Dhanya Tharakan is the sixth Malayalee expat story in the Global Citizen series from Deccan Chronicle. She shares her experience living in the United Arab Emirates. Originally from the Deccan Chronicle, Kochi, June 15, 2011.

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needto abidehy in a foreign
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hasbeenresidingin Mumbai
beforemoving to Dubai in
1993.Thelackof
understanding
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in the matter of
'roads
and
rules'has brought quite a few
difficulties in Dhanya's life as
an expatriate.
Once, her father was involved
in a serious road accident. "The
other car. which collided with
his car happened to belong to
the son of some royalty here,"
Dhanya recalls. "Though it was
their fault, by the time my
father was rushed to the hospi-
tal, my family and I were asked
to fill out forms that said the
accident was my father's fauh.
"That time was pure torture
and bound by the law here, we
had to give in and ended up
paying for all the damages our-
selves for no fault of our own. I
knew then this place would
never be home becausehere we
cannot even voice our opinion."
Casesof discrimination and
preferential treatment can be
witnessedfrom a basic licence
test to varying salary packages.
"Europeans can immediately
convert their intemational
licence into a UAE one. where-
as Indians
needto sit
for a couple of tests.
Altematively, as I used to work
in HR we have different salary
packages--- mostly supenor
ones for whites compared to
Asians' irrespective of qualifr-
cation and experience."
Dhanya also finds it strange
that you are fined or evenjailed
if you drinJ<a glassof water in
public during thc month of
Ramadan and boys are harassed
by cops if they wear jewellery
(again for religious reasons).
'AS
much as I respect the reli-
gious'sentiments of this coun-
try, it is unfair on the hundreds
ofother nationalitiesto cut off
the public availability of our
basic human needs especially
when it comes to non Mgslims,
it's quite rigid that way."
She loves the freedom and
basic human rights that she gets
to enjoy when in India.
However, she adds: "I have to
admit, luxurious living is defi-
nitely more affordable in the
UAE, in terms ol'home delivery
systemsand service.Grocery
and other services are more eas-
ily available and affordable
here. Everything is just a call,
click and doorstcpaway.I think
Kerala could definitely use
some work in terms of its infra-
structure and some serious
improveinents in terms of
hygiene - be it the sanitary
systems or hotel and food ser-
vices."