Yes, probably the wrong person to pull that card on really, I worked abroad for 5 years.
The Dubai thread!
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No, I don't believe there is anything wrong with kissing. The point YOU are missing is that it wasn't just kissing that landed them in trouble. i can tell you that, because I kiss my girlfriend in public every single day.
The belief is that romance is a private thing, and should be kept within the confines of your own home. Kissing somebody, or hugging them, is not romance. Sticking your tongue down their throat and groping them up when the lights are dimmed and soft music is playing is deemed inappropriate, and you will be asked to stop. You will not go to prison for it, and you will not be deported. If you are asked to stop, and you kick off, offend somebody, swear or otherwise are an ass about it, then yes you are going to get into trouble.
It applies to any situation you might decide is "ok". If you are drunk and the police turn up, they're not going to arrest you. They're going to tell you to get in a taxi and go home. If you start kicking bins around, swearing at people and act like the average British male then you're going to cool down in a cell.
Honestly the easiest way to explain it is: Don't be a *****.
bhavv said:
it isnt and they wont. As explained about 100 times in this thread.
Yes, probably the wrong person to pull that card on really, I worked abroad for 5 years.
Cool. Then you will appreciate that living somewhere doesn't mean you have to rate it. It does however give you a more insightful opinion than someone who has never been or just visited, usually.
But, Meh! If people don't like it or can't follow the laws. Don't come. I wouldn't suggest otherwise.
Out of interest where did you work and how did you find it?
Soldato
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Do you have a link to the study about the average British male, or are you just pulling a generalisation out of the air to suit your needs?
Reasons to not live there:-
Barbaric and frankly ridiculous Sharia Law
Sand
Heat
Endless "samey" malls
Ex pats who think it's amazing
More than enough reason to put anyone off.
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Reasons not live in Dubai
Dubai laws
Sand
Heat
Endless samey shopping malls
Brits who think it's amazing
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This is just a repeat of dave_beast's post? or am I missing something?
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Actually, I didn't see that lol
Don't be ridiculous. It was a figure of speech. Take a look at any high street on a friday or saturday night for examples of what i mean. I'm of course referring to the same thing you and i and everybody else complains about, until you feel the need to defend yourself on a national scale whence the problem mysteriously disappears.
Additionally, would you like to address any of the other points i made in my post? Or is concentrating on one erroneous statement enough to continue without having to concede i made any useful input at all?
This whole conversation is pathetic. I'm trying very hard to paint a picture of life here, and all i'm getting in response is "BARBARISM!!!!!! NO KISSING!!!! BRITAIN IS BETTER!!!". Its the same in every thread about Dubai, the ignorance is just impenetrable.
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I lived in India when I was a child for 3 years (in the 1980's). I saw a lot of poverty, where people are struggling to feed themselves.
During the 80's there was a big rush to go and work in the Middle East for unskilled workers, simply because it meant they could at least get a job (something, which at the time, was not possible in India, for many).
People on this forum are suggesting that the unskilled workers are being taken advantage of. I agree. However, these people choose to be taken advantage of. The alternative is not to go to the Middle East and starve to death.
I would actually argue that companies such as Tesco, Sainsburys etc, are also taking advantage of workers (in this country). As companies, they earn huge amounts of money (in profit) and give their workers very little money in return. Its strange that nobody mentions this as being "exploitative".
Do not feel sorry for any workers, any where. A worker has the choice to either work in a particular job or quit and get another job (or be unemployed). Many of us (even highly paid individuals working in London), make the choice to work and in the process make sacrifices. As an example, some business owners in this country work all the hours of the day and still end up making a loss and ending up losing their homes.
Unless a worker is being forced to work (eg. at gunpoint), I can't see how working in Dubai is any more exploitative than working anywhere else in the World.
Every culture/country has its own customs. The problem is that the Brits (judging purely by the comments on this forum), seem to think that every other country in the World should have the same customs/laws as Britain.
At the end of the day, if you are going to a country, it is in your best interest to adhere to the laws and customs of that country. If you don't, then expect to get punished for it.
Here's an example:
If I lived in Amsterdam and was a druggie.
