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Arch

Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 November 2012 - 09:21
Hope all students are able to transfer to other places. Waterloo is one of the best universities in Canada for Computer Science and engineering so its sad they had to close this campus down
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 09:50
Funnily Qatar airways has started a short sale as well, and for most destinations the fares are much better (2500 return to Tokyo or 3100 return to JFK ) :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 13:26
You can skip the first bus journey if it is not considered a segment. In that case you will have it mentioned in your ticket as a separate origin/destination [i'>and[/i'> have to "check in" with your ticket number/PNR when entering the bus. Etihad simply takes a look at your ticket but dont officially check you in.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 11:23
Etihad used to do this some time back but no longer; fares from Dubai were up to 10% cheaper . It involved a bus ride, but you could always book from Dubai and not take the bus if you lived in Abu Dhabi. I dont know whether EK would consider the bus journey a segment, in which case you would be forced to use it.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 14:16
Can't fault the Hilton KL which mirrors the Meridien I think? That's the one adjacent to the central train station - a very convenient location to jump on any of the train lines including their express train for KLIA. That is a good location if you will be doing train travel within Malaysia or going to Genting etc. Its not a particularly good base for KL itself.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 14:15
My opinion is that dry or wet months should not play a factor in your decision to visit Malaysia. The difference in rain is not that much. What you may want to consider is the weather differential with Dubai. In other words, Malaysia has very similar weather throughout the year: 24-33C, humid . If you go from Dec-March, you will be leaving near-perfect weather in Dubai to 30C + which will feel hotter OTTH, if you go June-Sept when its 35-45 here, even 30C in Malaysia will feel like mild weather and you will feel you have gone to a cooler place.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 13:37
One way of "saving" is to cut back on eating out. You may feel its 200 here and 400 there, but it amounts to a huge sum every year. Another way is to resist the urge to buy a full options car when the first or 2nd trim will do. If you pay 50,000 for options you may recoup 10,000 in resale difference after 5 yrs.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 13:34
It is possible to save if both are working..... but again, both working is a lifestyle choice it is possible to save if both are working, but very difficult to save 500,000 a year , or even 300,000 unless both are working in really good jobs paying 60-70k on average.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 10:18
I have to say I am getting a somewhat mis-placed relief at knowing quite some people are not able to save much. We have not saved much; however most friends and family here say it is easy to save, and say stuff like: "anyone can save 1 or 2 million dirhams in 3/4 years if they are careful" I know people would save 50% quite easily in the 80s and even 90s, but I doubt many people are doing that now
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 October 2012 - 09:54
Its about differences in reaction. Some people get "offended" or worked up at things most people find normal. OTTH, they chuck out cigarette butts, throw diapers in deserts and have a very "relax, my friend"/"it is all ok"/"it is not the end of the world" attitude to it.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 October 2012 - 09:44
Well, he has been charged with murder and hopefully will get a long term. Sometimes, in some places, people run over others intentionally killing them and get the grand total of a few months in jail
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 14:59
I have seen them near the Tennis Stadium, the Gold Souk and some places in Rashidiya But newer parts of Dubai dont have any
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 09:38
You will easily find very good apartments with 180k. Main question is where would your workplace? Given that SZR is very busy in evenings, it would make sense to live close to one's workplace. If its near Media city/Marina, you will find good places in the Marina If its near Downtown Dubai, there are many apartments in Business Bay (freehold), and older buildings on SZR
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 October 2012 - 13:18
Dont forget that "going rate" should not mean "prices advertised" rather "prices at which transactions are completed. Just because there are 10 dubizzle ads asking for 150k for a property does not mean that is the actual rate at which it is rented out
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 October 2012 - 10:30
NEWSFLASH: The main Saudi English newspaper, Arab News mentions today as 30 Dhul Qida; so does the main Arabic paper there, Okaz furthermore i could not find any mention of today being first Dhil Hijja in Arabnews If this is true then Haj day will be Thursday 25th and holidays will be from Thursday
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 October 2012 - 08:29
