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debliz

debliz
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Latest post on 20 April 2012 - 01:48
DH reminded me earlier - do you remember when, in the old days of telephones with round dials and fabric covered cables connecting the handset to the bit with the dial, you picked up the handset and tapped the cradle to be put through to the exchange who then asked you what number you wanted? Or the old telephone boxes - push button A or push button B? Sherbet Fountains with the liquorice stick? Watch With Mother? Andy Pandy? Bill & Ben? The Woodentops? And, wasn't there one called Muffin the Mule or am I imagining that?! Have a good weekend, ladies.
debliz
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Latest post on 19 April 2012 - 01:16
You can choose your friends but not your family and you can choose how to deal with your family if they treat you with utter lack of respect purely because "we're family". You wouldn't accept bad behaviour from your friends, why should you be obliged to accept rude, selfish behaviour from family because you're related? Totally agree. Moved here seven years' ago and parents (mid 70's at the time) have visited once and even then they decided to stay at Jebel Ali because they wanted to be on the beach. OK, our bad for deciding to live at AR with our own large plunge pool and a community pool just 100yds up the road. Went and saw them the morning after they arrived with a welcome pack including our spare mobile so that they could get in touch. They then decided that it would be OK if we picked them up and brought them home for lunch one day but could it be their last day so that they could return our phone before they left but they'd rather just enjoy their holiday at Jebel Ali in the meantime. They then decided that Dubai was too far to travel to see us but, since then, have holidayed in South Africa and Florida (twice). We suggested stopping over with us on the Cape Town flight but they said it would just prolong the journey and they'd rather just get to their destination. Went back last summer for the second time since 2005 for DH's aunt's 100th birthday (in Sussex) where our presence was really appreciated and where we saw friends who really appreciated seeing us, too, especially as our best friends can't afford to come to see us and we can't afford to fly them all over here to visit us. Then flew up to Scotland for my father's 80th birthday. Parents delighted to see us again, as I was to see them. Had a lovely visit and was sad to leave, despite all the veiled recriminations about why did we have to move so far away. It wasn't as though they made any effort to see us when we lived in Sussex. They were retired and DH was working and about the only times we saw them were when we came to Dubai on holiday and they'd come and house sit and visit their friends in the area. They'd arrive the afternoon before we left and would be gone before we got home. We'd fly up to Scotland to visit them for a weekend at least twice a year - driving would take too long. Then the kicker comes. It's Mum's 80th next month and parents' 60th wedding anniversary in December. And we're moving to Muscat either end of May or early June which they've known about for ages. So we suggest that we can't go to Scotland for her birthday but perhaps they'd like us to bring them to Muscat for their anniversary in early December and stay for Christmas with us. Our new home in Muscat is a mere 100 metre walk from a beach and we have a small plunge pool in the back garden. Reply? "No thank you, dear, we think we're going to go to Florida again". So, yes, I agree that we should make the most of our family while we have them but, you know what, sometimes they make it very, very difficult. You love them because they're family but, just occasionally, it's hard to like them.
debliz
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Latest post on 18 April 2012 - 17:00
I definitely fall into the positively ancient category. Thought it was just so kind (lol) of my younger sister to send it to me - she's only 53!! I also remember the bus conductor and his wonderful ticket machine, the 'man from the insurance' coming round to my Gran's house every week to collect the premium, the indicators on my Dad's car (remember them? The ones where a pice of plastic flipped out from the side of the car), pale blue and white police cars (Z Cars!). I guess the best thing is that I CAN still remember all these things - chuckle.
debliz
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Latest post on 18 April 2012 - 13:18
@ myriam polel - did you manage to find any wallpaper? Just remembered that neighbour's brother in law works for a wallcovering specialist firm (looks pretty high-end from the website). They're based in Al Quoz somewhere. www.muraspec.com Contact Jonathan Kidd. [email protected] +971 50 6448525 Hope this helps.
debliz
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Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 01:18
Favourite foods would have to be Italian (anything; pasta, fish, meat) and Sri Lankan curries. However, as you will have 'locals' at the event you will have to ensure that dishes contain nothing that contain alcohol or pork (or as I picked up in another recent thread about frogs' legs, anything which lives in two worlds which could also include crab as they also live in and above water as do frogs).
debliz
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Latest post on 16 April 2012 - 01:03
I always take a book to read during manicures/pedicures and put the tips at the back of the book so that, when the treatment is finished, I can just flip through the pages and take out the tips without any damage to the yet-to-dry polish.
