Getting a Driving License

 I have mentioned in my last post how you need to open your wallet every time you leave the house, I just never realized how much people would need to have in their pockets in order to get things done, and well as a start… you will need a lot to issue a driving license.

 Having said that, I should remind you that I have a Jordanian driving license, but I cannot switch it to a UAE one unless I take some mandatory lessons first and apparently pay a ton of cash in the process.

When I first applied for it I wanted to get a manual shift license, I changed my mind about that not because I realized I had to pay extra for the lessons, but because I had to pay extra to sign an approval in order for a male instructor to give me the lessons, - Note that I am not underestimating the idea, but I am only wondering why did I have to pay for that?- I mean does it cost that much to sign a paper?

I also am wondering what difference does it make if I paid cash or with a credit card?! Why do I have to pay 2.5% of the whole value if I was paying with credit card? Anyway, it was weird, and honestly money is not always an issue, but it is when you feel like you’re being ripped off. I really think it is enough that you would have to pay more than 100% of the real cost over fees and charges even though you already know how to drive.

These things could get frustrating on the long run, people work really hard in order to have better lives, and the fact that they have to put so much of their earnings over many things that they NEED to have is really hard.

 But you’ve got to wonder, all these people have a chance of letting go and going back to their countries, but they don’t! Why do they prefer to live like this? And why are they willing to spend more of their savings in order to stay here? Is it the lifestyle or is it that they have better chances here?

Dubai and the Open Wallet

It starts with the idea of getting out, if you didn’t have a car, you’d have to open your wallet for a taxi, even if you were using the subway, you won’t be able to survive walking in such weather even for 10 meters!

So you make your way to your destination, a mall, a restaurant, a friend’s place, a tower, or the beach. You will always find reasons to open that wallet, by walking near a shop that has something you might need, or a hypermarket for groceries you do need, paying the bills, or renting a movie to watch with a friend, or ordering lunch or dinner from a restaurant, pay entrance fees, or even paying the people who delivered a very heavy thing to your house. The thing is, you will always have reasons that will keep your wallets open. Family visits maybe the only time when you won’t have to, but sometimes you would also need to. And of course a walk on the beach in the summer is out of the picture.

My life in Jordan wasn’t so different as well. Considering the salaries there and how expensive life is, I am telling you Jordanians are very strong to keep up with that. 

So I could guess this is how things are in general, but hey, you gotta be careful, it’s not easy when you live in Dubai, unless you get a reasonable number on that paycheck every month, don’t bother going out much!

But the only thing that compensates to all of this is that you pay for things that deserve their prices, you get the services you want, at the time you need, and you will be happy about it.

Going to the Mall

Being new in town, I only was able to recognize some of the main roads and a few malls. Yeah, well.., I know what you would say, but no! I didn’t go for the sake of shopping!!

So I took a taxi.. went to Ibn Batuta Mall, Some people wouldn’t call that an experience! But there’s more to the story if you knew the details.

Fisrt, I opened the iPad to make a new shopping list, as I typed the items I needed, it gave me suggestions to the product’s brands, prices, and where to find it! That was so cool, because it actually helped me find the best products I needed in such a little time.

So, I was imagining that getting a taxi in this kind of hot weather will be like a mission impossible! But I was wrong.  I visited the  RTA’s website (RTA is the Roads & Transports Authority in the UAE: which is probably the BEST governmental online service in the Middle East), so I grabbed the phone, called a taxi, and it took them less than 5 minutes to be right on my doorstep! YEAH! That’s something! When compared to what I used to go through before, where getting a taxi meant standing at the pavement waiting desperately and receiving “compliments” from the guys around.

The shops are organized in general, you feel like your thoughts are right in place in your head where they should be  as you make your way to get what you want. But of course... what I say is based on my own experience combined with my own persona, maybe some people would disagree.

It didn’t end up well when I tried going back home, the taxi driver didn’t have a clue of how to get to the area where I live. He was going around and around the place until I managed to recognize the roads and show him the way... that consumed a lot of time and money!

But the first thing that was obvious for me to learn from this small experience is that; life is easier around here, and you really don’t have to struggle to get your things done everyday...  or exhaust yourself  worrying about how to get through the day.

Dubai Social Network

Every day; I receive calls from family and friends from Jordan, which I treasure, this way I would never feel away from them. But growing up in a community like the Jordanian one, you’d understand what the word “Ghorbeh” or “Expatriation” means there.

