Back home...

So I'm back in the sandlands again. As much as Dubai is my home, I have realized that I need to get away for a while. Going away on a short vacation is not enough, but I do know that going to Canada, whenever that may be, is where I definitely do want to be.

The rest of my vacation went by in a fast blur. More outings and I even traveled out of Kitchener to other cities to meet relatives and close friends. I couldn't meet everyone on my list, but I did what I could.

I also made some new friends and met a rather strapping, adorable lad. Sam calls him the Swedish Bastard affectionately, because he's built like a rock. I'll refer to him as SB. At first I thought it was part of my vacation/Vegas Week thing, but it turns out that there's much more between us and we both want to know more and keep in touch. And so we have and are. It's going good so far. I have no expectations due to prior experience, but he seems so nice and attentive and there is plenty of chemistry. It is a 'wait and watch' thing because I'm back here and my return to Canada depends on many factors, like being accepted for grad school. At the very least, four months. At the most, six months, should I return back as a visitor. But I truly hope I get accepted into grad school and I can stay there for longer.

So I guess we wait and watch :)

In other unrelated news, I was really shocked to find that a nice neighborhood like Qusais is no longer safe from sexual predators. What makes it more horrific was that it involved a 4-year-old boy, a drunk Emirati (which the newspaper duly noted was of Bahraini origin - like that makes it any less disturbing) and sodomisation in a mosque's toilet no less. That too during Eid. There's more on the different cases through the years here.

What I feel the article failed to acknowledge was the fact that crimes like these aren't just committed by 'expats' who don't know better. Sick individuals are present regardless of nationality and citizenship.

In my opinion, I do feel a sense of unease at the fact that 'wasta' can or may run up to far serious offenses. I have discussed in previous posts that there is a sense of entitlement amongst many locals. While it is good to feel proud and secure within one's own country, it is another to think you can get away with just about anything. It devalues respect for other human beings and disrespects both those who have lived here for many years and guests. This will not help anyone in the end. And it is beginning to show.