LadyBee

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 March 2013 - 16:15

They could be fruit flies, or rather, they sound like it. Not for a moment am I suggesting you don't throw out old fruit, but the second fruit starts to get slightly beyond ripe, the fruit flies will gravitate towards them. I keep a big bowl of lemons/limes in the kitchen and we grow them in our garden as well and every so often, we get these little bugs hovering around. Annoying, but as soon as I get rid of the offending item, they disappear. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 March 2013 - 15:35

We did that too, MrsJT! We put a selection of very cheap to stupidly pricey gifts on our list and were able to 'exchange' silver photo frames, candles, cushions and more into Mauviel copper goodies for me. :D Happily, we didn't have the prob with the dinner service because a superannuated relation bought us a whole eight-place setting, but the bottom line was: it was awfully nice - even though we had already set up our home - to get these nice things that we'd never buy for ourselves under normal circumstances. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 March 2013 - 14:23

Congratulations on your marriage! :) I was incredibly reluctant to register for gifts when we were married, but followed my mother's advice here. In her day, one would register and guests would contact the mother-of-the-bride to discretely ask 'where' and guests would take it from there. So we did the same. I felt even worse because we sent invitations to people all over the world with little expectation all could attend, so it felt like we were only inviting them so they'd give us a gift! Awful. We also had been living together, already had everything we needed etc etc, so it seemed churlish to expect anything at all. That said, as my mother put it: you aren't taking anything from friends and family who want to commemorate your marriage by giving you something, even if it's vouchers or similar; you are letting them love you. And that's all they really want to do. :) PS. I like Ayzzy's idea as well though; donations on your behalf to charity are a great idea. We had charitable gifts on our list as well. There are a few villages with goats and, I believe, a well, thanks to our kind guests! :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 17 March 2013 - 10:13

I have to agree with how overcrowded it was, so much busier than previous years I am sure! After last year's effort, which was OUR most-crowded year, we swore: never again. Sad to hear nothing's changed, but hardly surprised: great that you had a good time despite the heaving bodies. ;) What really annoyed me about last year was that I was being constantly spammed with emails from Taste of Dubai in the months leading up to the event, asking that I take advantage of the special VIP ticket offer. Well, numpty that I am, I purchased said VIP tix very early in the piece only to discover when we arrived on our allocated day that the VIP section was absolutely RAMMED with people; no way of getting in or out, all the table were full and had masses of people standing around besides, and the so-called security guys couldn't give a flying whatever. We ended up waiting in line for AGES to exchange vouchers for food and given that the stalls were on the main pathway, were constantly jostled, stepped on and pushed out of the way. The queues for the wine bar were even worse and when we arrived, just about everyone there were more than a few drinks into party mode. Disgusting. What was most worrying were all the little kids running around, in danger of being trodden on by drunken adults. And the noise! The music! There was no escape. I think the policy at this event is to pack as many people in as possible regardless of whether it's safe or whether people are having a good time. One for the younger types, methinks. I won't be attending again. Give me a 'Taste Of ...' in another better-organised city though, eg Sydney or Melbourne or London, and I'm there. :) <em>edited by LadyBee on 17/03/2013</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 16 March 2013 - 11:04

There are myriad reasons as to why your new pet could be barking. Being left by himself, being nervous, scared, threatened, wanting to protect and alert you - his new family, to potential threats ... and even though you might have some tips to help him, they may not help; you might need another solution. Have you posted this on the Pet forum? You will get loads of help there, I'm sure, and very possibly a recommendation for someone who can help you personally ie visiting you and your dog. There are also training classes around that you can utilise to help reduce the barking and help your pet settle into his new home. The good news is that in most cases, you can help your dog to settle and to minimise his barking tendencies. You just need to pinpoint why he's doing it, and get help in that area. :) Good luck!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 March 2013 - 15:59

I use Countertop Magic; I bought it at Ace Hardware. Marble shines like a mirror after using it. You do need to use a bit of elbow grease as well, but that's the same of these types of 'furniture' sprays. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 March 2013 - 08:35

Tavola Jumeirah run all sorts of cake-decorating classes from beginners to advanced, including cup cakes. Pop into their shop and pick up a leaflet which informs you when all the upcoming courses are being held. Regular cooking classes? Can't help you there. There are quite a few attached to various hotels/restaurants which do demonstration stuff eg Thai, Japanese, local etc, and there are also people who run cooking classes from their homes for basic cookery. Might be worth doing a search on EW, depending upon what you want. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 March 2013 - 10:14