 

It’s a nightmare! In other words, people are afraid of it, because they still believe that if their sons and daughters are out of country... they’ll be vulnerable without their families, and more exposed to danger!

In fact a lot of young people struggle with this, whether it was a marriage proposal, study abroad, job opportunity, or even a vacation! It gets rejected by their parents because it is in another country, especially for females. I’ve faced it myself more than once when I got a scholarship and when I got married.

 

I didn’t share this “opinion” with the community because I believe that time has changed now, and it’s not as hard as they still think it is... add the fact that I love traveling and experiencing new cultures and life styles.

Which brings me to the real point I want to make here, it isn’t really like that in the UAE! The fact that the country has so many expats from all over the world, the possibilities of meeting someone from your own country are very high! Especially people you already know… each family in the Middle East has someone working, living, studying, or even shopping in the UAE.  It’s a place full of movement, and you get to see family members and old friends all the time. 

 

Like the other day, I grabbed the phone, arranged plans with my high school friends who happen to live here, and the next thing you know, we are reunioned! We spent the whole day together, which was something almost impossible to do before since we had a curfew to stick to.

 

In the end, what I mean to say is that this fact gives us more reasons to stay in touch with each other, people here look after each other more, and no one ever feels alone here because everyone is introduced to each other. This makes me fall in love with the idea that this community is becoming one big family that welcomes new members so warmly that they would feel “almost” like at home.

The difference between the UAE and the rest of the world...

During the years, I've come to meet or notice people from all around the world who happen to share the same idea about America, that it is the best country in the world.

To be honest, when I had the thought of creating this blog, I had no intention to make comparisons between countries, but to answer all the people who insisted on making them... I'm making this subject first on my blog.

Well here's the thing, where ever you go, and no matter how good that place was;  you will ALWAYS find someone comparing it with the States. You'd hear: " oh i wish i was in the states" or " it's so much better in America", or " GOD BLESS USA for this or that!!". And honestly, i don't blame them... America has been the leading country in the world for decades, we grew up on the dream that we will visit it someday or have a chance to study or work there. It's a place where chances are found, where people look for new beginnings and better lives.. it's basically a dream for a lot of people. 

But let's look at it from a different perspective... in my opinion what makes it a leading country is the Political power. I mean yes, it is also strong economically and industrially, but so is Japan!  It's really difficult to compare, because there are many powerful countries in the world. But there are some differences between the US and the UAE that no one can deny, the US has higher crime rates, poverty, homeless population, racism, and you can tell where i'm going from here.

It took the USA more than 200 years to become the "First world country", (in 1778, when the "United States of America" was declared as the official name), but it took the UAE less than 40 years to become what it is today (starting from1972 when the union was formed). Let us not underestimate this fact, the Emirates managed to become one of the leading Arab countries in all aspects in no time! it has developed in economics, education, infrastructure, culture, business, and health. all of a sudden, you can see high towers and bridges everywhere, trains passing above the streets, malls in every area of a city, and landmarks that are recognized in the whole world like Burj Khalifa and Sheikh Zayed Mosque! and I can't forget to mention that you can walk in the streets finding no homeless people in the way, and most importantly no criminals holding out a gun in your face asking you to give them your wallet!

These are not just words and numbers, these are people and years of dedication to the good of their country.

So YES! it is a place that's worth recognition and respect, and I'm guessing that in also no time, the UAE will be where chances, new beginnings, and hopes are found for many generations to come.

Introduction

As I sit in my house drinking coffee and looking through the window, I remembered… it wasn’t so long ago when I used to be dreaming about getting out of Jordan to study masters in Italy.
 

As the years passed, I made compromises… I wanted to go anywhere to study masters, but no place seemed to be close enough for my family to accept. It was really hard for me to live in a world where the chances are limited for women.  So the dream became stronger, it began to consume my thoughts, growing everyday in my head. But living in a place like that with a mentality like mine was the main reason for the dream to become JUST getting the hell out of Jordan!
 

But as we all know, God works in mysterious ways. Apparently I was meant to leave Jordan somewhere along the road, but in a totally different way than I had planned for.  Marriage was the last option on the list, only because I didn’t know that the right guy really existed.
 

As I start my life here in the UAE with the man I love, a very different place than any other country I’ve been to, I find this place a master piece, a social make-over, and most importantly, a place where stories are to be told.

So instead of waiting for my next visit to Jordan to tell family and friends how I fell in love with the Emirates, I might as well blog about them and share it with the whole world! My UAExperience will be my first blog, hope you like it.