DubaiCat | ExpatWoman.com
 

DubaiCat

DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 20 November 2012 - 13:57
The UK will or the thread will? Fuzzy brain today!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 20 November 2012 - 13:55
DH is in Doha for the day and when he called at 10.30am he said it was raining there!
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 20 November 2012 - 13:51
I had a night out when I was back home in the UK at the end of October and I was just as appalled by the lack of clothing on some girls there as I am here. The UK isn't a Muslim country, the UAE is, but decency is decency wherever you are. I don't need to see your a$$ cheeks or your boobs, thanks. Are we done with this one now?
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 20 November 2012 - 13:44
I've just sold a few bits on Dubizzle. I'll always negotiate on the price if you rock up, take a look and make an offer. Call me and offer me half what I'm asking without even seeing the stuff, you can beat it. And as for all the muppets who call and ask me to deliver... The ad clearly states where I live. That's too far for you, too bad. OP, sounds like she likely was a bit wacko but I wouldn't bother trying to justify wanting a discount by saying you have to get a cab. That's your issue, not hers.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 21:10
Not looking forward to it :(. It'll be our first Christmas without Dad and we all wanted to be together but my sister and BIL and my brother can't afford to come over again and we can't afford to go back to the UK, so Mum is coming here to be with us and the rest of them are staying home. It'll be a sad one.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 21:03
I've copied your post and emailed it to her. Thanks so much for taking the time to write :).x
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 19:36
She's from the UK and has been quoted GBP400 there - that's around 2,400dhs, so is that reasonable? She's blonde, so she's wary of ending up with black slugs on her forehead!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 18:44
Thanks both, very much appreciated. I know losing her hair is one of the hardest things about this whole sorry situation so I want to do as much as I can to help. I'll pass on all your feedback :).x
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 18:18
Will that help them grow back while she's still having chemo or will she have to wait till it's over and then use it?
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 17:53
Thanks :). She is concerned about them looking too harsh, so I'll let her know this.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 19 November 2012 - 10:57
Is it OK for the staff to sit around ignoring customers and clearly not doing their jobs? No, it's not OK for a customer to abuse staff but it's equally not OK for them to ignore her and it's definitely not OK for them to insult her.
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 21:38
I have contact details for senior managers at Du (from when I had an ongoing issue with them a while back) - if the company in question is them, let me know if you want the contact details to report them. I'd have had to be restrained if I'd seen them behaving like that!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 20:38
I'm not sure about the checking through but when I booked a flight with them recently the confirmation email said I needed to provide our maid with a copy of the card used to book the flight.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 19:37
That's weird. Essentially you can't transfer your miles to any other person but you can use them to book rewards for another person - DH just used his to book me a reward flight back to the UK a few weeks ago. The only thing we had to pay was the tax. Are you sure he isn't confusing the charge with something else?
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 19:33
AussiePup has one - I'll message her now.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 16:41
You can also try ABM Care - 04 452 0055 - located in Tecom. They're iStyle's service center and the authorized people for Mac stuff here. I recently used them and was really happy with their service. If you need to replace a broken part (or even a dead laptop battery) they'll take your dead one and give you a new one at a discounted price. Thanks for this - I took a dead charger into the iStyle store in Ibn Battuta and they told me the service centre was in Bur Dubai! Our Mac could do with a clean-up so it's good to know there's an alternative to schlepping all the way down there.
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 16:35
So many factors do come into play. I managed to stop on SZR to pick up a kitten that had been hit and was still alive - it was the day the crane fell on the road and it was a car park, so I was barely going 5km/hr. Had I been going 100km/hr of course it would have been different, but I guess I was lucky it was so slow and I could get the kitten to a vet to put it out of its misery. I was a few hours late for work in the end but my boss understood. To the OP, good on you for doing your best. <em>edited by DubaiCat on 18/11/2012</em>
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 16:25
Maybe the Els Club at Sports City? Or Arabian Ranches golf club.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 16:17
I have a dark pink pair size 6-7. (Eu 22-24 approx) edited by MrsO on 17/11/2012 Thanks MrsO but she's only one so her feet are teeny :D. I did look online in the UK as I've got visitors coming soon but the pale pink are out of stock :(. Lizf, if you find them, drop me a line on harpersdxb at gmail dot com and I'll gladly buy them from you! Thanks :).