debliz
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Latest post on 01 April 2012 - 22:43
Best dentists we ever had in the UK were both Swedish - Peter and Sven - and Sven had worked in Muscat for five years before setting up the practice with Peter in our home town in UK. And, even in 2004' they did National Health dentistry when NH dentists were like hens' teeth! Wish Sven would return to Muscat - we're going to be moving there soon and will have to find another dentist again. Any Muscat ladies on the forum have any recommendations?
debliz
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Latest post on 27 March 2012 - 01:37
I'll happily swap my slightly floppy tummy for a flat tummy - anyone interested?
debliz
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Latest post on 27 March 2012 - 01:25
http://www.cultures.ae/
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Latest post on 27 March 2012 - 01:20
Microsoft Works
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 01:35
You seem to know exactly what you want ... can't you just trust yourselves to give yourselves the home that you want?
debliz
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 01:22
Well, there's a wedding planner mentioned in this week's Dubai Time Out. The article is only about Russian, Emirati and Hindi weddings but the planner may well be able to help you out with what is and isn't possible. http://www.timeoutdubai.com/aroundtown/features/31136-getting-married-in-dubai
debliz
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 01:15
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssss
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Latest post on 21 March 2012 - 14:38
Perhaps head towards MoE and turn right at the interchange by the new Saudi German hospital and join Al Khail a couple of kilometres up the road.
debliz
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Latest post on 21 March 2012 - 13:05
Al Khail Road (E44) is the Hatta/Oman road so if you get onto that from the Lakes it will take you straight there.
debliz
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Latest post on 18 March 2012 - 01:43
Have lived in our villa for nearly seven years now and have never felt isolated, despite the fact that we don't have children and are of retirement age. We have wonderful neighbours with children on both sides and truly enjoy their company. Love the fact that that we can walk to the shops and health centre (weather permitting), golf club for a beverage (again weather permitting), garage for parking and extra space for visitors, a 'compound' pool just up the road with tennis court, basketball hoop, children's pool and play area. @kelly1814 We have floor to ceiling windows in our villa in all rooms so a great view onto our garden and the small park behind - no way is it claustrophobic.
debliz
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Latest post on 13 March 2012 - 03:12
If you're still wandering around your gardens with your iPads etc you might want to look out for this: http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16187193
debliz
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Latest post on 13 March 2012 - 03:05
We have an external water tank for supply to the (3 bedroom) villa so, come June or around about then, the hot water tanks are turned off (apart from the kitchen) because the water is more than adequately hot for a shower or bath. In fact, when it comes to that time of year, the only way to get cool, not cold, water from any tap in the house is to turn the faucet to the hot setting (apart from the kitchen of course). Also, we only used to turn on the hot water for the bathroom about an hour before we needed it. Bad decision. The constant expansion and contraction of the tank as the water heated and cooled meant extra strain on the actual tank and it ruptured. And in fact, since we replaced the tank, the cost of keeping the hot water constantly hot (during the cooler months when we have to have the heater on all the time) has actually worked out cheaper, not least because we don't have to keep replacing the tank in the ceiling and repairing the ceiling tiles, repainting etc. It's a bit like in the UK when we had our central heating set at a constant 22C during the winter (day and night). The house maintained its heat and wasn't always struggling to come back up to heat as it would have done if the CH had been turned off during the night. There is also only the two of us living in our villa so we 'invested' the princely sum of around 130dhs in one of those mini ovens. It's great for cooking a casserole or a couple of baked potatoes or whatever rather than having to heat up the oven. Never did get the hang of a microwave and, anyway, the baked potatoes have really lovely crispy skins. As for AC, it's been off for months now. When it is needed, 26C in our bedroom, unused bedrooms (only the two of us remember) 28C which keeps air flowing and helps prevent damp and mildew/mould, same in lounge/dining room and, again, 26C in kitchen/family room where we spend most of our time. AC is serviced at least twice a year, once in April or May to make sure compressors are fully charged before the summer arrives and again in September/October for the same reason as AC can be necessary until November at least and can be needed when sandstorms occur and it's not possible to have bedroom/living room doors open. In between we get the filters cleaned - they can get really, disgustingly filthy. Best DEWA bill so far was January 2012 - 894dhs which included 526dhs housing fee!
debliz
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Latest post on 07 March 2012 - 12:30
Been away for a break and eating hotel food (very good) so back to basics tonight. Grilled bacon and tomatoes, scrambled eggs on toast and sauteed mushrooms - can't wait.
debliz
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 21:50
FOr those new to the app here's something which may help: http://www.mymac.com/2011/03/star-walk-for-ipad-review/ The other name for the North Star is Polaris and if you google it it has something to do with the line between the handles of the Big and Little Dippers. Still learning all this stuff myself but it is soooooo much fun not just for young children but for grown up children as well! ETA: Whoever would have thought it ... EW an educational learning tool for adults :) <em>edited by debliz on 05/03/2012</em>
debliz
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 21:27
Sorry, Mars still hidden behind the hotel!
