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Snugs

Snugs
246
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 October 2014 - 22:31
Hi everyone, has anyone here tried to sponsor family of their maid? Our wonderful maid has two kids she hasn't seen in two years (due to a divorce going on at home so she doesn't want to go back). we would like to sponsor her two girls who are both adults to come out for a month at Christmas.. can this be done? any advice would be most welcome! thanks ever so much
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 January 2014 - 20:43
Hi, what night of the week is it? You could do the westin wine and cheese night on Wednesdays, really good deal and you can get a cheese and wine tasting lesson, Thursday night the new supper club in madinat jumeirah or the Thursday night brunch at Yalumba, guaranteed a good night! Hope this helps!! Have fun and good luck,
Snugs
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Latest post on 10 January 2014 - 00:06
Great post gentle, i have led a bit of a soap opera life and I am sure if I unloaded on here people would not believe it....almost tempted to reveal but that could be the g&t +3...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 January 2014 - 22:00
Here it is, I guess you also proved my point about remembering things about each other! http://www.stateofmindactive.com Sorry to go off topic OP.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 January 2014 - 21:33
LC you have an excellent memory!! The only difference is that is was my twin who went back to the UK and started a business with our sister and it is going really well, thanks for asking!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 January 2014 - 20:32
I also remember that LC and people were very unkind to her... One thing to remember is that we all judge situations that we have never been in before and can't possibly say "well, I would never do that!"... " (add indignation emoticon here)... How do you know! Unless you have walked a mile in someone else's moccasins you can never judge. I think the OP came on here for genuine advice and to vent as many of us can't to our friends who who are more likely to be new friends. I am sure she will be very distressed to read all the negative comments. I have been a long-time poster on EW (had to change my name once due to an online fisticuffs haha) but if I had a marriage problem I wanted help with, and that day may come, I would also create a new profile so as not to be identified. Remember, although we don't all post biographies of ourselves, over time a lot of information is revealed that could lead to being identified, just ask my colleague who I met 5 years ago on my first day at work, after 1 minute she asked me if is was Ceese (former name!) on Ew. So, let's just be a bit kinder and hope that we are never put in the position that the Op has. Lastly, to suggest that Ew itself created this message to bump up posts must equally be offensive to the moderators and owners of Ewe. What a cynical world we live in...I think I need a G&T <em>edited by Snugs on 09/01/2014</em>
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 November 2013 - 21:13
Hi there, first of all don't be scared! If you plan to be here for a while it is a good decision. We have bought three houses here, upgraded twice when prices when up and now live in a great house that has gone up in value by 30 per cent since we bought it. Yes, we were lucky but my DH is really careful and we made calculated decisions each time. We plan to be here for another ten years so it is a no-brainier for us, we have already been here ten years so if we had been paying rent all that time we would have been foolish, IMHO. I think you are better off getting a mortgage as it has built in insurance which you wouldn't get with a loan. If DXb gets the expo then you will be in a good position as house prices traditionally soar in the lead up to hosting. Hope this helps!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 September 2013 - 21:18
I signed in just to reply to this! I love Koh Samui so much but there aren't really any hotels with kids clubs, except the four seasons and it is very expensive and isolated. There is a kids club at centara but it is just a small room with nothing going on. Langkawi is lovely, hotels all have kids club, we stayed at four seasons last year in a two bed beach villa, it was really fantastic and great for kids (ours now 5 and 7). The only problem with Langkawi s changing airports and a connecting flight (you also have connecting flight for koh samui, but not the hassle of changing airports which we were unaware of until we landed in KL). Have you considered Mauritius? It is a five hour flight, same time as Dubai and they have fantastic kids clubs there, the prince Maurice (or sister hotel) has adjoining rooms with bunk beds, we are going for Eid, book air Mauritius though, cheaper than Emiarates bit same plane! We stayed at Le Touurok and it has the best kids club I have ever seen, treehouse, pool, indoor / outdoor play and they do lizard and frog hunting every evening so keep the litte nippers entertained. Good luck with your decision, phuket is now a direct flight but we went in Ausust and it rained continuously for three days so we went to Koh Samui instead, stayed at Sala Samui, lovely resort, no kids club but still very kid friendly.
