A voice in the darkness

Seven years of living an uneventful life in the UAE and two fines in the space of three months -- for eating on the Metro and jaywalking. Of course, it was embarrassing and money wasted, but as the MasterCard commercial goes, the knowledge gained was ‘priceless’. Incidentally, the fines included a ‘knowledge fee’ component. How did becoming poorer by Dh300 contribute to my enlightenment? Well, for one it has dawned on me that I roll my tongue in my mouth when I am deep in thought. If procrastination is not a good idea in this era of instant gratification, giving the impression of chewing something in the Gold Class of the Dubai Metro is unforgivable. It’s ‘show ID, get out and pay up’. And don’t dare try playing the pseudo-intellectual who needs to think on the move, rolling tongue and all that jazz. Nevertheless, given the fact that my wife believes that I dress like a tramp (no offence to tramps) and my discomfort with all things that glitter, I proceeded to ask the ticket c...

It was hardly the stuff dream homecomings are made of. The sickening noise from the engines of the Indian Airlines (rechristened Indian) aircraft preparing for take-off, ensured that my first annual vacation to India began with a two-hour tribulation at Dubai airport. Our ageing plane had ‘surprisingly’ developed a technical snag. At least, that is what the grumpy air hostesses and sleepy pilot said. So much for the Rs 500-crore merger of Air India and Indian, India’s national carriers. One more reason to turn up one’s nose at everything Indian. It’s not difficult to comprehend why people from the subcontinent flock to Dubai like moths to a flame. Exchange rates aside, quality of life is the most pressing of arguments put forward by fellow expatriates. My recent vacation home bolstered this belief, but it also made me realise why dirhams can’t buy happiness and why India will always be home. Landing in Mumbai, after a year of living in Dubai was unnerving. The claustrophobic Fiat Pa...