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 21:08
Hope it's warmer in DXB than it is here in MCT - am on the balcony wearing thick tights, sheepskin slippers, winter jeans, thermal vest and a fleece ... with a snifter of fermented grape and a coffee to keep me warm!!! Hope you get lots of fun with the app.
debliz
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 20:55
Best thing is you don't need internet connection to use the app (only to load updates as and when they happen). If you're camping or out in the desert at night you can use the app then, too. Even better if you have a telescope but haven't yet found an app for that yet :) Eta: in Muscat at the moment and can see Orion's Belt, Betelgeuse, Jupiter and Venus a load of others with the naked eye and having fun with Starwalk, too! <em>edited by debliz on 05/03/2012</em>
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Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 20:31
The topmost of the bright stars is Jupiter, the lower and brighter one is Venus. There's a great app for iPads called Starwalk (which costs about $5 I think one off fee). Once you've downloaded the app from the app store you just put in your location, hold up your iPad to the sky and lo and behold the heavens are yours!
debliz
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Latest post on 03 March 2012 - 21:06
As of first week Feb still exit fee charged at RAK. Came to Muscat via Hatta today. No exit fee. We have UAE residency and only paid 50dhs each. Neighbours did a visa run through Hatta on Thursday (they hold passports for one of the 30 odd countries which get visa on arrival) and only had to pay 50dhs each and no exit fee. Have driven to Muscat at least three times/year since 2006 and have never had to pay an exit fee at Hatta. New visa fees for Oman are 50dhs for a 10 day visa but still 200dhs/person for a 30 day visa.
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Latest post on 01 March 2012 - 11:28
To my mind the use of the picture of the OP in an advertisement for a forthcoming event implies that she endorses/approves of (whatever) this event where this simply may not be the case. If anyone used my picture (without my consent) to advertise, say, a concert by Madonna I'd be livid. You couldn't get me to one of her "concerts" if you tried dragging me over hot coals.
debliz
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Latest post on 29 February 2012 - 12:38
As other have said, head out on E66 towards Al Ain and then take the Dubai Camel City/Al Lissaili exit heading and follow the signs to Bab el Shams. This takes you through Camel City where we nearly always (at this time of year) see strings of camels being taken out. As you leave Al Lissaili there are practice camel race tracks and we've often seen camels being exercised on these tracks. If you continue on towards Bab el Shams you'll pass the Endurance (horse racing) stables and, again at this time of year, we've often seen strings of horses being taken out into the desert for exercise. If you time your trip for mid-afternoon (say 3pm or so) this is when we've come across both camels and horses. Once you're past the Endurance stables you'll come to a small roundabout. Take the 2nd exit (1st exit is for access to the stables only) and head down Al Qudra back towards Arabian Ranches. If you're lucky you may see gazelles wandering around on the right hand side of the road. Then, if you feel like it you could go into Dubai Polo Club where you'll see horses being exercised in the rings between the clubhouse and the road and, depending upon the day of the week, polo being played on the fields at the rear of the clubhouse. You could stop there for a while and enjoy a tea or a coffee or a grape or hop beverage whilst doing so. If you decide to stop at the Polo Club the easiest access is through Studio City. Go through the entrance between the two large towers and up to the roundabout. Go left at the roundabout and then, when the road bears sharp right, turn left then right. At the roundabout go straight over - you'll see the clubhouse straight ahead.
debliz
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Latest post on 21 February 2012 - 11:59
Haven't used them but there's a place in Al Quoz called Star Wrought Iron http://starwroughtiron.20m.com/ If you're heading towards Dubai on SZR turn right just before Al Futtaim (Toyota/Lexus), right again at the end of the road and I think they're on your right. Anyway, you could phone and check location.
