Treats You Well?

Ranjan asked me this question a few days ago. I replied with an, “of course”. It later got me wondering if this is how petty our relationships can be. A reason for being with someone is whether or not they treat you well? I have had more than my share of jerks but something about this question felt odd. Okay, I won’t take for granted that we are exclusive. But I would definitely want to assume that the person would treat me well, and base my interest in or attraction towards him on something more. 

Just a week after this exchange, I was speaking with a friend who is not entirely happy in her relationship. A few minutes into the conversation, and I realised that he does not treat her well. Nowhere close. And then I wondered if I should appreciate what I have more than I do at the moment. 

Yes, he treats me with respect and love. He is thousands of miles away, but he makes every effort to keep me happy. His logical reasoning often supersedes my emotional waywardness, but I would like to believe that we behave like mature adults at the end of the day. And I am pretty certain I treat him well too. Let’s do a poll on that tonight. ;-)

He has brought some good changes with him. I hope we can continue to behave like grown-ups in future. 

Trivia from Abu Dhabi

It's not the largest or the roughest city, but it's my first real experience away from the comfort of family or friends, and I am trying every day to learn a little bit more - some discoveries, some accidents. 

1. We have no addresses here. If you're lucky you might have a PO box where you may be able to receive mail. Otherwise landmarks define your location. It took me a few days to figure why property listings had "view of landmark" as a feature.

2. It may be adjacent to the desert, but Abu Dhabi does have a winter of its own. I have experienced the chill even through a sweater.

3. An unmarried couple living together is illegal. And so is the prostitution that goes on outside Le Meridien every night. Yes, I was shocked to see it happening.

4. No surprises - a litre of oil is cheaper than a litre of water.

5. A stem of rose costs seven times more than one in Delhi. This, by far, has been the hardest to come to terms with.

Photo Courtesy - Nat Geo

6. Many expats who have been here long enough own private boats. You can see them parked outside their villas the way you’d see a good ol’ Santro in the neighbourhood. Funnily enough, banks provide Boat Finance options too if you’re eager to buy one without saving up any money.

7. Did you know, if you fall asleep in a cab, your driver can be pulled over and fined for up to AED 200? And to think that I sleep in the cab to work every morning!

8. My locally configured BlackBerry notifies me of all six prayer times through a day.

9. Sure there are a lot of Indians here, but seeing Marie Gold biscuits or Amul butter at the grocery store is a definite delight.

10. Camels participate in beauty pageants and have dedicated race tracks where robots ride the beauties which are too fast (and bumpy) for a human to do the honours.