RuthM

Best thing I can suggest is put a cold compress (facecloth) on your face to try and relieve the burning. Perhaps an antihistamine may also help. DH uses the sun cream for sun allergic skin but his skin is as tough as leather! <em>edited by RuthM on 01/12/2013</em>

If they're a geeky teen that may like writing their own programs etc. then it would be a great gift. But if they just like playing xbox then probably not. You can use it to control robots, write basic games like space invaders, media server, or security system etc. They can do all this with a laptop but it's not half as challenging or as much fun. (or as annoying) Although for robotics stuff or security systems a laptop is a bit too bulky.

I was under the impression you could get married in Dubai if it is a Muslim man marrying a woman of the book (Christian or Jewish). However it cannot be done the other way around. I could be wrong though. Otherwise Cyprus seems the preferred option. We had a civil ceremony in Cape Town and it was fantastic, really cheap too :-)

Sorry just reminded me of an article someone pasted the other day where Pamela Anderson (the original wearing of Ugg boots) was horrified to find that sheepskin is actually SKIN FROM SHEEP! Genius. Anyway I order mine from Ugg USA it's $50 delivery with UPS.

yes you are completely correct i have to start.. i just wish i didn't have to and it was easy hehe.. the nursery my baby goes to has FS1 but i don't think i'll let her continue there as FS2 is even harder to get into since all the FS1 children will probably want to continue going to FS2.. i live in AD i just hope it is easier here.. i doubt it tho.. i already have a few list of schools that i like.. i just need to tour them.. and most of them have their enrollment open a year before the enrollment so i might actually have to wait till next year.. goodluck xx Recently heard Cranleigh are opening in Abu Dhabi, really wish it was Dubai, they're a pretty good school in the UK, on my shortlist for when we move back.

Only thing I can think of is bresola (air dried beef) but it doesn't contain as much fat as pork.

Hunger Games it's like Battle Royale with a splash of Running Man but just not as good right?

Loads of threads on this at the moment. Go to one of the little electrical stores and buy and unlocked US or UK one HERE. No need to buy from apple and pay extra tax etc. [b'>They will work fine elsewhere.[/b'> Not strictly true. The networks in different countries work on different frequencies and technologies. Some aspects of a phone built for a particular market may not be compatible in another. An example of this is I believe the US LTE networks are generally not compatible with the UAE ones. This means you wouldn't be able to use a major feature (fast internet) of the newer iPhones if you bought a US iPhone. This may not matter to everyone, but it could be a nasty surprise if you spent a lot of money on it not knowing. I'm no expert on iPhones, but please do check out compatibility if you're buying a phone made for a different market. You need a GSM phone which operates on the right band for LTE. Don't buy a CDMA phone. Bands networks use: Du - band 3 (1800 MHz) Etisalat - band 3 and 7 (1800 MHz, 2600 MHz) O2 - band 20 (800 DD) Vodafone - band 20 and 7 (800 DD, 2600MHz) 3 UK - band 20 and 3 (800 DD, 1800 MHz) EE - band 20, 3 and 7 (800 DD, 1800 MHz, 2600MHz) So in summary for a phone to be fully operational across all networks in both UK and UAE you need: Band 3 (1800 MHz) Band 7 (2600 MHz) Band 20 (800DD) iPhone 5s: Model A1457 (sold in Europe and UAE but double check box) Model A1530 (sold in Hong Kong - beware of CDMA version in China - Hong Kong is cheapest place to buy imo) Cover all these bands. Model A1453 which is the US model does not cover band 7. My UAE phone seems to work in the UK without an issue. Just remember no FaceTime. <em>edited by RuthM on 17/11/2013</em>

for a romantic lunch try Pier Chic at Madinat... they do some excellent lunchtime offers... I second Pier Chic for a nice romantic lunch. Of course Talise Spa (in the same hotel area) has a good reputation although I've never been. There's a lovely spa at St Regis Saadiyat Island although it might be a bit far. Of course the F1 track is on Yas so you could most likely get the F1 experience there. However the Thai restaurant at St Regis is lovely, but I would not say romantic. <em>edited by RuthM on 17/11/2013</em>

I would love to ski there, but have zero awareness of the region. Can women ski there? What are the rules regarding being covered? My ski pants and jacket are super baggy and I always wear a helmet and face bandana if it's cold. Do you need a male family member with you? How close do they need to be? DH can't remotely keep up with me (I used to race at club level). <em>edited by RuthM on 16/11/2013</em>

