In this week's issue
Things in perspective
There's really very little better than when friends come over to visit us in our sunny city, don't you think?
- G*Nice
- Published: 00:13 October 3, 2008
There's really very little better than when friends come over to visit us in our sunny city, don't you think?
As well as the thrill of seeing them again and catching up, it's the best way to get a perspective on our lives, both past and present, and the stuff that surrounds us.
One of my oldest friends was over very recently and it reminds me that no matter how great things go for me here, I have a tremendous sense of belonging towards another parallel universe filled with different faces, places and memory traces.
We rattle through the news of the near and far members of our social circle, hearing tales of pet shops in Sydney, wild nights in London plus the real substance of deep friendship, the trials and tribulations of the worry over ageing parents, economic downturns, relationships, future plans … to name but a few.
For me, the days pass quickly in Dubai, a result of always being on the go I guess. I have a challenging but hugely enjoyable job, I do lots of sporting activities, gym and pool in the morning, football at least twice a week.
I have to maintain my international journalism of course (!) and when I am not doing that I am with friends laughing, joking and letting the good times roll. Only when old friends from the outside come and visit do I have to really sit and think about some of the questions that their observations raise. Apparently I look very well and my appearance never seems to change. Apart from feeling happy that this is the case, I really don't put much thought into why it should be. I am not a Neanderthal by any means but am far from a GQ Modern Man! I have no skincare regime to speak of apart from lots of showers with fruity body washes!
I put much of it down to my shaved head to be honest. I often joke that once a man takes a Mach4 to his head, in the eyes of others he will never age. It's not so much a fountain of youth, more a smoke and mirrors illusion that eradicates any grey hairs before they have the chance to settle in. The only other logical reason apart from a generally healthy lifestyle is that I have always felt young at heart. I try not to act my age if I can actually help it, try not to get too stressed about anything and ensure that I laugh as much as I can.
The other big question that I am forever left to ponder is what do I think I will do in the future? Like most of you out there I had no fixed vision of what my Dubai adventure would be and how long it would last. Somehow I must have told people to expect two years because that number keeps coming back at me from family and friends alike. Well... I sailed past the two years some four years ago, and as incredible as that seems, it only feels like I have been here for a blink of an eye. I really have no plans for the future as such. In fact I expressed a weird thought on that subject to another friend recently when she asked how I was.
I told her that everything was generally very good, but I struggle with a feeling that no matter how good each day is for me, each day doesn't seem to connect to the day previous or the day to come.
I found it hard to verbalise this at the time and I have just discovered that it's even more difficult to express it when writing it down! Does that make any sense to anyone out there?
So in terms of the future, I just don't know. I guess I will just let the days and the experiences pile up... and make sure that I can face the outcome with a smile!
Soul cleansing-ly yours
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