So you’ve been here a while, but you’re still not sure if the emirate’s the right place for you? You have an internal monologue that goes something like ‘ Do I feel at home here?’, ‘Can I see myself here in another five years?’, and so on. But the home sweet home feeling might have already happened – it just didn’t reach your brain yet! Here’s a fun way to ascertain whether you might already be at home in Dubai.
1. YOU KNOW MORE THAN 5 WORDS IN ARABIC
Nope, knowing ‘yallah’, ‘shukran’ and ‘habibi’ doesn’t cut it. If you can’t name more than five, you’re a newbie.
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2. YOU’RE NOT REALLY at YOUr IDEAL WEIGHT
You really, really want to eat healthily, but it’s not quite working out. Hashtag: SALT, Shake Shack, Burger Fuel, Zaatar W Zeit (and then about 40 others…)
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3. You’re struggling to make time for all your friends
When you first got to Dubai, you had one or two friends. Now, you’re like…
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4. YOU HAVE A GUY/girl FOR EVERYTHING
You use the same hairdresser every time, the same cleaner, the same laundry pickup person… It took you a while to find the right people, but you’re all sorted now.
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5. YOU’RE NOT THAT INVESTED IN PROBLEMS back home
Sure, you keep an eye on politics and make the effort to vote. But you’re not exactly tripping over to read (or hear) about problems back home…
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6. IT’S NOT THAT EASY TO IMPRESS YOU
Seeing a group of supercars like Bugatti Veyron, Hennessey Venom GT or Aston Martin One-77 Q parked in one place doesn’t quite pack the same punch it used to…
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7. you’re OVER THE fomo
You’ve officially cured yourself of Fear of Missing Out. You’ve done all the boat parties, you’ve done almost every Dubai brunch… You can chill out at home once in a blue moon – it’s FINE.
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8. YOU like YOUR JOB
It took you a while to get there, but you like your current job, and you’re fully engrossed in it.
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9. YOU’VE DONE WELL
When you first got to Dubai, you worked for peanuts. The progress is real.
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10. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IT STARTED FEELING LIKE HOME
One night you land at DXB Airport after a holiday and the Emirati Immigration Officer smiles at you, or you get a good view of the Burj from the taxi. All of a sudden, a certain warmth envelops you within, and you just know it.
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Are you on or have you ever found yourself in 6/10 of these situations? If the answer is ‘yes’, congratulations! You belong in the UAE. If the answer is ‘no’, it might be time to upgrade to a new apartment rental in Dubai.
