This week’s Into-yous features Pakistani Expat Shafaq Faisal

Tell us a little about yourself
Having been in Dubai for 8 years, it’s definitely home to me now. I run my own business called Shafaq’s Bake House. We bake delicious cupcakes, cookies, cake bites and much more to satisfy your sweet tooth. We convert your sugary temptations into mouth-melting cupcakes and cookies with the finest, purest ingredients – bearing in mind your health. So, be it a birthday party or just your family treat, we assure you the most heavenly cupcakes you have ever tasted.

When did you move to Dubai and what brought you here?
I moved to Dubai in August, 2005 when my husband got a job here.

Have you been an expat elsewhere and if so, where?
No.

The best advice you were given to prepare you for life in Dubai
Be patient and calm.

What surprised you most about Dubai?
The extremely hot weather in Dubai, plus the bad sand storms.

What area do you live in?
Sharjah.

If money were no object, where would you most like to live in Dubai?
I absolutely love where I am now, but in future, for sure the Palm Jumeirah.

Your favorite Arabic word or phrase you have learned so far
Habibi and Mafi Mushkil.

Your least favorite word or phrase you have adopted since moving to Dubai
Nothing as such.

What has been your best experience in Dubai to date?
Dubai has been a wonderful place for me , it has given me so much – I love everything about it.

Where do you hope to spend your next holiday?
My homeland of Pakistan – nowhere else.

Who is the person you most miss when you are in Dubai?
Of course my Mum and Dad, they are a great source of inspiration for me. I love them a lot.

What is your favorite restaurant in Dubai?
P.F. Chang’s and Barbecue Delights.

What grocery item do you most miss from your home country?
There is not one single thing that I miss the most. I could give a long but one of my favorite’s is chilli garlic sauce by KNORR (which luckily you can get in Dubai).

When friends and family visit you in Dubai where will you absolutely take them?
Dubai is a wonderful and happening place , there is lot to show them, but no one wants to miss out on a visit to the Burj Khalifa and the amazing Dubai Fountain in action!
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The team at Expat Echo Dubai would like to feature you in our Into-yous section

Please complete our 5 minute interview and submit your answers along with a profile picture (in JPEG format).