Hope15

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 November 2016 - 06:32

Hi Girlwanderer, I really feel for you and what you are going through. From personal experience, I know how stressful it can be. Unfortunately I can't offer any advice regarding the school situation. We ended up homeschooling our daughter but our situation is different than yours. However I wanted to comment on the stress\sleeping issue. I went through a situation a few years ago when I couldn't sleep and was under severe stress. I learned the hard way that if you can't sleep for an extended period of time and are under a lot of stress its better to go to the doctor then to just put up with it. After going through a sleepless period of a few weeks this time I did go to the doctor and I am glad that I did. You will manage to sort out the school situation; you might not know how yet but it will get sorted out. I hope that you manage to resolve the school situation quickly and that you are able to get some sleep and peace.Good luck with everything, I am hoping that something positive will come out of your challenging situation.

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Latest post on 07 June 2016 - 15:39

Thanks Ladies for all of your comments. They are very helpful. Just curious if any of the UAE credit cards offer collision damage insurance (as far as I know mine don't). I am eligible for a canadian credit card from one of the large banks which includes this type of car insurance, however buried in the fine print is a condition that you need to be a resident so I was concerned that this could potentially be an out for credit card co. Northern Lights I really like Enterprise as well. Dancer 2003, thanks for mentioning the liability insurance issue in the U.S., I wasnt aware of that. It seems most western countries have 3rd party insurance by law but you have to opt in for collision damage waiver. I was planning to get max insurance from car rental co in states (because I don't want to take a chance and its only a short time) and then potentially do a second car rental just for Canada and use worldwidehire (if I feel comfortable) and opt out of the collison damage waiver. Thanks again everyone.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 May 2016 - 12:21

Hi - does anyone have a contact for the above program. I have some clothes to donate that may not be appropriate for more conservative places like Syria.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 February 2016 - 15:36

Thanks so much everyone for your suggestions. My daughter will be going to a small private middle school which doesn't tend to have many international students. I am checking with them re insurance but expect that they don't deal with this often. Jeahh47 I came across the insurance company you mentioned when I was researching insurance. Wondered if you had used them.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 27 February 2016 - 00:21

Sorry further to my last note I meant to say that I am not very familiar with the two hospitals that you mentioned (or the doctors). Sorry to hear about your injury.

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Latest post on 27 February 2016 - 00:19

Hi Kalkoul99, I haven't heard of the doctors that you mentioned, but that doesn't mean much as I am very familiar with the two hospitals that you mentioned. I just wondered why you selected these two doctors\hospitals. I have heard of some good orthopedic doctors at other hospitals, but not sure whether they deal with meniscus tears. Good luck finding the right doctor.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 February 2016 - 08:12

Hi Rossi, Wondered if you had ever talked to gynacologist, Dr. Rosalie Sant (primavera clinic). I have only been to her once but based on that visit I thought she was really good. She seemed very progressive and I expect that she would be quite conservative re surgery but can't say for sure as only saw her one time. Ideally you want to get an opinion from a doctor who has a conservative view re surgery and is open to discussing whether there are any other options. Good luck with your opinions. It sounds like you have a bit of time to decide. The key thing from my perspective is that you are comfortable with the recommended medical treatment and you feel it is the best course of action for you. Do what ever you need to do, given time and financial constraints to be comfortable with whatever medical treatment is recommended. I note that there is a website www.wholewoman which talks about issues such as hysterectomies and alternative ways of dealing with some of the issues which are the basis for having a hysterectomy.

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Latest post on 22 February 2016 - 07:57

Hi Rossi 44 - I don't have an answer to your question. However just wanted to make one comment. I don't know anything about your situation and I realise it may be a clear cut situation where surgery is the only option. However, given a recent experience that I had (where I was told that surgery was required)as well as a relative's experience with hysterectomy, just wanted to suggest that if you haven't done so you may want to get a second opinion to see if there is any chance you could avoid surgery.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 22 February 2016 - 07:45

