splendid moonlight

Some random shots I took while in the car (car means either a cab or my carpool).


By darbydee, shot with 5MP-9EY at 2009-04-13

Rainy day -- On my way to work, a Pakistani
national crossing the street.



By darbydee, shot with 5MP-9EY at 2009-04-13

Same guy.



By darbydee, shot with 5MP-9EY at 2009-04-13

The building on the right (background) is
where I currently live.



By darbydee, shot with 5MP-9EY at 2009-04-13

A Bangladeshi man on a bike on my
way home from work.


I can pretty much tell the different nationalities of people in UAE based on manner of dressing, movements, and physical features. It's a game I play with one of my officemates where I make the guess and he corrects me.

Some Afghanistans are actually chinky-eyed and white in complexion. Pakistani and Indian accents are way different, even if Pakistan was once part of India. And there's just no way of telling a Nepali from a Filipino by mere appearance. But since there are more Filipinos in UAE than Nepalis, then it's mostly the Nepalis who are mistakenly thought of as Filipinos than the other way around.

I've encountered people who tell me I either look like Indian or Thai. There are Pakistanis who could pass as Filipino if they don't speak and Sri Lankans who could pass as Indians. This whole thing amuses me.

And oh let me add one thing - Africans are so cool. There's something about them. They walk as if they're hearing music only they could hear, their manner of speaking sounds like a new song; their whole aura is just different, especially the men (since I rarely see African women here). You would rarely see an African walking in the heat and look as if he's sweating or having a hard time. He always looks relaxed, so cool, so seemingly oblivious to all daily nuances. And the ones I've heard speak English are very good at it too. I'll see if I can take a photo of an African soon.

Arrivederci.