DMC Issue 12

My dear readers,

It is a pleasure to get back to writing after a long hiatus. Well the void was due to various reasons, but today I still find that no reason is justified when you cant make time for what you love to do. Hence I have learnt another lesson by life, for life. :)

Tears of joy...or a cry for help?

Most of us have been taught right from our schooling days that man is a social animal. Whenever I heard this from my teachers in school, I always used to amuse myself by thinking that if men were social animals, women might be socializing animals....and I wondered how interesting this aspect would be! Well, on a serious note, 'humans' are always on a perpetual mission of craving for something materialistic, emotional and spiritual all through theirs lives. I guess when God forbade 'the 1st couple' from eating 'the fruit', HE did so since HE knew that men & women will get too social as animals. Unfortunately HIS fears came true, thanks to a crawling catalyst! The point I'am getting to is that does this habit or nature of craving and asking embedded in our mind since birth or it evolves through the years and situations.

A young Indian mother hopped in the train one morning, carrying her couple-of-months old (guessing the age) baby in her arms. The baby was the cynosure of all eyes in the compartment since God had blessed him with a very pretty and smiling face. The mother looked to be all excited to have a metro ride with her tiny little baby. They both were talking in their own baa baa boo boo language which I'am sure had many grammatical mistakes made by the mother because I could see that the baby was not able to understand what the Mum was saying most of the times.

It begins now! Here came a station and the train obviously halted there, passengers got in and few disembarked. Apart from the sounds and chaos in the station, what one could hear very loudly and clearly was the cry of a baby. It shot out in the train as though someone sounded a siren for war or a drill. We all turned and looked at the direction of the sound and saw this Indian baby crying uncontrollably. The Mom was trying her best to first of all stop her baby from crying and also from attracting attention by all passengers around her. But you see, there's one talent that babies love to show and compete with fellow babies...that talent is crying and it takes an effort, at times even by the Mum to calm the baby down. Unfortunately our lady here was finding it very difficult to stop her baby's outburst. All this happened until the time the train was non-mobile at the station. As soon as the train continued its journey, the baby 'instantaneously' stopped crying. Everyone felt relieved more-so the mother. I got back to listening to songs on my iPhone and it was all fine...until the next station. The train began to slow down as it approached the station and the baby act began again. This time it was with superb characterization. The kiddo first made up a frown on his face, slowly lifted his head to look up to his mom as though asking "now what happened again?", the mom, perplexed had just began to looked at him, the train stopped and he started.....oooaaaaaa oooooaaaaa.... Instead of looking at her baby and calming him down, she looked at us around her and started smiling and giggled as though her kid performed exactly as she taught him for this play called 'cry-stop-cry'! Well, this continued for at least for 3 stations more until where I got out at my station and this duo continued the journey. I wonder if it continued later on too.

Just like this baby, most of us become crying babies when we need something in life or are dis-pared from doing or having something we love or like alot. When we enjoy doing something or being with someone it becomes a part of our life. When it is detached or placed away from us for a while or permanently, we cry. When one need or prayer is answered or when one desire or possession is granted, our hearts and minds are immediately ready for the next 'ask'. This takes us back to the basic mantra of humans being social animals. But unlike this baby; whose reason to cry was the temporary pause in its feeling of being in a train (without even having the knowledge or understanding of what it is all about), our needs and wants, prayers and desires too; most of the times are irrational and one too many. Also, we seldom thank God for answering our prayers (which our numerous) but proactively make ourselves available for every possible opportunity where we can ask or shamelessly plead to God time and again to answer every need. It's a different thing that God is all merciful, loving and kind in ignoring our greed and yet answering our prayers (if it is HIS will). Why is it so difficult for us to shed tears of joy and contentment about the fact that we are alive today and have been given the opportunity to be worthy of receiving the grace of another day tomorrow in our lives? And why is it so easy to cry and crib about things that we (most of the times) don't need direly and keep trying to get God to hear and answer us 'always'.

Know this my dear friends, when you shed a tear of thanks, gratitude and humility to God, HE answers our prayers even before we can find words to express what we need. Don't we know that he had already planned and destined our lives even before we were conceived?

Socialize....with humans and animals. Don't be greedy social animals...lest you cry, for something or the other, all the time!

