EmilyG220 | ExpatWoman.com
 

EmilyG220

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Latest post on 05 May 2012 - 10:52
Love it! Brits are masters of the understatement "Obviously not one of my fans... anyway as I was saying..." In fact Ed Milliband is quite an interesting character. Youngest ever leader of the opposition, first ever Jewish labour leader (ethnically speaking), and also one of the first senior politicians ever to decribe himself as an atheist. When appointed as labour leader he had one child and another on the way with his partner but was not married (although they did tie the knot later). He could have reacted slightly worse to the egg assault, as did John Prescott in 2001: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTiI1e-wVc Lol. <em>edited by EmilyG on 05/05/2012</em>
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Latest post on 05 May 2012 - 10:41
Or... you could just have some made. There are plenty of fabric shops near where I live which could help you :-)
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 16:44
Hi I'd love to try Zumba but need a class I can take my baby to. Unfortunately Pure Fitness's class in the Meadows is too far for me. Is there anything in the Jumeira 1 area? TIA x
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 16:32
H&M and Zara, although I've heard Z have stopped doing maternity (or did for a while).
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 16:29
The day before I was admitted.
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 16:24
I would like to see an international school in the the 'real' sense - in other words, one which enables kids to keep up with their respective native cultures alongside the dominant/host one. Many schools here call themselves 'international' while they are actually just British or IB curriculum schools with pupils from many different backgrounds. I went to a school in Paris which taught the French curriculum. But for 8 hours a week, we also studied our native tongue(s) (and history) at the level at which we would learn them in our respective home countries. This meant that we all graduated perfectly bilingual and able to enter higher education in either France or elsewhere. I attended the British section, and many of my classmates went to top unis in the UK. I should imagine that many kids in Dubai from non-English-speaking countries could potentially find it hard to keep up with their peers at home, both linguistically and academically. This could ultimately narrow their horizons further down the line by making it difficult to attend unis in their native land. But I may be wrong... happy to hear from those who have easily returned to Europe or elsewhere having been to secondary school here.
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 14:09
Hi I was just wondering whether anyone had been to the classes held at Classic Quilts in Jumeira Plaza? I've herad good things about Bernina machines and am tempted to buy one from there as it's v close to where I live.
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 13:59
Have you tried craftland in town centre mall? Or Fida?
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 13:51
How about Latifa? Can't see circumcision listed on their rates but I'm sure that they can perform it.
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Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 13:44
About time Lloyds are closing! We had nothing but trouble with them, and ended up switching back to Emirates NBD who are fine. We have accts with Lloyds and HSBC *offshore* banks (based in Isle of Man and Channel Islands) are fine in terms of service but their local equivalents are totally different entities. Fyi... HSBC here is locally owned franchise of the global brand. I have not banked with them in Dubai so can't offer any feedback on them. I would recommend Emirates NBD for a basic current account here. They have branches and ATMs just about everywhere and service levels are perfectly acceptable.
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Latest post on 01 May 2012 - 14:09
You need to turn right onto Plant st at the Iranian hospital. Then straigt down to end and that is where most fabric shops are - both on plant st and Satwa road, the road that it intersects with. Fida is opposite Satwa clinic, shown on this map of Satwa: http://www.dubaicityinfo.com/cityguide/city_map.aspx?loc=55&map=Al_Satwa& Map to Deepa: http://deepastailoring.com/feedback.htm Hth x
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Latest post on 01 May 2012 - 13:49
You could try Daiso. They tend to sell obscure items!
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Latest post on 30 April 2012 - 14:53
Aaahh, ok twilight. Sorry I misinterpreted what you said and thought you meant the opposite! Lol.
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Latest post on 30 April 2012 - 14:38
There are literally hundreds of runaway girls here (the ones that have run away from certain nationalities whilst on holiday IYSWIM) the girls don’t have visas but are desperate for work so they’re the ones that accept a lesser wage, so you might need to watch out for them in interviews. . Does that mean that maids who travel to the UK on holidays with their employers and then run away are entitled to UK work and residence visas?? I thought they would be classed as illegal, in that they entered on tourist visas for a limited period. If they are entitled to 'legal' worker status then no wonder they run away!
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Latest post on 27 April 2012 - 18:56
Cafe ceramique in Jumeira or FC.
