Interesting but to a great extent we lived in bubbles of expats. So long ago now. My first shawarma was there. I don’t think Dubai had a building over 5 or 6 floors high. I’d hate to go back now.
Replies
When I was 7 we lived a year in Qatar. No mains water in our flat in the capital: it was delivered to the roof by tanker. Apparently my Arabic was pretty good. I can hardly remember one or two words now.
sep 2, 2025, 6:11 pm • 1 0 • view
Must've been a fascinating experience
sep 2, 2025, 6:25 pm • 1 0 • view
It was though you tend to take things in your stride as kids, don’t you? Odd memories. Three fingered kitkats. No street names often, so invitations to friends’ birthdays always came with a hand drawn map. Flying thousands of miles alone at 13.
sep 2, 2025, 6:29 pm • 1 0 • view
Formative views of the English abroad, inequality & prejudice.
sep 2, 2025, 6:34 pm • 1 0 • view
Well, sounds accurate 😂
sep 2, 2025, 6:35 pm • 1 0 • view
Yup. Broadened my mind at a good age at least. We did live in a semi segregated way in areas without much in the way of history, so no big cultural experiences to share unfortunately.
sep 2, 2025, 6:42 pm • 1 0 • view
So you don't feel the uncontrollable urge to paint red crosses on roundabouts? 😉
sep 2, 2025, 6:47 pm • 0 0 • view
It all feels like a resurgence of the British attitudes I hated as a kid. Things seemed to have got so much better for a while. Then took barely a moment to go back 40+ years.
sep 2, 2025, 6:50 pm • 3 0 • view
It's extraordinary isn't it... 🤦♂️
sep 2, 2025, 7:39 pm • 2 0 • view
I'm soooo glad that this is your happy time xxxx It's mine too xxxx
sep 2, 2025, 7:48 pm • 1 0 • view
Most of the places were just tents 20 years previously so no grand palaces like southern Spain and North Africa.
sep 2, 2025, 6:26 pm • 1 0 • view