Country Swap: Derby to Dubai 

Shania Wilson

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ is a line ingrained into the head of any English student who has had to endure analysing Dickens’ The Tale of Two Cities. Focusing on two separate locations, the book explores how the character’s lives intertwine and differ between Paris and London. Culture Scoop spoke to two people who, much like Dickens’ classic, shared two unusual places in common: Derby and Dubai. 

Tucker exchanged his life in Derby, England to move over to Dubai through an acting contract with Warner Brothers. Similarly, Derick packed up his life in Dubai to gain a University education in Derby. Being vastly different places, Tucker and Derick discussed their expectations before making the move and what they enjoyed (and didn’t enjoy) about their new home.

What were your expectations before moving?

Tucker had taken on some research surrounding Dubai and was initially worried about moving, “the research told me that there were so many rules and Dubai was so strict, I was scared about moving. I read that you couldn’t be drunk in the street and it was like, if I leave a club, I’m obviously on the street.”

On the other hand, Derick’s expectations were based on the premise of movies and visions of central London. 

“My image of England was mostly just central London. I didn’t expect everywhere to look like that, but along the same lines. 

“I wasn’t that disappointed with Derby though, because it’s really amazing that you can still see historical buildings and Victorian houses. It’s cool that they’re still around.”

What was it like to move to a different country?

As anybody would, Derick found the adjustment difficult.

“It’s hard, it’s a new country – a new continent even. But, it’s okay, I came here for an education and I’m going to leave here with a good degree.”

Likewise, Tucker found the adjustment challenging: “Adjusting to the rules was hard. At first, I was worried about wearing shorts or too scared to show skin. But after a while, I realised that the rules were less strict than I had thought.

“I did feel kind of alienated sometimes. It hits you that you’re a foreigner for the first time. Everyone speaks Arabic and I’m like what’s going on?”

What are the pros and cons of Derby and Dubai? 

Speaking about English cuisine, Derick shared that traditional fish and chips tasted flavourless and that he was, in fact, much more of a fan of an English breakfast.

“A full English breakfast is definitely my favourite English food. I’ve tried fish and chips but it just tastes of oil.”

“The thing I don’t understand about is England is, why is everything so small? The houses are so small, even the stairs are so narrow. I don’t understand that.”

Tucker noticed that Dubai was the polar opposite in terms of housing, “Arab living rooms are so huge, they’re the size of some people’s homes! There’s nothing barely in them either, just a few chairs around the side.”

“My favourite thing about Dubai has to be Downtown Dubai. It’s so picturesque and it’s home to the world’s tallest building.”

In this Tale of Two Cities (or rather, countries), it’s clear that both Tucker and Derick can reflect positively back on their cultural experience moving to a new location.