Now please smile... :)

DMC Issue 11

Brave as a 'child'

Travelling back home from work one evening in the metro, I couldn't take my eyes off this adorable little girl tucked cozily between her Dad and Mom. She was very pleasingly smiling at people seated on the opposite seats and had no dearth of the glee in her beautiful and innocent eyes. I assume that she might have been around 3 years old and she probably was an Egyptian. Well I could assume that because now I am a bit familiar with certain body language and appearance of Arab Nationals here in the UAE, just as how an Indian would know just by looking at a fellow Indian and say from which city or community he / she might belongs to. So...back to the little girl. After passing a few stations, the girl got up and sat alone, not far from her parents when this new passenger who came and sat beside her. This passenger was a young Arab lady and the minute she looked at this little girl in no time she had tears in her eyes. She was trying to control her tears and overwhelming emotion as she drew herself closer to the girl and gave her a 'bear hug' and kept kissing her arm. I was unable to understand the whole scenario because all this while there was something very important that wasn't yet visible to my eyes. The Arab lady then sat the girl on her lap, gave her phone to play and just when the girl held the phone with just one arm and tried to 'manage' it with the other, that's when I saw that this little angel had an amputated arm, from the elbow! Yes...my eyes were moist the very second I saw this appalling yet joyful sight of this bundle of gladness. Appalling because she was so young and was bearing such a rude reality of life as part of her body and joyful because there was not a single wrinkle of sadness nor an utterance of a single word of pain or complaint. Instead, the little miracle - as I think of her, was a powerful and heartfelt persona of happiness, strength, courage and life! Her face was like an oasis of pure happiness for someone in a desert of lost hope. Her indescribable acceptance of disability was a lesson for a life time for all those who think that the world is not kind and welcoming to them just because they have dark skin or are bald, short, lean, fat and what not.

One has to always realize that though physical disability deprives us from living a life unlike normal folk, but an individual with a heart and mind that does not have faith in God, or the will power to bear life's challenges head on, to conquer it with wisdom and perseverance, is more handicapped than that one person in some part of the world, who is still living a 'contended' life, with no arms and no legs too!

A spineless heart is worse than a severed arm!

DMC Issue 10

Make Up!

It has been an eventful week!

Last week I had a surprise opportunity of meeting International Cricket commentator Charu Sharma, in the metro! I can also now boast of having met with an Indian global celebrity from the world of cricket. It was a very hectic day at work and then this incident brought some relief to my headache.

Just a couple of days ago there were these two ladies who gave a very animated display of fast track make up, on board the fast track Dubai metro! They were seated on either end of the compartment and were oblivious of the fact that both were exhibiting the same talent to the same audience. For us passengers it was like as though watching free Maybelline TV - LIVE in the literal sense of the word. I am sure there is no need to explain which gender of the audience was glued to their ‘screens’ during this telecast!

These ladies might have had a badly burnt toast during breakfast, tea or coffee spilled all over the table, husband left the towel on the bed…again, kids late to school, an early meeting OR let’s give Roger something interesting to write!! No matter what the reason, no matter what upsets us, when we need to get on with life inspite of all our disappointments or failures or expectations not met, we make sure that we all put on our make-up; whatever that may be and move on with life. Some of us make an effort to indulge in applying more than one layer of it and some of us have the natural ability to be strong and be natural to make up for the unhappiness we experience. At the end of the day what is important is that we need to make sure that nothing lets us crumble or sulk or sinks us into the abyss of sadness, when every minute of life is a gift from God, to be lived to the fullest! When something goes wrong, let’s face it, learn from it and let’s do something worthwhile and make up for the lost happiness! Let’s do something which leaves a glow in our lives and in others and not just on our faces. Something brighter than the glow of any ‘foundation’ or ‘masakara’!

Cheers!!

DMC Issue 9

Multicultural

It’s always a pleasure to meet new and interesting people around you. It gets even more interesting at times when you get to meet people from different countries. I’ve had a wonderful experience last Saturday and I am glad that it has also resulted in a wonderful new chapter in my life.

