NikitaD | ExpatWoman.com
 

NikitaD

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Latest post on 07 April 2016 - 10:44
Hello ladies :) This is my first time here. Myself and my husband are planning to migrate to Canada or Australia! We are super confused between the two!! However, we are looking in terms of employment and balancing life and work!! Could some one give some insight regarding the same please??? Hello Shalu We were in a similar situation but, we opted for Canada and we are almost through. Trust me if your paperwork is all in order, the waiting game is no more a long one. Yes, one has to put in all efforts as a lot of paperwork is required but, once you set your mind on it, work on the paperwork promptly. In all honesty, only you and your hubby can decide what you are looking for in the years to come and for your kids. I believe both are beautiful countries but, go with your instincts. Good luck with your decision!
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Latest post on 21 February 2016 - 14:11
Hmmmm. this is such a broad question/post. Downtown toronto is wonderful and very touristy/ studenty/ businessmany. If you are looking to move to toronto and have a family, chances are you would stay in one of the many many suburbs. Perhaps its worth staying downtown and visiting missisauga, oakville, etc. I have no idea about B&B's either. Sorry. A very wonderful place to stay though is near the water, as you can walk to eatons centre, dundas square, ripleys aquarium, the lakes, cherry beach etc. Also can I ask why your visiting saskatoon and regina? They aren't the most common place to visit... Thank you brie03. As we would be migrating we are obliged to stay in Saskatchewan Province for a certain duration if not more.
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Latest post on 21 February 2016 - 11:23
I did mine for Dhs. 700 at East Elegance Salon in Al Barsha. They have quite a few branches in Dubai. They did use the genuine Brazilian blowout product. They did quote me more when I called but after consultation brought it down. I look forward to doing with them again.
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Latest post on 21 February 2016 - 11:18
In addition to Ikea and Home Centre, you have Homes R Us (most of the time on sale) at Ibn Battuta, Mazaya Centre and Arabian Centre, there is Pan Emirates in close proximity to Mall of the Emirates.
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Latest post on 21 February 2016 - 11:15
Sorry I have no idea about Canada, but why not try Air BnB for accommodation, once you have the areas sorted. That way you would hopefully get to meet some locals while you're there. Thank you Geordie. Yes, I have started looking at Air BnB but, if I get any help from this forum, I shall be grateful.
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Latest post on 17 February 2016 - 11:30
Hello ladies, Good morning. This is an old thread started by me and as I plan for our trip to Canada more for acquainting ourselves to the country, may I please request for recommendations of BnB places to live for a week each in Toronto, Saskatoon and Regina? This holiday of ours is more for knowing the cities, getting a feel of it rather than sightseeing. I am not looking at any 4 or 5 star hotels as it is not a leisure holiday. In each of the cities can you please recommend the area we should live in i.e would Downtown be more suitable in Toronto for commute reason and so on. Also, if at all anyone has done a similar trip or plan to, can you suggest what places should be on my list of to dos i.e. schools, housing, recruitment companies and so on. The ladies who have very kindly responded to my request earlier I once again thank you for your valuable feedback and look forward to obtaining more xx Thank you and have a nice day!
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Latest post on 14 January 2016 - 10:26
Good morning. The most disappointing aspect is that if you have bought more than one (book) app, you are allowed a max of 10 pings per account and not per (book) app. This is unfair for me. If you have not registered the app/book yet then open new account for each... and Yes I did not buy the app because of the limit of 10 pings .. unless you are sharing your account in two phones (so they can use the app voucher by themselves) and no pings required .. the book gives you more freedom in sharing Unfortunately we have. Always thought Entertainer to be user friendly and helpful.....
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Latest post on 13 January 2016 - 08:46
Good morning. The most disappointing aspect is that if you have bought more than one (book) app, you are allowed a max of 10 pings per account and not per (book) app. This is unfair for me.
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Latest post on 10 December 2015 - 10:25
recommendations please TIA I did at East Elegance Salon. They have quite a few branches all over in Dubai; I did mine in one of the Barsha branches.