Hi , I can't answer the question that you asked but have a few comments. 1. One of my relatives has a few severe prolapses(bladder and rectal, hysterectomy so no uterus), but she wasn't a candidate for surgery for several reasons. She has managed to deal the prolapses in other ways. This has been going on for a few years. I gather from my reading some time ago that there are a number of different ways to do the surgery with varying success rates. I only mention this to make sure that before the surgery you are clear about options and success rates. Also not sure whether you consulted a gynacologist. If you haven't it might be helpful to discuss options with a good gynacologist, who might also be able to recommend a good surgeon for this procedure. I have only been to one gynacologist here (Dr, Rosalie Sant) who I thought was excellent. 2. I know one of her friends had a lot of success with ring pessary, for sometime and has not had surgery. Good luck with everything.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 February 2016 - 08:08

Ha Ha - even a lot of the "experts" aren't experts. Sometimes experts are overrated. Look at the markets right now , the experts have no clue whats going on - oil going up, oil going down; recession in US, no recession. Also look at some of the posters' experience with the "expert" financial advisors here.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 February 2016 - 08:01

I agree with Countess Wrinkle and loving the sun, and others who suggested discussing flexible payment options with the school . Good luck to you and the rest of the family. I know it is a very stressful time, but everything will work out.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 February 2016 - 07:56

I am no expert either but I think there are a lot of other factors at play in the slowdown here, like the high dollar, the slowdown in China, tightening in US etc. I don't think the slowdown is just a regional phenonmenon.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 February 2016 - 12:11

Thanks for your comments Bingo 12 and Marsbar.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 04 February 2016 - 12:09

Thanks Castle for your input. Glad your husband's knee surgery went well. I have heard that Dr Opit..(one key doesnt work) is a very good Dr.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 February 2016 - 14:36

You are right chic09 - didn't even look at the date this time; so it was an old post. Thanks for pointing out. Wonder how Binkie's situation ended

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 February 2016 - 14:36

You are right chic09 - didn't even look at the date this time; so it was an old post. Thanks for pointing out. Wonder how Binkie's situation ended

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 February 2016 - 11:02

Hi - I was wondering if there are any doctors here that specialise in ankle surgery. I would also be interested in knowing from people here who have had ankle surgery which doctor they used. thanks for your help.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 February 2016 - 10:58

Hi - I am looking for a good accountant familiar with Canadian tax from an expat perspective ie. someone who is knowledgeable about issues related to non resident status. Thanks for your help.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 February 2016 - 10:44

Hi Binkie, really sorry to hear about your car situation. If I were in your position, I would do the following: 1. talk to consumer protection people at the economic department. I am not sure if they handle this sort of thing ( I suspect they don't but its easy to call them and see). If they don't handle and tell you to report to the police I would ask them whether you have to go to a specific police station to file a case , if they have contact numbers for relevant police people etc. Basically you want to do what you can to avoid having to do a lot of running around and as much as possible get to the right place the first time. 3. (note would talk to police first before you do this thats why numbers changed around- see below) Take the car to a reputable repair shop (I am not sure where I would go and whether it is worth going to the dealer who would may charge quite a bit more) and see if they can confirm whether it has been in an accident and what work has been done since then. I would also want to know if the damage was visible when you lifted up the hood ie was it a case that the damage was visible if you looked or did the seller take steps to actively hide. 2.. I would talk to the police and see if you can find out what your options are, whats involved in filing a case ,the cost, likelihood of success and whether there is any merit in filing a case even if there is no possibility of success ie. would the police watch seller more closely etc. If the car has been in an accident and the police were involved I would think they would have a record on their system. I think it may make sense to talk to police first before going to repair shop because maybe the police would tell you what they would be looking for in a report, if it makes a difference where you get the report etc. I note that you may end up having to talk to several different policemen & depts to get the necessary information. Good luck and sorry this happened to you. I know there are lots of things you can do to prevent things like this from happening and that you have to be extremely careful in Dubai, but I know if it was me the last thing I would want to know at this point is what I should have done differently.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 31 January 2016 - 15:23

Rawla and HMum thank you for your suggestions. Rawla, wondered if you had any experience with SAE courses. Thanks again for your help.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 14 June 2015 - 13:04

Also been here a long time (since the 90s) and have seen a lot of long time residents leaving. We are staying but if it keeps getting more expensive that may change. Price escalation reminds me a bit of 2007 early 2008 but different this time (salaries not rising, high dollar, low oil & real estate not going up like it was then). Possible lots of people coming in from the rest of region and outside the region but no personal knowledge . Would love to know what kind of contracts the newcomers have and whether they are saving lots of money.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 May 2015 - 17:16

