An accidental rendezvous

If you are residing in a busy city like Dubai, you would appreciate going out alone if you get used to exchanging warm smiles, do casual greetings, and initiate friendly talks with other expats or tourists.

I recently met Mariyah, a 32-yr-old petrochemist from Czech Republic, who was a lecturer/presenter in a 3-day industry leaders conference in Dubai. She took an afternoon off by going out alone and explore the beauty of downtown Dubai.

I stood beside her casually while she was taking random photos of the Burj Khalifa from her I

phone 6. I pretended taking a snapshot of the tower and fountain without glancing at her.

"You can do a better focal shot if you tap your screen and wait until you get a clear shot of your subject," then I demonstrated a panning panoramic shot of the Dubai fountain from my Iphone.

She glanced from the side. "Really? I never thought of doing that since i got this phone. Do you know how to adjust the camera settings?" She then handed me her gold Iphone 6 and offered me her bottle of energy drink.

We took a few lazy steps on the cobblestone until we reached the best spot where we can comfortably watch the fountain show with a serene background of a man-made lagoon and a perfect view of the tallest tower in the world.

I asked her candidly, "How is it traveling alone and being a stranger in a place like Dubai?"

She paused for a sec and gazed at the lagoon. "Would you believe if i tell you that the best feeling in the world is to be a wanderer and treat yourself like a total stranger even in your own country? This is where you can really appreciate the beauty of a place without looking at your watch, not planning your next trip, and not minding where you will watch the sunset."

At past 8 pm, she waved me goodbye with some good parting words. "When you have the chance to visit my country, feel free to travel alone only with your backpack and camera. You will find there people like me who will guide you on your city journey ."