2005 when I first landed in Dubai, it was one heck of a scorching month of March and after three days I was called in for an interview for an event executive position in an events company, technically at the age of 24 I was only a highschool graduate with an early background in business.
After three months, I quit and found another job in an Indian publication as a sub-editor, plus at the same time I was also a contributor for Gulfnews’ Friday Magazine and Property weekly. My full time job as an editor only last for six months and my contributorship with Gulfnews lasted for at least three years. During my correspondence with Gulfnews, in one of my assignments were the Berkley’s, The Connaught and Claridge Hotel’s make-over and the group who recreated the image of the oldest hotels in UK were in Dubai to promote their service and not to put up a new hotel. Out of hundreds of journalists out there at the fancy ballroom of the hotel, there’s one snooty Australian PR manager who discriminated me and kept her sharp eyes on my direction like I’m some sort of a prowler who will pocket everything my hand lands on. I felt so uncomfortable during the entire press conference and was so relieved when it’s finally over. I wrote the entire story that’s according to my research and not to their nonsense press conference. The next day, all write ups from different publications, medias and agencies were all wrong except for my report. The snooty Australian sent me an apology that she undermined my capability and if I still need more PR write-ups I am free to get in touch with her. Even the president of the group also sent my editor a thank you letter for the most accurate report so far in Dubai. But like what they said that sometimes it needs to get worse before it gets better. For one year that I’ve been working discreetly in the UAE, I have had problems getting an employer until one Pakistani old man put me into a tragic light of visa emboyage, when I made an exit in Iran the agency who handles my papers told me the sad news that someone had put in my name and my passport number at the immigration as Sheikh’s maid; for which I never applied—even in my dreams. The owner of the agency vowed to fix it. It took them one week to pull some strings from the higher ups of the immigration and finally my paper and my record were obliterated when they proved it wasn’t really me. After a eight days in an island I could finally re-enter the country again and it was the most shattering experience for me, to think that I have to share my room with a stranger coz I can’t afford to pay it alone. My partner picked me up from the airport and I couldn’t even talk about my experience for a year. Afterwards, the agency who helped me fixed up my paper offered me a job after two weeks of resting from that incident. He also processed my employment visa immediately. Sadly, after six months I have to bid goodbye to the management due to my partner and my former boss’ work dispute and have to stand in the middle. So, I quit to save my partner’s job from jeopardy. I got stuck at home for eight months and tried all sorts of jobs but nothing in vain. Until our mutual friend recommended me to apply in a hotel as a PR executive, I did not passed the initial interview and screening after the final interview with the owner of the hotel—which is a young multi-millionaire. I shrugged it off when I got a job immediately in a remote advertising agency somewhere off the Sheikh Zayed road as an Events Manager. But the job made me even sicker and had to stop right in the middle of the highway one busy late afternoon to vomit because of my migraine. Since that my job requires more ad postings from different establishments, I kept in touch with the General Manager of the hotel who ditched me. Late part of December he called me in again for a coffee, which I am so happy to oblige. 31st of December—my birthday he offered me the job and said the exact words, “I will gamble on you and don’t fail my expectations. The owner is very skeptical about your capability since that you don’t have any hotel experience yet, but I can see a huge potential in you.” I tried to bargain for salary but what the heck, what’s important is I’ll get in. January 3rd, I first reported for the job, six months later the hotel was included at the guiness book of world records for the longest buffet, firstly nominated in an FNB awards, two years later won the The best Indian restaurant and won the title of Longest chopsticks in the world with Guiness. Not to mention the increase of the revenue when I took over the creative graphics, bar events organizing and media relations. Everyone was so skeptical about my capability the first moment I stepped into that hotel, but later won their admiration and respect for my zeal and determination. I studied online, while I can because of my promotion and I want to leverage my position and at 2010 I finished my Diploma in Media Studies at Oxford College ODL. Never let anyone put you down and learn to create steps from the stones that they throw at your direction. One's capability cannot be measured by some sort of a test or exercise. Real skills, comes from the actual hands-on experience. Real capacity and skills cannot be measured by any other academic or IQ tests. It comes from the real hands-on experience on the field and from our own mistakes.
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