So...Dubai...

JuggerNaught said:
For giggles, why don't you video asking your maid if cleaning up after you and your wife was all she was told it would be, and all she dreamed it could become.

Then ask her if there are others like her that are just as "happy" putting up with expat failures
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We've been trying to convince her to go back to Sri Lanka and spend time with her grandkids for 3 or 4 years. She's happier staying here. Of course you don't get it because 1) It's different from how you live your life and you're scared of anything that's different and 2) You're catastrophically slow.
 
ITT: I am glad to see Juggs educating Mitchell. Slavery is bad, mmmkay?

iu
 
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In Abu Dhabi our house-boy* Baputi, was from Pakistan, and sent his paychecks to his family there. He had his own quarters, but always wore a dishdash, and when he drove us to school he wore his keffiyeh also. His quarters were separated from the main house by a courtyard. My parents were pretty racist and were largely dismissive of him, but after my little sister got a crush on him, Mom started tipping him, probably equal to his salary.

His first language was Urdu, but he spoke fluent Arabic as well. His third language, English, was on par with Juggernaut's. Fun memory: Baputi took my brother and me to get football cleats (and in those days, there was Adidas, Puma, and nothing else) at the Souk in mid-town Abu Dhabi, and after Mike and I found the pairs we wanted, Baputi yelled at the shopkeeper until he lowered the price. In those days, a non-Arab raising his voice to an Arab, and the Arab backing down and giving a discount was a huge deal.

*In the1970's, that's what they were called, and I understand that as political correctness has hit the UAE slowly, that's still a colloquialism that's used.
 
lemontw said:
nice essay
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I appreciate that, and further appreciate that you've updated my file.

Our Houseboy before Baputi was Rahim, who came from Iran. He was caught doing peeping-tom shit, and was tortured and deported.

Rahim was the first person that told me my brown skin was beautiful.
 
The only thing I've thought about is the wampum bag. I'm not sure where that should go.
 
Vanster said:
In Abu Dhabi our house-boy* Baputi, was from Pakistan, and sent his paychecks to his family there. He had his own quarters, but always wore a dishdash, and when he drove us to school he wore his keffiyeh also. His quarters were separated from the main house by a courtyard. My parents were pretty racist and were largely dismissive of him, but after my little sister got a crush on him, Mom started tipping him, probably equal to his salary.

His first language was Urdu, but he spoke fluent Arabic as well. His third language, English, was on par with Juggernaut's. Fun memory: Baputi took my brother and me to get football cleats (and in those days, there was Adidas, Puma, and nothing else) at the Souk in mid-town Abu Dhabi, and after Mike and I found the pairs we wanted, Baputi yelled at the shopkeeper until he lowered the price. In those days, a non-Arab raising his voice to an Arab, and the Arab backing down and giving a discount was a huge deal.

*In the1970's, that's what they were called, and I understand that as political correctness has hit the UAE slowly, that's still a colloquialism that's used.
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So what you're saying is an asterisk excuses your racism. Gotcha tonto*
 
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