Oh, I wanted to add as well that just because your LL might vouch for community fees being paid when you sign up doesn't mean things will stay that way. I talked to a friend of mine yesterday who left Shoreline because access was denied due to nonpayment of building fees. They did their due diligence when they leased their new apartment in a different area. The LL had to show them the receipt as evidence that everything was paid. This last week her family were denied access to their apartment as their security cards had been cancelled by Building Security due to non-payment of fees. Round and round we go... Will the "its the tenants fault for not checking" brigade blame the tenant in this case as well ? There are many loopholes in the system; in this particular case, the main one is that provate contractors are not allowed in. <em>edited by Arch on 15/10/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 October 2012 - 13:07
Good post Mich72. Our relocations people - Move One - did all our due diligence and signed off that the tenancy was ok to go to my husband and his employer. They handle the relocation of 100's of expats a month. They are professionals and they didn't pick up! If Emaar are not prepared to release what they perceive to be private information, what can they expect? They are protecting the greedy landlords in the first place! And yes, Mich72, I agree again. MrsWhippy appears to be trolling. I personally think that if people come on this board and don't get the sympathy and answer they are looking for, they begin to attack the poster. But it seems to me that MrsWhippy is just trying to give you an alternative point of view - and one that has a lot of legitimacy. Its not about sympathy. When a landlord does something wrong, and the system protects him but not the tenant, there is no way any sane person will blame the tenant. Its easy to say "you should have checked" etc. but when one fundamental thing is wrong, i.e. a tenant is [i'>not[/i'> allowed to check whether fees were paid or not, its definitely 'someone else's fault"
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 October 2012 - 13:03
If only things were that simple :) I can imagine the police will not intervene if a landlord does not pay service charges, very unlikely
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2012 - 09:24
Its not that "chilly" though in November and any month can be wet. You are lucky you have one week, we had 4 days and could not see some things: I will divide sights into those you can do on rainy days and those you can enjoy more if it is not rainy Rainy days: British Museum: give at least 3-4 hours Museums in South Kensington: 3-4 hours Harrods Oxford Street shopping Places you can enjoy more when its not rainy Tower of London - ~3 hours Westminster Abbey ~2 hours Walking in the area around Buckingham/Westminster Abey/Big Ben - 2 hours London Eye (personally think it is overpriced for what you get) Tower Bridge Covent Garden HMS Belfast (it is a retired military ship used in WW2, if any of you are interested in that sort of stuff, it is very interesting) ~1 hour If you have a spare 5-6 hours: Windsor Hampton Court Palace Both are a distance away from the centre but are really beautiful; we liked Hampton Court more because of its wonderful gardens The main disadvantage you will face in Nov is not the cold but the short daylight hours, so try to see the outdoor stuff in the day and leave shopping for the night Another note, if you will be there on a Sunday, check all tube closures beforehand, a very crucial line was closed for maintenance during our visit forcing us to change a lot of plans <em>edited by Arch on 09/10/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 October 2012 - 19:41
All I hope is congestion does not get too bad when they have to build bridges over SZR, Jumeirah and Wasl roads. Bur Dubai will become an island after the canal is completed !
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 October 2012 - 19:10
just one note about service fees; they have little correlation with the condition of one's place. Even if its a new building with no problems, service charges may be high and my understanding is that, in some properties at least, they are set arbitrarily and books are not open.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 October 2012 - 15:42
Its not Catch 22, the status quo is is to inconvenience the tenant all ways possible. Can anyone in Real Estate tell me: [i'>Who/what exactly is harmed by letting a prospective tenant know if fees were paid or not? What reason can there be to withhold this information unless it is to put the tenant in all sorts of trouble once he finds out after renting the place ?[/i'>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 October 2012 - 13:05
Why do such news articles distort things by saying "3 days holiday for private sector" when its possibly just 1 or 2 days because of the weekend ? :) There is a very small chance that Haj day will be Wednesday the 24th , in which case, holidays will be Wed/Th for both private and public
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 October 2012 - 09:58
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/trips-to-musandam-harder-with-stricter-uae-border-rules What i understand is that the procedure on the Omani side has remained the same, but there are some rules being enforced on the UAE side <em>edited by Arch on 07/10/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 October 2012 - 19:15
UAE should see this as a positive example. Just as it was easy to implement the well thought out "you gotta live where you work" law, the same should be for dress code. What does the residence law have to do with this? And its a law only for Abu Dhabi govt workers, not for private workers in Abu Dhabi nor Govt/private workers in other cities.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 15:34
Affordable employees, maybe? Most Asians are on similar payscales to Indians and Filipinos, some actually demand even less.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 15:27
