Adventures in Dubailand: Small Change

I'm back in Dubai again after a long hiatus. Except for a week in August, I haven't been here since mid-May. I had to go back to the states in May to pick my son up from school and ended up spending most of the summer with him in Pittsburgh. The two of us came for a visit in August--my son's first trip here--and made the usual tourist rounds before leaving Neal again to his own devices. He seems to handle it well, working very long hours. In his free time he has a routine of going horseback riding and shooting. I'm not sure he really needs me here, but I feel like I should be here for him anyway. It's hard living together again after spending so much time apart, especially when our sleep schedules do not yet coincide.

I can't believe it's our fourth fall here. Most Americans don't last more than two years in Dubai, three at the most. Neal's deal is open-ended and he doesn't want to call it quits yet, hoping to put a pipeline in place for the future. But it's been a slow process, since the office opened with just two lawyers and no clients right when the Dubai economy went into a tailspin at the end of 2009. Since this was the firm's first de novo office, we were pretty much on our own to find housing and get settled, no small feat in a foreign country. Fortunately, since Dubai is very safe, largely English speaking, and loaded with friendly expatriates, we have not had any major difficulties.

I probably shouldn't complain, but Dubai is getting a bit repetitive. It's the Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament weekend, and I have little desire to go for the fourth year in a row. It's a fun party-zone atmosphere, but those of us who are beyond that do not seem to have as much fun as the partiers. The first day opened with a thunderous downpour, which provided the perfect excuse for me to beg off. I don't even have an umbrella or raincoat here. My husband had a more exciting day, serving as judicial officer for the international matches. He upheld sanctions against the captain of the English team, who had to sit out three games, but as far as I can tell the English fans didn't notice.

I ventured out to the Sevens Stadium when the weather cleared for the final day of the tournament. My husband had more hearings, and I stood at the rail to get a good view of the games and avoid the drunken fans in the stands. I was happy to see Samoa win the international men's final with a decisive upset of New Zealand. The women of New Zealand dispatched South Africa earlier in a lopsided shutout, so Kiwi fans also had reason to cheer.

What has changed? Not much it seems...just a few small things I have noticed so far. The recent storms were a lot more intense and severe than before. The driving seems a tad less dangerous, at least when it's not raining. There are new dressing huts on the beach and buoys to keep boats off shore. On a much smaller level, drink cans now have a push-in tab, instead of the dangerous old-style pull-off can tabs. There's progress!