I was in the train, on my way to the first ever Dubai Coffee Meet by InterNations (professional networking community), last Saturday evening. It was long train trip (longer than my usual rides). I got down at my destination and had to figure out the directions to go to the Hotel; the venue of the get-together. While I was exiting from the station, there was this African guy who to whom I asked for directions. He said “eet eez naut wayri faa maa frend!! You nee to go straight fom heeere aand den tayk a raaayt and woak fo faee minots and you aa gona bee dey evan beefo you no!” This was an interesting brush with the African-English slang. I then kept walking as the guy directed me, but got lost in no time because there were many turns on the way. So I again approached one guy on the road to check for directions again. This guy was a Spanish National. He was returning back to his hotel after his evening walk, engrossed in listening songs on his iPod. When I spoke to him, he guided me well and also said that he is put up in the same hotel and that I could walk with him there. I switched of his iPod and strated chatting with me very inquisitively about India, Dubai, Spain and the people in general. It was a good chat and he was very glad to know that I too was in favour of Barcelona winning the Champions League Match that evening. And just like the African man said, in no time we reached the hotel. But the worst part of the walk was the humidity in the air. I was sweating profusely and was really irriatated with the weather. Anyways, as soon as we got in the hotel, we greeted eachother ‘‘ciao’ and the Spanish guy got going to his room. I then navigated myself to the coffee & snack bar of the hotel, the place where the get-together was arranged. There were a group of about 6 people, each one from a different country, all of them atleast 8 to 10 years older to me, but as energetic and excited about the meeting as me. As time passed on, 5 more members joined in and we had some very interesting conversations about work and life in general, enjoying a lovely cup of coffee. We exchanged contact infos, interests and ideas. I made two new friends too. One of them is the guy who started this group, he is from Lebanon and a lady who is originally from Iran, but lived most of her live in the US and now is the Managing Director of a industrial hardware company in Dubai.

Had a great time until 8.30pm and then this new lady friend of mine dropped me to the nearest metro station in her car and I rode back home in the train, happy!

Met people from about 6 Nationalities, shared football passion and love for my favourite team with a guy from that very country, received genuine ML from an African national and enjoyed a tasty cup of coffee with some very interesting people from around the world. All in one evening, at one place, in DUBAI!!!

DMC Issue 8

Mind it!

Hi readers,

Even before the word evolution was coined, there have been numerous phenomena, civilizations, demographics and all those elements which might have had even a modest aspiration to ‘improvise’; have been evolving. We will also get to witness many other evolutions in the years to come, as long as the human brain remains as the supreme free download torrent of ideas. Now in order to answer your mind’s inquisitiveness, as to where I am actually heading towards with the evolution aspect, I‘d like to straight away get to this week’s agenda on track!

On my way back home from work, there was this group of friends; 3 guys and 2 gals, having a very animated chat. I couldn’t but notice them because they were all standing right infront of my seat. Among them was this pair who is the inspiration for my current issue of DMC. I figured out that they were having a tiff about something and the girl was in no mood of talking to the guy. She kept giving cold looks to him every time he tried to amuse him with his comic faces or silly nothings, neither was she interested in the laughs and fun the rest of the group was enjoying. Suddenly the girl said something to the guy. She said it so ‘loud’ and clear that the guy literally stopped his clown gimmicks and replied back in a very rather courteous manner. Though whatever she told the guy was loud and clear to him, it was softer than even a whisper to everyone else around. Actually the girl said whatever she said, without actually making a sound. She typed something on the message application on her cell phone and showed it to the guy. He read it and the big smile on his face changed into a sad frown, at the speed of light. Now I obviously wouldn’t know what was written in that message, however what I was reminded of was the classic way of evolving a new usage of a tool or a thing which already has set functions to be performed. We message or talk on the phone with people who are far away from us. But this girl evolved another way of using her phone in that particular situation of hers. There are sign languages for those special people who cannot talk or hear, there is brail for those who cannot see. But those who have all their communication senses normal and active; have smart phones at their disposal! But yet when one chooses to type a message on the phone and not send it, not to dial a number to call or not use a hi-tech phone in ways it should be used, it is very interesting to see which other way it is put to use. Phone companies spend months and years to develop the most sophisticated of technologies to address to the unique demands of consumer expectations. This girl in picture was using a Blackberry. Tell me, would the Blackberry guys would have ever thought that their phone’s features would be put to such shame, as one of their customers is using their phone and not actually using any of its features the way they need to be used and yet has actually communicated with another person!

