In this new “day in the life” series we have interviewed low-income migrant workers around Dubai to understand about their lifestyle, why they’re here and their prospects for the future. Today we speak to a beautician from India.
How did you hear about working in Dubai?
My sister and I both trained to be beauticians in India. My sister heard you could earn more doing the same things in Dubai, and her friend helped her to get a job working for one of the best salons here. A year later, I followed her to work for the same company. Eight years later, my sister and I are still here.
What’s your schedule like each day?
I work 12 hours a day, usually 10am to 10pm. I’m the top requested person in the salon so I usually have a full day of appointments, mostly waxing. I can do all treatments but people say it’s not painful when I wax them, so that’s the top thing I get booked for! My clients are very loyal- I know them well and enjoy chatting to them, so the day passes quickly.
Do you get to see your sister much? How do you spend your time?
We share an apartment in Al Quoz provided by our company. We work in different salons but the company makes sure we get the same day off, and we travel to work on the same bus. We’re usually tired by our day off, so we’ll sleep in for a while! We try to go to church every other week, and we go to the mall, or the cinema.
What’s your company like to work for?
We work hard but we are loyal to the company because they are loyal to us. Like tomorrow we have a party, which is Great Gatsby theme. We’ve all got new shiny dresses. There will be around 500 people, which will be a lot of fun.
How often do you go back to India to see your family?
We get 30 days of leave each summer, sometimes more if you worked overtime in busy times like Eid, Christmas and New Year. Usually my sister and I go back to India, but this year, we brought our parents to see Dubai instead. It was hot but they loved it. We went to Dubai Parks, saw the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. They’ll come back.
Do you send money back to your family every month? Can you afford to save money for yourself as well?
Yes, we’re supporting our parents and younger brothers through university. One of our brothers might come to Dubai if he can get an IT job when he graduates. I don’t always save for long things like a house…. I have paid for myself to get other things I wanted though, like orthodontic braces! Haha.
Will you move back to India eventually and settle down?
When I first came to Dubai, I thought it would just be for two or three years, but now I’m not sure. It’s lovely to visit home, but the people there haven’t left or explored the world much. I think I’d get bored living at home now I’ve been independent in Dubai all this time; I’ve changed. My parents want me to choose the person I’ll marry and I don’t think the right guy is there at home for me. My sister met a guy in Dubai and I think they’ll get married and stay here. Maybe one day I will too!
