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Arch

Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 August 2012 - 08:01
It is a bit disheartening how even in supposedly mature newspapers, a news piece by a journalist is no different from a press release.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 26 August 2012 - 19:10
Eppco Enoc and Adnoc take it; Emarat does not For purchases above 100 dhs they require ID. But i was shocked when i saw the staff not just look at my id but take it and make a photocopy of the ID and the credit card, claiming it was "for security purpose". so i refused though they were surprised how someone could refuse to have their credit card and ID photocopied in an unsecured location :)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2012 - 10:02
they are in a new country probably only as far as 3 weeks back now... dealing with language barriers which is why they are probably speaking louder and clearer to try and be understood better... just doing their jobs in a foreign land with majority of foreign customers... RANT OVER Arent the other waiters also working in a "foreign land" with "foreign customers"?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2012 - 09:57
Just my opinion, but I really cannot see the logic or justification for the excuse they are "dealing with language barriers which is why they are probably speaking louder." So if someone is unfamiliar with a language the way to make them understand better is to speak to him louder? Would anyone from any culture understand any language they're not fluent in a whole lot better if the other person shouted at as if they’re idiots instead of speaking in a normal tone? Don't see that as very courteous either. Isnt that the whole "stereotype" ? That [i'>some[/i'> people from some countries go to foreign countries and repeat themselves louder thinking that this will lead to the foreign person magically understanding them. I can see there is a reason why this stereotype exists :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 August 2012 - 08:50
I think its just extremes at both sides which does not apply to all staff. "Some" staff here may be newcomers and too timid, scared ; as if working at Cheesecake is like working at a 5* Michelin and any mistake will mean being fired. OTTH some of the trainers may look at the above type and treat every new waiter like that by being patronizing and rude.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 August 2012 - 14:46
Apparently additional parking spots will be charged a whoping 8000 dhs in JLT Clusters. And the prize for the most misleading statement goes to: "Space is always limited, so every part will count," In Jlt there are clusters with maybe 600 spots and only 200 cars using them, who are they trying to fool by saying that space is "limited" when 400 spots are lying empty http://www.thenational.ae/business/property/jlt-tenants-anger-over-parking-row A 2 bed apt is given 1 space though most 2 bed residents have 2 cars, I am moving out of JLT regardless and charging 8000 for a spot only makes my decision even easier <em>edited by Arch on 12/08/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 July 2012 - 09:57
The best towers were supposed to be Green Lakes, Madina, and Tamweel/Seef, but have read about maintenance problems in Green lakes here. Arch is generally good with a wonderful location but have had water problems with 3 major outages in the last 3 weeks, and some cases of apartments in a floor flooding. Concorde has a huge variety of apartments, but people often seem to raise their eyebrows when they hear it, something wrong with it, just dont know what Other "good" towers are Palladium, Shera, Indigo, Lake Terrace, Lake View Bad ones include Dubai gate, Lake point/city. Icon seems to get both good and bad reviews <em>edited by Arch on 27/07/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 July 2012 - 12:20
Try to underplay some of your better qualifications: an admin job can involve a lot of yes-sirring, and someone overqualified may be overlooked by insecure bosses The UAE Experience bit is always a mystery to me; so many people have worked in the UAE for 5-10 years but are so inept in so many things that you wonder how they managed to get so far. There is no way someone will convince me that working here for few years automatically makes one better in her job through "UAE Experience". I can understand its need in some specific jobs involving knowledge of the system here , but for generic jobs it seems to be given too much importance
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 July 2012 - 11:21
Does Sulafa tower have good access to SZR? I thought its entrance was through a crowded half-dirt road and found the whole area of Sulara/Pinnacle very congested and potentially dangerous in terms of access for fire vehicles
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 July 2012 - 11:15
Another rule for the book, I am making myself really unpopular with agents as I run down to Dewa before any money changes hands to check they will allow the connection to be done, also to check how much is outstanding - or yet again the new tenant ends up paying. edited by Cornish Pixie on 25/07/2012 Thats great: so DEWA does let you know if anything is outstanding ? I dont see why agents should protest given that you are doing their job for them. Many of them dont check whether dewa or service charges are paid, do they expect that you pay 150k in 1 cheque and 8000 for their fees without doing any due diligence ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 July 2012 - 10:32
Some new rules were introduced wrt loans, allowing banks to ask for immediate repayment of the entire loan amount if you lose your job. Make sure it doesnt apply to home mortgages as otherwise you may be in a situation where you have to repay the mortgage amount [i'>without[/i'> selling the house
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 July 2012 - 10:26
thanks for letting us know. So another thing where tenants have to suffer the headache because of some landlords/developers not caring. Made me laugh when i read a piece in the papers claiming why landlords are justified in asking 1 cheque because they may not "trust" the tenant, who is going to speak about the tenant trusting the landlord when so many have been stung..