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 August 2013 - 08:46
Maids' salaries are always an emotive issue, my only comment goes against the previous posters about salaries being relative. Ultimately we are all here to make more money than we would in our home countries. I, for one, would be very unhappy of my employer paid me relative what I would get in my home country. I would get about half! Gone would be the schooling, gone would be the flights, gone would be the gains due to not paying tax... Also, should a south African get paid less than a Brit just because salaries are lower in SA? Or an Egyptian paid less than a Lebanese? I think using the "relativity" argument is an excuse to maintain the status quo. Just because we can doesn't mean we should!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 21:39
Mine went last week, they also went on Sunday and they didn't like it, so we have stopped going. They were also painting the whole inside and it smelled very strongly of paint! I think it was very well organized though and the staff were great, I think mine were too young to make the most of it, they are also a little more immature than others their age (5 & 6) and aren't as outgoing... Hope your lo enjoys it, you can pay day by day which might be a good idea for you. Hth
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 July 2013 - 21:34
To the OP, have you ever had them round to your house? The reason I ask is that we also belong to a group of friends, and tend to do lots of things together, I stopped inviting a few people after a year or so, and was later asked why, and the reason was we always had people to our house, supplied food and endless drinks, and some never reciprocated, or even ever brought anything, so I decided to stop inviting them.. Not sure if this applies to you, but something to consider??
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 July 2013 - 23:03
Hi Marroush, I agree with you, unfortunately many don't!! One person asked me, what if you need a glass of water or a cup of tea on their day off.. Seriously!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 July 2013 - 23:33
With all due respect Marroush, not giving maids a day off, or not letting them out of the house alone, is mistreatment. I know MANY people who do not let their maids out of the house alone, or give them a day off, it is plain cruelty. These are the same people who trust the maid with their kids, but not to go out, it is beyond baffling to me. It is a basic human right, and please don't say their sponsors are responsible as an excuse, if the sponsor can trust the maid with their child, they should trust them to act in a responsible manner if they want to go to the movies (god forbid!)
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 July 2013 - 23:12
After 11 years living in Dubai I am still amazed by how some people talk about maids and their rights. Suppressing people has gone on since the millennium and only changes with education. So what is wrong with bringing Western values into the equation... Is it because if we did, there would be minimum wages, regulated working hours, days off and basic rights... I realise this doesn't suit some people, but as this country continues to prosper we must take a stance and have decent standards for the way they are treated. Yes, it will cost more, and I embrace it, then the likes of CW can stop harping on and fear-mongreing about husbands being jailed, and people being arrested willy nilly. Our maid has her son stay with us overnight sometimes, is this illegal? If so, I don't care, it is decent and right that he should be allowed. Going back to the OP's original question, and along with what another poster said, my only issue would be that you are in an apartment so your privacy might feel invaded, but if it was only occasional I would have no problem with it. Please let's all of us adopt a kinder approach and ignore the scare stories, they are so infrequent as to be irrelevant....
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 July 2013 - 21:16
What about if a maid wants to stay at a friend's or family member? I "let" out our maid stay at her sisters all the time, heck I even drive her there... Is that also illegal?
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 July 2013 - 21:14
Totally agree Shaks... How are you doing by the way???
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 01 July 2013 - 21:09
I also have a story that illustrates some differences between UAE private hospitals and the NHS, this is obviously only illustrative and by no means puts down the whole NHS system. When we returned from A Singapore holiday last sept our five year old son came down with a very high temp and rash all over his body. He was diagnosed with a virus at our local gp but became unresponsive quick quickly. We took him to Medcare at about 9pm, the nurse suspected Kawasaki disease and sent us to City Hospital where he was admitted. The next day, he was officially diagnosed with it and given treatment, which is an immunoglobulin transfusion (more expensive then gold) after an hour's wait from the insurance company. Kawasaki normally presents in Asian males so it was an odd thing for him to have and as there is no blood test for it, diagnosis is based upon clinical observation. He recovered quite quickly after a week in hospital. My sister's best friend in the UK had a son who also presented with same symptoms, a few years ago, but staff ruled Kawasaki out due to its prevalence in Asian men. They lost ten days before he was properly diagnosed and he ended up having to stay in hospital for a year... Kawasaki attacks the heart and he had to be bed-bound. We were lucky that the staff here kept an open mind as to what was causing the fever and rash This summer millions of people will travel to far flung places and bring back all kinds of unseasonal bugs, viruses etc...keeping an open mind may well have saved our son's life and we are forever grateful for the fantastic care we had here. So that's my story, not a condemnation, just an experience I wanted to share... edited by Snugs on 01/07/2013 <em>edited by Snugs on 01/07/2013</em>
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 June 2013 - 21:40
I had zoom whitening from a home kit in December from a great dentist but my teeth are only just stopping to hurt. I don't know if it is just me but I found it very painful and I did it properly!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 June 2013 - 21:37
Hi, we went last week as a last minute thing with threemkids and had a fab time! Didn't leave til 5! Ibn batuta is also very god, in fact better for kids, if I had a choice I'd definitely go to ibn, ask to sit near the kids area and enjoy!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 June 2013 - 23:38
Kitty Bitty, I know we are all from different cultures here, and some of us will react differently to others. The fact that you turned off your phone and locked the door, as if it was a normal thing to do, as opposed to, say, when having a migraines, is much more worrying to me than an upset husband. I think you need to make priorities in your life. What is it that you do that makes you so exhausted that you can't wake up to someone knocking on the door. Btw, the general of the police gave an insightful speech about parents letting maids bring up their kids, just saying....
