The Cosmos around me

Dubai is a melting pot of cultures. I come across people from all nationalities though a majority of the migrant labour here is Indian and filipino. Where malloos proliferated earlier one now sees Filipinos - in restaurants, shops, salons and gyms. Being greeted with an yes madame and a ready smile naturally brings a smile to your face too. The taxi drivers are Pakistani and skilled labor Bangladeshi.
I meet a Kenyan at the supermarket who wants to know how I cook banana flower, a young Algerian salesman at the car showroom whose selling skills almost makes us buy an suv we don't want otherwise, and Syrian, Sri Lankan and Egyptian ladies at the gym.
The latest of my international acquaintances is an Iraqi instructor of Arabic who takes tuitions for my kids. She left her homeland after the American occupation and her adopted country is very good to her and many like her. Her country is no longer safe unlike in saddam's time; he may have put some in prison but  provided them the safety to return home after a party at 3 am or leave their doors unlocked at night without fear of being robbed.
She tells me Indians are good people with good manners. Welcome to Dubai, she greets me warmly and gets on with her challenge of imparting Arabic in a month's time to two little Indians.

Color tones

I met a Somalian lady in hijab in the lift the other day who asked me: "Are you from Ethiopia? "
I said: "No, I'm from India."
"Oh, I like your skin tone."She said as we got off and went our separate ways.
That was a revelation to me coming from a country where being white is an important criterion.
***
The hair stylist at the salon examines my hair and asks: Is it real?  It is too black.
She admires my curls while I admire her silky straight hair. To me it's too straight!

Rethinking

One good thing about life here is that the kids are thrown into each other's company more than ever. Though they profess not to like each other but only their cousins I hope this acrimony will ultimately result in a bonding that will last a lifetime. They play their little life games in perfect harmony and understanding.
Mira has reached a stage where her fascination for glitzy dubai has made way for vibrant India. She wants to go back in right earnest. Missing old friends, missing old school....