Second, the utter frustration of not being able to communicate is what I expected life to be like here every day. I thought I would often be lost and helpless. In reality, it's the other way around. For most workers English is the common language and those that don't speak English are the ones often left in the dark.
The exception to that rule is dealing with government agencies or one of the many company monopolies. There, Arabic seems to be the only language spoken. That's why I suggested a "Rent an Emirati" business would do well.
If I had to learn a language here it probably wouldn't be Arabic but Urdu. That's the language shared by many of the workers from Pakistan and India. A colleague said he gets much better vegetables at a lower price when he is able to talk to the merchants in their native tongue.
The reality is that I won't learn either language; there's simply no need. I had a former student ready to come translate for me if it appeared the cops were going to find me at fault. In lieu of learning the language it's nice to have friends who can bail me out.
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