MY FIRST DAY IN ANOTHER COUNTRY

It is not a big thing to see a sunrise, but I am curious to know how the sun rises in a foreign country It's not often you get to see a sunrise-gold beach. That was our privilege as we gazed out at the slothful sea. Ebbing ever so gently, it looked at peace in its jade-green gown. It felt like we were walking on a carpet of candy floss, such as its softness. The golden sand swept around in a scythe of the desert, hemmed in by towering dunes. Far out in the ocean, the pulsing of light saturated the ocean with gold. The tourist walking near the apartment.

Sun-blasted bodies were absent in Dubai. The horizon seemed to be stitched with a silver line. The seagulls were squawking over our heads and squabbling for morsels from the hotel kitchen near the apartment. As the sun scorched our bodies to a crisp, a funfair of barbecued aromas drifted towards us.

The saline tang of the faraway ocean mingled with the cuisine, adding salt to its appeal. It was already time to go to the office. They already sent me the appointment letter in my mail. I have to take the hard copy of my letter to the office. Also, I have to shift my things to another apartment within two days. I also have to go to see that house. I don't want to be late for the office, luckily, I have taken the two xerox copies of the appointment letter before I boarded the airplane. I take the copies and readily headed towards the office.

On the way, the road is so broad and people are rushing to work, women are in shops for purchasing, their faces are not visible, they are all in burkhas, and there are no small shops or Kirana stores like in India, but big malls and Supermarkets. I reached the office on time.

I reached the company early and showed my letter to the lady in the reception. They lead me to the lift and said the office is on the 4th floor, at the same time someone entered the lift and click the button on the fourth floor, his handsome and sharp gaze was noticed by me and he asked me to which floor I have to go," I told him I have to go to the same floor Shockingly he asked me, are you an Indian, and asked "Whom I want to visit there, I told, "I want to see the Head of the HR department."

As he entered the office all the people wished him and he told me that the HR department is on the first left." I stayed there on the path and gazed at him until he entered his cabin. I stayed there for five minutes and turn towards the HR department.

I walked slowly towards the board sign, which indicates the HR Department. I knocked on the door of the head of the department, and some discussion is going on inside about the new project. They want new software to be developed for the reputed oil company in Dubai with good creative work and should be comfortable. I waited until the meeting was over.

After the person left, I asked permission to enter, and the person told me to come in. I saw a pile of papers and files on the table scattered, I handed over the appointment letter and wished him, and started collecting the papers and files and arranged them in systematic order and saw the name Kiwi Oil industries.

The Head of the department told me to sit, down and asked "Why do you apply for the post of the executive while you are qualified for the post of program and software developer, I said" I want to start my career, from a base so that I can gather experience and rise to height and achieve my goal to develop a software which is useful for future generations, and open the doors to science and technology of the computerized world.

He said," Congrats on your dreams and welcome to our family. You can join from today and you have to work and report to us for any requirements, and also reports to me about work-related doubts. He also told me that, "I can join the software development team. He introduces me to them. He told that here the majority of people are Indians and you don't have to worry about anything you require and clearances of the work.

I nodded my head and told yes, suddenly I remembered something and turn to the Head and asked, who came along with me while entering the office," He was shocked and told me that, you do not know him, he is the head of the software programming and development team.

I felt like my head is circulating, I was shocked and said "Thank You to him. The first day went smoothly and nicely. I handle small things, I have done some coding decoding work, and they are a bit different compare to the Indian coding languages.

The sun is hiding behind the clouds, the sky is becoming dark and the clouds are moving towards the hills and birds are chirping as if they are bidding farewell to day and welcoming the night with their sounds of flapping wings.

The road on the way to return home is livelier and more beautiful. The route is filled with high pine trees and date trees, and the wind is flowing lonely, without any bird calls. The shoeless mules slalom through the dry grass and pine needles. In the blue coulees of the series slopes narrow tailings of dry sands. The leaves shifted in a million spangles down the pale corridors and Glendon took one and turned it like a tiny fan by its stem and held it and let it fall and its perfection was not lost on him.

We rode through a narrow draw where the leaves were shingled up in ice and they crossed a high saddle at sunset where wild doves were rocketing down the wind and passing through the gap a few feet off the ground, veering wildly among the ponies and dropping off down into the blue gulf below.