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 July 2012 - 13:54
or maybe write a review on tripadvisor in this day a restaurant which says its not their mistake if they serve metal bits inside food does not deserve any business
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 July 2012 - 18:33
Rents are high for various reasons, one tangible reason is that people overpaid for their apts, there are others but they are harder to describe.. Rents are high if we consider the average salary here, many people spend 20-30% of their total compensation on rent which is on the higher side globally, in 2008 it was even worse when crappy 1 bedrooms were renting for 100k. If you are coming from the US , Canada or some parts of Europe, the rents will strike you as high. OTTH, I am not sure if rents will feel high if comparing with Hong Kong or Singapore, where rents may be around the same but apt sizes will be smaller on average
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 July 2012 - 13:25
its possible they want to use the pics in brochures or advertising They dont have the right to do that though, and i would be very assertive in having the pics deleted, The fact that they didnt ask your permission means they were tryign to be sneaky about it and hope you dont notice and object
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 July 2012 - 12:26
those who moan about Dubai prices are probably not comparing it to western Europe or Australia, maybe to the US. Dubai is definitely not expensive if you consider eating out, gas, car prices etc But if you look at things like accommodation or schooling, its definitely more than most countries
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 July 2012 - 09:23
i do know there were restrictions placed on Iranian accounts. And there are some landlords from there (and many other countries), who buy apartments as a way of "parking" money, which is often black money, and never pay service charges. When i was looking for an apt 2 years back, a number of the apts that were shown to me did not have charges paid and the owners were all in Iran.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 July 2012 - 13:51
of course the claim that several warnings were given comes from........the party that gave the warnings ! What is the boat's version of the events ?
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 July 2012 - 12:16
I hate to suggest more controls, but maybe this is one place where its needed: Given we have NOC's for every other thing, maybe landlords should have to produce a NOC from the developer stating that fees were paid for that year. Its insane how tenants have to suffer because of some landlords who want to get away with not paying their share
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 July 2012 - 09:48
I think what has happened is the same as elsewhere: the very rich have gotten even richer (dont know if they are happier for it). Just check how luxury car sales have soared .. However, everyone else is finding it more and more expensive. And for those of us renting, the continued atempt by agents and landlords to increase rents claiming "all is well" is a bit disconcerting as well And as expats, the biggest worry is the lack of stablity, where everything is tied to a job unless you own a business.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 July 2012 - 09:15
Blue skies 364 days a year [b'>I guess you should say its yellow sky 364 days a year not blue.. its only blue if it rains. the sky is always yellowish from the dust.. ;) quote'> beat me to it, i rarely find the sky blue except in Nov/Dec/Jan Its mostly whitish and dusty That said, the relatively dry winters we had last few years has made me so bored of the clear skies, what wouldnt i give for rain on 9-10 days in a year instead of 2 days.....
