Clutching a heavy suitcase in my bruised hands, I brusquely made my way to the eyes scan section in the airport. It had been a long flight but my eagerness to unfold new beginnings gave me all the energy I needed.
The officer looked at me inquisitively as if he was trying to read my mind. “Welcome to Dubai,’’ he said, so I took the opportunity to strike up a conversation. “Thank you very much; actually I still have another road trip to go – my destination is Abu Dhabi.” With a smile, I was told it was only an hour and a half away.
A heatwave welcomed me outside the airport while I waited for a taxi. I looked around to see where such heat could be coming from – it was only as I stepped further away from the shade of the building that it dawned on me: that this was the summer heat of the UAE. Luckily, a taxi arrived and I was finally on my way to Abu Dhabi – relieved to find the taxi had air-conditioning. I come from a relatively hot country in Southern Africa, but I had not encountered such hot weather before.
When I was growing up we used to go for trips to Europe; we would look at the grey, ancient buildings, admiring their presence. As I gazed eagerly out of the taxi window, I was reminded of that experience, but intrigued further still by a city emerging from the desert. Back home I had seen images of the UAE on a programme titled Eastern Mosaic. As I made way along the road, those images couldn’t compare to the sights I was witnessing. My taxi driver nodded into the rear view mirror, as if understanding my thoughts.
This trip was just the beginning of my discoveries. Back home, the economic situation in my country had deteriorated to the extent that you would arrive at a supermarket and find shelves begging to be stacked. Upon visiting the grocery store in Abu Dhabi my eyes roamed about and after what seemed like eternity trying to choose what to buy – overwhelmed, I bought a loaf of bread among other things.
The greenness of the Emirate also took me by surprise. In my country we experience heavy rainy seasons and still struggle to have a bumper harvest. Each day takes me by pleasant surprise in the UAE. Now, all I ever tell anyone is that the UAE is a place you have to witness with your own eyes – it’s most certainly a remarkable sight.
Emily Muchati
