# lookin for american friend



## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

Hey all,

we are not new to dubai but would like to meet new americans in town. my husband is an american from the east coast. 

Sarah


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## xchaos777 (Dec 15, 2010)

Well, I'll be there in a week! Originally from Texas, but been in France for last few years. Always looking for new friends.


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

xchaos777 said:


> Well, I'll be there in a week! Originally from Texas, but been in France for last few years. Always looking for new friends.


FAB! tell us more....could we exchange emails here. I am not sure about the rules!


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## INFAMOUS (Apr 19, 2011)

Currently in TX originally from Canada and also been in Australia. Will be in Dubai in approx 5 weeks. What does your husband do?


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

coool


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

If you only want to meet fellow yanks perhaps you should have stuck in the us? Just a thought.


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## xchaos777 (Dec 15, 2010)

Maybe they have plenty of friends but just would like to meet more? No point in judging...

You can PM me your email...glad to meet up with fellow Americans.


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

Jumeirah Jim said:


> If you only want to meet fellow yanks perhaps you should have stuck in the us? Just a thought.


Current Status: Jumeirah Jim has not made any friends yet.


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

hmmm. you always get some smart pants making comments to get attention. best strategies is to ignore them  thanks for the support. we love people from all countries. There are however few americans in UAE compared to all nationalities. I feel my husband would be happier around people he can share his hobbies with. Like no nstionalities like American football well except americans/canadians. Anyhow, only fellow north americans get the point..no reason to justify...


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I get the concept but just because someone is american, doesnt mean you shall get along well. I believe alot of people call these type of friendships that are just thrown together as fair weather friends ?? I would rather find people I have some actual common ground rather then nationality. I have a few americans I know but dont tend to see them often... I think mostly because we dont have much in common. I have no idea why people do not list anything they enjoy to do. Instead, whenever these type of threads come up, the person just puts, looking for americans from xxx, looking for indians from xxx, looking for britts from xxx, etc. I wonder how many actual friendships are made this way. Just trying to be constructive. A little more info of actual hobbies and things you guys like to do, would help. 

With football, have to say the times just make it near impossible to watch football here unless you stay up quite late or get up awfully early to catch the late games. For die hard nfl fans, some make the sacrifice.


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

good luck then


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I am a die hard football fan  I stay up  I watch football, basketball, and if have to, baseball cuz there is no football and basketball. And I play video games all the time as well  Besides I am a motorcyclaholic and have not found a girl yet here who is a moto girl. So if a girl just put a message for like minded friend american friends, and someone like me showed up, we would have nothing in common. Or if a guy who doesnt like sports and playing video games (which sounds like these are your husbands hobbies) was to respond, then that isnt going to work. Nothing about being positive or negative, it is really just constructive feedback. These kinds of threads pop up all the time and dare say alot of them never materialize into anything because people do not put enough info to get someone to make a connection with.


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## Rainmaker (Oct 11, 2008)

Jynxgirl said:


> I am a die hard football fan  I stay up  I watch football, basketball, and if have to, baseball cuz there is no football and basketball. And I play video games all the time as well  Besides I am a motorcyclaholic and have not found a girl yet here who is a moto girl. So if a girl just put a message for like minded friend american friends, and someone like me showed up, we would have nothing in common. Or if a guy who doesnt like sports and playing video games (which sounds like these are your husbands hobbies) was to respond, then that isnt going to work. Nothing about being positive or negative, it is really just constructive feedback. These kinds of threads pop up all the time and dare say alot of them never materialize into anything because people do not put enough info to get someone to make a connection with.


What video games do you like?


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Why doesn't your husband join the American Business Council? They have a lot of events, golfing, Little League for the kids, etc and I'm sure your husband is bound to find someone out there he can get along with.

