Arch | ExpatWoman.com
 

Arch

Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 November 2013 - 10:59
If you want it for self use, best would be to buy it now If you want it as an investment do not bet on it being much higher in 5-7 years time. You may very well have a global recession before then. <em>edited by Arch on 27/11/2013</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 26 November 2013 - 08:28
Fake it till you make it, she says. [b'>She bought a faux Chanel watch and tried waving her wrist as she spoke[/b'>: Sure enough, people’s eyes left her face and followed it, because plump watches are Dubai’s answer to cleavage[b'>. She owns no car but finds that if she takes her mother’s Mercedes and places the key on the table during meetings[/b'>, people assume she’s well beyond starting up — which is, she figures, how you start up in Dubai. . I used to think such things were urban legends until i met people who actually behave like that and treat you condescendingly if your car and watch is not the right type.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2013 - 14:40
Maybe the middle classes can share flats, like 3/4 families in a 3 bed apt. You say that is not allowed ? That is not my problem. &lt;sic&gt;
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2013 - 12:07
Sounds like a good idea except if they want service charges paid before allowing a move as then tenants will suffer if the owner has any unpaid dues.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2013 - 11:09
How deluded some of the comments are! "Dubai is one of the biggest / talked about cities on the Planet" Err it is - if you look from outside, it is a "hot" topic city and everyone know where it is and what Dubai is trying to achieve, have you ever heard of :- ??? Turkey İzmir, Turkey Russia Yekaterinburg, Russia Izmir is the 2nd largest city in a country with 70 million people and one of the more happening emerging markets. In some global classification of cities, Dubai is placed pretty well along with Shanghai, HK and Chicago which is pretty good, but it does not mean others are unknown
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2013 - 10:45
I hope that it does increase rents and property prices, many landlords and business owners have been waiting a long time to be able to make the kinds of money that Dubai is famous for. It will also squeeze a lot of the mid-class residents out, which has become a too large sector. . Any city where property prices are far above what the average professional can afford is not sustainable, hope you keep that in mind before wishing for unrealistic stuff
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2013 - 08:38
From January through July, we get something like 1 public holiday, i.e. 1 day in 7 months. Then we end up with a few holidays the rest of the year, it does not mean we get too many holidays
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 November 2013 - 21:33
It's great if Dubai wants to host the expo and uses it as an excuse to expand some of the infrastructure, but this sentiment that the expo will somehow jumpstart another enormous boom and justifies the enormous rental and property price increases is simply bizarre and unrealistic. Well said, a lot of stuff will be built based on the Expo, but I think Dubai would be better off building quite a few of them regardless of the Expo. Personally, the Olympics would have been a better "coming of age" event
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 November 2013 - 18:09
I think tenants DO realise it and again one of the reasons why they didn't buy! You have owners here who only want to pay for the "here and now" costs and to **** with what happens to the lifts or maintenance in a year or 2 years time - that's no fun either for the owners who do pay their fees. edited by QueenL on 22/11/2013 Turning the question about investors subsidizing a tenant's lifestyle around; why should tenants have to pay for less than optimal investment decisions made by the landlord ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 November 2013 - 17:53
My only worry if Dubai gets it is the ridiculous rents most of us will have to cough up. This worry aside, I think it will be great for the city. I just hope that landlords realize that salaries will not double over night to keep up with the property prices prices that will quadruple over night ha! There will be an initial jump, but after that the increase will be gradual.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 November 2013 - 17:52
it's almost like they're reassuring us that even if we don't win the economy will still sustain it and grow Of course it will. I do not know why people think the Expo will define Dubai, Dubai already is a great city, it is not as if Dubai is struggling and waiting for the Expo to make it.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 November 2013 - 11:30