We've always had Tosh' laptops, both here and UK, and as a rule, they are reliable, affordable, and have a good shelf life. That said, we have only had problems with the Toshiba units we've bought here in Dubai. We've used Sharaf DG for three, Jackies for one of them because they were having a really good sale, but each of them has had issues (soundcard for one, hard drive dying early for another even though it was sold as 'new' so we suspect it was a demonstration unit, another the screen just WENT without warning despite it never leaving the same desk in our villa so it hadn't been dropped etc etc). Just keep in mind that you have to be very careful buying equipment out here because it's a bl00dy route march trying to get things fixed in a lot of cases, even when things are under warranty. That applies to whatever brand you buy though. And whatever type of technology you're buying as well. Good luck.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 March 2013 - 10:08

Lime tree - I love Al Quoz branch (but not everyones cup of tea) Ah, but the goodies in the shops surrounding this branch - especially the catering supplies emporium! - make the geographical position of Lime Tree Al Quoz more than worthwhile. :D <em>edited by LadyBee on 09/03/2013</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 March 2013 - 10:04

My visa and ID are in my maiden name and it has never been a problem. Ditto. Kept my own name and again, never a problem. FYI Keep in mind that many Muslim women, as a general rule, keep their father's surname upon marriage. So it's not going to be considered strange if you are doing the same. On word to that and other 'local' issues: it's great that you've found EW to ask questions. This is a great site for that. You will get lots of different opinions/answers, however, so it might be an idea to do some research on the UAE before you make your move. There are loads of informational websites to assist expats apart from EW - just do a google search - and some good books on the market as well (although the books, particularly Dubai Explorer, one of the more popular ones, can be out of date very quickly considering that rules and requirements sometimes change on a daily/weekly/monthly basis out here!) :D Good luck. I hope everything goes well for you. :) <em>edited by LadyBee on 09/03/2013</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 March 2013 - 00:16

Hmm. It's a bit risky, imho. Tramadol isn't only on the controlled drugs list, but it's verrry popular ie a drug of choice on the black market. A number of operations to smuggle Tramadol into Dubai have been foiled in the past year or so. That's not to say I think that your MIL would be a target for the cops or anything, but I wouldn't bring it in unless I had a script or doctor's letter for it. NB I didn't know that GPs could prescribe this btw; I thought only surgeons could do so as it's generally prescribed for post-op/surgery pain. Learn something new every day, I guess. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 05 March 2013 - 10:04

I haven't read the article but we find them and so do our friends...all in different neighborhoods. They like to hide in dark places and have a very messy web. Once you see a messy web you'll find a spider. Make sure you have your can of pif paf or raid, proper shoes or gloves and your husband to be there when you scream. These are also known as black widows. They might be *known* as black widows, but redbacks are nastier/more dangerous than your average US-type black widow. Redbacks are smaller as well, and have different-shaped webs. And you're more likely to run into trouble if bitten by a redback as opposed to a black widow. They're from the same family, but not the same exact spider. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 05 March 2013 - 09:19

Fellow Aussie here. :) We get our large garden sprayed every three months for spiders/'roaches/ants and we don't see ANY 'creatures'. Can't recommend it enough. Moreover, we only get the outside done - it takes about half an hour and one can't go outside for four hours - but the garden is pest-free for ages. Also safe for pets btw. We just call Emrill every time we are due and they send a team. 250dhs = peace of mind. What's more, just doing the outside doesn't mean creepy crawlies migrate inside! It just kills everything. Apologies to those who think we should 'live and let live' but I am TERRIFIED of spiders, loathe cockroaches, and the ants just drive me bonkers. I'm happy with my choice. :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 03 March 2013 - 09:59

Do you mean storage space here or storage space in Australia? It actually shouldn't matter; your relocation/removal company should have the means to provide you with storage space at either end. I know Crown - and others - will arrange for furniture etc to be stored until you relocate, regardless of which end you require it, and I'm sure other companies do the same. Anyone who doesn't probably wouldn't be a reputable company anyway. IMHO.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 02 March 2013 - 14:36

