mum2girls | ExpatWoman.com
 

mum2girls

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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 06 October 2012 - 20:20
I also had the cortisteroid injection at 28 weeks due to pre-term labour and ruputured membranes, and a booster a week or so later. I had no side effects from the injection. I managed to hold on until 34 weeks when DD was born. Unfortunately, in our case the lungs had not matured sufficiently, which is very rare after having the steroid, but probably due to the early membrane rupture. She is now a very healthy 4 year old ! Good luck with your decision and hopefully baby will not decide to come early.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 05 October 2012 - 09:59
I don't know what religion any of our neighbors are to be honest. There are lots of non-arab families in our neighborhood though, but also several Lebanese, Jordanian, Iranian and Egyptian that I know of, I personally don't know of any local families. There are Indian's, quite a few European, Australian and North American. We live in the Springs / Meadows area, which is predominately ex-pat, I assume. About 2/3rds of the households had their exteriors decorated last year and the area was mobbed with kids trick&treating. Those that didn't want anyone calling had their houses in darkness. I had our lights on and gates open, so the kids knew to knock, but I didn't decorate. Maybe I will just do the same this year, although others made such an effort for the kids last year, that I thought I would participate this time around.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 04 October 2012 - 13:17
It just fell off the back of a white pick-up truck on the Meadows/Springs road ! The pieces were strewn all over the road. Just to let you know in case it is not obviously damaged, the guys may try to install it and pretend nothing happened to it. There was also a white washing machine or tumble dryer on the back too. I really hope it's someone reading this forum, I had some equipment which was delivered with a piece missing, which the delivery guy concealed, and I cannot begin to tell you the hassle it caused and the weeks and weeks spent trying to get someone to deal with.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 October 2012 - 23:29
Can't believe Kay Burley ambushed that poor teenage son of the accused. The poor kid looked shell shocked, and did I hear Kay ask him how many times he has met his father ? I agree Kimball, the police have much more to go on than they can disclose. Poor little thing, it's heartbreaking
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 October 2012 - 22:39
It's dreadful, the poor little mite, my heart just broke for the Mom. I didn't realise the guy was not talking, I assumed because they are trawling the river that he had given them some information. It is all looking very ominous at this point, so sad.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 October 2012 - 12:51
Ack, she is just whining, she is on TV, they get comments all the time from people they have never met! Let's face it, it was an email sent to her work directly, not plastered over the Daily Mail or People magazine. Look at Oprah and all the flack she received about her weight fluctuations at every, she didn't twist it into a bullying scenario. This one obviously hit a nerve with her and she decided to jump on the anti-bullying bandwagon.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 October 2012 - 12:43
I can tell you that my helper is under strict instructions to only give my kids fruit, carrots, or cucumber if they ask her for snacks. It it was up to her, she would be reaching for the cookies, chips, candy and ice-cream whenever she is babysitting, it's the easier option for her. The treats are managed by me in my house, and I know she is not happy about it ! Could be my maid complaining about me !!! LOL <em>edited by mum2girls on 03/10/2012</em>
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 03 October 2012 - 12:31
It's always hard to take a stance on something like this when there are innocent kids involved. It's a tough one !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 12:50
I doubt many of the big multinationals do it, but I do know that some of the huge M.E. organisations do. Hope you have success in your job hunt soon.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 12:46
LOL Hilsbils.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 11:59
Some schools have a leeway of about 1 or 2 weeks from the cut off date. Is he potty trained ? that is usually one of the deal breakers for some of the school early years, whereas it is not an issue at a nursery school. Sorry, I just saw it is for next year ... DUH. <em>edited by mum2girls on 02/10/2012</em>
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 10:48
The kids naked and changing together would not bother me. I would absolutely be bothered by the fact that the kids were in full view of visitors to the school!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 10:22
Obviously no one ever explains anything to them about road safety. Today on the big Springs /Meadows road, there was THREE of them on a single bicycle, and the guy on the back was pulling a lawnmower !! to top it off they were on the wrong side of the road. Beggars belief really !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 October 2012 - 10:18
