RuthM

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 November 2012 - 06:31

If you already have your child in an independent school in the UK (I assume you mean a fee paying private school) then you will most likely be disappointed by the schools in Dubai. If your child is in comprehensive you will most likely be impressed with the schools here. Like everything here it seems you pay for private and get something that is just above what's free in the UK, but not quite in the league of what you pay for in the UK. (goes for medical care too). Most things in Dubai are profit driven which for education (and health) is not ideal for the user. Bear in mind the majority of people in Dubai would have their children in comprehensive or grammar in the UK which will not give you an accurate comparison to private in the UK. (I await the backlash). My family have always educated private. Prep education here looks to be acceptable but I fully intend on putting my children in a UK public boarding school when they get to 13 (or possibly even 11) although it is unlikely we will be here by then. I certainly recommend you visit first and look at the schools, especially if it is secondary you are looking for. As for housing, there are some great places to live it really depends on what you are looking for. Many of the expat areas have access to pools, organise events and activities for kids, have various community events etc. We live in Arabian Ranches which is a family friendly area.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 24 November 2012 - 19:06

I don't know why you think I'm an inexperienced dog owner, as I've had dogs most part of my life since I was 4 years old...The only reason we haven’t been getting one here is that I thought the weather isn’t the best for most dogs and also that we didn’t know how long we would stay here, but now we decided that doesn’t really matter as we will take the dog with us, just like we would with a baby and there are so many happy dogs here, so it can’t be all that bad with the right care. My daughter is very good/gentle with dogs and was thinking a smaller dog as it requires less exercise, from experience a larger dog needs a lot more exercise. I apologise as you were asking other people what breed of dog to get I assumed you were inexperienced, an experienced dog owner would normally be aware of various breeds and where to research other breeds they don't know. I also assume your daughter never runs around with her friends so is unlikely to trample a small dog. Small dogs tend to become aggressive with ankles as one of the most terrifying things for them is children or people running around, but if your daughter doesn't play then I guess a small dog will be perfect. Perhaps a Jack Russell being small won't require much exercise. As for Basenji's, we fostered one briefly in the UK, they are well suited for hot weather, rumoured to be the dogs of the pharohs, used for hunting game and will chase anything that moves. But they're small so like other small dogs presumably won't need much exercise. Oh and they don't bark, they yodel and howl. They are also escape artists and like the Lundehund are known for their climbing skills. They have very low odour and clean themselves like cats. Like many hunting dogs they can be hard to train, instinct is more important to them than a willingness to please their owner. <em>edited by RuthM on 24/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 24 November 2012 - 14:05

Rescue or UK import. As it appears you are not an experienced dog owner (no offence) it is unlikely a reputable UK breeder will sell to you, they are scrupulous when it comes to selling overseas. I do not recommend a small dog with young children as they are more fragile and also can be more fearful with children's rough hands. This can lead to the dog or the child getting hurt. A medium breed should be fine, saluki cross may be suitable, I know little about their temperament. If looking for a rescue there are always some Labradors or Golden Retrievers around which are very easy to train and patient and forgiving with children albeit not ideal for Dubai weather. However if kept indoors in the heat of the day and brushed frequently, they should be fine.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 24 November 2012 - 13:27

Favourite book is a hard one. If you like light reading and a book that artfully weaves politics, murder, mystery, romance and intrigue with a feudal Japan setting and a touch of fantasy then I recommend Across The Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 23 November 2012 - 13:49

Dentists, much like Doctors, have different qualifications and specialities. When you see a general Doctor (GP) for a knee issue they refer you to a knee surgeon, which is normally more expensive. It is the same in dentistry. My father was an Endodontist which meant he specialised in the tooth root (canal), pulp and tissues. There are also dentists that specialise in Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics and so on. You can look at all the different specialities on the UCL Postgraduate course website. The more highly qualified and highly experienced the Dentist, the more you can expect to pay. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/eastman/education However if your Dentist is not able to fix the problem the ethical thing to do would be for him to refer you to a colleague that is qualified to do so. If he has seen you three times and made a mess of it and it transpires he is not qualified to deal with it, I would say he is extremely unprofessional to the level whereby if he were in the UK I would seriously be considering reporting him to the BDA. <em>edited by RuthM on 23/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 22 November 2012 - 13:42

