Dobai my phoren land

There was a time when Dubai as a destination was inspirational. Many movies, travel blogs, Picasa web albums, had pages dedicated to this destination of wonders.
Holidaying here was like traveling to the exotic bend of the earth. The sun kissed beaches, the shopping ecstasy, the night life, the architecture, the camels…all of it!

Indian movies largely glorified this, god’s favorite city. Whether it was a tight tuxedo clad mafia don directing his steal or people looking for a job, leaving their home, mother’s feet, a thali with tikka/diya behind, they all had one destination – Dobai (spelt for effect).

This was of course before Yash Raj and Karan Johar showed us otherwise. Where smoldering dream sequences in à la mode chiffon saris amidst sand storms seemed unattractive as compared to snogging amidst the Swiss Alps. When watching your favorite actress jogging along the Thames made the script more credible than jogging along the creek. New York and Switzerland soon became the new Dobai. You could no longer, with your peers, sit proudly through movies identifying landmarks that you lived or worked ‘just around’.

There also existed a time when you waited for 9 pm or Fridays to talk for a few minutes longer on an ISD because the mercy of discounted rates dictated terms (I.S.D : International Subscriber Dialling is the term used to describe an international telephone call dialled by the caller rather than going via an operator.)

But today, thanks to Skype, Etisalat and DU one can enjoy special packages to ‘a favorite country’ where you can talk for 1.27 Dhs per minute and other such nonsense!
Don’t mean to sound ungrateful but Fridays are no longer eagerly awaited for (still in the context of an ISD). Now, just pick up the phone…dial a pizza, or make an international call to hear agonizing stories about your mother’s neighbours, their neighbours relatives or the street dog ‘Tommy’.

Along with India’s booming economy, international calls from India (to Dubai) have also become cheaper. Along with it cheapened the ability of my friends, to relish my anticipated weekend calls. I enjoyed being able to make someone feel special with my occasional long international chats. But those times are long gone. Now THEY call randomly, at even more random hours, talk for hours, and what’s worse - they don’t hesitate even once before putting me on hold ‘Tch, wait ya..I’m getting another call…let me just tell them I’m with you na’. Left there waiting, listening to ‘The hutch mobile customer you’ve called has put you on hold’ I can’t help but think to myself, what happened to the novelty of an international call?

I’m still stuck in the phase, where you’d drop everything else because you’re getting ‘a call’. When you could make out the importance of a call, just by its distinct ring tone (there actually was a time when the ring of an international call on your landline was very different!). When the pitch of ‘Halloooo’ had to be really loud as you waited patiently for the time lagged response. When all this excitement and bad network only sent your pulse and pitch racing higher.

I have to hide my disappointment sometimes when I call friends only to hear ‘the Vodafone customer you’re trying to reach is currently on another call. Please hold or call back later’. I have to stop myself from following this with a sms saying ‘Pick up! this is an ISD - ‘It’s Special you Dumbfuck!’

They’ll call back I know. Unapologetically. They always do. One day I’ll learn that an international call is no longer a big deal. That day I’ll also learn to ‘Chill ya!’