a LIFE away from HOME - Part 2
Blog#3
March 10, 2022
This is a continuation of my journey.
I am just glad to share it with you.
Shocking culture and environment. Asians have a very different culture from the Middle East.
FOOD
Asians, specifically in the Philippines, are big fans of rice coupled with our favorite dishes like adobo, sinigang, caldereta, kare-kare, lechon and many more. One thing Emiratis and other nationalities hate is the odor of dried fish or “bulad” which is very opposite to us..
The Emirati food includes meat, fish, and rice, with lamb and mutton being the more favored meats; tea and coffee are the preferred beverages, with spices like cardamom, saffron, and mint added to give it a distinctive flavor. One thing I remembered is they have this “tsai” wherein the tea is mixed with milk.
Since it is a Muslim country, haram (Arabic word for forbidden) food like pork is not allowed for them but there is a designated area in a supermarket where pork and pork-related products can be bought. They only eat halal (Arabic word meaning permitted) food.
CLOTHING
Filipinos wear t-shirts and jeans as casual attire but sometimes shorts also as everyday clothes. Western-style clothes at the office and formal gatherings. We prefer more comfortable clothing.
The traditional dress of Emirati men is a Dishdasha or a Kandura. This is a single-piece ankle-length garment. In their homes, they sometimes wear half-sleeved Kanduras, but formal Kanduras are always full-sleeved.
They wear Gutra as the headdress. The Gutra, which is a square piece of scarf, protects their head and face from the scorching heat of the desert. They would also cover their faces with it when the dust is too high. Agal is used to hold the Gutra on the head.
The traditional outfit of Emirati women is Abaya. An elegant loose fitting flowing black cloak. The Abaya is always worn on top of other clothes. Underneath the cloak, women wear traditional or western clothes. The dark cover also helps hide the bright-colored garments.
CLIMATE
The Philippines has a tropical climate with high temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall.
Dubai has a hot desert climate. They have extremely hot weather, hot winds, and high humidity during summer and extremely cold also during winter.
EMPLOYMENT
These differences of culture never made me discouraged to look for a job. I went for an interview from one employer to another in the hope that I can be hired.
My first employer was managed by two Emirati sisters, and they have treated me like their equals. My work is to process visas and help set up companies in UAE. The name of their company was Business Support Services. They picked me up in the morning and we went to the office together. I cannot forget that they asked me why I am so thin that I am eating rice while the two of them only eat shawarma but gained souch weight. I just find it funny to remember now. It was short but memorable.
After that employment, I was then hired at a real estate developer and broker company, KM Properties LLC. This time I worked as a customer service representative. The struggle is real aside from communication but handling the not-so-good customer was tough. Conversing with different nationalities from an Emirati, Iranian, Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Australian, Canadian, and others made it so challenging. The good thing is my Indian manager was really very nice and approachable as well as my teammates who are Filipinos also.
People like them made it lighter though I am miles away from home.
OUR FAMILY BACK HOME
Fridays would be the weekend in Dubai. So, this is the time when we can attend mass at church, bond with other “kabayan” as we call fellow Filipinos in Dubai. Most importantly, we call our families in the Philippines because this is the time with a low rate for calls. By the time I can speak to them, homesickness hits me. I would sometimes cry. I have experienced a lot of misunderstandings with my boyfriend before. I cried a lot back then but what can I do. Of course, I need to work hard and send money to my family.
Most of the time, we follow what our parents want because they know what is best for us. But eventually as we grow up, we learn to decide on our own, outside our comfort zone. That is why after almost two years of working abroad, I decided that it is my turn to follow what I want and what my heart desires.
Hope you continue to read and support my next article.
You can check out my other articles on the link below.
To know more about me, click this link : https://read.cash/@Ayen22/a-glimpse-of-myself-7cc89e52
For the Part 1 of A life away from HOME, clink this link: https://read.cash/@Ayen22/a-life-away-from-home-part-1-1c73fd0e
Disclaimer:
Pictures and some contents are taken from the link below.
Ctto: https://www.dayoutdubai.ae/blog/safari/traditional-dress-of-uae-dubai/
Thank you very much.. im happy that you like it. I would be happy to create more articles.