debliz
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Latest post on 18 February 2012 - 01:30
Sorry ... no, not at all, never
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Latest post on 18 February 2012 - 01:28
I have a guest arriving and he has no Dirhams....in australia it is quite easy to get CC Taxi You may have noticed that this isn't Australia. No one here would intentionally get into a taxi with no money. Best thing is to pay the taxi yourself when he arrives We don't collect guests from the airport or take them to the airport when they leave. Might sound mean but they always arrive late at night or early morning and leave at similar times - and they're well aware of this policy. (Much the same as they're also aware that we're not a free taxi service/tour guide etc during their holiday with us.) However, we pay their taxi fare when they arrive here at our home, and we pay the taxi driver for their return trip to airport when they go home. We normally tell visitors (both friends and family) not to bother bringing too much cash (AED) with them as we're happy to sub them (ie provide cash for their visit). At the end of their visits (we're very, very lucky - we don't seem to have friends or family who expect us to pay for every last thing during their holidays) we have a rough tally up between us of what we've asked them to bring us (such as items from the UK or grape or other related things from Dubai Duty Free) against the aount of AED we've provided. If we owe them we give them a GBP cheque, if they owe us they pay a GBP cheque into our account when they get home. As I mentioned previously, though ... we're very lucky. Our visitors don't expect to be waited on hand and foot and we're very happy to feed and water (?!) them while they stay with us and we hugely enjoy their company whilst they're with us.
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Latest post on 18 February 2012 - 01:00
What is margarine? http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-margarine.htm Yuck!
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Latest post on 13 February 2012 - 14:11
http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox
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Latest post on 11 February 2012 - 01:57
I've been on Arabian Nights, good over all, prompt, car good, driver good, food tasty, nothing to complain about apart from maybe feeling a bit ''touristy'', but I suppose that's what it's for (no sales push at all). I also been on Oasis tours, which are a bit cheaper, but over all almost the same, the thing I found a lot better with Arabian Nights was the food and it's quite important.... I think Arabian Adventure only pick up at hotels, while most other tour companies will pick you up at your house. Arabian Adventures picked up friends of ours from Arabian Ranches by the retail centre a couple of years' ago. There were just two of them and they didn't want to do the bbq etc after the dune bashing so they paid a bit more to have a 4x4 to themselves for a tailor-made tour so to speak. However they saw a bit more of Dubai because their driver took them out along Al Qudra towards Bab el Shams and then through to Al Lisaili past the endurance stables (where they stopped and got photos of camels training for the races and saw strings of endurance horses/ponies being taken out for exercise) before joining the rest of the cavalcade at Margham. They said their driver was particularly good as he took his time driving through the dunes and they saw oryx, gazelles and a couple of dhub lizards yet they still made it to the top of the big dune for some great sunset photos. They were back with us by around 7pm I think and it was around this time of year. Also, niece and her boyfriend did the Arabian Adventures morning tour just over a year ago and they were also picked up at the Retail Centre at Arabian Ranches. They were the last pick up and joined a group of four other people who had been picked up from beach hotels. They only had to pay the standard cost.
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Latest post on 09 February 2012 - 02:25
Interesting thread ... Been expat for almost 7 years now (a short time compared with many - we have friends here who've been expat in the region for approaching 30 years). When back in the UK in 2008 visiting family and friends it felt strange to be back; when we were back last summer (2011) it felt even more strange. Everything was the same except we weren't the same people who'd left in 2005. The village where we'd lived for over 25 years looked the same, bumped into many, many people we'd known for years and years as acquaintances - and it was if we'd never left. Because the talk was all about the same stuff we'd talked about before we left. When we saw friends with whom we keep in touch with on s k y p e or email it was different but with others it was as if time had stood still and we still lived just a five minute walk up the road from the bakery. Went to my old hairdresser to get a haircut and she remembered exactly how I like my hair cut - that I REALLY loved and am happy that hasn't changed! I'm a rafbrat so whenever dad got a new posting it was onto new things - new school, new 'friends' etc - and postings included Canada, Australia and Malta. DH had always lived in the south east of England. When we settled into Sussex we thought that was where we'd always end up and I loved the experience of being settled. Then we moved to Dubai when DH was able to take early retirement - it was a joint decision and one which was easier to make because we don't have children ... we'd holidayed here often and hade made friends even before we arrived. It hasn't all been plain sailing but we've loved it - the whole experience, even the cr@p that goes with it is more than outweighed by the friends we've made and the 'whole' life experience of meeting and being befriended by people of different cultures. We've decided to move on again, to Muscat this time, and are looking forward to more adventures. Our families (parents, siblings etc) were happy for us to move to Dubai generally speaking. But for us, we had the opportunity and were fortunate enough to have the means. If we hadn't made the move I strongly suspect that we'd be saying "what if" and would have missed out on an amazing experience which we hope will continue. We wish you all good fortune and happiness in your expat wonderings.