Yes, to me, Dubai DOES become something akin to a ghost town It sounds like you live in a small area and don't venture out of it in summer, then. You should try getting out of the expat-only areas and experiencing life in the real Dubai. Anyone who's new to Dubai for the summer needs to understand that they *won't* be scratching their heads in the middle of a deserted mall and wondering where everybody is. For the majority of Dubai's population, summer is no different to any other time of year. The one advantage is that, in common with all school holiday periods, the roads are a bit less congested in the rush hour. And you're missing the point about aircon. Yes, it's the only thing that makes summer vaguely tolerable here, but it also contributes to a feeling of "cabin fever" - for month after month after month, you have to stay indoors, because the climate outside is so horrible. That's the opposite of most Western expats' experience of the summer in their home countries. Personally, summer can be an opportunity for all sorts of projects as well, so while one may be stuck at home So, you *do* concede that summer in Dubai means being stuck indoors? :) Good golly. WHAT is your problem? I have made it clear - throughout my posts on this subject - that this is MY experience, and mine alone. That everyone has their own story. But you seem to see it as an opportunity to attack some purported 'head in the sand' attitude (on my part) and that my posts should not be a mere answer to what was quite a general question of what one does in the summer, but a lesson to all expats. When did my posts, and my posts alone, suddenly become the go-to for What People Must Learn about summer in the UAE? You're spot on re one thing: I rarely venture out of my own little area in summer. I used to venture farther afield when we first moved here, but surprise, surprise, found a way of coping with summer - and coping happily, I might add - by sticking to my own turf and doing my own thing. And who's to say - apart from you - that there's anything wrong with that? Everyone has their own way of coping. I would like to emphasise that I tend to stay close to home and in my own area in SUMMER only. Needless of you to suggest that I must get out and experience the 'real Dubai' at that time of year when I do perfectly well doing that in the cooler months. I'd venture to suggest that the spice souk et al are hardly on ANYONE'S list of Things To Do when it's 45C out. ;) Unbelievable. I give a simple friendly answer to a friendly thread topic and I end up defending what is just my point-of-view. As Feefmick says below; it's just what one makes of it. And my summer is MY summer. It's not a lesson for others; it's just my experience. PS. I don't get cabin fever. Only boring people get bored. . <em>edited by LadyBee on 02/03/2013</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 02 March 2013 - 07:39

Everyone has their own experience; I merely shared mine because that is what I know to be true for me. I'm not saying it's that way for everyone. Yes, to me, Dubai DOES become something akin to a ghost town, especially in the area in which I live. The roads seem safer due to less traffic, and the shops are certainly a lot emptier. Maybe it's because I live in an area almost exclusively populated by expats, many of whose families do go on holidays/back to their home countries for the long summer period. But as this is only my sixth summer, I concede you have more experience. Obviously. Re the air-con - again, my experience is different from yours - but it is true that in my home country, we can experience blistering days in the summer BUT not all buildings/homes are set up for that. Here? Even the tiniest shops seem to have air-con, so while I concede the walks to/from air-conditioned spaces aren't pleasant, and a hot car even less so, I stand by my assertion that it's do-able. Personally, summer can be an opportunity for all sorts of projects as well, so while one may be stuck at home, it is also a time when I get things done. I'm not a mall person, so those trips are rare, but it's hardly a prison sentence. Again, with ten summers under your belt - and from the tone of your response - you are just a little 'over' the whole thing. That's your story. It's not mine. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 01 March 2013 - 10:10

I have to replace my kindle as it broke (a sad story that includes a playful cat and a long fall down stairs) but when I try complete the order it says that kindles cant be shipped to the UAE. Is this true? I thought there was only a problem getting some kindle books, not the actual device. Is there any way around this? Having a US or UK Amazon account will see you past this issue. We've ordered three Kindles at last count; never a problem from the UK. Shopping and shipping is definitely the go here. And they're linked to our UK Amazon account, so no dramas re ordering goodies from the selection available. Does Amazon UAE even exist? Or is it like iTunes? I have my iTunes linked to UK as well. I couldn't bear having only the UAE selection of music etc available to me when what I want is an international buffet.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 01 March 2013 - 10:04

A mini-break will be on the cards - a week or so, somewhere cooler eg London - but as with previous years, we will stay here for the larger part of summer. Nothing like empty roads/shops/etc to cheer one's mood. I love it when everyone scarpers off and Dubai turns into a semi-ghost town. Everywhere's airconditioned anyway, so it's not like we 'really' feel the summer out here. That's just us though. Each to their own and all that. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 27 February 2013 - 17:07

