A newly married couple has relocated to Dubai from Mumbai, India. Meeting them some days ago made me realise how much they have to look forward to. And, inevitably, the comparisons begin.
When I arrived in this country two decades ago, I knew little of what to expect. As the waves of homesickness hit me, I just wanted to turn tail and flee home. But I stood my ground. I learnt to manage on a very limited income and to put up with lack of privacy in shared accommodation. That was the greatest leveller for me. After a couple of years, I managed to move into my own place, albeit small but my very own space. The difference that made to my outlook on life was tremendous. There was a lifting of spirits and a general sense of optimism.
After some years, instead of looking forward to holidays when I could go home, I actually began to look forward to coming back to the UAE. That’s when I knew I had finally settled down and this was now home for me.
I tried to give the couple a pep talk on taking it slowly at first and tamping down the acquisitive instinct which rears its head so easily when faced with a barrage of goodies. They nodded their heads but I know they will do exactly what they want. Each person’s learning curve is different and what is good for me might not necessarily be their cup of tea. So, my advice to them was tempered with caution as I told myself that perhaps each one of us has to make our own mistakes and learn from them. Adversity can be a hard taskmaster.
When I first came here, it was but natural to convert from dirhams to rupees each time I looked at prices. The exercise certainly isn’t good for the blood pressure but it does make you think twice before splurging. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last very long when you realise you are now earning in dirhams and there’s no point in conversion.
But I was careful with money as I knew I had to build up a bank balance as a security net. Perhaps I should be grateful for having been brought up by parents who were frugal because that was the only way they knew of living. But there’s a downside to this. The next generation of nephews and nieces soon realised that their parents were determined to make their lives easier than the cards dealt to them. So, they pretty much got what they wanted without having to learn the hard way that the good things in life are to be worked for.
So, while I arrived here with very little money and thought several times before spending, the couple has arrived with a healthy bank balance, for now at least. So, they can think of going mall hopping while they are still new to town and look forward to the best places to eat and which make of car to buy. As we walked down a road I could see the young man’s eyes light up each time he saw a car that belonged to a coveted category.
And I come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, I have gone through various phases in life that have made me, each in their own little way, a wiser person with a healthy appreciation of what is important in life. Having had to work hard to achieve each success has made me a stronger person and I am grateful for having finally arrived at a place where I can say I am truly content with what I have, apart, of course, from the still unfulfilled yearning to win the Dubai Duty Free one million dollar raffle!
