Saturday, November 25, 2006

Organizing My Life


There was no reason to stay in Dubai. The company would submit my residency application and according to the immigration laws I should re-enter UAE with the residency. It was July and majority of the employees including my future boss would be on vacation for the whole coming month of August. It was a good chance for me as well to inform my manager in Baghdad and try to reduce the three months notice to one month.

I decided I should leave most of my clothes and stuff with my college friend in Dubai. Left some other stuff with my Greek lady friend. I wanted to come back with more of my clothes especially the heavy stuff since winter was on doors.

I discussed with my Greek lady friend the possibilities of sharing the room together for the first month so I can seize the time and look for more appropriate accommodation. It was something that I thought to do even from Baghdad.

I set everything in Dubai to be ready for my return after one month.

I reached Baghdad two days after receiving the draft contract. I spent in Dubai 28 days. I had only $900 US with me to return to Baghdad with. That was all what I have left with me from my savings which were about $6000 US. High price but totally worth it, I was thinking!
I would work for the other month in Baghdad and the salary of that month plus the end of year bonus which I was thinking to take it in advance for the months I worked would be more than enough to pay the rents for housing, food and transportation until I receive my first salary in Dubai.

My manager in Baghdad was more than understanding when I told him about finding a job in Dubai and that it was time to leave.. It was quite an emotional moment. I started working in the company the day one it started operating in Baghdad. I knew every single paper in our files. My colleague and I, being the only permanent employees of the company for the company's situation never settled down due to the security conditions in Iraq and the company headquarter found it was wise not to expand and hire many which would throw more responsibility on the company in protecting its employees, were like a family along with our manager and deputy.

The three months notification was not even a problem and my kind boss even refused to talk about it. They wished me well and they asked me to look for a substitute.
I wanted to continue with the company with its Branch in UAE but since our company is so big that its branches were considered separate entity and since our company do not have employees transferring between branches privilege I had to apply with recommendation from my managers in Iraq but they were intimidated and they sent me an open email at the time stating that Iraqis are not accepted to work inside UAE and that has got to do with the immigration ministry of Dubai and UAE in general. I was quite taken aback by that answer and thought that they are so arrogant and did not try again with them. Little I knew!

Back in Baghdad, things were not good at all. The minute we got out from the airport heading to our house we realized how the streets of Baghdad have changed during that month we spent in UAE. 60% of the roads were blocked by huge concrete walls just like in Palestine. My sister warned me that there was only one way to get to home since every single road around our house was blocked.

Services like Electricity, water, gasoline and diesel were almost invisible. A new contractor in the neighborhood bought a huge generator and started to sell electricity to the neighborhood houses. My Dad and sister managed to buy 10 amperes and the small switching board was installed inside the house for security reasons since going out to switch between national electricity, public generator and house generator was more dangerous than ever even if it was only across the garden.

My sister told us the things she could not say on the phone or while chatting so she would not trouble us with all their burdens. She told me how terrified she was spending that month with my old father checking him out every hour to see if he was breathing or not. At 50 Celsius in July with no electricity was a hell for us let alone a man in his mid 70’s and since he had a stroke before it was quite critical. The government along with the invasion was like revenging from the Iraqi people. We hardly had any electricity and if we had it was for only an hour per day. The street generator was sufficient only for the fan but it was not enough to operate an AC, obviously! Of course that goes on the house generator which we had no way to provide with gasoline since the gas stations were packed and the quality sold in black markets were so bad that it used to cause hard to repair damages in the generator.

First night I spent in Baghdad was like hell. If I went to hell instead of heaven after I die, I think I would feel home. Probably will just ask for a manual fan!
First thing I had it done was sending by post my university certificates singed and approved by the UAE Embassy of Baghdad in addition to the necessary approvals and stamps of the Iraqi authorities, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to my new company in Dubai to be Sent along with the residency application to the Immigration Ministry in Dubai.

I spent the following weeks working hard to leave my office neat and organized to set it for the new employee. Finding the suitable substitute was next , found a couple and pending their applications was the only way since I was not sure when exactly I would take off to UAE.

I was searching for accommodation in Dubai from Baghdad. I thought there would be no harm doing so even though I had in mind a place to stay in with my Greek friend.

