comp99 | ExpatWoman.com
 

comp99

518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 July 2016 - 01:10
3 bedroom in 140 k is quite do able in gardens..with no construction no parking problem. ..pools and loads of green spaces for kids but I am not sure how the drive would be to health care city every day. Availability is another problem but I know a very persistent lady who sorted it out in few weeks through contacts.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 July 2016 - 01:06
There are laptop repair shops in khaleej center bur dubai that do trade ins for laptops. Although I am not sure what you might get in return. The lady in one of the shops was quite rude and quite litterally called our few years old working laptop 'garbage' which she advised we should dump in recycling bin. Shop keepers have no idea how to deal with customers! Have you asked sharaf dg if they can do a trade in for you? They use to do it for laptops during promotions.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 June 2016 - 01:08
Check out ikea website. They have strip led lights..if that works for you.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 June 2016 - 01:07
Jafferjees at sunset mall dubai.. does engraved wallets and other things made out of excellent quality genuine leather. For both ladies and gents.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2016 - 11:07
Hi Comp. I will call them tomorrow am to schedule, I will see if they can do the un packing on the end. thank you for your experience. On a separate note. I won't recommend using movers to move your jewellery, precious or otherwise. Although they always come as a tight team supervised through out by a supervisor but we always move our jewellery and important documents our selves. (They also encourage that) They can provide you with some moving boxes few days earlier than the move date to pack few things (valuable/private) you would like to move yourself.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2016 - 04:11
Debenhams?
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 June 2016 - 04:10
DASA do hanging clothes boxes and pack very nicely. We have had no breakage with them in our 4 different moves.. three within dubai.. one across continents. But we have never used them for unpacking stuff. They do assemble all the big stuff they take apart for transport . They can open boxes and pile the contents on flat surface (counter or floor) but won't arrange in cupboards. Confirm with them about the service and see if it works.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 June 2016 - 16:47
I second the security clearance thing also. For some top level positions it's been done even at each renewal and it's definitely done for most positions for a new recruit.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 June 2016 - 03:53
BRANCHES: Dubai Boodai Trading Company L.L.C. P.O. Box # 5108  Salah Uddin Street,  Deira, Dubai,  UAE Tel:  +971-4-268 0258 / 269 0080  Fax: +971-4-266 1361 E-mail: [email protected][email protected]
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 June 2016 - 03:48
You should head to the official singer repair center in dubai. They are the only authorized repair center here and I have had good experience with them. You should be able to look up the exact address from the singer website but I think it was salahuddin road or something somewhere near all the embassies. Minimum 100 dhs would be charged for having a look at it and then further more for any parts needed etc but it won't be much. I have had no trouble after my last repair 4 yrs ago. They open on Saturday ..you drop it one week and would most probably get it back next week. Hope that helps.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 June 2016 - 10:10
No such thing as a viewing fee... some one must be getting desperate and advertising this.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 June 2016 - 03:42
Tasjeel center al barsha can issue international drivers permit. Just walk in to the reception/information counter with two passport sized photos. Pay fee and it would be done in 5 mins.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 June 2016 - 13:38
I have had good experience (non pregnancy) with Dr Liliana skorski at health bay al wasl. She delivers at al Zahra hospital al barsha. . If that works for you. Hopefully someone would be able to recommend someone else also.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 June 2016 - 01:01
Thanks comp99. NMC is included along with 23 others hospitals, only issue to consider NMC is traffic towards Sharjah since 3:00-09:00 pm and we are afraid it would be very difficult to mange in case of any emergency etc. You forgot to mention your location. In any case we delivered in nmc and managed all the way to nmc from jebel ali with weekend appointments etc. Medcare safa is good hospital but cannot recommend a good gynae there. My experience with Dr luthra have not been good. My friend recently delivered a baby in Saudi German hospital (planned cs). Her doctor was excellent however the the staff was very slow and lazy during her post natal hospital stay. Definitely room for improvement.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 June 2016 - 16:55
If nmc speciality qusais is included in your network then I can recommend dr babita. She is pro natural and good.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 June 2016 - 05:14
