A newbie or 'fresh bait' not too long ago, this now-seasoned expat has become a know-it-all. She now feels like the last four years have been an extended vacation
Published: Sat 11 Mar 2017, 6:33 PM
Five-and-a-half years ago, after touching down in London following a nine-month backpacking trip, the grey skies and nine-to-five humdrum back home in the UK wasn't quite doing it for me.
So much so, that 12 months later, I decided to pack my bags again and head off to pastures new. But this time I embarked on a different kind of adventure: a more permanent one.
I made the decision to trial life as an expatriate. And my destination of choice was Dubai.
I shamelessly chose this cosmopolitan desert for no other reason than the fact that I had the perfect safety net in place. Two aunts had called the place home for 15 years (they still do), so at the back of my mind I knew if things blew-up, I had a sofa to lie on. Plus, their presence in the country I was running away to softened the blow for my dear mum, who although excited for my next adventure, was losing her only daughter - her only ally in a house full of men - to a 'strange land'.
Initially, the bright mornings and long hot days in Dubai had a sort of appeal. I felt like I was on some extended vacation (and four-and-a-half years later, I still do). But given my fair complexion and avid dislike of the sun, that appeal has dried out a bit now.
But what I loved most about first moving here was the reaction from strangers when I'd tell them I was fresh bait, a "newbie". Their enthusiasm went above and beyond and it drummed up this excitement inside me. I felt like my existence was necessary in their life. I was a new project for them.
I'd be paraded about the city being shown all these new things like malls, parks, beaches - because apparently, they don't exist in the UK. But I wasn't complaining. It was great to be mollycoddled and have things done for me - albeit in a slightly patronising way.
Phrases like: "This is Kelly, she's new here," would often be reciprocated with gasps of 'oohs' and 'ahhs,' followed by "you must try this," or "we have to take you there". But it was nice. Repetitive, but nice.
Now, cue present day, and I'm slightly ashamed to say I've become that person I was just talking about.
I met a fellow British expat recently; a newbie, fresh bait. I call him my "project".
When he told me he'd only been here for two weeks, I reciprocated with said 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and followed up with, "I'm taking you here, there and everywhere".
We've done the malls - he wasn't a fan of Dubai Mall, too big apparently. We've done the restaurants too. I took him to this one Sri Lankan place, a real nostalgic throwback, where we were served bread rolls from a packet and lukewarm dishes. He liked it, though.
But yes, I've become the 'know-it-all' expat that thinks it's my duty to take those who are fresh-off-the-boat under my wing. I've unwittingly taken on this persona who thinks they have some profound knowledge of this 'strange land'; knowledge that he (the newbie), in his bewilderment, could learn from. But he's not bewildered, and the McDonald's at every corner is testament that this is not a strange land.
What hit me most though, was the fact that I realised something about myself. I realised that I miss being the newbie. That initial feeling of being an expatriate in a new place has lost its appeal for me and I miss that.
I can no longer defend going out on a work night with the whole "I'm exploring the place" spiel. And when someone tells me I'm an "old timer" because of my 2012 arrival date, I'm panged with a sense of disappointment.
The UAE is not my homeland, I didn't grow up here, so I am new - maybe not brand-spanking-new - but new enough.
So please, let me go back to being fussed over, because I don't like being the one doing the fussing.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Kelly covers Education and other important stuff. She finds it endearing when people call her Kel
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