Thanks for the suggestion Lislylou. I may talk to istyle just to be on the safe side.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 May 2015 - 17:14

Thanks for all your help Alismum. One other question do you know how to put emergency number on main phone screen, like etisalat one, so if someone finds phone, or something happens to me, person finding phone can call emergency number. Thanks again.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2015 - 16:37

Thanks ladies for your suggestions. Will look into these sites.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 16 April 2015 - 22:45

Hi, not sure if a naturopath like Heather Eade (she was in Dubai assume she is still here but not sure )might be able to provide some guidance. Also there is a Canadian naturopath (not in Dubai), Natasha Turner who has written a number of books about balancing your hormones. I found the first book she wrote quite helpful; I haven't read the later ones yet. She or her Toronto clinic might be a possible resource.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 January 2015 - 12:21

Hi Dexter Moggs, thank you for your kind offer to answerhomeschooling questions. I did try to pm you but it didn't work. I also posted a response ( about a week ago not sure re exact time) which doesn't appear to have posted. In any event if you are ok with email I have posted my email. I will delete once I hear back from you. Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience. My email [email protected]

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 January 2015 - 22:48

THanks everyone for your help and suggestions. ClaireBonkers really appreciate the Ted talk you suggested. Agree it is inspiring. Also impressed by Jacob Barnett's talk and Ken Robinson's talk among others.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 10 January 2015 - 20:33

Thanks Ladies for all your help. Looks like there will be a collection point near Waitrose at Dubai Mall as well. So will be off to donate tomorrow.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 October 2014 - 12:45

Thanks Amelton for your help. Sarah Lou, thanks for your comments; looks like viruses quite rare on iphones and ipads.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 October 2014 - 12:36

Thanks Ladies for all your help. Etisalat ran out of micro sims but they appear to be in stock now. I got one from one of the outlets.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 11 October 2014 - 15:39

Hi - I am interested in what antivirus software people use on their various electronics. Right now my pc has loads of viruses which I am trying to clean up (I realise that it will need to be serviced but temporary fix right now). I would also like to protect new android phone and ipad so would welcome any suggestions. Thanks in advance for any help.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 May 2014 - 07:37

A few comments re the current situation. 1. The Dubai market is totally different than some of the other big hubs like New York and London. It does have some elements of these hubs (ie. many MNC's based here, many outside investors,lots of sports events & concerts) but other aspects are totally different (ie. expats restricted where they can buy property; property rules easily and quickly changed - such as visa situation when you buy property, rent controls quickly changed , located in politically sensitive area of the world etc). It may be relevant to compare Dubai prices to other international hubs but I don't think this comparison is totally valid. 2. I think the current prices (both sales and rental prices) are unsustainable in the short term ; they have gone up too quickly and salary growth hasn't (and I am not sure a lot of companies are in a position or prepared to raise salaries substantially) . As an aside I know many of the salaries were substantially higher around 2008 and many people took cuts after the crash and have never regained their original salaries but expenses like school fees have continued to increase. Right now, I don't understand how a lot of people are currently making ends meet and suspect that many people will start to leave if prices go up much more.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 21 May 2014 - 14:58

Looking for a school outside of mainstream schools for my daughter going into grade 8. Is there such a thing in Dubai; she is quite bright and could probably do most of the curriculum on her own.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 22:09

Thanks Ladies for all your help. Glad to hear renewal not a problem here at least for Dubai residents. I will pass this info onto my friend; not sure what the issue was.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 17:19

I think whether you get joint or individual policy depends on why you are getting it. For instance if both parties have a enough insurance to take care of their family and then they buy a property they may want to buy joint insurance in an amount to cover the mortgage payment in the event one of them dies. If neither party has any insurance or small amount then it makes sense to get individual and possibly joint later on to cover specific exposure.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 17:13

Thanks everyone for your comments. I realise to certain extent hard to generalise at this point. (sorry my sed not working today)

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 17:13

Thanks everyone for your comments. I realise to certain extent hard to generalise at this point. (sorry my sed not working today)

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 19 May 2014 - 08:46

I have seen some articles suggesting that property sales in Dubai have slowed down. Wondered what people's experience was in this regard and whether anyone has seen any price drops.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 18 May 2014 - 22:39

I figured that you were talking about the products that a lot of the investment companies sell here (where you get the choice of many funds within certain wrapper) (not claiming to understand how they work). ; Assuming this is what you are referring to, then I would be careful you are clear exactly what the fees are , what commitments you need to make re regular payments and how easy it is to get in and out of .