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Latest post on 27 April 2012 - 09:09
Thanks for all this great advice! Can't wait to get started. Not sure what I will do re: machine yet... sil only paid GBP 80 for hers but the lady at Craftland said that they often deal with ppl having problems linked to cheap machines. Had a look at the innovis online but seems quite pricey... will have to see. Btw my 5yo dd is v interested in learning to sew too... can anyone recommend easy projects for a child of that age? TIA x
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Latest post on 26 April 2012 - 17:51
Thanks! I live not too far from Fida so will def check them out, as well as lessons at ductac. I got a Sewing for Dummies book today from Magrudy's... lol. Hopefully it's basic enough! Domestic Devil xx
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Latest post on 26 April 2012 - 08:49
currently it's peeing down and cold !! dry and sunny yesterday, wet the day before, and before that, and before that etc etc lolol have been back almost 2 weeks and heating bill probably equivalent to the whole of last year :D [b'>I’m so glad I don’t live where you live [/b'>we have had beautiful weather where I live; my kids have even got tans. I think anyone coming from 40 degree heat of a desert to the UK will feel the cold compared to people that live here. or all the other people on this thread who have said the same thing.... :) LOL twilight... for the record, I did take my winter coat and boy was I grateful for it. It was *freezing* for my entire stay. Thankfully I had also left leather gloves in my coat pockets and I wore those too! Oh and we had some torrential rain too. I had a wonderful time catching up with friends and family but was sooo relieved to get back to Dubai and put my coat away. Now I know why I live here!
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Latest post on 26 April 2012 - 08:46
Emily, what time are you flying out? Are you flying into London? I am being cheeky but my DH needs his birth certificate, and I am canvassing to see if anyone can take it for me? TIA :) Oops really sorry only just saw this! Hope you got it sorted :-)
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Latest post on 25 April 2012 - 22:34
Hi realcupcake, sorry I didn't look for cross-stitch kits, but I know they have got some at Craftland. The shop is called http://www.classicquiltsdubai.com/contact.htm. They appear to be specialised in quilting and have quite a lot of stock (e.g. patterns, fabrics and books), but not that much for a total beginner like me. They don't seem to have that many ready-made kits, although you could of course just buy a pattern and get them to cut the fabric appropriately. They suggested a few things, but all suitable for machine sewing while I wanted to start by hand first. Interestingly they also run classes - AED600 for 5 or 6 I think, including a kit. Friday morning sounds convenient for me. The class lasts 3 hours but you don't have to stay tat long. They also sell machines and specialise in Bernina. The cheapest one they have is AED625. It looked quite good but I'd like to see whether I enjoy quilting before splashing out. After I went there I asked around and apparently Craftland do kits with full instructions for beginners, so I will head there tomorrow.
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Latest post on 25 April 2012 - 22:20
Oops sorry loranaji! Will read all responses next time. Tbh was intrigued about the 'first nationality' requirement but glad you found someone who meets all criteria :-)
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Latest post on 25 April 2012 - 09:30
Hi All, Just to mention the family is looking for an original French national and not French as a second nationality. Please help me if you know any one who is interested pls reply to me. Hi I am not a French teacher although I do know some teachers given that I am French myself. Could you possibly expand on the above? Would you be interested in someone who was born French in France with parents from another country wiith French as her native tongue? <em>edited by EmilyG on 25/04/2012</em>
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Latest post on 25 April 2012 - 09:26
Thanks a lot. I just found out (via search on EW) that there is a quilting shop in Jumeirah Plaza - perfect! I don't even have to drive there. So I'll be heading down there soon.
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Latest post on 24 April 2012 - 23:11
Thanks for your responses. I've decided to try doing some patchwork by hand before jumping in and buying a machine. That's what my sil did and she says she really enjoyed it as she could do it anywhere e.g. on sofa chatting to dh. So will see what's on offer at Craftland in the way of kits.
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Latest post on 24 April 2012 - 09:41
I live in J1 and *love* it. Beach, Lime Tree, dds's nursery, Spinneys, Ballet Centre all within walking distance! Also close to more 'vibrant areas e.g. Satwa and dd1's school in Oud Metha. Enjoy choosing - everywhere you listed is lovely :-)
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Latest post on 17 April 2012 - 10:55
I know! Just checked BBC website and it's blummin freezing over there. Highs of 13C and rain every day! Charming. Off to the cellar to get my winter coat. Hopefully will not stink of rat poison. Lol! <em>edited by EmilyG on 17/04/2012</em>
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Latest post on 07 April 2012 - 21:56
Best value for money: Fun City (Loulou al Dugong) at Lamcy Cleanest and most aesthetically pleasing: Favourite Things Worst value for money: Peekaboo Best for small kids: Fun City soft play area at Mercato Little Explorers (MCC) is on a grander scale but very nice too... I have only been there for parties but kids really liked it. No idea how expensive it is though.
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Latest post on 07 April 2012 - 21:46
Dh has Sunday off - as does my dd (despite it not being school holidays until 2 weeks later).
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Latest post on 03 April 2012 - 10:35
Ok thanks ladies, will try calling. The website says they are free but I hope they will give me one!
