Chewit | ExpatWoman.com
 

Chewit

Chewit
298
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Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 12:47
We were told not to physically attach the two passports because it can interfere with some of the immigration scanners.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 12:42
Definitely don't miss the rain one little bit, especially where we live. What I just thought about last night though was the lovely evening times as the sun sets in summer. I really do miss that time of day. I used to love to take a stroll through the garden at that time of day to check on the progress of the plants: pull up a few weeds, snip off the dead heads...
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 12:07
In negotiation with DH. Wanted to leave since before we arrived... He has a latest deadline of 2019 with an option a, b and c early exit plan (based on school/nursery starting dates) inbetween now and then... fighting a losing battle :-( I'm totally with you there. Our oldest has started his GCSE's, by the time he has finished, the next one will have started. We are stuck for 4 more years at least. That is assuming that DH and I manage to keep our jobs and we don't get completely priced out of reasonable housing. We have considered boarding schools and splitting up the family for a year, but it isn't really an option. I also find Autumn the hardest and long for colour in the trees, mud and a bit of weather. Oh well, at least the kids are happy.
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 15 April 2014 - 16:09
We've promised to take the kids, but I've heard that there are really long queues at the moment because some of the rides are shut. Would we be better off at Atlantis? TIA
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 15 April 2014 - 14:06
An upside down pineapple in your trolley either means you're a swinger laying an invite or an EW poster… Or both... Well I never knew that. I'll be more careful with my pineapples from now on. Any other grocery items that I need to be aware of?
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 15 April 2014 - 13:55
Yup, took me half an hour to get home from Dubai Mall this morning. Usually takes five minutes. I come round the back and on to Meydan from the 44. The police had blocked it completely.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 15 April 2014 - 13:44
The subject is far too emotive for you to get an objective opinion on this forum. Better to look at raw data on the schools' website or an unbiased review website. I would start with pupil numbers, class sizes, exam results and the availability of sport and music activities. Different schools are better for different kids.
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 15 April 2014 - 09:08
Primary or secondary?
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 14 April 2014 - 09:51
Hi Swils, I just asked my 14 year old's opinion on this. He said that he has never heard of anyone of his age owning a moped. My son is a fairly extrovert, busy child, who mixes with people from all sorts of schools across Dubai and, while I'm not saying that there are no moped owners out there, they can't be that common. The problem is that once one member of a clique is allowed something, it changes the goalposts for all of the other parents. I guess it makes it seem more acceptable. Hold strong!
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 08 April 2014 - 12:08
Looking forward to it :)
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 07 April 2014 - 20:50
I totally agree Deckname. It's cheaper to buy ready made clothes in dubai now. I went down to the creek to buy some tourist gifts and was shocked to find the same problem in the souks there.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 April 2014 - 15:05
If you live in a flat over a night club do you ask them to turn off the music at 9 pm? How about a villa next to a busy road; ask the cars to divert during your siesta? A compound pool means kids which means noise. They chose the location, they need to live with it.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 30 March 2014 - 14:44
They had them in Superdry about a month ago, but they looked really thick and cozy. You would need to crank up the AC.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 February 2014 - 10:56
Very cute. I would love to add to my collection, but I'm already in "crazy cat lady" territory. I hope that they find a family soon. Bump!
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 February 2014 - 10:12
As far as I know, the offers have already gone out and the deposit deadline has passed. They usually make sure that this is done before the DC results are out and I believe that these are due today. I hope that I am wrong but someone will surely be able to give you more concrete information. You could always phone the school.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 February 2014 - 15:15
I'm not sure how many are dedicated car park staff. You only see one or two during the school day, but maybe 4 or 5 in each car park at pick up and drop off. It's DC.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 February 2014 - 13:07
I would imagine the 27th Feb. They usually do it on a Thursday.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 February 2014 - 13:00
Hi Mrs Merlot. We arrived in Dubai when my daughter was eight and had exactly the same problem. Such a difficult age for girls; they seem to be at their worst for catty, political behaviour. To be honest it took a long time for DD to work things out, but she became a very strong and independent person in the process. It is so painful to watch though, and there seems so little that you can do. Extracurricular activities are great and stay in close contact with the school. I hope that things resolve themselves soon.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 February 2014 - 12:50
