Life is a Bitch – Season 2, Episode 4

(Continued from here.)

Well, in the end, my bed was made ready, all right. My bed was made ready with some already used bed sheets, one could easily tell this. My bed was made ready in a room with bunk beds, like in the army (I think), in one of the top beds. My bed was made ready in a room where I was staying (up to 2-3 weeks ago when we moved) with 2 Indian women and 1 Nepali woman. My bed was made ready in a room smelling heavily like incense sticks. My bed was ready in a room with a bathroom where the shower was broken so it could not be used. Finally, my bed was made ready in a bed where the AC (a horribly noisy one) was blowing straight to my head.


Under regular circumstances the sky would have dropped on me and I would have started to cry. But due to the extreme physical and mental fatigue, with all these “small" inconveniences, I went to sleep dressed in the same clothes I had traveled with, pulled the blanket on to my head and instantly fell asleep. I did not sleep for too long, 4 hours only, but enough to be able to eat a sandwitch I had packed for this very reason, as in, to be my first meal in Dubai (what a meal, not because of the sandwitch itself, but of the athmosphere). Then I washed my face and set off to the hotel, through the horrible heat, wearing the same clothes. It was a 10 minute walk. I walked in, went to the Reception, introduced myself and asked to see the F&B guy. Who came surprisingly quickly, he let me wait for him for 5-10 minutes only, I think. He did not let me say anything, we only greeted each other and then we went to his office. Once there, he asked me if my flight was ok and if I wanted to make a phone call home to let my folks know I reached there ok and I was ok. Yes, I wanted to, and so I did. Then he asked me if I wanted to start working that very day, I told him no way and then started to list my complaints. He cooled me down a bit with regards to the bed sheets and the shower by telling me he will send someone to sort them out that very day, a bit later (and so he did). He also told me we will not stay there for much longer, but we will move to a better building, with better conditions and, on top of it, much closer to the hotel, so I had to be a bit patient.


Then he made a phone call and told me to go to the tailor (he actually walked me there to show me where it was) who was to give me a uniform and make the necessary adjustements so I could wear it to work the next day. Then he took me to the kitchen and asked for some food for me (it was afternoon, just after 3.00 pm), took me to the so called Cafeteria – the staff canteen, and told me to come to work the next day at 7.00 am in the Coffee Shop, where else? :(. I had some steak with some rather cold French fries, and a cake as dessert. It was sweet and that was all. Anyways, I could have eaten stones considering how starved I was. Then I went “home”. Where I saw and realized all the details of what this was to be from that moment on for a few months, at least.


But two words about our F&B guy. An extremely tall Indian, without a big belly and not fat, but rather well built, around 38-40 years old, I would have taken him for a good looking man if he wasn’t so black. He is pitch black, with short straight hair and blinding white teeth, especially in contrast with his black complexion. He thinks he is charming and he probably is by Indian standards, but not for me. His smile is most of the times fake, showing all his teeth, one would think he does this on purpose. So this is my boss, this is what he looks like.


What looked my first “home” in Dubai like? I will say it next time, because I feel I will have a nervous break down if I have to remember again. And I have not enough words to express my happiness that I got rid of that nightmare place.


Signed: Vali

(to be continued)