Arch | ExpatWoman.com
 

Arch

Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 August 2011 - 11:00
dont blame you for being cranky, the mindset here in the uae is archaic when it comes to pain relief and depression! Maybe because some of the doctors are from countries where depression is not recognized yet ? You have nearby countries where doctors cut off ears of anti govt people, and perform virginity tests on anti govt protestors. They are doctors who have taken the oath supposedly, but forget it for whatever reason, so i wouldnt be too confident with some of them !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 August 2011 - 10:54
I am wondering what are the criterion used when deciding a medicine is a narcotic, is it something that causes addiction or is harmful or ..? <em>edited by Arch on 08/08/2011</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 August 2011 - 09:44
We stayed in Istanbul last year and LOVED it. We were travelling with three small children (5, 3 and &lt;1) and stayed at a small, family-run hotel in Sultanahmet... http://www.saruhanhotel.com/ It's small and basic but clean, comfortable, affordable and close to everything. It's about a one minute walk from Kucuk Aya Sophia with it's lovely local artisans and tea house; lots of great local shops and restaurants and ten mins (uphill!) walk to Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque etc. The hotel has a lovely top floor terrace where they serve breakfast overlooking the water. *sigh* We stayed at Saruhan last September ! We liked it, however, it is a bit far from the main sights, and it is an uphill climb to the main sights as you saidIt is in a residential area too, so you wont find many tourists. The rooms are very well aired and nice though, and the people are nice too. The best part was the rooftop breakfast. I will personally recommend Sirkeci area, that area is between Sultanahmet and the modern part of the town, there are a number of good hotels there ,including Erboy, Maywood and Best Town.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 23:52
Istanbul is a city with probably 3 times as many people as entire Jordan, and is quite different as well. Anyways most tourists stay either in Sultanahmer or Beyoglu Sultanahmet is the old part of the city, hotels are small, as are the streets but you are within 10 minutes of most historical sights. Beyoglu is the modern part of the city, with a whole very lively street called Istiklal running down one side
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 14:11
Yes, that's part of it. Unfortunately, the reality is that we ought to be paying much, much more than we do now. Water desalination is extremely expensive and environmentally damaging because of the amount of fossil fuel you have to burn to make it happen, but if you're going to invite millions of people to come and live in an arid desert area, you have to provide them with water somehow. DEWA really needs to raise its prices by much, much more, but of course it can't, because that would make it impossible for most people to afford to live here. Well if people didnt find it cheap enough to water their driveways every other day, maybe DEWA would find it easier to meet demand ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 14:09
Debateble if it's drinkable Yes, because Brits are collapsing left, right and centre due to illness spread by undrinkable tap water, aren't they? and it's only cold cos the weather is so awful. Yes, because 45C and high humidity during the summer here is just ideal weather, isn't it? Good grief. Yes, thats 360 days of lovely sunshine while 18C is horrible awful cold weather.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 12:15
It really irks me since most of the clients are poor people with no voice and this is obviously how they are used to treating people! That is a key point. When i was at aa driving school few years back, even supposedly legitimate requests made by poor learners would be brushed off if the workers were busy and if they didnt listen, some guy would yell in Arabic to move away. So they think they can try that modus operandi with everyone.....
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 12:12
On a side note, read the small print as it clearly states that there will be no refunds for whatever reason, which is why you shouldn't pay upfront with these schools. Pay as you go. Thats understood. What The OP said is they want her to pay 4000 dhs which she hasnt paid yet if she wants her son to learn elsewhere. This is because the other place wont take her until the current one have "released " him. I think the OP knows the deposit is gone, but why are they demanding 4000 k extra ??
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 11:22
Sorry to hear about this; hope it works out in the end On another note, what is important is not that your son was left 3 times in the sun without being picked up, what matters is that the driving company should not be offended, so dont mention their name at any cost, their reputation should be intact regardless of howbadly they mess up because they are a company of honor And as for releasing him, i dotn get it, why are so many companies here obsessed about releases and no objections etc I would dread if hotels, restaurants, airlines all started it, you cannot be "released" from an airline and allowed to book anywhere else. Its insane that a driving company feels it as a right to have so much control over your sons life. <em>edited by Arch on 07/08/2011</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 10:56
RIP Overheard in McDonalds :( Not necessary; as long as we avoid naming actual shops
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 10:04
The name and shame drivers part being illegal is a bit understandable. What I am more concerned is that [b'>complaining about customer service is illegal[/b'> Apparently it "damages their reputation" I never get it; it is ok for an organization or bank or shop to treat you like s***, take your money and not provide proper service etc etc. But anyone who mentions it is "damaging their reputation" and therefore liable to be jailed??? Am i the only one who thinks that providing bad service is what damages their reputation and not people talking about it ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 August 2011 - 17:54
In reality the S&P's downgrade shouldn mean much; these were the same people maintaining AAA ratings for Enron, CDS etc. However investors and people in general love to panic, so many people are trying to talk the market down....