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 21:08
Thanks for the replies. She has seen a doctor, had xrays, arm in plaster for two weeks. She is a big believer in Ayurvedic treatment and all her family are trying to convince her to go home to have 3 months of treatment. I haven't a clue, I am not really into alternative medicine, I think a lot of it works as a result of the placebo effect. I had acupuncture once in NZ for shin splints, thought it was a load of old cods wallop! Thanks again! <em>edited by Snugs on 13/05/2013</em>
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 May 2013 - 23:22
Our maid dislocated her elbow, she just had her cast taken off, does anyone know of someone who does Ayurvedic treatment here? At home? Thx!! edited by Snugs on 12/05/2013 <em>edited by Snugs on 12/05/2013</em>
Snugs
246
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 May 2013 - 23:14
A big yes, she is your employee, it is your choice to go on holiday, plus having her in the house will give you peace of mind, food, well,she has to eat! We had a water hose from the loo burst on the first day of our holiday last year, luckily our maid was there to sort it all out. To be honest I am kind of shocked you would ask the question, my initial answer is "of course".. Remember people treat you as you would like to be treated.
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 May 2013 - 21:21
Hi, I was on bed rest twice with preeclampsia, it is no picnic that's for sure! I joined a similar forum to this on a preeclampsia website, there is a whole thread for those on bed rest. It was such a great help to me to talk on a daily basis to people who were going through the same thing, whatever reason you are on bed rest for, you can be sure there is a forum out there for you! Best of luck, and keep positive, and show your dh this thread, you need support, this is his baby too!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 22:32
Hi Pancake, did you have a villa with two bedrooms? What I am attracted to about the Westin is that they have family suites, with two bedrooms... Thanks for the suggestion, any other recommendations, I literally can't wait to go, need a holiday. Can I also ask what route you took? Thanks!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 21:47
Sorry Chelle, you are right the teachers, I am sure work very hard, but the Caribbean? A bit OTT!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 21:11
One pointer we picked up was book with air Mauritius instead of EK. It is the same plane(!) but AM significantly cheaper! It is operated by EK. Hope this helps someone save money!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 21:02
Do the hotels you stayed at before in Maldives and Seychelles have a "branch" in Mauritius? They probably have similar packages and you could get a discount as a returning customer, albeit to a different country? We went to le touessrok two years ago, fab place all inclusive except drinks, great for golf as well!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 March 2013 - 20:56
Hiya, we are booking the Westin, we have two kids 5 and 6 and it looks great for the whole family. Has anyone been, or have other recommendations? Thanks!,
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2013 - 23:29
Hi AM, I agree it is trickier then, but I am more concerned with the overriding attitude. With Tara's situation she could just say a friend will be popping by from time to time to make sure everything is ok... This goes against my whole premise of trust but with a new employee I would be a little more mindful of the situation whilst maintaining respect. Hope this makes sense!!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2013 - 23:11
Have a look at Zazen, the most gorgeous restaurant in the whole of Koh Samui, we have been there many times for dinner and have seen the chalets and they look lovely. Never stayed as we normally rent a villa next door from www.samuivillasandhomes.com
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2013 - 23:06
Thanks! Glad to know there are other like-minded people out there, otherwise it is too depressing for words!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 March 2013 - 22:59
I feel sad reading all of these posts, if you trust your maid why not let her stay in the house. Every culture has its own expectations and for many it is to buy a lot of gifts which they can't afford on an annual basis, so they choose to stay back a year to save the extra money. Don't you think they would LOVE to go home, but hold back for saving. We should applaud the selflessness! I am happy to leave our housemaid stay in the house when we are we are away on holiday, and I encourage her to use our kitchen and living room room while we away. It makes me happy that she is happy! Yes, she has her sister over and even, gasp, a friend, that is ok with me because I trust her! And sometimes, double gasp, I give them a bottle of grape! I should also say she is older than me, by two years, so she is not a young thing who is interested in men, she just likes to cook in a nice kitchen and sit on a comfy sofa and she is happy! Happy maid, happy Madam (or some of you may think madwoman!)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 February 2013 - 22:03