Oh dear. Ohdearohdearohdear. I've seen the Miracle Garden website - a bit of editing and a spelling/grammar check wouldn't go astray - and I've read a few articles and seen a couple of clips on youtube. What a ... sorry, I know some of you enjoyed it, but what a waste of space. The whistling/security thing? Sounds like a GREAT way to encourage visitors. And what's with all the petunias, marigolds, calendulas etc? These sorts of plants will have to be replaced regularly - I understand that's the point, so people will have a different experience every time they visit - but how about a botanical garden? An herbal or physic/medicinal garden? How about plants which can be USED and appreciated from an educational perspective? Just seeing the little cars with flowers all over them made me want to barf. And the fact that little children can't explore and play and learn from this place; ridiculous. What do they care if a few bits get trampled here and there? This place is expendable anyway, by the sounds of it. Interesting that botanical gardens have been going for centuries, all over the world, and no one sees fit to police THEM to the extent this multicoloured mess seems to require. Oh Dubai. You've done it again. :(

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EW GURU

Latest post on 24 February 2013 - 21:32

PS. I've gotten up early to watch it for the past ... um ... four years, and the scheduling seems the same as usual! :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 24 February 2013 - 21:31

I got an email today saying it is on Fox Movies at 2 a.m. I don't think it includes the red carpet, but you might catch that on E entertainment probably around 1 am or so. Email said repeat would show at 8 00 p.m. I think tomorrow night. Just to be clear re the timings ... Red carpet kicks off at 4pm in LA - that's 4am our time here - and the Awards themselves start at 5.30pm their time/5.30am our time. The Awards ceremony lasts about three hours. If you get up at 2am, you may well just see a bunch of people lined up in cars and/or interviews about the movies up for awards. Fox Movies coverage DOES start at 2am but nothing much of interest will happen until 4am onwards. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 19:38

LadyBee Sheesh. Our villa is where Christmas food gifts went to die. LOL quote of the day! hilarious! I really should have stopped buying in goodies for the, er, 'villa' before I got to this stage. ;)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 18:53

I guess the only thing Emaar would do is check their records to see if anyone has reported a stolen bike...if they could be bothered. .. And therein lies the rub. It didn't even occur to me to contact Emaar, or their security. If the proliferation of exploding sprinkler systems and resultant muddy footpaths are anything to go by, I'm not sure they'd really know how to proceed with a random bike in a garden. ;-)

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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 18:37

No, you didn't miss that bit. I guess I was merely following initial advice given here; everyone was saying 'call the police'. So I did. Not sure what Emaar can do. Or their security. And now it's been filed with the police, after a fashion, I'm reluctant to let Emaar take over. Cheers though. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 18:03

Four boxes of chocolate-covered coffee beans. Hang on ... no, make that five boxes. One box of mini-alcohol chocolate bottles, a big box too. Numerous tins of nuts and bags of crisps and gourmet bickies to go with cheese. Cheese. Two bottles of port. Rum balls in the freezer. Christmas pudding ice-cream, also in the freezer. Brandied fruit in jars in the fridge. Big tin of Quality Street chockies. Sheesh. Our villa is where Christmas food gifts went to die.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 17:56

I'm almost positive I've seen chilli/garlic paste in Spinneys. I'm sure I've bought it too, in the past, but when I did a quick search of the 'fridge, no evidence, so it must have been a bit crusty and gotten thrown out by someone in a cleaning capacity who was being overofficious and good at their job. So not me then. ;-) It was in the Asian food section at Town Centre. I'd swear by it.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 17:53

Bike's still here. Police never showed. Again. I did call them this morning and it was like reporting it for the first time. Nice man on the phone though, who apologised and said that someone would be around but couldn't tell me when. He suggested I move the bike into one of our lockable storage rooms -- we can lock the pool room and water tank room -- so that's what I've done. :) Oh ... and re the gardener being legit', well, we inherited our first gardener from our LL -- he was introduced to us and everything -- and subsequent to that, we've had a few new ones, but our original gardener still works in the area and pops in to do stuff when we have big jobs, like chopping down trees and things. We don't get weekly/monthly receipts, but any time we trees seen to or anything major, we do get receipts for that ... and every time I've had a new gardener, I've had to sign a form with the company name and gardener name on it so that they get access to our gated community. Is that enough to prove he's legal? :) The mystery continues. :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 08:23

I've not done the move from Dubai to UK, but I can tell you that -- even though the tariff was high -- Crown did our move from London to here and I couldn't recommend them more. Brilliant. Nothing broken, nothing missing, and they even found a few things in various boxes I thought I'd lost forever. And that was the guys on the Dubai side. Good luck.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 08:21

