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Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights
When Jillian Schedneck takes up a position teaching English to a classroom of UAE students in Abu Dhabi, her culture shock is quickly replaced with the rush of a new life shuttling between the conservative society of the Emirates, and the party lifestyle of glittering Dubai just over the border. As she grows into herself among these shifting worlds, her sheltered students also come alive in the classroom as Jillian introduces them to writers such as Virginia Woolf, and feminism.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2012
5 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Jillian Schedneck
3 books11 followersJillian Schedneck is the author of the memoir Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights (Pan Macmillan, 2012) and the travel memoir guide Write Your Travel Memoir: A Step-by-Step Guide. Jillian has also published personal essays and short stories in American and Australian literary journals.
Born in the United States, Jillian completed a Master of Fine Arts (2003) before moving to the United Arab Emirates to teach English and Literature at Abu Dhabi University and the American University in Dubai (2006-2008). In 2010, she moved to Adelaide, Australia to complete a PhD in Gender Studies.
Jillian currently works as a Learning Adviser at the Australian National University in Canberra where she lives with her partner and two daughters.
Born in the United States, Jillian completed a Master of Fine Arts (2003) before moving to the United Arab Emirates to teach English and Literature at Abu Dhabi University and the American University in Dubai (2006-2008). In 2010, she moved to Adelaide, Australia to complete a PhD in Gender Studies.
Jillian currently works as a Learning Adviser at the Australian National University in Canberra where she lives with her partner and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 7, 2012
This was an ok book. I've been reading a lot of books about life as a middle east expat...memoirs and fiction. This was a good read, but not the best I've read. Her story was interesting, but the heavy focus on her dating life detracted from the really interesting parts of the story.
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October 7, 2012There seems to be a spate of new writing set in or around the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It may be that the success of novels like Linda Davies’ Djinn Quintet books, Garry Craig Powells’ Stoning the Devil, and Ameera Al Hakawati’s Desperate in Dubai, are indicative of a growing desire for not only understanding about the UAE, but for a sense of what it's really like to live there. Jillian Schedneck’s Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is a travelogue/memoir that explores Abu Dhabi and Dubai separately and in conjunction with one another both subjectively as a visitor, and objectively, as academic, exploring the meaning, the dualities, and the people of these places.
Though Schedneck takes a fairly sophisticated approach to her memoir, attempting to work a thesis that ties together her experiences and her observations, at heart, Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is about the character arc of Schedneck: her development and growth through the two years she worked as an English teacher in the UAE. During that time, we watch Schedneck struggle with a series of relationships, including three very different love interests, a number of friendships, relationships with her students at the universities in which she teaches, with the women she tries to help at the City of Hope shelter where she volunteers, and above all, with her role as a young woman academic in the two UAE cities that she lives. The story is consistently compelling, and the way in which Schedneck openly weaves her personal experiences and her insightful observations, works perfectly.
Schedneck’s first teaching job in the UAE is teaching English to students at a small private university in Abu Dhabi. The culture shock is immediate as she encounters separate male and female classes, and is thrust into the fasting month of Ramadan with its specific privations, observations, and rituals. She is also both confused and intrigued by the full length Abaya cloaks and Sheyla Hijab head scarfs worn by her students:
Through her Socratic method of teaching, Schedneck soon replaces fear with understanding. By asking the classes to talk about their culture, their roles, their perception of their lives, and their own fears, Schedneck not only learns (along with the reader) a tremendous amount about the culture in Abu Dhabi, but also about herself. When she later transfers to the American University of Dubai, she faces a completely different culture as she begins to teach literature classes, challenging her students’ conceptions of themselves and forcing them to confront some of mores of their diverse cultures. In Dubai the culture is far less homogeneous than in Abu Dhabi, and Schedneck does a good job of teasing out the sense of displacement and confusion in the variety of cultures she encounters. Teaching Amin Maalouf’s In the Name of Identity she explores notions of identity that are as relevant to her, a displaced American, as to her students:
The final part of the book takes Schedneck to the City of Hope women’s shelter where Schedneck begins to see firsthand, the difficulties many women have when trying to escape abusive husbands, employers, or attempting to break free from prostitution. Schedneck begins teaching afternoon classes at the shelter, where, in her usual fashion, she begins to draw out the stories of the women there. At the shelter, Schedneck meets founder Sharla Musabih, and slowly learns of her ongoing vilification by the government, the media, and a range of activist groups who find her work dangerous and counter-cultural. It’s Sharla’s work that inspires Schedneck to leave Dubai in order to complete her own story, do more study, and become a conduit for the stories of the women at the shelter.
Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is an engaging story that begins with the personal experiences of a young academic abroad, and moves well beyond that to explore some very deep notions of what it means to be a modern woman in a multi-cultural, rapidly changing world.
Article first published as Book Review: Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights by Jillian Schedneck on Blogcritics.
