mumcurious

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Latest post on 25 February 2013 - 08:56

Soft bump...

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Latest post on 24 February 2013 - 10:53

Our maid has a bed, a side table to put her stuff like water bottle, alarm clock (really important) tissue box etc and a wardrobe with a build in mirror. She cooks and eats in our kitchen. HTH.

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Latest post on 24 February 2013 - 10:49

Hello Ladies, We have finally booked our tickets for the Summer Holidays (3 weeks in July). We plan to do a week each in Halifax and Vancouver (flying straight to Halifax then after a week to Van). Can you ladies help me in planning an itinerary and suggest things to do. It will be my DH, my DS (10 yrs) and I. Dont want too much travelling, already 6-7 flights jammed in the 3 weeks. TIA

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Latest post on 18 February 2013 - 10:42

sometimes I am left wondering Me too...

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Latest post on 17 February 2013 - 08:38

Just a little ahead of Al Ain is Jebel Hafeet and the Mercure there is really good for a weekend getaway. They have a kids pool with different slides which the kids love and a lot of other activities for them too (garden chess, mini golf course, etc). Also as it is on a mountain, its at least 2 degrees cooler than Dubai...

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 12:07

I can second the Taj fort aguada but for the kids there is not much to do other than the pool and the beach...

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 12:05

Have tried Fafa twice. The first time it was quite nice and clean but the second time it was quite rushed and sticky. I know not much of a help but in case you decided to go there just know that they dont have a washroom inside the parlour, you will need to use the mall washroom!

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 12:02

OMG, tragic. My son is a big fan - I do not want him to read this in the papers! God Bless her soul...

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 11:34

Just speculating. But many courts do try and keep children with parents, as strange as it sounds. The reasoning comes down to human rights, that you cannot take away her right to see her child/to nurse this baby, that her sentence is punishment for her crime, it is in humane to do more. This is the concept of human rights. UMMM..... some human rights are a tad too much thou.... :D I agree. But, she didnt kill HER child, she killed someone else's, so the acts, the mental element, are very different. not to me...... you torture and kill a child; you don't have the right to be anywhere near another child; ever.... yours or someone elses.... [b'>in fact; i don't really believe that she should be allowed oxygen[/b'> ''Like''

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 09:51

Doesnt nobody think that the mother is equally to be blamed (in the Dubai case). If she couldnt live with the guy, what made her leave her 2 kids with him without ever visiting them, considering the poor baby's body was found after 6 months? Had she visited them regularly, she would have known whats going on at a very early stage and Wudeema would still be alive. Showing a victory sign when the father was given a death penalty!!! - That was all she could do??? I think she is equally to be blamed and should have been punished as well to have no compassion and love for her own daughters...

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Latest post on 14 February 2013 - 09:40

With 2 kids, I can definitely recommend Mahindra Holiday Resort at varca Beach. They have a kids club with various kids activities throughout the day hence the parents are free to relax at the pool/beach. The good thing is that they have their own private beach next door so you can lounge there without worrying about the kids who will be only a few meters away enjoying with other kids (and the activity organisors). Check it out on Trip Advisor and you can read the reviews too. As for tummy upset, make sure you do not eat from roadside and carry mineral water bottles at all times. This resort is very particular about what they serve - which is delicious and caters to quite a few tastes. Its a bit away from the usual touristy resorts but if you are there more to relax then this is the place. Of course you can go sightseeing from here as you get cabs just outside the resort at reasonable all day fares. Goa is my son's (10 years) favourite holiday destination - and just coz of the kids club there. Not too sure about the weather in July, we always go in Nov/Dec (thrice now ;-)). Enjoy your holiday... <em>edited by mumcurious on 14/02/2013</em>

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Latest post on 12 February 2013 - 09:53

Chocolate Fondant at Shakespeare's is rich in both taste (drooling) and calories ;-)

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Latest post on 12 February 2013 - 09:51

You will find this at all Krispy Cream outlets...