Wow. These shysters are really getting local now. My biggest hit rate, personally, was always near G&D Park, but now they're at the local Spinneys? Golly. Forewarned is forearmed. Thanks for the tip. :(

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EW GURU

Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 08:17

UPDATE: Cops never showed. :( Will call them again this AM to see if it's worth their while stopping in to assess the situation. Bike still there; lights have run out of battery power!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 13:44

Have you called DubaiEye? Or maybe posted the query on their FaceBook page? They're generally pretty good about requests like this.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 13:41

Correct. That's why I said she should tell them the facts of the other incidents and that the path may ultimately lead them to the Gardener anyway. But she should make it very clear what are facts and what are opinions. Yes, correct. Poor woman, I bet we have scared her now! Laughing out loud here. Not scared, and have taken onboard the advice re talking with police. When they show up! Will keep you posted, Umm Ali, to solve the mystery! :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 13:39

Harvey Nicks might be a good bet too. Ask for a 'pocket square'. You really don't want a full-sized men's handkerchief for a DJ pocket; you need one which fits neatly in the breast pocket without bulkage. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 12:48

I think I would have just told him ' no more storing at my house'. But maybe I am too soft also! Yes, well, I did that after the vacuum cleaners and other bike out the front situation ... so -- even though our communication isn't the best due to language difficulties -- he should know the score. The thing is: while this new addition to the garden isn't exactly hidden from view, it is nestled in a part which is quite leafy and covered; it was only because I saw the illuminated headlamps under the bushes that I knew it was there ... which suggests to me, maybe, that the intention WAS to keep it from my attention. I'm not going to blame the gardener when the police, hopefully, make their call this afternoon. I'm just going to say, as I did on the phone, that it appeared and I don't know how it got there.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 12:28

Oh, but the convenience of it; the convenience is not to be sniffed at (sorry, pun intended lol). You can do both, you know. I like being able to download copies of the stuff I have that I LIKE to have with me when I'm abroad, plus the books for which I really don't want to pay 'rack rate'. I also like downloading samples so I can see if I like a book before I buy it; sometimes that has resulted in me purchasing the real thing ie the book rather than the download. Easy. And I also like having blogs and things automatically sent to my Kindle every time I switch it on. I subscribe to Salon, Jezebel, Gawker and the Torygraph, which means I have daily, sometimes twice or thrice-daily, new, if light, reads to enjoy. Worth it. :)

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 12:23

Spot on. Will do. ;)

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:46

Just to go OT slightly, are most of you reading traditional paper books or are you using a Kindle or similar e-reader? Keep contemplating getting an e-reader for convenience but part of me just likes the real thing! I read both. I also order my favourite books for my Kindle even though I've perfectly good 'paper' copies of those books on our bookshelf. I do like, though, having my favourites with me when I travel. And being able to carry a lightweight e-reader on a plane stuffed full of goodies for the trip is waaaaaaay better than carrying on extra book cargo. :D

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:45

Re-reading 'Past Imperfect' by Julian Fellowes. He writes beautifully. He also wrote 'Downton Abbey' btw.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:43

Ladybee, are you backing onto the lake path by any chance ? No, we're a street away from the lake, but we're on a corner on a very big block for this area, which is why I didn't see the bike earlier. Because we're on a corner though, we only have a villa on one side (plus more along the back) so on the other side of one of our walls is street/pathway, not a neighbour. I can see that things could be popped over that wall, with difficulty, if one was desperate. To be honest though, I think it was wheeled in via the side gate. :( I honestly don't know how long it's been there, but I suspect only a day or two because -- as I said -- the lights on the front of it were on. That's how I found out it was there! I was outside after the sun had gone down and saw light coming from the darkest corner of the garden and went to investigate! It's run out of power this morning though!

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:18

Fair call. I'm just the latest in a long line of 'soft touches', I think. (Blush).

