Thursday, November 16, 2006

Creatures of the Night

The high point of my career was when I was required to appear before a UN tribunal trying to adjudicate water rights. Before modern commercial farming, back in the 19th century, a river ran through three arid countries that all used its water to irrigate their crops. By the late 20th century, the upstream nation was using all the water. The middle nation wanted the UN to order the upstream nation to release at least 2/3 of the water. Then it planned to take the entire 2/3. (No point in sending water to its useless downstream neighbour.)

My job was very important. I was something between a gentleman’s gentleman and a personal secretary for the middle nation’s expert witness, one of the world’s leading hydro-geologists, and handed him his notes as he gave his testimony before the UN tribunal.

Where I come from, people breakfast between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and dine between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Where the UN tribunal met to hear the case, as I ate breakfast with my boss, I saw people having a full dinner (with wine) at 7 a.m., and realized that, in large cities that operate 24/7, there are people whose days and nights are the reverse of mine, so they normally eat dinner while I am having breakfast, and breakfast while I am having dinner. At the time, I was glad I wasn’t one of them.

But now I am.

I am working with some Arabs who are creatures of the night (as Bela Lugosi would have said). They prefer to start work after the sunset prayers, take a short break for the isha prayers, and finish at 4 a.m. in time for the dawn prayers.

So now I get home around the same time as the young ladies who also live in my apartment building, and who are also creatures of the night.

I’m not sure about Mr. Lugosi himself, but I’m sure his character would have been pleased.

1 Comments:

Blogger Sex and Dubai said...

Well the great thing about being a creature of the night in Dubai is that you certainly don't feel isolated in your nocturnalness. The streets are relatively awake and Burger King is still willing to deliver ;)

10:58 am  

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