Integrate ? No Thanks
 

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

to be fair, they (as in the UAE) makes a massive effort when it comes to Christian festivals such as Easter/Christmas. I think they need to be applauded more for this.

Anyway, the same back in UK. With large Asian communities all in one area. You stick with your own, its the same as when an British moves aboard - you stick with your own.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

To be honest, its more opportunity with me... my social circle is Brit dominated but also has Aussies, Brazilians, Filipinos, Europeans (Italian, French, Austrian etc), Yanks, Safas, Iranians, Indians, Lebbos, Kuwaiti etc etc etc.... a real World Colours of Benetton.

As such, if you asked me I would admit that I do find it hard to meet Emirati's. This is mainly as I have none in work and I don't really do to many activities where we would interact. In terms of my companies Clients, yes the tops guys are Sheikhs and I have met several of them but the Client reps who I deal with regularly are generally not local, currently they're Sudanese and Iraqi. Also, I don't go to the mall and I don't like coffee so I don't hang out in coffee shops! If i'm honest I also find it hard to distinguish who are actually Emirati and who are wannabes dressed up like one.

Saying that I was chatting to Mohammed (an Emirati) in the bar for a few hours the other evening. He was a nice enough chap and we covered several worldly topics but having a chat over a few beers is not going to lead to him inviting me round to meet the family.

There always seems to be that distance.... we don't fully understand them and to a certain degree are afraid of the power they have and they probably don't get us either.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

:goodpost:

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

:goodpost:

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

i have a couple of local friends (males)....known them for a few years.....but never been invited over to their place....probably because they drink and their folks aren't aware that they drink.....or maybe having female friends isn't the done thing.

i have NEVER met any local women.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

That seems to be true only for British expats in non-English speaking countries. I am not aware of any English ghettos anywhere in the US, nor have I heard of any in Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. I don't know a single British person that I speak to face-to-face on a regular basis (other than my daughter, who in any case has never lived in the UK), and it is probably several months since I met a Brit to talk to.

Orlando, FL, attracts some Brits, but they still seem to be a tiny percentage in the area.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

I suspect that Emiratis like most Saudis do not socialise outside their own immediate family circle. Imagine a life where the only people you talk to are your own immediate kin !

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

Bit like West Virginia you mean?

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

There certainly are English ghettos in Australia and Canada. I have lived in both Adelaide and Perth and both have very large British ghettos. Adelaide has Elizabeth and area and Perth has pretty much all of the northern suburbs - in particular the cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo. Canada has Oakville Ontario and parts of Vancouver.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

With Perth's population pushing 2 million, "all of the northern suburbs" sounds like a pretty diluted ghetto, .... so not what I meant by "ghetto". To me a ghetto means 30%-40% or more of a particular group, like the expat enclaves in the Middle East and Africa.

Americans in London collect around the US schools in St John's Wood and Weybridge, but I had never realized that until I married an American, (it isn't at all obvious that there's a concentration of Americans) so I wouldn't call them American ghettos.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

That family circle could be massive though.....Seeing how many kids people seem to have.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

And remember that the expectation is that you will marry one of your cousins !

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

I said in particular the cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo if you care to read the entire post. According to the bureau of statistics Joondalup is 20.7% born in England and Butler (random suburb of Wanneroo) 27.7% born in England.

Re: Integrate ? No Thanks
 

When I lived in Dubai, the only local people I sat and chatted with regularly, were other parents from school. I never went to their homes, though I did go to the homes of muslims who were not born in the UAE. One family in particular were very wealthy and for me it was a bit of a bizarre experience going to their home. I never felt quite comfortable with the lady of the house racing off to her prayer room in the middle of our afternoon tea, or having to ask about the most basic of things all the time because I was worried about offending her and her family. The lifestyle was so opulent that I just felt out of place.

My son had a bit to do with one of the local royal family's as one of his mate's fathers worked as a vet for them. My son went to one of their farms for quad bike riding and an outdoor feast, went to their palace for a tour of their zoo and to shoot at their indoor range. He had a blast and said they were really nice people. But kids don't feel like fish out of water if they're suddenly dropped in a different pond, they just take it all in their stride.