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 August 2011 - 17:48
In my experience there are more families in DG than single people and I find it unbelievable that this occurred to you at all but particularly when you were with your husband. . Cyclone, you lived in Zen which is one of the better parts of DG. However other parts do have problems with single men and here is an article with quotes from people who lived there and are not just visitors http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/2.1735/discovery-gardens-strains-under-bachelor-influx-1.692305
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 August 2011 - 15:50
Dont forget the clusters as well; Zen is closest to SZR, and has many eateries and seems to be nice. Mogul or the more remote ones, i.e. buildings near Khail road seem to be quieter and may actually have single workers. i never noticed that many single workers near Zen and i know families who are happy there
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 August 2011 - 12:36
A pane in our bedroom broke similarly 5 months back and no signs of any repair even though LL said we wont have to pay for it
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 August 2011 - 12:34
In DG, your building is very important even if they all look alike. Some are great, others are not because there are 6 people in every room or there are laborers living next building. So best would be to ask tenants of a building what they think of it In JLT, the one way roads are a problem only if you live from clusters O to X, and that too only between 530 and 7 pm (and 9 am during Ramadan)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 August 2011 - 10:23
Goodbye, all the best and may you have an even better time in Singapore !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 August 2011 - 09:50
I think its the same one. I have always wanted to go and see the house for myself now that they have a picture i will try to track it down and see it at least from outside
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 August 2011 - 14:16
Not yet....was hoping for it to come before the summer, but no signs at all
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 August 2011 - 10:27
I am not defending your maid and whatever she said to your daughter is unforgivable, especially at her age. However, it seems that this comment is quite popular for them and they say this to everyone bigger than themselves. There are a couple of very interesting threads on EW debating about this fact. I was just about to say the same. It's a cultural thing and not meant in any way to be insulting, just a figure of speech. You are wrong. Some people of that nationality often try to put others down by calling them fat or claiming that their English is the best. (Gulf News had many raging comments from Filipinos recently on how they are not recognized for being the best workers in the UAE and the best speakers of English) There have been many accounts of normal ladies being called fat by them just because they are not 5 foot tall and 40 kg. And i have no doubt the comment was not a cultural misunderstanding. There is a blog called DubaiSally written my a maid or someone pretending to be a maid. Reagrdless of who the writer is, many times the maid claims she does things spitefully but her employers think its just a mistake.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 August 2011 - 11:22
i was thinking it was a scam/virus but apparently its not !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 14:21
I will add that even though its Ramadan, send CV's as much as you can. I personally was frustated when 6 months of sending CV's didnt bring any result, and then i ended up having my interview and getting hired, all in Ramadan. So even though pace of work slows down, there might always be someone who finds extra time in Ramadan to go through CV's and inetrviews you !
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 14:18
what nationality are you? hate to say this but if you are white you are probably not going to get employed in this field - most CAD techs are Filipino - they are[b'> cheap [/b'>and good, so no need to pay Western salaries.... (sorry to say that) More of the part in bold, than being actually good. Plus it always helps to have people who would not voice any grievance even if salaries are delayed or not given
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 00:45
I I now have true friends from UAE, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, India, Sri Lanka, China, Ukraine, Macedonia, Romania, Italy, UK, Russia, Bali, Spain and more. Interestingly I have gravitated towards cultures different from my own, even though there are a lot of Aussies, Brits, Americans here. I guess if I wanted those cultures around me, I would just stay at home. I have to give it to her; she is very good in making friends. 95% of people here wouldnt have true friends from 15 countries, they would probably have true friends from 2 or 3 countries at the most.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 00:41
If you are the kind of person who sits around and complains about your life at home, then most likely you will continue to do the same here. I've found that it takes a certain kind of person to be a happy ex-pat in any country. You need to be able to adapt. You need to be above average in your profession and have a good work ethic. You need to be a social person. You need to be able to do more than just respect another culture, you need to be able to willingly embrace it. And you should check any racism at the airport. As far as being a "happy" expat is concerned, tt also helps being good at turning a blind eye to s*** and adopt a "life is great, i have a maid, a large SUV, a villa, screw everyone else" Of course there are some perennial moaners who wil moan about 45 C summers in Dubai and -10 winters in Chicago, but the healthiest people are those who dont pretend all is well just because their own lives are, and those that dont pretend to not notice anything wrong, simply because it will spoil their great lives.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 July 2011 - 15:44
Would you recommend Dr Madhu for root canals ?