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 18:32

Thanks Pollydxb1 - sorry for late response had trouble signing in for some reason. If anyone else has any suggestions re brokers or contacts at life insurance companies the information would be much appreciated. Thanks again

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 13 May 2014 - 07:57

Hi - I am looking for life insurance coverage for someone close to 60 that won't cost an astronomical amount. Any suggestions very much appreciated. Thanks in

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 21:12

Well further to my last post I ended up calling TD direct investing in Luxembourg . In case anyone is interested, according to their customer service rep, for Canadians in UAE (depends on your nationalility and residency) they charge 15% tax on dividends for Canadian stock (withheld at source) and 25% for American dividends. No tax on capital gains in the case of Canadians living in UAE.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 14:24

Hi - If you happen to know where she is or have a contact number would really appreciate getting. Thanks

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 April 2014 - 10:57

Hi Lennox - too bad re dust allergy ; I guess there isn't much you can do to stop that here. Today must be bad for you - certainly dusty in my area. Anyway good luck with your sinuses.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 03 April 2014 - 09:32

Hi Lennox79 I had sinus surgery in 2002 and then my sinus condition came back shortly after that. I changed Doctors and went to Dr. Bahgat who I found really helpful and more conservative on antibiotic front. He prescribed otrivin (for first 7 days to open up passages) followed by nasonex (about a minute later). (I wondered if you were also using otrivin and whether it might make a difference.) I did the other things like inhaling salt water (or using neti pot) which also helped. The other comment I had was that I think some sinus conditions may be caused by or aggravated by food allergies such as gluten or dairy or eating a lot of sugar.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 21 March 2014 - 09:28

Thanks so much for all your help rotetho, barbie doll and gabbana. Holland looks fantastic for cycling. Rotetho the link you posted was really helpful. Thanks again really excited about the cycling.

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 20 March 2014 - 09:53

Thanks again Ladies for all your help. Plum it sounds like from your note that a shadow teacher would not be a big deal for the child ie. it wouldn't be really obvious to all the other kids.

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Latest post on 19 March 2014 - 12:44

Hi Cymraes, just realised that I never thanked you earlier for your information - so first of all thanks for your earlier post. I was interested in hearing more about your experience (and one elses) with shadow teachers and also how your son found the experience. Did many kids in his class have a shadow teacher. Are they fairly inconspicuous in the classroom. How much involvement would they have during the time the lesson is being taught. Do you know whether many schools in Dubai use them. Many thanks for all your help.

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Latest post on 11 March 2014 - 10:41

Madge Gustard I might have agreed with you if I had not seen homeopathy work in a few cases - one very dramatic. My daughter has had chronic hives for several years(not sure of all the causes but definitely physical stress was a trigger - extended exposure to heat eg day at beach, virus etc). Her last bout lasted over a year and she had to take atarax every day or hives would occur. Conventional medical doctors said that there was no cure just to control. She stopped the atarax and took a homeopathic remedy for over 3 months (two years ago) and hasn't had hives since. In the beginning if she didn't have the remedy.the hives would occur. Anyway I would definitely use homeopathy where there are no other good options. But I can also understand why lots of people don't believe in it.

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Latest post on 07 March 2014 - 20:41

depends what special needs you need catering for. DS is high functioning autistic now in year 11 (arrived in Dxb at year 7), we pay extra for learning support (1-1 shadow) at his mainstream school, is working well for us. I didn't want to send him back to the UK to boarding school which could also have catered for his needs. We are very happy, however this is the second school he's attended in Dubai and we were lucky that we found that they could support his specific needs - yes at a cost, but we were willing to bite the bullet and we have had a good result. He's going into IB career related certificate/BTec next year, something we never dreamed he would aspire to. Good luck x

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