Besides, why isn't your husband out looking for these friends and why are you doing it for him? You and your husband are welcome to join the Expatforum events but they are not restricted to a particular nationality.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

Jynxgirl said:


> I get the concept but just because someone is american, doesnt mean you shall get along well. I believe alot of people call these type of friendships that are just thrown together as fair weather friends ?? I would rather find people I have some actual common ground rather then nationality. I have a few americans I know but dont tend to see them often... I think mostly because we dont have much in common. I have no idea why people do not list anything they enjoy to do. Instead, whenever these type of threads come up, the person just puts, looking for americans from xxx, looking for indians from xxx, looking for britts from xxx, etc. I wonder how many actual friendships are made this way. Just trying to be constructive. A little more info of actual hobbies and things you guys like to do, would help.
> 
> With football, have to say the times just make it near impossible to watch football here unless you stay up quite late or get up awfully early to catch the late games. For die hard nfl fans, some make the sacrifice.


+1. Well said.


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## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

I do find the concept of moving to Dubai and then seeking out other people from back home a tad confusing. No doubt you'll find plenty of Americans who you have something in common with if you go out and participate in the events you find interesting, I'm sure there will be hockey and football and even a game or 3 of baseball being played in the UAE (though it will be being played at a british primary school by girls and will be called rounders). The added benefit of going along is that you will find friends from back home who, like Jinx points out, will share your interests but also you will meet people from all over the world who have similar interests.

If I hung out with local Brits all the time I would go insane, quite a lot of us are absolute tossers. I've met the ones I like plus people from all over doing things I enjoy whether it be cocktails on a Friday night or scuba at the weekend.

I don't mean to sound mean about the idea but I just think, like others have said, there is a better way to go about it. Also asking for friends on the internet is a full proof way to invite weirdoes into your house (except the lovely EF members of course!)


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

sandypool said:


> I don't mean to sound mean about the idea but I just think, like others have said, there is a better way to go about it. Also asking for friends on the internet is a full proof way to invite weirdoes into your house (*except the lovely EF members of course*!)


Oh Sandypool, a lot of the lovely EF members have turned out to be weird too!


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

slow down people....lol....lots of negativity...who said i was inviting them to our house!! who said we would not take the time to get to know the people and find out about their interest over email/messaging.... I did not want to put 10 lined ad in order to get to know someone..also if we put our interest the other person could pretend to like the same if they are they are wierd...(what about that!) plus anyone could be a wierdo even in real life. there is no guarantee....we only invite people to our home whom we have know for years...but thanks for the motherly advice...lol

I have indeed myself found very nice and educated people over the internet. we are very cool and interesting people and I am not ashamed to find a friend or two over here rather than spending hours and days to find someone from USA.finding people in real life is surely an option (DAH!!!) and we have indeed done that...there is NO harm finding friends from your own nationality so chill out... Most of your response and critisim are from women and those who are not an american (no wonder).but thanks anyways.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

sara_holmes said:


> Most of your response and critisim are from *women* and those who are not an american (*no wonder*).but thanks anyways.


I'm not sure what you mean by the "no wonder" comment but you perhaps didn't see my suggestion about joining the American Business Council and maybe tagging along to some of the forum events. Maybe this suggestion will be construed as more positive if it came from an American Man. I am neither so good luck.


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

pamela: I am referring to this sentence: 'Besides, why isn't your husband out looking for these friends and why are you doing it for him?' this is called naggin and questioning like how some women generally do...I am not saying all women are like that...but must accept woman talk and critisize stuff more. I will remove the no wonder. thanks for pointing it out


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## cami (Aug 11, 2010)

sara_holmes said:


> finding people in real life is surely an option (DAH!!!) and we have indeed done that...there is NO harm finding friends from your own nationality so chill out...
> 
> 
> > fully agree. keep looking. there are many americans who do not check out the threads here even if they are forum members. the leave-it-to-the-husband doesn't always work as some men have too much trouble going through the hassle at work (especially here!) to bother looking for friends outside work if that requires some degree of effort


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## sandypool (Sep 12, 2009)

I thought Canadians got sarcasm? (Re the online weirdos thing)

I think you missed the point of my post. Generally I'm just saying there are plenty better places to meet other yanks than online and you get the added benefit of meeting a far more varied bunch of people from all over the place at the same time.

I'm sorry if my post got up your nose a bit, but once you've been in the UAE a while you get a little tired of the nationality cliques.

