Arch | ExpatWoman.com
 

Arch

Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 10:17
My property owner who owns more than a dozen units has half of them on the market and has reduced asking prices this month . I think there is a fear that non-prime properties will not continue rising 30% every year
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 08:41
Is the child expected to complete 4 years by December or by the end of the academic year (May/June) ? From the article: [i'>"The children must complete four years of age by the end of the academic year. "[/i'>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 May 2014 - 11:26
There is a Afghan Kebab opposite Dubai Bowling Centre. That place has good Kababs, with portion sizes being more than enough for 2. The only pity is they do not offer Bolani
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 May 2014 - 11:25
. The only challenge is parking so recommend that your flat comes with an allocated space. it is sad considering JLT is one of few areas in Dubai built with more than enough parking. The parking "problem" is manufactured to force people to buy slots
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 10:00
A lot of the accidents on Umm Suqueim and Hessa street happen because cars are speeding between radars and then slamming on brakes as they pass the radars. . One of the reasons such things happen is when a speed limit is set artificially low for an area, which IMO is the case on Hessa Street You generally do not see people going above limit on Wasl Road and then slamming their brakes as often as they do in Hessa road, as the former is a 2 lane road with a limit of 60 or 70 and the latter is a wide 4 lane motorway with a limit of only 80.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 08:50
Speed bumps are dangerous and inefficient on large roads like Umm Suqeim. We have overspeeding on Shaikh Zayed road as well, so should we have speed bumps there?
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 11:29
[Perhaps the agents aren't aware that the apartment comes unfurnished? I Given the number of times they called me and the amount of time they spent in our place, they had plenty of opportunities to ask. But given that they did not, I am guessing it is one of ther bait and switch schemes, where they will tell the buyer later on "oh sorry, it is not furnished"
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 10:56
Minimum IQ would be better. Definitely, given that the worst driving is seen among both old cars as well as new expensive ones.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 09:49
Not only have some pictures of our place been posted online, some of the companies have taken the pains to mention "fully furnished with good quality furniture" when the apartment came without even any white goods I thought of alerting the owner who is abroad, and then thought it would be better to mention the fact that it is not furnished directly to any viewers who come by so that those agents get embarassed.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 16:21
http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/traffic-update-crash-blocks-al-safa-exit-to-dubai-s-sheikh-zayed-road-truck-flips-over-in-sharjah-2014-05-11-1.548631 A truck and minivan both flipped over today in Sharjah and Dubai.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 12:06
The typical price for a US bound flight, either to Washington or Atlanta or New York used to be consistently around $1,000-$1,200 depending on the airline but suddenly this year they're all up at $1,400-1,800, even during the summer months, which should be the cheapest time to travel in/out of Dubai. Not really. Traditionally Dubai - USA flights have always been expensive June-August and in December and Thanksgiving Week. They are typically cheaper in September and February through April.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 10:08
Sadly sourskittleashnut, the ground staff were in the wrong! Children, disabled people, elderly etc aren't allowed to sit next to door seats. In an emergency you need an able bodied person to be able to open it. I'm not doubting that we shouldnt have been given those seats it makes sense for safety, my complaint was a) no one said anything initially even though they all saw us sitting there a while, served us hand towels etc b) the way the staff panicked b) made me get up on a moving plane carrying a child as if that's safer They ground staff as well as the steward both made mistaked and that is why they panicked. As with so many people, when they screw up they act aggressive so that you think it is your fault. Cabin crew are supposed to check the entire cabin [b'>before the plane even moves[/b'>, to see that no baby etc are on an emergency row They clearly did not do that, and then the steward panicked because of his own incompetence. what would have been right was for the steward to come over later, and apologize that it was their mistake for not checking beforehand and that they were sorry for panicking. <em>edited by Arch on 11/05/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 09:37
