Nov 06, 2006
Hi I'm new to the forum and have been reading this thread with interest. I've been in Dubai 9months now and am thoroughly depressed with the mentality out here.
I came here on my own, not knowing anyone here and for the first couple of months I had to force myself to go out to places after work to try and meet people to make friends / find a boyfriend. But I just got so fed up with the amount of guys that would approach me thinking that I was a 'lady of negotiable affection' and the girls who would be nasty to me and ignore me because they presumed the same. I received the same treatment if I tried to approach them, be it male or female, in a bar, coffee house, shop, gym (well not the hooker accusation in the gym, but just being totally ignored) or otherwise. Most of it down to the mindset that 'obviously a blonde female on her own in a bar/coffee house etc must be a hooker'. It was very upsetting.
If anyone had just taken a minute to have a normal conversation with me, they'd have found out I'm a nice girl from Scotland with a law degree and working in the oil and gas industry!
I got so fed up of it, that I gave up on the whole thing and started spending my evenings either working late or sitting at home alone.
Then it got to about July and I realised how lonely I was without even a person I could call a friend! So, I forced myself to go out again, not anticipating the summer crowd. Middle-aged married men with their wife and kids back home to UK/USA etc for the summer and wanting a bit of summer fun on the side - no thanks! Also, I was still being asked if I was 'open for business' which was getting a bit tiring.
Recently, work has been a little quiet so I've started trying to socialise again in the evenings. It seems the guys out here have a new chat up line - "what airline do you work for?". I am so fed up of explaining to them that I'm not an air steward and then have them walk away suddenly disinterested, that I've just started to reply "Emirates". I'm actually so fed-up of it now that when I go out because I fancy a wee drink, I am known as 'the girl with the book' in most bars, as I take a book to read with me as a sign that I'm there to relax and not for business / to be picked up.
Work-wise, I made a pretty decent move to come to Dubai (apart from the drop in salary and the increased cost of living). Personally/socially, I spend 99% of my time hating it here. With most people treating this place as though they're permanently on holiday and most guys (well the ones that I have met and the stories that I've heard from others) believe it's ok to treat you badly and just mess you around have a fling, most of them already seeing at least one other girl. Where are all the nice guys hiding?!?!?!!!
- Sal3112
- Dubai Expat Wannabe
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- Posts: 5
- Location: Dubai, UAE