Construction workers transported me home

This morning, I was disturbed by very loud talking from somewhere outside my apartment. I thought it was one of my neighbours practising preaching! I opened the sliding window to my balcony and what greeted me was two happy workers from the subcontinent chatting with each other. Today is UAE Independence Day, I thought most of them weren't working, perhaps their supervisors have the day off but not them.

I should have known better. Many years ago, before mobile phones became common, most calls outside were made with pay phones. Once late at night I was at Comcentre at Exeter road. There was an Indian man shouting over the phone (I assume he was calling home) and I could hear him loud and clear a good 300m away. These two incidents connected nostalgically in my mind.