We are now using Plantorama, it's not cheap. AED600 and they come 1x per week. For the first time ever our grass survived the summer and garden looks good. We don't have many plants and shrubs though. I was sick to the teeth of the bicycle gardeners who did not have a clue and killed our grass twice, damaged lights, fences, trampoline etc. it cost us an absolute fortune to redo the garden and repair stuff, so while it seems the AED600 is expensive, I think at the end of the day we are probably better off, we have a nice grass garden and someone we can discuss with in English and knows what they are doing (owner is British and oversees the work)
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 01 October 2012 - 12:01
Our helper is friendly and polite, she is very smiley. She always says good morning, comes to the door to wave the kids off to school and always greets them warmly when they get home from school, she has been with us for almost 2 years, but she has always been friendly and chatty with the kids. Our relationship is generally friendly, except when I am p'd with her for asking for another loan, like today ! We discuss simple things, the weather, the dust, the cats, the dogs , the traffic etc. and that is usually in the morning after I come back from dropping the kids, the rest of the day there would be very little chat other than asking her to do specific things, generally I do keep her at an arms length and that works for us. Although she is a hugger and I hate that ! when I give her the loan today I know there will be the arms outstretched from the other side of the kitchen with a very specific waddle-walk, as she comes to give me a big hug and 'thanks you Ma'am', ugh ! <em>edited by mum2girls on 01/10/2012</em>
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 26 September 2012 - 09:51
I would definitely say the Philippine embassy is her first port of call, your friend should take her there, as they never answer their phones, and they should be to give some advice. From my experience, the Filippine embassy are not the most 'responsive' to their citizens situations, so would recommend that your friend accompany's her as that will make all the difference in how she will be treated.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 September 2012 - 11:14
Yes, expatriate that was my thought too, but in reality I don't have anything very important on my laptop, no banking details etc. All those are on the home computer. I think your suggestion is probably the way I should go, get a big external drive, copy everything to it and then see what I can do myself. It's just I know there is stuff there taking up space which I probably don't need, but the problem is I don't know exactly what I do need and what I don't need with regards to programs needed to run other stuff. Sandydogg, I will try that too. Thanks.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 24 September 2012 - 09:06
Have to say, I find it dreary ! The huge Sharaf and Toys R'Us are the only reason I have ever gone there. The ARTE Souk is definitely worth a visit though and brings a bit of life to the place.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 22 September 2012 - 21:06
Actually, I don't think there are any flights which are specifically French side (maybe internal French flights). I think it is basically an exit, you either exit at the French sector or the Swiss sector after you collect your bags. Hilsbils, that is what we thought too, but in fact, it's not the arriving country at all, you have to apply for your visa with the country where you are spending most of the time and prove it by having confirmed accommodation. BTW, just so you know, your maid must be employed by you for 1 full year or more to apply for a shengen visa. Ours was with us 10 months and they would not accept her application.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 22 September 2012 - 17:51
aa is correct, Both France and Switzerland are part of Shengen, so when you have a visa for one Shengen country it is valid in the others countries.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 20 September 2012 - 13:56
Not at the American Hospital, but we go to Dr. Khan at Cooper Clinic, who was recommended on here. He is wonderful and I really do trust him, he has a lot of experience having worked in paediatric hospitals at a senior level, in the US for several years.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 September 2012 - 21:19
Smart Fitness trainers are fantastic, top class trainers with great backgrounds, AED250 per session. I have a wonky hip and used one of their trainers and he knew exactly what he was doing and I managed to get a level of flexibility I never thought possible. Your post has prompted me to think about getting back into some form of training. http://www.smartfitness.ae/services/personal-training/
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 September 2012 - 21:10
France ? but near the Swiss border, around the Geneva area. Property is a lot cheaper than in Switzerland. No problem if you don't speak French, everyone speaks English. We have a lot of friends who live in France but their day to day life is in Switzerland. Fantastic medical care in Switz, although you would need good health insurance to be able to afford medical costs in Switzerland. The only thing about France now, is that people are nervous about the impact of the new socialist government, so that would be something which would need to be researched. Could you do a 2 center, spend part of the year here and part of the year elsewhere ?