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Latest post on 02 April 2012 - 21:10
A can of coke.
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Latest post on 29 March 2012 - 08:16
Thanks ladies! Loving the replies! Nobody mentionned chocolate?! Lol... it did cross my mind but I am trying to wean myself off it atm. <em>edited by EmilyG on 29/03/2012</em>
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Latest post on 28 March 2012 - 21:17
Morning walk on beach Smile from my baby Woman's hour Morning call to prayer (and knowing I can go back to sleep) Hearing silly chat between dd1 and dd2 Getting something mended by tailor UAE strawberries for AED5.50 Great laugh with a friend Fashion advice from dd1 Chatting to family about the 'old' days Date night with dh Hearing music I used to dance to as a teenager
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 14:22
Thanks Emily G - good advice. Trouble is - I've spoken with *new* hotels on Saadiyat Island (won't mention the name) and because they were new they were utterly inexperienced and completely clueless! As in - NO IDEA. Quote the wedding planner when I said I wanted an outdoor ceremony where there would be chairs with an aisle: "Ohhhh, I've never been to a Western wedding, is that like erm in the movies?" SERIOUSLY!!! The wedding planner had never organised or been to a Western wedding so was trying to convince me I needed a ballroom with 800 guests lol! Told her I don't even know 800 ppl haha! Now that actually *did* make me laugh out loud.
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 14:14
Hi DB congrats on your upcoming wedding :-) Have you thought about going further afield? I know Hatta Fort do weddings which could be nice in such a secluded spot. Not everyone likes older hotels but I think it's lovely. Alternatively, you could look at any brand new hotel looking to break into the wedding market and willing to do a deal. Good luck x
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 14:09
Oooh... nothong in Jumeira 1 yet!
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Latest post on 26 March 2012 - 14:08
It's not that bad! I have been here a lot during the summer (just going away for a couple of weeks) and it hasn't bothered me much at all. First I was working, so obv in the AC all day. Once i had kids I would just have activities organised (mainly in shopping malls, children's city etc). It's true that driving can be a pain if you park outside and the car heats up but if you stick to indoor parking lots it's fine. The first year I had my dd I went away for 7 weeks which was waaaaay too long. I really missed my dh and felt he missed out on dd growing up as babies change so quickly at that age. So I wouldn't do it again. By the end I was *dying* to come back here and wasn't bothered by the heat at all once I returned. The only issue this year will be ramadan wihch *does* complicate things as certain malls have no cafes open. I tihnk we will go away for the 2nd 2 weeks so that we will have Eid to look fwd to while we are away. But don't worry... it's not the **** on earth some ppl make out. Give me a dxb summer over a horrible British summer any day!
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 21:18
Hi sorry to hear about your experience. Did you try the 'other' French school too? If not you could try going on their waiting list.
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 21:15
Hi I just posted about Mon Ecole on another thread - we love it. It's a fantastic nursery, and offers everything you are after. Not sure how old your lo is but as far as I know they take kids from 15 months.
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 17:45
ahhh - any advise from mom's who've transitioned from nursery to french schools here much appreciated. last question - pros/cons of lycee international vs pompidou? i dont love the idea of going through french system as it so different from the IB program i completed - but agree with DH and poster below that it will be easier for her to transition from french to another system rather than the reverse. Hi DC2DXB Re: transitioning from nursery to a French school - my now-5-yo dd did this without any problems. She was at Hummingbird in DIFC for around 18 months, and then joined the LFI (aflec) in moyenne section. As I'd spoken French to her until then she had no problems understanding. In fact she finally began responding to me in french once she started at school (previously this had mainly been in English). Her teacher did comment on her not being accustomed to 'la consigne' (i.e. the format), and said that this may have been due to her having been at nursery as opposed to petite section the previous year - but tbh it wasn't a major deal. Re: LGP and LFI - there are lots of different views on this, but tbh they are v similar schools. They are both private but 'homologue' (i.e. recognised and subsidised by the french state). LGP: more established with a lot of company debentures. It's hard to get a place there unless you have sibling priority or work for a large french corporate or for the consulate. A lot of ppl assume that french nationals get in automatically but this is not the case (e.g. we were only offered a place on their Sharjah campus). As far as I am aware, non-french siblings would have priority over french kids without siblings. As a result there is a high number of non-french kids - french pupils make up about 50% - and the rest is v multicultural. If you look at their website you'll see the bac and brevet results with kids' names giving you an idea of their background. Incidentally, I would say they get quite good results. LGP is managed by AEFE (agence pour l'education francaise a l'etranger) who run a lot of french schools abroad. They are currently building a new school in Academic city (Ruwayah). The secondary school is already out there. As far as I know, primaire will be moving there in sept but maternelle