It was the 1st of May 2015. Me and my art director just landed in Dubai. The agency booked us a hotel apartment until we find rent. Before getting out the airport we stopped at the Duty Free for shopping.
“Dude, so it’s either a box of beer each or 2 bottles of spirits each. That’s their limitations.”
“2 bottles of spirits each.”
“Fo shizzle my nizzle.”
Problem was we were so packed that 4 litres of rum and whiskey just couldn’t fit inside our luggages. After 5 minutes of pushing and swearing we jammed the suckers.
“Taxi!”
“Yes, Ser, welcome, Ser.”
“Gloria hotel, please”
“Excellent choice, Ser.”
Excellent my ass. We were very soon to find out that Gloria Hotel is one of the few hotels in Dubai that doesn’t allow alcoholic drinks on the premises. On the ride to the hotel our jaws were dropping more and more. Skyscrapers, sand and cars. What the hell are we doing here, dude? We arrive at the Gloria Hotel. Taxi stops right at the front door. Gloria Hotel bans alcohol because most clients are muslims, but how were we supposed to know. Time to get the luggages out. The 45 kilos old driver wanted to handle the luggages, each weighting more than him easily.
“Dude, let us get those off.”
“No, Ser, it’s my job, Ser.”
“Dude, your job is to drive us here in one piece; it’s ok”
“No, Se…”
As he was hustling with the first fully packed luggage, a 1 L bottle of rum falls on the hard concrete. Now it was about 45 degrees in that afternoon. Me and my Art Director froze. The driver froze too, but time don’t wait for our asses to get back to the cold reality. Before we know it 6 janitors, 2 valets and other hotel staff were rushing from I don’t know where with mops, water bottles and detergent. Few guests who were outside covered their noses and started whispering to each other like “now these motherfuckers did it!”.
I wanted to laugh, but I was too afraid to laugh. My art director started screaming at the driver
“Now you’ve done it! That was my booze!”
“Awww, sorry, Ser I am so so so so sorry, Ser”
“Now I’m a bottle short and we told you to leave our luggages alone!”
“Seer please understand I’m sorry! Sorry sorry sorry!”
Everyone had nothing but mean looks for us. Damn foreigners spilling alcohol on the ground and shit. And it was such a wonderful day until 3 minutes ago.
I eventually told my homie to chill and we got the rest of the luggages, paid the driver and bounced in the reception lounge.
We checked in. We opened some bottles and we started drinking until we got fucked up; laughing, ordering shitty kebabs and pretending we’re on top of the world in this huge hotel apartment with separate maid room and a large heavy desk equipped with 80’s "international communications"
equipment.
Next day we started our new job at Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai.