God I hate Dubai! It is funny when I think about how I will look back at my time here… a time spent learning so much about things I only read about in books. Learning about how unfair the world is, how unequal the distribution of resources is. But here I am after being here for 8 months and I have had enough of it all!
The sad thing is that all I want to do is run away from it all and bury my head in the sand of a comfortable western lifestyle, once again immune and ignorant to the plight of the majority. But to tell you the truth it really weighs you down seeing how unfair the world is to people and how lucky I have it. I mean I lie on my bed having a nice Saturday afternoon siesta and I feel guilty as the gardener is outside, slaving away in the sun. I know the low wages he earns, I know he is going back to a room he shares with several other people, I know he doesn’t have a kitchen, I know he rarely sees his family, the list goes on. And my gardener has it better than the laborer, who lives in the “labor camps” outside the city limits, where they even resort to eating cats for food (yes this was front page news a few months back - http://secretdubai.blogspot.com/2007/01/kitty-kebabs.html). And then I have to think about India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where these people have come from, where conditions are infinitely worse.
It’s enough to make you scream to the heavens “My God, my God, why have you forsaken them all????”
So my question is; Where to from here? I mean all good and well for me to go off and move back into the world I consider normal and enjoy myself, but is there not more I owe this world. I now know that I am clearly in the top one percent of the world’s people when it comes to wealth and resources. What should I do about all this? One need look no further than the Bible: Jesus Said: But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already (Luke 6:24). I mean what does this say for our next life, we privileged top percent of the global pecking order? Are we enjoying now at the expense of tomorrow… Anyways it’s all a bit much for me at the moment.
It just shocks me, that is all. I mean is it okay to be wealthy whilst others starve? I mean I am not even wealthy. By western standards I am merely middle class, nothing more. Should the mode of comparison be local, national or global? I have to think with globalization and all the benefits it brings it also brings responsibilities. No longer can we be immune to the plight of those thousands of miles away. And me, I am much closer to the slums of Mumbai, than I am to the comfortable suburbs of Wollongong where I grew up.
I guess what aggravates this frustration more is the way some live out here. Those in my office worry themselves with which series BMW or Mercedes someone drives…. I know an expat manager here who owns a 7 series BMW and a Ferrari!?!!? I mean when is enough enough? I would think an Indian would have more sympathy to the plight of the impoverished, given they were faced with it every day as they grew up. But I think they are more used to it than the average western person and accept it as a fact of life, part of the cosmic balance of the universe (a key tenant to the functioning of the caste system).
Well it is not for me to judge. All I can say is that I have learnt that this world is a harsh place, but not a place devoid of hope and opportunity; I mean people out here are making a better life for themselves and their families back home. I just wish I knew where to head from here. Well I am confident in the fact that I have chosen the ideal life partner, one who shares all these concerns with me and that together we can at least try to make some kind of difference, rather than just make ourselves feel good about ourselves and less guilty about the kind fortunes that God has bestowed upon us.
Ha! But then one sees the IPCC report released this week and well…. Once again the poor lose out. Sometimes I cannot help but think God has it in for the less fortunate. Or maybe there is no God and it is up to us, the more fortunate ones to make things right. Maybe God was invented as someone to blame for the plight of the less fortunate, a convenient excuse for us to sit back, relax having a siesta, and do nothing to make these horribly unjust things right.
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14 comments:
Well the poor obviously aren't putting enough money in that thing they pass around at church are they?? That's how you get salvation!
(meanwhile they probably donate to the church vastly more as a proportion of their income).
Meanwhile I still hold hope for a global government - sort of - a UN of one vote = one country with more power - especially when it comes to trade.
If there was one area where I reckon you would be huge asset (other than environmental economics) would be international trade policy - working for better terms of trade for developing nations - that is one of the biggest factors causing poverty - other than the massive inequity in poor countries - but how do we change other governments policy to improve equity? Unless they are within our region and will do what Australia tells (and we tell them to use certain policies). blah blah, i'll stop typing now before I write another essay.
...i just been here in Dubai for ten days and already i have felt sorry for the labour class here and i have been saddened by the level of discrimination there is...
