Disrespect

Day after day I look out of my 3rd story apartment several times a day and never fail to see someone throwing trash on the street. What is really irritating about it besides the fact that the people trashing the place aren't from here is that they will pass a trash can or dumpster while they open what they have just purchased.

One of the first things I noticed about Abu Dhabi is how clean it is. Everything looks so nicely kept. Abu Dhabi is a bright beautiful place not just to visit but to live. I find myself getting very very upset about the lack of respect for the country that has opened its arms to everyone. I was talking with a family member that is also here and very environmentally concious. My cousinexplained to me that people from India or Pakistan just don't recognize dirt or what we may consider filth the same way we do. She also explained that-that would have to be taught to them. They must learn to recognize what filth is before they will change. I found that to make so much sense and yet, why hadn't I ever thought about it that way? I actually got onto one guy who was going through a dumpster pulling out the cardboard. I thought hey great, recycling is offered here. I am appreciative of those that go through the garbage and pull out the recyclables BUT, the guy also pulled out alot of garbage as well. I waited to see if the guy was going to pick up the garbage after he finished breaking down the boxes and neatly tied them together on the back of his bicycle. The guy started to ride away. I opened my window and yelled down to him to put the garbage back in the dumbster but he obviously didn't understand a word that was coming out of my mouth.

We have constuction going on next door. In the 4 months that I have been in Abu Dhabi I have watched the amount of garbage around the apartment bldg. rise and rise. The construction workers throw their garbage all over the site. So now I feel like I am living in a ghetto. In the last week I have seen a rat outside twice. On one of the two occasions of seeing this rat, I turned the corner to go to the entrance and there was the rat. The rat looked at me and I look at it. I was waiting for it to run. The rat stayed right there. I started running toward the rat and it just walked under the construction fence in no hurry at all. Several days later, I was sitting at my desk typing on the computer when my son pointed out that a huge cockroach was quickly approaching from behind. I turned to look at it and I froze. I knew those things could fly and I was so afraid it was going to take flight and land on me. It kept coming toward me and I came to in time to grab one of my sons big honken size 11 sneakers. I came down on the roach and the snap it made was loud, it really made me want to hurl. I haven't seen any more roaches since then but wonder if they are lurking behind the furniture.