lanarkwitch | ExpatWoman.com
 

lanarkwitch

lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 14 November 2012 - 08:34
Good lord if any woman tried to be best buddies with my husband, well lets just say it wouldn't be something she'd try for long!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 14 November 2012 - 08:25
Thanks everyone that actually sounds quite reasonable, still mulling over options of small villa vs larger apartment, needless to say there is a divide in the camp!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 14 November 2012 - 08:22
Add my DH to this esteemed group. Last week decided to go to Posh Paws after reading about it on here, downloaded and printed map, got the directions and himself wasnt very convinced until someone at work also told him he'd been with his family and it was "very nice"! So NOW its ok to set off, then. So EW ladies you have been trumped by 'this guy' from work. A appear to be in the very good company of a large group of long suffering women!!:D I sometimes wonder though does "work guy" really exist or is DH just too stubborn to admit us women might be right occasionally?
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 18:32
omg that sounds so like my DH re holidays - I now just do the bare minimum, ie. suggest a couple of places knowing full well that I'm wasting my time! I have decided to do the same now over the house, although I still feel like killing him
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 18:28
haha glad to know I'm not the only one who's suffering :D
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 15:23
Hubbie and I had a big row about it yesterday, so I'm very well versed in the subject this time, mostly out of spite. :) Also, if anyone's interested the Jetty Bar is open from 2pm on Thurs, but not serving alcohol until 6.30pm. FFx If it were my husband he wouldn't believe me until someone else told him the same :)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 14:52
Yes it is (sunset tomorrow until sunset Thurs). We have dinner reservations on Thursday and were told that they would start serving alcohol again at 6.30pm on Thursday. FFx :)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 13 November 2012 - 14:51
I believe so :( <em>edited by lanarkwitch on 13/11/2012</em>
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 09:32
Just had a quick look of dubizzle there, studios and 1 beds dotted all over the city in your price range, Reem offering studios and 1 bed some furnished as well, so plenty out there
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 09:27
Hi Coffeequeen, your budget is a little limited although 2 places for you to check out are Reem Island (not sure how much studios start at there but might be around the 60k mark) check out dubizzle for that. The other area that springs to mind for this price range is The tourist club area of the city, as a lady on your own you might prefer to be in the thick of things rather than out in the sticks or off the island. TC has older properties, but older doesn't necessarily mean not as good, a lot of the older properties are larger and were better quality. Dubizzle should give you a good feel for things. Just one thing though, rent are normally paid annually or maybe 2 cheques so try and get a good deal from the LL if your employer won't advance the rent. For car hire, check out popular leasing, cheapest around and not bad cars, expect to pay around 1800/month for a Toyota Yaris, 2500 for a Corolla
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 13:31
Just wanted to add our 3 bed apartment in JLT is 8500 per month, so a salary of 44,000 per month, you would live a half decent life and still be able to save. I'm in Doha for afew days, we hardly go out in the week and last night we did, meal with wine and a couple beers cost 660.00 Rials, never paid this out ever for a meal in the week, still shocked lol. EEEK, thats "special occasion " prices that is! I hope it was really nice :-)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 06 November 2012 - 08:25
I'm with the others on the nutrition and vitamins, the veggies etc just are not fresh here and lack of vitamin D I am sure plays a part. (although that seems to be a bit of a bandwagon at the moment) if you buy local they are fresh - if you buy imported then of course they are not. It probably has more to do with the nonsense that people eat; processed foods, junk food, etc etc. If I buy local, I have to buy a lettuce the size of Jupiter to get one salad box out of it,80% of it goes in the bin, so how "fresh" can that be
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 15:12
Mine have been almost immediately, however i have always dealt with good LL and not real estate agents Any buildings you might recommend?