This article contributes to all the self fulfilling prophesy articles one reads in the newspapers lately. They will drive up the rents even further. And why in earth would you buy here if you're either here for a couple if years, or get kicked out when you're sick or retired. Fact is, Dubai is expensive to live, not tax-free if you look at all the fees, and you have to really choose to live here. Weigh up the pro's and con's and decide for yourself wether it's worth staying or wiser to leave. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do to influence the housing market. Love how the editor claims "nonsense" when a reader points out the weak legal framework.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 November 2013 - 11:20
It makes me smile when people talk of market forces re: rent caps. Fact is the market here is not free. You can only buy ~30-40% of the supply in Dubai. And that article talks about how tenants should "buy", are they so naive that they do not know tenants can buy only 10-15% of the supply in Abu Dhabi ? And interesting how it claims people are getting "cheap" housing. There is nothing cheap about housing when you consider salaries, a 2 bed in a good Dubai area does not come less than 100k, which not less than 30% of the average professional's salary.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 November 2013 - 11:11
1) Many reckless drivers consider themselves "brave", and that is the prevailing attitude in their circles, i.e. someone driving safely is "scared", and someone being reckless is "brave' 2) There is a disproportionate amount of blame placed on people going slow in the fast lane. Some consider the fast lane a license to drive at whatever speed they want, regardless of road conditions. It is this arrogance that causes accidents and not just slow drivers. Yes, one should not cruise at 100 on the left lane, but if you are doing 160 there in a 120 zone, you should slow down and not use the hard shoulder or swerve across lanes.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 November 2013 - 15:41
As someone who went to a similar school as a child, I can understand what is going on to some extent. At that age, it is definitely the parents' opinions coming through the children. My experience is at the later stages, children become more relaxed but in order to project a religious aura, some of the teachers feel forced to project a "us vs them" attitude and put people on a moral pedestal, e.g. "such and such countries/people are bad because they do this". So while the peers will improve, the school may not particularly as you say many good teachers have left. I would look at another school.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 November 2013 - 14:39
The funniest bit about that site is the angry comments that come from people who do not get the sarcasm.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 November 2013 - 08:23
If tenants are required to provide income and salary details, then owners should also provide title deeds and maintenance payment records. Right now, you have cases of tenants chasing the landlord for a title deed so they can renew their visa with the Ejari contract, and you also have plenty of cases of tenants locked out of buildings and gyms because owners did not pay service fees and do not intend to. When we moved last time, more than one owner got nettled at being asked about whether service charges were paid or not. Apparently it is "not the tenant's business to know about service fees".
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 November 2013 - 13:06
In some non Arab parts of the Muslim world, particularly towards villages, many people revere anything written in Arabic. As they have only seen Arabic in the Quran, if they see a newspaper or clipping in Arabic, some will take the paper, dust it and keep it in a safe, high place just as they keep the Quran. Of course when such people come here they realize not all Arabic writings are holy but you get the idea on how something like a tattoo can be misunderstood
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 November 2013 - 09:17
I bought it from Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 22:37
Hi Arch, so exactly why are you wondering? Have you been to WA? Do you have any understanding of the area? Let me help you out...WA is less than 200 years old and it's sparse population is due to the desert environment.... I have not been there but know it is desert. Maybe I should have said i find it interesting just thinking of all that land with so few people.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 15:21
I think you are in for a lot more research. Australia is HUGE. I think the USA would fit into it four or five times....that kind of size means that you can have just about any climate or landscape you want. . Just a small note; Australia is not 4 or 5 times the size of the US :) It is a bit smaller, but of course with probably 6-7% of the US population. It always makes me wonder how Western Australia which is probably 7-8 times the size of the UK has less people than Dubai !
