time in the uae reminds me of one of my favorite paintings.
the change of pace from New York to Abu Dhabi is alarming. the pace at work remains the same, but the pace outside of it crawls to a slow. it all begins with the commute. things that we think are second nature in modern traffic design haven't quite found their way here yet. traffic lights aren't sensored and nothing is really clearly marked, did i mention there aren't addresses here? if you want to go somewhere, it is best to know a few close by landmarks to either look for, or tell your taxi driver about. you often get the feeling of gridlock. traffic.stands.still.often.
i so struggle with this here, it is in my blood to be on time. i am usually one of the first people in the office and i enjoy that quiet moment when no one is there and i can get my coffee and check my email in peace before the bustle of the day hits.
the change of pace also creeps into your dining experiences. there is no such thing as fast dining (unless of course you hit up one of the many US fast food chains that are EVERYWHERE here). Dining here is... leisurely, which is a curse or a blessing depending on what kind of time you have, but time here seems to be irrelevant. it is nice not to have someone trying to turn over your table in record time, but also expect to ask for the check, they will let you sit there as long as you like.
while i am learning that slowing down isn't such a bad thing, i don't think i'll ever grow out of the need to be on time.
moral of the story? leave earlier, get a good stereo for your car, and dine leisurely!
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