The real life in dubai starts when you experience the hardship of being an 'exiter'. But what is exiter anyway? Call it a process --- the stupid process where we, expats, has to go out of the UAE border to avoid penalty of overstaying. Immigration has so many issues these days with regards to the issuance of visa, either Visit Visa, Tourist or Employment. I tell you honestly, it is like where in different world if you are in Oman or Kish as compared to those who are in their homes watching news on the television. Frankly speaking, people tend to exaggerate many things. But to give you the clear notion of what 'exiters' life really is, i'll take this opportunity to show you since i am one of them.
First, it's true that people are trapped or i should say stucked in Oman/Kish due to the infamous 'Multiple Entry'. My question is, IS THERE REALLY A MULTIPLE ENTRY? If you're here, you will hear so many opinions with regards to the subject and i sometime get overloaded with the information that i simply don't want to listen anymore and tend to just ignore. But in my own opinion, 'Multiple Entry' DOES NOT EXIST! I don't know how this term came out but for me, the term is some sort of 'vocabulary' used in judiciary. I have reasons why i can tell, one firm reason, 'HOW COME FIRST TIME EXITER BEEN CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE ENTRY?... if multiple entry is more than 1 entry? Who to blame then for this? I don't know. Is it the AGENCIES, the EXITERS, or the IMMIGRATION? Hmmm... let me elaborate one by one. AGENCIES are foolish money-suckers! They don't really care. They accept VISA CHANGE knowing their company is BAN or ON-HOLD. So why these agencies BAN or On-HOLD? Now, let's put the blame to the EXITERS. Agencies provide visas to expats but man is greedy. Agencies will be ban or put on-hold if one of the VISA holder exceed the validity of their stay in the country and go TNT. Once BAN, agencies can no longer provide visas to LEGAL EXITERS, and sometimes cause more tr0uble than we can imagine... the MULTIPLE ENTRY and being stuck in Oman/Kish. Or put the blame to the IMMIGRATION for making it even harder for the exiters with their lapses by implementing rules after rules giving more confusion to the agencies and the exiters.
Second, i sarcastically 'thanks' the media for the total vagueness. More or less, they screwed everything. I don't even know how to deal with them because they are giving wrong if not false information to the people outside causing worries and anxities to our families back home. Sometimes, facade confuses all. You can never really tell how it really is if you don't know what is it under the surface. Reality is.... 1. We leave Dubai for Oman mostly at 4 in the afternoon, arrived in Oman border at 6pm with approximately 2 hours travel. We then wait for 4 long hours for our Dubai Exit stamp and Oman Visa process . Why 4 hours? Because the IMMIGRATION officials will start at 10pm which i suspiciously think 'they' were sorting the passports and check on those with overstay penalties, process it later than midnight for additional penalty. (I try hard not to curse them!) Thank God, we finally entered Oman, served with that ewwy food and like animals, we then look for vacant rooms to shut our very tired eyes as it's already 3am. 2. We are getting anxoius because some of us don't even know the real status of our VISA. Heard of floating status? I know it's a bit new but that's what we've been told... well, does it exist?
3. Defense mechanism, we sing at videoke bar, go to shesha lounges or buy whatever in the grocery just to fill in the gap of unexplanable tension that we've been carrying as days went by.
4. NO COOKING ALLOWED! What the heck?! We have to hideously try to cook and borrow kitchen utensils to get the 'GOOD' food our body deserves.
5. We have BARS on the windows as if we are prisoners for unknown crimes or even worse, patients in a mental asylum.
6. We put together 2 to 3 beds to let 4 unlucky exiters share space to sleep.
7. We eat on the floor because we don't have the chairs and table where people normally eat.
8. Hotel staffs are either arrogant or stupid. Whatever!
9. Speaking of RELIEF GOODS, it was televised, right? Do you think we really received those? Ok maybe... a small box of 6 pieces candies, 2 instant noodles, a tetra pack juice, and what else? What they've shown to the public is a complete publicity. Oh well, the end justifies the mean.
10. Exiters find it really hard to sleep. We can't sleep at night! In my 18 days of stay here in Oman (i'm still here!!!), staying up really late at night till the break of dawn became a very normal routine. For that same reason, you will find bunch of sleepless zombie-like individuals in group sitting at the corridor either playing cards or merely chatting with no sense at all.
11. We CRY then we LAUGH! We LAUGH then we CRY! Perhaps that is what 'almost fed up' means.
12. Prostitution? OMG! very very very RAMPANT! Not a dozen... but more than a dozen. Can i blame them? NO!... simply because they don't have anyone to finance them. This is all about survival! On the contrary, i know they have choices to choose from, DO IT or DIE? Don't laugh because you're not in the position to do.
13. Hobbies like cross-stitching and knitting sprouting like mushrooms because we're almost desperate. It helps though. I finished one small cross-stitch pattern and it got me real busy and made me own a separate world, oh well for a while.
14. Some exiters work part-time jobs just to make ends meet. Assholes are their employer because one of my roommate worked 10 days for 50dhms per day which in the end commissioned her with 25dhms per day only. Money suckers... abusers!
15. We even ate fish crackers and tomatoes for the entire day and never complain.
16. Most heartbreaking above all is that some people don't really care. These hearless individuals consumed us with lies and scammed us at the moment that we're already drown in misery. What are these people thinking?
17. Honestly speaking, i got the greatest opportunity to live with Mommy Ann, the strong-willed lady that spoke harshly to the public which was televised all over the world. I am in the same room with her, and i feel no shame but proud by telling you people that she has to STEAL leftovers from the restaurant she's working part-time just to fill our hungry stomach.
You may feel pity, shocked, disappointed.. but as human as you are.. you're mind beeps curiousity and fear. But THESE ARE ONLY FEW! Life as an exiter is never easy. You will surely meet some on your league and some you despise. But most people are wearing masks; they're with you if you're still together but totally forget you when they're finally free from the misery.
You can never tell how life really is inside the 'exiters' realm unless you became one. Reality is being there. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE BUT TOO MUCH WAITING HUNTS THE HEART!
Labels: dubai exiters, Oman
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i can never imagine what it's really like..the fear, hunger, frustrations, homesickness and a lot more..just thinking about it makes me feel so scared..Thank God its over ye..
but you know? in time's of trials and adversities you'll see and meet angels in human form to help you go through it all..dibah? :)
stay strong ye! keep the faith..God bless!
mizyah! mwaahhh!