Elizabeth makes two assumptions which may not generally hold good. One - that the majority of middle income Goans in the Gulf have fulfilled their base level needs and should consequently be moving towards self actualisation.
Second - that Goans outside the Gulf whether in Florida or Mumbai are already in self actualisation nirvana (may be true for retired folk with nest eggs or caring kids) or are languishing in survival mode. Speaking for myself I am happy to be in base mode enjoying Gulf creature comforts (clean cities, clean -if increasingly congested- roads, free airconditioned public transport (in Abu Dhabi), no slums, no beggars, clean air, clean beaches and parks, dolphin shows, malls with indoor ski slopes and shark filled aquariums etc.) with local gas less than US$ 1.70 a gallon instead of living in base mode in Florida or Mumbai with gas @ US$ 4.10 a gallon. Its worth noting that the ability to enjoy creature comforts applies only to long term Gulf residents who enjoy rent control protection. With UAE market rents having risen 300% in 5 years, newcomers to the Gulf will have to learn to live like bedouins in desert tents Again, speaking for myself there are adequate opportunities for the middle or upper eco strata here to not just dabble but also immerse themselves in self actualisation. I myself am active with a group that runs totally free 10 day residential meditation seminars in the Gulf. For the latest course which started in the UAE yesterday we exceeded capacity of 24 (12 men, 12 women) and had to shift the overflow to our next course. Best, Ralph
