Author’s Disclaimer: I am stickler for good customer service, offering a commentary on the stand-out exceptions in an otherwise well-served city, which all service providers [non-food-related too] can…
Society
Gather & converse about the shifting tides of local & international societal trends; feminism, stay-at-home dads, privacy, narcissism, justice & more.
How Can A Woman Really Have It All?
Author: Shireen Chaya-Mahdi It was three am and I was awake for the umpteenth time that night, nursing my newborn daughter while my toddler slept soundly in the next room. Having had less than six hou…
Why I Choose to be Child-Free
The acclaimed author may be speaking in a different context here; yet, her statement rings true down to this generation. Childlessness – that is, women choosing to live without having a child or the t…
An Apology From a Mother to Son Crushing Gender Stereotypes
To my beautiful son Eyan, On the eve of your fourth birthday, your father and I went from one store to the next looking for the Frozen themed toy you asked for, but came back empty-handed. When you wo…
How Do You Deal With Traffic Stress?
It’s not just about annoying honks and cutting queues – Research shows that our mental health is affected by minor everyday stressful experiences. As the DailyMail reports, “[U]sing …
Of Pedestrians and Pigeons | A Social Commentary On Road Etiquette
I have been in England for a year and a half, and although I have powerful pangs of nostalgia where I miss the little things about Dubai (yes, Dubai does have a few little things!), I do really like L…
5 Revolutionary Ideas Breaking Gender Stereotypes
Great applause and a standing ovation followed Emma Watson’s grand speech at the UN headquarters. I sat there beaming at the screen. Way to go, Hermione! It must really take quite some courage to get …
Peshawar Attack: A Letter from 8-year old Bilal to his Ammi
B-Change brings you this piece by one of our writers, Syed Ammar, about the Peshawar attacks. “It was a bright and a very beautiful morning in the city of Peshawar. The usual morning rush hour h…
My Dearest Elena: A Touching Letter from a Mother to Daughter About Being a Woman
Today, like everyday since you were born, someone exclaimed “She looks like a boy! Where are her earrings?” while looking at you. But unlike every other time, you put your hands to your ears. Fo…
The Ultimate U.A.E Traffic Survival Guide
Every. Single. Day. Over an hour every day of boring, stressful and unnerving braking-and-barely-accelerating driving. Traffic is the place where energetic people come to die and ambitious people stay…
Today I.. Struck Up a Conversation with a Cabbie
It seems fairly normal, right – talking to the man who’s driving you to your destination? Except my experience this morning changed that for me. I was travelling a short distance in Dubai …
Women Against Feminism: A Meaningless Social Media Trend?
Scrolling through my Twitter timeline, I was on a quest to find something stimulating amidst a pool of rants and cries [the usual stuff that people post on twitter]. As I desperately tried to end my b…
Is This How Girls Should Be Raised?
Why do you need to have a Masters/PhD? Your future husband will provide for you. No man would want a woman who has studied/is more successful than him! Studying too much won’t help you take care of a …
A Millenial’s Guide to Using ‘Slang’
Imagine a man shooting bullets in the dark. It’s pitch black – the man can’t see who might be around him. The room is clearly packed with people, judging by the noise. Yet, the man continues shooting.…
Domestic Violence: Is There a Safe Haven?
Have you ever had a lover or friend that you could trust with your life? Someone you cherished, looked up to and loved? You couldn’t have imagined how chaotic your life would be without them. Then sud…
Hello, Marhaba, Andorovo: What’s Your Mother Tongue?
Many new expats to the U.A.E presume that the moment they begin working here, they will have to learn to be fluent in Arabic and will struggle with communication in the office. An Emirati neighbour of…