Alexa

You are right. But I have seen too many people who felt that way and left desperately wanting to come back after a while to actually pack it in to go back home.

scrubbedexpat141

I didn't come out for a cultural jolly or a journey of spiritual enlightenment...just to make money, have a good time and move on.

Places change but I'm trying to just take everything as it comes here...maybe in three years I'll be completely different!

Alexa

I've done it for 8 years now, well 10 really, but the first few were fine, I did what you did, make money, have fun but then you can't help it to get somewhat involved, for example by having fun with "friends" ...and that that is when it starts to get ugly.
You find out things you didn't have a clue about, well, at least I did not then.
I had, for a while, a difficult time to not let that change me as a person.

Paracletus

I come from a family of sailors, the first people to experience foreign cultures. They were also the first racists. I grew up abroad and have stayed ever since, and I have come to terms with being a 'culturalist', not a racist however. I guess it comes down to education. But I always get on with the place I live, I move if I don't. Currently in Bahrain but looking to get out myself. I have lived in police states before under communist rule and soviet support, that was more liberal.

al dente

I just feel so disappointed that the younger generation coming through seem to be more arrogant and power happy than previous. I'd have thought that it would have started to change by now.

Things like lack of labour rights, especially for maids and labourers, refusing to use car seats for no valid reason whatsoever, calling the cops over any conceived in justice (the mantra of a few on EW) are just so distinctly unlikeable. However, with a new house in the home country we need to make an inroad on the mortgage for a few years.... Mercenary, moi?

co durham boy

What i've noticed is that there's a lot more people who have seen the city in a different light in the past 18 months . Even on this forum there's not really the Dubai defending posts that were prevelant a while ago , the whole ethos of the place has changed and i get the impression that peoples attitude to Dubai and the GCC have also changed as well .

I think people are now more aware that the glitz and the glitter were just a con and the longer you're here the facade gets eroded day by day , the small things become more tedious and your patience becomes non existent.

Living this way of life holds more positives than negatives for me at the moment but if the balance tips i'll give it up .

The Dean

Quite so.

Meow

I think those who fell for the hype may be feeling more disappointed.

I wasn't expecting nirvana in the sand when I moved here and in many ways I am fortunate in that I have little interaction with locals in my working life and can choose to socialise with the nicer element of them.

This place is far from perfect is no many ways, but I expect little from it, have a nice home, a good business and it works for me in many ways. I am probably fortunate in that many of my social circle have been here for well over 10 years so have a different view to those who came in the boom years. People who behave like twats are soon dropped, but ther are many decent people here still. There are many things in the UAE that appall me, so I try in small ways to improve them and treat eveyone decently.

I still think that Dubai, and the UAE in general, has a lot to offer, but those in positions in power have choices to make as to how they move forward. They can be ethical and fair, or they can allow certain parties to behave like greedy bullies. I hope the former, but suspect the latter will prevail. I have certainly had more doubts about the long term of late than I have had previously.

seven seas

No, there isn't because the doctors are here for a few years, then they go back home. Nobody can invest in their employees because the employees are here for 5-10 years max.

Nobody wants us here really, and we aren't here to further our careers and improve our skills, have social lives, grow as individuals etc. We are here to do jobs.

lullabelle

My feelings this last week. Losing the will...

Blue Cat

don't give up, you will come to the right decision, everything happens for a reason, I am a strong believer in that, let fate take it's own course

ctfc

Somewhere else on the forum the double-bucket trade-off theory was put forward.

You have two buckets - one to fill with money, and the other to collect all the s**t that happens here. When either is full, it's time to leave.

I have some fun here for sure, and some great friends. But if the money bucket were full, I'd be on the next flight out.

Millhouse

The reality is that there is only one bucket. The money bucket never really fills up as it's impossible to tell when it's full enough.

Hello.Kitty

The exact subject of Mr Kitty's and my latest "discussion"!

Not filling up fast enough with cash...

ctfc

Fair point - you need to decide what 'full' means up front. We have.

I think it was also mentioned on the other thread however that whilst the s**t buckets seem to be well made, the money ones all seem to leak rather badly here