We have gone to Salalah for eid break few years back. It was a road trip all the way from dubai to Salalah with a night stay at muscat and one night stay at jab al shams before finally arriving at Marriott hotel in Salalah. On our way back we stayed near hoota cave and visited it next day before returning to dubai. (If you would be visiting during eid holidays then pre book hoota cave tour before leaving dubai as it gets sold out quite early) Khareef season is good time to visit. Because of cooler (but very humid ) temperature on mountains. We also visited the other attractions mentioned by other poster. We were four families in four cars so the road trip was bearable but i would not recommend it if you are going by yourself. It is very tiring, boring and dangerous. There is no change in terrain what so ever and limited stop points all the way from nizwa until finally you reach Salalah. The road is also a single lane two way road which you share with trucks and many people lose their lIves every year while over taking or driving at night as there are no street lights. I would recommend you fly from dubai or if you want to save on ticket costs then drive to muscat and take a local flight to Salalah. You can rent a car or hire a guide in Salalah to take care of moving around.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2016 - 11:00
Cocoon nursery does fs1 ..it's in jumeirah 1 and quite well established. Or you should look at some nursery where kids get priority in some school to make the fs2 admission easier
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2016 - 10:56
Have you contacted London Paris nursery on jumeirah beach road? Few colleagues had their kids going there and were happy.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2016 - 10:55
You should look at horizon international school umm sheif. They have good learning support department and also have a tie up with kids first medical center for on-campus therapy sessions. Commute was quite manageable from gardens area near ibn battuta mall.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2016 - 03:30
Emergency number is 999 For emergency I have had good experience with medcare hospital safa. Same goes for my friend who recieved excellent emergency care after a wrong diagnosis by another clinic doctor. For kids dental you should look up expat woman threads. Loads of recommendations depending on location and budget. For adults I recommend dr Madhu at mankhool dental center. I have not heard of storing tin food in fridge. Homes are nicely centrally cooled even the kitchen. Tin food stays in cupboards. Onions and garlic can survive also but rest goes in fridge as soon as you get home with it.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 June 2016 - 15:44
Home center and lifestyle have them but they melt into a mess so try few and see how you like them.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 June 2016 - 04:19
Thanks for the tip. I'll check out the group.. I hope it's an open group for asking questions.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 15 June 2016 - 04:17
I'm also due in July. we are expecting a third one also :) (have two boys). would you find the gender this time? oh congratulations... so happy for you! :-) when in July and where are you registered? we're with Dr. Jennifer at City and my date is 31st July but since I've had 2 csecs before i'll be scheduling this delivery and hence am deciding whether i want a Leo or Cancerian! ;-) we're not planning to find out what the gender is... hehehehe i'm quite drammatic that way and like the suspense! Hi just wanted to wish you luck for upcoming birth of your baby. I am due 13th July. We moved to melbourne in between it all and would be delivering here. Keep us posted about whether its a boy or a girl!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 16:49
It needs to be done in person. .takes 5 mins.. we did ours at Tasjeel al barsha ..just walk up to the main reception with two photos. Pay money and its done.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 01:16
On a temporary visa you won't have medicare and you won't have any child care support ( if you plan to work) You'll have to get your own medical insurance. The amount you have mentioned is it pre-tax amount per month or after tax? If you already know the location of your husband's office ..check out the rental prices in nearby suburbs on realestate.com.au to get a feel of what kind of properties are available at what price per week. Since rent is a major expense in sydney (and rest of australia as well) you will be able to get a clear picture of whether the salary is do able for the standard of living you are after. You would need to do your own research about work conditions on the type of visa you would have. Information should be available online on border control webite.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:57
I wouldn't trust anyone promising to deliver a swimming pool in 6 months when the work have not even started. . Our school promised similar time scale for their swimming pool and was able to open it only in 3 years due to all the permissions and other municipality approvals and what not. Having said that, I won't consider swimming pool as a deal breaker. You should be looking at other things important to you before going ahead. Trust your gut feeling.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:54
There was a recent post about someone having a good experience in thumbay hospital with a ceasarian .may be look it up and ask the OP about details.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:50
Definitely look for a shipping company to do the movement and clearance for you, especially on the KSA side. Things would be quite straight forward on the dubai side. Plenty of storage companies available in dubai with very flexible storage solutions for all kind of customers. Bigger shipping companies might be able to do the relocation and storage in one quote. Otherwise look for recommendations on expat woman before signing up with any storage company. Don't know where you plan to move in dubai but expect smaller rooms so it would be great idea to downsize your furniture a bit before moving. My friend landed with huge sized bedroom and living room things when moving from Bahrain and none of them fitted in her villa in springs. Had to discard a lot of things!
