SEY83

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EW GURU

Latest post on 15 June 2015 - 16:11

I have never done Bikram Yoga so cant comment on if it is good or not, but there was a place called Bay Yoga in Business Bay that was advertising recently. Might be worth checking out.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 15 June 2015 - 09:33

Then you are lucky with your maid. I know different stories from a friend whos maid spoiled the kids to the extend that they allow themselves to hit the maid! As much as I want to work I won't take the risk. Ah yes, blame the maid - couldnt be the parent at fault If maid is the one spending most of the time with kids she practically brings them up. If you leave your kids many hours a day with an unqualified stranger it's your choice, but nothing to be happy about. This discussion is anyway irrelevant to the OP, she has no kids. I am with MrsMoo here and I don't think your comments about children who are looked after by maids because they have two working parents is very fair. My children are at school during the day and spend 2-3 hours with the maid until I get home from work. Every minute of their day after that is with me and my husband. The maid is certainly not bringing up my children, she does little more than babysit for a little while. Then you must have either short working hours or long school hours. If one has a full time job and a child is at school until 12:30...then it's 6-7 hours a day with a maid...definitely much more than with parents. When my DH comes home our daughter is in bed. If I had a job like this, it would be maid spending almost the whole day with her and putting her to bed. I feel sorry for families who don't have another choice because of financial problems. My children are at school from 7:30 and get home at 2:30 - pretty standard school hours. I work 8:30-5:30 and I live 5 minutes away from work. I have made some "sacrifices" in my career, for example I have clearly explained that i will not go on business trips or even attend business dinners, because I have already given enough of my time to work and the remainder of my time is for my family. Fortunately I work for a good company that offers me flexibility but the time I do work I work hard. Does it mean that i won't get to the top of the corporate ladder, probably, but for me my family come first and they are more rewarding to me than my career but I have moved up in my company over the years. Would I resign if my career took over my family life, definitely. It's all about priorities and getting the balance right. The thing I sacrifice most is probably myself, as I don't do a lot for me because I feel like I am already working for me. The point I am trying to make is that it is possible to balance work and being a good mother. Having a live-in maid is great because she does the housework, washing and ironing, so I don't have to worry about finding time for this and yes she babysits for 2-3 hours, but she is hardly raising my children.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 14 June 2015 - 17:37

Then you are lucky with your maid. I know different stories from a friend whos maid spoiled the kids to the extend that they allow themselves to hit the maid! As much as I want to work I won't take the risk. Ah yes, blame the maid - couldnt be the parent at fault If maid is the one spending most of the time with kids she practically brings them up. If you leave your kids many hours a day with an unqualified stranger it's your choice, but nothing to be happy about. This discussion is anyway irrelevant to the OP, she has no kids. I am with MrsMoo here and I don't think your comments about children who are looked after by maids because they have two working parents is very fair. My children are at school during the day and spend 2-3 hours with the maid until I get home from work. Every minute of their day after that is with me and my husband. The maid is certainly not bringing up my children, she does little more than babysit for a little while.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 14 June 2015 - 17:34

I have to admit that I am surprised about all the comments being so one-sided towards the OP staying where she is. The way I see it is that marriage should come first, somebody made a comment about men coming and going, and I find that quite shocking. I usually don't comment on "personal" threads, but what happened to a husband and wife supporting each other and making sacrifices for each other. OP has only just gotten married, surely that should be one of her priorities, she married somebody who presumably is the love of her life, and I'm sure she expects this marriage to last forever, and not to just move on to another man because it doesn't suit her career. I know it is difficult to be in the unknown, where she will be moving out here and not knowing what is planned for her, but Dubai actually has many opportunities and as OP is not in a rush to find a job I am confident that she will find something that works for her. It's a very different story applying for a job on the ground than searching online hundreds of miles away. It's also not forever, she should tell her husband that she is supportive of his career, and I really don't think it is selfish of him to want to move for his career. If it was the other way around then surely he would be supportive too - isn't that what marriage is all about?! OP should also tell her husband that she will try it out for a couple of years, but make sure they have an agreement that they will move back if they're both not happy after that time. Dubai is a great place, yes it is not for everyone, but there is something here for everybody. OP needs to come here with a positive attitude, because if she is already assuming the worst then she will never be happy. Every single one of us sacrificed something when we moved here, and for the most part we have no regrets and have benefited from our decision to live here. OP at this time I would be thinking of what is best for your marriage and I would follow my heart, your mind will follow soon enough!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 09 June 2015 - 08:51

