than that of the white Western man.
I'm sure in the back of my mind I have known this all along, but living in the Gulf has really brought it home to me. No, I'm not ranting about gender issues, next on the list after white Western man comes white Western woman. I'm privileged over here. I'm treated with great resect by the community because of my status as a teacher, I'm paid a fair wage, I live in a nice apartment and I am (within reason) free to do as I please. The guys have it slightly better with access to more facilities, but in context, the difference is minimal.
This story http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/emergencies/two-killed-32-injured-in-blaze-that-gutted-eight-storey-building-1.554703 brought home to me how unequal society here is. For those of you who don't have time to read, the two men who were killed were cleaners living in a building marked for demolition, earning 450aed (€90) per month and living in four bedroom apartments which held 6 to eight people in each bedroom. They are continually exploited by employers who know that leaving isn't an option for those who would not find another job and could not make their way back to Pakistan. Many of them still send a good portion of their measly wages back to their wives and children in their home countries.
The amazing thing about these people is that they are not filled with the kind of resentment you see in the West with those who are unhappy with their lot. They consider themselves lucky to have come to a country where they can work for a living at all, and accept their position with good humour and a gentleness we don't often see in Ireland these days.
And what is the difference between us and them? Are we better people? No. Are we smarter? No. Did we do something to deserve our superior status in society no. We just got lucky. And it's about time we realised it and stopped our whinging.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Weekends in Ruwais....
I don't spend many weekends in Ruwais, usually I go to Abu Dhabi or occasionally Dubai. This weekend I'm hanging around because I leave to go to Ireland for Christmas on Tuesday and I thought I'd save some money. That's left me with a lot of spare time today, which is dangerous of course, because it gets me thinking....
During the week, I work from 7.45-3.10 and do lesson plans or mark copies in the evening. By this time, once I have dinner and spend an hour at Claire's or Caroline's I tend not to realise how little there actually is to do in the town. If you're a guy it's probably okay, the Rec has a really nice swimming pool, gym and a pool hall, but us ladies are persona non grata at these places - it really wouldn't be appropriate! There's a Ladies Rec as well, but while we're technically allowed to go there, any of us who have been tend to think of it as an exclusively Muslim Ladies Rec.
So... having woken up at 10 this morning and spent three hours languishing around the apartment and on facebook I decided I had to get out! I spent three hours walking around the town; I saw many mosques, all three supermarkets and countless slides and swingsets - but really, nothing for young people. I wonder how those who don't get out at the weekend cope with it! I'm already considering going to Abu Dhabi tomorrow just for the day for the sake of getting out.
And it makes me wonder about next year, will I stay? The advantages are clear: it's a secure job that I enjoy doing and if I stay for year two I get a large bonus. It gives me the opportunity both to travel and save some money [by the end of this year as well as seeing a bit of the gulf I hope to have seen Jordan, Vietnam/Cambodia and Sri Lanka]. I love Abu Dhabi and enjoy spending my weekends there though I'm not a massive fan of Dubai. And most importantly, I've met some really great people who I couldn't live without in a town like this.
But the disadvantages are there too - do I want to spend another year of my life (another year of my twenties) in a town where there is no life for young people, and few opportunities for social interaction. Should I give up the opportunity to travel and work elsewhere in the Middle East or Asia? The opportunity to hang out with people my own age outside of the circle of teachers who, as it is, all live and work together? Comments welcome!
On the bright side, the boredom of the day has led me to tidy my room, wrap presents, get ready for Ireland and indeed, update the blog!
During the week, I work from 7.45-3.10 and do lesson plans or mark copies in the evening. By this time, once I have dinner and spend an hour at Claire's or Caroline's I tend not to realise how little there actually is to do in the town. If you're a guy it's probably okay, the Rec has a really nice swimming pool, gym and a pool hall, but us ladies are persona non grata at these places - it really wouldn't be appropriate! There's a Ladies Rec as well, but while we're technically allowed to go there, any of us who have been tend to think of it as an exclusively Muslim Ladies Rec.
So... having woken up at 10 this morning and spent three hours languishing around the apartment and on facebook I decided I had to get out! I spent three hours walking around the town; I saw many mosques, all three supermarkets and countless slides and swingsets - but really, nothing for young people. I wonder how those who don't get out at the weekend cope with it! I'm already considering going to Abu Dhabi tomorrow just for the day for the sake of getting out.
And it makes me wonder about next year, will I stay? The advantages are clear: it's a secure job that I enjoy doing and if I stay for year two I get a large bonus. It gives me the opportunity both to travel and save some money [by the end of this year as well as seeing a bit of the gulf I hope to have seen Jordan, Vietnam/Cambodia and Sri Lanka]. I love Abu Dhabi and enjoy spending my weekends there though I'm not a massive fan of Dubai. And most importantly, I've met some really great people who I couldn't live without in a town like this.
But the disadvantages are there too - do I want to spend another year of my life (another year of my twenties) in a town where there is no life for young people, and few opportunities for social interaction. Should I give up the opportunity to travel and work elsewhere in the Middle East or Asia? The opportunity to hang out with people my own age outside of the circle of teachers who, as it is, all live and work together? Comments welcome!
On the bright side, the boredom of the day has led me to tidy my room, wrap presents, get ready for Ireland and indeed, update the blog!
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