ExpatFocus Newsletter Interview – January
2017
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| Barbara and the Falcon, Jebel Ali Resort |
Who are you?
I have been an educator for over 30
years with a Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin. I taught graduate and undergraduate business
management and communication courses at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. I also taught music and theory (private piano
lessons) for over 23 years.
I also have extensive professional
experience both in the USA and in the Middle East. I was also an award winning sales
representative in the pharmaceutical industry.
My overseas experience began in 2004
as I became the Executive Director of the American Business Group (American
Chamber of Commerce) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for two years which
included fund raising, membership sales and development, and special events.
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| Barbara on a Night Out in Abu Dhabi |
Then, in 2008 my husband and I returned
to the UAE and lived in Dubai for three years.
I held the position as the Executive Director of the International Technology Education Center, Knowledge
Village, Dubai (an ESL language-teaching institute) which taught adults from all over the world.
I was also appointed as the Executive
Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Unfortunately, we were not able to move and
honor this commitment.
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| Barbara and Bill - Desert Safari - Dubai |
Where, when and why
did you move abroad?
My husband and I moved to Abu Dhabi
in 2004 for his career in higher education from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
where we had been living for over six months.
We lived and worked in Abu Dhabi in
2004 and 2005. My husband was the
Executive Director of the UAE Military Language Institute. I taught ESL for a few months before becoming
the Executive Director of the American Business Group.
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| Barbara at the Grand Mosque |
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Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi
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| Shoes at the Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi |
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| Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi |
In 2008, we returned to the UAE to
live in Dubai for three years until 2011.
Again, my husband’s career took us back to the Middle East. This time he was the Principal of two all
boys, government funded, science and technology based high schools in the Emirates of Dubai and Ras Al
Khaimah.
What challenges did
you face during the move?
It was challenging to find our way
around the larger city of Dubai due to increased traffic, more roads and
highways, plus the sheer volume of people living in a fast growing city. Abu Dhabi was a much easier city to navigate
because it is laid out on a grid and there were fewer people living there. Also easier
because it’s an older city, as well as the capitol of the United Arab Emirates.
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| Abu Dhabi Apartments |
My 30-mile commute to work in Dubai took
two hours each way from our flat. The
stoplights, the round-abouts, bumper-to-bumper traffic and so many pedestrians
all increased the stress and drive time.
This was the only time I rented and drove a car during all of the years
in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
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| Burj Al Arab, Dubai |
It was also challenging to go
grocery shopping locally because most labels were in Arabic and many clerks did
not speak English. However, it was
easier to shop at the large grocery and retail store called Carrefour which
catered to a more international customer.
Approximately half of the labels were in
English and the other half were in Arabic.
But, there was a large selection of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and
other goods. I found myself looking at
the pictures on the cans and made decisions based on that visual. I could not always understand cleaning
supplies though.
There were challenges finding taxis
at times too. Not enough taxis and too
many people. It was very hot and humid
and so many other pedestrians waiting
for taxis. My husband used the car daily
for his job, therefore I had to take taxis.
I also had to furnish and start new
households three different times. Not
only that, but we moved eight times in nine years! That meant using taxis and filling them with
a mop, broom, bucket, cleaning supplies, glassware, dishes, kitchen utensils,
bedding, pillows, lamps, rugs, towels, etc.
Anything that you need to start a new household or a new apartment, from
scratch.
Are there many
other expats in your area?
We never lived in an American
compound as many expats did in the Middle East.
We knew a lot of Americans from various companies. They all lived in
compounds filled with villas and Americans only. We also met Brits, Australians, Canadians who
had the same living arrangements. They
also had their own private clubs with swimming pools, activities, restaurants
and bars. But, again, they would only
associate with expats from their country.
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| El Diar - Our Apartment Building, Abu Dhabi |
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| Corniche, Abu Dhabi |
We did not live in that manner. We always rented a flat or a villa living next
door to people from other countries, cultures and nationalities. I loved the aromas as the women cooked. I found that I could identify which country
they were from by the seasonings being used.
I interacted with everyone in my apartment building and got to know the
men and women.
To me, living abroad meant living
with people NOT like me.
That was one of the most interesting and exciting things about living
abroad.
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| Burj Al Arab near the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai |
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| Shisha Pipes, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai |
What do you like
about life where you are?
As I said, I loved the intercultural
exchange as I got to know ladies and men from other countries. I also taught ESL to adults from all over the
world. But the most interesting students
were the ladies from the United Arab Emirates.