Agreed, we are so spoiled here with all the five star hotels that it makes it hard to be "blown away" by a hotel unless you pay a fortune. We went to the four seasons in langkawi last year, it was fantastic but very expensive!!! At least Thailand is reasonably priced for food, we especially love Fisherman's village for The lovely restaurants and bars, and if you have little ones, they can play on the beach during the day while you are sitting a few feet away in a bar/restaurant, all you need is a bucket and spade and a couple of singha beers!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 February 2013 - 21:02
Tripadvisor can cause more confusion sometimes, you think you have chosen "the one" then you go on TA and read all the reviews it is back to square 1! A few years ago after literally spending 40+ hours choosing a hotel we went to the Hyatt regency in Hua Hin... Hated it, room next to the lobby, next to the lobby band, kids up all night. Thankfully they couldn't move us so we cancelled the trip, hopped on a flight to koh samui and rented a villa (where we should have gone!). We have now stayed at different villas and it is a great way to holiday if you don't want the hustle and bustle of a hotel. Here is the link www.samuivillasandhomes.com Hope this helps, this year we are torn between KS and Bali, looking at the Westin there... Anyone been?
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Latest post on 04 February 2013 - 22:35
As to victory heights primary school, I cannot see that opening by sept, it is not finished yet! Licenses and inspections take ages here, look how long the emirates British nursery took to open even after it was finished!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 December 2012 - 20:53
With all the views and no answers I guess you have to buy it!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 December 2012 - 20:51
Sorry, forgot to add planet Hollywood at Wafi, small play area but good to coincide with Santa visit!!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 December 2012 - 20:50
I have to second fat burger, awful name, but great for kids and the burgers were very good! On Jumeirah beach road near beach park but more towards Abu Dhabi on the city side, as opposed to beach side...
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 December 2012 - 10:51
Thanks so much for all of your very thoughtful replies. Much appreciated, he does have some behavioral problems and I definitely think he would benefit repeating a year.
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Latest post on 27 November 2012 - 21:14
Probably food quality, although I am sure I have seen them deliver to students where I work in silicon oasis.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 November 2012 - 21:12
I didn't know Olivier was previously a boxer, this could have legal implications in the aftermath, his only injury is to his hand where he punch GA so hard... Interesting this came up a week after Halle was denied permission to move to France. Poor child!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2012 - 21:05
Hi the number for Siemens repairs is 3330532, hope this helps!
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Latest post on 22 November 2012 - 21:32
Love Ted Morgan, I have been in Dubai 11 years and it the first time I have stuck to a salon! That says a lot for me. I have had Carly and Melanie, they don't talk much but I actually love that (although they probably think i am unfriendly too to be fair). Great mags and the best head massage!
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Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 22:49
I have had landrovers for almost 20 years! Love them! The new explorer does have some groovy bells and whistles though!
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Latest post on 17 October 2012 - 15:54
Good morning! Does anybody have a contact tel number for the organiser of the AR Coffee Mornings? I've emailed them but have had no reply. Thanks in advance!
Snugs
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 July 2012 - 21:12
marroush, if you have been following the news, the president has already TWICE paid off all locals' outstanding debts in the past 8 months that is why I said it. Of course it is a very gracious gesture.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 July 2012 - 21:10
Been here ten years, have had two kids here, bought property, it is our home now. When we go home to England, we love it... We dream about moving back, then the love affair wanes, and after two weeks happy to come home! The grass is always greener, things of course frustrate me here, but I have a great job and a happy family so that is all I can ask for. Not sure if I can ever re-integrate into normal life again!
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Latest post on 16 July 2012 - 21:05
Good news if indeed some expats will be released, there was no specific information about who would be released in the press release!
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Latest post on 02 July 2012 - 21:42
Thinking about going for a couple of weeks in August with 4 and 5 year old ds's.. Anyone been or have recommendations? Thanks so much!
 
 
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