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2013 - 08:12
If that were true, the jails would be filled with men for harassment. It's her word against his, and somehow there will always be a way to blame the woman. I don't believe it's taken any more seriously than drunk driving or any other other serious crime expats are led to believe will land them in prison. Just look at the news. When I was in school I remember papers would regularly publish pictures of men arrested for harassing women; if I remember correctly, it was because of a directive from the very top , however no such pictures are published over last few years which is a bit sad.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 November 2013 - 08:09
and there you have it - like my landlord describing the GOVERNMENT rulings as " unfair" and " nonsense" - I always wonder if these people would have the guts to stand up in a Government office or tribunal and say the same thing................. Well said. Lets not forget an important point which is that the overall vibe given is pro-business. So if in spite of that they implement certain control measures in favor of tenants it means there is a very good reason to do so.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 November 2013 - 08:36
Scarlet is correct that when rents fall in line with the market, landlords should also benefit when rents move up with the market. It can't work only one way!!!! . Maybe i did generalize a bit; both owners and tenants should be mature and responsible, <em>edited by Arch on 04/11/2013</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 November 2013 - 13:48
Yup and this is the problem - people believe it and take the Mickey. Salaries aren't going up to compensate - the 2nd bubble and burst is coming if people don't watch it. That is the primary difference between 2005-2007 and 2013. The vast majority of jobs and positions saw compensation increase between 2004 and 2007. That is no longer the case and most packages are not increasing at all. You cannot have a market where rental prices increase 30% every year while salaries increase 3% on average
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 November 2013 - 13:46
I agree with Arch. Each and every article you read about real estate makes it look as if the high rents are an indication of the economic growth of the country. Waiting for it to backfire (again!). The funniest was an "analysis" which said higher rents are good for the economy because it increases spending power of property owners. It ignores the fact that the majority of people here still rent, and rent increases means less spending power for them.
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 November 2013 - 14:07
More than agents I blame the media for considering high rental prices to be good
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 October 2013 - 08:40
95% of laws are skewed against tenants and this one is as well. The only way to make it effective is to have a NOC Requirement [i'>before[/i'> the contract is signed and cheques given. And of course you will be made to jump through a fire loop to get the "refundable" deposit back.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 October 2013 - 22:27
N The balance between company income and salaries will be very off balance. More affordable workers will be hired. . But at what cost? In my previous building, the security men who knew Arabic and English and got 1300 got replaced by men who knew broken english and got 900 dhs. Just before we left, new guards came in who knew no English or Arabic and got 500 dhs. We are talking not of cleaners but front desk men in a 40 storey tower who need to check visitors and did not know either Arabic or more than a dozen English words, and were hired because they were "cheap"
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 October 2013 - 08:58
and the fur coats on sale in that shop on JBR (Al Fattan towers) Yuk! I was at an event yesterday and one of the stalls was selling and promoting what looked like fur items. I didn't see one person approach their stall What baffles me is why they sell fur coats in the hottest country in the world! Surely if the Ruskys are going to buy them they would we cheaper in their own country? seal baby clubbing, skinning fur from live animals, torturing dogs before death so their meat will be tastier, and so on are all cruel acts done by people from suppopsedly developed or partially developed countries And i have argued against them only to be told "they are just animals". There is an insane amount of cruelty in the world and i sometimes think the only reason we do not have such torture on humans is because of laws.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 October 2013 - 07:56
That is a very disturbing video clip. Why on earth was it posted on here? Absconders, even criminals are due some basic human respect, being filmed and put on Utube and then peddled around the net is demeaning both to them and those promulgating the video. . Particularly when even actual criminals like rapists are not identified in media by name or picture as it affects their "privacy". edited by Arch on 28/10/2013 <em>edited by Arch on 28/10/2013</em>
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 October 2013 - 18:19
If you run, fall and get hurt in their premises they would be liable. It would be in their own interests to make sure that doesn't happen to you; even if it means coming up with something silly like a fine. No way will "they" be liable. If you slip and fall it will be your responsibility..
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EW GURU
Latest post on 26 October 2013 - 13:52
the foreseen up in real estate (amongst everything else) w. :( except of course salaries and allowances....