I've flown both with absolutely no issues. To be honest I would rate both of them over Emirates. I have found that in recent years the standard of service on Emirates is not as a good, in terms of the food, comfort, etc, and definitely not worth paying extra for. In my personal opinion I would rate both of these things as higher on BA and Virgin. We're flying Royal Brunei this summer as the fares were considerably lower than all other airlines. We haven't flown RB in a few years but I remember they were okay.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 08 June 2015 - 09:24

You definitely want that POA attested. I know somebody that was recently in a similar situation, and the agent was playing the landlord and tenant big time. Basically, they had told the LL that the apartment was being let out at a higher rent in three cheques, they then told the tenant that the rent was a lesser amount but needed to be paid in one cheque. Both sides were happy and agreed to the deal, even though they didn't know the terms that each side had agreed to. The tenant paid the rent to the agent in one cheque, the agent then gave the LL rent equivalent to the first payment (one third of the rent as understood by the LL). Agent cashed in the rest of the money for himself. Agent then replicated the same thing with numerous other people around the same time, and then once he had made a considerable amount he basically packed it all in and ran away! Basically without the POA the person I know would have been in a lot of trouble. With the correct documents what happened is the fault of the LL not hers. So yes, it might seem tedious having to get all these documents attested but it really is in your best interest.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 04 June 2015 - 09:19

I know a non-profit organisation, For Syria, that collects clothes on a monthly basis and sends them to displaced people in Syria. They are also collecting baskets of food items for Ramadan if anybody is interested in donating (each basket will feed a family of four during the month of Ramadan). Their Facebook page is below to get in contact. I know they have a container leaving to Syria on Sunday full of clothes and food baskets. https://www.facebook.com/ForSyriaorg?fref=ts

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EW GURU

Latest post on 02 June 2015 - 09:12

What about the Rivington Grill at Souk Al Bahar? They do a lunch time offer. http://www.rivingtondubai.ae/the-lunch-hour/

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EW GURU

Latest post on 31 May 2015 - 16:36

They do teach classical Arabic in schools as you can't teach colloquial Arabic. There is no other way to read and write so they have no choice. However the teachers may at times talk in colloquial Arabic to help the children understand (in the same way they may defer to English).

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EW GURU

Latest post on 31 May 2015 - 13:39

Thankyou! I'm happy to hear that as we are also Arab by origin but as we were born & raised in the UK our Arabic is not perfect but we want our kids to learn as much Arabic as possible. We can read & write to a certain level & we both speak the language in our respective dialects, my son also understands & speaks it as a second language. I think they didn't mention it as we have British passports, so they must have assumed we would go for the Arabic for non-Arabs...I will email them to let them know what we want. Thanks so much for that ☺️ Sounds like your background is similar to mine, in which case if I was you I would push for Arabic for Arabs. At GWPS they have different level groups within Arabic for Arabs, it's not that all children take the same because they recognise that there are children that move to Dubai as Arabs but don't speak Arabic, but have to take Arabic for Arabs so they try to accomodate. As long as you know the basics then you can help with the homework and might find that you learn some things yourself...or at least that's certainly the case with me as I speak our dialect of Arabic but struggle with reading and writing! I told them that we have British passports but I want my daughter to take Arabic for Arabs as we are originally Arabs and that was never an issue with the school. Worst case you always have the option to fall back on your British passports and ask for your children to be moved to Arabic for non-Arabs later in the year (I know people that have done this). If you have decided on GWPS, you'll find that the Arabic teachers are quite personable with the parents and will call to speak to you at any time on your child's progress which is reassuring as they tell you the areas where they may need particular focus.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 31 May 2015 - 10:40

