Friday, July 18, 2008

Beirut scenery...

I was waiting at MEA office in Beirut to book my travel ticket to go to Cyprus.

I ask the hostess: Is there any number to follow to go for counters?

Hostess 1: la2 madame, wait ayya counter byifda, w rou7i 3leih.

Me: ok...

I waited for about 5 mn... there was a man sitting next to me, so i thought that i hav to wait for him and go for my turn. I saw one guy leaving a counter, but i couldn’t c the hostess coz she was behind a column. I said to myself she will call the clients to come.... i waited about 5 mn... no call... ok... i asked the man sitting next to me, is it ur turn?? So he said to me he’s waiting for something else.
I went to this desk, i saw the hostess talking on the phone.

Me: can i make booking?

Hostess 2 : (just signing for me to sit) .... 1 mn later .... Eh madame... shou bitridi???
Me: i want to book to go to Cyprus...

I gave her a reservation I did before... so she started working on my ticket... and... i had to listen to her interesting phone conversation!

Hostess 2: leiki... ask him about me.... does he like me??? Is he interested in me??? Please wlo... ask him... leiki... khabbarouni inno 3am yidhar ma3 wi7deh isma Nathalie... oulilo inno Pascal a7san... (meaning herself in a very dallou3a way) ... bisharafik ... ba3dein... ba3do el chalet 3indo??? Wil she22a??? Dakhlik shou wad3o ma3 ahlo??? (something said on the other line....) ... wlo bisharafik... ma ana bdalni binit inti bta3rfi... el shab gheir biydal... (here she was about to finish my booking and she had to bring a print out) leiki i will call u later... bass bi sharafik... dab2i 3lei w dallik oulilo pascal a7san! Please please please!

She finishes her phone call... i was expecting from her to say to me... sorry ... at least like i wasn’t obliged to hear the whole conversation... nothing said! She stands up restretch her mini skirt showing her tall legs... adjusting her body, moving her head higher flying her hair and .. her lips... like every Lebanese girl... double sized... she brings me my ticket and...

Hostess 2: tfaddali madame...

And me... completely shocked... i say thanks and I left!

Am I becoming... old fashionned person????!!!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Dubai Lisbon Beirut Paris








Where are you from?
Lebanon...
Oh! We are so sorry about what is happening in your country!
We heard this sentence probably 10 times!
The funny is we didn't know what was happening in Lebanon exactly...!
We knew the situation was very bad... at least for me... my brother told me that the situation calmed down within 24 hours.





Portuguese people impressed me; most of them were following Lebanon news.
The funny thing is that we were 4 Lebanese girls.
Lara living in Washington, zeina in London, dalal and me living in dubai.
After the "we are sorry for what is happening in your country..." comes OH! You are so lucky you live in Dubai! We heard it even in a small non touristic village. In a pharmacy where, the husband, the wife and everyone was interested to talk about Dubai. "El Dorado" of the Middle East. Even the old white hair woman who was dusting the pharmacy, and probably cleaned the counter many times, wanted to hear our conversation about Dubai.
Another city, Porto, where we met a group of Portuguese friends, sitting in the afternoon in a cafe waiting for the Benfica Setubal match to begin... Most of them were lawyers. Same reaction: Dubai! Oh! You are so lucky! You have Burj El Arab, Palm Island, Ski Dubai... it is quite amazing how Dubai marketing is very strong! I never imagined it could be that much!
Silvino, 29 years old lawyer, clever guy, forwarded to me an email showing the architectural achievements and the future projects too. The tallest tower, the desert ski dome, the Palm Islands...
As I understood from the group, Portugal is not a rich European country. The young generation is called the 600 Euros generation. Their salaries start with a minimum of 600 Euros! I guess it is quite few money comparing to the high cost of living. Lots of Portuguese go abroad to work as labours with very low salaries.
I tried to explain to Silvino that the grass is always green on the other side. I have been living in Dubai since 5 years; life in general is easy comparing with other countries. Lots of facilities are offered. On the other side as it is comes to "El Dorado" image, it is a bit exaggerated, maybe 5 years ago, situation was better, money wise. Prices increased in a dramatic way: rents, food, services, salik (toll gates), petrol... Except salaries! Most of Dubai expats are complaining about the cost of living.





Paris. Same idea! I wouldn't imagine French people loving Dubai, especially Parisians!
Ah... vous vivez a Doubai???!!! The smile is so big and they become friendlier!
I liked the fact of Europeans willing strongly to live here. At least Dubai booked its position on the world map.
Amina, a French forties old woman, who works in a socks shop, and who converted to Islam 20 years ago, thought we (Dalal and me) that we were Israelis when she heard us talking. She thought we were talking Hebrew. She wasn't the only person who thought that we were talking Hebrew... Do we look like Israelis?
I know lots of Lebanese people who came to Paris since 1975, but weird, she couldn't recognise your "Lebanese accent"! Amina said.
Jeremy, Air France counter employee at Charles De Gaulles airport was so happy to know we live in Dubai. I am going to resign from Air France and in July I will go to Dubai to find a job, he said with his very gay accent!





On the other side, lot of Dubai expats are living emptiness.
Roxana, 31 years old, emirates cabin crew, happy with her work, but after one year and a half, is living soul emptiness, complaining about superficial life and people here.
Jay, 35 years old yoga class mate, lives with her boyfriend, a musician, but working in a marketing magazine because he couldn't go for commercial music strongly appreciated here. Jay feels empty, she can't take a decision if she goes back to UK to do a Drama course, or to stay here with her boyfriend.
Utsav or Oz, a 28 years old financial consultant Bhutanese, likes Dubai. He has been to London, New York. He has the chance to meet lot of people from different nationalities, (as latest statistics confirm over than 200 nationalities live in UAE). Still, he feels empty too; he can't go in any deep relationship. "Why people are afraid to be open and close in relationships?"
why? Why? Why? I don't have answers, even me, I can't understand why?!
The problem I think is in our heads, we always see the grass is green on the other side! Is it true???