I am thinking of getting my husband/daughters a puppy. 1) A dog is a member of the family. It is not for your husband or for your daughters it is a fully fledged family member with a personality that will need love and care. It is not a TV or a coffee table. 2) You will not be getting a puppy, you will be getting a dog that starts off as a puppy and grows into a dog. A lot of people forget this and a lot of dogs end up looking for new homes when they are no longer puppies. Many people on this forum would have been far more comfortable with the phrase: [b'>Our family would love to have a dog, so I am looking for a puppy.[/b'> Sorry if this comes across as harsh but I wanted to make this absolutely clear. Obviously the first option is a rescue dog. I encourage this and I also suspect many rescues in Dubai have better grounding than the ones we get in the UK as the rescue centres here are not filled up with bull terriers that were owned by kids who used them to intimidate people on the street and gave them a good kicking when they weren't scary enough. In all likelihood many rescues in Dubai are probably left behind by selfish expats that couldn't be bothered to take them with them. Otherwise they are from people that bought a 'puppy' for their kid from a pet shop and then six months later were like [i'>"OMG I HAVE A DOG? WHAT HAPPENED?! Last week it was a cute puppy then it destroyed the house and now it's a DOG!, it has to go!"[/i'> These people often make another mistake you hear them say [i'>"It's only a small dog"[/i'>. Small dogs are no less hassle than big dogs, except that they cannot pull you over as easily or reach the kitchen counter. In fact many small breeds are harder to train than larger breeds. Small breeds were more often used for ratting, rabbiting etc. therefore had little obedience training, they worked more on instinct and just like chasing small animals (or peoples feet). Many larger dogs were used for herding or retrieving and therefore required a better response to human signals. Of course some larger dogs were also used as sighthounds or hunting and they can be equally scatty as small dogs. And some individual dogs of breeds which should be easily trainable that can be impossible. Lastly there are some rescues that have been tied up outside in a yard for a few years before finally being disposed off (sadly the majority of these are most likely destroyed by the municipality - people that tie dogs up in yards normally are not bothered when they die). In an ideal scenario I would look for option 1 or 2 and I would prefer to get something directly from the family that no longer wants the dog, this way you can see how the dog has been kept and ask about it. Many vets often have information of expats who are leaving and parting with their dog or idiots that got a dog and couldn't cope. However there are many scams on Dubizzle etc. of this type so a rescue centre may be better. I would hope Canine Friends and other rescue centres would also keep details of animals that have been left with them and their backgrounds. This said not everyone wants a rescue dog (I suspect I will get some abuse for this). But some people want a puppy they can train and bond with from a young age and one whose history is known. I will advise on this option but firstly I would like to point out this option will take a great deal of time and effort. There is only sense in buying a puppy when these people also want to meet the breeder that bred their dog and the dogs parents and see the dog in the home environment. If you do not do this you may as well have an unknown rescue dog as you will know as much about the puppies history as you would a rescues history. It is not well known but the formative weeks (before a puppy is ready to leave it's mother) is some of the most important time for a puppy to develop social skills and bite inhibition, which is why meeting the mother as well as the breeder and seeing the environment is crucial. Anyone who buys a puppy from a pet shop or Europuppy clearly just wants a puppy because it is cute not because they are concerned about the animals background, these people have no excuse to not go to a rescue centre (although hopefully the rescue centre who are not profit driven would turn them away). We have a dog we got at 11 months who is an absolute nightmare (massively nervous and anti-social with other dogs (something we are working on for the third attempt), defecates in the house if we are upstairs even and she wants to go out - she was kennelled) but a sweetie with us and very good natured, although she never looks happy. And another dog we had from a puppy who is the happiest, cleanest and most affectionate dog I have ever known, he is frankly perfect. Okay he pulls on the lead a little (DH has not kept up with his training) and he tries to steal food when he can and he chewed the stairs when we first moved here as he was feeling a little insecure. At least if we have a dog with behavioural issues I can rest assured I created them not someone else and I can hopefully undo the bad before it is too late. So on to where to get a puppy. Well the answer is your home country. You will be taking your dog home with you if you leave Dubai (of course as a responsible owner) therefore it is an ideal place to start. This way your dog can have all the paperwork from where he or she is from. Breeders in your home country will speak your language so it will be easy to ask them trick questions and find out if they have bad intentions, it will also be easy for them to ask you questions and see what kind of a person you are. So next time you visit your home country you and the rest of the family find a list of breeders from the kennel club and go and visit them. Do not look for puppies however, no good breeder is going to sell someone a puppy who is leaving the country in a week, month whatever. A good breeder will want to get to know your family, they will want to know where you live, see pictures or even video, meet you all, question you and then if you are very fortunate they will agree that when they have another litter of puppies they will consider you to take one to become a member of your family. Many people on this forum have said a good breeder will not sell to someone abroad. This is in fact incorrect. I have found two very good breeders in my home country who have agreed to sell to me. I have also found three bad ones who I would not buy from (they also agreed to sell to me, just a little too quickly). I have been to visit one of the breeders three times. I have gone for walks with her and her dogs and shown her pictures of our dogs, told her about them and their lives in Dubai. I introduced her to my mother and my mother's dog in the UK (a dog I trained with my father before he passed) and walked her with the breeders dogs. I Skyped her so she could meet our dogs in Dubai. The last time we saw her she said she actually feels she knows us better than many of the people she sells to in the UK. But clearly this takes time and effort and to put it simply this is the thing which will encourage these breeders the fact that you will make this much time and effort to get the right dog from the right place which will hopefully demonstrate the time and effort you are willing to put into the dog once you get it home. In summary you have two options: 1) A rescue dog from a rescue centre or otherwise (but beware of scams) 2) A puppy from your home country But in either case please remember this dog will be a member of your family. It is not a present, as a family member cannot be a present, presents are objects, living creatures should never be treated as objects. A dog requires an enormous commitment, hours of care and training, it is in fact akin to having a child, a child that will remain a toddler for 10-15 years and then cost you thousands of dirhams in vet bills and become very smelly and potentially incontinent. A child that if not walked and stimulated and instead left bored will reign destruction on your house, if it feels insecure it will keep you up at night and if you are not careful what it eats or leave it unsupervised in a dangerous environment will get very sick and potentially die. Every person in your household needs to be absolutely dedicated to this new family member. It is going to cost a lot of money. The dog will need to be looked after while you are away, you will need money to take him or her home if you leave Dubai. It may get sick and need expensive medication or even surgery. Feeding and walking is not all the care a dog needs. You will need to train the dog, clean it's ears (and eyes depending on breed), clip it's claws, brush it's fur (even short coated dogs should be brushed). You cannot expect a maid to look after the dog as all these things are part of your bond with the dog if someone else does these things you will end up with a very unhappy insecure dog. Grooming for example is a key thing that will make the dog feel part of the family. Everywhere you go in the house the dog will follow you, you can't just put it away when you've had enough. Once you have discussed all this with your family and feel you are ready I suggest your first port of call should be a rescue centre. If you decide a rescue dog is not for you then you need to research and find which breed you prefer and start to look in your home country (a task that you can expect to take at least a year or longer). Good luck in making the right decision.