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Latest post on 07 February 2013 - 15:17

Not worth it IMO unless you have kids along who will definitely like to see a bus being driven on water. Its a 1 hr tour where they show you the old Dubai (Bur Dubai and deira Creek).

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Latest post on 07 February 2013 - 10:44

I love their lentil salad which comes as a side order, at AED7/- its a full meal for me at lunch. Also the Quesadilla is my favourite...

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Latest post on 07 February 2013 - 08:46

It carries a lot of exceptions: 1. In case the school is 'not for profit' they can increase their fees??? Also if a school is undertaking renovations/adding a new wing/or any other construction activity then they are justified to increase. Our school is doing both :-(

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Latest post on 07 February 2013 - 08:43

Thanks Beebers, I showed your comments to my DH and he agreed to change his brand and give Syntha 6 a try. You're right Prolab tastes horrible and so I was never motivated to take it. Will be having the new one in the evening before starting my workout today - we got the Chocolate flavour as Cookies and Cream wasnt available. :-(

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Latest post on 06 February 2013 - 16:42

Not too good with directions either, check google maps. Park at Gate 1 for dolphinarium. There are some 3D and 4D shows also going on depends on how old is your child. Lots of slides, swings and a nice maze for kids to play around. Also BBQ pits available in case you want to have a proper picnic. We went there last week only and kids had a great time. Enjoy!

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Latest post on 29 January 2013 - 14:24

AmyAus is right, it not only is illegal it can land you in a lot of stress and the maid in a lot of trouble. I'm talking from experience - when we were new here, we were advised to follow this route by a amids agency itself (!!!) in order to avoid the hassle of going thru the visa process on our own. We were told its much easier for locals to get maids visa at lesser cost. We were of course asked to pay this 'local' for the services rendered. We insisted that though the local will be the sponsor, the maids p/p would remain with us. As she was quite good, we decided to renew her visa under our sponsorship this time when it bacame due. After 2 years when she reached immigration for exiting the country (for vacation), we were told that she's an absconder and will be kept in jail till her sponsor is found. We went from pillar to post (at immigration, the police station, etc) explaining our story. We were told that it is very common for locals to sponsor maids in this way and once they take the money they go ahead and report them absconding and hence get a release of their visa quota and then can sponsor another visa, which they sell again. It seems this is the only business of some of these so called 'locals'. To cut a long story short, she was sent from the country with a lifetime ban (they could not locate the sponsor, we were told) and we had to pay a fine of AED10k for illegally employing her. Poor lady was at her wits end and we had to support her even in her home country till I could find her a job with a friend of mine in HK... Pls dont get involved in anything that looks even a little bit fishy as it is not worth saving a few hundered here n there and get into much bigger trouble later on...

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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 17:55

Wow Beebers, you should charge for such brilliant advise, arent we lucky to have you here. Thanks a ton, and its not too tough for me, i have enough self control but somehow it disappears on the weekends. As for exercising, are you saying I should do 1 full hr of cardio 3 days a week and then 2 days 1 full hr of weights? And what do you mean by split the upper and lower body on weight days, sorry if I sound dense, but didnt get what u meant exactly.

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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 17:38

I am ashamed to say my recent read was 50 Shades of Grey and though it to ve XXX rate trash (shocked in the first place that it was written by a lady), I kept on till the end, hoping against hope the pathic condition of the female lead will improve (actually that she will somehow grow a brain). And to think 2 more books were written after this... I could go on and on but I guess you got the gist...

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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 16:43

I totally agree with Oopsie, we went to bali last summer and it was one of my most memorable holidays, sun sand and relaxation - bliss, light on the pocket as well...Italy and Austria are my next favourite. I would have said Goa as well but summers is not the right time to go, too hot n humid. As for where to start, the WWW of course...