My kids school has a decent parking area and is able to absorb all cars during school events. It is against the rules for anyone to be dropped off outside the school boundaries. Just as well, because it is surrounded by busy roads. The carpark is constantly monitored by a group of very bossy security staff who will send you back to your car if you are outside the lines or have not pulled in enough. I don't know why these guys feel empowered to do this when so many others seem to be cowed by pushy, rude parents. Maybe the school backs them up, maybe they are better trained or maybe they have a good boss. You do see staff members assisting at busy times, but they are not generally needed. It is very refreshing to see a system that works.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 February 2014 - 08:22
Our school in Europe mixed the classes every year, the school in Dubai did not. I actually would have prefered them to mix things up; it is so hard for new kids to break into established cliques.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 February 2014 - 10:51
I've been trying to replicate their chocolate and coconut tart. I managed the chocolate part, but the coconutty pastry base (to die for!) is impossible. They aren't selling it in the cafe at the moment, so I need to get my fix elsewhere. Any recipe ideas? Sorry to hijack.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 February 2014 - 09:27
I'm sure that it depends on whether your second choice school is in demand. If it is, then you will lose your place. When I was going through this with my kids, one of the top schools was always the last to announce it's offers. The most popular second choice school got fed up with people paying the deposit then disappearing off with a refund at the end of February. They stated that they wanted people who chose that school as a first option, not a backup, so they made the deposit non-refundable. I can understand the sentiment, but people will always want to back up their first choice. Now the school makes a fair amount of money from the deposits and other schools have followed suit. This doesn't help with your decision. Sorry. I hope that it all turns out well.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 February 2014 - 11:56
The only thing that I have ever missed in Dubai is Bovril. I was told that the beef used is not halal, maybe Oxo is going the same way.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 January 2014 - 10:52
"clustered" exists in the dictionary as a verb, so the sentence is grammatically correct. There would certainly be more common ways of saying the same thing, but the english language is a brilliantly flexible tool.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 January 2014 - 13:18
Meed magazine broke the story this week about double-decker highway on Shaikh Zayed road "to provide high-level, direct travel from the centre of Dubai to Jebel Ali. The idea of a double-decker highway was first floated about eight years ago and dropped. A feasibility study is being put out to tender." Also in Meed was a story about Jumeirah Beach Road and Al Wasl Road to be made one-way and a 16-lane bridge over the Dubai Water Canal that will link Business Bay and the Gulf along the southern edge of Safa park. Exciting stuff!
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 23 January 2014 - 09:04
True, but the UK was 12% behind the US and 23% behind South Africa.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 January 2014 - 11:02
OK, playing devils advocate. I love the smell of shisha wafting past from time to time, it reminds me of where I am in the world. I don't believe that this level of passive smoking is damaging me, and if people choose to do it to themselves, why not let them? There are plenty of cafes and restuarants where there is no shisha, so it is avoidable if people really dislike it.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 December 2013 - 14:58
BAWBAGS from Sun Sand and Sport (if I remember correctly) in Ibn Battuta.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 December 2013 - 14:52
I think that it is very clear and simple. DH was caught and 100 percent to blame; why play games? I think that if the OP is frightened to confront him then there are some serious issues with the relationship. He should be scared of her in this instance, not the other way round. I would only be wondering if this was just a mid-life-crisis type of thing, or if it indicated a long term problem. Personally, I don't think that I could handle the doubt.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 December 2013 - 14:25
Thanks, I'll give it a try.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 December 2013 - 11:00
OK, so not exactly a Dubai question, but causing me problems none the less. I recently made a video recording of a couple of pieces of music played by my kids' school band. My son wanted to put them on Youtube so that his grandparents could see them, however, one of the pieces was blocked for "copywrite infringement". I have googled the copywrite rules, but can't work out if the sheetmusic is the problem, or if their computers recognised a note sequence and assumed that it was the original recording. There are loads of similar clips of school bands doing that piece on Youtube already. Anybody know the rules? TIA
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 09 December 2013 - 09:17
Just.....why?
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 05 December 2013 - 11:00
Does the discount include school uniforms? The website didn't say.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 December 2013 - 14:47
I was thinking of trying Decathlon in Mirdiff CC. Does anyone know if they have ski wear?
