My Journey in Dubai

I've recently moved to Dubai, the city of luxury we all know well, but I didn't come here as a wealthy guy; I'm broke.

Background

I'm a software engineer from the Caribbean island of Cuba, a communist country with 64 years of dictatorship. As you can imagine, the average salary for engineers there ranges from $500 to $1000 per month. Some don't even earn $100; the majority, while a few can make more than $2000. I was earning $1000 to $1200 before coming here.

My savings were limited, which is a challenge in a city as expensive as Dubai. But for me, life didn't give me any other option. It was either to risk it or continue being unhappy with no bright future.

Residency Challenges

Residency in Dubai is a complicated topic. With good luck, it might be easy to get, but in reality, it's more complex. Scams, companies playing with your legal status, and the fact that being here without legal status is something you'd want to avoid make it a tough journey.

For that reason, I accepted the first job opportunity that came my way: a role as a waiter in a fine-dining Italian restaurant that was about to open in a month and a half. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a living in a field far from software engineering, disconnect for a while, and get more than a month of training before starting.

For the first time, I felt relief. I had a job, a contract, a legal status in process, and a decent salary to make a living.

Tears and Joy

Now it was time to prove that I could grind in another field. The first days were so easy, and I felt comfortable. There were just theory training sessions about the food menu—a piece of cake, I'd say. But then the days began escalating in difficulty: role plays, serving tables, guidelines, rules, clearing tables, handling dishes.

I did well, focusing on being marked as a good waiter. After a few role-plays with feedback, I hit a wall. I did one awful role-play the worst service you could ever imagine. Every step was wrong, from my attitude to my posture everything.

I got burned out. I was so frustrated, I just sat there, staring into space, feeling my energy and motivation being sucked out of me.

After that, training continued, and there were exams. Luckily, I passed them all. I was marked as one of the most hard-working team members. I was happy my efforts were bringing results.

We've been doing some shifts in another restaurant from the same company to learn and make us feel more prepared for the big opening.

There have been ups and downs, discussions, and tears, but in the end, I feel a personal improvement since I began.

My story in Dubai is just beginning. I'll keep posting my experiences here. Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this.

See you soon ;)