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:14
I have only seen spf hats in Columbia store but the styles might be limited.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:13
Bump? Anyone?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2016 - 00:10
Police clearance certificate can be applied online if it is for some local matter to be used in dubai. But if you need it for using internationally like may be immigration or something online application does not work . It needs to be applied in an office , in person. You walk into office( only some bigger ones do it), if the officer can look up your details in the system with emirates ID (finger prints etc etc) then you pay the fee and you collect the certificate in a week I think. I am not sure of time line but it is not more than a week and the process was quite quick and simple as I was still in dubai and had a current visa and emirates ID etc but in your case it might involve few more steps as you are not a current resident.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2016 - 12:31
Just to add.. after arrival you would have medical test done and should expect residence ID after a week of that. After residence I'D and emirates ID are processed and recieved, you can buy a new or second hand car. Car insurance can be done on the same day of buying a car or could be processed a few days before hand if you have finalised the car in advance and just need to transfer it in your name in few days. You can get quotes from.multiple insurance providers but they would be higher for you as it would be your first car insurance in dubai plus also depend on the age and value of car purchased. Hope that helps
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2016 - 00:41
My brother have used Jetstar for travelling within australia without any issues.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2016 - 00:40
Don't know about no frills and liability thing but dubai islamic bank and hsbc bank does non resident expat account but they need proof and reason for why you need that account (e.g. managing property in dubai etc) and where the money going to come from and where it would go to. It's not a straight forward open-in-day account and such an account take atleast 3 weeks for getting approved after all paper work is submitted. Other banks might also be offering this service as well but I have not checked.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2016 - 00:35
Be careful of buying car seats from that particular just kidding shop . Some of their stock is really ancient. I checked out a car seat on offer and it turned out to be a 10 years old display piece which they were selling me at 40% off. Something they should not be selling at all! As car seats have maximum life of 10 years. Aparantly they were unaware of all the safety hazards.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 June 2016 - 04:20
For all the American citizens/residents working in uae. I understand you pay tax on your salaries here even as overseas residents? How does that tax work out on your end of service benefit money when you switch jobs within uae or may be retire? Can someone give me some idea about the percentage and how it's deducted on end of service? Or if end of service/retirement money is exempt? Need that info for a relative working here who is soon to retire in middle east after long service and planning to immigrate to US to be with his American daughter. Just need an idea of what to expect in case some of you have gone through it or going to experience it soon.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 June 2016 - 05:57
For competitive swimming you should look at Hamilton aquatics. It's a professional coaching club .they even do training for Olympics.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 June 2016 - 15:45
Unless there is some personal attachment , you would be better off selling your car and buying something here made specifically to gulf specification. Apart from shipping cost there is also a possibility of your car selling poorly here if at some point you plan to upgrade. Buying car is easy and quite quick here. You can always rent and drive on your US license if you need something immediate.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 June 2016 - 05:25
My hubby had balloon sinuplasty done in br medical suites by Dr marc mueller. It went really well. We also consulted dr Bhagat for same problem and he also suggested a similar surgery but we went with Dr marc due to better price and direct billing with our insurance.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2016 - 07:36
Greens is nice place to live..if for nothing else than for the absence of traffic congestion which is a common sight everywhere else. I don't really know how people in marina manage everyday the kind of bottle necks that start as early as 4 pm from the sheikh zayed road side entry.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2016 - 07:32
Have you checked lulu?
