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Week 21 - Wednesday takes us back to the future with Tassy

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy

Today we pitch a curveball, or bowl a google - depending on your preferred bat and ball sport. We look at what the future might hold for us all as we look back on Tassy's trip last week to Dubai.

Tassy - Karachi, Pakistan

Travel in the time of COVID-19

 I feel guilty saying this, but the week that just went by was simply fabulous. I made it to my old hometown, to the city where I grew up and have been visiting every year for all my life. Dubai.  I consider myself quite a seasoned traveler and have been traveling to at least 3 or 4 places a year. This was the longest I hadn’t been on a plane. 10 months.

 

 I was looking to get out of my self imposed quarantined life in Karachi, and have a mini escape. My husband had some work in Dubai and I thought that would be the best opportunity to simply have a break. The journey itself was arduous. The airline had the requirement of each passenger to have a COVID test done by a designated laboratory before flying. I wore my mask, visor, and gloves to travel on the flight.

 The plane ride was an experience. There were no hot meals served, only packaged food. The stewardesses were in full PPE. People were not crammed next to each other but we were seated with a few spaces apart from other.


Photo 2 travel hygiene kit


 When we landed at Dubai airport we were subjected to another COVID test which was uncomfortable, having had one just 2 days earlier. Dubai airport which is one of the busiest in the world was totally devoid of travelers, with its duty free shops all closed. Once we got out of the airport the holiday finally began!

Photo of Dubai

 Since daily COVID infection rate in the United Arab Emirates had been steadily falling from its peak of over  900 in late May, the country had declared itself open for tourists a few weeks ago. As I wandered around, on the surface it felt like business as usual. Shopping malls and restaurants seemed almost as busy as ever.


The only difference being that everyone was wearing masks. This was strictly being enforced because of the heavy fines and penalties that have been imposed for those not following rules.  Going to restaurants I found that menus were no longer handed out. Instead we had to photograph QR codes to read the menu.

Photo of menu with QR code

Our hotel room did not come with amenities for hygiene reasons and we had to call up and ask specifically for whatever we wanted. Payment for goods and services in shops was more or less contactless. Testers in cosmetics shops did not exist. Many people were wearing disposable gloves.

 I met up with a few friends who live in Dubai. Overall the morale was low as a few had lost jobs, and others knew of several who had lost jobs even though they had not been personally affected. Over the week I found that high-end restaurants were packed with people but many smaller restaurants and business had had to close down. 

 

 In the week that I was there, Dubai recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 infections in over a month with 435 infections and 1 death in the past 24 hours.

Photo of Burj al Khalifa - the world's tallest building - from my old house

 The weather was very hot and humid but I was in a happy state with the whole idea of being on holiday. It was a wonderful break from the routine of daily life and the ground hog day that I was experiencing over the past 5 months in Karachi. I was thrilled so experience new flavors and tastes with a change in cuisine, the ability to meet friends as normal, and seeing new views from my window. I was able to give hugs to friends I met. I was able to visit old haunts from my childhood days. I even drove past my old house.


 There was little nostalgia as Dubai is the sort of place which is constantly evolving so even the street I lived on looked different because of the new construction all around it, but I kept pinching myself with the excitement of just being in another city.  I was able to wear my high heels! And visit a bar and restaurant and listen to live music. 

Eating out!

 I used the hotel gym as often as I could. None of the above is anything remarkable, but I can’t remember the last time I had such a normal life. And yes I did what I had been craving to do all these months…..sit in a café and simply watch the world go by. Even though the mask I was wearing concealed my expression I can confidently say that my smile was a wide one.

 I feel like my heart is satisfied and even if my next trip abroad is a few months away, I feel at peace and look forward to catching my flight home back to Karachi, in a few hours. I hope I am less paranoid when I get home, and am able to open a little to introducing slight changes in my life now.



 

 

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