Lately, I thought of the advantages and inconveniences of living an expat life in Dubai – as opposed to being home in Switzerland. Especially now that we have a newborn in the house again… I wish I would be close to our families now. But that’s another story and another blog post subject😉

On a lighter note, this made me think of how blessed our kids are to spend their first years here in Dubai. And of how different their life would be back home!

Here are just some of the many funny signs I witness every day that show that our little L has spent his first two years in the desert😉

    

• Your parents have stopped asking for their grandchildren’s favourite dishes in preparation of the summer holidays as they can a) not pronounce them, b) don’t know what they are and c) don’t know how to prepare them (think pansit cantoon, paratha etc.).

• When you leave the apartment/ mall/ restaurant to go outside, you first need to “undress” your children.

• If there is an umbrella in your toddler’s stroller it is solely to protect your nanny from the sun.

• You fear summer and wish it was already over.

• When you make plans for the weekend you hesitate between the beach, the mall, a trip to the desert or seeing the Penguins in the snow

   

• Your toddler’s first words included “taxi, please”, “ship” and “brunch”.

• Your not even two year old has been to more fancy 5* hotel brunches than you probably had been at the age of 30…

    

• You carefully collect the cherries / strawberries your toddler has thrown on the floor and put them back in the fridge (as you better make an investment plan before purchasing them)…

• Some of the main reasons your baby is waking up at night are Ferraris and fireworks.

• When you talk about your kids’ grandparents they automatically go get the iPad and switch on Skype.

• Your toddler has been to nearly as many farewell than birthday parties of his friends (that’s the sad side of expat life).

• You’re still breastfeeding your toddler and that’s FINE (nobody is giving you strange looks).

• When you’re back in Europe for summer vacation your child is the only one wearing a jacket.

• Your kids’ friends are coming from all over the world, speak different languages, eat different food and have different traditions and religions – and your kids simply embrace it, all of it. For them, it’s normality.

And this is what I truly love about Dubai!