Get A Life!!!

I met him for the first time at a birthday party two years ago, when he told about his first visit to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I met him again last weekend at some friends and to my surprise DID tell the same story again. The frustration was very clear on the voice and face expressions of that 50 something years old Dutch man. He is extremely bitter about everything over there! this is the impression I can get. He is against the fact that Pakistani and Benglaishi building workers are under the burning sun for more than (according to him) 60 hours a week working. He is not happy with people enjoying the air conditioning everywhere they go. He is against the fact that families have nanies and people working as servants in gardens, car drivers, cooking...etc He is against the pay standards for labour in that country...

This time I didn't say anything but watching him talk and talk. I didn't have the mood to repeat what I said to him during the first time meeting. I am not going to address my point of view about what is wrong and what is right on this issue, because this is not the subject of the matter now! Further more, I am not against someone talking about the same subject on two or more occasions, BUT I AM AGAINST, and it makes me extremely mad when someone talk negatively about certain culture by comparing it to his own; by fully condemn many aspects in other people's culture, because in the Netherlands it is dealt with differently.

I don't want to be misunderstood here that I am against Dutch culture (or defending Dubai's culture), nothing like that! I adore the fact that in this world there are different countries, heritage, religions. I respect fully other cultures, even if they would contradict or might conflict with my own, as long as it won't force itself on me as a person!

The thing is that that man went to Dubai a number of times, not only once. He didn't pay a cent for a hotel or residency or anything else, except for his cigarettes, maybe, because of some relatives or close friends living there for years now! While he was talking I was wondering if he would ever think of visiting Dubai in the first place and worry about those poor men working under the burning sun, if it wasn't for his relatives living there!

The only conclusion is that this man either jealous of his relatives living in Dubai - there are who act and say bad things about people and countries if they are jealous, that's a fact! or it was an attempt to play the role of the ultimate protector of people's rights on a spot somewhere on this planet! or he is out of words and decided to initiate some kind of hot topic!

Image courtesy of VIPwnt