Emirates does not care about us UAE residents. Their main focus seems to be transporting people to and from the Far East and the Indian subcontinent to places outside of the UAE. They are clearly successful in their strategy as evidenced by the number of Far East Asians stopping in Dubai on their way to Europe and Africa... True Emirates pricing is targetted towards attracting people from other countries [i'>transitting[/i'> Dubai to go to other countries. That is why 1) Prices for itineraries leaving Dubai are so much higher 2) There is often little fare difference between a flight from the US or Far East to Dubai, and a flight from the US to the Far east via Dubai, or Europe to Africa via Dubai, even though the latter 2 can be twice the mileage of a simple return flight to Dubai.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 May 2014 - 17:15
I'm going to go against the grain here and say if I was viewing a property with the intention of purchasing it, I would want to look in every nook and cranny. I wouldn't buy anywhere where I was told I couldn't look inside the cupboards - not to pry at people's possessions but I would want to know sizes, if there's water damage, mould, etc. . I would have been more sympathetic if it were buyers looking to buy a place for themselves. But they were agents, (based on their business cards), and were buying it for an "investor" who was planning to buy a few units in the building.So the obsessive photo clicking and opening cabinet doors got on my nerves
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 May 2014 - 19:57
None of the buildings built before 2010 in central Abu dhabi (markaziyah) have chiller fees
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 May 2014 - 19:48
I meant etiquette that the tenant can enforce. For e.g. I told them to take off their shoes and not to open cabinets. Would it be right to stop them from taking any pictures?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 May 2014 - 12:42
we get our from the fruit market nn Emirates road Not even Alphonso mangoes can justify the drive to Bur Dubai :) From anywhere south of the Greens it is faster to go to the fruit market than to Bur Dubai in afternoon traffic
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 09:51
Prado has terrible handling thou... Most real SUVs like Prado, LC, Patrol will have poor handling The crossovers are better for handling , e.g. Explorer, Q7, Q5, Touareg, Lexus RX
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 09:50
why such a big 4x4 when not needing it for offroad? I know petrol does not cost anything here, but should we not think about the environement!? Then let us all drive Nissan Micras. In an environment where, smaller cars are treated with disdain by other drivers with scant regard for their safety, i fully understand people who get larger cars.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 09:49
Decisions - need to sort out a 4x4 - currently had pajero for 3 years & have been v happy with it but after a change - anyone any feedback on prado / landcruiser / lexus - or others? Prado is good and LC is a larger version of it Lexus 570 is very expensive, 300k+, while GX is cheaper but is the same as the Prado with Lexus badge Patrol is a good option at ~200k. Prado is very similar to Pajero. You can also look at crossovers
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 14:35
In other countries, artificially low speed limits are often placed due to potential revenue from fines rather than any actual concern for safety. Having a 4 lane freeway and then placing a limt of 80 kph only slows down traffic and makes drivers frustrated and more likely to speed in other areas. If drivers drove with common sense, then 140 is no dangerous than 120
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 13:56
I Everything in Dubai is going up apart from profits (because we now have to pay more for everything else!). 2020 means nothing to most of us. Time to get a grip on fact, not fantasy. Of course when people were pointing this bit a few months back they were accused here of being negative, not celebrating a great achievement etc etc
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 11:40
The good news is that actual renting prices have not increased that much over last few months in many areas.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 14:14
Strange, I can't see Arch's response. . Deleted it ... :)
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 08:49
huh ? doesnt make sense sorry .. recruitment fees are paid by companies not employees so why would employees be expected to pay ? sorry dont see the point of this post ! Of course it makes sense. It was suggested that a maid resigning should pay back visa costs paid by the employer Visa costs paid for a maid are similar to headhunter fees, they are both paid by the employer. Just as a normal employee would not pay back hedahunter fees, a maid should not have to pay back visa and recruitment fees
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 08:47
Outside of the UAE how would this be handled? To even discuss or justify banning someone makes my skin crawl, I think as a society we can do better. edited by Prettyperfect on 30/04/2014 You can imagine people talk about such stuff back in their home country; "so we had a maid who resigned before her contract ended and that is why we banned her from working for a year. You have to be tough with such sorts you know, give them an inch, they will take a mile" Of course they won't put it like that because the reactions will likely not be positive.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 08:41