Our mind can evolve new ideas or improvised usage of things which are already improvised and built to address the very function which we intend to execute. This is why; what no thief can enter, nor moth can destroy; is our mind. This is why we are called human. But all things kept aside, what we fail to remember is that we are also called to ‘be human’. Let’s evolve ideas and ways to always make the world a safe and a happy place to live!

DMC Issue 7

Friendship…how far does it sail!

On my ride back home a few evenings ago, when the train door opened and as I was about to get in, I saw this big gang of young college girls squatted in a circle inside the train. What a sight that was! All of them chirping with their high tone voices, laughing and having a great time. As soon as I saw them, even before I could get in, I figured out that there isn’t place to even actually get in. I moved quickly to the next door to get inside. Thankfully I was quick enough because the doors shut within a few seconds. What I did notice was that when I was made to play this ‘catch the next door' game by those young lasses, they all mischievously began giggling as the other passengers too had to get in through other doors. They enjoyed this ‘rasta rokho’ until they got down 4 stops after. This incident reminded me of my college days and my rides in our local buses with classmates and friends. Wow, those days and those experiences with friends are priceless.

This group of girl friends in the train depicted that phase of life which most people in cities around the world experience. Having fun with their group of college friends is an integral part of that special phase of life. The mischief, the friendship, the naughtiness, the loud behavior and all that comes with it. But this incident in the train showed me more than what met the eye. All of them were on the same ‘track’ and the track was towards one direction and it’s just that each one of them or a couple them got down at different stations. Isn’t life EXACTLY as this situation? We are with college friends for so many years of our acquaintance with them and in that period of time we all journey towards the same direction of life, which is; acquiring a good education and achieving a degree, which then helps us in getting a good job. One goal but different destinations. Studying the same course (common track), reaching towards the same goal – degree. However, seldom do all our friends end up together at a common destination. We all study together for a few years, but there is no guarantee that we end up working at common place for another few years. We are all on the same journey, but we choose our individual destinations. And happy are those who are lucky to get an opportunity to work in the same company and be together everyday for a few more years, just like those two girls who got down at a common station and walked back home together.

Happy are those who are blessed with true friends and with lasting friendships! I am glad that I have such friends and also lucky that few among them have remained with me since my childhood!

DMC Issue 6

11 - 05 - 2011

Addiction or Vanity!

I am all glued to my new iPhone 4 since the time I bought it. Well why not; the makers of Apple products actually intensify their new product research programs to such levels that when the product actually hits the market, people camp outside Apple stores to buy them. And we all know this piece of info, but yet I thought it could be FYI to those who don’t.

Have got some awesome songs on the phone which keeps me melodiously occupied through my journey to work and back home. So much so that I forgot to disembark from my train at my station yesterday! Thankfully I realized it at the very next station and swiftly got out off the train.

Well, the world has so much to give us, materialistic and emotional. I wonder if there is an invisible ‘fevicol ka jod’ that keeps us so attached to few things and actually makes us forget the world. A mind blowing invention is the touch sensor to various appliances. Something so fascinating ought to capture one’s imagination and fascination into the wilderness of technology. But what is more attaching or detachable in life? And which of the later is easier? I for one think that attachment is even at time instinctive but detachment from something super techie and excitingly intriguing is tougher than finding a needle in a stack of hay.

Almost 6 out of every 10 people on the train are plugged with earphones attached to their phones for the obvious reason. But when you actually just look at them, it feels like you are seated in the compartment for people with hearing impairment. There is a strange silence in the train in the mornings. You will hardly find people talking to eachother. This is where, on the tracks, you learn that silence is Blackberry or iPhone or Nokia or choose your brand!

Have a good weekend readers!

Issue 5

3 - 5 - 2011

Tuesday is my use day! Use the day to delight you dear reader with some ML dose for the week.

I have had a fantastic start of the week for I now possess (proudly as a gadget freak), a sexy black iphone 4. What a dish she is. Caress her with a soft touch and it opens doors to unimaginable excitement. She feels like soft silk and she makes you feel like the whole world is on your palm waiting to be clicked open.