Though Schedneck takes a fairly sophisticated approach to her memoir, attempting to work a thesis that ties together her experiences and her observations, at heart, Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is about the character arc of Schedneck: her development and growth through the two years she worked as an English teacher in the UAE. During that time, we watch Schedneck struggle with a series of relationships, including three very different love interests, a number of friendships, relationships with her students at the universities in which she teaches, with the women she tries to help at the City of Hope shelter where she volunteers, and above all, with her role as a young woman academic in the two UAE cities that she lives. The story is consistently compelling, and the way in which Schedneck openly weaves her personal experiences and her insightful observations, works perfectly.
Schedneck’s first teaching job in the UAE is teaching English to students at a small private university in Abu Dhabi. The culture shock is immediate as she encounters separate male and female classes, and is thrust into the fasting month of Ramadan with its specific privations, observations, and rituals. She is also both confused and intrigued by the full length Abaya cloaks and Sheyla Hijab head scarfs worn by her students:
More than any Ramadan restriction, watching this woman filled me with fear as I prepared for my first class. How could I teach someone who appeared so closed off from engagement and contact? What would such a woman think of me? (34)
Through her Socratic method of teaching, Schedneck soon replaces fear with understanding. By asking the classes to talk about their culture, their roles, their perception of their lives, and their own fears, Schedneck not only learns (along with the reader) a tremendous amount about the culture in Abu Dhabi, but also about herself. When she later transfers to the American University of Dubai, she faces a completely different culture as she begins to teach literature classes, challenging her students’ conceptions of themselves and forcing them to confront some of mores of their diverse cultures. In Dubai the culture is far less homogeneous than in Abu Dhabi, and Schedneck does a good job of teasing out the sense of displacement and confusion in the variety of cultures she encounters. Teaching Amin Maalouf’s In the Name of Identity she explores notions of identity that are as relevant to her, a displaced American, as to her students:
Yet only when we are welcome to claim all pieces of our identity – national, regional, sexual orientation, language, religion -- can we begin to act as bridges between cultures rather than instigators of prejudice and exclusion. I wanted my students to see themselves as bridges, possessing unique, worthy positions rather than feeling cast out, uncertain and displaced. (272)
The final part of the book takes Schedneck to the City of Hope women’s shelter where Schedneck begins to see firsthand, the difficulties many women have when trying to escape abusive husbands, employers, or attempting to break free from prostitution. Schedneck begins teaching afternoon classes at the shelter, where, in her usual fashion, she begins to draw out the stories of the women there. At the shelter, Schedneck meets founder Sharla Musabih, and slowly learns of her ongoing vilification by the government, the media, and a range of activist groups who find her work dangerous and counter-cultural. It’s Sharla’s work that inspires Schedneck to leave Dubai in order to complete her own story, do more study, and become a conduit for the stories of the women at the shelter.
Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is an engaging story that begins with the personal experiences of a young academic abroad, and moves well beyond that to explore some very deep notions of what it means to be a modern woman in a multi-cultural, rapidly changing world.
Article first published as Book Review: Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights by Jillian Schedneck on Blogcritics.
January 1, 2019
I picked up this book because I was feeling nostalgic about the years I spent living as an expat in the UAE. However I quickly realised that I am far from the author’s intended audience. This book is for those who know very little about Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Emirati culture or Islam as the author spends a lot of time explaining various aspects of these subjects. Some might find this interesting but it was much too simplistic and tedious for me.
Despite this, I loved the author’s interactions with her students and the local Emiratis, and their discussions comparing Western and Middle Eastern cultures. I also liked her references to the vast mix of nationalities in the UAE, and to the cultural differences between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. However, the book comes across as reinforcing the stereotype that Arab women are repressed and that Western culture is superior, which is disappointing.
Although some other reviewers didn’t enjoy the focus on the author’s love life, I thought the storyline about meeting Andres two weeks before moving to Abu Dhabi was an interesting twist. Leaving your family and friends behind and moving to another country is hard enough but a new, long distance love adds another level of difficulty. As for the other men, if they were a big part of her life in the UAE then it makes sense that she would write about them.
Overall, the book was okay. I got a little fix of life as an expat in the UAE, which I could relate to, but there was too much ‘telling’ and it was a little too lacking in depth to be satisfying.
Despite this, I loved the author’s interactions with her students and the local Emiratis, and their discussions comparing Western and Middle Eastern cultures. I also liked her references to the vast mix of nationalities in the UAE, and to the cultural differences between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. However, the book comes across as reinforcing the stereotype that Arab women are repressed and that Western culture is superior, which is disappointing.
Although some other reviewers didn’t enjoy the focus on the author’s love life, I thought the storyline about meeting Andres two weeks before moving to Abu Dhabi was an interesting twist. Leaving your family and friends behind and moving to another country is hard enough but a new, long distance love adds another level of difficulty. As for the other men, if they were a big part of her life in the UAE then it makes sense that she would write about them.