What i find behind many of such ads and preferences is not exactly racism, but some grossly incorrect generalizations based on "nationality". You have some instances where you can understand preferences; like wanting a chef for his country's cuisine, or maybe a supervisor from the same country as technicians under him. But many weird permutations that you see often does not make sense; "Filipinos/Indians only", "westerners only", "South Africans/Australia/NZ only" and so on. In this case, what can a Filipino or Indian do that other Asians can not? Every now and then i hear stuff like "people from country X are this and people from country Y are that, and "how can you believe someone from country Z" Its like you meet 3 people from Poland who are not good in math, and thats it; for the rest of your life you will keep believing and saying Poles are not good in math <em>edited by Arch on 02/10/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2012 - 17:48
. I have come to believe that these taxis are getting cockier and ruder because they dont really get into any sort of trouble and are really above the rules. Surely he wouldn't have done that knowing I could/would report him? They have simply gotten much worse I think. My guess is that except for the most serious stuff, all they face is being handed a warning after being called to the office; which makes for good material when having tea. Otherwise they woudnt dare behave like that. I overheard a guy complaining about being propositioned by the driver and being assaulted after refusing. And yes, the driver said "complain, i not care" . <em>edited by Arch on 25/09/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 14:40
when are you travelling? HK is more "Asian" while Singapore is slightly more organized but sterile as well. Singapore is hot and humid (30-32C) all 12 months, while HK is really pleasant in October/November . Both are crowded places but i have a hunch Singapore will be less hassle simply because everything is more organized
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 09:49
If you are parking for a few days it is always better to park reverse as in case of a dead battery, it will be much easier to recharge it using another car
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 13:28
And this new ruling is a perfect example of why I would never buy property in the UAE. How will this affect those employees who bought in Dubai and will now no longer be able to finance their loan since their Allowance will be cut off. How are they supposed to up and leave? They will go through the hassle of renting their place out and then move to a new place. And they will feel worse if they had spent on decorating their home. And yes, DH was thinking of buying a property to live in with his allowance and the only reason he did not was : "what if they change some rule or the other tomorrow" I think the worse affected will be those with kids in Dubai schools.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 13:25
new infrastructure is being built. new hospitals coming along, [b'>lots of houses [/b'>etc etc. most of which is expensive. 1 beds at Saadiyat start at 130k+ I am doing a dubizzle search and the vast majority of 1 and 2 beds below 100k are shared apartments in villas far from downtown Abu Dhabi, you can understand why people used to living in independent apartments will not want to move to a shared villa, and that too far away from the city The only reasonably priced new development seem to be Reef, with no large malls nearby and it takes 40 minutes from there to some part deep in Abu Dhabi like Khalidiya Mall.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 13:21
but i do have to put up with the traffic which is definately coming from dubai direction. erm, once all the commuters move back, you will have to put up with the same traffic, and during evenings as well :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 12:18
People will have 1 year, and yesterday Gulf News mentioned that Semi govt companies werent sure whether they would be included in this or not
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 12:14
you just need to look at the amount of traffic jams coming in and out of the bridges in abu dhabi at rush hour, its a nitemare and it never used to be like .. Dont forget one thing: the traffic in the bridges is not because of Dubai commuters alone. Many newcomers to abu dhabi as well as existing residents there tend to move to the outskirts like Khalifa city, musaffah, Shahama, Raha. Reef etc. So if people move to those areas of Abu Dhabi, traffic in the actual highway will decrease, but in the entry points like Maqta bridge it will be as bad as before, maybe worse. I will give one example, if you enter Abu Dhabi through the new bridge to Salam street, the bulk of the traffic entering that road comes from the Musaffah side; it feels as if commuters entering that road from Dubai are in the minority. Similarly if you look at the bridge on Khaleej Arabi road, hardly any dubai resident uses it as its far away, but the bridge is always packed due to commuters from Officers city, Khalifa city and Musaffah
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 09:38
One crucial bit From today's news source [url=http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/dubai-issues-two-year-real-estate-investor-visa-2012-09-17-1.475751'>link[/url'> [u'>[b'> Dubai issues two-year real estate investor visa[/b'>[/u'> Informed sources told this website that owners of property valued over Dh1 million and [b'>having no mortgage on it [/b'>can approach the Dubai Land Department with the title deed along with a passport copy and passport size photograph. .