In a foreign land, it is easy for some people to adapt with the local culture and for some it is like as if they have got into an old dress of theirs which had been hung unattended in the wardrobe. As for me, the past 3 months have been as though I were jetting in and out of Philippines and India, rather than the feeling of being in Dubai. As I have repeatedly mentioned in my previous issues of DMC, of the proportion of population between expats and locals in UAE; which is 20:80 Majority of expats are from the beautiful land of Philippines and my culture rich motherland India. Many a times, especially this past week I have encountered many a familiar face on my metro rides. When I say familiar, I am mean the faces of those who regularly are seen in the same train that hop into. So even in a new country, amidst total strangers, you still feel like you are among known people. I offered a seat to an Old gentleman on one of the days in the past week and he was more than happy to offer it to his aged wife accompanying him on their leisure trip to the dessert…eerrr…global city Dubai. When you do good, goodness follows. The very next stop I got a seat vacated by one guy who had reached his station. There was this lady who very often takes the same train as I and almost everytime she and I are seated on the same seats that we sit everyday on our rides to work. It is so that she and I can see eachother inspite of she seated in the ladies car and me in the general car of the train. So a couple of days ago when we both boarded our common train and parked ourselves on our seats, incidentally we both looked at eachother and gave a very… what I call ‘I don’t know how to describe’ kind of a smile. What an ML J Also, here I would like to mention another simple, small, but yet very touching incident. I was on my way walking to the bus stop in the morning today, while listening to my favourite tracks on my iphone. What I did not realize was that I was also singing the songs obnoxiously loud. There was this guy walking very swiftly ahead of me and he suddenly looked back with a BIG smile, came hurriedly towards me, held my palm, gave a jolting handshake with such joy in his face. He was sweating profusely, had a bottle of water in one hand and I assume he was in hurry to reach some place. While greeting me with his handshake, he said “Mashallah, what a beautiful tune. I don’t understand what you sing, but beautiful tune and mashallah lovely voice yours. The heat is little now for me! Allah sends joy through people from nowhere” Big smile. Without even knowing it, I just made a stranger so happy. I felt an indescribable joy after that short encounter with genuine human affection.

Peace!

Dubai Metro Chronicles - Issue 4

26-4-2011

Hi reader!

What an incredible week has gone by yet again. The Holy week felt completely new in this country. I have realized what a blessing it is to have been lived and experienced so 27 years of my life in the protective shelter of my Parish and its Church (read people). The emotions that gush in one’s heart on Good Friday in my Parish back home are incomparable to anything in the world. The essence of the passion and suffering of The Christ indescribably comes to life in the passion play. A million thanks to ‘The Lord’ for his ignominious death on the cross; which is a fine paid by him for our transgressions and sins.

One pays a price for many things in his life. The only price that gives him no chance of a bargain is the price of a fine / charge. Here in this nation, the land of sky scrapers, luxury cars, 80% expats and sprinkle of dessert sand here & there, the concept of slapping a fine on residents is like as though serving them a warm cup of coffee. Though some of the reasons for giving a ticket; as the Americans would like to say, are legitimate and viable, but there way too many of those legitimate reasons for one to venture out and do something being oblivious of the fear of a fine. Parking fine, road crossing fine, eating or drinking even water in the metro fine, stopping the escalator fine, sleeping in the bus fine! Tell me who would like to pay a fine just because he took a short nap during his bus ride after a long day’s work. Well, whether you like it or not, in Dubai…All is fine!

The ride to work the past week presented me with a situation which transformed my outlook towards Dubai. An unfortunate, poor middle aged man from the neighbor country to the sub continent stood exhausted, sweating, holding a small bottle of filtered water. The passengers seated and standing next to him or close to him could all notice how profusely he was perspiring since the moment in embarked on the train. From the look of his attire; which was patched with big sweat marks, shoes layered with sand and dust, his face pink as a flower yet wrinkled with white lines below the eyes, gave me the feeling that he was surely a construction labour. The man was very thirsty and desperately wanted to drink some water that he was carrying. But the big sign inside the train said 200 dirhams fine for eating or drinking (read liquids). At that very moment my memory instantly reminded me of a day when I saw a man eating noodles while travelling in the train. I very well remember, it was an 8.15am train from the start point of travel and he was already have way through his Chinese breakfast in the train. I wondered how come this is fine and the guy trying to just take a sip of water to quench the ache of his thirst was so obediently scared of a fine. One word, yet two frustrating meanings. This whole episode has made me to share a few concluding lines of some important aspects of life in Dubai…unseen by many and erased from the mind as an unfortunate scene by some.