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Latest post on 26 November 2015 - 12:27
Hi, does anyone know where I can buy Iranian saffron? its meant to be the best one One can find in Union Co-op, Carrefour, Lulu, Spinneys... They are generally in the spice section aisles. Even Saffron from Spain one is great.
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Latest post on 19 November 2015 - 10:36
Good morning, I am extremely happy with Ford Edge Limited Plus. It's spacious for car seat, boot and the leg room is great. Love it! I am planning to upgrade to the new Ford Explorer. If at all you are interested in having a look at mine, you are welcome. Admin, I am not sure if I can write this and I hope you don't delete my post. Thank you. Hi Nikita, It all depends of the price that you will be looking at selling your car. Can you give me an idea so I can see if it's in our budget. Thanks Hi butterfly2015 Sure, I absolutely agree with you. May I please request you leave in here your email address. We can then liaise. As soon as I make note of your email id, you can remove it. Wish you a pleasant day!
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Latest post on 17 November 2015 - 09:34
Good morning, I am extremely happy with Ford Edge Limited Plus. It's spacious for car seat, boot and the leg room is great. Love it! I am planning to upgrade to the new Ford Explorer. If at all you are interested in having a look at mine, you are welcome. Admin, I am not sure if I can write this and I hope you don't delete my post. Thank you.
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Latest post on 25 October 2015 - 09:01
Surely depending on your budget, some suggestions... A sari or salwar kameez set (many shops in Meena bazaar or there is a selection in Lulu, level 2, Al Barsha) A hypermarket voucher i.e. Carrefour or a lulu voucher (as this gives them a choice to buy) A mobile phone Cash is very appreciated too.
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Latest post on 25 October 2015 - 08:47
I'm TRYING to grow my hair after 15 years of having short hair, but finding it really difficult, my hair looks dull and I seem to get constant split ends. I've been using the Marrocan oil treatment for the past 3 months but don't see any improvement. Any shampoo/conditioner/treatment recommendations? I don't mind paying for the more expensive brands if it's been tried and tested ;) Some in house and some salon treatments which helped me to grow back healthy hair. 1. Warm Extra virgin coconut oil massage (you can buy it in organics and have seen in Lulu too) and steam. 2. Deep protein conditioning mask treatments and steam. 3. Biotin vitamins. 4. Drink lots of water. 5. At home you can try making a pack of eggs whipped with honey, apply to hair and wrap up it in alu foil or shower cap. 6. L'occitane shampoo and deep conditioning treatment (buy online). 7. Kerastasse shampoo, conditioner and serum have helped me great too (I buy from Strawberrynet, reading Sarahlou's posts... Thank you!) Hope this helps.
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Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 11:00
Ladies, could you please recommend a hairstylist in one of these salons who is good with thick, wavy hair? Thank you.
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Latest post on 10 December 2014 - 09:45
Hi 2-3 shops away from Choithramns in Meena Bazaar there is a shop named Khiara which sells Indian utensils and add on stuff they you may need. HTH.
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Latest post on 23 October 2014 - 11:41
Betty Crocker brand was at Lulu Hypermarket, Barsha last week.
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Latest post on 23 October 2014 - 11:39
Normally night buffets are theme nights, in case you are looking out for an international spread. Also, today being Diwali (Indian, Festival of Lights), some are offering Indian theme nights. Buffet venues: Arboretum, Kaleidoscope, Saffron, Movenpick at JLT, Mistral (Seafood night) at Movenpick IBN, Market Place at JW Marriott Deira, Spice Island at Crowne Plaza Deira, Lattitude & Bamboo Lagoon at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Mezina at The Address Marina. Hope you and the kids have a great evening.
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Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 08:29
For Chinese home delivery / take away in Barsha I opt for: Mandarin Oriental China Garden Chin Chin Jasmine Moon (Management has changed recently) Chinese Pavillion (minimum order of Dhs. 150, located in Beach Centre, Jumeriah)
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Latest post on 09 October 2014 - 09:22
Wasl Real Estate.
