Bella
Maryann
Dear Maryann,
Dear Maryann,
I'm in my first teaching year, and finding it hard to
make genuine friends. Back home, I had a healthy
social life. I'm not naturally friendly, but I also
don't like doing everything alone. What do you
think I should do to make the most of my time in
this beautiful, new country and build meaningful
relationships?
My school has a cafeteria but the food is often outside of my
dietary preferences. I'm vegan. Since I'm so busy at work, I
don't always have the time to cook food at home. How can
I stick to my vegan lifestyle without spending hours in the
kitchen?
Sad in Sharjah
Dear Sad in Sharjah,
You don’t have to be “friendly” to make friends.
You do have to be available and visible to others.
This means you can’t expect to work all the
time and make the kind of friends you desire. If
“friendly” is not natural to you, don’t force it. Be
yourself. Being yourself will draw the right kind
of friends to you. If you’re aloof, melancholy or
quiet, others may still be drawn to you. These are
not necessarily “magnetic” traits, but if opposites
really are attracted to each other, then expect to
meet people who are naturally friendly.
First step, join groups related to your career or
personal goals. The UAE has an extensive list of
Meetup groups to enjoy, local cultural events,
such as Internations, is a good example. Attend
structured even G2F