Hiya, I can't really help with whether or not you should pay for the assessment or not, because that is really a personal decision. What I can do is give you some reassurance with regards to GWPS. I have a child there in year 2 and my youngest starting in FS2 in September. My eldest has been there since FS2. I honestly have very little negative to say about the school. The current principal only started this year, and the school is going from strength to strength so I can only really seeing it improving. The biggest issue for me personally is probably Arabic and Islamic, but i'm not sure that those would be of much importance to you, and even then I can't say that they are bad it's just that the need to re-evaluate the way that they educate these subjects - which is something that I know is now of high focus for the school. This is an issue in a lot of schools and certainly not unique to GWPS, the methods for teaching Arabic and Islamic are somewhat dated and the curriculum is fixed by the KHDA so it's a tough area. I think if you have been to see GWPS and got a good feeling then I would just go with it. Everyone has a different opinion/feel about schools and you will never get a right or wrong answer, so go with what has given you the best vibe. You will have so many adjustments right now that I would probably try to keep things simple and at least give your mind some rest when it comes to the schools. GWPS is certainly not a bad school and I don't think you will regret your choice. I hope this helps! Sey83 - I wanted to ask you about the Arabic classes at gwps as I forgot to ask the school when I did the tour! I've heard some schools have two types of Arabic classes depending on the child- arabic A for those whose first language is arabic & arabic B for those who don't speak Arabic...is that the case in gwps aswell? If so, do the parents decide which one they want for their child? Thanks in advance. Hiya, yes it's the same as what you have described. They have Arabic for Arabs and Arabic for non-Arabs. The children automatically get assigned into Arabic for Arabs if they have Arab passports and Arabic for non-Arabs for all other nationalities. Having said that we have British passports but we are of Arabic origin so I requested Arabic for Arabs for my daughter which was no issue at all. The Arabic for Arabs have a class every day, Arabic for non-Arabs is three times a week. On top of that my daughter has Islamic three times a week (Arabs have Islamic in Arabic and non-Arab Muslims have Islamic in English). I have always thought that anybody who has a child starting Arabic right from the start (be it Arab or non-Arab) should try the Arabic for Arabs. There is a huge difference in what they learn and they come out properly knowing how to read and write. Even though we are Arabs, my daughter could barely say two words in Arabic when she first started and just spoke English at home and is doing fine. I know children that have done Arabic for non-Arabs for pretty much every year of their school life and can barely speak two words so it seems to be more of a tick the box exercise which is a shame. However, if they are coming to Dubai in older school years then they would struggle with Arabic for Arabs. I think Lolacat also makes a good point which is that you would struggle with the Arabic homework if there are no native Arabic speakers at home. The Arabic workload is higher than the English workload, I can't say we spend hours doing the homework, but as she still struggles with the language somebody needs to sit with her to explain what she is reading and help her writing (usually me but my Arabic isn't great but we get by!) - unfortunately Arabic is a very very difficult subject and there is a huge difference in classical Arabic, which is what is taught and how we read and write, and spoken colloquial Arabic, where every country speaks quite differently - there are some Arabic accents that other Arabs can't even understand! Having said all of this, I also know that a child not doing well, or failing, Arabic would not affect their academic progress in the school. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 29 May 2015 - 11:38

Amro Salons use Kerastase products and also sell them. I can't recommend a particular stylist but I find them all to be good and have never had a bad experience.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 28 May 2015 - 12:33

I got my brother's wedding invitations from a place in Deira called Al Rahwanji Cards and I thought they were quite reasonable. It's a bit of a trek to get there, and they don't have a website so you really have to go yourself and see the different designs and options. They seemed to have something for every budget. Below is the location on Google Maps. It's actually not that difficult to get to. You go over Al Maktoum bridge and then keep in the lane signed "Abu Hail/Corniche" and then the shop will be on your left, although it's easy to miss so you have to look out for it. https://plus.google.com/117915351933574058604/about?hl=en

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EW GURU

Latest post on 28 May 2015 - 12:24

My sister-in-law's kids went to this school and they were very happy there. Apparently the school has amazing facilities and education-wise everyone seemed happy with progress. Her eldest daughter graduated from that school and has gone on to McGill where she is doing well so all I have heard is positive.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 13:58

I have used this company twice and recommended to several others that have used them and were happy. They also gave us a quotation that was significantly lower than the market, and they may not have the frills of other removal companies but they get the job done and were very pleasant to work with. I had no complaints and will definitely use them again.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 10:25

