Halfway Around the World to “Somewhere Else”
by Jeane Christina
November 12, 2007 — Published in On Writing
One year ago, I moved to the other side of the world — quite literally, seeing as the time difference between Seattle and Dubai varies seasonally between +11 or 12 hours. Even though English is widely spoken in the United Arab Emirates, the country in which Dubai is an emirate, many things are easily the opposite of the rainy Evergreen State where I was born, raised and educated.
“Nice to meet you — where are you from?” often politely accompanies every new handshake; yet just as often people publicly kiss, alternating each cheek. Coming from a not-so-touchy-feely family, this was not only new, but it felt uncomfortably intimate to be kissing strangers – even when I opted to ‘air kiss’ instead of planting a juicy one on a complete stranger, or worse, a co-worker! And it’s never simple – with Dubai’s abundant mix of expatriates, I learned quickly that it is three kisses if the other person is French or Lebanese, two for many of the Arabs and other Europeans, and for any British who can’t make up their minds how many kisses to give… your guess is as good as mine. For most everyone else a handshake suffices.
My clothes also highlighted my lack of continental grace and style. My day-to-day wardrobe was a little too bland, a little too casual, a little too Seattle. My flip-flops, although sanctioned by my creative director, didn’t score too well with some of my advertising peers. I matched neither my “trendy” industry nor the image-conscious, cosmopolitan lifestyle for which Dubai is famous among in-the-know Europeans and the international jet set.
Thankfully, both my ability to greet and wardrobe have improved. Yet at times I still can’t help but feel like an untraveled, awkward American whenever I do something wrong or accidentally bump cheeks a bit too hard when kissing goodbye. Even after a year there is no mistaking the unfamiliar intimacy of saying hello and goodbye in Dubai. I know that here I am in Lindsey Anderson’s “Somewhere Else,” completely.
Seasons
Winter is one of the most beautiful seasons in Dubai with temperature lows reminiscent of summer in the Pacific Northwest. Garden walls drip with pink and white bougainvillea blossoms while sprightly palms dot the landscape. With a good book in hand I always find myself drawn to one of the many sandy turquoise beaches. Clean, safe, and free to the public, it is paradise. Meanwhile June, July and August in this part of the Persian Gulf effortlessly makes each and every person’s ears sweat from the sticky combination of heat and humidity. If you never knew your ears could sweat from the inside out, neither did I. Yet, to my delight, I found my body loves this climate. The sunshine agrees with me, and for the first time in my life, I have what might be called a real tan. (Well, considering how Seattlites are often compared to the Pillsbury Doughboy … )
New colors
Aside from being a testament to living in a cosmopolitan desert by the sea, my new color reflects more than one change in my life. My healthy glow echoes the discovery of my passion and the subsequent journey to turn it into a profitable career. It wasn’t an easy process by any means. Having gone through two hopeless jobs in the first 10 months here, (the rumor is that by your 6th job you’ll find a suitable match) I had shed too many frustrated tears. Leading to some basic soul searching: Who was I? What did I love to do? And what did I want from my life?
So I sat down and wrote a list describing my ideal life. The list was filled with things about health, wellness, food, travel, art, and relationships. Two points particularly stuck out, needing immediate attention.
First, I love making things. Not just any things, but ideas, concepts, and words that work for some purpose: be it for business or my personal pleasure. I know I’m no David Ogilvy or Leo Burnett, but I simply fell in love with copywriting. I had to continue doing this somehow.
The second point I needed to address was simple: I needed balance. The inherent stressors of being in advertising were only compounded by the region’s current lack of industry standards, pervasively poor management, and ridiculous deadlines that would give even the hardiest ad person a run for their money. Go figure — I turned to freelancing.
Finding balance
To be honest, my freelance career still feels new and exploratory. It’s scary, exciting and wonderful all at once. And although the operative phrase on every manager’s lips here is “it needed to be done yesterday,” with a “freelance life”, I can find the time to slow down when I need it. With my fiancé’s steadfast support, I am finding balance in an otherwise insanely hectic place, a place that not 20 years ago was little more than a sandy desert and now boasts more luxury shopping, living, and entertainment than Seattle could ever hope to offer.
Yet as much as this is a world away from my prior life, I feel right at home here. Maybe it’s because Starbucks, Seattle’s Best and a plethora of coffee shops are just a hop, skip and a jump away. Or maybe, it’s because I’ve had to re-evaluate so often just what it is I’m doing — finding my passion and regaining balance in my life. All of it by moving “Somewhere Else.”
Illustration by Anatole Upart.
Jeane Christina
Jeane Christina is a freelance writer living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with her fiancé. No, she does not have to “cover up” or wear a headscarf. And yes, she loves the sandy turquoise beaches of Dubai, oolong tea, coffee and Animal Planet.
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