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Latest post on 10 January 2013 - 16:35

Beebers, I will repeat what others have said before, you are Godsent for people like me who want to know more on exercise and nutrition, but have limited time and resources to do so - or are not too keen to visit a nutritionist. Your advise on diet and exercise is quite simple to follow and if we can see results - bingo thats what we all want, isnt it. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN! As for me, 'I think' I follow a fairly ok diet, dont eat in excess but also eat things that would be a total no-no in a diet plan (sugar in coffee, piece of cake - small though, a piece of chocolate after lunch/dinner, etc) but over the weekend I drink (not in excess) and also end up eating some junk food - take out pizza/kfc and the like. Over the week, I have a sandwich for breakfast (with jam and margarine) with coffee, a fruit for snack at work and my lunch is fruit/veggie salad with only lemon n some salt as dressing and dinner is soup and salad again. I have been the same weight range 57kgs at 5.4 feet height for the last 9 yrs or so, which by all standards is fine, but my problem area is my thighs and abdomen (has a c-section 9 yrs ago and havent been able to get rid of that paunch) I exercise 5 days a week for an hour each day 30 mins cardio and 30 mins abs/legs/back alternate. What do you suggest i change/do differently.

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Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 15:29

I wish we could fire our HR head and hire your candidate...:cool:

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Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 15:27

Thank you ladies... This will be our second trip to Canada. First time (6 yrs back) we visited Vancouver & Whistler. Have to go back to vancuver as have family there and also in halifax. Vegas we wanted to do with my cousin who is in Indiana and will be coming down there. Maybe we can drop Totonto but included it coz Emirates flies there. Can anyone advise what would be the best route and airlines to take. TIA

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Latest post on 07 January 2013 - 15:09

Thanks Gummy, for reminding me of the oranges I bought on sale ;) I'm having one as I type... Easy to peel, not too sweet thought - the perils on buying on sale:( What was supposed to be window shopping this weekend, turned into a shopping spree, what with all the great discounts - got stuff from Debenhams, Bebe and Mango - all at fabolous prices. Plan to do this again this weekend - especially Ted Baker and Bloomingdales... Happy Shopping ladies...

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Latest post on 31 December 2012 - 11:21

Actually not, all UniqueMe is asking for is experiences, not decision from you on her behalf. I have only one child (almost 10yrs) and I have wondered so many times if we took the right decisison on this. Initiallty I wanted 2 but my DH was very clear in wanting only one and giving the best to that only one. On hindsight I feel we went for the right decision. AmyAus very rightly put it, it all depends on a lot of factors. For us - both of us are working, and I wouldn't be happy if I were a sit at home mum (no offence - thats the hardest job, I feel) and I wouldn't be able to manage bringing up 2 kids while working full time. Also, considering the overall expense of bringing up a child, you will definitely have to compromise in terms of education, extra-curricular, etc in today's time. With the school fees on a constant rise, bring up two kids and having them in the best schools is not everyone's cup of tea. In my case, it became easier for us also as my son from a very small age and till today feels he is better off being the only child in the house, some children feel otherwise and want siblings - not mine. He has a nephew and for him thats his brother - no more. However, on the flip side, I also sometimes wonder if we (him included) will not regret this anytime? Especially when we are gone, he would have no family - then again there are people who have siblings they hardly meet due to them being on separate continents. The feeling of 'what if' might never go - but at least we know we made a decision based on facts and keeping the best for my child in mind! :)

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Latest post on 31 December 2012 - 09:55

Hi Jellymum - was this here or back home, the s*x education in school, I mean. Isn't year 7 a bit too late, my son is in year 5 (British curriculum as well). HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL YOU LADIES! Hoping for a FAB 2013.

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Latest post on 31 December 2012 - 09:17

Thanks ladies, I should better get to it than leaving it for too late...Only the other day, my nephew, aged 7.5 came asked my sis if she knew what 'f*cking' meant, my sis just froze, it seems some older boys in the playground sat down some younger boys and explained in detail the meaning! till now, he and my son knew this word to be a swear word which is used in movies when someone is really angry. My sis had to explain to him what was told to him was not fully correct. He has not met my son after that, but I dread whats going to be discussed b/w them on this topic. All the more reason to do it NOW!

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Latest post on 30 December 2012 - 13:52

Usually companies give 1 month's accomodation in a hotel so you can sort out your accomodation, etc. I week is really short - can he recheck with his company on this?

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