Disgusting Displays of Wealth

Entry title courtesy of a friend who inspired this blog.

Wealth. Big time wealth. Money. Flash cash. It's all here. Many Emiratis do not work. You will find them working in government positions, police, and military, but no menial or physical occupations. They do not have to. Their families are huge, well connected, and well invested in finance, oil, and whatever else they can dip their fingers into. This wealth manifests physically all over the place.

For example, I passed a BMW SUV on the way home from school a few weeks ago. Seemed like a regular BMW SUV, because there are many here. Except that this one was upholstered in Luis Vuitton leather with a crystal encrusted vanity plate. Think that's good? It gets better.

A colleague went to a sixth grader's birthday party the other week. It was "Hollywood Starlet" themed. And according to her observations, most of the girls were dressed like they were getting ready to pose for "Teen Vogue" magazine. The swanky hotel pool was lined with a buffet table that wrapped around the pool. There was a candy bar where the girls could get goodie bags loaded with candy. Bouncy castles, DJ's, a photographer that would take your picture and print it for you right there, huge cakes like they came off an episode of Cake Boss. All in all, the teacher who attended figured that sixth grader's birthday party cost more than her wedding. These girls get the latest clothes, techie toys, jewelry, and Paris vacations for birthday gifts. One of our teachers got Versace perfume for her birthday (one of the few moments I wished I worked high school because they get good gifts ;) Another got BCBG baby shoes for her baby shower.

A personal anecdote: this one's a beauty. I was subbing for the tenth grade. We were going over vocabulary. I was trying to explain the meaning of the word "sear" to them. Easy enough, right? Blackened, cooked quickly in a pan, you throw the meat on a hot pan or grill to sear it...they weren't getting it. Why? Well, one of the girls finally raised her hand and said, rather confused, "Miss, we don't cook."

"We don't cook."

They don't cook. They don't have to. Each child has a personal nanny to see to her every whim. We see these nannies all of the time in school. They carry their backpacks for them, drop them off at school, and pick them up. The nannies follow the children everywhere, picking up after them, playing with them, and answering to their beck and call. They are responsible for at least 98% of the child's care when they are not in school.

The families live in huge, expensive villas decorated with opulent furniture and decor. These places are huge. Floor to ceiling windows, gardens with huge fountains, pools, and balconies. Most have cooks and servants. They spend their holidays travelling, and their weekends shopping. Their abayas and dishdashas (traditional clothing) come from Versace, Vera Wang, and Prada. With Coach purses to match. This is the life of many Emiratis.

To most of our American eyes, it's a disgusting display of wealth. We're genetically stamped with a "can do" attitude of independence. But if we go back to the Bedouin roots of these people, the tradition of wealth is that it's to be seen. As we say, if you've got it, flaunt it. And they do. It's a big show. They put it on for each other. When the women get together to party (because men and women can't party together), they wear the latest fashions coming off the Paris catwalks. Bejewelled, bedecked, and bedazzled in high heels that make most Emirati women rival  good if it looks good.some American basketball players in height. One might say that Emirati culture is a lot about appearances. It's all good if it looks good.

But what of these people with disgusting displays of wealth? I can tell you from firsthand experience that there are pricks who will scoff at the middle class expats wandering around. I've had women in Swarovski studded abayas and sheylas cross the hall in the mall so they don't walk too near the shabby infidel American. I've also gotten thinly veiled disgusted looks from hawk-beaked Emirati men in their crisp white dishdashas as they stalked through the parking lot at Spinneys (English supermarket).

And then there are those whom we sit across from in parent/ teacher meetings. Rich? Oh, yes. Wearing it for everyone to see? Certainly, if one can judge by the diamond studded Swiss watch. And most concerned about their daughter's progress. How is she doing? What can we do to help her? What kind of assistance can we get to help her? How can she practice her reading at home? They are just as concerned for their daughter's future as most American parents would be for their own.

Unlike women of a mere twenty years ago in this country, there is more to the future of Emirati women than there used to be. Many parents want their daughters to go to university, to continue their education. They want them to do well, to succeed, be the smartest they can be. Most of our girls are getting a much better education than their mothers ever did. That's how much this society has changed in such a short time. Yes, many of our girls still face the age old expectation of marrying well (arranged for many of them), having large families, and continuing traditions. But they also have the chance at a different future, where they are educated, strong, socially flexible, and better able to make their own choices in a society that is struggling against the yoke of strict religious laws and the siren call of a mass media pop-culture technology driven world.

Now that, friends, is something no amount of money could ever buy.