As a flood of graduation posts hit my Facebook news feed this past weekend, I realized that I, too, will be completing my collegiate career in just a few short weeks. Along with that, I realized that I have exactly 18 days left in the UAE. Whoa. It seems like just yesterday I was wandering wide-eyed through the Dubai airport after my transatlantic flight from DC touched down on the tarmac. In light of this reality check, I decided to sit down and reflect on some of the many highs and lows of my semester abroad.
As the title of this post implies, there are many aspects of life in the UAE that I'll dearly miss when I return home, but there are also many annoyances and frustrations that I'll be glad to leave behind. Such is the nature of life, and such is the nature of studying abroad. The thing about studying abroad, though, is that it acts as a multiplicative coefficient. On the one hand, seemingly ordinary activities can become extraordinarily meaningful, but on the other hand, slight inconveniences can quickly turn into major headaches. If you've traveled to a foreign country, you likely can relate to some degree, but I guarantee a week-long vacation is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the spectrum of emotions and experiences a person can expect to feel while living abroad for an extended period of time. To give you a better idea, I'd like to share with you this week some of the things I'll miss about the UAE. In a later post (after I return home to the United States, where I am able to speak freely and critically), I'll introduce you to the opposite side of the coin.
LOVE: Things I'll miss ...
- The call to prayer. It's quite beautiful to be able to hear the voice of the Imams summoning the faithful to obey Salat--the second pillar of Islam--no matter where you are in the city. For some background info on this practice as well as the other pillars, click here.
- The food. If you know me, you know I am a pretty big foodie, and as such, I've thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to sample the many diverse cuisines represented in the Emirates and elsewhere in the region. Indian, Emirati, Jordanian, Palestinian, Egyptian, Nigerian, Turkish, Iranian, Moroccan, Saudi Arabian, Filipino, British ... the list goes on and on. You name it, you can probably find it somewhere in Dubai.
- The weather. It's almost always sunny here, and nighttime temperatures are absolutely perfect, typically in the 70s and 80s. As it gets closer to summer, I'm liking the heat less and less (The high was 106 today, and I've heard it can hit 130 in July/August), but with its coastal location and ubiquitous A/C, there are many ways to stay cool.
- The nightlife. Maybe it's just 'cause I'm from Idaho, but I'm in love with the cosmopolitan club/lounge scene here in Dubai. There's a venue for every budget and nearly every type of music, and whether you just want to chill with some shisha or dance the night away to EDM, you can always find the perfect spot.
- The cultural diversity. There are so many nationalities represented both on campus as well as in the UAE as a whole. It's interesting to note that Emiratis are a minority in their own country, making up less than 15% of the population. The majority of residents are from the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, but there's a good chunk of expats from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and elsewhere in Asia as well. A great example of this is my previous post about the Global Day event on the AUS campus.
- The architecture. From outstanding examples of classical Islamic design to stunning skyscrapers and other modern marvels, the UAE is an architect's dream come true. I'll definitely miss the ornate patterns and stately domes as well as the bold, beautiful creations of glass and steel that make up the skyline of Dubai and the surrounding area. For some examples, click here, here, here, and here.
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the second part of this post!
~ MH
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