The flight to Dubai was a relaxing one. Props to Kelley for getting us seats in the economy class that provided us with personal TVs to watch movies and listen to music (we were worried for a few seconds, as we passed First and Business class when we didn’t see personal TVs). As luck would have it I was sitting between Cara and Hannah, a senior at Smith College in Massachusetts. Seated directly behind us was Raquel, a bubbly junior also studying at Smith College. Both girls were on their way to Dubai to attend the conference as well. Yay to new friendships within the first 5 hours of our travels!
United Airlines got me ready for my week’s Middle Eastern experience by providing me a Chicken Curry dinner followed by a presentation of Aladdin (oh how long it’s been since I last watched that movie!), but also reminded me of America’s influence in the world by repeatedly playing Jason DeRulo’s Watcha Say and Ke$ha’s TiK ToK, on its playlist of 20 songs.
Some 8 hours later, I awoke to the captain announcing that we were about 15 minutes away from landing and to observe beautiful Dubai from the skies. It finally hit me: I was going to be in Dubai for the next week. WOW. I was once again energized and excited for the adventures that lied ahead of me.
Unfortunately, I faced a few roadblocks before actually reaching our hotel. The first: I totally made an idiot out of myself while saying “Ahlen wa selen” to the man that was checking my passport at customs. “That’s how you correctly say hello in Arabic, right?” I naively asked. “No, that’s incorrect,” he responded, “its as-salaam-wa-alakum.” (Well DUH). Later that night I found out I had said you’re welcome to the man. So here’s a BIG THANK YOU to the friend that suggested saying “Ahlen wa selen” to Emirates once I arrived in Dubai. =P. Roadblock number two: United Airlines left my luggage behind in Washington. Yep, of all the people in the world that would have their luggage left behind…I would be the one without business professional clothes the day before a conference. I guess I should’ve listened to my mother when she told me to pack an extra set of clothes in my carry-on backpack. Oops.
Thank god for girls with generous hearts. The 5 other girls that were present with me when I almost broke down in tears offered, without hesitation, to lend me their clothes for the first day. It was then that I knew that this would be a memorable experience.
So the six of us found our taxi driver waiting outside and headed to our hotel. The ride there was so mind boggling – I was sitting with young women from all over the world, who spoke at least three languages, lived in and traveled to multiple countries, and had great international plans for the future. I was astonished and learned SO much in that short half hour ride. Aside from being a business student from Kelley, having a family history that made me a cultural mutt and just having traveled to Ghana, the only thing I could brag about was being able to communicate with the taxi driver who spoke Urdu, my second tongue.
Once we finally arrived to the hotel and were assigned our rooms, the girls and I were awestruck at our living arrangements: apartment style hotel rooms, fully furnished with a living room, kitchen, washer and dryer, 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. SCORE!!! Thank you Kelley, once again.
Throughout my college experience I’ve never had a roommate and to be told I would be living with 4 other girls for a week was….a change. I was excited. I met my other roommates soon after, a great representation of the East: one from Jordan, another from Syria, the third from Pakistan and the last from India. I was a minority in a room full of women my age, the only westerner. Was I worried? A bit. I didn’t know what went through their heads as I introduced myself, “Hi, my name is Salima and I’m from America studying at Indiana University.”
My worries were soon abated when my roommates and I went to dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Our cultural and religious differences were the center of probably the most interesting conversation I’ve had in months. As Zenya from Syria helped us get through the various courses of our meal, we slowly got to know each other a little better. I thought to myself, if I had learned so much during one meal…I would be a wealth of knowledge after 8 days. I can’t wait to see what comes my way next.
It is now 1:45 am here in Dubai. Three roommates are asleep and the fourth is still at services with her distant family that lives here. The long nap from the plane ride will probably keep me up for a few hours. I guess I should study for accounting…I have to take a midterm in a few days with a professor at the Women’s College (ridiculous, I know).
Here’s a shout out to mom, dad, Zahra and dada! I miss you guys!
Keep reading folks!
Word of the Day: HABIBI. It means “My beloved.” ;)
what's up with shout outs to naushad, asif and shehzad?!
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