I came to London for a holiday.
I went to a restaurant and started smoking marijuana.
Would it be wrong for the Police to be called and for the tourist to be arrested (or at least warned to stop)?
If you visit another country, it is up to the tourist to learn about what is acceptable and what isn't. If they are so thick that they don't do this and then end up getting punished for breaking a law...they deserve what they get.
The problem is that people have a very strong opinion on what is acceptable by "todays standards". It's very difficult for people to be asked to live in a way that may seem outdated or obsolete. I can understand it, to be honest, because living here can be inconvenient and there are a lot of things that i'd rather not have to deal with on a day to day basis, but to resort to calls of barbarism, medieval practices and to echo ridiculous stories to the extent of completely blanking people who have experience living in BOTH cultures is just ignorant.
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The workers we're promised more, much more money and decent living conditions, when in fact they're payed pittance and housed in concrete ghettos outside Dubai, away from the gaze of tourists etc.
But I wouldn't expect anymore from a backward barbaric regime really.
So, what you are saying is that the workers were not given what they were promised, by their employers.
In which case, the workers surely have the option to leave...right?
Have you got any links to these stories...wouldn't mind having a read.
In which case, the workers surely have the option to leave...right?
Have you got any links to these stories...wouldn't mind having a read.
there's a link somewhere in here on it.
they have to pay a fee to get there and then have their pasports taken off them.
if they quit or are fired their employer has to inform the bank, and if they don't have sufficient savings to pay off any debts (like their transportation fee) their account is frozen and they can't leave the country.
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This is THE most famous anti Dubai article that always gets brought out in every argument. The other is Dubai on Empty.
It has some truth to it but i'd take it with a large pinch of salt.
Point taken.
Though I will point out that the "agents" seem to be non-Government appointed. If they have taken their passports and made false promises, they are the ones who have duped the workers. Basically the agents are recruiters/salesman, who make fake promises (which often happens in sales unfortunately).
Anyway, there is no excuse for keeping the workers in such poor conditions.
A relative of mine from India was promised to be given illegal entrance into France (of all places). The agent then disappeared with the money he had already been paid. This is quite normal unfortunately in the Indian sub-continent. It doesn't surprise me that the recruiter took money from the Bangladeshi workers on fake promises. This sounds exactly like the sort of thing that happens in the Indian sub-continent.
There are a lot of injustices which happen in the World. They happen in the West, too. It doesn't make the country as a whole "bad".
I gave an example earlier of Supermarkets who make millions off of the back of workers being paid low wages. This happens in the West, yet nobody batters an eye-lid. Banks make (and lose) large sums of money off of the money paid to the banks by joe public. When Banks make a huge loss and the Government is forced to bail them out, does that make Britain a "bad" place? I don't think so.
Sometimes injustices happen. It doesn't make an entire country "bad".
Though I will point out that the "agents" seem to be non-Government appointed. If they have taken their passports and made false promises, they are the ones who have duped the workers. Basically the agents are recruiters/salesman, who make fake promises (which often happens in sales unfortunately).
Anyway, there is no excuse for keeping the workers in such poor conditions.
A relative of mine from India was promised to be given illegal entrance into France (of all places). The agent then disappeared with the money he had already been paid. This is quite normal unfortunately in the Indian sub-continent. It doesn't surprise me that the recruiter took money from the Bangladeshi workers on fake promises. This sounds exactly like the sort of thing that happens in the Indian sub-continent.
There are a lot of injustices which happen in the World. They happen in the West, too. It doesn't make the country as a whole "bad".
I gave an example earlier of Supermarkets who make millions off of the back of workers being paid low wages. This happens in the West, yet nobody batters an eye-lid. Banks make (and lose) large sums of money off of the money paid to the banks by joe public. When Banks make a huge loss and the Government is forced to bail them out, does that make Britain a "bad" place? I don't think so.
Sometimes injustices happen. It doesn't make an entire country "bad".
Soldato
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Yes, yes, Daily Fail, but it's the only rag running the story 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-terrorist-heated-row.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Some snippets
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-terrorist-heated-row.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Some snippets