The past week was uneventful. I spent most of it unpacking and organizing. If you know me, I am like a robot during this time. I was so focused, I forgot to stop for meals. (Side note, did you know the average person burns 50 calories an hour just by standing instead of sitting?) Luckily, Ram was not here to get in the way of controvert my organization mindset. Unlucky for me, he wasn't there to put stuff away in places I can't reach. Seriously need a step stool!!!
Anyway, since we've been here a whole 2 months, I figured a comparison blog is in order. What are the differences between the US and Dubai? Well, I'll tell you...
1. No more one stop shops. When it comes to grocery shopping, US makes it seem so easy. Over here, just like in the UK, you have to go to several different grocery stores to complete your normal list. I'm not talking about getting fancy stuff that only a Whole Foods store would sell. I'm talking about having to go to one store for Arizona Diet Ice Tea, Pork, Greek Yogurt, and ground meat (those are considered luxuries here). And then, hopping in your car and driving 15-20 minutes to go to another store to get cheese, fruit, salads, and fresh produce. So that's 2-3 hours out of my week spent grocery shopping. On the flipside, the food here is really fresh and rarely contain preservatives, so that's a plus.
2. Behind the wheel. It seems that Dubai has drawn from different countries when it comes to driving. Like the US, they have freeways and normal sized lanes and you drive on the right hand side of the road. But they also have round-a-bouts like the UK and other parts of the world (and I still feel like I'm going the wrong way!). However, in Dubai, the exits are 2-3 miles apart. So if you miss your exit, YOU MISSED YOUR EXIT. There are no U-Turns. Sometimes the closest exit to your destination is 2 miles before your destination. Oh, and your not-so-handy GPS will never be up to date because roads change. every. month. So navigating here has been extremely difficult. It seriously takes forever on google maps to figure out where on that "unnamed road" in that "unnamed area" I need to be, and end up taking a taxi instead (while taking notes of course).
3. G&S. The cost of goods and services is 30-40% higher. To purchase a car you have to put 20% down. To rent an apt/house you have to pay the full year's rent in advance in one payment (I don't know how locals afford this). If you want a beer, it costs $15. If you want a cocktail, that'll be $20-40. The list goes on. So we've definitely had to make some lifestyle changes over here. But lucky for me, Ram goes to the US for work in March. Online shopping time! Oh, I definitely need that, add to cart!
4. Separate but Equal. That's right folks. We're not in the US anymore. Over here Ladies have their own spas and salons (surprisingly mostly men work in these "ladies only" salons so what's the point?!). We have our own cars on the metro and section on the bus. We have our own lines at the governmental offices. Are these lines faster than men? It's reportedly true, so I can't complain.
5. One is the loneliest number. Though Dubai is comprised of mostly ex-pats, American's are the minority in this city. The most popular ex-pats are Aussies, Brits & South Africans. It appears that there are only 2 Americans, including myself, in the ex-pat group I joined. (I have yet to meet the other alleged American.) They all say that my accent is one they haven't heard. Odd isn't it? I do find that I gravitate towards the Brits & Scots, they are the nicest people, I guess that will never change.
Those are my top 5 for now. Anything you want to know that I didn't cover?
Anyway, since we've been here a whole 2 months, I figured a comparison blog is in order. What are the differences between the US and Dubai? Well, I'll tell you...
1. No more one stop shops. When it comes to grocery shopping, US makes it seem so easy. Over here, just like in the UK, you have to go to several different grocery stores to complete your normal list. I'm not talking about getting fancy stuff that only a Whole Foods store would sell. I'm talking about having to go to one store for Arizona Diet Ice Tea, Pork, Greek Yogurt, and ground meat (those are considered luxuries here). And then, hopping in your car and driving 15-20 minutes to go to another store to get cheese, fruit, salads, and fresh produce. So that's 2-3 hours out of my week spent grocery shopping. On the flipside, the food here is really fresh and rarely contain preservatives, so that's a plus.
2. Behind the wheel. It seems that Dubai has drawn from different countries when it comes to driving. Like the US, they have freeways and normal sized lanes and you drive on the right hand side of the road. But they also have round-a-bouts like the UK and other parts of the world (and I still feel like I'm going the wrong way!). However, in Dubai, the exits are 2-3 miles apart. So if you miss your exit, YOU MISSED YOUR EXIT. There are no U-Turns. Sometimes the closest exit to your destination is 2 miles before your destination. Oh, and your not-so-handy GPS will never be up to date because roads change. every. month. So navigating here has been extremely difficult. It seriously takes forever on google maps to figure out where on that "unnamed road" in that "unnamed area" I need to be, and end up taking a taxi instead (while taking notes of course).
3. G&S. The cost of goods and services is 30-40% higher. To purchase a car you have to put 20% down. To rent an apt/house you have to pay the full year's rent in advance in one payment (I don't know how locals afford this). If you want a beer, it costs $15. If you want a cocktail, that'll be $20-40. The list goes on. So we've definitely had to make some lifestyle changes over here. But lucky for me, Ram goes to the US for work in March. Online shopping time! Oh, I definitely need that, add to cart!
4. Separate but Equal. That's right folks. We're not in the US anymore. Over here Ladies have their own spas and salons (surprisingly mostly men work in these "ladies only" salons so what's the point?!). We have our own cars on the metro and section on the bus. We have our own lines at the governmental offices. Are these lines faster than men? It's reportedly true, so I can't complain.
5. One is the loneliest number. Though Dubai is comprised of mostly ex-pats, American's are the minority in this city. The most popular ex-pats are Aussies, Brits & South Africans. It appears that there are only 2 Americans, including myself, in the ex-pat group I joined. (I have yet to meet the other alleged American.) They all say that my accent is one they haven't heard. Odd isn't it? I do find that I gravitate towards the Brits & Scots, they are the nicest people, I guess that will never change.
Those are my top 5 for now. Anything you want to know that I didn't cover?