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Latest post on 09 October 2014 - 08:52
Congrats for your pregnancy. Most of the women go through changes during these months, so don't stress. Try a homemade pack made of gram flour or rice flour, rose water and honey mixed together, let it rest for a while and then apply. The other pack which I find helpful is the Fullers Earth pack, I buy this from Al Adil (Shahnaz Hussain brand). All the best! <em>edited by NikitaD on 09/10/2014</em>
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Latest post on 09 October 2014 - 08:27
Good morning ladies, @ Sanddy_Dogg : We are almost there for PR process submission. Truly hope we succeed. I wish you all the very best. @angel joy : Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I so look forward to visit Canada (Toronto & BC) early next year.
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Latest post on 23 September 2014 - 14:41
For me, this forum does have very good and adequate information, many posters have been very helpful to one another and I always recommend my friends to this forum especially when they plan to come here be it for holidays or for a job as an expat! I am extremely grateful to this country and always shall be. I wish I knew about this forum much before than I did. Life is too short, so, let's appreciate the suggestions and opinions we get and let's not target and hurt one another. I am grateful to those who may not be in UAE anymore but still do post such as Clarehdp, Judy, Nomad.... Thank you all.
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Latest post on 23 September 2014 - 09:34
Prestige pressure cookers are good; I have 3 in various sizes :) (available in Lulu Hypermarkets and are aluminium material). I have been using these for the past 14 odd years. If you are looking for a pressure cooker of stainless steel material, then Tefal brand has it (available in Jashanmal).
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Latest post on 15 September 2014 - 13:09
Judy and Marycatherine, thank you both immensely for taking the time to share with me tips and info. It is indeed truly priceless and shall help us to plan things well. Surely I will have lots more queries as the time approaches for our big move. Thank you once again.
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Latest post on 09 September 2014 - 07:57
Thank you, Marycatherine; I shall certainly note this down and share this with my DH. As for retail banking, any suggestions please? H*** is the only common one between here and Canada. Not a fan of this bank as they have messed up in the past for us here, so am vary. Wish you all a pleasant day.
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Latest post on 08 September 2014 - 08:08
Dear Singarosa and Judy, Good morning.... I thank you both immensely for your valuable feedback. Since almost 2009, I have been a member of expat woman (a reader more); feel kind of strange if I do not read forum topics on a daily basis. As for the winters in Canada, I am hoping that I would be able to embrace easier as I have lived in Switzerland for quite some years. My major concerns are: (i) school for our DS who would be in Grade 7 by then, am I correct in undersatding that the school he gets admission into all depends on the place / area we live in. First we plan to rent a condo till such time we get settled in our day to day lives, jobs and school and feel a sense of belonging. As I mentioned before, we are in a state of understadning that life shall not be easy at the start but, we shall surpass this phase and look forward to settling in. We shall be heading there on a PR status and would like to call Canada our home. (ii) as for jobs, I am hoping that DH and I would be able to get one soon as hubby is in IT and myself have Hotel degree + a Real Estate. Judy, thank you for the links too and I shall certainly go through these. Our DS is all too excited about our move and that makes us feel nicer and happier as he is willing to adapt to a new country, make more and new friends, he is learning ice skating and wants to learn skiing now.... I am sure to ask more and more queries and I hope that you all can assist me. Thank you once again Judy and Singarosa. This is indeed getting me all very excited but nervous too. It's kinda over whelming for me. Wish you all a fab day. :)
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Latest post on 21 May 2014 - 10:21
Dear ladies, I have friends visitng us and we shall meet over afternoon tea at my place. I thought of serving them an Arabic version of afternoon tea. Could you please give your suggestions? Where I could pick up eats and what would be nice? We shall be 8 of us. Many thanks.
