The cat(boy)'s out of the bag

Walking to the metro station on the way to work this morning, I was thinking about the weekend ahead – the kind of mischief I would get up to, where and, most importantly, who with. Little did I know at that very moment, my personal life was about to become far more public than I’d ever intended it to be…

A text message came through on my phone from a girlfriend of mine. She told me the breakfast hosts, Catboy and Geordie Bird, on Dubai 92 (the English radio station of choice for most expats in their twenties and thirties) were discussing my blog, without naming it. Although I couldn’t listen in to the show (I still have no idea what was said), I was fine with them talking about it, after all they can’t go into too much detail about it on air. But it didn’t end on air. It was on Facebook, Twitter and other Dubai based websites.

At first, I panicked. I tried to lock it down and spent the first half an hour of my day making all of my online accounts anonymous. I’m fine with my extended circle of friends knowing what I get up to because, let’s face it, Dubai is rife with gossip. It spreads like wildfire here, so whether I wrote about it on my blog or not, people would still know. However, with Dubai being the prude city that it is, I’d prefer it if the entire population didn’t know my identity. It’s not that I’m ashamed of anything I’ve done, on the contrary, I stand by every decision I’ve made. Ok, it might not always be the right decision, in fact I’ve made some bloody awful decisions in the past, but I am of sound mind (although some of you might disagree) and just because I’m willing to broadcast what others aren’t, doesn’t make me a bad person.

Obviously not everyone will agree with my thoughts or actions, and I apologise if you’re offended by my blog, but I do nothing that most Western expats don’t do on a regular Thursday and Friday night (well, actually, most nights). The only difference is, I blog about it.

After some consideration, I decided not to take my blog down; it’s my diary, my chance to vent and rant, my confidante and my vice. I’m just willing to share it with you. And, thanks to Catboy, Geordie Bird and the person who brought this blog to their attention, the number of people I’m sharing this with has increased twenty-fold.

For some people, my blog is the chance to read something they identify with – the partying, the sex, the lies, the ducking and diving in, what is still ultimately, a conservative city. For others, it may be like delving into a world they know nothing of and yet they find it strangely intriguing. Then there a people who will find it boring or too risqué. That’s ok too, I’m not going to impose my writing upon you if you don’t like it.

So, I hope you learn from my experiences and mistakes. I hope you can share my highs and empathise with my lows. And most of all, I hope you enjoy reading my totally uncensored thoughts and feelings.

Oh, and one last thing - boys, watch out…!