Brush at least once a day. Keep aircon on 24 degrees or more, although be careful Pugs are possibly the worst breed for the ME region as snub nose dogs overheat very easily. Consider oral supplements for coat (fatty oils etc.). If very concerned then consult your vet.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 22 November 2012 - 12:58

I just book another one every 20 minutes. Of course it means once I eventually get one, I then get incremental phone calls as more turn up after I've gone. But if they want to run an idiotic system then stuff em.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 21 November 2012 - 17:32

It is a nice package for Dubai, however not sure if it is a competitive package compared to what you were on in the UK. Basic calculation: 85k*1.17 (17% based on 10% national insurance company doesn't have to pay for you anymore, 7% gratuity - also calculate increased working hours) + housing allowance circa AED 180-250k + car allowance AED 35-40k = £130k-150k ish However you may also wish to factor in flights home, medical, school fees etc. really depends on how much that package is meant to include. <em>edited by RuthM on 21/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 21 November 2012 - 17:22

I've been seeing Craig at Medicentre in MotorCity for an L4/L5 disc issue and now for a neck problem he seems quite good, although a little young (also a bit of eye candy - even DH noticed!).

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 21 November 2012 - 17:15

If you are leaning towards a Kindle Fire, look into a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7 inch size) similar but has a few more features and only a little bit more price-wise (e.g. has a camera so tou can Skype call with her, she can take pictures, it also has bluetooth so easy to share files without a computer nearby, it also has Flash player for watching videos which I'm not sure iPad does... I read with mine all the time, since it can have Kindle app. You can always buy a folding cover that doubles as a stand. Adobe has ceased all development of mobile versions of Flash since an announcement in November 2011 where they put full support behind HTML5. Not sure what videos require Flash these days but Netflix etc. have iPad apps and you can copy videos to the iPad with apps like AVPLayerHD. Flash is buggy and not perfect cross platform in any case, hence why Apple refused to support it. Why they won't support Blu Ray however is just plain frustrating!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 21 November 2012 - 17:08

I gave my 87 year old grandmother (who has never touched a computer in her life) an iPad for Christmas last year, she loves it. She sends emails and calls her family in Australia and South Africa on FaceTime and Skype. She reads the Telegraph newspaper and does the puzzles. She plays scrabble, whist and solitaire. She checks the lottery numbers. As well as reading books on the Kindle app. She was in hospital recently (without it as everything gets stolen in hospital in the UK) and all she asked was 'when can I go home so I can have my iPad back?!' So I wholeheartedly recommend the iPad (or iPad mini), I also think it is more user friendly than the Kindle and perhaps also the Microsoft surface or Samsung Galaxy. <em>edited by RuthM on 21/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 21 November 2012 - 17:00

We shipped ours here with Emirates, but Virgin also seemed okay (and a lot cheaper) when we dealt with them but we just wanted to go from Gatwick. DKC picked them up only, we arranged the airline booking ourselves it was very easy. They were two Labradors (so medium sized) crate 39 x 26 x30 ins DKC were very good for what they did with their part though.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 20 November 2012 - 11:32

Miele are expensive but win a lot of awards and in the UK often come with a 10 year warranty so obviously they stand by their products. (Clearly in Dubai you get the typical one year I expect).

