Stranger in our Market.Autobiography by Salem Humaid Al Shamsi . Prior to the era of modernization, the emirate of Ajman was steeped in a haze of gentle calm, with its pristine shores reverberating with the calls of the hardworking fishermen and the pearl divers who formed the backbone of the community. Life by the seaside was simple, and the locals were known to be spirited yet kind-hearted. Those were times filled with shared laughter, and the bonds created as a result were preserved for life. It was also a time when creativity flowed in the veins of the poetic few-a time when listening to the radio, genteel discussions, and a round of heartfelt quatrains provided colour to an otherwise staid lifestyle. The advent of coffee houses ushered in trade, and traders began stocking their merchandise in the newly developed market areas within and around the souqs.