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 14:24
I got a thundering chiller bill this time close to 2000/- I wonder how this works? are we paying for the common areas as well ?? how to check if we are paying for what we use ? is there a way to do that? anyone living in business bay/down town area I want to know if you guys faced this kind of issues Can i ask which building you are in, I am looking at that area myself and would not be thinking bills should be even close to that high
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 11:22
I would like to be working :-(
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 11:00
I read an article recently somewhere, regarding the hair fall issue, one of the dermatologists here in AD, said he had been part of a panel trying to establish the reason for hair fall in the region and they had discounted the water as a reason. I'm with the others on the nutrition and vitamins, the veggies etc just are not fresh here and lack of vitamin D I am sure plays a part. (although that seems to be a bit of a bandwagon at the moment)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 10:53
I find this so irritating Arch when people say that. Dubai is not cheap and things like school fees, housing etc all add up. I know there are many people here on great packages but these are becoming more rare to come by, as are decent jobs. I think there will be fewer ladies of leisure and more 2-income households before long. Also - I find the hardcore savers tend to be extremely tight and live incredibly frugally so it is a huge dedication (eg bringing lunch into work every day, never going out for nice meals, always being the last to buy a round lol!) whereas most people also want to enjoy their lifestyle. The only reason I've put my mind to it is because there's a baby on the way and I've barely gone out! I've only really been able to save since I got married - living as a single woman with my own apartment, car and bills meant a lot of my salary got eaten up with that. It's good to know that not all people / families here live on 6 figure a month salaries and save millions while also enjoying a champagne lifestyle! I think this is really well said, when I was working (the first 3 years we were here) we had a lot of commitments back home, so a lot was getting sent back, but we were saving almost half of my salary too, now I'm not working, the debts are pretty much gone, but we're saving very little now. The first few years here there are lots of set up costs and of course we all want to experience life here so we make some "mistakes" in terms of spending. Minimising fixed costs like housing and cars is the only way I can see ( other than my butt getting back to work) that we will be able to up our savings again, we budget very tightly each month, but still allow for some socialising and bits and pieces, but I feel the daily cost of living has gone up dramatically since we came here 4 years ago
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 12:07
@simples, glad you're better now. Ugh--the first thing I personally do after being sick like that is to take in comfort food. Weight is the last thing on my mind! I love to work hard at the gym, and was militant about my nutrition for years--then something changed and I wanted to see if I could eat things like bread, coconut based curries, white rice and beans, and other things that I enjoy...like a pint or 3 :D . So I started an experiment on myself in June, and set out to include bread daily, nights out 2X a week, and cut my cardio down to 20 mins 3 days a week, and weights 3 days a week. Can I just say that I was an average BMI at the beginning of this experiment (not that I put a lot of stock in that--but just for a barometer here) and yet, following this above listed regimen, I have lost 10 kgs thus far--and I am not done yet! I am almost in the shape I used to compete in, and eat a ton of food I never had, and spend 1/3 the time in the gym. It's possible, and it's changed the way I have viewed nutrition for years. There is no "one" way, and I prefer this one :) Cheers to everyone who puts in the effort, gets results, and is HAPPY! Just love this, it backs up my own experience as well, exercise will only bring you so far with weight loss, but I agree it helps keep weight off and tones the body/brings health benefits. Nutrition has become such a complicated matter, with so many confusing and often conflicting opinions I've just adapted a "try it and see" approach, much the same as the OP!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 11:30
Yep, love it!!! "Fast weight loss secret"? Effectively eliminate food for two weeks and lose shed load of weight? That's revolutionary. Whatever happened to eating less and moving more. I know that I will be leapt on for saying this, but you don't simply wake up one morning overweight, you have to really work at it over time. Sorry, but being overweight is a lifestyle choice not an unfortunate accident. I don't think thats true, there are many contributing factors to weight gain, it might not be an accident, but it can certainly be a side effect. Not everyone that has weight issues is a lazy slob that lies on the couch eating pies all day.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 11:27
I know, isn't it ridiculous? Like they are boasting the loo as a unique amenity :) Love, love Park Island. The facilities are great and the views are monstrous! They are indeed constructing a mosque directly next door, but I am up before the first prayer call so I am not concerned. Anyway, the speakers across, at Murjan in JBR are loud enough to hear. I'm not bothered by prayer calls, you can't move 2 feet in AD without hearing one, after a while you tune out to them anyway. I'm going to take a drive down on Friday for some looking, we've only 1 maybe 2 weekends to get something organised so I really need to have it narrowed down before chatting to agents. Yes a loo is a unique amenity indeed, also ceramic tiles are a feature!!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 11:18
