One Year In Wonderland: A True Tale of Expat Life in Dubai (Updated and Extended Edition) [Kindle Edition]

Christopher Combe (Author)

Book Description

In July 2006 Christopher Combe is offered a job in the shiny new city of Dubai.

Enticed by the prospect of a tax-free salary and year-round sunshine, Chris persuades his wife and two young children to join him for an adventure in the land of Burj, bling, belly-dancing and Bebsi-cola….

In a book that has divided opinion (it’s either a funny and honest account of expat life or a long-winded, petulant whinge), Christopher Combe describes his family’s year in Dubai.

They encounter the good, the bad and the dusty. They are made to feel like VIPs in the palatial malls and hotels, but out on the hectic highways they see white buses full of blue-overalled workers being ferried to the countless construction sites around Dubai.

The family work through swathes of red tape in order to obtain visas, bank accounts and permission to drink beer, and they discover how healthcare works when there isn’t a nice, free NHS to rely on.

As the realities of Dubai are gradually exposed, Chris wonders what the future holds, both for his family and for the city that seems to want to grow and grow forever…

Based on the blog "Beer And Bloating in Dubai", this is the story of one British family’s year in Dubai, written between the summers of 2006 and 2007, and offers a peek at what the city is like through the eyes of one mad fool who took the plunge…

And then unexpectedly returned in 2012...in a police van.

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"If you are considering moving to Dubai then the book is certainly worth a read." - Expat Info Desk

"His writing style will keep you glued, subtly funny at times, and direct at others. Even though his stay in Dubai was short (only a year or so), he did a good job of exploring UAE and documents the experiences in detail." - Umar in Dubai

"A fascinating, humorous and sometimes sad account of a year a long way from home." - KillerKindle

"..lively, chatty and extremely readable" - Reader's Favorite

Product Details

• File Size: 381 KB
• Print Length: 186 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 147095267X
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005BTNBD8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,186 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #17 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Middle East
  • #40 in Books > Travel > Middle East > General

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read before visiting Dubai December 21, 2011

By M. Moore

Format:Kindle Edition

I received a free copy of this book in exchanged for a review.

As someone who blogs regularly, I found the blogging style of the book to be a little disjointed. It just didn't seem to flow well.

The book is narrated from the point of view of an expat who occasionally plays tourist. I felt like I was visiting Dubai as I read. I could picture the people, the environment, the sights,sounds, and smell of busy Dubai. As it is a true story, the writer infused his emotions into it. The emotions helped me to understand more about the Dubai culture.

The writer is hired for a Dubai construction firm, and moves there. His wife and children join him a few weeks later. He writes about being immersed into a culture he knows little about. He writes about the society of the rich and the poor. He writes about the large expat community there. He writes about all things Dubai.

I found the story itself very interesting and informative. I learned a lot about Dubai and about the culture there, something I never would have bothered to learn otherwise. I recommend reading this book, especially if going to Dubai.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Realities of Working For a Living in Dubai December 6, 2012

By T. Boone

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Anyone who is considering relocating to Dubai or UAE with their family would really benefit from reading this book. Maybe it's not all that the employment agencies say that it's cracked up to be.

The author's experience with his family in Dubai--the expense of living there, the shallowness of the expat community there, etc, sounded very familiar to everyone that I know who has lived and worked in Dubai with their families in tow.

This book is part personal journal, part ranting blog type entries, and part informative advice for people considering relocating to Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi for work. It's not a fine work of literature, but it is worth taking a look at because it does a decent job of conveying the emotions and issues faced by an expat family in Dubai.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Expat life in Dubai March 8, 2013

By Sheep

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I found this very interesting, particularly as I had spent some time in Dubai recently. I spent time there with a friend who has lived there for many years & his views & comments were similar to those of Christopher.
Written as a blog means that it can be boring or tedious at times but despite that, it was an good read & explained well the pros & cons of such a place. A visitor to Dubai does not often see the social & cultural difficulties that are present but this explained the "warts & all".

More About the Author

Christopher Combe was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed, right on the border between England and Scotland. From an early age he read a lot of books and became interested in writing himself. With his father employed in various overseas postings, he went to boarding school at a North Yorkshire Grammar School, leaving in 1989 without having a clue what to do with himself. Over 20 years later, he still isn't sure what to do with himself, but has managed to form some kind of career as a quantity surveyor.

He has managed to keep his hand in with the writing, contributing to football fanzines and writing to national newspapers, and has been a consistently inconsistent contributor to the blogosphere, and has been lucky enough to continue travelling around the world seeing new places and experiencing different cultures.

Christopher is married with two children and now lives in a quiet North Yorkshire market town.