We all like the familiar now and again but surely the best thing about getting away from home is the chance to meet people who are into different things, otherwise why travel at all?

When I am travelling away from the UAE for work or holidays the biggest relief is not seeing football or some drivel from Simon Cowell on TV (though it seems the royal wedding followed me to Indonesia recently). In the UAE I enjoy the fact that the people I know, as well as being from home, are also from everywhere else. I don't make "British Citizen" a pre requisite of getting to know people.

Also I'm not a woman, I'm British and on my high horse which may sound similar I suppose ;-)


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

There are quite a few Americans in Dubai, but the majority of them are what I call hypenated Americans. Indians/Pakistanis/Arabs who have taken American citizenshp. You also have hypenated Brits, Canadians and Australians. What I have found is that people who took on the American, British, Canadian, Australian passports tend to gravitate to communities that are representative of their first home country. The communities that are built and in place in Dubai are no different that the different neighborhoods that are established in the countries I have mentioned.

My husband is a hypenated American. As an Arab, he has many Arab friends - culture, language have alot to do with it. He also has many friends of other nationalities. He enjoys his American friends because he loves the "American business way of thinking". He finds the thinking challenging and creative, and he loves American sports. 

I get what the OP is looking for and she has the right to seek out a "community" that she can relate to. I have met Americans and hypenated Americans in Dubai that I can't relate to in many ways, and then there are those "Americans" who "get" me. I also have friends from other countries and we have one thing in common (amongst other things of course) - we have friends that represent a cross section of different nationalities. That is one of the nice things about Dubai - it can be a people adventure.

If the OP finds a sense of comfort in seeking Americans for friends who is to say otherwise? I'm sure given time she will make friends of other nationalities, and if she doesn't that's her choice.

Reminds me of the saying: You can't pick your relatives, but you can pick your friends.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Hooray! Another xenophobic thread! :ranger:


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## bgmccarthy (Jul 19, 2009)

*from usa...*

My wife and I are from usa, here with 3 children, but always looking to meet new people. If you want to chat, how to proceed?

Cheers,
Brian


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## Sunset (Jan 24, 2011)

zin said:


> Hooray! Another xenophobic thread! :ranger:


Oh please. If you were in Singapore or India or China, would you not want to find a community that consists of people from your own country? I know if I was in any one of those countries, I would, but it's not to say that I wouldn't look to make friends with people from other countries or the country that I am in. 

Wanting to reach out to your own countrymen while outside of your country doesn't make one xenophobic.


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## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Sunset said:


> Oh please. If you were in Singapore or India or China, would you not want to find a community that consists of people from your own country? I know if I was in any one of those countries, I would, but it's not to say that I wouldn't look to make friends with people from other countries or the country that I am in.
> 
> Wanting to reach out to your own countrymen while outside of your country doesn't make one xenophobic.


:clap2:


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

lol...this is getting so interesting and out of hand..in a way i am liking how people OVER analyse other people and make all sort of judgement and teach you about the real world. anyhow, any americans out there who are looking to meet other americans click on my username and send me a private message. so far thanks for those of you who did and looking forward to getting to know you in person. Caio bella.


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

bgmccarthy said:


> My wife and I are from usa, here with 3 children, but always looking to meet new people. If you want to chat, how to proceed?
> 
> Cheers,
> Brian


thanks Brian I will send you an inbox message


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## sara_holmes (May 15, 2011)

sandypool said:


> I thought Canadians got sarcasm? (Re the online weirdos thing)
> 
> I think you missed the point of my post. Generally I'm just saying there are plenty better places to meet other yanks than online and you get the added benefit of meeting a far more varied bunch of people from all over the place at the same time.
> 
> ...


yes, i knew you were not a woman...i said the critisim is comin from women and/or non americans. there are sooo many brits here and rarely any americans. so hard to understand our situations. I have lived here for 20 years and I know more about uae than most of u! and we have friends from many nationalities. so thanks for the advice. This is purely for my hobby...and he was in US military stationed here. all his buddies left uae. he stayed for me!


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