Posts Tagged ‘dubai’

An Ongoing Anniversary…

Posted: June 9, 2011 in Active Minority, Arabs & Culture, Women & travel
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Yesterday “the 8th of June 2011″ was our second anniversary since the “first time” I met my wife, which was in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and alongside yesterdays anniversary I believe we have another couple of anniversaries, and probably we will have another “dozen ones” in the years to come. For us, we like to consider our lives together, as a whole period of continuous celebrations, not because we’d like to remember.(since we remembered yesterdays anniversary “today”)

Before I met my wife, life to me was all about working, eating, drinking and sleeping, and “a lot of other stuff” passing time as if it is something I am “counting” and I need to accomplish it or wait on it to finish me and hope to have some fun out of it. But the transition period from “my life” to “our life” in the Arab Emirates,”I have learned” that meeting the right woman, can truly turn your life around in a “great” or an “awful” way, so I always like to believe that “I must be lucky” to have this woman not only by my beside, but supporting me like I have never had support in my life, sometimes I even find my self wondering “I must’ve done something really good” in order to “deserve and meet” such a great woman.

Not because she’s undoubtedly cute, and has a smile that can light up the whole day, but the energy and excitement she brings to my “everyday life” is one of the many reasons, why I love to do whatever she loves doing, as she makes everything fun and amazingly simple and pure. Like any successful relationship, there has to be balance “at all times”, and where “money” is considered an essential part of any form of relationship.

That is why “no matter” what amount of money I have, it never meant to stay in my pockets nor it ever reached any bank accounts, “it is commonly believed that money and I just don’t mix well” and whether I have a Dollar or a Million, It “will” disappear like it never existed, and that is why thankfully, I turned all our personal finances to my wife.

“I know what you’re thinking”, and actually, where I come from “culturally”  that is the exact definition of “emasculating a man”, where he has no control over his finances, and where it is almost “impossible to witness” in the Arab world, but you would definitely “witness the opposite” where men takeover their wives fortunes, even-though they have no legal rights to. (Read Sexual Education for masculine communities)

It is also considered “common thinking” in the Arab world, that women “cannot be responsible” when it comes to household finances, and we usually relate it to their “shopaholic” syndromes they appear to always show, and where unfortunately “stereotyping” against women’s abilities in “responsibilities” are a daily practice in those communities. I found it very refreshing that my wife proves all men “wrong”. I can even proudly say: “without her” I probably would be dead, somewhere near a “Burger King” drive thru sidewalk. (Read Sense fulfilling food diet)

The reason why my wife is so efficient when it comes to “personal financial” matters and how to “stretch your dollar”, is not only due to her “Japanese culture” but her previous travels as well. Crossing the Asian Pacific going through the Arabian Gulf region “where we met” to the Middle east “my home” all the way up to Turkey, where she had the ability to break her own cultural barriers, and was able “not only” to adapt, but accept cultures around her “no matter how extreme”, and developed her own global culture as a true “Active minority”, and due to her down-to-earth natural personality, she identified terms of happiness to simplicity in our lives, and where she has full self-acknowledgment to symbolize happiness from within her self and her surroundings, rather than a “superficial” materialistic happiness our stereotype thinking can offer.

If we can all “Men & WOMEN” look beyond objectifying women, and appreciate the “countless blessings” that our women bring to our lives, whether its our Mom’s, Wife’s or sisters. the thought of life without them by our side makes life unbearable to enjoy “with or without money”.

Traffic solutions in Arabia

Posted: June 6, 2011 in Arabs & Culture, Travel, tourism & Me
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Almost everybody gets stuck in traffic for at least a “couple of dozen” times, and for me the only solution “I knew then” to over come any traffic “effects” related to work or personal appointments I made sure to always start my journeys 120 minutes earlier to any appointment, and where in cities such as Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, being late is a “common culture” mostly claimed due to traffic “but still” I always made sure to be on time if not earlier “I even haunted my employees on time respect issues”, but that was just like putting people in some sort of life threatening nightmare. And when it comes to traffic, all sorts of creative stories and excuses come up to cover the “original reason of being late”, even with providing simple solutions of time management, but lets leave that for another time.

After I have moved to Thailand, and as a new resident, the means of transportation with “cost effective and practical solutions” to handle all those traffics, led to getting a “Motorbike”, where all over South East Asia, the concept of using the Motorbike as the daily means of transportation, other that the obvious fact of avoiding “any kind of traffic”, but comes as a “financially effective” solution in terms of fuel consumption costs, as well as maintenance and most importantly the efficient “capital costs” of the Motorbikes in comparison to Cars.

the other benefits of driving a Motorbike in such beautiful nature offered by the South East Asian Region, and specifically in mountain and hill area’s such as Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle area, making the Motorbike a “perfect tool” to enjoy all that fresh breeze of the mountain air and access roads to Waterfalls, Springs and various hills and fields spread all over the region, making “group Motorbike tours” or “private ones” a heck of an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, for the Arabian Gulf region, applying the same Asian concept of Motorbikes, would be an act of “pure torture” due to the all-year-round “dry heat desert weather”, the A/C is a “must” when it comes to transportation or going out from home, and where the only scenery provided in this region is “tall towers, and desert beach fronts” the concept of hiring a Motorbike to tour around the country is considered “an act of madness”, but still you would find “Motorbike groupies” in their thick leather jackets “conquering the Arabian deserts”.

But even in countries with a more convenient weather and “relatively” drivable roads such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the concept of Motorbikes would have never advanced to more than “delivery boys” and “company bike drivers”. Just the thought of seeing “Arabic women” driving motorbikes is a “serious” invitation for sexual harassment to advance on roads by their masculine communities.(Read Sexual education for masculine communities)

and where “to those countries” the financial effects of using such a concept in the daily life of our “youth at least” will have massive effects on our personal finances in “rough economical times” blowing the region as a whole.

But the culture of “showing off” instilled in our societies and “blessed culturally”, is just another reason why “the motorbike concept” wont work, so to avoid all the sexual harassment cases and to “save the pride of our societies image” either move to another country, or stop complaining about a problem “you’re the cause of it”.