Selene’s 7-year-old life in the UAE sounds like a full Netflix episode. SUPPLIED

What do Michael Jackson, a pink wig, and a camel kiss have in common? They’re all part of Selene Fouad’s hilarious UAE adventures. At just 7 years old, this Dubai-based girl has racked up a lifetime’s worth of road trips, dance parties, and unforgettable (read: slightly gross) moments. Like the time she woke up in a car in the Sharjah desert only to find a camel had literally licked her face. “I woke up full of slimy, gooey saliva!” she tells Expat Media, laughing. Eww—but iconic. Then there was the time her family planned an epic camping trip near the Qatar border. After a five-hour drive, they stumbled upon a friendly village by the beach—and a surprise dance party. “There were women dancing and one had a pink wig! I joined in with my hair,” Selene giggles. “They even played Michael Jackson, my favorite!” While her brother slept off a headache, Selene kept dancing until 2am. But the fun came with consequences: by morning, she was so tired and overheated, she says she felt “like an ice cube melting.” Selene’s stories are a perfect reminder that sometimes the messiest adventures are the most magical ones. Also, always keep baby wipes in the car—just in case of camels! In her words: “My mom likes going on adventures, so one time in Google Maps, my mom found this place in Mleiha Sharjah. So our family went there. It’s like an ancient city. I was like 3 or 4 years old at the time. I was sleeping in the car. As a joke, my dad opened the windows of the car and there were camels outside. One of the camels put its head in the car and then licked my face. My brother recorded it. I woke up full of slimey gooey ugh… saliva! As soon as I opened my eyes, I was like, it was so funny and disgusting and (laughs) and bleh!!! So yeah.” “We were supposed to go camping near the Qatar border, It's like a five hours drive from Dubai and we found this small village next to the beach and then we were asking people if there were signs to not camp. We asked Filipinos and they replied in Filipino. So we found this South African guy. His wife was Filipino and they had a cat and a big family. So we felt comfortable and stayed there. We put up a tent and parked our car. Me and my brother slept in the car, my mom and my dad slept in the tent. Then I felt like dancing. The other group was playing loud music and they were dancing and came and invited us. And some women were doing some dance moves. One woman was spinning with her arms open like a helicopter. I did it with my hair because I have long hair. She had fake hair. Like a pink wig. Then I joined the dancing. They put my most favorite song from Michael Jackson. Before we went to bed, my brother slept early because he had a headache. All night we were dancing and didn’t sleep until 2am. Dance on the beach and on the road. When it was morning, it was very hot. I forgot everything. I said, ‘Where are we?’ I felt like an ice cube melting. But it was really fun!”
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