Wow!!!! Well done LW for losing all that weight Re: This 5 to 2 diet, what do you eat on the diet days?. Also do you have a link to the programme you mentioned, I had a look and saw this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD3ug4EaKb0 is this the one?, if so will bookmark it for later. I need to lose the Dubai stone that I've been carrying around ;) OP not sure I could just eat yogurt and bread all day. I did read somewhere about eating soup for a while has the same effects. Yep that the one, I got a book as well called the alternate day diet,more of a hard core approach where you do a day on a day off. The book recommends for the first 2 weeks of the plan to use something like slim fast or a glass of full fat milk ( better for you more vitamins less sugar) purely because you can't kid yourself about your calorie intake, I know how bad I can be at that! Drink diet sodas, water, black tea coffee etc, some people like to make a clear broth and tip away at that during fast days. I had some packs of my diet sachets left so I use those on fast days, really easy to manage. I have the full Horizon episode which I can prob zip up and email if you would like it, it's quite long, but very interesting. On non fast days I do try and eat lowish carb, Dh is a low carber and has done for years so I try and stick to what he's having (or rather what I'm cooking for him!) Just to re-emphasis this approach isn't really billed as a diet, but weight loss is more of a side effect, the fasting itself is more to do with the health benefits side of things <em>edited by lanarkwitch on 01/11/2012</em>
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 10:19
We used to live around the Yacht Club area and loved it. It's finished so there's no construction going on, easy (walking) access to nearby bars/restaurants, supermarkets (Al Maya/Carrefour/Waitrose), pharmacies, cinema and shops (Marina Mall), SZR (both directions), JLT metro station, etc. The Marina itself is right on your doorstep, so good for walking/jogging, everything at JBR is just a 5-10 minute walk over the nearest bridge, and JLT is just over the metro walkway. Traffic was never an issue going out in the morning, and was never much of a problem in the evening due to the proximity of the SZR entrance/exit. There's also a constant availability of taxis. I'd definitely recommend it. There's a nice Emarr development there called Al Majara, but plenty of other towers to choose from as well. Just have a walk around. I always find this map useful for when scanning Dubizzle: http://www.dubaimarinarealty.com/images/DubaiMarinaBuildingMap.jpg edited by HereComesTheSun on 01/11/2012 edited by HereComesTheSun on 01/11/2012 You are a legend, thanks for this!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 10:06
Referring to the first part of your post Irooni......From another point of view, it's infuriating when you spend your life exercising and being disciplined with food and people tell you you are 'lucky' to be slim. Er no, it's not luck, it's really hard work. We're just jealous! I have nothing but admiration for ladies who have to work at it and have the discipline to keep it up, I'm more of an all or nothing type ;)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:49
Agree with Jackie, theres not much of a comparison between Al Reef and the Springs really. We are about to move from AD to Dubai after 4 years here. If you are used to having facilities and amenities around you then you might be quite disappointed in most of the compounds in AD, many of which have very few facilities in terms of shops etc, as Jackie says Al Reef is quite out of the way and pretty far from town, although there are a few nice places now on Yas Island in terms of eating and drinking it just doesn't have the same energy about it as Dubai does (just my opinion) What Al Reef does have in bag loads is a great community and loads of families seem to really enjoy it, but I feel not driving would be a big issue living there. Just a suggestion but if you are looking for a bit more life, look at the Raha developments, Bandar, Zeina etc, apartments only but some are very nice and they have good facilities there, bars, restaurants, supermarkets have begun to open as well and a lot of people are moving up there.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:26
wow that's coming up then! The best simple advice I can give is to avoid the "Tall" block. i.e. princess tower, Ocean Heights, that area. Tons of road work there which can be a nuisance. There is one building that seems a bit more accessible in that area, and that's 23 Marina. Finishings also look lovely. Also, try and look for building which are between the actual marina and sheikh zayed road. Getting in and out of these buildings are not subject to traffic of JBR, or the traffic on the bridges that cross the Marina. I think my favorite buildings are the Silverene, Park Island, and any of the Trident projects, as far as fit out and facilities + accessibility. Another building that looks really neat is the Atlantic, but I doubt it will be ready by your time frame. You could also consider one of the original 6 Emaar Towers (Yass, Murjan, Fairooz, etc) which are by the Marina Walk area. Good luck, it can be overwhelming! Oh that's really helpful Beebers thanks for that, funnily enough I was looking at Park island it looks nice, of course it's hard to tell from the photos on Dubizzle, why on earth would you take a photo of down the toilet or the inside corner of a shower cubicle??