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 October 2013 - 23:39
I Re cost of living going up, of course. All major cities are expensive. That's some great logic you are applying there :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 October 2013 - 12:08
@Doubting Thomas She is not miles away from family and friends- in fact she is a short metro ride away from at least 4 of her cousins who she sees every single weekend. A13 Cousins are not immediate family.... She stays at her workplace, that makes it different from your example of doctors and nurses' access to internet
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 13:36
The labor law does not mention the need for her to have access to wifi...
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 10:06
I think she meant as sales staff yes, as sales staff. as staff on the ground, helping customers, including my self, in getting sizes, fitting rooms, cashier... Thats good, so as you said it is a customer service issue; cashier needed to get someone or at least use sign language or calculator
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 10:01
I think she meant as sales staff
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 13:52
yes there is - all goods that come into the country for resale are taxed on point of entry. But not to the point where a pair of Jeans costs 4 times more here than in the US?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 13:42
(ii) businesses suddenly become prepared to make less profit (unlikely) or (ii) customers are prepared to put up with paying higher prices to cover increased labour costs (also unlikely). It's the way it is here. . The businesses are more to blame and this is why: Prices of everything is similar to that in the West; but staff salaries of shop workers and laborers are much lower. So the customer effectively pays first world prices for stuff that is sold/built by people on 3rd world salaries It sounds crude but there is a big gap there, all of which can be traced to the business benefitting.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 09:34
Filipinos can speak two languages which is more than most people on here im sure. That is highly debatable Actually, they can speak three. Their local language, Tagalog and English. I think they can speak 20 languages
Arch
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 09:30
I think the world got lazy. My relatives know how to communicate in Arabic, ?English, Urdu, a little Tagalog and Indian. . What is "Indian" ? :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 09:27
Filipinos can speak two languages which is more than most people on here im sure. Most Filipinos cannot speak proper English; either in pronunciation or grammar or word choice, they just like to brag that they can. One of my friends joined a job, she speaks English as a native as she grew up in the West, and her Filipino colleague tells her on her 2nd day: "Your English is good, it is almost as good as Filipinos" !! edited by Arch on 09/10/2013 <em>edited by Arch on 09/10/2013</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 09:16
In an ideal world, you would have sales assistants fluent in English and Arabic and competent and polite. But given the choice, I would prefer weakness in language over rude behavior any day; there are some stores where the staff, in their pointed shoes, can speak 3 languages fluently but are quite rude to everyone not dressed in a particular way
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 08:50
The prices were not on the water. They were asking the price before ringing up. They were Saudi and looking to see if they had enough coins. The cashier did not offer to ring it up, she just kept on repeating THREE AND HALF DEAR HAMS MAAAAM SIR. This seems to be more of an incompetence issue rather than rudeness or refusal to learn a language. Some cashiers/customer service people from one particular region are known for an acute lack of common sense; repeating the price in English shows that lack
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 08:47
This is not a Govt dept to complain about food prices in Sonapur,[i'> or air bags made from children[/i'>. This is about M & S, a household name. . So dangerous driving practices should not be discussed but a cashier's linguistic ability at M&S becomes an important issue?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 08:05
I do agree cashiers should have some basic Arabic skills; and they should also be able to add 70 and 5 or 4 and 11 without using a calculator (both seen recently)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 October 2013 - 08:04
wow summer breeze, wonder how you would feel if you were in your home country and someone insisted you spoke Tagalog or Arabic..... Was the man mentioned by the OP in his home country?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 October 2013 - 15:21
V3 has reasonable 2 bedtooms and the lobby and general areas seemed in better shape than the Guldcrests Goldcrest Views 2 has some really small 2 beds; under 1000 sqf, so be careful. Palladium was supposedly one of the better buildings but no idea of their layouts Have you tried X1 or LakeSide Residence in Cluster A ?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 October 2013 - 15:20
Dubai Arch Tower is vile (I went to see it when I was relocating) and V3 is not very great either. I like Gold Crest Views, it is also near the metro. Interesting, i stayed in the tower that is my namesake some time back; what did you find vile about it?
 
 
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