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 20:44

There are four types of camera to consider: Compact system camera (includes FourThirds): Panasonic Lumix GX1, Olympus OM-D, Sony NEX-5 etc. These are compact mirrorless cameras with larger sensors than normal compacts and with interchangeable lenses. A good in between SLR and compact option especially if you don't want the added bulk of SLR kit. Not so good if you are doing sports photography or need very long lenses for example for birding. Can fetch a slight premium, I intend on getting an NEX-7 as my current gear is too much for most things and I'm breaking my back carrying it! Bridge camera: Canon Powershot SX40 HS, Sony Cyber-shot HX200V etc. These are long focal length compact cameras with manual functions. These cameras are often scorned by professional photographers but can be a good 'bridge' from using a compact to an SLR. Realistically results from a good quality bridge camera may not differ that much from a cheap SLR with cheap lenses. Many friends of mine have started off with a DSLR only to downgrade to a bridge camera later. High end compact camera with manual functions: Canon PowerShot G12, Panasonic DMC-LX5 (Leica D-Lux 5) etc. Often used as a back up by professional photographers these cameras will suit most purposes for many people. They are great for getting into digital photography and decent models should feature most of the manual functions of a DSLR. They do not have long focal length so may not be much use for wildlife or sporting events, however good quality DSLR lenses in this category will be very costly. For landscape and portraits they can be ideal and many professionals use them as such. Entry level SLR: Nikon D3100 or Canon 1100D A cheap SLR can be a good way to get onto into photography however if you do get the photography bug it will take only a matter of months before you are frustrated with the lens package that comes with most entry level kits. Good quality lenses will almost certainly cost several thousand dirhams and you can easily find the lenses you want stretching to a lot more. If you want to do portrait photography you will also soon be looking for a flashgun, for landscapes a tripod and then once the bank is blown you have to lug all this heavy kit around! Between the Canon and the Nikon here, I would choose the Nikon. It has better light sensitivity, a larger sensor, more focus points, has a larger screen and a self cleaning sensor. I am a Canon fan but the entry level Nikons offer much more bang for buck. The only downside is I prefer higher level Canon and once you commit to Nikon lenses you're stuck with them unless you sell up and buy all new. Bear in mind lenses do not go out of date like camera bodies, I bought four lenses in 2005 and not a single one of them has been updated, lenses are forever. Good luck camera shopping.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 17:59

Some people can't just stop taking medication. I had a friend visit who is on Controlled Drugs Class A – Psychotropics. We contacted the UAE MOH to advise he needed his medication and were initially advised: I SAW YOUR EMAIL AND THE MEDICINES YOU MENTIONED .. THE FIRST MEDICINE IS A CONTROL MEDICINE SO IT WILL NEED SPECIAL PERMITION FROM DR. XXXX IN MOH ABUDHABI AS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF CONTROL MEDICINES .. BUT THE SECOND MEDICINE IS A REGULAR ANIT HYPERTENSIVE MEDICINE SO NO PROBLEM WITH IT .. SO YOU CAN CONTACT DR. XXXX FOR HIS PERMISSION ON 02/XXXXXXX OR EMAIL HIM ON [email protected] To which we were advised by the MOH Doctor: As per your mail, there is no objection for XXXX friend to keep the medicines for his personal use to cover his staying in the UAE maximum for a period not more than one month for the medicine Venlafaxine and for three months for the item Bisoprolol fumarate , provided that he has to keep a medical letter from his doctor along with a valid prescription. As my friend's psychiatrist in the UK is Egyptian we were also fortunate enough to have the Doctor letter in Arabic as well as English just to be on the safe side. I will also add that the MoH were pleased we contacted them as they said so many people arrive with medication without contacting them first which can create big problems and it was nice to see someone being thorough. So I would advise you contact the MOH http://www.moh.gov.ae/en/ Then they will probably forward you to the appropriate Doctor for pre authorisation if it is possible. Should they give pre authorisation then print the email from the MoH and bring it with you as well as the prescription and doctor letter.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 17:53

Sorry I'm on holiday in Malaysia at the moment. My immediate conclusion is not going to be favourable. If you have booted from an installation disc and the drive is not showing at all in disk utility there is a good chance it is a hardware failure. I will ponder a little and get back to you shortly.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 17:51

How old is she? Some cameras are large for small hands. Does she intend on taking photography further or just play about a bit (you may wish to get a camera that is compatible with good quality lenses for the future). Have you considered a four thirds if she is not looking to do sports photography?