I've lost 4kgs on Live'ly after 5 weeks so I have been happy with the results so far, but I have also been exercising 3-4 times per week. I have found the food to be nice and there is a lot of variety. I would say you get an Arabic option everyday, but the majority of the food is very international. I went with Live'ly because I have heard that their food is the best, but I really haven't tried any other to give a fair assessment, I just went with the advice of others. What I like is a lot of the food doesn't really sound like "diet" food, so for example this morning my breakfast was a pancake with jam which was 140 calories. They also send you healthy pizzas, sandwiches, etc, way more carbs than I expected but it's good carbs with little fat. This is the first time that I properly stick to a diet and I have found it a lot easier than I thought I would do. You also get quite a lot of food for the calories so you don't go hungry (except the first week as I previously ate a couple of large meals a day whereas now I eat every 3-4 hours). You see the dietitian every two weeks and she will adjust your calorie intake, and also remove things like carbs if necessary.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 27 May 2015 - 10:16

Hiya, I can't really help with whether or not you should pay for the assessment or not, because that is really a personal decision. What I can do is give you some reassurance with regards to GWPS. I have a child there in year 2 and my youngest starting in FS2 in September. My eldest has been there since FS2. I honestly have very little negative to say about the school. The current principal only started this year, and the school is going from strength to strength so I can only really seeing it improving. The biggest issue for me personally is probably Arabic and Islamic, but i'm not sure that those would be of much importance to you, and even then I can't say that they are bad it's just that the need to re-evaluate the way that they educate these subjects - which is something that I know is now of high focus for the school. This is an issue in a lot of schools and certainly not unique to GWPS, the methods for teaching Arabic and Islamic are somewhat dated and the curriculum is fixed by the KHDA so it's a tough area. I think if you have been to see GWPS and got a good feeling then I would just go with it. Everyone has a different opinion/feel about schools and you will never get a right or wrong answer, so go with what has given you the best vibe. You will have so many adjustments right now that I would probably try to keep things simple and at least give your mind some rest when it comes to the schools. GWPS is certainly not a bad school and I don't think you will regret your choice. I hope this helps!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 24 May 2015 - 12:12

We had bronze tickets last year and booked bronze tickets again this year. The stadium is pretty small, I think in total abut 25 rows so you're not far back at all. This time the bronze are over the corners (whereas last year it was behind the silver) which I think should be fine as you have a clear view in front of you, instead of having to see over the heads of silver, gold, vip, vvip...

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EW GURU

Latest post on 18 May 2015 - 10:33

Virgin sell the international version of the iPhone which come with Facetime. I bought mine from Virgin with no issues at all, although I have heard of a few people that have issues with Facetime lately but I don't think that is due to the phone but the network. In terms of which iPhone to buy, I have the 5s which I am happy with, but if I was going to buy a new iPhone now then I would definitely buy the latest model - why buy an older model if there is a more recent one out as surely the specs are better.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 13 May 2015 - 15:05

All visas under husband's sponsorship will state something like "housewife - not eligible for work" or something like that. This doesn't mean that you can't work. What happens is your employer has to process a labour card for you, which will require your husband signing a no-objection letter stating that he doesn't not object to you working. Your labour card will then get renewed every three years, each time requiring a signed letter from your husband.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 18:53

You burn your bum on the bum gun. What is a bum gun? I've got all sorts of images in my head! Haha it's the small hose pipe (aka shattaf) next to toilets

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 15:49

the umbrellas come out!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 15:01

I don't think it's possible to judge who is right without knowing what happened before. She might have started off with a quiet word to her and the ladies are very rude back. Agree with Wickedangel that it appears the lady in black was initially dressed in something else and put the black dress on top which is why she doesn't look that bad in the video. I also reckon that the video was filmed and uploaded by a witness not anybody involved. Apparently the two ladies in normal clothes are famous Arab actresses. I agree that people have to be respectful of the rules here and to be honest I myself have been tempted to say something to people dressed excessively inappropriately (think a lady wearing a white bikini with a bright pink mesh (wide mesh so no modesty in the dress at all) dress indoors at the Cheese Factory in JBR, or a lady walking down the street in Downtown Dubai wearing very short hot pants and a pink boobtube, literally covering just her breasts with her entire tummy and shoulders exposed). It's not that I particularly care or take offence myself but I believe that it's a clear statement of disrespect for the local culture.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 09:09

http://www.khda.gov.ae/en/dsib/reports.aspx Reports are now on the KHDA website.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 May 2015 - 09:06