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 July 2012 - 12:24
[b'>According to the scholars, blood money is only applicable in a case of deliberate murder. This is according to the Sharia.[/b'> If this was deliberate murder, he would be either handed death sentence or the option of blood money. If he's broke, the family will pay. Which in this case wasn't ruled as such, and I don't know if the court could order the convicted to pay for all damages caused to the family since the girl was the family bread winner. Marroosh, a bus driver in Dubai is in jail because he cant afford the blood money to be paid to th epassenger of a bus which crashed after a tyre burst. So the death of the passenger was definitely not deliberate. There are cases where people have to pay blood money to pedestrians they hit, even if it was not deliberate So blood money is definitely not something used only in cases of deliberate murder
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 July 2012 - 13:37
i bought one 3 weeks back from park n shop in al wasl road, seemed to have stock
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 July 2012 - 11:18
most of the "good" places specialize in thin crust; does anyone know places that have really good deep dish or pan pizza ? And not Pizzeria Uno :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 July 2012 - 19:55
the article seems to be talking up the situation. if tenants refuse to pay in 1 cheque, most landlords would have to accept 2-4 instead of waiting for 2 months for a 1 chq tenant. Of course agents/landlords may always bluff and pretend everyone is paying 1 chq but tenants should stand their ground , unless of course they are getting an annual allowance.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 July 2012 - 19:29
as one other said, this delusional belief that tenants should pay in 1 cheque is responsible for a lot of the mess. Maybe tenants should refuse to pay 1 cheque unless the landlord can prove payment of all service fees
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 July 2012 - 10:58
By the same standards; I presume you lovely ladies will be cancelling your shop 'n' ship accounts and buying local from now on? not a particularly valid comparison Many people use shop n ship to buy something which is the same as the item sold here but with a ridiculous mark-up. Or to buy something which is not available here for whatever reason. I am sure when buying "local" means better quality stuff, people will buy it. <em>edited by Arch on 08/07/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 July 2012 - 15:47
its a myth that 4wds are safer because they are higher, on the contrary, they have higher chance of rolling over. If you will be clocking 250km + everyday, it doesnt make sense to buy a new cars and have 130000 km on it in a couple of years . Try looking for a large American sedan/4wd which is 2-3 yrs old. As American cars tend to depreciate faster, one which is is 2 yrs old will be cheaper than the Japanese equivalent even if its in good condition., on top of that i find them more comfortable for your long rides. So maybe a 2-3 yr old Chevrolet Lumina/Dodge Durango/Charger
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 July 2012 - 01:30
either Wadi Doayan or Bait Mandi
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 July 2012 - 09:30
I dont think appt dates depend on nationality. There is a number you can call (for a 1 hour window at 2 or 3 pm), and they generally always answer .
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 July 2012 - 09:28
When we moved to DXB, we decided against Tecom in favor of JLT for a number of reasons 1) The whole area had a very dark and lifeless vibe. One reason is that relatively few buildings had shops downstairs, though that is changing 2) If you work anywhere south of Tecom (Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi), you cant get directly on to SZR 3) Similarly when entering Tecom there is only 1 lane that enters the whole Tecom/Greens/Hessa St area, which leads to long lines at 6pm That said Tecom apts were generally cheaper and there were no AC Charges in most of them.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2012 - 14:34
A lot of drivers, including thie minibus drivers have a very casual attitude to driving badly, if pulled over, the fine they get is probably a laughing matter when having tea with friends; maybe people who drive like nutcases or swerve in and out should be fined 3 months salary ?
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2012 - 14:30
just spoken to DH he was on way to AD this morn I asked him about crash he said it happened just ahead of him he said there were two Group four vans driving like idiots in the fast lane that passed him and low and behold bit further up the road they had crashed and another car that had been right on their tail one person climbing out of back window he managed to get past felt sick it could have been him involved in that crash through some ****** idiots He is going to call G4 to tell them it was their drivers that were probably responsible Often when accidents happen, the one who was driving like a maniac will say "i swear i was driving safely, i dont know what happened", and if he is injured, people will be likely to give him the benefit of the doubt. Its when the guilty party injures the other without getting hurt himself that people dont believe him
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2012 - 13:38
there were 2 accidents within 1 km of each other. The later one was a flipped over microbus The first one was bizarre and more serius, 2 cars, a Yaris and G4 van both had crashed into the divider head on; it looked like front seat passengers would be very seriously injured. I couldnt imagine what combination of collisions would lead to 2 cars both crashed perpendicular to the direction of travel. The good sign was the medics were running about, which means the occupants were alive. And yes people dont learn, withint 10 minutes of the accident site, some people were swerving in and out of lanes at 150 kph <em>edited by Arch on 03/07/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 July 2012 - 18:30
