Being in a different country, with different traditions and way of living is not easy.

Having
exposure to a totally different world not to what you are used to come with a great effort to adjust and
learn. This is exactly what happened to my friend who went to Dubai together with his family. We have
known each other back in highschool, since we attended the same school during that time. In addition,
we shared the same interests, basketball and computer games. They went to Dubai last 2016, and
according to him, living in a totally different place with different traditions is not easy. First that he had
to learn is the language. Most of the products and signage are written in Arabic, which is why according
to him, that is the first thing he needed to learn. When it comes to time, he did not find it that much
difficult, there is only a 4-hour difference between Dubai and the Philippines. Same goes with the
weather. He also did not find it very difficult to adjust to the climate and temperature in Dubai because
it is pretty much the same as what we are having here in the Philippines. If there is one thing that he
really had a hard time adjusting to, is the food and cuisine. According to him, everything there is too
spicy for him, plus, water is expensive in Dubai according to him. He was used to the traditional Filipino
cuisine which is sweet in nature.

What I can say about my friend’s experiences with regards to him living in a different country is
that, Change is not bad, we can look at it as an opportunity to learn and become aware of different
traditions and cultures around us. It is a great avenue for us to set aside differences, and correct the
prejudices and misconceptions against certain traditions. All we need is to have an open mind, and the
willingness to learn and explore.