There are both old & young men and women who are scourged by the burning heat of this dessert land everyday while they work on construction sites, as domestic helpers, road cleaners and other hard labour jobs. My eyes have so many a times defeated my will power and forced me in shedding heartfelt tears. Just the other day on my walk to the bus stop, under the hot sun, encountered me with an appalling scene at a construction site close to home. A construction labourer; his head covered with a piece of cloth to protect his head from the brunt of the glaring hot sun, sweaty and tiered (8.30am), holding a piece of bread in his hand and a cup of sulemani tea (black tea), staring at this guy (me) who is dressed in decently ironed clothes, good shoes and eyes comfortably hid under the cooling shade of sun glasses. I couldn’t turn my eyes away from him as I saw him seated on a small rock on the opposite side of the road, as I walked passed him. He looked at me and surprisingly gave me a gentle smile and raised his hand which held the piece of bread as a sign of saying hello to me. I graced that warmth of human affection with a big smile for him and a Salam! I tell you truthfully my dear reader, the smile from that man was ten times warmer than the heat of the day and yet I would not complain. His smile beat the trauma of walking for fifteen minutes from home to the bus stop. There was such a joy in that smile and there were so many things expressed by it to me that made me value life and its gifts even more thereon. But as life is full of surprises both good and bad, my face wore gloom on itself within 2 minutes of walking ahead. There was this domestic helper sweeping the lawn of her employer’s house. I couldn’t but ignore the look on her face while she was sweeping dust under a temperature that could evaporate water fallen on sand within 2 minutes. Imagine what her conversation with God might be. If she has been doing the tasks what she was doing, since years, then I am sure this is what she or others in her place elsewhere might tell the BIG man up there. ‘I’m glad that it me who gets to bear the pinch of this scorching heat while my Mom back home can sip her cup of tea under the cool shelter of a little house. I’m glad that skip 2 meals a day so that my children won’t have fight to decide who gets a bigger share of bread in the house. I’m glad that you have chosen me sleep among a group of 15 and more men or women in one small sharing room, when my old father and mother can comfortable sleep in the luxury of a decent cot all for themselves and also enjoy their minds giving them the liberty to have sweet dreams. I am glad that you have put me in situations that don’t give me the freedom to dream for luxuries, because if I do then that will rob of me the very reason why I left home…to give a ‘life’ to those who mean a lot to me, much better than what they deserve. God, I am ready to take every spat of a test you have for me, with an assurance that you will protect my family and grant them the joy I wish them to have. But I still dare to ask you of a small favour. Could you please let me have my youth, health and enthusiasm alive after those many years that you want me to toil here, that when I embrace my people back home for good, I am left with the zeal to enjoy more happiness with them for few more years. If yes, then I beg you to give me the courage to sacrifice more for their sake’.

I now entered the main road and what I see again? A speeding hummer, a scintillating Nissan SUV and a fancy motor bike among the many other awesome luxury wheels, zooming away even before I can wipe the tears that my heart shed just a while ago.

And you know…in Dubai…All is fine!

DMC Issue 3

19-04-2001

It’s Tuesday and what is back on track is DMC. What seems to be on a fast track, is time. Well, time has always been on the fast track, but these days it looks as though its engine is fuelled with gallons of 3G power of the Vodafone zoozoos. By the time I end up sharing DMC with friends and colleagues, the next Tuesday is already here.

It has been an interesting journey all through the past days in the metro. One of these days I had come across this ‘healthy’ Arab gentleman seated opposite me on my ride to office. The eye captivating aspect of this old man was that his left eye was sealed by 2 rows of stitches. Now it was up-to my imagination to think what would have embroidered the old chap’s eye. One of my wild imaginations was that he could have been an unfortunate victim of the recent clashes and tensions in some parts of the Arab world or he could have been a victim of domestic violence. But there I paused to think that which wife would beat up her husband so bad that would give him a natural look to casted in the next franchise of The Pirates of the Caribbean. Journeying with him was as though I was riding in fantasy ride with characters from Shrek or Rapunzel. But just as a coconut is rough and hard from the exterior and soft from the interior, so did he pleasantly surprise me and the rest around him by giving courteous smiles to the kids seated around and also made place for a lady to sit by giving his seat. ML my friends!!! You know…when we are at logger heads with some of the things or people who scare us the most, it is very ironic to see us ending up getting very fond of them even before the scare gets to our hearts forever. A bear in the wild is called a beast and the same bear as a stuff toy or a soft toy as it can be called, so simply becomes the most desired, huggable and lovable object. This one eyed guy gave me the same feeling. At first sight he was this hooligan looking giant of a man and before I know he transformed into one who got a heartfelt awww from the old lady who happily accepted his offer of a seat.