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 July 2011 - 10:40
Maybe its summer, and things are slow? Dont worry, just keep trying , I am sure you will get responses soon !
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 July 2011 - 09:43
Progress rent a car was offering Galant 2.4l for 2400 dhs a month with unlimited mileage, small Lancers were around 1800 National rent a car are giving Ford Mondeos at 2400 and Ford Focus at 1800 but with a monthly limit of 4000 km
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 July 2011 - 10:36
There are 2 sides who are being cheap and mean: The agency The company hiring the workers You are an innocent victim What is sad is the workers will also suffer through no fault. The employer should be forced to ensure that he doesnt keep staff like cattle.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 July 2011 - 10:33
the standard agency fee for a renewal is 2000 aed , which is better since ur contract will be covered by RERA in case of any issues. But have never heard of landlords themselves charging anything. Its better to get it done through an agency i feel I dont think agency renewing contract leads to automatic coverage by RERA For RERA to cover you, the landlord needs to to register the contract with RERA by a system called EJARI. The fee is 300 dhs , so 2000 dhs is a ripoff. [b'>There is no way a tenant should pay 2000 dhs for a service which costs 300 dhs or less[/b'>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 13:53
I'm curious - do these scammers only target westerners or anyone? The Italian suit seller targets mostly westerners The 'bandaged arm" conman targets most people While i would be inclined to believe that the "Holy man" conman targets only Indians
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 11:58
The 1 cheque thing does surprise me a bit, some agents claim everyone pays 1 or 2 cheques, which is a lie as the average nowadays is 4 cheques. I am surprised though by the number of landlords who want 80 or 100 k in 1, and if they are very kind, in 2 cheques. When you ask for 4 cheques, the reaction is as if you are asking to stay for 3 months free ! Some agents would literally screech" no way, impossible, the landlord wants 1 cheque or else the apt will be empty" the moment they would hear "4 che..." from my mouth
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 11:53
Mirdiff CC will be the closest
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 11:17
We have had our car hit twice in Dubai malls parking in the last 6 months First time it was a 2 foot long scratch Second time it was a huge dent but a smaller scratch The OP is very lucky the offender was a somewhat honest person. I dont know why police dont pursue the offenders by checking CCTV, they should be fined a few thousand dhs for fleeing the scene of an accident ! <em>edited by Arch on 18/07/2011</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 July 2011 - 11:15
I dont think so. Our parked car was hit by another car in Dubai mall, and when we called 999 we were told to go to Bur Dubai police station. The security people at the Mall also told us to call 999 and said there was no police station there. City center has a police center in the parking area from what i have seen. On 2nd thoughts, Dubai mall should definitely have a police station but i dont think they will deal with hit/run cases, they are probably for more serious issues <em>edited by Arch on 18/07/2011</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 July 2011 - 11:13
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/technical-problems-scupper-etihad-s-super-sale-on-fares-410260.html Etihad Airways was forced to apologise on Wednesday night after a two-hour air fare sale was scuppered by website technical difficulties. The sale, which promised discounts of up to 70 percent on fares from the UAE to destinations across Europe and the GCC, was scheduled to take place between 8-10pm. But the airline, the national carrier of the UAE, was forced to tweet an apology to customers about a quarter of the way through the sale when the Etihad Airways website crashed. It said: "Really sorry about our website being down. Seems to have succumb to the huge load of traffic from the super sale. Please bear with us."
