Home from home

Following a hastily arranged business trip, I found myself unexpectedly back in London. Logistics meant that for a few days I was staying smack in the centre of town, a mere leisurely walk away from all the bright lights that have attracted me like a moth since my teenage years.

The real pleasure of this trip is that I was travelling with my boss of six years, who was and has always been more of a friend than anything else, so I was excited at the prospect of filling in all the gaps between what he knows about me and the life that preceded our friendship.

In addition, I had the pleasure of travelling with him to Beirut a few years back and seeing the faces, places and spaces that surrounded him during his formative years, so in a way we were completing the circle.

There is a strange feeling of displacement that happens when I re-mix elements of my life, that is, when something (or somebody) from Dubai is suddenly transplanted into my London life. It was great to be able to walk the streets that are etched with memories and tall tales from my past, and colour them in for my travelling companion.

I don't often compare London to Dubai and drone on about the greatness of my home city because, like I say, each place has its merits and USPs, but one thing that I truly miss is the ability to walk around in the open air... in real streets with history. We probably spent most of our time pounding the pavements from Soho to Mayfair observing the glorious differences between the lives we know and those we formerly lived.

It provided some priceless moments of fun, and the ability to chat about all aspects of life& I don't know if we actually arrived at "the meaning" but we certainly spoke about everything else.

As well as enjoying the London that courses through my blood, I was able to step across into the Little Arabia that exists in virtually every major city in the world. There is a big street between Central London and the very upmarket area of Knightsbridge, called Edgware Road, which for years has been home to the Middle Eastern community. This street and community has existed for years but prior to my time in Dubai, I can't say that I ever felt best-equipped to spend time down there.

There are loads of businesses and cafes that are happy to accommodate customers from all walks of life. My reluctance would have been my lack of understanding of the people and the fear that I would not be made to feel welcome. The beauty of age and experience is: now that I know the truth, I couldn't wait to spend some time in the cafes, impressing or amusing the locals with my clumsy Arabic and knowledge of kabbineya! My boss had to pinch himself because at nearly midnight on a rainy summer evening, we were huddled underneath a red parasol emblazoned with the name "Maroosh".

We were amused by the sight of a Hummer with a Libyan number plate and similarly a red, convertible Ferrari sporting "Iraq"... it was surreal yet strangely familiar. The real icing on the cake was being able to introduce my boss to my parents. Like I said, he has been a good friend and colleague for over six years so they are very familiar with his name, and I never really imagined there'd be an opportunity for them to meet. I knew my mum would be flattered that my boss was interested to come visit, and I felt that if my dad was in form, his political passion from the past would connect with my boss who in his time has flown the flag. I cannot explain how rewarding it was to unite these two elements of my life. The few hours that we spent together were truly magical. The circle, as they say, was certainly complete!

360 Degree-ingly Yours