We came to Abu Dhabi, almost four years ago, with four bags. Two of them of some size. Seems fair; we were coming here to live.

But right this moment … we must have eight bags. Accrued over time. Not here. But in Europe and the U.S. And they seem to be taking over the apartment. Two in a cabinet, two atop the armoire, four under the bed.

Mostly, for carrying back things we can’t get here. Or can’t get here easily.

What are we taking back to the UAE?

–Wine. Liquids are heavy, and if you if your bag has to meet a weight limit at the airport, you pick up another bag, to spread around the four bottles of that vintage unavailable in the UAE (Pineau des Charentes) or far less expensive, in France.

–Food. From France, we have returned with cheese, dried sausage, foie gras, other sorts of pate. From the States, we are likely to bring back a giant bag of Costco bacon bits. For omelets or quiches.

–Vitamins and painkillers. The Costco giant bottles. Of multi-vitamins and gingko … acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Painkillers, even the generics, are expensive in the UAE and never available in batches of 500. But they are big and bulky in a suitcase.

–Clothing. Basic items are significantly less expensive in the U.S. than in the UAE. I recently came back from California with a big package of white t-shirts. In the past, tennis shoes, sandals, underwear … all have made the trip from the west to the Middle East heavier than the outbound flight.

Better get another bag.

The American experience seems to mirror that of Europeans — more stuff, more interesting stuff, cheaper stuff, available back home.

However, when it comes to expats from the subcontinent or, say, the Philippines … many consumer items in the UAE are cheaper than they are at home. Thus, it sometimes seems as if every guy returning to Mumbai or Manila is lugging a PlayStation or a wide-screen TV.

That also means more luggage moving around. In this case, sold here.

Luggage can be purchased everywhere. Even supermarkets will have a wide selection of bags. Big, small, wheeled, unwheeled, hard, soft. Cheap and very cheap.

Much of it is abandoned here, because expats tend to live in small places. Eight bags inside our apartments … we have noticed the space they absorb, even when we are able to “nest” one inside another inside another.

Several of them are getting thrashed, too. Need to toss some of the luggage before it carries us away.