Having spent a lot of time here, i can pretty much understand what the other driver is thinking most of the times. Around 30%, it is a case of : "I am more important than this person, he/she drives car of brand A/B/C and from country X/Z which makes him/her a lower person than me so i will drive rudely as i dont need to show "respect" Another 30% it is a case of "i dont care, i do what i want, of course if i see a police car, i will all in line and follow the rules, but really, i dont care" The rest are a number of mindsets of "its all destiny" to "i have driven like a maniac for 10 years and never had an accident so its ok" to "various others. In this case, its likely a case of the first mentality or the 3rd (i have driven so close to cars for 10 years and never had an accident so its ok" And no, i dont drive like a maniac :) edited by Arch on 02/07/2012 <em>edited by Arch on 02/07/2012</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 July 2012 - 14:15
not illegal, but you can always refuse to pay more than 5% as that is the standard.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 June 2012 - 16:38
There are anti jaywalking campaigns which are all good, particularly when people cross in roads where cars go at 80 km/h However dont forget that 1) Sometimes there are no crossings within 1 km , its all good for us to lecture on how one should walk to the crossing, but at 1pm in June , not everyone may be able to walk 1km. 2) Even where there are crossings, many drivers dont respect them, in some cases a car stopping for pedestrians is honked at from behind.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 June 2012 - 19:50
Good towers: shera, lake terrace, v3, madina, green lakes, arch, seef However madina, green lakes and seef all face traffic issues reaching them between 5-7pm Not so good places: dubai gate, lake point, lake city
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 June 2012 - 14:11
I have heard this rumor from teaboys, who were adamant many people were being fined for not crossing from designated spots.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 June 2012 - 09:38
i just hope that when you go to re register they dont ask you to 1) Take Elife, else your mobile number will be cancelled 2) provide entry stamps to prove you are using your mobile at least 5 months out of 6 3) ask for mobile call records to prove you are spending at least 50 dhs every month on it
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2012 - 15:18
A north facing window is not good in cold areas, but in the Gulf such rooms are coolest !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2012 - 15:16
Is this the same Enterprise that is so popular in the US? Or is it someone who copied their logo?
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2012 - 15:08
Welcome to the latest shill member :)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 June 2012 - 10:56
June and July are probably the 2 busiest months for malls in Dubai so its a shame that they are doing this now, when it could have been done during March-April or Sep-Oct. During cooler times its also easier to use Metro or park far away but not now !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2012 - 09:35
http://www.7daysindubai.com/Cheeky-youngsters-took-antics-far-8230/story-16338578-detail/story.html
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 June 2012 - 14:13
There is a Prince Residence and a Somerset Ampang (?) both of which has large apartments The latter is near the British HC and not walking distance from main tourist areas but the location is otherwise very good. As for hotels, Chulan, Westin, Mandarin Orienta, ShangriLa are all good
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2012 - 15:44
While the tenant should pay consumption charges, it doesnt make sense for the tenant to pay capacity charges. And even if the landlord "has to pay", its the tenants headache, a landlord can refuse to pay service fees as well, its the tenant that suffers.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2012 - 12:19
Why is one racist and not the other? If wanting tanned skin is not due to races of darker skin tone being more superior, then can wanting lighter skin automatically only be due to races with lighter skin being more superior? I am not sure about your culture: but in Asian culture at least, lighter skin is considered more superior, and those who use stuff like "Fair and lovely" do so because they believe fairer skin is "superior".... With globalization, people are changing though and i am sure less people are obsessed with skin whitening than 20 years back,
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2012 - 11:49
In some cultures, fairness is seen as more important than most other things: so much so that i have seen comparisons being made where the fairer person who happens to be (no offence), buck toothed and out of shape is considered prettier than a darker skinned girl who has a very pretty face and figure....
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 June 2012 - 11:11
How frequently do you think you need the 3rd for visitors etc.? If you need it now and then, go for the Armada, the 3rd row is much better than the cramped 3rd row in the Pathfinder. The pathfinder is very capable but the Armada has more road presence and judging by the prehistoric mindsets of some drivers, will earn you more "respect" (i.e. less cutting off, less flashing ) as your Armada will be among the largest cars on the road, while many SUVs are same size or larger than the Pathfinder . All Nissan cars/SUVs i have been have had great ACs so dont think AC will be a difference between the 2 <em>edited by Arch on 04/06/2012</em>
 
 
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