A Dubai Lifeguard

A few years ago, there was a tragedy at a pool.

Before the tragedy, many of the apartment and villa complexes in Dubai had pools, but few if any had lifeguards. Dubai responded by requiring that all pools have lifeguards. Finding money to pay the lifeguards was not required.

One apartment complex, which I fear may be typical, offered a very low-paying position as lifeguard. The job did not provide a visa or work permit, so the lifeguard is currently in Dubai on a visit visa that someone sold him illegally.

Swimmers enter the pool through an air-conditioned anteroom. The apartment offered the lifeguard bed space with the apartment security guards, but doesn't like the smells of their cooking, so, after the pool closes, the lifeguard sleeps on the floor in the air-conditioned anteroom.

Dubai regularly announces on its TV stations that more than 180 nationalities are living here.

The Spanish would say that the 180 are, 'Juntos, pero no revueltos,' but, since I don't speak Spanish, I'm not sure what that means.