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 11:23
My DD is obsessed with putting shoes on at the moment and I'd like her up be able to have a go with her own, and I figured Crocs would be easiest but none of the Crocs stores have the tiny ones :(. Anyone selling a pair? TIA :).
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 11:20
Wow, wow, wow. Pain levels have been quite high but controllable and I'm home now with just Voltaren and paracetamol. My tummy is unrecognisable! I haven't seen under the bandages but I can see how flat it looks and my belly button finally looks normal again after three years. I had a mesh hernia repair which was covered by my insurance so some bits overlapped, so the total cost for me was 20k.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 15 November 2012 - 07:39
I've just had my hernia repair and tummy tuck last night with Dr Suhail and Dr Zuhair at Medcare. Haven't been able to see under the compression thingy yet but my tummy feels flat as a pancake! I shall update more later :D.
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 14:07
Dubaicat, I called EMAAR this morning and got the same answer as you, yes the land (and the villa) is owned by the purchaser. We were told the same when we bought the villa in 2007. When I first bought in Springs in 2003, though, it wasn't the case and we were told clearly by Emaar that laws allowing expatriates to own the land were coming soon, insha'allah ;). I remember thinking it was a bit ridiculous that developers could build houses and sell them to expats when the government hadn't even finalised laws allowing expats to own the land they sat on!
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 13:58
I had to go home last summer for a family emergency and I was pregnant with DD so I needed antenatal care. I registered temporarily with the GP clinic there and they were very clear from the start I'd have to pay for my care. I was given a load of leaflets about who's entitled to free NHS care and they said it's entirely based on residency, so if you don't live there you're not entitled. I know some people think if you pay NI contributions you can use the NHS, but the staff at the clinic said it has nothing to do with this. I think I paid about GBP500 in total for three months of appointments with the midwife and a couple of consultant visits because I was high risk. If I'd had to deliver there, my C-section would have been around GBP7000. A friend of mine who lives in Qatar went home to have her baby - same local authority - and ended up having an emergency section, and before she left the hospital they gave her a bill for GP7500. She's still battling with her insurance company to get them to pay it as she's meant to be covered for emergencies in the UK. I guess if you're still registered with your local clinic and don't have to register temporarily you might be OK, but I should imagine they'll wonder why you're rocking up at 36 weeks pregnant with your medical notes from Dubai! I had both my children at City with Dr Elsa and can't speak highly enough of her. My sister, on the other hand, had all three of her children at a hospital in Bristol and had two nightmare deliveries resulting in her needing a section for her third. I know where I'd rather be!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 13:46
I called the land department this morning and spoke to a guy called Hamad. I told him I own a property in Springs, and I asked if I own the land it sits on. He said, without hesitation, I do own the land it sits on as it's located in a freehold area. I then asked him about Green Community and he said that's different because it's leasehold. I asked him if freehold means I own the land outright forever, and he laughed at me and said yes, of course. Now, I'm pretty sure if I called another day and spoke to somebody else I may well get a different story. Heck, if I called back now I'd probably be told I can never own land in Dubai. I accept that's the way it is here. But I love how so many other posters can be so sure they're right :D.