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Latest post on 14 May 2014 - 16:32
If its the same company as I think, I have been paying this way for last month. I ran out of credit and they delivered, zero'd out my account and when I topped up the following week the amount due was deducted. You don't have to pay the amounts they suggest (AED 150 or AED 400) its just with those amounts you get 'free' money on your i-cash account. Quite fed up with this company for making new rules every few moths.... is there any other water supply company who deliver non reusable bottles? Thank you. <em>edited by NikitaD on 14/05/2014</em>
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Latest post on 09 May 2014 - 16:55
Which bank would you recommend for an offshore USD account and if you can please share the pros and cons. Thank you.
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Latest post on 08 May 2014 - 15:59
Last week someone mentioned here how good Kitchen 6 was... so went there and in all honestly, it was quite a let down, not upto the JW Marriott standard forget being Marquis. Literally had to draw attention of service staff for clearing plates, refilling our drinks, food at the far east and European section was drying out... Fod was ok, nowhere in comparison to JW Marriot brunch or buffets such as Market Place, Bamboo Lagoon... Overall an alright evening but nothing wow! As per service staff they are expecting more staff to join and hoping the service would improve (know as I worked with this chain earlier). I hope that the standards improve. Enjoy if you plan to go.
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Latest post on 28 April 2014 - 11:47
Happy with my Ford Edge 2013 limited edition. It's easy to manoeuvre. Love the feature of reverse parking camera and censors . The aircon is good and many times I am told to switch it off as it gets cold quite easily. It has feature of variance in aircon adjustment for the driver and front seat passenger. The leg room at the back is spacious and 3 adults can comfortably be seated; it is also great for tall people. The booth is huge too. The service at Al Tayer is great, prompt and professional.
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Latest post on 26 February 2014 - 16:25
'The National' promotion is good. I went with them this year and even received a Dhs. 100 Carrefour voucher.
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Latest post on 26 February 2014 - 16:14
I have been buying the book since approx 2001 when the book was just one and costed Dhs. 95 or 99 approx. I still do so, agree that it has gone a bit downhill but, I still save a lot by using the Family Entertainer.
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Latest post on 22 January 2014 - 08:58
I have done Rebonding and Keratin in the past and would not do it again. My hair fell like crazy specially after Keratin, luckily I am blessed with good thick hair. I was quite tempted to do the treatment the second time, but, am glad that I decided against it and am happy with my hair just the way it is, a good haircut, oil massages and deep conditioning is the way to go for me.
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Latest post on 22 January 2014 - 08:34
GM :) Kindly suggest a restaurant which serves good Peking Duck with pancakes. TIA.
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Latest post on 05 December 2013 - 13:08
I too got my SnS account today with a 50% discount. To the experts, how many days would it take approx. to get stuff delivered here? I am planning to shop mainly from Marks & Spencer. Thank you for the encouragement to Sarahlou, TDB, Sourkittle, TimTam... All very excited. :)
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Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 11:37
I know, some people are not lucky to get a non-frizzy hair. Even mine is not perfect but luckily after refraining from chemical treatments for a year I got a self manageable hair. The thought of treating it again and again every six months makes me scared and I picture myself bald in a few years. I tend to loose hair after treatment. You are lucky you don't. edited by mssassy on 27/11/2013 I have done rebonding twice in a span of 3 years and keratin once as I am tired of the wavyness and frizziness. Mssassy where do you go for haircut?
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Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 11:32
At Hairworks Umm Suqeim is Jay (she is Irish and I hope I am spelling her name correctly). Is she good with layered haircut? Also, I have narrowed down on Rami @ Rami Jabali Salon.
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Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 11:22
Hi FairyDust, if you don't mind me asking where you get Kerastraight done? Perhaps I can do that in the summer months. Any suggestions where I should go for a good layered hair cut please?
