Calling all Mad Men

The cast of The Real World, Tempe

Oh co-habitating.  I have lived with boys before.  In fact after I graduated college I lived with four guys, another girl, and a dog, we were the latest cast of the Real World Tempe.  My mom called it the animal house, the were certain poles in the living room, strange aromas lingering about.  My Dubai apartment, not like the animal house, not even a little.  Especially, after the maid comes.  Did I tell you we have a maid, well had, I suppose, there were some visa issues on her side so we are on to the next one.  But this maid worked for a little under 5 hours, cleaning our two bed room apartment, making beds, mopping floors, even washing windows, and guess how much cashoola we paid her (the going rate mind you!) $23.  Can you believe that?  I watched her work and thought, "girl you need to learn to negotiate better," after all she had braces and those are not cheap as all our parents know!  But the maid makes co-habitating a bit easier, but boys just really do not know what they are missing out on: dish towels for one.  I know it sounds trite, but poor mother earth was taking a bruising from the amount of paper towels used in our little kitchen.  Knives, that was another small investment.  These guys had a single knife in the kitchen.  It was a HUGE butchers knife, typical guy fashion, probably thinking the bigger the better.  But to slice an apple with that thing down right dangerous so we invested in a pairing knife or is it pearing?  I am not sure.  We also got a few rounds of what the boys call "smelly candles," from bath and body works, just to make it all feel like a nice little home.

Similar hair color, slightly different assets...

Speaking of home, living with these guys is a bit like playing house.  The most classic of pretend games growing up.  The other morning I had just finished emptying the dishwasher for the second time that day and I had gathered up the news papers literally strewn everywhere and put them in the trash and then tied off the bag.  As I was weaseling the bag out of the trash can Eric came running to my rescue (not necessary, but thanks?) and said confidently, "Baby, I will take out the trash, that's the mans job."  In my head I am thinking, calling all Mad Men, we are back to the traditional 1950s household roles, how cute (sort of).  It made me chuckle a bit appreciative that he was willing to pitch in, even if it was just to pitch the trash.

Moving to Dubai so far has been such a great experience.  Dubai and I are still in the honeymoon phases though and I am sure she will annoy me sooner or later.  I have a feeling the blistering heat might be a bit pestering, but we will work out our differences.  It was just such a big deal before I left that I was quitting my job and moving to the middle east.  Rarely but sometimes, it would come up that I was going to get to do the little stuff with E everyday, running to the market, going to dinner with friends, sitting at the table with our laptops, but looking back on the past three weeks that is the stuff that stands out more to me than the slight culture shock of Dubai.  I guess it just goes to show that it is more about the company that you keep than were you keep it.