— The big smile of a laborer — because I know it comes from the heart
— The smell of shisha at a cafe — even though I don’t smoke
— The thrill of the city lights as they shine against the dark desert sky
— The willingness of a friend or a stranger to do almost anything — for nothing in return
— The way a friend from another country pauses to come up with the best word so I will understand them accurately
— The twinkle in an eye from a soul that has lived through tragedy
— The cheery conversation of two British kiddos during the morning school run
— The smell of foods I have never heard of — from countries I’ve never visited
— How I secretly am drawn to the chaos of miscommunication
— That I have almost grown to appreciate the smell of oud
— That I could now compete on a game show and correctly guess a sentence understanding only two words
— When disaster strikes we all pull together empathizing with people and countries we have never met or visited
— I am addicted to the surprises that the UAE constantly offers
— Realizing I now understand global politics, history, relations and also realizing that many people don’t
— My empathy for others has grown enormously
— What I want is for everyone I love to feel/see what I am experiencing
— I have grown used to driving in the chaos of the UAE roads
— I feel a little lost without a National dress
— Mam/Sir doesn’t bother me anymore
— It saddens me to know that many people around the world are misinformed about life in the Middle East
— The slang words I don’t understand but am always willing to try
— I love rubbing elbows with people in the supermarket
— The smell of rain is like heaven
— I love unexpected friendships that pop up out of nowhere
— And most of all, I love seeing the world in my child’s eyes
— My heart is full for the one we lost on a sad December day
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Thank you to the unknown artists whose photography and art I have used in this post.
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