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:23
I think the official line on this is that although English is widely used in business Arabic is actually the official business language, English is considered to be the International business language however. I don't think the OP is being unreasonable expecting some form of English communication, if the service provider speaks neither Arabic nor English they are limiting their market quite extensively. It does help to know a few Arabic words, even on the basis of making the effort to understand the business culture a bit more, generally I just pass the phone to someone else, but thats not ideal either.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:11
Ohh I love a good weight loss thread, a few years back I was well over 24 stones ( I know!!) Anyway I lost 11.5 st of it simply by counting calories, I did give up booze for about 6 months as well as I felt it was a waste of calories ( Can't believe it now!) I maintained it for 5 years, until I moved to AD and put 3.5st on (pizza), which I've now got off with a combination of a very low calorie meal replacement diet ( Slim & Save) and now I'm doing the 5:2 diet ( 5 days eat what you want, 2 days "fasting", which is a restriction below 500 calories) I heard about it via a BBC Horizon program which you can see a bit of on YouTube. I have tried almost every diet under the sun, and this one makes a lot of sense, it's not actually a diet, it has a number of health benefits, but weight loss is a side affect of the approach, losing about 1lb a week now, which is grand for the effort it requires (almost nil really), worth a look anyway. To the OP, great you found something that works for you, it's not a long term thing, but it might give you the boost you need to sort out your eating habits, which is the hard bit really, good luck !
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:02
Morning ladies, After reading all the comments on my previous post we've decided that Dubai Marina is probably the best option for us at the moment. Having just moved out of a villa last year and getting rid of a lot of our stuff I couldn't face having to replace it all again!! The amount of towers there is vast and I'd really appreciate any feedback from residents there (past of present) who can give some recommendations on where to start. Is is possible to avoid commission and go direct to the landlord? Also what is traffic like in the mornings, DH normally starts around 6.45am and will be heading into Dubai (around the old Metropolitan area) We'll need to move in by the first week of December, then I can get unpacked and start to think about Xmas!!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 25 October 2012 - 14:59
I doubt your greatest issue will be a place to rent, I think it will be this attitude you have which may hold in a country such as Egypt but doesn't wash as well here. The women were trying to tell you what you NEED to know, not what you want to know. Thank you AmyAus82, since Karen already knows everything about everything I'm surprised she even bothered to post on the forum Karen, no one spoke to you like you were stupid, I have reread my post several times and found it to be both insightful and informative as to life in Abu Dhabi.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 19:06
Thanks skylark appreciate the insight,there are so many layouts my head is wrecked looking at them!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 19:03
Sorry am confused, if you don't drive how are you going to get to work in the mornings? As I am sure you realise that accommodation in AD is outrageously expensive and your budget is extremely small, you will get neither balcony nor garden for your budget anywhere that I can think of unless you go off the island, the cost of travelling into the city by taxi would then be prohibitive. There are 1 or 2 places that dogs are still allowed here, but it is not very doggy friendly although the expat communities are obviously more happy to see doggies than local families. Also worth pointing out, there are pretty much no decent pavements/walkways in many of the streets in AD, also the weather is not particularly suitable for dog walking for much of the year unless you are up very early/ out late at night. It will be very difficult to sort out your accommodation in advance of getting here, it's very unlikely that a landlord would hold accommodation for you, you will also have to supply your visa copy and passport to the landlord for your rental agreement, pay your deposit, get electricity/water connections sorted and pay your advance rental. Where are you coming from?
