Most of the others on your course are high-level executives like yourself. Three or four are MBA students from wealthy backgrounds, whose families can afford to pay the extravagant course fees privately. You're a highly motivated group, though you still find time for some socializing outside classes.
You soon become friends with Laura, a young woman from Texas. You're surprised to learn that she's already set up her own software company.
"Do you specialize in any kind of software in particular?" you ask her.
"Interactive fiction," she says. "Personally, I'm drawn to catering to the needs of the highly intelligent, highly imaginative type of person who's drawn to that kind of story."
At the end of your first week, your friendship extends into your bedroom, where you learn that Laura is remarkably spirited. But as your brief break from your studies ends, and your courses resume, you both decide it is important to maintain focus on your work. Still, you find that your short time together has bolstered your confidence for the remainder of your stay in Dubai.
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