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 11:30

RuthM - Thanks for all of this info. I love Langkawi and have stayed in many places but have been put off the Four Sesons because of the views of the cement works and my belief that it was very expensive for what you got. I think I was wrong from what your photos show; it looks amazing. I hope to go for the Feb half term. If you get the chance, go over to Bon Ton Resort over near the airport for an evening. Totally different from the Four Seasons; nowhere near as plush. It's part hotel, part rennovation programme for old Kampung houses (and Chinese shop houses in the area next door) and part cat sanctuary. The food is lovely and if you feel like a change from the Four Seasons, I'd really recommend it despite the distance from there. Unfortunately we're on our last day but we will be back in May next year I think so I will be sure to check that out thanks for the recommendation. I have included a photo of the cement works (a joke for our friend who told us not to stay here because of it). It was taken on a crop sensor SLR camera with a 400mm lens, it really is that far away and there is no noise, fumes or anything, in fact if you didn't know to look for it I doubt most people would notice. I'll be uploading more photos of wildlife once we hit KL tomorrow and I have some time free.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 10:55

I am presently at the Four Seasons Langkawi and cannot recommend it more. We are Four Seasons fans in any case but this is now our favourite Four Seasons summer resort (Whistler is our favourite winter one!). It is very green, lots of wildlife - we've seen two types of monkeys, some shrews, some squirrels, a monitor lizard and lots of eagles and kites. The adult pool is lovely, it is an infinity pool, broken up into sections and each couple can take a walled section of their own so very private, it's overlooking the beach which is very large and very quiet. The main pool is a nice design also all different shapes disappearing into trees and with lots of shady areas and water jets. I believe Four Seasons has a complimentary children's club for 4-12 year old but we haven't used it. The villas are enormous I think around 2500sqft, with a private pool, a huge bedroom lounge area, a large study area, your own couples spa room, a sunken marble bathtub (which is the size of a pool), and indoor and outdoor shower. I cannot comment on the other rooms except that they are closer to the greenery and I think we will be trying an upstairs one when we return next year. Here are some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90163622@N04/sets/72157632034580887/ We saw the Tanjung Rhu, and have friends who love it there but we thought it looked a little too highrise and not as green. Another friend loves the Datai but I have heard it is starting to get a bit dated. As for airlines Cathay Pacific were very cheap (AED 5k for business) and their service was impeccable, but you have to fly via HK and it seems the flights a long way in advance are expensive but less than six month in advance bookings are the cheap price.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 10:16

iStyle has a list of mac repairers. I may be able to talk you through some options before you have to spend money, can you provide some more details as to exactly what is wrong. Which mac do you have? What version of OS X are you using? Can you boot into OS X? What error message are you receiving? Have you run disk utility? Do you have a bootable DVD or thumb drive? Do you have a second mac that you can create a bootable DVD or thumb drive with? More detail is best, it may be something simple like repairing disk permissions which is easy to do yourself. <em>edited by RuthM on 18/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 09:01

Hmm this is weird, I kind of liked the books, in fact I have hard cover first editions of them all as I bought them before the movie frenzy. A large proportion of my 1200+ book library is dedicated to urban fantasy (yes I collect a lot of media, a little too much perhaps). However I don't get this finding a movie amazing just because it is part of the franchise. I am able to be critical of franchises I like but have seen zero criticism of any Twilight movie by any of my Twilight fan friends (plus I just get defensive abuse if I ask them anything). LOTR 1 was amazing, 2 was very average 3 was good. Matrix 1 was amazing, 2 sucked, 3 was unwatchable. Star Wars IV V were amazing VI was good and we don't talk about the first three episodes because it makes a Star Wars fan cry. Harry Potter 1, 3 and 4 were good, 2, 5 were average and the final instalment(s) were by no means the 'best' movies in the franchise. The 1st and 3rd movies of the latest James Bond reboot were good but the 2nd one was poor. The 3rd Back to the Future movie was a massive let down. Bridget Jones 1 was good 2 was abysmal. As I said I can understand people liking Twilight, peoples tastes are different, but a group of 30+ women all saying the latest instalment is 'The best film in the world ever' when pretty much every critic has said the first movie was the best of the franchise does not seem quite right to me. This would also mean all of the eight or so women in this group have exactly the same movie tastes. So I was asking, to other people who actually liked the first movie, is the latest instalment the best in the franchise?