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Latest post on 01 February 2012 - 02:18
We use mak pools and have for the last three years or more and are very happy with their service. They converted our pool from a chlorine pool to a non-chlorine pool which suits us very well (skin problems very much alleviated). And, having discovered various problems with our pool (nothing to do with them - they didn't build it) the parent company Silver Fox is currently sorting out all our problems which has pretty much resulted in a rebuild. We thought, initially, that the pool simply need re-tiling. Nope. Once the tiles had been removed, and the skim on which they were laid, this brought to light huge shortcomings in the initial build. The main problem being the wrong ratio of sand to cement which resulted in holes in the actual wall of the pool and the steps into the pool. Needless to say that the original pool contractor has long gone (he never finished the job properly in the first place - walked off the job before it was completed - and if he is still here and I ever see him again I will be on the phone to the police) but mak pools and Silver Fox have been so helpful and their pool engineers have been on hand to explain every step of the re-build and why it was necessary, most of which I have to say was self-evident once we saw what had been uncovered. Perhaps some may find that mak pools maintenance costs are a bit expensive but we've found that you get what you pay for. We noticed that tiles on the bottom of the pool were coming loose (they can be replaced thanks to the wonders of science without having to empty the pool) but it became very obvious that this was happening on a more and more regular basis and it was our maintenance man, having spoken to us, who suggested calling in his boss to discuss sorting out the problem properly. Yes, it's costing us quite a bit to get the problem sorted - as I said, we're pretty much rebuilding the entire pool - but we feel very happy that when this is all done in the next couple of weeks or so we'll have a pool which we and our friends will be able to enjoy for a long time to come.
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Latest post on 24 January 2012 - 00:54
As Alismum said, remove the skin from the chickpea first. It's a pain to do and takes a bit of time but you'll end up with beautifully, velvety smooth hummus. And you will need to use some of the strained chickpea juice to thin out the mix. I always use either one large or two small cloves of crushed garlic, at least two tbsp of olive oil, and five desertspoonfuls of tahini and a pinch of salt and ground white pepper. Then to make alternatives I add the following (before I put the chickpeas into the blender): Either juice of one large juicy lemon and a teaspoon of cumin or the juice of a really juicy lime and a teaspoon of coriander powder. The above assumes that you're using a tin of bought, cooked chickpeas from the supermarket.
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Latest post on 23 January 2012 - 01:10
There is no definitive answer - it all depends upon how you set your A/C, whether or not your have a garden which needs irrigation, whether or not you have a pool which is chilled and/or heated or neither, and, of course, how many people will be living in the home. There's just the two of us living in a 3 bed in Saheel with a pool (heated and chilled) but our DEWA costs are similar to our neighbours who have 2 children, no pool. There is also the annual community charge to be taken into account (which is probably due sometime this month or early February). And of course all this depends upon whether or not you're renting and what's included in your contract or whether or not you're thinking of buying. Including around 550dhs housing fee our most expensive DEWA bill during the summer was somewhere around 3000dhs (go figure, A/C set at 29c in unused rooms and 27c in used rooms - bedroom and family room/kitchen - no irrigation required at all, and didn't turn on the chiller for the pool either. Think last bill was around the 1000dhs mark including housing fee. Not using the pool heater either because pool is having maintenance work and, anyway, it's lovely being in warm water but horrid getting out into temperatures about 5 or 6 degrees lower than the water temperature. And at the moment it's freezing!!!
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Latest post on 21 January 2012 - 02:51
Just got woken up by a phone call from the UK (don't they ever learn that we're 4 hours ahead of them!?) and it was drizzling again in Saheel.
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Latest post on 21 January 2012 - 00:26
12.25am and it's drizzling again! Time to go to bed and hope it really rains ...
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Latest post on 20 January 2012 - 23:48
Yahoo!!! It's 11/45pm here at Arabian Ranches and it's drizzling ... aw shucks, it's 11/46pm and it's stopped again.
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Latest post on 17 January 2012 - 01:07
Fairly recently bought 230 x 260 sheets at Debenhams - but they're flat sheets, not fitted. Would they not do the job?