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 14:11
BB OP says she doesn't drive!! I think an apartment in Al Bateen is totally our of the question for that budget, you might be able to organise a studio in a shared villa, but there are a lot of downsides to that as well, to be honest the budget doesn't give you a lot of options if you don't drive, as it's an expensive side of town, you might look at the end of Hamdan or Electra street, some of the older buildings there might be in your price range but the pooch may well be an issue, especially as there wouldn't be many places to take him for a walk. Your best bet would be to visit the area and have a walk round and see if there are any to let signs up and get some mobile numbers
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 13:04
Hubby and I are also both in our 30's with no kids, and we LOVE living in the Ranches. You can easily find a 3-bedroom for well within your budget. It's a nice community with beautiful landscaping and a great golf course, if you're into that. Our DEWA bills are quite reasonable (especially now that the weather is cooling), we can park our 2 cars outside (no waiting for elevators!), we never hear our neighbors, and we can have barbecues in our yard. Our only complaint is that it can be difficult to get a taxi if we want to go out for drinks. Could be worse! Arabian Ranches seems to be edging ahead, good to hear about the DEWA bills, in our last villa here in AD summer bills were 1400 AED+, a chunk out of the summer social budget I can tell you!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 12:49
We're like yourselves, late 30s no kids and we live in the Marina. This is the time of the year we renew our tenancy and every year we've been planning to move to a villa, but the summer ends, and the weather is beautiful and you can walk to all the bars and restaurants and run around the marina and we always end up staying put. For your budget you could get a decent three bed, many of which come with two parking spaces, if that was your concern. However, you might love a villa. I'm sure we will if we ever manage to tear ourselves away from the Marina! FFx FF this was the original thought, but a lot of people have said there are some issues with some of the building in the marina?? Still I'm sure thats the case everywhere. I was surprised that DH came up with the villa theory as the running costs of villas tend to be much higher than apartments, but I think he's maybe put off by our neighbour upstairs here, known as the happy driller LOL
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 23 October 2012 - 12:13
I wouldn't, but only because I think half the joy of having these types of things is going into the very expensive shop and coming out with a very exciting purchase, so it kinda takes away from the fun of it for me buying it second hand, I would save up a bit more and get something you really want. I agree with the previous poster though, I'm not really into that kind of stuff, but years ago I spent a lot of cash ( after my divorce) on a Prada bag, which after a while the zip broke on and the handle came off, so it wasn't exactly the lifetime investment I thought it was at the time.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 10:49
she has itchy feet, first moved into a villa, then another one, then an apartment..... now she is moving up the road..... lol got fed up of auh lol I think you missed a few I've moved 7 times in 4 years LOL, still I am saying and doing nothing now until the relocation gods decide where I am going as Doha appears to be back in the running again.........
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 21 October 2012 - 10:48
Whats embaassing about these questions? I opened this thread thinking it would be something exciting and now feel conned :) Sorry I could make up a few if it makes you feel better!!
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 10:42
I think you can only get scan bran at the actual meetings, they have eluded me as well, have you tried the smash base pizza yet lol?
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 10:31
Flippin heck Beebers that brilliant news, obviously less spent on housing means more for socialising! We used to live in Tourist Club next to Le Royal. Once having that view, hard not to move to the Marina in Dubai :) I do miss all the parks, walks, and water features. The Marina does have a nice walk, but so different from the AD Corniche. Though you don't have to go through hoops to get to the public beach like in AD. If only they would open a licensed Thai place as good as Taste of Thailand. Then I would miss nothing about AD! The building here are much newer than your current area, and you probably could stay under 150. 180 would get you a penthouse in some of the new highrises! edited by Beebers on 18/10/2012
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 10:04
His job is near the old Metropolitan Hotel I believe ( I must pay attention when DH is talking to me), so the Marina would be ok I think then? We have an apartment on the Corniche in AD at the moment with good facilities and would like something similar I suppose <em>edited by lanarkwitch on 18/10/2012</em>
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 18 October 2012 - 09:33
Well ladies my Doha move is cancelled, the company are moving us to Dubai instead, shame I was kinds looking forward to a new adventure...maybe another time. Good luck everyone x
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 16 October 2012 - 07:56