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Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 11:20
I was just reading up on it. Doesn't last very long - 10 washes they say. I'd stick with the Keratin, at least that lasts months and not weeks. Thank you, FairyDust for your response. With so many views and no feedback; I better drop the idea of doing keratin or botox again. Thanks again. Nothing can beat the feel and look of untreated natural hair! Personal exp. Try having MY hair lol. NikitaD, I do the Kerastraight and I love it. Usually last 4 - 6 months before it needs redoing. My hair is always in fab condition afterwards, the frizz goes and it's manageable. It also greatly reduces the dreaded hair fall that many of us suffer from here. I haven't seen anyone offering the hair botox here, so I can only go on what I've read about it.
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Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 11:07
I was just reading up on it. Doesn't last very long - 10 washes they say. I'd stick with the Keratin, at least that lasts months and not weeks. Thank you, FairyDust for your response. With so many views and no feedback; I better drop the idea of doing keratin or botox again. Thanks again.
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Latest post on 19 November 2013 - 12:17
I know of a brillaint one in Karama area. Not sure if you want to head there. My mom's shoes could not be fixed by Salvatorre (they sent to Italy), the cobbler in Karama could handle and they look as good as new. <em>edited by NikitaD on 19/11/2013</em>
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Latest post on 19 November 2013 - 12:04
I have had Delseys, Eminent brands suitcases for years and they are good. Just a suggestion if I may... I bought some cratridges (for sure nothing to do with suitcases) and was very surprised to see the price difference between the Carrefour in MCC and the Deira Shindagha branch. A price diff of almost Dhs 22. So, that took me to the suitcase section and yes, for sure the prices do vary between the Carrefours. So, if it helps in any way to save a few dirhams, I suggets that you visit the Shindagha branch. Happy shopping for safe travels :)
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Latest post on 19 November 2013 - 11:57
Thank you to each of you, who have taken the time to suggest. I did go and try out some of the suggested ones and some are yet to be done. I shall let you ladies know which perfume I finally selected. Many thanks again and wish you all a great day!
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Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 09:21
Dear TDB I wish you all the very best. Everything shall fall in its place and you will enjoy your special day. Don't take stress, I know most of us women thrive on stress (I do unfortunately). I too am in the midst of organising an event which is very special to my hubbby and me, it for our DS. I am learning to keep cool and take things as it comes. The event is back home, but I am organinsing from here with the help of my family; I am getting cold feet but pray that it all falls in place and that we enjoy the planning moments and the big day of our DS. If someone does not appreciate what you are doing, let go and you carry on with a smile. Take care and hugs your way. xx
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Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 09:04
Dear VG, Sorry but, I would not go for both of the Win... listed. This is my suggestion and from experience.
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Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 08:44
Thank you FD, yes I agree. Love Escape on others but ain't for my skin. Oopsiedaisy your suggestion is unique but it would be over whelming for me to do this exercise. EWers, if you all can share which are your fav perfumes, that will help me to try out please. Truly grateful.
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Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 08:18
Good morning ladies, I need your help please. A very important and a special occassion in my life is taking place soon. I wish to select a parfum that I shall remember for years to come which will relate and remind me of this occassion. Generally I wear, Pleasures, Light Blue, Beauty by CK, 5th Avenue, White Diamonds. I wanna buy a new one dedicated to this occassion... would you mind suggesting me something different please? It's got to be for evening wear please. Many thanks!
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Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 13:34
Caspian in Barsha 1 (one can get off at Sharaf DG metro station) and their other outlet is in Bur Dubai (I don't know the name of the metro station but it is close by to it). I went to this restaurant in Bur Dubai once and tbh was a bit disappointed. It wasn't really authentic, didn't feel like an Iranian restaurant. It had more like a cafe feel to it, most of the waiters were Indian guys, and what we ordered was ok but nothing special. edited by Alismum on 10/10/2013 I do like the Barsha one as the food is hot and fresh, owners are there most of the times and I do enjoy their Friday and Saturday lunch buffet as kebabs are frehly prepared and brought to the buffet and one can also request for fresh hot kebabs and breads on the table. I would not know much about the Bur Dubai branch. edited by NikitaD on 10/10/2013 <em>edited by NikitaD on 10/10/2013</em>