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Latest post on 17 January 2012 - 01:01
I tried patches, champix, hyno CD's, books over years nothing worked. I was such an addict smoking almost 2 packs per day no matter if sick or not.... the ONLY thing that worked for me was just stopping in the middle of the day with the right mindset and sticking to it ! As I said previously, friend had tried hypnotherapy three times. He eventally told her that unless and until she wanted to stop smoking it wouldn't work. She had to want to stop smoking ... wanting to be a non-smoker is a totally different thing.
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Latest post on 16 January 2012 - 01:27
Hi wikkid, We're hoping to move to MCT soon, too: just waiting for our visas to come through. So we'll be packing up eventually and will probably find that we have more than we need as, when we came to DXB, we had to buy stuff to tide us over until our container arrived from the UK. We've definitely got a few pots and pans, some extra bedding (sheets etc) which haven't been over-used ... if you know what I mean ... and I'm sure that, if I look I'll find a whole lot more. Will have a look in the next couple of days and let you know.
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 03:19
Yep, it's once a year ... and you know what? The autodrome (formula 1 accredited circuit) was built long before Arabian Ranches or Motor City. How do I know this? Because it was already there when we first looked at buying a property at The Ranches way back in 2003. Get a life ladies, stick your earplugs in and stop whining.
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Latest post on 13 January 2012 - 16:51
We got some in IKEA but it was a couple of years' ago - might be worth a try, though.
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Latest post on 10 January 2012 - 01:35
The thing is that you have to REALLY WANT to stop smoking. Just wanting to be a non-smoker isn't enough. A friend back in the UK went through three courses with a hypnotherapist trying to give up. Cost her a fortune. The fourth guy told her the above. Unless you really, really want to give up smoking no amount of treatment will help. He told her that many, many people who smoke want to be non-smokers. The problem is that most just don't want to stop smoking. There is a huge difference between the two.
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Latest post on 10 January 2012 - 01:21
The last two homes we had in the UK were the scenes of sudden deaths. The first, the husband had a massive heart attack and died in the main bedroom. We lived there very happily (knowing this) for six years and - with reference to animals being sensitive - our two dogs never had any problem. Our next home in the same village was 200 years' old so had probably witnessed several deaths. However we certainly knew of one before we bought. A young girl thought she was pregnant (and her parents disapproved of her boyfriend) and she drank a bottle of bleach and took paracetamol. Was found dead in the morning. Sadly, we knew her and her boyfriend. The autopsy showed that she wasn't pregnant. Very, very sad. A year after we'd moved into the second home the wife of the previous occupant committed suicide (for reasons too complicated to go into here) not related to the young girl aforementioned. At no time did either my husband, me or our dogs have any bad feelings about either of our homes. In fact we spent almost 20 years in the second home mentioned and we loved every minute of being there. In fact, it seemed as though pretty much every original family from the village knew someone who had lived there (at the turn of the 20th century what was our lounge/sitting room was the village dairy - the original tiles are still under the floorboards) and we often had people knocking on the door asking if they minded if they had a look at what used to be their old home. We always asked them in because it was fascinating to see how they remembered our home as it was perhaps 50 or 60 years previously.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 01:09
We travelled to Oman two weeks before Christmas 2011. UK passports, UAE residents. DH is my sponsor so only 50dhs/pp at the Omani Border Post at Wajaja/Hatta. Must have hit a quiet time because we were in and out of the Border Post within ten minutes. (We've never bothered to get visas in advance and we've travelled to Muscat nine times in the last twelve months. If you get your visa in advance it just means that you don't have to go into the Wajaja Border building and fill out the form, pay, and queue for your visa. You can just drive through to the right hand side of the building and stop at the window with the green light and get your passport stamped. By the time you've been to the Embassy in Dubai to drop off the application and returned to collect the visa it's probably going to take more time than getting it done at the Border Post.) Foursome in front of us, all UK passport holders, two UAE residents, two visitors who had been in DXB for three weeks. UAE residents paid 50dhs/pp (husband was wife's sponsor), visitors were charged nothing. Go figure.
debliz
452
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 00:50
Its worth spending a few DHs on cases for there I pads and pods they really do protect the screens if you drop them. We've got 2 iPads (not bragging) and have bought covers for both - and screen covers, too. Both iPads have been dropped but because of the covers are undamaged. And the screen covers may well be scratched but the underlying screens are totally unmarked.
debliz
452
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 00:41
Maybe you'll have to make your own? In over six and half years here never seen frozen/microwave maccaroni cheese let alone one with processed Kraft 'cheese'. Kraft 'cheese' however is available pre-sliced in most supermarkets.
 
 
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