The Camp

For the next few months I have this camp to call home - NCC Shuweihat Village. NCC stands for National Catering Company and this caterer seems to be everywhere in this part of the world. The place I'm staying is often referred to as a 'camp'. Maybe this is because there are a number of labor camps spread out all over UAE housing foreign workers who toil day and night to make UAE what it is today. But to call the camp I'm staying in a labor camp would not do it justice. This is more like a resort-style camp housing executives and engineers working in the nearby refineries as well as power and desalination plants. Some have even made this place their permanent abode bringing along their family and fencing up their little house which is spruced up with a small garden. As a result, the entire 'camp' has a more homely feel to it.

Basic facilities like a restaurant, gymnasium, game room, TV room, swimming pool, tennis court and volleyball court are available in the camp. The gymnasium is where I spend much of my time on the treadmill. After a big sumptuous and lavish dinner, I definitely need to burn all the calories. (I'll elaborate a bit more on the huge size of Arabian meals later). The game room has a billiard table and dart board - both of which I'm hopeless in. The TV room is another place I spend quite a lot of time reading the Gulf News as well as watching satellite channels like MBC and Dubai One. Although I have a TV in my room, but somehow these two channels cannot be found. So that's pretty much how I pass my time in the camp.

My own room is like a studio unit with a living area, kitchen, bathroom and the bedroom. The room is cozy enough and affords me a good night's rest everyday. There's even an oven with a full set of kitchen utensils - not that it'll be of much use to me. The TV channels available are plenty - more than 1000 channels thanks to satellite technology. A variety of channels from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and even Russia are to be found. Sadly though, I don't get as much English channels as I would have hoped. There are plenty of X-rated ones though. And it's funny when you such channels side by side Christian channels. But somehow, my favorite channels here have come down to BBC, CCTV9, CCTV4, NTD, Arirang, Al Jazeera and Luxe TV.

The restaurant offers nice local and western cuisine. It's actually quite tasty. But there's one thing about eating here - expect a big meal. The people in the Middle East eat like there's no tomorrow. Here is a sample menu:

Dinner Menu at NCC Shuweihat

salad + spinach soup + eggplant spagetti + kebab chicken + boiled vege/ rice + french fries + cake + fruits + drinks.

Lunch Menu at NCC Shuweihat

salad + tomato soup + grilled king fish + ghee rice + curry vegetable + rice + fruits + drinks

Staying here for any amount of time will definitely send me back to Malaysia a whole lot heavier. Food is nice but the quantity is simply too much for me. But I shouldn't complain, at least I'm well-fed. Which is why I need to frequent the gym to keep myself healthy.

The camp is only about 1-2 km from my workplace making commuting rather easy. The camp is a peaceful and calm place. The people are friendly and after some time I've made some friends with other people like me who are sent to this part of the world for some assignment. These are people I meet all the time at dinner or in the TV room.