15 Signs You Grew Up In The Middle East

Moving from the Middle East to North America can provide a vast culture shock to incoming university students who were born and raised in oil-rich regions, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Differences in cultural diversity and the ‘boujee’ way of life can definitely fill former residents with nostalgia of their teenage years. For those of you who’ve lived through this experience, here are 15 signs you grew up in the Middle East.

1. Saying where you’re from has never been more challenging and cool to say.

Although most people have an idea of the geography of the Middle East, some encounters with new people mostly result in you having to say you’re from somewhere only familiar in popular culture. Most of the time though, people who have never been to the region just stare at you in awe.

2. You have to use movie locations to describe where you lived if people don’t know by name.

Fast and Furious 7 (Abu Dhabi) , Mission Impossible 4 (Dubai) , Stars Wars (Abu Dhabi), Transformers (Qatar).

3. You always add Arabic slang to your sentences

Whether you’re pure blood Arab or an expat who lived in the middle east, it is simply impossible not to add an ‘inshallah’ or ‘yallah’ in your English sentences, regardless if your new North American friends have no idea what you’re saying.

4. You can pull off any accent from any popular nationality living in the middle east.

Filipino, Indian, British, Nepalese and so many more. The middle east is quite the melting pot and you can meet someone from somewhere different everyday.

5. You get excited when it rains, especially during the early stages of moving.

It’s as if some people are seeing rain for the first time.

6. You need the AC or a fan on when you sleep.

The AC and fans were such blessings back in the middle east and despite and whole new climate pattern, tradition doesn’t seem to halt.

7. You have to roast every Shawarma restaurant doing it wrong.

If you’ve lived in the Middle East long enough, you’ve definitely had a genuine shawarma and simply can’t tolerate the so called ‘shawarma’ served in the west

8. You see the vast difference in police.

Middle Eastern police drive in 2037 released cars while Western police are still in 2017.

9. You dress like an eskimo for your first ‘real’ winter.

Most people have never seen below 10 degrees Celsius until they move to North America.

10. You can swear in many languages including Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog and Bengali.

This is usually what you learn and remember the easiest from locals and other dominant nationalities living in the region

11. You cannot stand Westerners complaining about 25 degree weather in the summer.

25 degrees was winter weather in the middle east.

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12. You realize that shopping malls were your sanctuary.

Shopping malls were the place to be for Middle Eastern youth

13. Meeting someone from the Middle East in North America has never been more satisfying.

An instant friendship is thus established.

14. You’re always so excited to go back for the holidays realizing you missed it so much.

The struggle is real. Home really is where the heart is