The stain theory
Dubai and EK is like wearing a very nice white shirt with a big black stain on it. There are two types of people around here. First the ones that see no stain and tell everybody how everything is beautiful around here not being aware of the stain or just putting their head in the sand so they don't get depressed with everything they see around them. The others are very aware of the stain on their shirt. They know it will never be a normal clean white shirt. They are willing to live their life wearing the dirty shirt. Some complain a lot in hope that the stain may go away. Some just walk around with the shirt not complaining. They know they are expats ( mercenaries ) here to improve their previous life standards in some way (Financially for some, better place to live for others) and just make the best out of it. Just remember this is the middle east here. No matter how much studying you do before coming here. Only once you are here will you really know what this place is all about. One thing is for sure around here nothing is stable and one month you may get your best roster on your bottom bid or get your worst on your top bid. Some people say "Take it or leave it" What they really mean is that nothing can be done about it. If you come here with your family then it is not all about you anymore. "Take it or leave it" or "why are you staying there if you don't like it" becomes irrelevant. This is a black and white option and unless you have a good alternative to Dubai you are stuck here. If everybody would be so smart they would only do the right decisions and would have never come here in the first place if they knew they would not like this place after a certain time. Rosters are mostly an optimized combination of day and night flights to stuff as many hours as possible per roster. So depending on the work force of the month due to vacations, it can be very good or it can be very bad. Not knowing until you get roster on the 26th of every month... (should be 7 days before the beginning of the next month but it is a SOFT rule. You will learn what a soft rule means if you come here) Not knowing what you do on the 1st until the 26th is not so great i have to say for planning the social life. Anyways good luck, good study, and see you Inshalla!