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 08:36

Okay I think the Twilight movies are quite terrible. I love fantasy, I love vampires, I love werewolves but Twilight is none of those things, it is badly directed, badly acted and just plain boring. I really wanted to like it but just couldn't bring myself to. However I can say some of the cinematography was quite good. As a collector of movies, owning over 600 at present and having worked in a video store back home, I consider myself to have relatively good taste in movies. I can accept perhaps the first movie was okay and attuned to some peoples taste, the critic reviews I have read have claimed it provided entertainment for it's target audience (tweeners - which I find quite disturbing but lets ignore that for now), I in fact saw it at the cinema and did not walk out so it wasn't unbearable, although I will not be seeing it again. Now the latest movie(s), the critics have primarily slammed them - the same critics that liked the first movie Breaking Dawn Pt1 was totally slammed and Pt2 has been fairly slammed. All my friends in the UK (women in their mid 30s) are raving about how and I quote 'this is the best film I have ever seen', 'omg omg amazing' etc. Now I saw the Matrix, I probably loved the Matrix as much as they loved Twilight (although not Neo as much as they seem to love teenage boys - creeepy!), but I can accept the Matrix 2 was bad and as for the Matrix 3, well if I had a delete button on my brain it would be eradicated from memory (ah if only we did live in the times of William Gibson). So ladies I ask, is Breaking Dawn actually 'AMAAAAZZZING'? Or are my friends just blind sheep that would follow the flock straight to the abattoir if Just 17 (or whatever they read these days) said it was cool to do so?

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 18 November 2012 - 03:54

As the daughter of a dentist my house would never have a candy floss machine. No matter how much I screamed when I was a kid I couldn't even get candy floss at a village fayre or guy fawkes night! I grew up with five dogs but still enjoyed playing with an interactive toy dog as well. Real dogs are great but they can't do backflips when you clap your hands! Dogs are not toys and can become bored with playing with kids. But a toy dog will always be there to play with and may well be a healthy distraction from the real dog once the dog is tired and if your DD still wants to play. As another option can Santa write back with a bag of candy floss and say that he's out of stock on toy dogs and candy floss machines and ask if there's anything else she would like?! <em>edited by RuthM on 18/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 20:33

Thanks again for all your kind replies. DPD (dear pet dog? or alternative acronym?) was able to see Dr Dominik this evening. The hotspot was spreading towards his eye so I am really glad Dr Dominik agreed to see him as I dread to think what he would have been like by Monday when Nad Al Sheba could see him. DPD has had the area shaved as I hoped and has been prescribed oral and topical antibiotics and steroids. My poor friends are looking after both our DPDs, the other one unfortunately had surgery for a very deep ear infection last week and is also on oral steroids and antibiotics as well as steroid ear drops. So now they have two sick hounds to look after. This is the sickest they've been in the nine years we've had them and they decide to do it just as we go on the first holiday longer than a long weekend we've been on in nearly three years! DPDs just knew we were going away without them!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 17:23

have you googled how to treat them Ruth, although if it's on your dogs face it might be difficult. Here's one link: http://www.vetinfo.com/dog-hot-spot-treatment.html @ BuckeyeD - I wasn't aware of that re Barsha Vets! What a pain. Although I don't get why the medication issue would affect any out of hours service. Thanks all for recommendations and suggestions. In the past I have shaved the area myself. Although I'd be concerned about going round his whiskers etc, in the past these patches have been on his ruff and his neck. in any case we are in Langkawi and friends are looking after him, I can't see them managing to get him to let them shave his face (plus DH trimmers are here - yes I disinfected them after shaving the dog last time, hmm and didn't tell DH what I'd used them for shhh!). We have managed to get him into Arabian Ranches vet - we live in the Ranches. I have no idea what they are like but it's only a hotspot, some clippers and topical lotion is all he should need then he can see the regular vet when we get back - although I am miffed with them they couldn't give us an app until Monday, I think we need a new vet that doesn't do so many falcons. This is what happened last time he got a hot spot and it was left for 12 hours with my mum looking after him: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90163622@N04/8192325603/ But the latest one is on his face, hence the urgent concern if it spreads like the last one it will be pretty awful for the poor boy, plus they hurt and we're not there so he's probably very sad right now.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 16:32

So frustrating all he needs is the area shaved and some antibiotic solution applied - if we had a pair of clippers we would shave him ourselves! Lots of expensive phone calls from Malaysia :-(