Hi HZ, I'll be 40 next March so clutching on to the last few months of being 39 aarrgh. Definitely up for a meet up, we should find out what sort of deal we are getting in the next few days, We are staying with the same company so it should be straight forward enough, I would like to bring my furniture, it's taken ages to find half decent things here that don't cost the earth. I'm looking forward to it, after 4 years here I think I have itchy feet Hi We moved onto the Pearl 3 months ago and I would say it's the best place in Doha to live. We rented an unfurnished apartment as we did not like the decor of furnished if you can ship your furniture here I would recommend it as it has taken us along time to find furniture we like and up to standard I've just turned 40 with no children so if you would like to meet up for coffee/vino when you get here just let me know :) Hz
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 15 October 2012 - 15:41
Hey IrnBru, I suspect we may originate from the same home land!! I was looking roughly today and it does look like a lot of the newer apartments come fully furnished am I right? I've not got much that I'd miss except my sofa is from Marina and we paid a fortune for it so that might cause a few tears if we need to sell it. Sounds like you find it OK, I'm not too worried about the move just the hassle of bank accounts and final electricity bills etc is wrecking my head especially since it's likely I'll get left here to sort it whilst he swans off to Doha!! Good news on the few drinks as I'm also worried about getting an alcohol license in a timely fashion LOL Hi I moved from Abu Dhabi to Doha this time last year. Think you will find the import duties on your cars depending on their ages will still be cheaper and less hassle than selling them in Abu Dhabi and having to buy new cars here. We sold most of our furniture in Abu Dhabi as we decided to downsize from a villa to a furnished apartment here on The Pearl and that was a wise decision for us as to be honest I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else in Doha. Some good places to have a few drinks and meals out here, that was one of my main worries before moving ha ha.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 15 October 2012 - 13:24
Hi everybody, after 4 years here in AD, it looks like we're coming to Doha, in about a month, yes nothing like a bit of notice I say!!. Wondered if anyone has any experience of moving from UAE to Qatar and in particular is it an awful faff to bring the furniture and import the car? I've heard awful stories about import duties. Also no idea about the geography of Qatar, DH's job will be at the North Gate Mall ( if I've remembered that right) so ideas of areas to look for accommodation would be helpful as well, budget around the 180k mark but will go up if really really need to . We're late 30's and no kids, hoping there is some night life to keep us entertained? Thanks in advance everyone ;)
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 07 October 2012 - 11:53
Sorry I'm a little confused about why you're moving to AD, you will get absolutely nothing close to what you have for 90k so your housing budget is very definitely going to go up, you will get a 2 bed villa in Al Reef and thats about the cheapest place around, in my view too small for a family with 2 kids, Reem island might be suitable for you, shops there, it will be good when it's finished but a 3 bed there of a decent size is going to be in the 140k mark.
lanarkwitch
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Latest post on 26 September 2012 - 11:39
Can't comment on the schools sorry, but I lived in a villa in MBZ for a year, if you are looking at that area, make certain you get a villa close to Mazyed Mall, otherwise it's very very isolated, property there is cheap, but you'll have no chance of getting a taxi or a takeaway if you move out too far from the mall. Small compounds there are pretty nice and more and more expats are moving in there.
lanarkwitch
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 September 2012 - 11:32
In my honest opinion if I had 300k to spend and didn't have any kids I really wouldn't be looking at Al Reef. It's a community that would remind you of a typical UK private housing estate and if you don't have kids, are looking for some privacy and a bit of peace and quiet there are better places to look. Al Raha Gardens would be a good spot for you, it's easy to travel to Saadiyat from there but it is off island, if your thinking was to live actually in the city when you first arrive, then compounds like Liwa Village might be worth a look. I do have a pdf document that was prepared last summer by another expat doing the compound trudge, the prices will be out of date but it will certainly give you some ideas of where to look and let you know what to expect. If you want to send me an email I can forward it on to you: CWatjunodotie. One major thing I would say is that alot of people don't realise how small Abu Dhabi is, the whole Island is only about 30km long, so actually living on the Island isn't as important as you might first think and you do get a lot more for your money and some great properties as you get further out of the actual city, most of the newer bars and hotels have opened up on Yas Island as well so the city bars etc are a bit quieter than they used to be.
lanarkwitch
101
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 September 2012 - 16:17
I'd definitely rather see Barney than Beiber
lanarkwitch
101
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 September 2012 - 16:14
Dr Samira at the Chinese medical centre on Hamdan does cupping, I've never tried it myself though
lanarkwitch
101
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 September 2012 - 16:10
Aldar can be a pain to deal with alright, as far as the cooling bills are concerned they seem to have got that under control, but if it was me I'd take Rihaan heights hands down, you're close to Muroor with loads of shops and takeaways and no issue with taxis and stuff for town, Raha is a PITA if you want to travel into town of an evening and a nasty taxi bill on a late night home as well. Of course I base all my decisions on accommodation on their proximity to my usual watering holes, which I appreciate might not be everyone's main driver :-)
 
 
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