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 12 November 2012 - 21:46
Hi H1978. Do you chart temperatures to confirm ovulation? DS took us four years from when I stopped taking the pill, and it was only when I started charting I really felt like I was as 'in control' of the situation as I could possibly be. When I was looking into possible reasons why it wasn't working for us, I read that unless you're actually not ovulating, Clomid doesn't usually make any difference (and a doctor at home in the UK told me many doctors hand it out like sweeties just to make patients think they're 'trying' something!). Charting your temperatures will help you see whether you're ovulating and whether you may have any issues with other aspects of your cycle, such as a too-short luteal phase. You can also have a hysterosalpingiogram to check your Fallopian tubes are clear. There's a great book you can read; Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. I did have a copy but sadly I lent it to a fellow EWer and - a couple of years on - I have yet to get it back. I got it in Borders at MOE but apparently you can also get it in Kinokuniya at Dubai Mall. You can also get a membership at www.fertilityfriend.com, where you can track your cycles using charting. It's a great resource and very user-friendly. Good luck, and fire away with any more questions. I know it's the most frustrating situation :(.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 12 November 2012 - 20:11
Also if they want the land back they can take it and so on You very sure about this fact? Expat property owners NEVER own the land This is true for freehold properties as well? I'd be interested in an answer to this. As I understood it years ago when it all kicked off, the Green Community was leasehold and communities such as the Springs and the Ranches were freehold. Are you saying they're freehold but the government don't really mean it when they call it freehold?
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 12 November 2012 - 18:55
Super, thanks! :D
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 18:45
A friend of mine has just gone home to have her baby and has been told she doesn't have to pay, but I had antenatal care in the UK last summer and was charged for every appointment. They were very clear I'd have to pay to deliver there too (I've lived in Dubai for 11 years so fair enough). I'd check out what the policy or practice is in your area before you make your mind up. My friend is planning to stay four weeks after the birth as long as she gets her newborn's passport in time. ETA: She went home at 34.5 weeks and the latest her doctor would let her fly was 35 weeks - she was cutting it fine! Emirates told her she'd need a letter of consent from her doctor dated within seven days of her flight. <em>edited by DubaiCat on 07/11/2012</em>
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 16:30
Super, thanks. Ace it is!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 16:28
My brother's ex-girlfriend was my niece's teacher last year and she's my nephew's this year, and she isn't allowed to be FB friends with any of us (even though we still meet up). Sounds like this might be a good policy over here!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 12:58
It's one of those long folding tables that you can lay wallpaper on when you put paste on it (not that I've ever done that, but I've seen my Dad do it!). Does that sound like what you've got?
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 12:17
Polite bump :)...
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 11:59
Safita Trading, behind the Pepsi factory on SZR. Solid wood bed sets far cheaper than Marina and you don't have to go as far as Sharjah :D.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 04 November 2012 - 08:24
Brilliant, thanks! Has anyone ever actually used them and do they really wash out? I don't fancy having pink hair for ages!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 04 November 2012 - 07:35
Thanks ladies! Turns out our housemaid was one of the unfortunate ones who used Al Rodah before and her box is still missing :o(. She's calling Makati Express and Frico today. Much appreciated :).
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 30 October 2012 - 15:58
That sounds really weird, CAP, and not acceptable at all! If you have no luck with the Ritz I can recommend Arabian Ranches golf club - we went last year and it was brilliant. Great food, speedy service and a lovely atmosphere. The only downside this year is that booze isn't included but the way some diners were stockpiling last year, I'm not surprised.