I would check...a few years ago my brother was over from the UK and was driving my car. It was at night and he had forgotten to switch on the lights (not clever I know). He got pulled over by the police and when they asked to see his license he gave them his UK license, at first they said it was not valid but then the policeman called in to wherever they call in to and the guy on the phone verified that it was ok and let my brother go, obviously making sure he switched on the lights first! Anyways I'm not sure if he just got lucky that time, or if it is okay so it's worth asking. I also hadn't made any changes to my insurance or anything.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 11 May 2015 - 11:15

Just so you know, Air Arabia is the only airline that flies direct I believe as the others will go via Istanbul. I didn't expect you to do the boat trip with two little ones! To be honest there is plenty to do just staying at the hotel, and even if the hotels are a bit more expensive to book depending on which one you go for, you don't have to spend a thing once you get there because they are fully all-inclusive, ridiculously so!

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EW GURU

Latest post on 11 May 2015 - 10:15

What about Antalya in Turkey? There isn't a lot to do there other than at the hotel, as it's basically a place on the beach that has hotel after hotel of all-inclusive resorts. The hotels themselves are huge, and have a lot to do: several pools, beach, night entertainment, activities for children and adults, etc. You can leave the hotel and there are boat trips around the area and little shops. It was a great holiday for us for about a week and there was plenty to do at the hotel. It was also very easy and convenient with children. I recommend the Delphin chain of hotels (they have about 5 or 6 hotels in Antalya).

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EW GURU

Latest post on 05 May 2015 - 08:56

My daughter goes to GEMS Wellington Primary School - I have nothing but good things to say about the school and would highly recommend. I'm not sure where you got the stay away from GEMS schools from, many schools here are profit schools but i don't think that makes them bad schools.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 04 May 2015 - 12:55

There's a new-ish (prob open about 8 months) play area in Executive Towers in Business Bay. I have never attended a birthday party there but it's a relatively small play area that has party rooms and would be perfect for younger children as it's not very busy. The 8 year olds might get a bit bored as I think it's more tailored for the younger children, but I'm sure they would find a way to keep them entertained. Prices on the website seem reasonable. http://www.splashnbounce.com/partynplayland.html

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EW GURU

Latest post on 03 May 2015 - 09:45

If you're looking at apartments then consider the Executive Towers in Business Bay. The apartments are pretty spacious and there is a good community feel in the area as there are playgrounds, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and running track, etc, which are part of the development and very popular. There is also a nursery within Executive Towers which might be useful and the metro is walking distance.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 28 April 2015 - 09:18

Elizabeth Bain who is one of the Dubai Doulas does placenta encapsulation. Look at her profile page on their website and it the bottom it lists the placenta services that she offers, the page also provides her contact details. http://dubaidoulas.com/page15.htm I don't know a thing about the process as I have never done it or looked in to it.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 28 April 2015 - 09:03

Cake Box ME are located in Business Bay. All of their products are listed online and they do deliveries, however you do have the option to pick up from their location (which is in Business Bay) if you need things quickly. http://cakebox.me/ You can also buy the icing pens from Carrefour and many other supermarkets.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 April 2015 - 16:32

Home Centre has shoe cabinets.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 April 2015 - 10:33

The Safa School classes are run by M&S Sports. They also have classes at JESS Jumeirah, which is where my daughters go. I can't praise them enough, my eldest daughter previously had classes with Hamilton Aquatics and I can't tell you how much happier I am with M&S. http://www.mandssports.com/swimming

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EW GURU

Latest post on 20 April 2015 - 10:30

Al Bustan Centre has shop after shop of gowns in pretty much every shape, style, taste and price. You just need to go with some patience! Some of the shops have ready-made dresses and others have custom-made.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 15 April 2015 - 09:50

I did the Wilton Cake Decorating course 1 that is run by Tavola. The course doesn't teach you how to bake cakes, although it gives you tips, but focuses on cake decorating. There are 4 Wilton courses in all and then there are other courses, but Wilton is the foundation I believe. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and intend to continue to do the remaining 3 courses. The courses are pretty popular. https://www.tavolashop.com/classes/

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EW GURU

Latest post on 14 April 2015 - 09:12

I would look for a card that offers Skywards miles so maybe Citibank or Emirates Islamic Bank. In my personal experience, we haven't really made use of a lot of the benefits offered by our credit cards other than the Skywards miles which has saved us a lot on flights.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 14 April 2015 - 09:09

Stupid question maybe, but do you live in Dubai which is why Dubai isn't on your list of places to see?

