Sheryn Babuka
‘I originally come from Tampa, Florida, and have been living in Abu Dhabi for almost three years. Before moving to the UAE, I lived in Qatar for a while, but I like the emirates much more – it’s a more open, friendly place; there is so much more to do here, and it has a larger expat scene.
‘I work for a small communications company and am also a student in a distance learning program with Eastern Oregon University, where I study English literature and anthropology, and I hope to graduate next year.
‘In Abu Dhabi, I like trying new restaurants, going camping, and cooking, especially for friends – I love making a good Sunday roast and experimenting with new recipes; I just wish I had a bigger kitchen to work with. I also like to go to concerts when we get them, and had a great time at Coldplay, despite getting soaked.
‘I miss being at home on the Fourth of July, because it’s a great holiday – a nice time to relax and hang out with your family and friends, but without the chaos of Christmas, with all of the shopping and what not. In Florida, we usually have a barbecue and make all of the traditional stuff, like burgers and hot dogs, and stay up late to watch the fireworks, which my little sisters love. Sometimes, we’ll head down to the Florida Keys to make things really special, and we never miss the parade in downtown Tampa – I like to wear red, white, and blue to get in the spirit of things.
Last year, I had friends over to my apartment and we tried to make it like a little America, with our favourite foods and cold drinks. We couldn’t grill of course, and there were no fireworks, but we still had a great time. I’ll probably try and do the same thing this year; living so far away from home, it’s nice to do something to remember where you come from.’
Tim Cooley
‘I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and have been living in Abu Dhabi for about five months. There’s a good mix of people here, which there wasn’t in Pennsylvania, so it’s nice to see that. I like the activities offered here, like Womad and the Al Gharbia Watersports Festival. There’s a lot of good camping here as well.
‘I am a geographic information systems analyst for the Urban Planning Council, meaning I look at things like population densities, building heights and the like. We do a lot of work making sure the new developments that go up don’t put too much stress on transport, and make sure new projects will be close to transportation as well.
‘I like celebrating the Fourth of July in the traditional way, like most Americans, with lots of barbecuing and fireworks. Getting together with friends and family, going out sometimes, like to the beach, which is very popular. Doing anything water-oriented, really. Since I’m in Abu Dhabi this year, I hope to go out with some American friends, maybe to Lulu Island for a barbecue. We aren’t the largest expat group here – there are a lot of Canadians and Europeans – but I do meet a lot of people who’ve temporarily lived in the US, especially Emiratis who went to school or worked there for a while.
I don’t know what restrictions they have on fireworks in the UAE, but I might give it a shot if I can. At this time of year, I miss being around friends, family, and nature, but there are a lot of nice people here and a lot of things to do as well.’
Know your history
Once upon a time, a bunch of men in knickerbockers and powdered wigs, tired of taxes and interference from a small country an ocean away, decided the 13 British colonies in North America would make a mighty fine country free of English rule. They started a war, tossing tea bags in Boston Harbor, firing muskets aplenty, and generally making a ruckus. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted and His Majesty’s shackles were cast aside. These days, it’s celebrated with hotdogs, fireworks, and a lot of red, white and blue.