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 19 September 2012 - 13:30
That sounds about right, first they will send your images to make sure the style/feel is what you would like/want. Then the mood board with fabrics, colours etc., then usually a scale drawing of the schematic. Good luck.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 17 September 2012 - 10:57
Yes Blimey, Rodah Cargo is the one she used. She had used them previously without problem.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 21:04
Pass this website on to your friend, http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates It is an unbiased analysis of global property trends and it says Dubai property is recovering, in fact prices are already increasing in places like The Marina and Emirates Living. There is also a snapshot analysis of the good and bad about buying in Dubai and on the left hand side there is a good analysis of the inheritance issue's in the UAE. We now have two overseas friends who have purchased in The Marina purely as investment, both of them would be very savvy investors and would have had high level advice before investing their money in property. They are in it for the long haul and not expecting to flip the properties in the short term. Personally, if we had spare cash I would consider it !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 13:50
I would suggest you call around one or two places to find out what they charge for a consultation. The costs can vary massively as we found out. We normally go to Al Barsha vets but we had to go to Pet Connection for an emergency consultation and it cost thousands !! We thought that maybe we had paid a massive surcharge for it being an emergency and the fact they saw us immediately. Have to admit, we were a bit skeptical about all the tests a limping kitten required, but we put it down to them being very thorough, so we let them go ahead with what they suggested, we are not so sure now if that was the right thing to do. We got a quote from Pet Connection for a rabies shot and to have the cat spayed, they charge AED250 for a rabies shot and AED1800 for spaying. ABVC charge AED 70 for the rabies shot and AED650 for the spaying. I really don't know how PC can justify those costs. Won't be going back there, that's for sure ! I know we used the Vet Hospital in Al Quoz once for an emergency and they were very reasonable and the vet was wonderful, it's just the location is not very convenient for us. Good luck, hope your doggy is fine.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 11:59
C&C, what a horrendous experience you suffered ! It is absolutely shocking. I hope you can get some form of apology or acknowledgement from them, although it doesn't make up for what you went through. Congratulations on your new baby ! But it does sound like their front desk operations and other areas is seriously lacking !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 10:04
I have not heard anything good about the place either, maybe it is still experiencing teething problems. What I have heard though is that it is the best equipped hospital in the region, so hopefully they will hire professionals (medical and admin) with the proper expertise to make it a brilliant hospital. You would imagine they could be able to attract top quality staff, if they have invested so heavily in the infrastructure and equipment. Hope your hubby is doing ok now.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 09:49
Thanks appletiser ! I just did a google search and it seems the Philippine Embassy already know about it, they made a statement during the summer about the particular cargo company and what has happened, so maybe they are working in the background to get it resolved. Seems hundreds of Filipinos have been been affected, there is a Facebook page also, so maybe she can glean some info from that. I think she just has to wait it out and see what happens !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 09:28
Haha, brilliant !! Too funny. Just found another new website to check out on a daily basis!! Thanks Ms. Fortune
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 09:24
The Iran stuff I am burying my head in the sand about !!!!! yikes I was referring to the recent anti-american protests at Embassies in the region, as a direct result of that disgusting film which has caused massive insult and repulsion around the globe.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 09:22
Is that a joke ??? I mean, the referreed to M.E. magazine is a corporate insurance periodical, why would they be publishing paparrazi photos, and topless ones at it in the M.E. Beggars belief ! has to be a joke
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 16 September 2012 - 08:52
Thank you very much ladies, I think we will postpone it and try and do a 7 - 10 day trip later. Shopgirl12, I love the idea of the train, I will look into that
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 September 2012 - 21:40
Thank you AusJor, I will try them.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 September 2012 - 21:36
I booked Philippines airlines, Dubai to Manilla via Expedia.com. It turned out to be an Emirates flight and it was a few hundred dollars cheaper than the same flight with Emirates. It couldn't be booked on the Philippine airline website though, as they don't show a routing Dubai - Manilla, so I was holding my breath until I knew she had actually gotten on the flight. I also understand that some of the travel agencies in Satwa and Karama can do very cheap flights back to Philippines.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 September 2012 - 19:12
oh yikes, that is a similar itinerary to the one I was thinking of, it doesn't look like it is practical for us then, as we will have the kiddos with us. Thanks for that, it might be better for us to wait until we can take a full week to visit.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 15 September 2012 - 10:48
How funny ! we posted about Sri Lanka at exactly the same time. At least now I know we will need a visa LOL, hadn't considered that.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 September 2012 - 09:47
