The city of my childhood

I often get the feeling that the world we inhabit as children is very different from what we see as adults. I grew up in Sharjah, a lesser known city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Of course, Dubai takes all the limelight, but Sharjah is a city with so much history and culture. As I was saying, the perspective we have as children is so much more open-minded and exciting. I visited my childhood city a few times since moving back to Dubai, but it just didn't seem to be the same. I've been in a reminiscing mood recently (read my 90s flashback?), probably because it's my birthday tomorrow and I'd like to share what it was like to live in the UAE when I was a child. My most vivid memories are from the time I was five, so this was over 25 years ago.

The Corniche in Sharjah
(Pic: Irshadpp/CC-BY-SA-3.0/Wikimedia Commons)

Sand was everywhere. Just outside our house was a sandy area which was about the size of three football fields! There were very few buildings, and most of them were only three storeys high. This huge expanse of openness was my playground. The sand was not the kind you find in a desert. Instead, it was beach sand, because the sea shore was within walking distance. Often, the sea breeze and smells would come and refresh us playing 'catch' on a summer evening. We went to the beach often, and it was beautiful every time. The cool blue waters and the white sand made for a perfect combination, where I could lose myself in my imagination.

The Corniche was one of my favourite spots. The lagoon is surrounded by palm trees along its circumference, and looks lovely by day or night. My best memories are of having ice cream cones there, which they would serve with a little of all the flavours mixed in.

A coin was enough for a treat. For just one Dirham or AED (27 cents/16 pence), I could buy something to eat and drink! Everyday, I would go the little grocery store next door with a coin. It's hard to find anything for 50 fils nowadays. The shawarma (roast chicken wrap) was much bigger than it is today, and cost 50 fils at first, and 1 Dirham later. Today, for 5 Dirhams, we get a shawarma that doesn't even taste as good and is half the size.

(Pic: Basil D Soufi/CC-BY-SA-3.0/Wikimedia Commons)
We could walk everywhere. There were few people who had cars in the neighbourhood. Mostly because we were expats making ends meet, and also because everything was close by. From the Rolla Square market centre to the Gold Souq, a beautiful piece of architecture, we could stroll over any evening.

Life was simple. There wasn't a lot of entertainment, but I was happy. Al Jazeera Park was another favourite (it has just been reopened under a different name), and we often went on school picnics there.

It's no wonder, with so many memories, that I loved the city of my childhood and I love the UAE (for 42 reasons, no less!). It's a different place now, but I will always treasure the sights and sounds of moments past.

This post has been linked to Magic Moments.