Dubai Diaries: What are you doing for Eid?

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MJEDFE Dubai skyscrapers with Dubai Marina, female tourist taking a picture
MJEDFE Dubai skyscrapers with Dubai Marina, female tourist taking a picture

Published: Mon 19 Jul 2021, 9:29 AM

Over the years if there is one query that is bound to get me all hot and bothered from well-meaning friends and family, it is this one. “So, what are your plans for Eid?” You mean besides work, I quietly mouth to myself, even as I coach myself to stay cool.

by

Ambica Sachin

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Like my best friend opines whenever we have this conversation, what else did you expect considering the profession you chose to be in. Nothing like a supportive BF to show you another perspective, is there?


With social media consumption at its peak, nowadays holidays or any public breaks come with the added pressure of having ‘influencers’ flouting their lavish travel lifestyle in your face.

Be it jetting into Georgia with their gang of cool vaccinated friends or stories about going to the mountains for a staycation meant to help one destress from life in global holiday spot Dubai, they’ve all been there, done that.


Ordinarily these things wouldn’t bother me so much — after all everyone has their own priorities and if mine right now happens to be wasting my life on my couch watching back to back seasons of Narcos, then it’s totally up to me right?

But it’s the reels of my real-time friends flouting their lazy day spent by the pool or the ‘look at us in our resort wear while you are stuck behind your comp’ that really gets to me.

After spending so many years in Dubai and specially considering we are living in the midst of a pandemic FOMO no longer is a valid excuse to be seen jumping around at the latest club or brunching at the new haute spot in town.

Apparently the new term that has got everyone in a tizzy is FORTO (Fear of Returning to Office). Though that’s one predicament I’d never find myself in, being one of the last to be pushed out for WFH and among the first to march back in when offices opened.

But I am surrounded by a few of those too, and without negating their mental health needs, I’d like to point out that if our survival depends on staying away from each other, then I’m willing to sacrifice any quality time with you and opt to keep up-to-date over digital devices.

Imagine if ever there was a Hollywood style production mounted along the scale of Alien Invasion set during the current pandemic, the few of us held captive in high rise towers across the city, would be heroes.

While the rest are of course living it up in the nearest luxury resort property, gorging on Michelin-star dishes and clicking selfies beside azure-blue waters.

But jokes apart, this Eid, make sure to stay safe and most importantly stay happy. If you leave aside all the buzzwords and the constant need to reaffirm your own perfect modern lifestyle through the ‘Gram, the only thing that matters is to be happy.

Whether you are one of those people who’ve to strive for it or plain blessed to wake up with it every morning, embrace that emotion and spread it around!


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