Dubai Flipside

The Eid-al-Fitr holiday has just passed and now everything is back to normal here in the UAE. Eid -al -Fitr is just one of the Eid holidays coming in the next 70 days after Ramadan and this particular feast reminded me of what I learned back in grade school, the feast of Hari Raya Puasa which means breaking of the fast in Malay.

This holiday is also celebrated in Manila as a one-day holiday (Nov. 4) but here in the UAE, it is somewhat protracted, which also reminds me of the way we celebrate Christmas in the Philippines. If you are working here in one of the government offices, the holiday is a week-long observance (Nov 2 to 6) while the private offices normally had it for three days (including the Friday off).

I was also somehow bemused by the memo released by my previous company in Dhabi. It tells that
" ....The company will observe the first and second day of the Eid al Fitr holiday..." without announcing explicitly which days are those.

Of course, the normal reply was that it depend on the moon sighting which first day in November will it fall (Nov 2 or 3). But for me, without being too insensitive to the cultural connotation, the memo was the most ambiguous memo I've read in years, it was actually my first.

People in the office, and here is the most amusing part, espcially the non-muslims, also prayed hard that the moon should appear by Nov 2 < - and it would be hypocritical of me I say I'm not one of them, ;=) >.

When I got back here in Dubai, my flatmates are also hoping for a start of Nov 2 holiday start. But alas, Eid was declared in Nov 3 dampening the hopes of those in the private sector of a longer work vacation.

Despite this trivialization, I enjoyed Eid in one of its truest sense. I was invited in one Muslim Household in Deira and got to taste the hospitality and tradition of Eid.

But then I never anticipated how painful my tooth could be the next morning. Despite this, Eid al-Fitr has just become one of my favorite holidays!

After three weeks toiling in Abu Dhabi, I am nowback again in Dubai. For a moment there, I thought I will be permanently moving to Abu Dhabi. Luckily or unluckily, a wonderful offer came up to work in one of the office cubicles in one of Dubai's technology mini-cities. After living in a solitary confinement in one of the thousand accommodations in the remote Musaffah area, I am now back in the chaotic and noisy environment of Dubai.

Actually dwelling in Abu Dhabi and coming back again to Dubai provide me an opportunity to compare the two cities. Unlike any other busy Asian capitals (Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Manila Jakarta), apparently Abu Dhabi provides a more laid back and breathable living compared to fast and frenetic mass huddles of Dubai ( imagine Washington DC to New York). What I particularly like in Dhabi is driving on its roads and highways (see previous post). The highway connecting Musaffah and Abu Dhabi is almost empty even during rush hours, that you certainly feel how it is to cruise on a highway. Despite the apparent lack of glittery skyscrapers that Dubai offers, getting lost in the streets and small corners of Abu Dhabi city centre will not fail to surprise one and be amazed in discovering the hidden treasures of the city (one prime example is the Abu Dhabi National Gas Liquefaction HQ - ADGAS, with its breathtaking and opulent interiors).

I have also come to know the common names of the prominent streets in AUH such as Passport Road, Electra, Muroor, Najda, TCA (that is the Tourist Club Area for the uninitiated) and Airport Road -- they are hidden by the formal names such as Al Falah St., Zayed 1St street, Zayed 4th st, Zayed 6th st, etc that you usually find in the street signs. (Try telling that to the Patan cab drivers who will give you blank stares if he hears you mouthing Zayed 1st st.)

People at work have been very interesting too. I gained a number of Indian friends who taught me how to distinguish Indians from among themselves (the Keralites and the Malayalam language, those who come from Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai and of course knowing some Hindi - it is very embarrasing to admit that I know only three words, Nei, Kalas and Malum). But I guess distinguishing them would be a difficult subject in a very short time from a foreign perspective because of their high multiculturalism.

Despite this, I still long for the round-the-clock on the go of Dubai (during that 3-weeks, I find myself coming back at least twice in a week aside from the weekend).