‘How hot is it today?,’ my mum asks.
‘Thirty degrees,’ I usually reply.
‘Have you been for a swim this week?,’ is the usual follow-up question during our regular Skype calls. I feel like I’m letting her down if I don’t get at least one swim in my building’s pool per week.
With a tax-free salary, year-round sunshine and the support of an international community, there are a lot of advantages to living in the UAE. So I thought I’d share some whinging pom complaints to balance my Facebook-perfect life…
- It’s not always hot and sunny. Sometimes the forecast is ‘dust’ due to strong winds creating sandstorms, which causes poor visibility. Also, February was pretty wet, though this was put down to cloud seeding.
- We need a tax-free salary because it’s so expensive to live here. The initial move can really put a strain on personal finances because the norm is to pay rent for the year either upfront or in two or four cheques. ‘Forget converting the currency into sterling,’ a colleague said. ‘You have to think in dirhams now.’
- The taxis are cheap though – and there’s a reason for it. Think of fairground dodgems.
- It’s common to be nursing a hangover quite early on in the week. Ladies’ nights often include 50% off the food menu and numerous free drinks for the ladies.
- The desalinated tap water, sun, air conditioning and swimming pool water don’t seem to be doing wonders for my skin and hair. I’m expecting to look like Mary Magda in a few years’ time.
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