I disagree; she has signed a year long contract - that is her commitment and there should be consequences for not keeping to her commitment. If i signed a year long contract and after 7 months decided it wasn't for me, there would be consequence. Are you saying that because she is a maid that she should not be held to the same eithical standards as other people? Ethical standards? Are we living in a world where resigning before a contract is a crime? Do not forget that an employer of a maid or staff in a company is always free to terminate staff before their contract ends and give them a severance package. Employees should have the same right with some conditions in reverse such as paying back some amount etc. But a ban which effectively is stopping a person's ability to earn ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 08:35
Agree if she is willing to pay back pro rota visa costs etc.... otherwise ban and not as a vengenful act but to stop other famallies suffering the same fate. Are office employees expected to pay back headhunter recruitment fees if they resign before the contract is over?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2014 - 22:54
. Unlike most of us professional woman a ban on a domestic worker is a ban on her family, her kids etc. It is a catastrophic domino effect which you may never truly understand or ever have to face. I implore the other ladies here too, unless she committed a crime and you are legally obliged, take the high road. I feel very passionately about this, because I volunteered at a shelter in the Philippines and saw the other side of the coin. Well said. It is sad to see so much anger and rage and calling for bans for a maid daring to want to leave before her contract ends. If she leaves before her contract ends, an employer can always refuse to pay for the ticket back, but banning a person from a job unless she definitely has done something criminal like stealing just smacks of a vengeful mindset.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2014 - 08:09
Yu are correct, there is a service fee, which I think is ~5-8%% of the ticket value, so it come out to ~100/200 dhs on a 2000/3000 ticket The service fee is not refundable to so if the ticket is cancelled, the refudn will be calculcated based only on the ticket fare minus cancellation fees.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 April 2014 - 11:30
Were you watching the game for the teams or for any of the players in the teams ? :) <em>edited by Arch on 27/04/2014</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 April 2014 - 10:16
I agree with SD I saw the title and shook my head thinking "[i'>the things people demand these days[/i'>", and clicked it just to see whether it was a post complaining about the difficulty faced in hiring a maid who spoke Greek ! Adding "available" after the title will make a whole lot of difference
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 April 2014 - 14:31
When I was young I remember hearing from my parents on how some brands of American apples were not good as they were sprayed with stuff to make them shine, and while they could not use it on fruits sold sold within the US, it was used on exported stuff
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 April 2014 - 12:17
There are only 4/5 countries from where you get grapes here, so maybe you can tell us which one it was so that those of use with less acute senses of smell can avoid them ?!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 April 2014 - 10:22
LOL It just puts off the people who aren't serious and just want to go for a joyride. Someone shameless enough to come for a joyride will not be deterred by a notice on an ad. :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 April 2014 - 09:15
When it comes to cars, bikes, boats etc always write NO FREE RIDERS. edited by FairyDust on 21/04/2014 Does that mean no test drives ? :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 April 2014 - 08:56
and staff are so soured faced these days. edited by salsB on 20/04/2014 There being a pretty good reason for that
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 April 2014 - 08:54
One of the best safety records in the world, if not the best, best maintained planes, extremely well trained pilots (best) great food, hardly ever suffer big delays (unlike another regional I could mention) great code share partners, [b'>excellent air miles program[/b'>, great service on board and ground, fantastic lounges, new planes, [b'>competitive fares[/b'>. The ones I disagree with are 1) Miles Program, no one is it great 2) Fares flying out of Dubai are in general, anything but competitive, particularly when you look into how much less those transitting via DXB pay You did not mention their cramped seating in 777 coach, because they have 10 across as opposed to BA/SQ/QR all of whom have 9 across
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 April 2014 - 14:14
http://www.arabnews.com/news/558446
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 April 2014 - 18:32
Where the person is from does not matter to me, it is where they were trained that matters. /2014 However to many companies/people, it is "where" the person is from that matters more than training. That is why you often hear "where is she from" more than "where was she trained"
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 April 2014 - 09:35