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2013 - 14:27
When you have young kids, it tends to be the relationship with individual teachers that is most important, rather than the school as a whole. That said, the Aquaswim coaches are very good. If you have an older child and are looking at competitive swimming, there is only one squad at Aquaswim, which is not very differentiated. Maybe tough for the younger ones, but too relaxed for the older ones. Nice atmosphere, but I would look elsewhere if my child was ambitious.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2013 - 14:09
I don't think that there is any way round this. The schools used to make the deposit refundable, but stopped this a few of years ago. The excuse was that they didn't want to be "the second choice school" but judging by the careful timing of the places being offered (DC is always the last), they realised that they could make an easy buck. Cough up or spend a nail-biting wait until January.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 November 2013 - 09:24
I am gobsmacked to read that some females think its okay that the husband doesnt tell his wife about loans he gives behind his wife's back just because they have separate accounts! When your married you have to have open communication about your finances. Whether it will create tension or not. YOu are married not dating. There should always be open cards with regards to money. If you are going to be secretive about finances what other little secrets are being kept too? OP is right for feeling upset. Have a talk with your DH. Its not acceptable. Asti, I totally agree. Money within a marriage belongs to both partners regardless of whose account it sits in. Imagine you get to retirement age, you have been diligent and saved your money and your dh has spent all of his salary on motorbikes. Are you going to make him move into the garage (with the motorbikes) because he can't pay his share of the rent? You are in this together. The only reason I can see for treating finances seperately is if, in your heart of hearts, you are not secure about a long term future together.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 24 November 2013 - 09:08
There was some at the Union Coop on Al Wasl this weekend.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 November 2013 - 13:40
Done
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 06 November 2013 - 08:53
I still think that it was a mistake to put schools and maids onto their own boards. I loved those threads, but they don't get any traffic now.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 October 2013 - 12:56
Not really, this year and last were 3 form entry and the year before was 2 form entry. The doubling in numbers will only kick in this time round.
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 21 October 2013 - 12:42
15 children this year, 18 last year, 13 the year before (2 form entry). Watch out for the rumour mills rife at Kings ;)
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 October 2013 - 11:52
The number of Kings kids getting into DC was similar to previous years. The only difference was that in years past, most of the kids that didn't get a place at DC tended to go to JC. As I previously mentioned, the JC entry policy changed, but many people had not thought to find a third choice of secondary school, thus were stranded with no option other than Kings.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 October 2013 - 08:23
Hi VictoriaM, I think that Plano just answered your previous question. It appeared as though the new investors wanted to see a quick return on their money. Just my interpretation though. <em>edited by Chewit on 21/10/2013</em>
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 21 October 2013 - 08:17
Would any of you lovely ladies be willing to reveal the prices that you paid? I would love to have the tip of my nose sorted out, it has bothered me for years. It would be nice to know if I was close to being able to afford it. Someone recommended Dr Diamond, was he so much more expensive?
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 October 2013 - 09:47
The last remaining original member of staff left kings in July. Oh. Says it all really! Who owned KIngs originally then and when did the school change hands? From what I can make out it looks like ANC has had Kings Education in its portfolio for quite a while. Have to say I feel uneasy about the school just being part of a conglomerate's portfolio. Sorry for the delayed response, Eid hols :) You are correct, Kings didn't change hands, it added new ones. They had new investment from a large finance company to significantly grow the business, so it became a joint venture. It was felt at the time that the priorities had shifted.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 23:17
The last remaining original member of staff left kings in July.
Chewit
298
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 18:07
Hi VictoriaM, just to clarify, in your original post, you and DD seemed happy with Kings' (as many are) and were considering a change purely for the secondary school situation. I just wanted to point out that going to Kings' would not necessarily rule out DESC as an option in year 7. Rather than going through an unsettling change, it might be better to assess the situation first. In your later post, you seem to be unsure as to whether DESS might be a better choice of school for educational reasons, which is an altogether different kettle of fish. Kings' didn't suit my kids. That is really the bottom line. As you can tell from my rant, we didn't leave with squashy warm feelings about the place. I am very skeptical about the use of SATs to judge a school over here. These tests were developed to identify failing schools in the UK. Originally they were supposed to be conducted very casually, with no warning or preparation; my kids didn't even know that they had done them. A selective school that does practice test after practice test, but refuses to teach anything beyond that level should be getting stupendous results. As Dragon says there are so many different stories about the development of Kings', what actually happens is anyone's guess. None of the original teaching staff is there and the owners have changed. Some changes may be for the better but you are in the best position to judge for your own child.
Chewit
298
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Latest post on 10 October 2013 - 14:10
We were in the same situation as you a few years ago. We were offered places at both Kings and DESS and chose Kings because of the location. I am still not sure if we made the right choice. The sports at DESS are so much better, and while there were some glossy facilities when we arrived at Kings', they were gradually removed. The library became an office for senior management, music rooms and IT rooms became normal classrooms. I believe that even the brand new canteen has already been converted into a facility for adults, not children. On going to secondary school (which was not attached to a primary feeder) my kids found that they were behind in several subjects, especially science. Kings' "temporary issue" with overcrowding would worry me. Al Barsha will be the first campus to open. They say that it will be next September, but they have yet to meet a building deadline. This will be primary only and will have a new souped-up SEN department. Good if you have a kid with learning difficulties. The Nad Al Sheba campus is still in limbo, as are the secondary kids already at Kings'.
Chewit
298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 October 2013 - 14:18
Tragedy #3 If the malls were due to close in an hour, it would be too late to think about going out (or am I getting old?).
 
 
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