"We are all connected to everyone and everything in the universe. Therefore, everything one does as an individual affects the whole. All thoughts, words, images, prayers, blessings, and deeds are listened to by all that is." - Serge Kahili King
I came home yesterday and the cleaning woman was here. I had just been rollerblading at Jumeirah Beach. Approximately 41 degrees Celsius. Simultaneous annoyance and joy. Annoyed that I couldn't just come home, take a shower, and lie undisturbed - or whatever I decided to do at the moment. It was Thursday, the last day of the week and I reserved for myself the right not to decide anything, to live at whim pending how I felt - on Thursday evenings. The joy - the woman had been here before and did a good job.
Prior to leaving for work, I had left a note for the cleaning service: Please clean the bath/shower very well, Please clean the silverware very well, Please clean the balcony. Last week's service was so-so, and it appeared that sometimes when they came the showers were not cleaned completely and the cleaning of the silverware left something to be desired - especially since I put it directly in my mouth.
I went into the office.
"Ma'am!", the woman exclaimed. "I was not here times before. Filipinos here before."
I looked at her and smiled, "OK, that's fine." I had no idea what she was talking about.
"Ma'am, the bathrooms are not good?" she continued. "Filipinos were here before,"
Now I got it. She was concerned that I would think she had done a poor job in the past. She is blaming it on the Filipinos. Damn. That's harsh.
I reassured her. I had to simultaneously allay her concern and defend the Filipinos.
"It's OK," I said. "Always a good job. Last week was not good. All other times good."
She was still a little nervous. I reassured her again.
Damn. She was claiming that the Filipinos did not do a good job cleaning. I, personally, love the Filipinos in all capacity that I know them - I will make the oversimplification that they work extremely hard. Most of us do favor the Filipinos. They are renown in this part of the world for their nannying and cleaning skills. Often ads seeking nannies are specifically requesting Filipinos. However, I do not care what nationality, race, religion or "color" the cleaning women are as long as they are thorough. I had already forgotten the nationality of this woman, whose name I know, but may not be able to spell correctly .
I was taken aback.
"She's blaming the poor cleaning on the nationality* of the other women," laughed Erika. "Nice," she said facetiously.
I thought about it - have been thinking about it - the dynamics of race, ethnicity, and nationality here in Dubai. There are many here. The city is a modern melting pot - perhaps the modern melting pot of the East, with immigrants making up approximately 80 percent of the population. Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Somalis, Ethiopians, South Africans, Kenyans, Brits, Scots, Canadians, Indonesians, Australians, US Americans, Syrians, Liberians, Iranians, Nigerians, Nepalis. We're all here living, breathing and working in the same city. But there are some dynamics that throw me for a loop - occasionally and usually momentarily.
Often, there are interracial / interethnic couples. It fits. It's like New York - if you cram a whole bunch of different people into a small space, they're bound to begin mixing. This is not surprising. I am surprised occasionally, but not so much. Because people in this part of the world often associate religion with ethnicity, race and nationality, this becomes more convoluted or more clear - depending on how you think.
The Dubai FAQs Marriage in Dubai web page states:
I came home yesterday and the cleaning woman was here. I had just been rollerblading at Jumeirah Beach. Approximately 41 degrees Celsius. Simultaneous annoyance and joy. Annoyed that I couldn't just come home, take a shower, and lie undisturbed - or whatever I decided to do at the moment. It was Thursday, the last day of the week and I reserved for myself the right not to decide anything, to live at whim pending how I felt - on Thursday evenings. The joy - the woman had been here before and did a good job.
Prior to leaving for work, I had left a note for the cleaning service: Please clean the bath/shower very well, Please clean the silverware very well, Please clean the balcony. Last week's service was so-so, and it appeared that sometimes when they came the showers were not cleaned completely and the cleaning of the silverware left something to be desired - especially since I put it directly in my mouth.
I went into the office.
"Ma'am!", the woman exclaimed. "I was not here times before. Filipinos here before."
