A bit closer to taking teh plunge - or the plane

Thank you for your kind offer Stix, I'll be sure to ask if I think of anything else. Oh yes, I am wondering what has made you so dismissive and so judgemental and hard towards someone you have never met? Difficult childhood? PMT? I'm I do think amusement funded by unpleasantness says more about the author than the target of the aggression. I am sure your studio flat is lovely brie03. A long time ago I had a charming little bedsit in London and have very happy memories of my time there. Then I got married and had children and we had to move to larger accommodation. Then we had more children (we were never bored on a cold, winter night) and the house had to be expanded. We still need a large house when we move to Dubai, not because we are smug, poncy or flaunting our wealth but to fit our prodigy in. We have six children and they need to be accommodated two of them with their partners. We need space for friends to come and stay too and we are a bit beyond squashing into a single bed or using a blow up mattress. It's not about lowliness but about space. It may surprise you to know we probably won't have a maid - certainly not a live in one. I cannot justify working only three days and having someone clear up my mess for a pittance. Again not a judgement on those that do - I had nannies when the children were younger - but we don't really need someone now. Blue413 Control freak is not something I am usually accused of. Sometimes I just get on a bus to see where it goes (that is a lie, actually). I don't very often use buses as the nearest stop is seven miles away and the bus only goes twice a week. I am not sure it is kind to make sweeping assumptions based on a few questions. The fact younarrivedvwith three suitcases and a couple of school places is a) irrelevant and b) of dubious accuracy. How did you get visas without a job? Did you wander around on a donkey knocking at doors and being asked to taken in? Did you find somewhere that accepted your native currency? Did you not have health insurance for your children? Imsuspect if you take your blinkers off you may remember you did actually plan a little better than you suggest!

Couch potato, how wise and I do understand that the staff were desperately trying to improve their lot - or as you say most probably his families lot. I just fell slightly uncomfortable knowing they are paid so little to do such a menial task for my pleasure - except of course it isn't a pleasure because it makes me feel uncomfortable about polarisation of wealth. Carrefour? I was imagining sauntering around Waitrose looking for purple heritage carrots and bunches of watercress. Do Ocado not deliver? I am sure they do - or they have missed a trick.

You don't need sunglasses in Northumberland! Poncy? What an interesting and decidedly ineffective insult! Something Shakespearean like a Morg fleshed fustilion might be an improvement. Flaunting wealth? Nope, someone told me what the salary offer was I simply agreed. I wonder whether the person dismissing me for discussing the potential packages wears nice jewellery? That is flaunting wealth - it's all relative. A like of rural life and love of the sea - are they mutually exclusive? Discuss. How many addresses don't get takeaways? Lots is the easy answer. I am afraid I can't quote exact numbers but counties such as Northumberlund, Cumbria, Norfolk, Devon, Pembrokeshire and most of Wales and Scotland have communities who have to cook for themselves as there is no takeaway facility. Lots of people don't live in cities or town centres. What I saw of Dubai was very different to my experience of some cities. The ratio of national citizens to immigrants, for example. That it is a country governed by Sharia law, that it wasn't a nation until the 1970s, the speed of growth, the wealth, the visionary architecture and engineering. All very different to places like Canterbury, Shrewsbury, Exeter, Brighton, Southampton and even London. In a weekend (fly in Friday and home Sunday leaves little time for anything but a quick dip, a look at the Dubai mall and a supper party. Even I realise the luxury of the hotel isn't the everyday reality - or maybe it is? My problem comes from reconciling the glitz and glamour with the roles some people are asked to perform. We had one chap employed to sweep the foyer steps every time someone walked across the marble and another to press the button for the lifts. My husband and I got to the point where it became irritating. I won't address issues around the use of the beach as someone's very wise comments re disadvantages make us think probably not beach front. How am I meant to know they are the busiest area? The whole of Dubai looked busy. Of course we are negotiating a good housing package. We have to maintain the house here (cleaning, heating, gardening etc all cost) and have somewhere for the children to come to in Dubai -they are mainly adults but only just and we are still where their home is. What are we meant to do ? Go for a small 2 bedroom apartment and tell them to pitch a tent on the balcony? How will we entertain for work if we don't have a dining room? Why would we not have a pool? We have one here and I'm not about to move to a lower standard of accommodation. OK I did think OP referred to aged human as opposed to original poster. I am irritated by typo in title but not sure how to amend. I tend to pass long train journeys on things like this and Facebook which break up the reading. My turkey tips are genuine.