The villas we inhabit that I’ve previously spoken about are located almost directly across from the existing zoo. Every night or every other night, after work is done, I like to go for a 2-4 mile run to stay in shape (man, I actually really miss LA Fitness) as well as get a feel for the neighborhood. The area is pretty decent, the weather has been really cool at night, but here’s what I’ve really noticed…
Cultural Observation #1
I’ve decided to make a point of waving, smiling and saying hello to literally every person I pass on the road, sidewalks, wherever. Call it making a good impression, waving the friendly flag for Americans, or just to avoid having everyone stare at me. Well… most people I pass, whether they are Pakistani, Afghani, Indian, Omani or Emirati… smile and wave back. However, there are still a great deal of people who stare at me, or just don’t know what to make of me, and my silly greetings.
What I’ve realized is this is kind of the reverse scenario of what happened to me when I moved to Minnesota many years ago. I, having spent my formative years in the very ‘friendly’ confines of New Jersey and New York, had grown quite accustomed to minding my own, and not really greeting anyone, or dare even locking eyes with them. Then, I moved to the land of Paul Bunyan, and in the first few weeks, I kept thinking, “who was that and why did they say hello…… why did he/she just wave at me…. why are they smiling and looking at me?” I was completely unaware of ‘Minnesota Nice’.
So, I guess pretty much the opposite is what is happening to me now.
Other amusing observations…. I sooo wish I had a camera for this one. I passed by a large house/complex the other night, and I could have swore I hear kids laughing and what sounded like a bunch of dune buggies or go-karts… well, lo and behold I stuck my head through the partially opened gate, and what had to be 10-12 kids, were having a miniature ATV race around a HUGE driveway. The fathers were rooting on their kids as they were flying around the makeshift oval track… it was hysterical.
And here’s one last mixed architectural appreciation/cultural observation: on my runs through different areas, I’ve noticed there is literally a mosque every 2-3 blocks in nearly every neighborhood - some small, some decent size, some enormous; those are Juma Mosques, that can handle heavy traffic on Fridays. I’m not sure who is responsible for building all these mosques… the municipality, the developer, the city… but, they really are everywhere. And they are beautiful. Some of them are just plain stunning. So, I’ve stared collecting an image library of every new one I see.
Cultural Observation #1
I’ve decided to make a point of waving, smiling and saying hello to literally every person I pass on the road, sidewalks, wherever. Call it making a good impression, waving the friendly flag for Americans, or just to avoid having everyone stare at me. Well… most people I pass, whether they are Pakistani, Afghani, Indian, Omani or Emirati… smile and wave back. However, there are still a great deal of people who stare at me, or just don’t know what to make of me, and my silly greetings.
What I’ve realized is this is kind of the reverse scenario of what happened to me when I moved to Minnesota many years ago. I, having spent my formative years in the very ‘friendly’ confines of New Jersey and New York, had grown quite accustomed to minding my own, and not really greeting anyone, or dare even locking eyes with them. Then, I moved to the land of Paul Bunyan, and in the first few weeks, I kept thinking, “who was that and why did they say hello…… why did he/she just wave at me…. why are they smiling and looking at me?” I was completely unaware of ‘Minnesota Nice’.So, I guess pretty much the opposite is what is happening to me now.
Other amusing observations…. I sooo wish I had a camera for this one. I passed by a large house/complex the other night, and I could have swore I hear kids laughing and what sounded like a bunch of dune buggies or go-karts… well, lo and behold I stuck my head through the partially opened gate, and what had to be 10-12 kids, were having a miniature ATV race around a HUGE driveway. The fathers were rooting on their kids as they were flying around the makeshift oval track… it was hysterical.
And here’s one last mixed architectural appreciation/cultural observation: on my runs through different areas, I’ve noticed there is literally a mosque every 2-3 blocks in nearly every neighborhood - some small, some decent size, some enormous; those are Juma Mosques, that can handle heavy traffic on Fridays. I’m not sure who is responsible for building all these mosques… the municipality, the developer, the city… but, they really are everywhere. And they are beautiful. Some of them are just plain stunning. So, I’ve stared collecting an image library of every new one I see.
But here’s the sad part… when the local people are going to and from the mosque, a great deal of them are not walking there. We’re talking a maximum of 3-4 blocks, or most likely a 1-5 minute walk. The vast majority of people I have seen are driving (in an SUV of course) by themselves to the mosque… and when you think about the fact that they are supposed to pray 5 times a day… wow. I’m afraid the Americanization of automobile dependency has permeated the Emirate culture, and that’s probably not a good thing. 