I looked at her and smiled, "OK, that's fine." I had no idea what she was talking about.
"Ma'am, the bathrooms are not good?" she continued. "Filipinos were here before,"
Now I got it. She was concerned that I would think she had done a poor job in the past. She is blaming it on the Filipinos. Damn. That's harsh.
I reassured her. I had to simultaneously allay her concern and defend the Filipinos.
"It's OK," I said. "Always a good job. Last week was not good. All other times good."
She was still a little nervous. I reassured her again.
Damn. She was claiming that the Filipinos did not do a good job cleaning. I, personally, love the Filipinos in all capacity that I know them - I will make the oversimplification that they work extremely hard. Most of us do favor the Filipinos. They are renown in this part of the world for their nannying and cleaning skills. Often ads seeking nannies are specifically requesting Filipinos. However, I do not care what nationality, race, religion or "color" the cleaning women are as long as they are thorough. I had already forgotten the nationality of this woman, whose name I know, but may not be able to spell correctly .
I was taken aback.
"She's blaming the poor cleaning on the nationality* of the other women," laughed Erika. "Nice," she said facetiously.
I thought about it - have been thinking about it - the dynamics of race, ethnicity, and nationality here in Dubai. There are many here. The city is a modern melting pot - perhaps the modern melting pot of the East, with immigrants making up approximately 80 percent of the population. Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Somalis, Ethiopians, South Africans, Kenyans, Brits, Scots, Canadians, Indonesians, Australians, US Americans, Syrians, Liberians, Iranians, Nigerians, Nepalis. We're all here living, breathing and working in the same city. But there are some dynamics that throw me for a loop - occasionally and usually momentarily.
Often, there are interracial / interethnic couples. It fits. It's like New York - if you cram a whole bunch of different people into a small space, they're bound to begin mixing. This is not surprising. I am surprised occasionally, but not so much. Because people in this part of the world often associate religion with ethnicity, race and nationality, this becomes more convoluted or more clear - depending on how you think.
The Dubai FAQs Marriage in Dubai web page states:
Expat as well as Emirati couples can and do get married in Dubai. The rules and procedures vary depending on nationality and/or religion.
Generally, two people of the same religion can marry without difficulty. People of different religions may face some problems. A common situation is when a Muslim man and Christian woman wish to get married. That's OK (cultural and/or family considerations notwithstanding) but a Christian man will have to convert to Islam before marrying a Muslim woman.
Emirati men sometimes marry non-emirati women but the reverse is rare (although not completely unknown).
The Dubai Courts oversee procedures and regulations pertaining to marriages. Their website is mostly in Arabic and it is difficult to find relevant information in English. The marriage section tel is +971-4-3347777. The court will not perform a civil service for marrying Christians - you have to go to a church or your embassy or both.
Intermarriage is, for the most part allowed here permitted one follows the outlined protocol. The toughest challenge is, clearly, for a non-Muslim man to marry a Muslim woman. There are many reasons intermarriage is more common here now. Since weddings bills are continually increasing, as well as dowry demands, "Emirati bachelors are increasingly unwilling to marry local women. Growing numbers of bachelors, unable to raise the six figure sums that many prospective in-laws demand and reluctant to fall into debt, have opted out by taking European, Asian or foreign Arab brides," states the article "What Price a Wedding?" in the July 2000 issue of The Middle East. Also, in recent years, women in the Gulf states have become more independent due to the rise of educated women, people have gotten married with unrealistic expectations, and society's obsession with materialism has fueled the formally-noted skyrocketing dowry demands and wedding costs.
As of October 2007, the country's divorce rate was at 46 percent, the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) according to "Divorce and its impact on the UAE society" an article in the GulfNews by Najla Al Awadhi. All of these factors are contributing to the decrease in marriage among nationals in the UAE. The officials here have attempted to halt the trend by offering financial incentives for nationals to marry one another.
