I completely forgot that tomorrow we'll be in March and I haven't posted anything this month. A few more hours and I would have missed that train.
On the eve of leaving Dubai, Russia launched its first attack on Ukraine and the whole world's attention is now drawn towards tragic events which will surely impact our individual lives. I came back with stories to tell and pictures to post on Instagram but I don't have the heart to do it out of respect for the people who are finding themselves drawn into a complete turmoil.
And talking about indecency, I think I've witnessed my share of it during my trip. It was good to have a balance of the raw and the glamorous and observe how the fauna evolves in a place where everything goes about pushing the limits. Visiting Palm Island almost made me throw up, not only was everything unimpressive or not worth admiring in an area mostly inhabited by ruffians but the whole place itself had no soul. Bizarrely, I can understand that people are attracted to bling-bling and flakiness and that which they consider as a 'lifestyle' simply comes down to a desire to show off.
Don't get me wrong though, I had strong and beautiful moments in Dubai. I bonded with my brother, met my best friend, made new friends and the expo was just mind-blowing. Having tea in the desert at sunset in lovely company and canoeing in that superb lake in Hatta are but a few of the highlights of my stay. That said, I still think that the city itself lacks charm and substance and has been built only to attract money. On my way to the airport, we stopped at Global Village which appeared to be spectacular from afar but turned out to be quite hideous actually, to the point it made me feel dizzy and I had to request to leave . That's my very own and subjective opinion though. Great place for kids or for adults who enjoy standing in front of tasteless façades, watching people with bored faces trying to entertain them.
This post is entitled 'briani' as it pretty much sums up my trip which has been a mix of everything: white rice on top with the right amount of jafran, too much spices and ghee on the inside, warm and delicious but go for that extra spoon and be certain to end up with an indigestion.
Then there was Michael. We talked about everything sauf l'essentiel. I can't help feeling that there was something missing in our conversations. Meeting him after a long streak of 08 years, I had imagined things differently. A few acts of his made me think that he is still looking for validation and left me perplexed. It drew me to the conclusion that he doesn't tell me everything after all. C'est probablement mieux ainsi. He needed to be in good company, to relax and forget about his everyday routine stuck in what he calls a loveless marriage. Thing is, you cannot perpetually need small breaks in life, one needs peace of mind and serenity else it comes to a point where you go astray. I will so ever be in his debt for the conversation he had with my brother in a café at night. It came as a starting point for us three to probably start seeing life from a more empathetic perspective. It was as if circumstances had brought the two of them to lash things out while I was being the observant. I couldn't say much if not to have my mouth shut. Served me right actually, next time I'll be more cautious about voicing out my opinion about things I clearly don't understand. I guess it says a lot about my 'celibacy' status. Unmarried, I will never be able to put myself into the shoes of someone whose couple-life is wrecked. A few days later, my brother would refer to Jaysen, Vasant, Meyvin, Satyen and some of his other peers at college, at how trapped they are into unhappy marriages, how things did not unfold as they had imagined. I was moved by that confession and felt for him but at the same time it got me thinking about this whole generation who aspired to ambitious careers while being trapped into old lifestyles, unable to reconcile those two worlds.
What a strange and interesting vacation it has been. I spent a wonderful time with good people in a place I could not specially connect to, a destination I would not have chosen to go had my brother not sent me a free ticket and I am pretty glad it happened. It forced me to witness aspects of his life I was incapable of seeing, to shut up and listen and to exempt both him and Michael from mon côté donneur de leçons.
