To be filed under "another reason why I love my new project," we had massive Diwali celebrations at the office yesterday and this afternoon I went to my colleague A's house for chai, Indian sweets, and an awesome Indian dance performance by his wife. Too fun.
Some shots from the office fete...
Emirati colleage L and Indian colleague S light candles. Yay multiculturalism. (Note the desktop background on the receptionist's computer. The great thing is, neither of the receptionists are even Emirati. I'm telling you, living here just makes you Love Those Sheikhs.)
Lightin' it up. (Note that I'm bathed in a blue glare. That's because someone several years ago said "Hey, wouldn't it be great if we build this office in the shape of a giant globe made of blue glass?!" and thus it was made so. Let me tell you, blue light + 9 hours staring at a computer screen = macular degeneration.)
Traditional candleholder and explanation my Indian-Canadian colleague A printed for our local colleagues, who are sometimes... dismissive of South Asian culture. (But then again, living here can do that to a person.)
The Ethiopian receptionist puts an Indian bindi on the Filipina pantry helper while my Emirati colleague walks by. Honestly, it's like we staged these photos. (We didn't.)
Emirati colleague A and Pakistani boss-man (well, COO) J. One is dressed specially for Diwali, one is wearing exactly what he wears to the office every day... can you guess which is which?
Some of my team. You'll find that there is another white woman in the picture, if you look closely enough.
Okay, that's all for now - off to a bling engagement party at Emirates Towers for a Palestinian-Lebanese couple R knows from Canada. And yes, I'm wearing a fabulous second-hand Catherine Malandrino dress that I got from the Emirati "thrift store." I heart Dubai.