But - the country is no longer comprised mostly of nationals (an issue the officials also hope to combat with their financial-incentive scheme since only children born to local women are considered citizens) - therefore the pattern of mixed-up marriages is visually and anecdotally clear. With so much diversity and so many different people, one assumes that there is an air of tolerance - it seems to be as consistent as the wind.
Take for example, the Western obsession with race and color. It's Eastern equivalent is the obsession with religion. I came here expecting to find a fair amount of "blacks." However, there are not many people here who consider themselves "black" no matter how dark their skin is - especially if they are Arab or Muslim and they are not from the US or sometimes Africa. It's similar to the attitude many people in the Dominican Republic have. I long ago stopped getting excited when I saw folks of my own hue, people who maybe would 'get' my storyline, around the city. Color here is misleading and almost nearly inconsequential.
Everywhere there are advertisements for "fairness cream", which boasts the power to "improve" the complexion. "Improve"? Because it's "bad" in all of its copper, bronze, or ebony glory?
There are many odd dynamics and conundrums here when it comes to ethnicity and nationality, and race and religion as well. I consider myself "black" or "brown" or "yellow" or "black" and "brown" and "yellow" depending on the day because that is the history and the reality that I know. That is my storyline. Yet, I come here, and I am considered a "Westerner" - I have elevated status. I get called "ma'am" and "madame" on a daily basis and someone comes to clean my flat every week and I have not left my husband and children behind in my home country to provide a better life for them. This is where the economic factor comes into play. It's where ethnicity and economics collide. Dubai is where ethnicity, religion, race, nationality, and economics collide and what we previously knew as known becomes un.
*For the purpose of this post, the following definitions will suffice:
The Free Dictionary by Farlex
Farlex, Inc 2009
Nationality:
As of October 2007, the country's divorce rate was at 46 percent, the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) according to "Divorce and its impact on the UAE society" an article in the GulfNews by Najla Al Awadhi. All of these factors are contributing to the decrease in marriage among nationals in the UAE. The officials here have attempted to halt the trend by offering financial incentives for nationals to marry one another.
But - the country is no longer comprised mostly of nationals (an issue the officials also hope to combat with their financial-incentive scheme since only children born to local women are considered citizens) - therefore the pattern of mixed-up marriages is visually and anecdotally clear. With so much diversity and so many different people, one assumes that there is an air of tolerance - it seems to be as consistent as the wind.
Take for example, the Western obsession with race and color. It's Eastern equivalent is the obsession with religion. I came here expecting to find a fair amount of "blacks." However, there are not many people here who consider themselves "black" no matter how dark their skin is - especially if they are Arab or Muslim and they are not from the US or sometimes Africa. It's similar to the attitude many people in the Dominican Republic have. I long ago stopped getting excited when I saw folks of my own hue, people who maybe would 'get' my storyline, around the city. Color here is misleading and almost nearly inconsequential.
Everywhere there are advertisements for "fairness cream", which boasts the power to "improve" the complexion. "Improve"? Because it's "bad" in all of its copper, bronze, or ebony glory?
There are many odd dynamics and conundrums here when it comes to ethnicity and nationality, and race and religion as well. I consider myself "black" or "brown" or "yellow" or "black" and "brown" and "yellow" depending on the day because that is the history and the reality that I know. That is my storyline. Yet, I come here, and I am considered a "Westerner" - I have elevated status. I get called "ma'am" and "madame" on a daily basis and someone comes to clean my flat every week and I have not left my husband and children behind in my home country to provide a better life for them. This is where the economic factor comes into play. It's where ethnicity and economics collide. Dubai is where ethnicity, religion, race, nationality, and economics collide and what we previously knew as known becomes un.
*For the purpose of this post, the following definitions will suffice:
The Free Dictionary by Farlex
Farlex, Inc 2009
Nationality:
1. The status of belonging to a particular nation by origin, birth, or naturalization.
Ethnicity:
1 -An ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
Race:
1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution
Ethnicity:
1 -An ethnic quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
Race:
1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution
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