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 July 2011 - 08:46
It was a joke, i would love to know how many people actually managed to buy a ticket between 8 and 10 pm
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 July 2011 - 08:44
I can help on the hotels part: In KL, hotels are quite cheap and the best hotels you can get include are Mandarin Oriental, which is right next tot he Petronas towers, or the Hilton, which is next to the train station but far away from other stuff. The Shangri LA is a bit old but is among the best hotels as well, it is around 10 minutes from the Petronas towers In Singapore, you have: Mandarin Oriental, Pac Pacific , Shangri La, all of which may be costlier than in KL, but each offers excellent service Raffles is probably the most famous hotel, but it will also be the most expensive
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 15:20
Which makes me think that maybe this region is not big on reading. Very true. When I was young and living in Abu Dhabi, the only bookstore of note was All Prints, and it was about the size of Magrudys at Jumeirah road.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 15:13
Online, I-pads, i-phones...Books are almost obsolete. And have to agree with the prices being too high too. For me personally, nothing beats being able to hold a book , feel it, smell it (sometimes!), and then read it :)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 13:27
Personally I always preferred Magrudys to Borders; firstly books which i like to buy like travel guides were always cheaper at Magrudys and newer editions were always available 6 months before they appeared in Borders. Where Borders won was having nice comfy chairs :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2011 - 09:56
We have been buying from groceries and its either Masafi, Al Ain or Arwa. Nestle sometimes, but it tastes blander. jeema is the blandest and we never haev that Masafi is supposed to be the only |Natural Spring water", the others are all "Bottled water" . Arwa is supposedly lighter for children <em>edited by Arch on 13/07/2011</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 July 2011 - 15:53
Nairobi if you are into safaris, but they may require planning well ahead of time. Or Istanbul maybe, should be cooler (mostly in high 20's and low 30s) than Beirut In fact i just saw Beiruts forecast and they are forecasting mid to high 30's for next 5 days so it wont be cooler than Dubai by much
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 July 2011 - 08:34
Best choice would be to book with the hotel Booking.com is next best, however there is a potential problem with them. If ones cancels a number of time over a period fo time, they block your email address and credit card from being used. We had a number of trips which we had to cancel for one reason or another, and the Card and user account got blocked. Hotels.com and expedia.com are popular but they almost always charge your card at the time of booking
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 July 2011 - 09:34
Personally i wouldnt use Cobone for renting a car. I will use it for purchases (dinners etc) but not for rentals. This is because in a car rental you have to give a deposit, and companies which allow you to get a low rate using Cobone may try to screw you with the deposit by claiming damage or delaying return of the deposit
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 11:55
Advice for anyone renting a car; particularly long term; Make sure every, and i mean every scratch and even off white stains on the seat are mentioned in the vehicle check in list. My car had some slight stains on the back seats, and even though no one sat there, the company is trying to fine me. And the guy who gave the vehicle said it was not a big thing so he wouldnt mention it, but when returning the car, it becomes a "big thing" all of a sudden ....
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 July 2011 - 10:31
The 2 easiest ENOC wash stations to find are on Oud Metha road. On SZR going towars Garhouhd bridge near Wafi, you just have to take the exit towards Al Ain , that road will be Oud Metha. On that road there are 2 on both sides of the road; the one easier to enter if coming from SZR will be opposite Wasl Hospital/Club You cant miss it, there are no buildings on that road, so the stations kind of stands out. There is another one on the road leading from Airport to Festival City (but dont know name of that road!) I like ENOC wash stations as most of them have food outlets apart from the usual BKing or McD. The ones I mentioned have Wendys/Texas Chicken/Subway and others between them <em>edited by Arch on 06/07/2011</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 15:00
I would do cars and hotels Dont miss the drive from San Francisco to Big Sur, I would set aside a day for that. Personally i feel that there is so much to see in CA, that i would leave out Grand Canyon for another trip. You have natural sights (Yosemite, Lake Tahoe) and 3 great cities (SF,LA,San Diego). You might be able to enjoy it all if you stay for 10-14 days
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 July 2011 - 08:49
Just used Progress Rent a Car, they offered good rates for the summer You can also try National rent a car, they are quite professional, have many branches, have clean and new cars, and were offering a Ford focus for 1800 a month in summer Do ask about any mileage restrictions for monthly hires (most cos. have a limit of 4 or 5k km a month)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 July 2011 - 08:56
Some taxi drivers will try to rip you off no matter what; and yes, they do it in most cities. As for asking for coins, i can understand if the bill is 11, and i pay with 15 or 20, but its annoying when the bill is 33 or 44 and still i get asked "Maam, its only 4, do you have change" No, I dont, and i gave you a 50 !
 
 
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