I agree with the poster who said the party is for the kids, the parents are there to supervise when it's young kids. If it's school age kids, than I think socialising with parents who you have nothing in common with is par for the course, you will get used to it ! Are these parties of friends of yours that you are invited to ? In our case kids parties are very different to how they would be at home, at home we would have cousins, neighbors, aunts, uncles, friends kids etc. Here, we don't have that, so parties usually involve the whole class, and as time goes on friends they have made from previous class, clubs etc. So I don't and can't compare the parties of my expat kids to the parties of my brothers kids. If it's a big party it's difficult for the host to worry about the adults, she is probably trying to focus on the birthday kid, party games, food etc., and of course, if it's school / nursery class being invited, often the host wont even know all the parents. I don't expect the host of a kids party to make sure I am okay and that I have been introduced to everyone, I will introduce myself if there are people there I don't know. I agree that the Dad not being there can be a cultural thing, it could also be because there are commitments elsewhere. My husband missed my older daughters party last year because of the death of a family friend and he had to travel at the last minute for the funeral, I didn't explain to everyone who attended the party that was the reason he was not there ! Would also add you are lucky that most of the parties you have gone to here are exclusively the Moms with the kids, quite a few of the ones I experience have a lot of the helpers with the kids .... just see how cliquey that is !!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 14 September 2012 - 09:10
We don't particularly like the milk here, but it has not made any of us that ill. Was it the same container of milk which made him ill for the 4 days or did you try a different container ? It could also be a case him not liking the taste of it rather than there being something in it which affects him. If it were me, I would err on the side of caution, and not even consider continuing to give the same brand of milk again. There are other local brands of milk you could try before deciding you need to buy the one he does not react to.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 September 2012 - 15:52
The Montgomery Golf Academy is nice for lunch and has a lovely terrace. They have just added a small playground right beside the terrace.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 September 2012 - 09:43
YES ! I never seem to be able to find a nice bikini here in Duba,i which I find so surprising. I have have even resorted to buying a bikini in one of the outrageously priced hotel boutiques. Good luck and keep us posted !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 09 September 2012 - 20:47
We have used AlBarsha vets and the Portugese vet there is very good and very nice, it's just a huge problem trying to get an appointment there, it's ridiculous. This weekend we had an emergency with a kitten, Al Barsha were closed and after calling around several places, we ended up being able to get an immediate appointment at Pet Connection in Al Barsha.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 September 2012 - 09:36
I have one which I can pass on to you, but I found it was not wide enough for the stairs in our house, even with the extension bit on the side. I can pull it out tomorrow and check the measurements if you are interested
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 06 September 2012 - 09:30
We stayed in the Disneyland hotel a few times now, it's right at the gate entrance to the park, you walk out the door of the hotel and you are immediately at the park entrance. I would definitely recommend it, it's so convenient, especially with 2 little ones, if you need to pop back to the hotel during the day you won't need to deal with shuttle buses back and forth. Restaurants were fine and breakfast selection was very good. You get to access the park earlier than the general public if you stay at the Disney hotels, which does help, although only some of the attractions open early. You also receive express passes for some of the attractions when you stay in a Disney hotel, which means you can bypass the big queues, although the most popular attractions don't always have the express queue option ! Personally, I would not deal with transportation back and forth from Paris to Disneyland, unless you only want to spend 1 day in Disneyland. If you made it a 2 center stay it would be much easier I think, stay a few nights in Paris and then a few nights in Disneyland. The Eurostar train station is right beside the park, friends of ours joined us from London and they said it was really convenient.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 05 September 2012 - 17:27
Did you tryTavola ? the big branch in MOE is probably the best option. Bloomingdales on the ground floor
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 05 September 2012 - 16:56
Ridiculous ! If a kid hopping in and out of a stroller is disturbing them,(unless, of course, if it was hitting against their table) then they should just stay at home where the world can be just exactly as they like it ! They should avoid Tim Horton's at all costs after school, when it is full of excited teenagers and Mom's with kids chatting and laughing. Sprinkles don't give it another thought, it's their problem and not yours !
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 05 September 2012 - 11:34
I have seen Valrhona on the ChezCharles website, they definitely have a big range of it, I had never heard of the brand before seeing it on their website, don't know if they have dutch cocoa. I always opt for Swiss chocolate if I am cooking, is Valrhona far superior to Swiss ?
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 September 2012 - 15:27
A tip from a cookery class I did, is to dust the fruit in flour before putting them into the mixture, that helps to limit the juice spread.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 31 August 2012 - 18:47
Someone tried to get into my Villa in the Meadows area a few months ago at about 11.30pm. DH was out and our maid was off, so the house was really quiet and in the dark. I thought I heard someone try to open a door and when I went to check (thinking it might have been the maid having changed her mind and coming home) realised it wasn't her and then as I was walking back through the house, they tried another door at the rear of the house. I ran and turned on all the exterior lights, but didn't manage to see anyone at all. I was terrified. We have since added motion detector lights to the exterior.