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 16:23

try the vet hospital, did you tell Nad it was an emergency? Yes our friends who are looking after the dogs called first (we are on holiday), then we called from holiday as well they refused to see him until tomorrow - really annoyed. Vet Hospital no go any other suggestions? BTW what exactly is an emergency vet?!!!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 17 November 2012 - 16:17

try the vet hospital, did you tell Nad it was an emergency? Yes our friends who are looking after the dogs called first (we are on holiday), then we called from holiday as well they refused to see him until tomorrow - really annoyed.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 16 November 2012 - 05:56

I don't think the reason why the OP is on codeine is of any interest to us. I had a friend visit who is on Controlled Drugs Class A – Psychotropics. We contacted the UAE MOH to advise he needed his medication and were initially advised: I SAW YOUR EMAIL AND THE MEDICINES YOU MENTIONED .. THE FIRST MEDICINE IS A CONTROL MEDICINE SO IT WILL NEED SPECIAL PERMITION FROM DR. XXXX IN MOH ABUDHABI AS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF CONTROL MEDICINES .. BUT THE SECOND MEDICINE IS A REGULAR ANIT HYPERTENSIVE MEDICINE SO NO PROBLEM WITH IT .. SO YOU CAN CONTACT DR. XXXX FOR HIS PERMISSION ON 02/XXXXXXX OR EMAIL HIM ON [email protected] To which we were advised by the MOH Doctor: As per your mail, there is no objection for XXXX friend to keep the medicines for his personal use to cover his staying in the UAE maximum for a period not more than one month for the medicine Venlafaxine and for three months for the item Bisoprolol fumarate , provided that he has to keep a medical letter from his doctor along with a valid prescription. As my friend's psychiatrist in the UK is Egyptian we were also fortunate enough to have the Doctor letter in Arabic as well as English just to be on the safe side. I will also add that the MoH were pleased we contacted them as they said so many people arrive with medication without contacting them first which can create big problems and it was nice to see someone being thorough. So I would advise you contact the MOH http://www.moh.gov.ae/en/ Then they will probably forward you to the appropriate Doctor for pre authorisation if it is possible. Should they give pre authorisation then print the email from the MoH and bring it with you as well as the prescription and doctor letter. Obviously if they do not give authorisation then you will have to find a substitute which I suggested on the other post the same as this http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/search.aspx) Good luck. <em>edited by RuthM on 16/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 16 November 2012 - 05:30

So glad DH cannot get on here my Warcraft time could be replaced with Chorecraft time, if only you could trade Chore Wars gold for Warcraft gold...

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 14 November 2012 - 10:36

He works from home and is the only person in the UAE needing a photograph, most of the rest of the staff are elsewhere in the world, hence they will not be sending a photographer for a photograph of just one person! So any suggestions?

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 14 November 2012 - 04:31

Volteren (diclofenac). You can also combine with paracetamol check with pharmacist for safe dose combination. Can also try Nurofen (ibuprofen) which can also be combined with paracetamol. Do not combine diclofenac and ibuprofen they are both NSAIDS and cannot be mixed. Also check with pharmacist if you are taking daily asprin for other medical reasons as this cannot be mixed with other NSAIDS.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 08 November 2012 - 00:48

It's in your garage, I'd say it's your cart now?! Otherwise charge the golf club for trespassing on your property and clamp their cart until they pay! edited by RuthM on 08/11/2012 ???? wow Is this how you would like to be treated if your own car/property was stolen and dumped on someone elses property WOW angry person with no sense of humour.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 08 November 2012 - 00:22

It's in your garage, I'd say it's your cart now?! Otherwise charge the golf club for trespassing on your property and clamp their cart until they pay! <em>edited by RuthM on 08/11/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 14:15

See if anything here takes your fancy: http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 07 November 2012 - 14:09

Ours is 30dhs an hour from helping hand. That said we always give her 40dhs an hour but I guess we're just lame.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 23:54

I don't know about price but And So to Bed do good quality furniture, mostly made in Italy. Much of their wood seems to be mahogany. Ethan Allen seem to do some reasonable US made stuff too, although rumour has it some of their manufacturing has moved to the far east now. As for Rosewood, maybe Marina? But be aware their stuff looks solid but on closer inspection much of it is manufactured by attaching planks together (like tabletops). Also the stain comes off on everything, our mattress on a Marina bed is now marked brown from the stain on the wood. Lastly check with imported rosewood, as ours arrived with woodworms, namely powderpost beetles.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 15:35