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EW GURU

Latest post on 13 April 2015 - 10:03

Hi Clau14, There is a charity established in Dubai called For Syria, that takes donations to Syrians in need both inside Syria and to the refugee camps. They do not sell and are non-profit. Honestly they are a bunch of people doing some fabulous work. https://www.facebook.com/ForSyriaorg?fref=ts That's their Facebook page, I'm sure you can send them a message to figure out how to get the clothes to somebody from the charity. I believe they will pick stuff up but don't hold me to that. Their website doesn't seem to be working.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 April 2015 - 14:27

Hiya, I'm a bit confused by your question. If your daughter is currently in the 4-5 age group then she should be in FS2 this year, not next year (thus she turned 5 in October 2014). If she is turning 5 in October 2015, then you are looking for a nursery that takes 3-4 year olds. In any case there are a few nurseries you can try: Al Safa Early Learning Centre, British Orchard Nurseries, Hummingbird Nurseries, Little Gems. Hope this helps! <em>edited by SEY83 on 12/04/2015</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 19 March 2015 - 09:11

Unfortunately I can't help with your initial question, but I can provide some info on the paediatric gastroenterologist docs in Dubai as I was recently researching this for my daughter who went through a phase of intense stomach pain (literally rolling around on the floor holding her tummy) and vomiting for about a 2 week period. I don't think there are that many options, but here are the ones we found: - Dr. Naresh Sharma - Dubai Mall Mediclinic - Dr. Ejaz Waseem - Northwest Clinic - Dr. Yasser Ahmed Negm - Al Zahra Hospital Dubai I ended up taking my daughter to see Dr. Sharma, he was okay, but not the warmest of doctors but he did some tests. My daughter's problem ended up going away on its own so it was probably a virus, if it recurs I would probably try Dr. Waseem.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 18 March 2015 - 06:13

A friend of mine got a seat for her daughter in FS2 and when she went to confirm/accept the offer , she was told by the class teacher that the children will be put in different sections according to their nationalities !! she immediately decided against admitting her daughter there and luckily got through Dubai British School and is very happy there. Anyone else noticed this nationality divide in GWPS ?? I'm not sure that is true. It certainly wasn't true when my eldest daughter was in FS2 and isn't true for years 1-6. I would be shocked if this was true in FS as the school has a huge mix of nationalities which they pride themselves on. I know many people who have children in FS2 and my youngest will be joining FS2 in September and I have not heard this.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 14:22

True that it is not as popular and that it doesn't have an outstanding rating as other schools but I don't see this as a negative thing. I should have added below that the current Principal used to be the Principal at JPS and the school moved from a good to outstanding rating under his leadership.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 17 March 2015 - 13:13

My eldest daughter goes to GWPS and my little one will be starting FS2 in September. I couldn't be happier with the school, there is a really good community feel and in our experience the staff members and management are great. There was a new Principal brought in September 2014 and since he has started there have been some great changes, I'm not saying that the previous Principal was not good, but I think the school is now moving to a higher level. The Principal and Vice Principals are very approachable and stand outside of the school greeting the parents every morning. My biggest concern in the school is Arabic and Islamic for native speakers (if this applies to you), there has been some disconnect with this part of the curriculum and the rest of the school. However, since the new Principal and Vice-Principal have been brought in there have been a lot of effort made to focus on these two departments, and to improve the caliber of teaching and teaching methods. This will be a journey for the school and it will be work in progress for a while until they reach the required standard. However, one could argue that this is a common issue in many of the schools in Dubai. Overall, very little in terms of negative comments in our experience, obviously everybody has their own opinion! ETA The fees are higher because the class sizes are smaller than most other schools, and they do not have more than 18 in a class. <em>edited by SEY83 on 17/03/2015</em>

