Here's something a lot of people take for granted: addresses.
Having an address.
Giving directions by dictating an address.
Finding a building based on its address.
Receiving mail at your address.
But here's the thing:
Abu Dhabi doesn't have addresses. Not the way this North American is used to them, anyway. First, most of the major streets have more than one name. Confusing. Then, buildings don't have numbers. If you get into a cab, often you have to describe where you want to go. For example, you might say, "I want to go to Sama Tower, on Electra Street," but then, if the driver doesn't immediately know where that is, you'd qualify it with, "Next to the NMC hospital."
The roads are wide and nice and have clear signs, but it's still a challenge to find a place, because it's not as easy as punching in a number and following directions. You have to have a description of a place if you want to grab a cab, because unless it's something straightforward like, "Take me to the Marina Mall," there's a good chance your driver won't automatically know how to get where you're going. For me, it's like a mini research project every time I think about an outing. How will I describe where I'm going? (And how else can I describe it, if the first description doesn't work?) How will I make sure I get to the right place?
It's definitely been a learning process.
The other thing about lack of addresses is that there's no real concept of mail delivery. People here have post boxes, and mail is delivered to those post boxes. We don't have a post box yet, but can receive mail through NYU's post box. This, too, is a strange adjustment. Every day around noon, I find my feet itching to head downstairs to check the mail, but there's no mail to check.
But at least we've achieved home internet, so I can check my electronic mail as often as I like! It's not quite the same, but it will do in a pinch.
Having an address.
Giving directions by dictating an address.
Finding a building based on its address.
Receiving mail at your address.
But here's the thing:
Abu Dhabi doesn't have addresses. Not the way this North American is used to them, anyway. First, most of the major streets have more than one name. Confusing. Then, buildings don't have numbers. If you get into a cab, often you have to describe where you want to go. For example, you might say, "I want to go to Sama Tower, on Electra Street," but then, if the driver doesn't immediately know where that is, you'd qualify it with, "Next to the NMC hospital."
The roads are wide and nice and have clear signs, but it's still a challenge to find a place, because it's not as easy as punching in a number and following directions. You have to have a description of a place if you want to grab a cab, because unless it's something straightforward like, "Take me to the Marina Mall," there's a good chance your driver won't automatically know how to get where you're going. For me, it's like a mini research project every time I think about an outing. How will I describe where I'm going? (And how else can I describe it, if the first description doesn't work?) How will I make sure I get to the right place?
It's definitely been a learning process.
The other thing about lack of addresses is that there's no real concept of mail delivery. People here have post boxes, and mail is delivered to those post boxes. We don't have a post box yet, but can receive mail through NYU's post box. This, too, is a strange adjustment. Every day around noon, I find my feet itching to head downstairs to check the mail, but there's no mail to check.
But at least we've achieved home internet, so I can check my electronic mail as often as I like! It's not quite the same, but it will do in a pinch.
I remember this from when I had to send courier packages to Abu Dhabi from one of my old jobs - courier packages, of course, that cannot be delivered to post-boxes. It was a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteGlad you have your internet back up and running.
Wow, I was wondering about your address, etc. I guess now i have an explanation. Very interesting....I guess in a place that was a desert not too many years ago, mail delivery and a post office box can well, be considered something foreign.
ReplyDelete