I'll try Optysport too, am going to Dubai Mall tomorrow. Thanks.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 15:07

Thanks I'll give them a call.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 14:57

We got married in Cape Town. I can't remember the exact cost but it was very cheap and fantastic. We then had a wedding reception in London for those that didn't come to CT and the reception was 4x the cost of the wedding. Accommodation in CT can be expensive but the food (amazing fish and meat) is cheap and services like flowers and photographer are cheap too. I'll also say out photographer in CT was absolutely brilliant, the expensive one in London was appalling.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 05 November 2012 - 14:13

I'm looking for a prescription snorkel mask. Preferably pre made inserts avoiding the large expense of a custom prescription (it's only for snorkelling not diving). I know TUSA do these. Any idea where I can find in Dubai, shipping from UK is £70!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 03 November 2012 - 00:33

We're going next week. Got a good deal with Cathay Pacific and are stopping off at HK as well as KL enroute. DH has an ambition to stay in every Four Seasons in the world before he dies so we're staying in FS in Langkawi. I have a Malaysian friend from KL who also recommended the Datai. As for KL she gave us a whole itinerary as well as where to stay!: Mandarin Oriental (for location – service not that great) or Shangri-la (for service and location). Also suggest looking at KL Hilton (fantastic and one of the newest although slightly out of golden triangle but close enough (10 mins drive away) and stone’s throw away from Bangsar (where all the nice restaurants and are). Weather – its always warm in KL expect 30-33 degrees Celsius. Rain should not stop you –everyone learns to live with it. Getting around: Am afraid its taxis. Ask the hotel to organize one. Demand for metered fare at all times or threatened with calling the police! Places to visit: Day 1 1. Twin towers: (Get viewing tix early at 830am and go all the way up. Should take you no more than 2 hour process including visit. (Beware Husbands, branded retail Suria Shopping complex just next door and easily accessible!) 2. Within the old city (somewhere between Bangsar and the Golden Triangle – and no not at all like Deira and smells nicer): · Walk around Merdeka (Independence) Square which is in front of the old majestic courts and the tudor Selangor Club; · Parliament Building; · Heritage Street in Kuala Lumpur around the corner from the golden triangle to see the old colonial buildings, namely Tun HS Lee Street (which will have some existing chinese kongsi houses to see and chinatown are stone throw away; · Central Market which will give you a flavor of all Malaysian craft and arts (Better than Bastakiya in Dubai) (the above are do-able in a morning) 3. Drinks at Skybar, Traders Hotel on 33rd Floor (you have to go here as it puts Dubai to shame). The other option is Marini’s on 57th (KLCC tower) but I am told very crowded. 4. Dinner (see below)* Day 2 5. Batu Caves (a majestic hillside cave Hindu temple – worth every bit up the 272 steps and the danger liaisons with monkeys on the way there) – 30 mins travel each way from Golden Triangle. Visit doable in an hour. Suggest early to mid morning- noon time can be hot (or if you are lucky rain) 6. Putra Jaya (new govt district/HQ including very impressive architecture and new court buildings). There is a good River Cruise there I am told. (Travel there about 45 minutes from golden triangle – its closer to the airport). Give it an afternoon. There are nice hotels there if you are feeling peckish. 7. Dinner (see below)* 8. After dinner shenanigans (Changkat Bukit Bintang, also known as Bukit Ceylon) either Havana Club, Frangipani Restaurant & Bar, EI Cerdo, Deustsches Haus, The Ceylon Bar, Dusha, ...google and see what you get! Dining: (All suggestions are in the Golden Triangle area or close enough) 1. Carcosa Sri Negara (old British colonial – English menu including scones and tea! Situated near Parliament) 2. Tamarind Hill (Thai cuisine). It’s a nice ambience with the restaurant on stilts. 3. Old China Café (Nonya cuisine – its Malay/Chinese delicacy). 4. Dancing Fish (if you fancy some Indonesian Malay-malaysian cuisine 5. Frangipani (Fusion) 6. Nerovivo (By this time if you are dying for some Italian this is good and is in the Bukit Ceylon area). Alternatively, Ciccio Italian Restaurant also in the area. Before leaving for KL, check out: Timeout KL; and Google Malaysia truly Asia. Hope this helps, if you're not in a rush I can let you know more in three weeks time!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 01 November 2012 - 09:56

