Getting to know me

I saw an interview of Kristin at Camels and Chocolates and wanted to jump right in. I think I found this wonderful blog at the 2009 Bloggies, nominated for the Best Travel Weblog category and been hooked with her travel stories and beautiful photos ever since.

She sent me these five questions in lightning speed before I could even finish asking myself if she would ever come up with five questions when she hardly knows me. So here are the questions Kristin gave me and my answers:

1. You’ve moved around the world quite a bit–Philippines, Japan, the United Arab Emirates. Do you have a favorite home?

That is a difficult question but I think my current favorite home is our small apartment here in Dubai. We’ve been living here for the past two years and the safety, security and homely feeling it gives me make it appropriate to be called a “favorite home”.

Our home in Japan is rented out so we can’t live there if we go for vacation. I can’t say it’s my favorite home because I’ve had less happy memories with that house. We can stay at my in-laws in Japan but not for long so that house not a favorite home, either. When I go back to the Philippines, I stay in my parent’s house but there has been a lot of changes in the environment that I don’t like.

2. Even though Dubai has a pretty good track record (comparatively) in terms of violence, is it ever difficult living in the Middle East during such turbulent times?

I never found it difficult to live in Dubai despite this city being located in the Middle East. You will be surprised if you ask expats from different countries if they feel safe here and you’ll hear them say a big YES. Crime is hardly heard in Dubai and I hope it stays that way for a long time.

I’ve never felt safer in my entire life until I came here. I wish our Middle East neighbors also enjoy the same privilege but one can only wish too much. 

3. A multicultural girl like yourself, what languages do you speak? You say you don’t know Arabic, but have you been picking up on some or do you plan to learn it?

I speak English, Japanese and two languages from the Philippines (Tagalog and Visayan). I don’t know or learn Arabic because I am not required to do so. I won’t stress on it and risk growing additional white hairs.

Seriously, expats here in the UAE can live and work without learning any Arabic, although some simple greetings may come in handy at times. I’ve picked up some Arabic words but can hardly form simple sentences. With more than 200 nationalities living in this city, English is the main language and in my case, it is better for me to learn Tamil or Hindi, both Indian languages widely spoken by my work colleagues and bosses.

Am I planning to learn Arabic? Definitely, yes, if I have the chance and time. Right now, I can’t accommodate Arabic studies in my 6-day work week. But I am learning the language little by little, I have a teacher at home - my five year old daughter who has Arabic classes in school! 

4. What has been the single hardest thing about leaving Japan and adjusting to a totally different lifestyle in Dubai?

The word single makes answering this question hard!

The seasons? I miss the seasons in Japan or the general view of nature. Dubai is a city built in the desert and although the government tries so hard to create green areas, and I tell you, their effort is massive and very much appreciated, nothing can be compared to the natural change of seasons.

Adjusting to a totally different lifestyle…

Working on Saturdays and Sundays – Two years of working here and I haven’t adjusted to the idea that I need to work on weekends when most of the people in other parts of the globe I know are out having a picnic or enjoying the sun. The UAE is an Islamic country so we have off on Fridays. (Some companies have Friday-Saturday off while I only have Fridays.)

I can’t stop so I’ll add another, promise this is the last!

Traffic – My family and I live in a quite suburb in Japan. Not in Tokyo, I could never live in Tokyo. I drive to work everyday and arrive at almost the same time. The traffic flow is the same (unless there’s heavy snow or bad accident) but Dubai is a city under construction so the roads change overnight, resulting in bad traffic. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried while driving in traffic!

5. Being in such close proximity to so many other interesting countries, have you gotten to explore much?

Not yet but we are ready to go out. Petra in Jordan, the Pyramids in Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey tops our travel agenda!

*****

If you would like to participate in the ME interview, here are the rules.

1. If you want to be interviewed, leave me a comment that says “Interview me”.

2. I will respond by emailing you 5 questions (I get to choose the questions).

3. Update your blog with the answers to the questions and let me know when you have posted it.

4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When the other comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Tagged as: Dubai expat life, interviews, Travels

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