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 16:04
i have heard from people living there that they use a diferent material in the walls (gypsum or something ?) and the glasses are different as well to ensure residents dont get too disturbed . Apparently , said material is also tough to hammer nails in.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 10:25
Talking on a phone in a country with so many different cultures and languages dodgy choice and if an emergency how can you expect any medical professional or not to treat or diagnose over a phone line The official language in the UAE is Arabic; and English is a widely used business language. I do not think it is too much to expect that every worker answering a telephone, particularly in a hopsital ER, shoud be completely fluent in either of these 2 languages. I am sure every doctor here is fluent in either English or Arabic, and that should be the case for anyone answering a medical emergency line <em>edited by Arch on 16/09/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 10:22
I am glad your husband is ok; thats the main thing that matters :) But yes, hospitals should have people with medical awareness in both English and Arabic. Sometime back there were articles going round on how xyz speaks the best English and were thus preferred by employers which is all wrong to say the least; answering scripted questions does not make one excellent in English; one has to understand idioms or native English speakers as well, and in a medical setting, the difference can be very serious.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 September 2012 - 19:03
the official minimum speed is 60 kph, however during busy times 60 kph on SZR or EK Road is hazardous. As for "blocking" exits, it is not because they re going slow but because there is no minimum space between vehicles.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 September 2012 - 14:13
You can tell everyone is back from holidays. This mornings rush hour was horrendous cars weaving and driving bumper to bumper. I do wish the idiotic drivers would take more care on the roads as they put every other driver at risk. Very selfish people! edited by louisedvs on 10/09/2012 Those who drive weaving and out or at high speed think they are "better" drivers and that they will never be in an accident because they have been driving like that for x years and have not been in an accident
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 September 2012 - 14:09
hope no one innocent is hurt....
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 12:08
the following bit is surprising and sad... http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/victim-says-rera-could-have-helped Mr Hashem, who was among the tenants who met on Wednesday night at At Tayyal in The Greens to discuss a game plan, claimed Rera refused to disclose any information on Al Kouatly. [b'>"I told them I have rented his apartment and want to check if he is the real landlord. And they said they won't disclose this information. I even told them: 'I will tell you his name, you just tell me if he is the landlord. I don't want any more details.' But they refused.[/b'> "I argued with them saying if he is scamming me, how would I know? I was really p***** off. This could have been avoided if they had said he was not the landlord. Or if they had guided me on how to verify the ownership."
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 September 2012 - 08:14
i remember "Viewfinder", where you would insert discs to see 3d images of cartoons a Yamaha learning piano with 2 small cartridges; i heard some of the tunes i used to play as a child recently on youtube (like Londonderry air, la paloma, little brown jug...) and was in tears as i was hearing them after 20 years. Panini sticker books Buying rolls of of "brown paper" to cover all our school notebooks and transparent plastic paper to cover the textbooks (why on earth would we do that...), Mum would spend hours before every school year covering our books.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 September 2012 - 09:35
It is Tim Hortons, not a formal dining place nor a theatre so i dont think they had the right to complain. We were there 2 days back and the girls next to us were literally shouting their conversation, but no one said anything as it is an informal coffee place.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 September 2012 - 11:38
I think you should not be too compacent based on other people's good experiences. Dubai is a very safe place, but take ALL basic precautions you would in any city in this world.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 18:30
Concord has something like a dozen 1 bd floor plans, the smallest ones are small, but the largest ones are among the biggest 1 beds anywhere, ~1400 sq ft, and 55-60 is a very good rate IMO
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 13:15
I think the "local option" will lead to a 50000 dhs fine if you are ever caught, because the maid will be working for someone other than her sponsor
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 10:33
Oh also both DH and I would need to get onto SZR going towards Sharjah, not the other way. Don't know how this would impact which end we should be? Think we might do a test drive... Clusters O through X are bad during peak hours no matter which way you go on SZR or enter from There are 3 ways to get onto SZR from JLT, Clusters for Concorde, Bonnington and Icon can easily use exit in front of Icon without having to use the roundabout
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 10:28
I dont think you need to do a full circle to get to cluster Y, Its the first cluster as you enter so actually the fastest to get into. The only problem will be leaving JLT 530-7 as you have to go through the roundabout to exit
 
 
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