I wanted to share with decent girls. I did not want to bump into one’s boyfriend wandering around in the house. I wanted to use the facilities in the house without worrying of diseases being transferred to my body. I do not drink or smoke nor the females in my family do and had no intention to change the atmosphere I was used to.

That was hard to achieve. In Dubai unmarried couples share bedrooms everywhere! Even though I have heard that there is a law against that, it seemed that law was on paper only. With that kind of life in Dubai, I doubt if such laws were applicable.

The Syrian guy who rented for us the room in his flat told us he was occupying a room with his wife and it turned out the next day that the Pilipino wife was actually his girl friend. She was an awesome person, very nice and decent but I hated that I was not given the choice to know all the facts before deciding. The guy knew that we would refuse the offer had we knew the facts earlier and he deliberately hided them. I discussed with my mother and since it was hard to retrieve my money back we decided to stay, after all we would be in our bed room the whole time.

I did not want to repeat that. With all due respect to people’s different traditions, we have ours and it is quite hard to accept different ones especially when you face them everyday and keep wondering how? I am old fashioned I know!

I was getting ready to say good bye to my comfortable house, to my bed room, to the times I usually spend with my family sipping tea in the living room. My sister was the biggest hurdle, my soul mate.

To be continued...
P.S: I think the next post will be the hardest to write for me. It might take me some time to post it.

12 Comments:

At 3:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please Rejected keep writing. Translating your pain into words is therapeutic Wallah!

 
At 3:34 PM, Blogger Rejected said...

I do feel that some of my pain has been lifted out after writing about it and knowing that there are some poeple listening to me.

 
At 2:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Life is full of contradictions. In fact, human nature is full of contradictions, so laws put in Dubai about sharing rooms and stuff like the one you mentioned is no exception. Even those who writes laws and regulations, it was meant for other people and not for himself.
Rej, we are all ears to listen more and to read more about your story.
Don't stay away long, because we will be looking forward to the next.
Be strong, and be safe

 
At 3:05 AM, Blogger Rejected said...

I agree MixMax, however in my case there were no laws but mere instructions that they were keen on applying on me just because I am a simple person who was under their mercy.

Not much left of the story and I guess you know the end by now but hopefully I'll get rid of this burden and put it on line and give it its right to manage to live my life and accept the reality.

 
At 4:21 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yes, I guess I know the end by now, dear Rej, but even if you finish telling this story, don't stop writing. Keep on writing, especially if you really felt that writing helps in taking off this burden away from your shoulders, if you know what I mean

Keep on writing, me and many others as you already noticed, do read your writings. Create a new blog, or continue with the same one, but don't stop.

 
At 6:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh lord..please don't give me any bad news in your next post..i am sure u are still in UAE with this new JOB..

 
At 8:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

twintopaz, Rej is unfortunately in Baghdad! Hopefully she is ok. She is writing about her experience in Dubai and I am like you, so anxious to read the rest of the story.

 
At 6:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope that you are ok, Rej

It has been sometime didn't hear from you.

 
At 9:50 PM, Blogger Rejected said...

twintopaz, thanks for your concern.

FedIraqi, MixMax, I am so pleased that you're making me feel that Iraqis still love each other and still worry for each other :)

I am fine only these last have been hectic. A lot of drama is happening around. Hopefully khair.

I will finish my story soon Inshallah.

 
At 9:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i just stumbled across your blog and feel horrible knowing where it is heading and having a sense of what is going to happen. i do hope you keep writing.

i hope you and your family are well and safe during what are very difficult times.

best wishes,
LoA

 
At 9:43 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i just found your blog as i wandering around the internet. i started to read and couldn't stop. i feel horrible knowing where this story is going and wish things had gone differently for you. i do hope you keep writing.

i pray you and your family are safe during what must be very difficult times.

best wishes,
LoA

 
At 8:55 AM, Blogger annie said...

hi, i am reading backwards in time and feel relieved in a way because the anticipation would be even harder. i can see that this has got to be a huge let down for you. really tho, if it were not w/the backdrop of what is going on in iraq, personally, i am sure it would be easy to roll off your shoulder.

all the misconceptions and deviations from the normal course of events seem to be encapsulated in your story, of the larger picture of everything unraveling.

you tell an excellent story. i will keep reading i lke having all the new material on your blog to know you better.

sending email...

 

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