Overall, the book was okay. I got a little fix of life as an expat in the UAE, which I could relate to, but there was too much ‘telling’ and it was a little too lacking in depth to be satisfying.
December 11, 2012
I enjoyed this book for its insight into the lives of men and women in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and the expectations that they place on themselves in work, love and life. I enjoyed Jillian's journey of adapting and growing. The only disappointment for me was that I felt it focused too much on her relationships, particularly towards the end of the novel, when I was hoping for some insight to how the change in culture affected Jillian or her thinking. She has a lovely writing style and it is an enjoyable read.
August 11, 2012
I was really excited to read this book for bookclub, but found it a bit disappointing, particularly the focus of the book on her lovelife.
May 10, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book, especially because I lived in Dubai during the same time the author was there so could relate to a lot of her experiences.
December 14, 2016
A fascinating insight into the world of expats in the UAE and the subtle cultural difference between the two Emirati cities - Abu Dhabi and Dubai - as they grew in rapid expansion during the Noughties.
Taking lecturing roles first in a local university in Abu Dhabi, then an international university in Dubai, Jillian Schedneck finds herself observing and pondering the stark contradictions found in these two emerging power-cities, not just the social construct between each city, but the contradictions of perceptions and attitudes of its inhabitants - both local and expats.
Abu Dhabi is conservative, restrictive but in a way relaxing and comforting. Dubai on the other hand is free, uplifting, moving to a vibrant beat that gets faster and headier. As Jillian delves further into the difference in the cultures and become more ingrained in the lives of her students, she lifts the veil on the misconceptions of what life is like under it. Jillian also finds herself grappling with the complexities of maintaining a long distant relationship and contemplating the intricacies of finding love and commitment with a man of Arabic heritage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its complex contradictions, both in the writer's thoughts and in the subject matter - life in the Emirates. Echoing faintly to books such as "Nine Parts of Desire" by Geraldine Brooks and "Behind the Veil" by Lydia Laube, Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is another fascinating eye-opener, thought provoking delve into the lives of women expats and their counterparts living and working in the Middle East.
Taking lecturing roles first in a local university in Abu Dhabi, then an international university in Dubai, Jillian Schedneck finds herself observing and pondering the stark contradictions found in these two emerging power-cities, not just the social construct between each city, but the contradictions of perceptions and attitudes of its inhabitants - both local and expats.
Abu Dhabi is conservative, restrictive but in a way relaxing and comforting. Dubai on the other hand is free, uplifting, moving to a vibrant beat that gets faster and headier. As Jillian delves further into the difference in the cultures and become more ingrained in the lives of her students, she lifts the veil on the misconceptions of what life is like under it. Jillian also finds herself grappling with the complexities of maintaining a long distant relationship and contemplating the intricacies of finding love and commitment with a man of Arabic heritage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its complex contradictions, both in the writer's thoughts and in the subject matter - life in the Emirates. Echoing faintly to books such as "Nine Parts of Desire" by Geraldine Brooks and "Behind the Veil" by Lydia Laube, Abu Dhabi Days, Dubai Nights is another fascinating eye-opener, thought provoking delve into the lives of women expats and their counterparts living and working in the Middle East.
March 18, 2016
What a surprise this memoir turned out to be. Read to fulfil my urge to read a book / novel covering each country I'm visiting soon, I picked this from a very narrow selection and I thought it covered the descriptions of the cities as well as many cultural differences, living as an ex-pat, and the transient nature of Dubai particularly. Others have said a down-side was her lengthy forays into the relationships she made but I think it was a plus as it aptly described the cultural differences and the expectations of Arab men. I would highly recommend this memoir.
December 29, 2015
This is the autobiographical memoir of the author’s two years spent living & teaching in the UAE in both Abu Dhabi & Dubai. The contrasts she draws between the two competing cities are interesting, as are her interactions with the wide diversity of students she teaches. There is too much emphasis on her own personal relationships but overall a fairly good read.
June 6, 2016
This book tries tokenistically not too be too Orientalist but fails miserably. The last few chapters are particularly awful as she cannibalises the life stories of abused women while asserting she can do nothing for them other than to write this book and make some cold hard cash from their misery. Just despicable.
August 3, 2013
An interesting insight into life in the UAE, but what let the story down was the author’s constant whining about her love life. This could have been so much better had the author not come across so immature and self-centred.
August 5, 2012
I liked this book as I have been to Dubai and it was so well discribed i felt i was there again. i loved it the first time and re living it this time.
February 12, 2013
I really enjoyed it, yes it was about her but to know the lifestyle in UAE you need to hear how someone lived daily & I think she did this well.
March 13, 2013
a dull poorly written book managed 80 pages then realised life is too short
July 14, 2013
Interesting in parts but a bit of a distraction with her meeting a guy just prior to moving so that became the focus.
August 10, 2013
enjoyable, she writes well and provided many insights into life in the emirates.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews