GinaM | ExpatWoman.com
 

GinaM

GinaM
514
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 April 2011 - 11:03
Becahamel - I had a really bad experience on this forum once and did stay away for a little while but at the end of the day its a good resource for all of us and especially new people. I'm not sure why some people think that their opinion is worth more than yours or why they feel the need to act like a dog with a bone and hammer it home - theres a difference between passing on information or even one or two people challenging your views but when you end up with a dozen people all feeling the need to attack your opinion it is very disconcerting, even if you have another dozen supporting you. I wouldn't blame you at all for not coming on the website anymore - quite frankly I often think of taking it off my "favourites" myself as the comments by some people are so negative that it just becomes a depressing read (and yes...before I get attacked for that - I know that we don't live in a bubble and that every view is worth something but when you read one negative thing after another by some people you wonder why they would ever live here - no money is worth depression!). I live in a foreign country which is culturally miles away from my homeland and away from many of my family and friends - I could quite easily lull myself into a depression if thats what I wanted to do and don't need the assistance of any online forums to do that. Fortunately however the majority of the time the posts on EW are useful and positive and most people are supportive and the instances of threads becoming personal attacks are limited. <em>edited by GinaM on 14/04/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 13 April 2011 - 15:46
Loading is speeding here...has caused much confusion to many people! I think that the logic is something along the lines of you are "loading" too much speed on the car or something like that.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 13 April 2011 - 11:48
quite frankly, if they are annoying you with their behavior, just tell them to their face and make your point there and then. even if their english isn't great, they'll get it. Just like if you let one of the dreadful drivers on the road know that you are annoyed with their rude/aggressive/bad etc driving they get it??? I don't think so!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 13 April 2011 - 09:16
I think you also pay something like QR170 for the photograph and that you still end up paying your fine so just costs you even more. I had a ticket for "high parking"....personally I couldn't see anything wrong with the parking but what can you do!! I asked the woman what high parking was and she just said "no english"...it was just too difficult to pursue. We also got 2 speeding fines once within an hour of each other and only one of us was in the country at the time so no idea who was driving the other car. I know people who have questioned things like this though only to find out that the day, date, time etc in the computer was different to what was on the ticket - so not being in the area etc at the time doesn't seem to really mean anything.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 12 April 2011 - 21:54
The comments may be related to some (and I'm not sure if its all or not) Canadian institutions only being able to issue Canadian qualifications within Canada (unlike for example Australian ones where the work undertaken just needs to be moderated by an Australian institution and signed off on). But then again that probably doesn't really matter in kindergarten/early years - or in fact apply since there won't be any qualification applicable.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 11 April 2011 - 21:05
Bechamel - I wouldn't worry about it. I think its quite obvious that the point being made in the thread initially was the annoyance of the lack of service staff acknowledging you as a customer and not about expecting everyone in the world to speak english because I/you/we do. It seems that a few people jumped on the "lets persecute someone" EW bandwagon and got carried away...what a pity that some of us can't support each other as much in a foreign country as we manage to attack each other! Sometimes its just a bad day! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 11 April 2011 - 15:52
Carolina and Bechamel were talking more about the rudeness of being ignored I thought than people speaking in another language - I dont think that they were being arrogant at all. You have every right as a customer to expect some level of service for your money...here or anywhere else. Baffled - I think it will be a long long time before you see a Qatari serving you meat in this country or any other. Also, you may have not noticed but they order things in Arabic not in English the majority of the time - most service people in this country speak arabic.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 22:31
I think you are fully entitled to expect them to stop chatting or whatever it is that they are talking about when you are being served at a shop. Nothing is more annoying than a shop assistant taking an item/s off you, taking your money, giving you your change etc all without saying a word to you but meanwhile chatting away to someone else (even more infuriating when they are doing it on the phone). Unfortunately teaching customer service doesn't rank highly here and it happens often. I'm more shocked now days when a shop assistant actually acknowledges me than when they don't (pleasantly shocked of course)!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 22:24
Lulu Gharaffa has the best bakery/bread selection I think. Either imported Kingsmill (pretty expensive but worth it cause it lasts heaps longer) or the stuff that they bake is pretty good as well. Also Pauls (cafe) at Landmark and Villagio sell some great loaves of bread really cheap. Their Ancien and 5 seed loaves are both beautiful. Family Food sell Vogels which is nice. ETA The white bread at Carrefour is milk bread - it lasts longer than the other ones that they sell (most are sliced too thinly so go stale within a day) but it is quite a sweet bread - not to my taste. <em>edited by GinaM on 10/04/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 18:36
Unfortunately there is no way you can personally speed up the process other than whinging (which isn't that successful re RP's anyway...I tried it! :) ). It really depends on the company and how efficient or not they are. These days there shouldn't actually be an issue regarding getting the RP as they should have already applied for an RP visa for your husband and be bringing him in on that - so therefore he should already be approved for an RP and its just a formality going through the medical etc etc. (RP's have to be approved on nationality, gender etc so if they don't bring him in on an RP visa there is a chance that they could be rejected for his nationality, gender etc etc and that would slow things down as they would have to keep applying in the hope that it will go through at some stage - however if he comes in on an RP visa then he has already been "pre-approved" so to speak). Maybe ask what visa he will be entering the country on - that will give you some idea.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 10 April 2011 - 12:12
Massimo Dutti - there's one in Villagio and one in Landmark.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 09 April 2011 - 10:27
Me either..must be a problem with that thread! ;)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 08 April 2011 - 13:44
There doesn't seem to be any real censorship of tv...I see things here that amaze me! The internet though is another story - quite often you try to go to a website and a little qatar cartoon thing comes up saying that the site is censored. Quite often it seems pretty silly as it will be a website discussing some gynaecological thing or something like that...not actually a *** site!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 08 April 2011 - 08:59
"there's little excuse not to use them here" It is still widely debated whether cloth nappies are in fact better for the environment than disposable ones particularly if you do not have an energy efficient laundry system. Food for thought! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 17:18
I know someone who used to work for them - I don't think they are the best around but don't take my word for it as its second hand. Ask them to be more specific about dates etc...get some sort of commitment from them. If they say you can't come over till he gets his RP ask why and how long that will be.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 17:16
Not exactly the most attractive language to listen to either is it...and whats the the necessity to speak it at a zillion decibels so you can hear it from 3 blocks away!! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 07 April 2011 - 07:49
If they are saying that you can only come once he gets his RP then they don't sound overly accommodating to me. Legally there is no requirement for you to wait for him to get his RP so that must be an internal thing of theirs and if they are efficient and do things fast then why would they worry? Getting an RP really depends on the company - it shouldn't take long (I've seen it done in 2 days and I've seen it take 3 months) but generally it depends on how lazy the person at your husbands company who is responsible for it is! :) I agree though - best to get him to come over a few weeks before you to get a bit acclimatized and sorted. Just be carefully that they aren't hopeless at RP's and you're still sitting waiting in 6 months time! I'd ask for more definite details from the company.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 06 April 2011 - 17:07
No I would not let her take my son outside the compound - and I'd be very straight in telling her so too.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 05 April 2011 - 16:12
You can get nice seafood here reasonably priced. Regarding wine - it starts at about QR30 a bottle and goes up from there. You can get a nice very drinkable bottle (say a Frascati or Pinot Grigio) from about QR50 - 60 so not to bad!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 22:30
Nesquick is really easy to find here and cheap! :) What ever you want - get it in writing before you come over. Renegotiating once you get here can be difficult. Kids are really adaptable - both my husband and I are expat brats...I moved every couple of years up to 13 years of age - and I like to think that I'm fairly balanced! ;) You'll be amazed at how quickly he adapts.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 04 April 2011 - 20:21
Bring as much personal stuff as you can (we actually brought everything over that we owned other than bottles of grog! LOL! :) ) - its so much easier to make it feel like home when you move to a foreign country if you are surrounded by familar things. It will probably be quite good for your son at his age too - bit of continuity. In terms of part time work - I'm not sure but I dont think its all that easy to get part time jobs and they are fairly low paid. If you were to work as a helper in one of the schools for example you would be working more than part time hours (say 7 to 1pm) and be earning less than 800 euros a month. Why is the company saying the family can't come over for 6 months? That seems a bit extreme to me. Surely thats up to you and your husband to decide. My husband came over a three weeks before us which was good in terms of getting organised but personally I would not have made the move if my son had to be separated from him for 6 months. Just my personal opinion there.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 02 April 2011 - 19:13
I see Dr Giorgia at Doha Clinic. She's not an endocrinologist but a lot of her patients are like me and see her specifically for thyriod. She works 8am to 2pm and is very good.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 30 March 2011 - 11:51
My guess is that she didn't get to see a Dr because she's a maid and didn't yell and scream like we would! :) Can you go down with her? If not then tell her to tell them that she's not going to leave without seeing a Dr. Generally you can just walk into any health clinic and see one straight away...although not a cardiologist - I'm pretty sure she'd have to go to Hamad for that. Re a nurse prescribing medicine...I doubt thats legal but then again perhaps they just gave her an over the counter medicine like Cardiprin which is basically just aspirin that they prescribe for heart issues/blood pressure sometimes. The public health system (and private for that matter) is normally very good here.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 30 March 2011 - 10:33
I'm not sure about Al Ahli but I just had shoulder surgery with Dr Amr at Doha Clinic last week and I couldn't sing his or the Clinic's praises enough. Everything went really smoothly and my shoulder is making a fantastically fast recovery!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 29 March 2011 - 17:06
And that is the exact reason why I don't go to any public events over here. NONE. AND do my shopping as early in the morning as possible. Can't be a r s e d with all the s h i t e. edited by carolina on 29/03/2011 Same here. It's just not worth the aggro tbh. Life's too darn short! Wow...sad! :( I've been to lots of public events here that have worked very smoothly...and been a lot cheaper and more accessible than they would be back home. Life's too darn short to stay at home! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 29 March 2011 - 15:03
I've always brought tea tree oil back with me as have never seen any tea tree oil products here at all.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2011 - 07:07
I would think he would find it extremely difficult. Its hard to get RP's over 60 so anyone even approaching that age is often ruled out and without a degree it would be even harder.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 25 March 2011 - 09:53
But make your minimum more than your minimum....everyone expects to get a bargain and to barter in this country!!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 24 March 2011 - 14:19
Its a bit difficult to talk about salary without knowing what your job is...you can't really ask for something just based on lifestyle - its going to be directly related to the job. I would personally tell them that they need to give me an idea of what salary they are expecting to pay...surely they have a figure in mind and its not just open ended. If you give them a figure you might be selling yourself short. In terms of cost of living - I haven't lived in Dubai but I believe that its similar cost of living. You can live it up or you can live very cheaply.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 24 March 2011 - 10:11
She'll probably be terrified Blister19 but only cause she won't have any idea what the regulations are and will think that you are covering yourself and not her (which is basically the truth...you want to cover yourself!). Just tell her that the laws have changed and that you need a letter from her sponsor - may or may not work! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 March 2011 - 21:24
Look for a new maid? ;) Sorry...not very helpful but did she just change her mind and if so do you really want to go out of your way when she may change it again? Also, are you talking about a visa or an RP? If you are talking about an RP for her I think you will find its more hassel than its worth to try and get her another one...if that is even possible!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 March 2011 - 17:49
We've got both. We got Mosaic because when we moved it was cheaper to cancel our Qtel and take out new internet, phone and mosaic than to either just move them or take out just internet and phone. not sure if they still have it but we got the first 2 months for free and no moving/installation costs - so even after the first 2 months of full channels with just the basic channels we saved QR700. We've got Showtime in another room and in our old villa it was ok but here it is pretty awful - get black screen for a second or two a couple of times every hour...quite frustrating! Still it's probably a necessary evil! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 March 2011 - 10:05
Bit tired and sore but doing fine thanks Rachel. I've been told that it applies to domestics by a couple of people but wouldn't stake my life on it! I guess the safest option is to get a maid who is sponsored by her husband and then she can work as a "working woman". I'd still get a letter from the sponsor/husband though. The new regulations were scheduled to come out in January but I'm not sure if they did and what exactly they cover.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 March 2011 - 09:20
Sorry...had a minor op! They have recently changed the law and now employees are now allowed to take on additional work outside their primary job but they must have the permission of their sponsor. If you want a maid to come and work for you part time make sure that they get a letter from their sponsor specifically giving them permission to work for you - and hold on to it to cover yourself. <em>edited by GinaM on 23/03/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 17:13
You know I use Rexona men's roll on deodorant. Used to buy it for my husband and then just stated using it one day out of laziness. Its cheap as chips and works fantastically! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 14:49
wow.....it would be cheaper to get botox to stop the sweating! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 13:30
Its generally at night that the driving is more dangerous (as in lethal) - school runs are normally pretty harmless cause the traffic is so bad that you can't go fast enough to have a serious accident! :) don't worry - you get used to the driving here really really fast.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 13:28
Not actually energy bars but Spinneys have Be Natural health bars (from Australia) - they are very yummy. Have seen them somewhere else too (Megamart??) but can't remember where.
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 20 March 2011 - 07:37
As long as you stay aware like Blini said the driving here isn't going to kill you (well anymore than in any other country...and possibly even less since you do tend to maintain a higher level of awareness)...its just annoying but you get used to that. At times now I even laugh at some of the things that I see! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 19 March 2011 - 16:10
Anyone know what time the QDC is open til tonight? edited by ccdoha on 19/03/2011 7 or 7.30pm! ;)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 19 March 2011 - 11:29
Don't make a rash decision - everyone has bad days here and tomorrow you might look at things totally differently. I would wonder though how legal it is for them to charge you for things like the flights and the visa costs?? I know with my company even if someone leaves after 3 days (and it does happen unbelievably!!) we just have to wear it. <em>edited by GinaM on 19/03/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 18 March 2011 - 16:40
I'm with you Catonclan (and no tally-ho - I'm not a man!). The local women are appalling drivers! As a rule they think that they are above the law and completely ignore give way signs, intersectons etc. Ridiculously dangerous drivers and the only thing to do is to keep an eye out for them and accept that they are not going to stop for you (or even acknowledge that you're on the road most of the time)!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 16 March 2011 - 16:54
The UK FCO website (updated today) actually says •We advise against all travel to Bahrain until further notice. As of the afternoon of 16 March, our advice to British nationals remains to stay at home until further notice. We are assessing the security situation and we recommend that those without a pressing reason to remain should be ready to leave at short notice. We are aware that the mobile phone network in Bahrain is working intermittently, but landlines and internet appear to be working for the time being .
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 16 March 2011 - 15:28
BTW - a few years back my husband and I each got speeding fines in our respective cars within about 1 hour of each other....I wasn't even in the country at the time (and no his mistress hadn't borrowed my car....I asked! ;) !! We figure that the tickets that you get every now and then are just a bit of a levy that we pay for cheap petrol! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 16 March 2011 - 15:25
Pretty sure they are open into the evening! :)
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 16 March 2011 - 15:11
Go to the Traffic Department just off Khalifa Street - just past Burgerking Roundabout. I think that these days you can leave the country with outstanding fines but might be safest to pay anyway. Re contesting it....I wouldn't even bother - it will be more hassel than its worth and I'd bet that you won't get anywhere! :( I asked about the one and only parking ticket I've got and the girl just said "high parking" - I said "whats high parking" and she just shrugged! ETA The black points go against your (or whoever was driving at the time) licence - after 12 (?) blackpoints in 3(?) years you loose you licence. <em>edited by GinaM on 16/03/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 15 March 2011 - 16:11
Probably the same as your car registration where you get a months grace after it runs out. ETA...or the person you saw there just couldn't be ar#ed doing it for you so told you to come back! :) <em>edited by GinaM on 15/03/2011</em>
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 15 March 2011 - 16:03
I'd be extremely suprised if it is. why don't you just get it done on one of the days leading up to the Friday?
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 14 March 2011 - 19:56
I think in most places the person you give the tip to gets some of it but has a percentage taken off them. I'm pretty sure they get some as they always seem very happy and grateful. Re the hairdresser though - I'd be looking for a new one - I think that's just out of line and rude. Apart from most hairdressers here being pretty expensive in the first place, tipping and the amount should be entirely at your discretion!
GinaM
514
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 14 March 2011 - 16:30
Err...people don't have "body transplants" - they have organ transplants and body part transplants. Anyway...its a bit of a stretch from what has happened in medical science to speculating that any government would (or even could) create an event such as the one in Japan.
 
 
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