The main (wrong) assumption that people make when categorizing a person's job ability on the basis of their "nationality" is that every one from that country has similar skills/abilities/attitude, which is a ridiculous belief to have in this current world. If you talk about Indians and Hinglish, there are quite a few Indians who speak perfect English without any tinge of Hinglish because they went to certain private schools in India or because they spent many years in the West, and such people often have more decipherable neutral accents that certain "native English speakers". And then you have Indians who went to other local places and who use the full "do the needful/ what is your good name/tell me" package. You cannot put both of them in the same boat just because they have the same blue passport. I recently met a friend who spent 6 months on an assignment here (had a degree from LSE and worked some time in the Financial District) and she wast from a country which has quite a few people here in blue collar positions. During her 6 months here, she was told 3/4 times, by people with innocent expressions, that they did not believe she was from her country , as people from that country are supposed to be maids/cleaners/waiters and not work as bankers. This is stereotyping taken to a whole new level.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 March 2014 - 11:54
the fact you didn't know that there is an exit permit policy in place in Qatar makes me think you're not aware of how Qatar functions really. . Very true. The exit permit is one of the most talked about and publicized downsides that expats in Qatar talk about.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 March 2014 - 11:21
It seems some are talking at cross purposes. What are basic human rights for an employee? ). You would think there is nothing such as bsaic human rights, and that every culture has different beliefs, and that laws will be useless as there will always be someone willing to sacrifice their rights as they are desperate and that we need to give time etc etc If everyone had this attitude, then the Noon - 3pm ban on work during summer would not have taken place, nor would the WPS system.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 March 2014 - 10:12
No. In fact they get fed up when they park their Lambos outside Harrods and they get towed, as if the same rules don't apply to them. You cannot claim to be looking out for these foreign workers and then expect different rules for yourself. . I think that is one side of the argument; that some people believe they are superior and that we should accept that as being part of cultural differences <em>edited by Arch on 11/03/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 March 2014 - 08:10
There's a lot more at play than just education, and these heads aren't making these decisions single-handedly. In case of QR, they definitely are. You have 2 similar airlines, EK and QR in the same region with similar laws One of them offers a greater degree of freedom to their staff, and yet is not suffering in any way vs its rival with more draconian rules
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 March 2014 - 10:59
Trying to decide which one is better and was leaning towards Ahlan, but was told that they cannot provide buggy transfer service from the arrival gate. This is in contrast to Marhaba who do provide buggy service for arriving passengers
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 March 2014 - 09:24
A PPina housemaid who wants a job will work for 1000AED, regardless of the laws set in place. But an educated woman who believes she is worth more will have more respect for her worth than to say that that is cool. . The irony being people from the Philippines are overlooked fo rmany customer facing positions nowadays for people with even cheaper salary demands and that is very visible across shops and outlets. How many countries are you going to target for proper education and health? for every country that raises its standards there are 3 others still facing problems and having desperate people. There comes a stage when a propserous party can not just point at another country's poor economy and say "don't blame me, they are the ones accepting it". I dont mean this for Qatar but for employers in all countries around the world who feel it is ok to treat someone poorly as long as it is is supposedly "better" than what they had
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 March 2014 - 13:59
And regarding the many bodies being shipped back to home countries, this is a topic above and beyond the scope of that article, This is not because Qatar has made them go there and die, this is a case of human value. If you think it would be horrible for you to do, you are form the lucky side of the world, [b'>There are many people in this world who o not see any value in themselves, who will do something to death, simply because that is their role in life[/b'>. They do not have happy. They cannot be happy They cannot make others happy. In our world, we call this depression. In their world, they call it life. I understood quite a bit of what you wrote, but just could not fathom the thinking behind the above......
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 March 2014 - 11:32
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/gulf-airlines-defend-female-cabin-crew-policies-1.1301100 The first comment is telling.... <em>edited by Arch on 09/03/2014</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 March 2014 - 11:29
It is easy to dismiss anything negative as yellow journalism, but a lot of what is in that piece is true, and you would know if you spoke to multiple people who worked there <em>edited by Arch on 09/03/2014</em>
 
 
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