Surviving customs…Check. Meeting my new boss…Check. Settling into my new apartment…Semi-check. Friends…Cue my next objective.
But, where to begin? I had joined at the end of the Spring Break, and while I would never describe myself as a shy person – I can already hear my family and friends scoffing at such a suggestion- the question of introductions was still one I found myself spending an unnecessary amount of time thinking about, especially since I was joining near the end of the school year. Friendships were already made; social constructs already set and routines already formed; so the question as to where and how I would find my people in this crazy jungle of an EXPAT world was one of genuine concern.
Would a simple ‘hello’ suffice? Or perhaps performing an interpretive dance on the story of my life would really wow people into wanting to hang around with me. However, introductions weren’t my only issue. I mean, what about my needs? Who did I want to perform my ballet infused hip hop interpretive dance to? And while cliques are something we all pretend we left at high school, we all know that this is a white lie we tell ourselves to pretend we have matured beyond childish behaviour, with cliques continuing long after we have heard the school bell ring for the final time. So, with that in mind, how would I figure out which group were the Jocks? The Varsity Jocks? The Girls Who Eat Their Feelings? The Burnouts? The Plastics? And last but not least, the group I wanted to find: The Greatest People Alive?
It seemed like a daunting task at first. Heck, at one point being hit by a bus felt like it would probably be less painful (we love you Regina George) for my over worrying brain but actually, there was a pretty easy solution to all of these issues and that was, when it comes to trying to make friends, you really only need to follow one rule: say yes. Say yes to everything and everyone. Become a Yes Man. It may seem a bit extreme, I know, but by following this simple rule you will, sooner – rather than later – find your tribe. And while I said yes to many people who only Louis Walsh would say yes to on the X Factor, it was very easy to tell straight away who was and who wasn’t making it to the judge’s houses. There were tears, a few disgruntled girl groups, high notes and low notes but in the end, I managed to find my people by following this simple rule. However, just like searching for a new outfit, I found that one of my main camel ride or dies was actually established from my first yes during my first weekend in the golden city.
Her name? Miss N. As in, Miss Never-going-to-tell-you-her-real-name as she would kill me and also Miss N. as in, the next morning after a night out, one of my main questions would always be: where is she?
Not only was she a fellow Scotsman (freeeeeeeedom) but she was kind, welcoming and had a sense of humour that was like an all you could eat buffet – even after you had gorged yourself until you were nearly bursting, you still wanted more. And, like all good relationship green flags, our friendship started with an invite to Netflix and chill on my second day of arrival. While I felt tired, overwhelmed and wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, I said yes and well the rest…well, the rest is history. I can honestly say that without her, my Dubai experience would be Miss-N something vital…
However, she wasn’t the only friend I was to make and as my first weekend went by without me getting arrested for being drunk, inappropriately dressed or eating pork, the biggest realisation I actually made was with regards to how friendly everyone was. I didn’t have to wear pink on Wednesdays and I didn’t need to stop saying fetch to fit in. In fact, I could just be completely me and nobody cared because the EXPAT community here is one that says: if you’re nice to us, we’ll be nice to you. It’s a community that understands its environment. An environment where people come and go all the time. An environment where the majority of people have moved out alone and an environment where friendship isn’t just friendship, it’s family.
When you get into a car accident, who are you going to call? When you have a health scare, who will come to the doctors with you? When you need a cuddle, who is going to hold you? Certainly not your mum, or your dad, or your sister, or your gran, or your grandpa as they are thousands of miles away. No. It’s your friends. And as the weekend drew to a close, all of my initial worries of fitting in began to melt away. I had been welcomed and already I could feel friendships being made that would take a full armada to sink. I had begun to find my ‘GREATEST PEOPLE ALIVE’ and I couldn’t wait to see how many more people I would find as in that moment in time, the limit for me did not exist.