inshallah perspective
arabic coffee
the uae has it’s own sense of time … i like to call it ‘inshallah’ time. the phrase ‘inshallah‘ literally translates to ‘god’s will’ or ‘if god’s wills it’. i hear this phrase all the time. i mean ALL THE TIME. walking into school in the morning “have a good day”, inshallah. “tomorrow i plan to make masks with the students” inshallah. “when will my emirati id be ready?” inshallah. “I need these papers signed to get paid” inshallah.
when i first got here, this was a source of frustration for me. as i settled in to life in this foreign land, there was so much paper work to be completed. medical papers to be translated, driver’s licenses to be translated and authenticated, diplomas, teaching certificates, birth certificate, medical prescriptions …. all to be translated and authenticated. for me to be able to drive, to get a uae id card and driver’s licenses, to get medical insurance, to get paid – all of these documents had to be completed. into the offices i go with my paperwork, unimaginably naive. “thank you so much for your help, i am on a tight timeline with this. when will the translation be completed?” a kind smile answers me “inshallah madam” hummmmm. a week or so later, i get the call, my documents are ready! i find a taxi and head downtown only to find the offices closed. silly me! it’s 2:30 in the afternoon – nothing will be open – rest time. all stores, restaurants, offices, coffee shops, the whole city – closes for several hours in the afternoon for ‘qaylooah’, rest or family time. there is no real set time for qaylooah … it’s several hours between 1 and 6 pm. just count on everything being closed.
upon arriving in abu dhabi, one of the first orders of business was to hand my passport over to the uae government to get a residency visa. i was extremely nervous being in a foreign country half way around the world and not having my passport in my hand. when i asked (repeatedly, to be honest) how long it would take to have my passport returned – “inshallah, miss”. “well, can you tell me if it will be back in time for me to travel for the winter break?”, “inshallah, miss”. really? even with a passport?
inshallah time rules. there is very little foresight or sense of future planning. it’s so interesting to see how this sense of time, this cultural phenomenon, affects the workings of a society.
the grand mosque
a few weeks ago we had a three-day weekend in observance of an Islamic holiday. the announcement of this weekend is the perfect example of the lack of planning ahead. the holiday, isa wal miraj, is an Islamic holiday based on the moon. it is in celebration of the date in history when the Prophet, Mohamed, experienced the miracle of ascending through the 7 layers of heaven to meet the different prophets.
the holiday was on the uae school calendar the entire school year. however, it was not decided if it was to be observed in the school system. isa wal miraj was coming up on sunday (the work week here is sunday through thursday). when did the school system decide and announce if school would be held on isa wal miraj? thursday! yes, thurdsay. no need to let parents know, inshallah. no need to let teachers know ahead of time to make plans, inshallah.
mint tea
the more i become familiar with the culture here, the less this surprises me. i am even surpassing getting ‘used to’ inshallah time and beginning to enjoy it. i enjoy the ‘live in the moment’ attitude that inshallah time allows. it is a liberating lifestyle for me.
i have a friend who believes that planning ahead is a luxury. to have the luxury of having everything you need today so that you can begin to plan for tomorrow is something that i have always seen as a way of life. a responsibility, almost a burden. my life experiences of late are causing me to view inshallah time as a luxury. to have the luxury to just be. to just live today. to not think of my “10 year goal”, to not plan every detail for “retirement”, to not know exactly where i will be in a year … or even think of it, to not have to map out every moment of my life …. this, for me, is the luxury.
i am learning to relax … to just be. and it is so nice
arabic mini-lesson:
bis miellah hie rah mani raghiem -‘god’s grace’ asking for protection from god – this is said everywhere all the time … getting into your car, ask god for protection. going to work, ask god for protection. going to the beach? ask god to protect you
inshallah – ‘god’s will’ or ‘if god wills it’
al hamdullilah – ‘thank god’ – this is said almost as much as inshallah … “how are you today?”, “i’m fine, al hamdullilah”
qaylooah – rest/family time
al mir aj – celebration of Prophet, Mohamed, experiencing a miracle – he ascended through the 7 layers heavens where he met the different prophets
globalmidtown 
i love your “new” perspective on life.. yes a luxury indeed just to be…i am constantly amazed at your willingnesss & eagerness to explore new things,cultures,peoples,climates..but if i really think about you from birth to now i am not so surprised.You were such a little explorer growing up, always delighted with the newness of things changing.So flexiable.Of course now being an adult you have taken it to a whole new level !!! and yes there was a time when you steered away from the core of who i know you to be.. but you are finding your way back to YOU which is truly a luxury so few people experience.especially in the incredible way you are fortunate and willing to be able to do !! frustrating at times i am sure with the cultural differences, but what a life changing opportunity! Praise Mohamed,god,buddah,mother mary.. whomever,just don’t forget to praise YOURSELF because you are OPEN to truly experience life !! keep the blog coming.. love reading it..happily missing you xo