Indian Expat Living in Dubai - Interview With Minakhee

Minakhee is a full-time mother and home manager and a part time writer, blogger and painter. Despite completing her Masters in Sociology and a course in Advertising and Marketing Research, her interest in writing lead her to work as a Content Writer for 7 years. Due to her continued passion for writing she had been awarded the title of the First Brand Ambassador Of TOI (Times of India), and many of her articles have featured in various magazines like Thursday, Womans Era, Femina, Friday etc.At present she finds fulfillment in enjoying life as it comes and seizing all it offers with gratitude. She writes about her experiments and experience with travel, parenting, art and food. At present she is discussing weight loss, diet and health on her blog, all served with a dash of humor and factual knowledge. Minakhee's expat blog is called Buzzing Tales (see listing here)

Here's the interview with Minakhee...

Where are you originally from?
The beautiful and tranquil town of Bhubaneswar (capital city of Odisa, India), is my native town. Bhubaneswar is often referred to as the Temple City of India, owing to the numerous temples spread across the city. Along with Puri (the coastal town) and Konark (the city with the sun temple) Bhubaneswar, forms the Golden triangle (Swarna Tribhuja), and is among the most popular tourist destination in Eastern India. One of the most endearing attribute of this city is its people, who are simple and peace loving.

In which country and city are you living now?
I now reside in Dubai, an exciting and scintillating city which never ceases to surprise. Dubai is a mini globe in the true sense, with the vast sultry natural desert, the serene creek water, and beaches, beautiful parks, a man made island and many modern architectural delights.

How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
It has almost 5 years since we first set foot on the Sheikhdom of Dubai. Given a choice I would love to stay in Dubai (my second home) forever. However my tenure here depends on my husbands professional demands.

Why did you move and what do you do?
I moved to Dubai to be with my husband who works here. At present I am a full time home manager, mother, and wife and a part time freelance writer.

Did you bring family with you?
Yes.

How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
Actually the entire process was so smooth that during the initial months we felt we were on a extended vacation. By the end of a couple of months we had settled down as comfortably as peas in a pod.

Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
I have been travelling a lot with my husband. We were always managed to find friends in all the parts of the world we stayed in. Dubai too welcomed us with an open arm. We faced no difficulty in finding friends. Yes, we do socialize mostly with other expats.

What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Dubai has a lot to offer to both tourists and expats. There is a wide range of things to do here. Each can find something in their platter, suited to their individual taste. The best time to come to Dubai is winter/spring, from November to March. The weather is fabulous at this time and there are many outdoor activities to opt for. Some of the things I would recommend are:

Desert Safari
Adventure Sports
Shopping and chilling out at Global Village
Shopping during the shopping festivals (DSF etc)
Theme parks like Wild Wadi, Al Ain Zoo
Ferrari World and Yas Island
Dolphinarium, Different parks, Dubai Mall Aquarium,
Palm Atlantis (stay and water park)
Theme Malls-Dubai Mall,Festival city,Ibn Battuta

What do you enjoy most about living here?
The best thing about Dubai is that it isn’t very far from my country India and Dubai doesn’t make me feel like a foreigner.

How does the cost of living compare to home?
Actually the disparity between Rupees and Dhirams makes it unfair to make such a comparison. Being part of an Oil rich nation, the fuel charges here are much cheaper than in India. Dubai is also a tax haven. The house rentals are a bit expensive but that again differs according to the area.

What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
The only disadvantage is that I am far from my extended family and miss attending special occasions sometimes.

If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Do your due diligence and approach the culture and country with an open mind. We had visited Dubai once before deciding to come here. I had fallen in love with this place and also with the fact that it's so close to India.

What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Being a mother of two young kids it's difficult to work full time. I have found it hard to find work from home options here.

When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
We have always been able to adjust to new environment and create a home in each place we visited. I am sure we will be able to feel at home in our homeland.

What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?

1. Save yourself from any cultural shocks and surprises- be a visitor to the place you plan to become resident of.
2. Take care to know the rules and regulation of the country of relocation.
3. Knowing more about the people and the culture of the country one relocates to, helps.
4. Keep the antenna of positivity elevated and focus on the pros.
5. Missing home is as much a reality as recreating a second home.

Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
My blog is about my personal experiences as a traveler, parent, audience, art lover, foodie, and a global citizen. Apart from personal experiences this blog is also about personal experiments in writing (poems, fiction and non- fiction writing).I call this buzzingtales because I put across the tales that buzz within me.

How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
I can be contacted via my blog.

Minakhee blogs at http://www.buzzingtales.blogspot.com which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. Buzzing Tales has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Minakhee, please also drop her a quick comment below.

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