Dubai, the city I grew to love!

By - sneha
20.02.19 06:19 PM
I grew up in Dubai. My childhood revolved around the beaches and the parks of Dubai. I loved the corniche there, the Abra was an all time favorite. Shawarma was my first love and sharjah shakes used to fill me up! I lived in the city of Dubai way before it got all its grandeur and got the world's tallest building as another feather in its cap of achievements. Wild wadi was the biggest theme park while I was there and Atlantis never existed then! Journey between the emirates was our eid holiday routine, sometimes to the hot water springs of Al Ain, sometimes to the hills of Ras Al Khaimah. Hatta was a rare treat while I had never heard of Jabal Jais then, it is some place that all Dubai peeps go to for weekends. Desert safari was a big deal, well I guess not any more. Dubai got The Pointe now and has its very own man made lake. Gone are the days when options were limited in Dubai. You name it and you find it in Dubai. The very hailstones to our sand storms, the sand getting into your eyes and hurting you bad, to learning that camels have an extra layer of protection on their eyes to protect them from the storms. I guess I knew more about all the emirates of UAE rather than all the states of India. Schools taught me Arabic, I can proudly say that I can read and write Arabic though I may never understand anything I read or write. It's the most beautiful language I came across, because it's so different yet so twisted in its own ways. Sometimes I wonder, do I know the UAE national anthem better than the Indian anthem. I get goosebumps when I hear UAE national anthem everytime  because that was what was instilled in my blood since I was a toddler. Though through all this there were times when Dubai hurt me, caused me pain and brought tears to my eyes. The day I flew out of Dubai I cried like a baby for the entire duration of the flight. Dubai might have bid me adieu but it will always be a part of me and my upbringing. I really wish that someday I get to take back my kids to the city I love! Dubai would always be my dream city! The city I came to love and cherish over the years. From having my first crush to many more firsts that I ever had. Any city I would love to go back to and start fresh would me my Dubai!

sneha