other place… Saudi Arabia.

It really is amazing to think of the complete irony of this social experiment and its blindingly obvious results. I mean what were the Mullahs expecting to happen when they covered all the women and hid them away from the men. Add to this giving men the freedom to do what the want (including money in most cases), but only with other men. All meaningful experiences for Saudi men happen with other Saudi men, and there is nothing like a meaningful experience to bring two people very close together. So there you have it… forget Kings Cross, forget San Fransisco, forget Brighton, Saudi is the place to be for a gay man in the 21st Century and Riyadh being its capital would have to be gay central and a hotspot on any mans gaydar!

As any reader of this blog would be raising their eyebrow in disbelief let me expand:

Now I have never been propositioned by anyone in my life, not man, nor woman… well a woman gave me her number once… and well lets just say that that same woman will be with me till the day I die. So besides that I have never really been approached. Well my first day here in the Kingdom I am asked by a stranger 1. Where I am staying, 2. If I am staying there alone, 3. Do I want to stay alone, and 4. If I want someone to talk to he would be there…. So yes I had direct contact with it….

Also I had been speaking to my Bahraini colleague in the office here who was driving me about the city. He was adamant as to the situation of man homosexuality in the Kingdom. He told me of a time recently when in a nightclub in Bahrain a member of the Saudi Royal family approached him, commenting on his looks, asked about how to make love to a woman and asked if he was attractive… My Bahraini said thanks and left….

Now I have more evidence but do not want to go into it, nor do I really care to. I mean it just bothers me that this social experiment here is having some pretty crazy consequences. I have no problem with homosexuality, it is normal for say about 5% of the population to be so inclined. It has been this way since the dawn of time. What is not normal is for a society to be constructed to cause homosexuality to be the norm rather than the except. But if you take all the cows out of the field, what do you think the bulls will end up doing?

And all this without a mention of the situation of women in this country…. My verdict is that this place is a mess… And the social engineering group of royal and religious people here should be ashamed of themselves. I am sure Mohammed (PBUH), would be struck dumfounded as to what has been done here in his name (not to mention the funding of terrorism Saudi petro dollars has provided…)

Saudi Arabia...

Okay well the rumors were right....

You would not notice it immediately if you werent looking for it.. but it would gradually become clear... As you sit and look around... you notice something very important not there... something that really makes life worth living... it's not there... no it's not alcohol, it's not drugs, it's not pro secular literature..... No much more important than all this...... There are no women... they are all hidden away.....

I have much to write, but thought i would throw a quick I am still alive and have yet to be jailed...

One Month

It is hard to imagine the feelings that will overcome me when I return home. I remember lying on hard uncomfortable beds in many strange rooms whilst travelling, day dreaming of what coming home would be like. I confess to never imagining that I would be coming home for only a short time to then go to Canada and then back to where I live, in Dubai. Amazing how life takes such unexpected paths. I would never have thought that I would fall in love with someone from a different country but I guess that's why I left Oz.... find myself and that someone special :-) Worth searching for….

Well the last few weeks have been a quiet affair. I have been grounded as my passport was with various authorities, getting my residence permit, including the required TB and AIDS test and then once returned it once again left me to process my Saudi Visa. So tonight is the first night I have slept with my passport back with me and as a legal resident here in the UAE.

I have also managed to overcome my dislike for Dubai in recent weeks. I am not sure what has done it.... I guess when I walk around and see the diversity of this place it really excites me. I mean this place really has some potential and it will be really interesting to see what becomes of Dubai over the next few decades, but I can't say I will be here.... As when it comes down to it, it is just too God Damn hot here... I mean it is in the cooler months and it is still topping 35C round midday... not my style... and add global warming and it is just going to get worse. But still cool to be here now. I mean tonight I went and got a Yasir Arafat tea towel for a mate then went to my local vegi indian place and sat down (you always share tables) with a distinctly asian looking guy who could speak Hindi. And I found out he's from Nepal, Pokarah in fact... and we get chatting and I even remembered some Nepali and we had a chat and he said we should dine together another time.. and all for 1 pound, all you can eat curry, rice, bread and desert.... (of course no white people around…) And this is just around the corner.... And going to the gym is great too.... busting out some hardcore sets listening to gangster rap surrounded by arabic, indian and Pilipinos’... too good.. I love the mix... So I love where I live in Dubai......

I also caught a bus (20 pence) a few times and was the only white guy in sight... and it was great... I mean there is hope for this town, they just need to work out recycling, introduce a few taxes here and there, get a decent public transport system, allow people to become citizens and start to think about environmental issues when planning new developments.... And this is one of the worst places on Earth and I can see hope and promise.... So I have grown through my doubt and fear and hopelessness about the human condition to have a vision of a possible sustainable future here, in Dubai of all places, the centre of greed and capitalism… But it will always be hot here… and I love… I mean love with a passion walking .. walking to the shops, to work, to the beach, to the gym…. I love walking and I love public transport…. And walking in 45C, although I have done it, just aint that much fun…. And the sweat is just no turn on… esp. in the office…

Anyways I am off to Bahrain next week, then Saudi… and can you believe the thing I needed to sign to get into Saudi…. I am surely doing nothing wrong there… I mean I could be executed for doing anything against Islam… nuts!?!?! I don’t really have too much to say except I can’t wait to get home, see my family, my friends and of course my number one person in the world….. Oh how I miss her :-)