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2016 - 08:42
Dr Liliana was good. Quite thorough for my first pregnancy appointment. Did not rush. She was good during the general checkup as well ( before pregnancy). Cannot comment about delivery.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 June 2016 - 03:46
Thank you for your inputs ladies!! Comp99 - I think Dr Skorski delivers at Mediclinic too,? My insurance does cover Mediclinic Naddu200- will definately keep you posted on whoever I decide to go with.. When I saw dr lilliana for pregnancy she informed me she delivers at al Zahra and it has great facilities etc etc. She did not mention city hospital or welcare hospital.. (the only two hospitals under mediclinic group in dubai). Considering the distance of health bay al wasl to city and welcare hospital I don't see it likely. In any case you can call the clinic reception to confirm this. There is no point finding reviews for a doctor if the delivery hospital is not covered under your insurance. Al Zahra hospital barsha still have direct billing problems with lots of insurance providers so better check for yours. Good luck
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 June 2016 - 03:30
Hi ladies, I am really confused between Dr Skorski and Dr Josza at Health Bay Polyclinic! I am 16 weeks pregnant and i can am covered at Mediclinic and American for delivery, under my insurance Any suggestions /recommendations would be of huuuuge help!! Thanks a ton in advance Just to add dr Lilian skorski delivers at al Zahra. Does your insurance cover al Zahra,?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 May 2016 - 03:20
Hi, I just found out that I am pregnant with my second baby. I had a miscarriage before and my hospital were Al Zahra and Canadian. But, they were not able to save my baby. Can anyone please suggest a good doctor from Zulekha, NMC and Belhoul? I will really appreciate your help :) I have had great experience with both my babies with Dr babita at nmc speciality at Qusais. She is thorough and very pro natural . Hope that helps.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 May 2016 - 03:14
Hi ladies, I am really confused between Dr Skorski and Dr Josza at Health Bay Polyclinic! I am 16 weeks pregnant and i can am covered at Mediclinic and American for delivery, under my insurance Any suggestions /recommendations would be of huuuuge help!! Thanks a ton in advance I have seen dr skorski for regular pap smears and one early pregnancy (which did not end well). I was 7 weeks pregnant then. Appointment wait time was long . She was calm and gentle during appointment but ordered whole loads of tests for making a pregnancy profile which could have waited until my 10th or 12th week appointment. ( better to make money sooner than later) Then I had some issues at 8 weeks and she was gone on vacation when I called clinic. The clinic does not allow walk in for any of their doctors even if you are a current pregnancy patient in distress. I was not happy with how things went and had to get help with my miscarriage at medcare hospital with some other doctor. Needless to say I did not go back but I cannot blame dr skorski. This entire setup of private clinic doctor and separate hospital for delivery is not for me. I like my preg doctor to be placed inside the hospital where I choose to deliver. Where I can be seen any time in case of emergency.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 May 2016 - 02:57
Thanks for your reply! Sorry my bad I didn't elaborate actually. They cancelled my appointment indefinitely with Dr Britt Clausson and said that they can't be re-schedule my appointment as the doctor is out of the country for 6 weeks and they cannot schedule after 6 weeks either as her calendar for appointments is not open yet. Anyway I gave it some time and called them again to fix an appt after the Dr is back and again they gave me the same answer. And this time the nurse also told me that she is not sure if the Dr will come back and take me as a patient as it might be too late in my pregnancy, I was only in my 12th week then. Have called up the clinic again and they are still giving me the same answer and I am in my 16th week now. It's already been 4 weeks and they still don't know when the doctor will be back!! I was very keen on Dr Britt since I read good reviews. And I feel that the hospital is not being completely clear and the least they should do is give a clear picture to the patients... I felt hopeful all this while thinking I could schedule an appointment once the Dr is back.. But now I think maybe the Dr is not coming back at all.. Any good Ob/Gyn suggestions Pls do lemme know !! This is a common thing here is dubai with clinics and hospitals they are never clear about when the doctor is leaving and love to keep patient in limbo ( don't understand why). Not so long ago I was chasing up my kids dentist in a similar way, clinic kept repeating he is on vacation and we don't know when he is coming back but he would come back. In the meanwhile I saw the same dentist on another clinics website , advertised as 'just joined'. Don't know who was playing a game with whom. Anyways if you are keen on delivering in city then may be you can see Dr elsa privately who delivers at city, I think.. may be some one can confirm this for you. Or i can recommend my gynae from nmc speciality qusais.. Dr babita .. she is very pro natural. I had my two babies with her but the hospital is not fancy and sparkly like city.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 May 2016 - 05:13
The entry level requirement might be similar for australia and new Zealand but the cost of visa is nowhere near each other. Australian permanent visa is much more expensive than the same for new zealand. Then there is also the issue of salaries being low and less availability of jobs if you are in a specialized field in new zealand. Current auckland housing rental is indeed comparable to sydney which is quite expensive. It all depends on why you want to make the move. Our friends moved to new zealand and are not impressed
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 May 2016 - 17:30
Rat is a possibility if you have trees near your balcony and you are storing any kind of stuff there. My friend had a rat problem in her first floor balcony in gardens as there were huge trees almost touching her balcony edge and she was storing stuff. She had to contact nakheel for peat control and for getting the trees trimmed. That solved the problem of all the mystery droppings.
518
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 May 2016 - 11:10
you are welcome. recently when i checked they had availability in their Jumeirah branch.