Rides back home have been interesting too this past week. In the company of one of my colleague, the tiresome and impatient self of mine at the end of a busy day was comforted by experiences shared about our respective lives outside work. At time one of us gets a seat and the other is practicing Tarzan! And since I am a gentleman…yes ofcourse I am okay, I offer her to sit if we get an available seat. Our last ride together was quite interesting. We both got seats opposite eachother and there was this tall guy standing in between us, obstructing our view when while we were chatting with eachother. The guy did not either have the courtesy to move aside nor did he have the common sense to move aside. What he did have alot was space beside him where he could have stood, not being an obstruction to us. But I am sure his favourite dish is Kabab mein haddi and he likes it served anywhere, anytime. The tallest building in Dubai-the Burj Khalifa is a spectacular view; it doesn’t obstruct anyone’s view. But anyone who looks at it from a far distance, it looks like a spectacular Kabab mein dinosaur ki haddi. I am sure this is the worst comparison of the Burj Khalifa one must have ever heard of! Well…for everything there is a first time.

Meet you next Tuesday guys!

Dubai Metro Chronicles - Issue 2

12-4-2011

Dear reader,

Thank you for for the positive response to Issue 1 of Dubai Metro Chronicles. It has encouraged me to continue this feature on my blog hereon.

Today was a quite journey in the Metro. The time though was different; meaning, I was traveling not by the train that I usually take, but I was on the next scheduled ride. Most of the passengers are almost common when you travel at a fixed time, everyday. You obviously encounter new faces when it's different train. Though the route is same, you sometimes feel alienated when their are new characters around you. I am not sure if alienated is the right word though. But I am sure that you understood what I meant to say. There were tiered looking airport ground staff personal and nurses who were heading back home after their night shift. Few people who just landed in Dubai, embarked on the train from airport terminal 1, looked hassled with the crowd inside the compartments and found themselves to the dismay of a 'standing' journey until their destination. What is interesting to see is people wearing sun shades inside the train. It helps the night shift guys take a nap while commuting and for some it helps them to freely look at those whom they hesitate to see or rather stare at without being noticed. The train started after its stop at one station and as it does, it gives a jerk. And this time when it did, a young lady almost fell on a guy standing behind her. Though it lasted for a few seconds, the moment was a bit awkward for the lady and the guy, but the guy gave a wicked smile afterwards like as if he had a brush with joy! Men!!! :)

Dubai Metro Chronicles

Dubai Metro Chronicles

5-4-2011

Today I begin to chronicle my experience traveling in the Dubai Metro train. Well some things just strike your mind out of the blue and then they linger on to you like the taste of your favourite food dish or like as how we Indian’s would put it; ‘Maa ka Khana’. It’s been 60 days as on today since I have come back to Dubai for work. Everyday teaches me something new about life and it’s so called unforeseeable dynamics…or shall I say gymnastics (since it never prepares us for some unimaginable rollercoaster rides). I have hardly been given a chance to say that today is another day like yesterday. You need not wait for a ‘tsunamic’ change or occurrence in your life during the day to make it different from the previous one. One simple word by a colleague, roommate, family member or none-the-less even a total stranger in your commuting mode (in my case the metro), or a situational experience lasting either for a second or for hours…it leaves an indelible mark on your book of life. I desire to word on paper, my experiences in one of the Fastest, Fascinating and Fun means of local transport of Dubai. What the F!!