Each one of us has a different reason to leave our beloved home. Most of us go abroad to make a career, become successful and earn wealth and want to make a mark in our society. Parents feel proud that their son or daughter is working abroad. Some are abroad due to political issues. the reason may be any but the truth is as soon as we land in a foreign land, we start missing our place, people, culture, food more.

My story is not different. I also started my IT career and soon I got an opportunity to go abroad. In our hometown, we are the most successful person and we want to show off. At that time, we are big fish in a small pond. Abroad you are not noticed and you are not given any special conditions.

The most important thing is there is no religious atrocity, here no one is Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and Jain. You are admired respected and loved as an Indian. Here there is no Indian or Pakistani. No fight for the piece of land, and its boundaries.

We have nearly all kinds of people who came from different regions and religions. I was so busy on the weekdays; I don't have time to talk to anyone in my hometown. I felt it if there is any chip that can make the calls easily with low rates will be available then it is easy for me to contact may be in the future, I will develop that kind of chip.

Telephone calls were very costly at that time, especially ISD calls are very costly here. Weekly once I used to call for a few minutes with my parents. They become very emotional at that time. They cannot able to explain the situation much because, if the duration is long, I have to pay more, they know that, so they don't talk much.

After joining the company, I shifted from my uncle's friend's apartment to the place they told me about in two weeks. It is a very comfortable apartment and they have all the basic facilities, the most important thing is it is a walkable distance from my office. On weekends I am busy with cleaning and washing. We only get a holiday on Friday in Dubai; I have to go to Mosque also do all the chores. I don't get time to explore places here.

Life is very disciplined; People don't talk with each other than company works. There are certain processes and formats which they follow and everything is systematically planned and organized. As an Indian, I understand the difference in the process. They are very confident in what they do. If they don't confidence then they never do. They are very certain about routine tasks.

Water, Electricity, internet in computers, transport, and medical facilities are great with 24x7 service level support. Being Kashmiri and Indian I know what difference it makes. In Kashmir it is very difficult to get all the facilities at a time, maybe it is due to the mountains surrounding, and the main thing is inappropriate infrastructure.

Food is one of the challenges in a foreign country the taste is not as good as in India. India has different varieties of food and mostly spicy and taste good. But here people don't use much spicy, or sweet. It may be due to climate. In the first two months, I had from outside, but slowly I prepared things by myself. The fragrance of Kashmiri Wazwan or just a Samovar Tea with common loaves of bread of Kashmir is very delicious and the aroma of the tea is mesmerizing, I miss them.

It is very difficult for me to find Indian spices and vegetables but slowly I understand the surroundings and finally, I got a supermarket where I get all the Items from India. I was shocked to see that even Kashmiri bread is also available but it is not as good as in Kashmir but I can adjust.

India has a different climate, so food is prepared according to the climatic changes happened. I miss my mom's delicacies and her taste. I remember that we never tell a good thing about the food which she prepares lovingly. It is filled with motherly love and taste. We comment when the salt or spice in the food increase. But now I understand how food tastes when you prepare it by yourselves.

For the first six months, I was busy with my job and understanding and adapting to the new environment and culture, and living standards of the country. The people in the offices are friendly and helpful. There are many people in our project. They all are very experienced and talented.

They help me and make me understand the work, and environment and they are good at explaining things. This thing is not in India. As I said, I worked for one year in India, and they do not explain things much, they just took introduction lectures, and gave me a preview of the job to be done. Here you are not given training, they help us according to the assigning of the job.

Sometimes I become really tired and feel that if I get someone who helped me with my daily chores. That time I remember my mom, who do all the things for me, but still I sometimes angry with her. Here I cannot get any helping hands, because it is not within my budget. In India help is offered at any time and labor is affordable with a few bucks you can get servants and they will help you whenever you need.

In foreign countries, it is not at all possible to get a homemaker because payment is very high. It is equal to my salary. The doctor's cost is also very high for a small fever. My mother always prepares a homemade remedy for me, to recover from a small fever, I miss my hometown during this period.

Even though I have to face challenges like this, I am determined to stay on my aim. Earning and gathering knowledge, is the main purpose of coming to a foreign land. During these times I always remember, what my dad usually says. It goes like this when he is on a mission, he sees many innocent people dying due to the wars, but we don't have to lose the determination of duties which we are authorized to do. As an officer, he has toprotect his motherland because the enemies are hurting the motherland, so you have the responsibility of protecting it. So, duty is my first and foremost responsibility for me.