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EW GURU

Latest post on 11 March 2015 - 11:06

Define what you mean by reasonable, as I doubt you would find anything less than around 800-1000 Dhs per night. Hotel apartments maybe a good idea if they are two adults and two teenagers, perhaps City Premiere? There are also a lot of hotels on Sheikh Zayed Road which might be worth considering as well, the Sheraton Four Points is a 4-star hotel and might have good deals.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 05 March 2015 - 13:38

A British passport holder definitely needs a visa to Pakistan. I think you had better move on it quickly because my understanding is that they require quite a few documents and it takes around 5 working days to process. I believe it is more complicated than it was around 5 years ago.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 18 February 2015 - 10:39

I believe they only ask for the passport that has/will expire. They also ask for the original of any current passport of a different nationality that you may have (which I thought was a ridiculous request). In terms of payment, I paid for mine online using my husband's credit card and we have different surnames. For dual nationality a copy of the other passport is required. Only if there are any queries will they then ask for the original. Which I probably wouldn't send as this is like sending it to the "enemy" ;) Lol agree! Although when I sent mine last year it said original passport for a dual nationality, or we will accept a copy in extenuating circumstances. I hope they have changed it as I read numerous threads of people objecting to having to send off a passport from a different nationality! I'm not really sure what the rationale on it is.

943

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EW GURU

Latest post on 18 February 2015 - 09:44

I believe they only ask for the passport that has/will expire. They also ask for the original of any current passport of a different nationality that you may have (which I thought was a ridiculous request). In terms of payment, I paid for mine online using my husband's credit card and we have different surnames.

943

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EW GURU

Latest post on 17 February 2015 - 09:53

A phone is like a vacuum cleaner, it's a necessity of life. It's not a special gift that says "I love you more than money" Why on earth would you need a special gift in order to know that your husband "loves you more than money". Surely that's a given? Would you still love your husband if he was unable to give you expensive gifts? Do [i'>you [/i'>love [i'>him [/i'>more than money? On a separate note...did anyone hear the woman on the radio last week bragging about the gifts her boyfriend bought her, when asked if she would love him if he didn't have the money, her answer was "I don't know I am very self-centered". Unlucky for her, her boyfriend overheard her calling in, and ended their 2 and a half year relationship, right before he was planning to propose to her at the Burj Al Arab on Valentines Day. Her reaction: "do I still get to keep the Porche you bought me for Christmas??"!!! DH and I heard this on the Kris Fate(?) show and missed the final outcome. What a self centred woman and the poor British guy was just driving into the DIFC when called! Talk of Dubai last week no doubt.... They had him back on the next day. They were doing a segment on the best and worst gifts you had ever received. The woman called in as anonymous, but said that her boyfriend had bought her a brand new Porche for Christmas and last Valentines Day bought her two pairs of Louboutins worths 24,000Dhs each. She was asked at the end if she would stay with him if he didn't have the money, to which she replied that she was self-centered and didn't know. The guy was driving into work and heard this. He said he never listens to that radio station but she was driving his car the night before and had it on so he heard her call in and put two and two together. Poor guy was devastated, said his sister has told him before that she was that type but he didn't believe her, until he heard her on the radio. He said he was gonna have a serious chat with her that night and he was cancelling his Valentines Day plans. The next day they had him back on and he said that he had ended his relationship with her. He had booked a suite at Burj Al Arab for two nights and was planning to propose to her on Valentines Day. Poor guy, he sounded so upset, but glad he got rid of her because she sounded awful.

943

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 17 February 2015 - 09:38

A phone is like a vacuum cleaner, it's a necessity of life. It's not a special gift that says "I love you more than money" Why on earth would you need a special gift in order to know that your husband "loves you more than money". Surely that's a given? Would you still love your husband if he was unable to give you expensive gifts? Do [i'>you [/i'>love [i'>him [/i'>more than money? On a separate note...did anyone hear the woman on the radio last week bragging about the gifts her boyfriend bought her, when asked if she would love him if he didn't have the money, her answer was "I don't know I am very self-centered". Unlucky for her, her boyfriend overheard her calling in, and ended their 2 and a half year relationship, right before he was planning to propose to her at the Burj Al Arab on Valentines Day. Her reaction: "do I still get to keep the Porche you bought me for Christmas??"!!!

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