Wow that is a big crate. We have two plastic air crates but I'm sorry they are only 102x69x76cm.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 31 October 2012 - 19:31

I needed to 'delay' my period by a week or so once and the doctor gave me something (can't remember what it was though). I would be wary of going on the pill for one month, when I first started the pill I had a light period for an entire month so you may get the opposite effect of what you want. Joining two packs of pills together can work, but some people have some light spotting in any case and you'd probably want to get used to taking the pill before doing that.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 27 October 2012 - 15:02

I was amazed a while ago when a car pulled up right in front of my house and an elegantly robed lady got out, she immediately opened the rear door and proceeded to dispose of a lot of empty cans, packets and fast food wrappers onto the driveway, then promptly got back in the car and drove off. Seriously? I hope you reported her to the police! I would have gone outside and taken photographs of her and her car and when she complained I was taking photographs inform her they were for the police. That's if I could manage to restrain myself from slashing all her tyres and shouting some kind of vulgarity at her, and informing her I can understand why the UAE has an obesity/diabetes problem (fast food wrappers, cans etc. and too lazy to go to a bin).

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 27 October 2012 - 09:53

Well I have to say DH leaves his socks on the floor, and expects me to pick them up! Speaking of camels/goats etc. dying from eating litter, we are currently having to monitor our dog who spotted the trash and grabbed a rotting chicken carcass, I cannot describe how revolting it was rugby tackling him to the ground and having to shove my hand down his throat to pull bits of manky chicken and chicken bones out, but we have no idea how much went down. I've had two showers, a bath and washed my hands multiple times with dettol and still feel dirty. I just cannot conceive how these people walk away leaving trash everywhere and don't look back and think what a mess? The only thing I can consider is that they are completely brainless. Forget fines the municipality to put the offenders on trash clearing duty, people out here don't care about money, community service, orange jumpsuit, (ball and chain?) and four weekends of cleaning trash for these offenders! Solves the problem in more ways than one!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 October 2012 - 23:11

My mother is a Director for the Management Company for my apartment in the UK (she took over when I left for Dubai). I still deal with it all though. I can assure you we always get inquiries from mortgage companies when properties are being sold to ensure the lease and maintenance payments are up to date and I have in the past threatened owners with going to their mortgage company to make them pay up. On one occasion I have done this and they suddenly paid within a week. <em>edited by RuthM on 25/10/2012</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 October 2012 - 23:07

I think there's a problem with liquids on a transfer flight, but best to ask at the airport. Now if you like dark chocolate you need to stop at Sprüngli in Zurich airport, possibly the best dark chocolate (fresh truffles and plain bars) in the world.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 October 2012 - 00:08

Forgot to mention a useful buyers guide can be found here: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 24 October 2012 - 19:13

Technically there is no Apple store in Dubai. There are Apple shops which are independent of Apple and are either stand alone stores or have dedicated Apple product areas within a bigger store. Be aware that a lot of Apple products bought in Dubai do not have FaceTime or iMessage. If this is your first Apple product then think about where you want to have your Apple App Store based as the UAE one does not have as much as say a US one. If you base it in the US you will need a US based credit card. There is a workaround to that but I'm not 100% sure how it works. Also note that Apple updated the MacBook Pro range last night. It may be that existing stocks will be discounted. They will not have the new stock likely for a few weeks. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/ edited by debliz on 24/10/2012 Sorry they did not upgrade the MacBook Pro range last night, they announced the new 13" MacBook Pro Retina. Summary of announcements from last nights Apple event: New 13" MacBook Pro Retina New iPad Mini Updated iPad with A6 chip and lightning connector Updated Mac Mini with quad core option New slimmer iMac with no optical drive, less reflective screen and option for fusion drive (flash and mechanical drive hybrid) The old iMac, Mac Mini and new iPad (they never called it iPad 3) will now be phased out, deals may be found on these. The existing MacBook Pro's have not changed but the new 13" retina display model has been added to the range. <em>edited by RuthM on 25/10/2012</em>

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