Opulence of the People

 

A dip in Dubai

Hello hello my friends! Mar7aba as-duqatees! Hola mis amigos! How is life going these days? I am doing well and relaxing after my latest trip. I've just returned from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Cairo, Egypt! I am very grateful to have had this dream of mine come true and I am happy to be sharing my experiences with everyone.

My journey began in Dubai, the City of Gold where I met up with my Baba, old friends, and made many new friends too. I felt as if I was in another world because all the tall skyscrapers and lights were so futuristic and sophisticated. My eyes must have doubled in size when I saw the Burj Khalifa for the first time. It was so masterfully engineered and made you believe anything was possible. I had always seen it in pictures, but in person, it took my breath away. The water fountain light show at its bottom was so romantic and made me think of what a wonderful world we live in.  I also saw the Palm Island and spent some time in Dubai's Marina. Swimming in the Persian Gulf next to the Burj Al Arab was quite delicious! The water was clear and warm, it was almost as great as my favorite Caribbean seas. I'm not sure how, but a two buses of Indian tourists on the beach thought I resembled a Bollywood actress and stopped to take pictures of me and with me, I even hugged one of their babies. Being famous is hard work, hahaha! Not to mention, the Dubai Mall was insane! I could have spent my whole time there, but I needed some real adventure!

I appreciated all the cultures and people in Dubai as well. I had the opportunity to share the majestic city with Emirati people, Indians, Filipinos, Bangladeshi, British and Scottish people to name a few. I didn't get to speak much Arabic because everyone spoke English all the time. My dad's American expat friend, William, ended up showing my the first and oldest British expat pub in Dubai, near Jebel Ali. I loved it! As soon as we walked in, I felt as if I was in England. This experience has enhanced my life because the people there were so kind and told amazing stories. At one point, there was a British gentleman, a Scottish gentleman, myself, my dad's friend Will (an American expat), a Russian gentleman, a Ukrainian gentleman, and an Indian gentleman all sitting upfront at the bar. We went around telling jokes and stories, stories about the American revolution from the perspective of our respective country. And then the British gentleman says, "Although many of our governments want us to fight and hate each other, I am glad to say we're on this boat of life together and we have our woes and good times. Cheers to us lads!" That is one night I will not forget and now we are all friends.

All of the nights in Dubai were certainly divine! On one particular night, I went to a bar and then to fabulous soiree with friends. We danced and drank our weight in champagne and other drinks. I felt like the princess of the party--without the help of the Prince of Dubai (him and I don't speak much anymore, except for the occasional Instagram likes). The night was so much fun, but certainly a blur now. I'm glad that night in Dubai was that spectacular, but I knew it was time to get serious. I had the opportunity to speak with some Bangladeshi and Indian migrant workers who are in Dubai as construction workers. They said they left their homes because they wanted to earn money and provide for their families, which is something that is difficult to do back home. They reminded me of Latino migrants that come to the US--all for a dream and filled with hope! There was much more to their stories, many have said they were suffering and hungry. Most were not getting paid what they were promised and spoke about their accommodations as if they were hell--and I believe them. A lot of them had their passports taken away once they arrived and told me they had to work to earn enough money to "buy" them back. This outraged me! I listened carefully and I promised them I wouldn't give up! I’m currently writing to humanitarian organizations and NGO’s, so we may take measures to end this. I had come to this City of Gold for more than simple fun and opulence, I had come to meet another face of the world and I am grateful I did. 

Ameera Jeanette

After a few days in Dubai, I was off to Cairo, Egypt! I was quite nervous, as I wanted the Egyptians to like me, which they did and treated me like their own. I spoke Arabic with everyone and I couldn’t help but smile all of the time, they also thought I was Egyptian and I didn’t object because it allowed me to take on a different perspective and get Egyptian prices. I am very grateful to have been given tours of the Pyramids and of Cairo by my Egyptian friends, whom I made in the US while we worked at a pizzeria in San Francisco’s Mission district 3 years ago—isn’t it beautiful? How life works?! Beholding the power of the Pyramids was fantastic and surreal. I have always been fascinated by the Ancient Egyptians and and their way of life, not to mention, their engineering techniques. The Pyramids at Giza were built to fit the Golden Ratio (also known as the Phi Ratio) in Geometry, Phi is the only number which has the mathematical property of its square being one more than itself! Was this an accident or planned? The world may never know. The energies surrounding the pyramids are strong, yet calming, I felt as if I could do anything! I couldn’t help but imagine the great Pharos and the hardships of the slaves who helped built the pyramids and I kept trying to understand the connection between the pyramids in Egypt and those all over the world and Orion’s belt. I’m quite a fan of these conspiracies. Alas, I did not see any ancient aliens either.

Walking the streets of downtown Cairo was an adventure and I got this rush when I visited Tharir Square, a main meeting point during the Egyptian revolution (Arab Spring).  I whispered to myself, Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam!, “The people want to bring down the regime!”. I got chills and remembered all those who strived and continue to strive for freedom and basic human rights. I am still a revolutionary and want to bring peace and love to people, but I'd never use violence, I think that's why I was born with a way with words, because words are more powerful than causing physical pain. Regardless of being in a first world or third world country, we all have hopes, desires, and fears, we are human. I enjoyed quite a simple life in Cairo, as I always seem to have something going on in the US, whether it’s meeting up with friends, working, volunteering, or going to see baseball game; so it was nice to wander off without a watch and not having to answer phone calls or e-mails.

What a dream!

I also was reminded of the similarities we have as human beings. I saw an old Egyptian woman making pita bread and I could have sworn it was my grandmother. She resembled my Grandma Lila and had her head covered in a hijab, where in certain parts of Mexico, the women wear a reboso, a big scarf to wrap around their heads to shield them from the sun or cold. This Egyptian woman also was cooking with various spices to make some sauce, like the Mexican mole sauce, which my Grandma makes too. All the men reminded me of my uncles back home and I treated everyone I met with respect because they are like my family—everyone is somebody’s family. Many of my friends and family were scared for me when they found out that 12 Mexican tourists were bombed by the Egyptian military (8 died), while visiting the sites at Giza. It's quite shocking because I was planning to be there that same day and time, but I decided to go a day before instead. I am thankful to the world for allowing me to see more days, but I am sad about my fellow comrades. I know the Mexican people and government are upset, but let us not turn to hate. Things happen in countries that don't represent the whole population or culture. Let's mourn the incident and move towards improving the lives in Mexico and Egypt, perhaps both countries  can work on a plan together. 

After much adventure and a little mischief, I headed back to San Francisco to resume work. At the moment, I am visiting California’s Central Coast for a few days because my Grandma Lila is in town! As soon as I arrived, she had all my favorite foods waiting. She made mole (a sauce composed of many delicious ingredients), pozole (a soup made with corn hominy), and enchiladas! Many people say I have this innocent look and energy to me and I think a lot comes from still being my Grandma’s baby. After a delicious meal, I sat with her on the couch and hugged her. I fell asleep in her arms and all the hardships and worries of life disappeared. They say that when we pass away and if we are no longer to be re-born again, we go to our own heaven. I think my heaven will be of me hugging and sleeping in my Grandma’s arms. 

I am grateful to the Universe for allowing me to visit some of my dream destinations—Dubai and Egypt. I have not only discovered the opulence of the Middle East, but the opulence of the people...so rich in their souls and dreams. I will continue to wake up everyday and give all I can give to the world. Stay sane and humble my habibis. “Who is the world to tell you what you can and cannot do?!”