Boarded the 9.00am metro from Mator Mahatta Rakham Wahed (Airport Terminal 1). Here I am trying to showoff my Arabic which I am religious trying to learn from my very kind and helpful graphic designer colleague and friend at work. Choosing which door to enter in the train is a very interesting aspect to notice on the platform. Whether it’s a group of passengers or those ‘stags’ & ‘hinds’ like me, wait at the doors with only ONE thought in mind. That thought is the appetizer for the journey that for some will last either for 1 stop or for some until the last stop of that train. Don’t let your mind do the thinking now for guessing ‘the thought’. Just let your eyes do the job of a good reading…well I hope this is worth a good read. So, the thought is… whether I will get a seat to sit or not. Well for some of you folks it might not be an interesting aspect, but for those 100’s and 1000’s who travel by the metro, it’s more than a thought. I got in and found my throne, with also a vacant one beside me. Well, if the train were managed by one of the 1^st class private airlines of the world, then I would have used the vacant seat to couch myself on it and not just sit on it. Very soon I was given company by a Pakistani gentleman dressed in a crisp chocolate colour suit. His size was 2 times that of mine, which magnifyingly made me look like a cast member of the latest flick Gulliver Travels. It’s just that I was not from any angle looking like Gulliver. Even before I could make sure that I don’t get squashed like an orange by this gigantic of a creation by God, my joy of having gotten a seat simply vanished even before I could start thinking in which language I felt the joy! Two stops after I embark the train, the third stop gushes in a herd of excited, pissed off, confused, gay (I meant happy; by the way, okay!! for all you language policemen), sometimes pregnant, many a times aged and most of the times notoriously young. Now there is obviously a mix of races that traverse in the train, but the common feature that ‘races’ to the finish line first is the character of what I call the ‘metro-love’ (Here on read as ML). When you get in a restaurant serving buffet, your eyes are hovering allover the platter to check out ASAP the deliciously spread menu that’s waiting for you to scoop a serving. This is exactly how my fellow passengers at this stop and in those next to come, behave as soon as they get inside. This very moment always reminds of that merry game that I am sure we all used to play when we were kids. It’s called the musical chairs…not sure if it’s called something else now. The scene is just the same but when it comes to the music aspect of it, in the train one gets to here the sounds of feet clamping on the floor (metro version of tap dancing), sound of bangles adorned on beautiful feminine hands (metro version of chimes), coughs, hiccups and sneezes – mildly audible like trumpets and saxes played with tuners used to mild their sound. To make this commotion more exciting is the sound of the door opening and closing. It’s nothing less than a glorious yet soft drum roll, announcing the entry and exit of make-up and non-make-up faced travelers. After all get settled as the train began to continue its ride, there were these two Pakistani men seated bang opposite me, chatting about their work. Yeah, you must be thinking was I in a Pakistani compartment. Well, first of all there no such thing as a Pakistani or Indian or any other National compartment, it’s a coincidence that my nearest co-passengers were from my most ‘attached’ neighbor of a country. If only both our Governments saw this attachment! I getting squashed by the guy next to me was my receipt of ML for the today. One among the guy seated opposite me at one time started writing a phone number on a piece of paper as dictated by the person on the other end of his phone, saying the numbers aloud. I am sure you are not expecting that I remember what those numbers are called in his language. I am just trying to share a point here. If I were more attentive (of which there was no need of), I would have learnt how 5279*** are called in a Pakistani local language. Here the point is of a train journey teaching one, something new, without even one asking for it. If I, like I mentioned above, were more attentive, then I would have impressed my senior colleague at work, who again is a Pakistani. I think I have had too much of ‘padosi desh mohobbat’ (neighboour country love – literal translation from Hindi to English) in one day…and the sun is yet to set today. Now having passed 3 more stations, I have now reached my destination – DIFC. As I disembark from the train with the drum roll of the door opening, I get the most fresh and quick glance of an Arab beauty, modestly dressed in well fitted blue jeans and a light coloured top commonly worn in a manner most Arab women dress. Her face and head covered with a light orange scarf and jet black sun glares so large, that give her eyes the feeling of being singularly housed in huge mansion. Could have noticed more about her if I did not care about getting a cold, not very likable stare from the damsel. Went down pretty fast by the escalator, swiped my NOL card and once again got that ever friendly and genuine ‘Hello bossy’ from the fruit juice shop guy in the station. Here I want to mention that he has started giving me a 2 dirham discount on any fruit juice that I hence will buy from him, since I am his regular customer who buys a red apple everyday. This is also my daily dose of receiving involuntary Filipino ML before station exit.

Cut to Al Hawaii Towers, scene 2, stage - floor 2...my office, the place where I have loads of ‘copy write’!!

Roger That!