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The party's over. A great crowd of friends and colleagues - perhaps as many as 200 - gathered on the beach of The Club in Abu Dhabi to bid farewell to M and Mme Salut! Photos will appear in due course.
We fly on Friday. These were my parting thoughts in today's edition of The National
Demob happy is not the right phrase. Demob(ilisation) suggests I am taking permanent leave of these pages, which is not the case. Happy oversimplifies my state of mind.
It is true, as revealed in last week’s account of the cat’s flight from the UAE, that my own departure is imminent.
But the idea is that I shall continue to write for The National from Europe. Maintaining links with the newspaper means maintaining links with the country, so it would be incongruous to dwell on more than a few of the memories jostling for position in my thoughts as I prepare to leave Abu Dhabi after almost 18 months.
In place of “almost”, you may prefer “only”. To those who consider it a surprisingly short sojourn, I can claim only to be cramming all my expat days into a brief segment of later life.
After all, it is barely five years since I moved from England for the first time. Living abroad has suited me. In Paris, I had rooms with a view stretching from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. Then followed the best part of a year in Provence. I am unlikely to attract much sympathy if I say it is to there that I am now returning.
But there are features of the life I have known in the UAE that I would gladly pack as excess baggage.
For a start, I would take the outstanding quality of life. As in France, we dine well, indoors and out. We work hard but unlike in Europe, we do so for ourselves, not the taxman. While nowhere is wholly secure, we feel safer here than in most parts of the world.
One form of criminal activity, however, is highly visible. There is enough recklessness on the UAE’s roads to ensure there should never be a shortage of employment for police officers, anger management specialists and prison warders. But as I have acknowledged, snarling machismo is no stranger to the British motorway, French autoroute or Italian autostrada. I can even report progress. More drivers are using their indicators than when I arrived. In no time, their signals will be corresponding to what they do next.
No other negative thoughts will be allowed to intrude on this space. My parting message is that I make my exit with real affection for this country and its neighbours.
For a final weekend’s relaxation, I crossed the sea once more, this time without leaving Abu Dhabi emirate. On Sir Bani Yas island, I relished the serenity of a marvellous haven for wildlife.
What is being accomplished there typifies the UAE’s “can do” attitude, as my wife calls it, one that extends beyond Sheikh Zayed’s dramatic vision for this country to the everyday willingness of people, professionals and tradesmen alike, to get done what others need doing. No one is saying things are perfect. But in just 38 years, this has become a special place to make a home.
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