Circumcision is completely different.. this has to do with Hygiene.. and ofcourse it's only for boys [b'>not[/b'> girls... I don't understand how circumcision is different? If altering your body isn't allowed as it is changing what you were given then why is it allowed? Is it thought that a mistake was made with this body part? I don't know about Muslim circumcision. But in Judaism the circumcision on the 8th day is the symbol of the covenant with G-d. In fact it is another reason why piercings and tattoos are forbidden. Because to tear ones flesh, or mark ones body in other ways would cheapen this sign.

In my opinion.. yes.. compassion can be taught, it starts at home these values need to be instilled by the parents to the child at an young age itself as this will make the child go a long way in becoming a better person whereas empathy is inborn and not many are emphathetic by nature especially when it comes to animals. Unfortunately I think it highly unlikely these people are infants. I look at it this way. If I were to swot a fly would I feel guilty? Would I feel compassion for the fly? Probably not. A Buddist however may be horrified at this loss of life. But my upbringing was that killing flies, mosquitos etc. is okay. Can someone teach me to feel compassion for a fly? I'm not sure if what was ingrained at childhood can be easily undone. Some people see dogs and cats like flies, this is probably environmental. Then there is another issue some people feel no empathy for any living creatures. These people are psychopaths. Many studies are ongoing as to if and how they can be taught empathy. I suspect the culprits responsible for many of these acts against animals are a combination. There is most likely one ringleader who is a psychopath. In my opinion a lost cause, and someone who is probably cruel not only to animals but people as well. And some others who are just following him or her. They likely feel little compassion for dogs and cats due to environmental influence but perhaps they can be taught, if it is not too late. <em>edited by RuthM on 12/11/2013</em>

Perhaps do a second degree or a masters in a related field through a distance learning university. I am doing a degree from London International. Many masters degrees are available distance as some do not need to be taught masters, you don't need to look exclusively at the Open University. DH is doing a masters in law from City and is looking to follow up with a PhD in law as well. Leicester, Birmingham and Exeter do PhD law by distance. Birmingham and Exeter are both in the Russell group and Leicester is also fairly well recognised. Personally I intend to stay at home until at least our children start full days at school. You only have their childhood once and I would like to make the most of it.

I didn't know that David Beckham had any Jewish heritage. He calls himself half Jewish.

Great shall we post bank details here?

DH is paid in dual currency (50/50) so we have an account with HSBC and Emirates NBD. We have had a number of problems with HSBC, they never respond to our queries, we have been trying to get home insurance with them for over a year. We've been misinformed a number of times on transferring and withdrawing money and were left in London stranded with no money at one point and HSBC refused to do any telephone transfers. Since using Emirates NBD we've been quite happy, we needed a cheque drawn up for collection on a certain date and they obliged, everything went smoothly. I cannot say for sure they are better but as of yet we haven't had any issues with them. In the meantime we keep both accounts, hedging our bets!