Goodbye to all thatWhat happens in the spring storms here is that the number of traffic accidents increases significantly. Emiratis aren’t used to driving in the rain; mix that with greasy roads and poor drainage and it’s a potent, possibly lethal formula. To illustrate this, one of Jade’s workmates counted ten damaged cars on her way home the other night during thunderstorms, in fine weather there may be only one or two.
The drill when an accident occurs is that the vehicles have to remain exactly on the spot until the police arrive and prepare an incident report. If they don’t do that and, for example, move the cars onto the side of the road and out of flow the traffic, insurance is voided. That was why
Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street (or Airport Road as we call it) was blocked the other morning when we tried to cross it to catch the bus to town. There had been a collision right where we usually jaywalk.
Indeed, we have become confident jaywalkers despite the madness of the driving here. Dodging traffic on busy main streets has become second nature, and we’ve been feeling pretty smug about it too. That was until we read that twelve pedestrians having been killed so far this year taking, like us, short-cuts. We’ve been careful since then.
Our two and a half month stint camped like Bedouin in Jade’s living room is due to come to an end today. We will miss our journeys on the bus, Kaelene in the ladies seats at the front and Marty with the Indians down the back, the eccentricity and impatience of the bus drivers, and our listening to the passengers’ chatter, none of which we can understand. So too our laundry man who folds washing as though an art form, and the Pakistani hairdresser who cuts and grooms Marty’s hair with more care and precision than it could ever warrant. We’ll miss shawarma, perhaps the most delicious local food we’ve eaten, and Baskin Robbins ice creams, even with such unlikely flavours as tea and scones.
The people, Arabic women in their abeyas, some wearing hijabs and with hennaed hands and the men in dishdashes with scarves tied around their heads in the most elaborate of ways. Indian women in their rich, vibrantly coloured outfits, festooned with sparkling gems and beads.
This is a very social society, families congregate in parks and play with children, and men gather in clusters on the footpaths or sit the grass verges talking. The call to prayer has become so much a part of our daily routine we barely notice it, but it is ever there, as are the men washing and filing into local mosques.
It will be fascinating to return at some stage. Abu Dhabi has massive plans for expansion and development, funded largely through oil money and foreign investment. But there appears to be more care and planning here and, even though Abu Dhabi is the richest of the emirates, it lacks the breathtaking excess and decadence of its northern neighbour, Dubai. It also values and cultivates the arts, and that is certainly a big part of the future development.
But for us, we have learned only in the last few days that we live not too many stones throws from the local sly-grog shop. A pity about the late advice, but perhaps it has been for the best as today it is off to Dubai and Tuesday to Thailand. We need to be in the best of health for that.
The drill when an accident occurs is that the vehicles have to remain exactly on the spot until the police arrive and prepare an incident report. If they don’t do that and, for example, move the cars onto the side of the road and out of flow the traffic, insurance is voided. That was why
Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street (or Airport Road as we call it) was blocked the other morning when we tried to cross it to catch the bus to town. There had been a collision right where we usually jaywalk.Indeed, we have become confident jaywalkers despite the madness of the driving here. Dodging traffic on busy main streets has become second nature, and we’ve been feeling pretty smug about it too. That was until we read that twelve pedestrians having been killed so far this year taking, like us, short-cuts. We’ve been careful since then.
Our two and a half month stint camped like Bedouin in Jade’s living room is due to come to an end today. We will miss our journeys on the bus, Kaelene in the ladies seats at the front and Marty with the Indians down the back, the eccentricity and impatience of the bus drivers, and our listening to the passengers’ chatter, none of which we can understand. So too our laundry man who folds washing as though an art form, and the Pakistani hairdresser who cuts and grooms Marty’s hair with more care and precision than it could ever warrant. We’ll miss shawarma, perhaps the most delicious local food we’ve eaten, and Baskin Robbins ice creams, even with such unlikely flavours as tea and scones.
The people, Arabic women in their abeyas, some wearing hijabs and with hennaed hands and the men in dishdashes with scarves tied around their heads in the most elaborate of ways. Indian women in their rich, vibrantly coloured outfits, festooned with sparkling gems and beads.
This is a very social society, families congregate in parks and play with children, and men gather in clusters on the footpaths or sit the grass verges talking. The call to prayer has become so much a part of our daily routine we barely notice it, but it is ever there, as are the men washing and filing into local mosques.
It will be fascinating to return at some stage. Abu Dhabi has massive plans for expansion and development, funded largely through oil money and foreign investment. But there appears to be more care and planning here and, even though Abu Dhabi is the richest of the emirates, it lacks the breathtaking excess and decadence of its northern neighbour, Dubai. It also values and cultivates the arts, and that is certainly a big part of the future development.
But for us, we have learned only in the last few days that we live not too many stones throws from the local sly-grog shop. A pity about the late advice, but perhaps it has been for the best as today it is off to Dubai and Tuesday to Thailand. We need to be in the best of health for that.
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