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:16

May I just add ... I think I live in a fairly 'safe' area, considering it's a gated community ... but I'm really surprised at how many people leave stuff out in their gardens and carports/garages, especially bikes and scooters, from little pink girlie ones, to quite fancy racing bikes. There are kayaks and canoes -- many not chained or secure -- and toys and shelves of garden tools and all sorts of things. The only thing we've had stolen from our place was a garden hose -- in the garage -- but I think it's a bit silly to leave bikes out, especially near the road (not flush to the villa, within sight of the kitchen, for example) ... it looks like they've just been left where the rider has dumped them. Very easy to steal. :(

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 11:11

Thanks so much for all your feedback, everyone. I've called the police and since it's a 'non-urgent' matter, they hope to swing by this afternoon. I merely said that a good-looking bike had turned up in the back of my garden, a bike which looked fairly expensive, but that I had no idea how it had arrived there. I really really don't want to put the gardener 'in it', so to speak, but I also hope that it isn't one that he or one of his mates picked up cheap on Dubizzile or that was given to him/them by another family who had no use for it ... The police say they are going to impound it until they find out where it actually belongs. I guess we can get it back if there is an innocent explanation behind it. One hopes so, anyway! Thanks, guys. :)

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Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 09:53

Fair call, WG. I do NOT want to be an accomplice, and as I said below, my first priority is -- if it's indeed stolen -- to get it back to the rightful owners. Will call the coppers. Thanks for your feedback, everyone. PS. I'm pretty community-minded, I would hope! That's why I asked for advice and why I want to sort out this issue. :)

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 09:45

Where do you live LadyBee? Maybe another poster had a bike stolen last night... I'd call the police. If it is all above board (which I doubt) then the gardener will be able to explain where the bike (and other goods) came from. If it is stolen then the police might have had a report from the owner and they will be able to get their bike back. Cheers. I'm leaning that way too ... but despite the random goodies being dumped every so often, he really is a good gardener. I wouldn't want him to be collared for something that wasn't his doing. Besides, he works for a company -- he's not some random guy -- so it could well be someone else from his company that's done it. Then again ... if I call the cops, then they will hopefully look at the situation and not this one guy, right? My main concern is: if this bike has been stolen, I want the rightful owners to get it back quick-smart! No offence to the gardener, but it is just too flash for his line of work. :/

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 January 2013 - 09:43

No, Meadows. This one is white. Sorry.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 03 January 2013 - 17:44

I'm flummoxed as to why the outgoing mail server settings would be specific to Dubai or du. It's my understand that this 'code' depends on what mail program you are using. For instance, I use gmail on Outlook on my smartphone, and have du broadband, so my outgoing mail server setting is smtp.gmail.com ... if you are using AOL in Outlook, it will be smtp.aol.com ... Not sure if this helps you? Good luck.

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Latest post on 03 January 2013 - 17:25

DSF and so called "Sales" are just not what it used to be. If I see something I like and its on Sale, bonus, but I dont hold out in anticipation for DSF sales any more. Nothing to write home about! True. I'm also getting more than irritated by the number of texts I'm getting about sales/part-sales and even from IKEA this afternoon, the 'we're not having a sale but we do have low prices' message. I must get 10 or so a day -- some very late at night too -- and mostly from shops I've never visited and many from places I never would visit. All down to mailing lists being sold on, I suppose. Grrr. <em>edited by LadyBee on 03/01/2013</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 03 January 2013 - 15:35

A lot of the ones in my area are even younger than that, sadly. And ohhh there are two little boys, seven/eight or thereabouts, in the street behind ours, who have Blade Scooters. That's right: scooters with motors in them. So they whizz all over the place and the only lights on their toys are tiny TINY flashing ones dotted sporadically on the base. Gives me a cardiac arrest every time I see them. :(

804

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 03 January 2013 - 14:39

Sounds very enterprising to me. :) When I was a Brownie -- a young girl scout, if you will -- we used to do 'cents for service'. We would doorknock around the neighbourhood to do odd jobs etc, and I was about six when I did that with my eight-year-old cousin. Never be allowed today, probably! Good on'em. Not sure either child could reach the top of many SUVs to clean them properly though. ;-)

804

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 03 January 2013 - 14:34

Just to get slightly back to the original topic ... I don't really mind the kids biking and skateboarding at the local carpark that much, though I'm always extra careful when I'm reversing etc out of my car spot! What DOES really give me the chills are the kids on bikes racing around the private community roads in Springs/Meadows, especially at dusk. Few of them wear helmets, they have no lights on their bikes, they zip all over the road like they own it ... and let's face it, there are more than a few drivers in these areas which exceed the speed limit considerably, especially -- with apologies -- the ones with hot speedy cars, mercs, maseratis and the like. And when you add to that the high incidence of these drivers being on their phones or texting and more often than not, driving in the fading light without their headlamps on, well ... words fail me. I'm all FOR kids having fun and being outside and taking exercise, but please PLEASE not when it's getting dark without taking precautions! :-(

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