I totally agree with you, all what you wrote in this blog is true. Dubai is such a horrible place as it is the gulf in general. The working class is way hard working for our western standars and when you bring this up in a conversation with an arab, as they don't know any better they think it is ok for those poor labourers to earn a few dollars a month for working in such poor conditions and they blame the Australians or the Americans for that!! (who own different construction companies here) All I have to say is that the people behind all this horrible UAE and the Gulf should be ashame of what they're doing with a huge amount of the workforce.
I can't wait to get out of here!!
Well its for sure that even those of us from religious backgrounds are supposed to address solutions. Dubai being a Muslim state has failed in this instance, i as a Muslim should be ashamed as well as others. Its really shameful we becoming richer and selfish and leaving poor people behind to live in outrageous conditions where some of them even commit suicide out of frustration. The wealth of this world is surely unbalanced.
we prefer to buy a pair of cheap nike Shoes if they'r the same of brand.we can feel the comfortable what brought
by Air Jordan Shoes,but also relaxing from Jordan Kicks.once u wear Jordan Shoes,even u think u'r the NO.1,
you'r be more confident than before .i like Jordan Shoes.
I lived in Dubai and experienced something similiar to you alot of guilt for having more then a labour camp worker and having more then the garden boy. I stayed in Dubai for 6 months with my husband we left shortly afterwards as we couldnt stand all the materialism going on there at the expense of the poor we moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. I have to say Denmark brought my sanity back its peacful, calm, better weather, and people are decent followed with rules and regulations unlike Dubai.I suggest you go back to Australia before its too late and you lose your self.
I totally agree with you all. I'm, being a UAE national, feel very bad about the descrimination and poor conditions of workers.
It's not only the labour discrimination that we have in DXB, but also the racism. I come to Dubai to work for one airline and now i just realize that it is HELL on earth. Local ppl look at me with comtepmt. They always prejudge asians as labours or prostitude. They think that we are stupid. That's one of the reasons y i prefer staying at my room and not going out in Dubai at all. At first, i planned to have a holiday with my parents here but i changed my mind. I think i had better go to some other countried where we are welcomed. I dont want my parents to feel awkward like they are animals or sth like that. And most important thing is i dont want to spend my money in this shitty country. God gives them oil and then they r rich bc of the natrural resouces but ppl overhere they are far from the word "civilization." I think they r more like babarians. Male looks like Casper wearing white dress and female looks like penguines with the black dress and the seductive hot pants inside.
At least they can get jobs in Dubai and the Arab world, your western heaven closing the door for the whole 3d world no one can even dream of getting there let stand go for a Job.. fair huh??
I am from Egypt and Emirati treat us very badly..one day inshallah curse will come to this country..i not get my salary now for 4 months..My sponsors scaring me to send me back egypt..i was more happyier in cairo...Curse to be Dubai...and Locals..
Hey u whiners, yes we hate Indians, British and Pakistani People..they are cheap and will always be our little dogs.. Indians will be our slaves, British woman will be our sharmootas and pakistani will be our driver always..U british people no culture..i hate most out of every expat peoples British...We have the money and you will even sell your daughters for money u hungry white trash...
Hey Aussie cheap white ocker piece of Shit..why dont u go back to australia and do the oi oi oi with your kangaroos..i have been to Australia many times i know how you people treat muslim and arabs..here atleast we give you a good life, good lifestyle and ur still complaining like lil bitches...if you dont like it just pack up and leave..we dont need guys like you in dubai..Yes we are rich beacuse allah made us rich and mulsims will continue to grow and get richer while your convict kangaroo land will get poor.. Now tell me i want to buy your wife..wud you sell her to me? Im sure u wud you ocker peice of garbage..
I just like to point out that, obviously the Christian God was created for that exact reason. Just like any religion, its created to try and answer and justify, to motivate and control. While I follow no religion, I have a moral code, and I don't dismiss religions and false, merely unprooven. I'm sure have done more good in the world then many devoutly religous people Humanity has always had and forever will have some form of slavery, whether it be based on strength, relgion, ethnicity, geography or eventually economics. The people on top need there to be more people on the bottom. The only thing we can do is make sure the people on the bottom don't suffer any more that then job will require.
I have to say I just started reading "God I Hate Dubai" and now I can't stop reading everything else you have written...I absolutely love Love LOVE your blog!
Thanks heaps for sharing! c: x
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