DubaiCat
2937
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Latest post on 22 October 2012 - 08:13
Beg, plead, cry if you have to - whether the buggy makes it into the cabin is up to the crew on the day. Obviously if they have ten infants and ten parents wanting buggies onboard it's a hard one but if there are only a couple, there should be space somewhere. We have a Bugaboo Bee and, folded up, it fits in the overhead locker. I've lost count of the number of times I've been told 'No way' and after a minor breakdown I've miraculously been allowed to bring it onboard. Just as an aside, I used to be crew myself so I know how hard it is to find space for everything when some passengers get confused between 'hand luggage' and 'cargo for a small village'. I know how hard it is to please everybody when everybody thinks their need is the greatest. But now I also know how hard it is to juggle baby, toddler and bags and I know what a difference having your buggy makes. Sadly, some crew seem to enjoy being able to say no :(. But then some will do all they can to help you and are lovely :). <em>edited by DubaiCat on 22/10/2012</em>
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 21:58
PS Congratulations both! :)
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 21:57
Thanks TDB. I had a bloodtest at the Dr's as I didn't believe the home pregnancy tests. :) According to the test I am five weeks along, but not sure as last period was August... Can they tell from a bloodtest how far along you are? I got the feeling, they used the date of my last period, added on period and then took conception date two weeks from that date. If that makes sense. I'm going to book first scan for after Eid at local clinic and will then move to City, I hope. One of the Obgyn's there gets very good feedback on EW and I look forward to meeting her. June does seem such a long way away! Will wait a little longer with starting thread, as I'd like confirmation of my due date first. As I understand it, hCG levels vary wildly from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy but there's a guide to estimate how many weeks you are depending on your levels (although there's a vast difference between the lower and upper levels too!). Do you know how long your cycles normally are and when you usually ovulate? That would give you a better idea of how far along you are before you have a scan.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 21:48
If you are Australian, you may know Dame Edna??? (Barry Humphries) - maybe this is one for DH??? For my Dad's 40th my headteacher came as Dame Edna. Somebody had a camcorder, which had to be switched off when he started stripping my Dad in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 20:43
Oh my, I'm spoilt for choice! Thanks ladies! I wonder if DH would agree to go as the Bobbitted one...
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 12:54
In Kansas? ;) Seriously I hope there arent men out there actually wearing those things. Apparently there are - I looked on eBay expecting to find a load of fancy dress ones and instead I found industrial ones and designer ones that were a few hundred quid each! Thanks all. I shall report back, just in case anyone else finds themselves in need of a pair :D. And I might even post a link to a photo of the wearer after the party...
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 12:47
I hate that my children don't get to spend enough time with their cousins (on my side) and I hate that they miss out on 'family' time. When we're all together they all have such a wonderful time and it does make me sad that they can't do it all the time. On the other hand, I love that they're far enough away from the in-laws to not really know who they are and I'd like to keep it that way! I know it's mean but they're hideous. There are pros and cons and ups and downs but I guess what you have to ask yourself is what's your priority? Would you move home in order to start a family or would you postpone having a family until you're home? And one last thing, it's not selfish to start your family here if that's what suits you. It's your lives.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 20 October 2012 - 21:55
Poor bloke! But good on him for doing it :D. Thanks, I'll pop down there!
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 20 October 2012 - 21:19
I know, random question :D. I need them for fancy dress so as cheap as possible! Any suggestions? TIA :).
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 17 October 2012 - 22:18
Thank you, thank you, thank you :) and sorry it's taken me so long to post. Found it no bother at all thanks to the excellent directions! :D
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 15 October 2012 - 23:03
Mum and I are taking the crew up there for a little trip tomorrow and bless her, the old duck does tend to get a bit stressed if there's any hint of anything to get stressed about. Me getting lost somewhere in the wilds of the UAE would rank right up there and probably give her a hernia. Can someone please post directions that my 2-year-old DS could follow, please? Much appreciated :D.
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 11 October 2012 - 21:30
Super, thanks for the info! I hate the thought of putting the poor little mite through it but he suffers so much and has the world's biggest tonsils, so we're hoping it'll make a huge difference to his life :).
DubaiCat
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Latest post on 11 October 2012 - 12:37
****, NO! I was always one of those 'Oh, I'm never going to have a maid' people and I gave in after I had my second child in 17 months. I felt I was drowning in nappies, feeds, washing, cooking and all that other stuff. I know lots of people do manage to cope with all of this and more, with no help, but I'm not one of them and that's fine with me. Now, I'm a far happier person so I'm a far happier Mum. I have time to play with my children, time to myself and time alone with DH (although DH does sometimes point out I also have time to work!). Don't feel guilty for something that works for you and doesn't harm anyone else.
 
 
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