will be staying in Oud Metha. LFI (aflec) is jointly run by the Mission Laique Francaise and Aflec (Association franco-libanaise de l'education et de la culture I think). Some ppl assume that this makes is a Lebanese school but it is not - in fact it is run along v similar lines to LGP with French principals and a lot of French teachers, many of whom come over from France and are on the payroll of the French state. In fact I've heard that they offer slightly better terms than AEFE (but can't verify that). LFI is less established than LGP (only about 7 years old) and currently goes up to 2nde (age 15), with a level being added on every year. It's located in Oud Metha inside Al Nasr Club. Facilities are not flashy but perfectly adequate, and they are building a new building for secondary school on the premises. There is a similar mix of nationalities there - basically French-speakers from a lot of different countries. The website states that they have 45% French but my dd's class has about 6-7 French pupils (out of 28). So far I've been very pleased with the standard of teaching - esp from the French teachers who are v organised, motivated and creative. English is a little more 'variable' but has been much better this year since they decided to increase the hours to 4 per wk. Arabic is not great but unf that's often the case in Dxb. The secondary school is quite progressive in its methods (e.g. adopting special science teaching program) and it will be interesting to hear how well they do at the bac in a couple of years' time. On the whole my exp with LFI/Aflec has been v positive and, most importantly, my dd is v happy there. If you want to educate your child in the French system, you can't go wrong with either of these schools. That's it! Hth x <em>edited by EmilyG on 25/03/2012</em>
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Latest post on 25 March 2012 - 16:06
Hi olad My nearly-3-yo dd is at Mon Ecole in Jumeirah 1 and we *love* it. It's a wonderful environment - warm, eco-friendly (very little plastic, recycling etc) and the lady who owns and runs it is very experienced and passionate about what she does. They even have rabbits for the children to feed :-) But... they only take kids from 15 months. Not sure if this is an issue for you. Hth xx
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Latest post on 23 March 2012 - 17:39
I really think that it is easy to switch from English to French when the child is under 8/9 years old but more difficult after. I was in a french school, moved to the states at the age of 13 in the american system and went back to the french system after a few years. It was not very tough this way. Much harder to go from the IB/American to the super academic french system. Couldn't agree more. I actually skipped a year moving from the French to the Irish (similar to UK) system and had no problems at all. But when I went back 3 years later it was quite tough - even though I'd moved back to my 'correct' year.
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 23:06
There is a very tasteful demo of how to achieve the TOWIE look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfA7_PmfVDs Lol.
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 22:58
Only if they are aged over 5.
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 12:01
Boston Bar at Jumeira Rotana
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Latest post on 22 March 2012 - 07:48
Right next to Spinneys and across the road from Marine Beach Club and Open Beach. In fact it is between the grand Mosque and Spinneys Hth xx
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Latest post on 21 March 2012 - 15:52
Hi derien, I've heard it's quite good but tbh I thought the annual membership was a bit steep (AED500).
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Latest post on 18 March 2012 - 21:23
Oh thank you so much! I really am glad she told you all about it and enjoyed it! :) Yes she was so interested that we logged onto the the buckle up website and she showed me pictures of you - and your 'lovely yellow car'! The campaign seems to have really taken off. Amazing to think it started with a simple FB page. Just shows what a bit of initiative (and a lot of hard work!) can do :-)
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Latest post on 16 March 2012 - 11:19
[ HI, EmilyG, can you give a little more details, what bad exp she had? so people can be more alert. TIA Hi I guess 'very bad' is a slight exaggeration. I don't know all the details tbh - as faras I can remember, my friend just seemed a bit frustrated with a lack of communication on one shoot. As I said, it may well have been an isolated incident. Her kids love modelling and as far as I know haven't encountered any problems.
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Latest post on 15 March 2012 - 22:16
Great idea, DubaiCat! Why not speak to Sian at Breastfeeding Q&A? You never know, you may be able to pool resources (e.g. get a room to meet in). Good luck xx
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Latest post on 15 March 2012 - 22:12
Hi I had 2 years 5 months between my first two and didn't use any books - just got on with it! Bfing on demand is great as you don't need to plan ahead - just stick the baby on there whenenver he/she seems hungry and carry on interacting with your toddler (as much as you can) - no need to rush off and prepare a bottle or keep watching the clock. Now I have 3 in total with exactly 5 years between eldest and youngest. Baby is now 3 months old. SO far it's all going well. Again, I don't have a fixed routine (other than getting up early on weekdays for school and nursery). I was a bit worried about how I would cope as I don't have full time help at home, but it's actually been fine. Putting dd1 on the bus to school takes a lot of pressure off, as does having dd2 in nursery just around the corner. Good luck and don't worry, you'll be fine :-)