Most of my classes were segregated – Women Only or Men Only. The classes at ITEC in Dubai were typically
co-educational. I also was a substitute
teacher for an all girls school and an international school (K-12) in
Dubai.
As I taught women in Abu Dhabi, I became great friends with them. I was invited to share meals with them in
their homes, I met their families (not the men though), I went shopping with
them, I went to weddings with them and we had great times together!
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| Dubliner's Pub, Le Meridian, Dubai |
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| Barbara, Dubliner's Pub, Dubai |
They were very intelligent, curious
about everything Western, lovely and friendly women who were good students,
wanted to learn English, wanted to get married, and be good mothers and
wives. This was the cultural exchange
and experience that I loved about living in the Middle East!
What do you dislike
about your expat life?
At times it was difficult to
communicate with people from other cultures due to their accents and my not
understanding their English. Sometimes,
as a teacher, if I could not get my message across in English, I had to ask a
student to translate into Farsi or Arabic so more students in the class could
understand the concepts.
Also, there were rules in society
for expats, yet no rules for the Emiratis.
We expats were expected to obey traffic laws and rules of the road. However, a UAE citizen could break traffic laws
and not be punished. Also, men had a
tendency to pop right in front of you in a line, no matter where you were. I had that happen in hospital, grocery
stores, restaurants, etc. They felt
privileged and protected by being a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.
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| Jebel Ali Resort, Abu Dhabi |
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| Shisha Pipes, Jebel Ali Resort, Abu Dhabi |
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| Jebel Ali Resort, Abu Dhabi |
The society was very patriarchal, as
I expected. But at times, this
frustrated me as I made more and more friends with the women of the Middle
East. If I had a lunch or coffee planned
with one of my Middle Eastern lady friends and her husband decided that he
didn’t want her to go, he simply forbade her to go.
She would text or call me telling me
that her husband said she could not go out that day. I felt very badly for these women who, of
course, must obey their husband, their father or their brother, whoever was the
family patriarch. No independence for
the women in these countries. Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing
within their societal norms, culture or religion.
What is the biggest
cultural difference you have experienced between your new country and life back
home?
Well, living abroad simply widens
your horizons more than you can ever begin to know until you have the
experience. I realize that freedom and
democracy are values that we take for granted as citizens of the USA. Other countries simply do not govern or
operate by those rules. As a woman in the United States, I am
blessed to have the right to vote, to drive a car, to take a job, to make
choices about our pregnancies and so much more.
The women in the Middle Eastern countries in which I lived do not have
even those basic rights and freedoms.
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| Rotana Cove Resort, Ras Al Khaimah |
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| Rotana Cove Resort, Ras Al Khaimah |
Also, people in the USA are not always
as geographically and politically aware and knowledgeable of other countries
unless they have traveled extensively or lived abroad. I found a disconnect with friends and
co-workers upon my return from the Middle East because their experiences and
world awareness was simply different from mine.
I feel so fortunate to have had the
opportunity to live and work abroad, especially in the Middle East as a western
woman.
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| Falcon & Trainer, Jebel Ali Resort |
What advice would
you give to anyone following in your footsteps?
Go for it! Live in another country for six months to a
year! Find an opportunity to live abroad
and embrace it! Research the country in
which you will live and the surrounding countries, especially religion, women’s
rights, employment and living conditions.
Find a city large enough to have good jobs, affordable housing, public
transportation, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, etc.
But be prepared for the unexpected
and go with the flow. Also, meet new
people every opportunity you have. Make new friends with men and women from other cultures. Go out to eat with them, cook with them, meet
their families and enjoy your differences!
It will be the most rewarding time of your life!
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| Look Out for Camels near the Roads |
What are your plans
for the future?
My husband and I travel often and
have begun using Airbnb in other countries.
We love the experience of living in someone’s apartment, meeting the
host, learning about the neighborhood from them and not living in a tourist
area or hotel. It’s a great
experience.
We just traveled in August 2016 in
Europe – Amsterdam, Germany, Austria, Budapest, and Prague! Fabulous fun!
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| Barbara in Amsterdam |
We also traveled to Spain last year
for the month of April. In 2017, I’m
going again to do the Grand Tour of Spain with three lady friends. Then, I’m taking my 18-year-old Granddaughter
on her first trip to Europe. We are going
to see Italy for 15 days in June! I
can’t wait to share my love of travel with her!
My husband and I are also planning
to return to Ireland and stay in Airbnbs this autumn!
Again, we love going to local pubs,
driving our rental car or taking public transportation and just meeting and
talking to people from all walks of life.
Happy Travels!
