SEY83 | ExpatWoman.com
 

SEY83

SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 October 2013 - 11:45
What I have been told is the 2 years no increase rule does not apply anymore. The landlord has the right to increase the rent if the average rent in the area has gone up by 25% or more. This then allows the landlord to increase by 5%. I couldn't quote the law or anything, but thats what a few agents told us when we moved late last year.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2013 - 10:09
I use a guy called Ijaz 050 4671531. He's always done a great job and charges very reasonable as well.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 September 2013 - 09:59
Unfortunately I have no idea about a teacher that can come to your son at home, but I send my daughter (nearly 6) to an art class every Saturday morning at the Dubai International Art Centre. It's quite laid back, and whilst you may not want to send your son to art class there, it may be worth enquiring if any of the teachers would be willing to come and teach your son at home? http://www.artdubai.com/
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 September 2013 - 13:17
hi thanks for info, how much Al Ahliya cost as agency fees , any idea ? any good experience with them ? Different nationalities cost differently. I got my Indonesian maid through them about 5 months ago and I paid 10,700 (I think) which does not include the residency fees, etc. I think Filipinos are something like 10,200 and it different nationalities are cheaper. My friend got a Kenyan maid that was 6,500, I think Madagascar maids are around the 8,000 mark. Ethiopians are much cheaper, maybe 4,000? I was very happy with the service from Al Ahliya, my previous maid had absconded and I had my new maid within 20 days. So far things have been going well with my new maid. MrsMopp - in answer to your question I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, there are good maids and bad maids from all nationalities. It is very much luck, but I do agree with BubblingCreek that the agency maids are less problematic, but even then its luck.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 11:14
A lot of people seem to some sort of injury from Insanity - it's so tough on the joints. You need to be really careful. I think the biggest advice is to make sure that you're using a yoga mat. to soften the impact on jumps. I managed to get a neck injury from Insanity which comes and goes...I'm actually scared to go back to Insanity because of it :-( But 5kgs in 3 weeks - wow! that's fantastic!!
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 September 2013 - 11:12
There's a small play area in Jumeirah Plaza on the Beach Road. It's very quiet, even on weekends. The best part about it is that the play area is fully enclosed and there is a Dome right outside so parents can sit and have coffee but still watch their children. The prices are also reasonable (65dhs per child?) but I think the minimum number may be 15 children - I can't remember but I think worth you checking out. It's called Safe Play I think.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 August 2013 - 10:53
Singarosa, how is Insanity going? have you managed to keep it up? What are your results like?? How about the other ladies, are you still going strong? The amazing thing about Insanity is that 5 months later and I haven't put back on any weight, despite having no control over my eating this summer :-( Snow White did you start Focus T25? I'm desperately trying to get my hands on a copy as I would love to do it!
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 17 July 2013 - 12:40
Ladies well done! You are all doing great! How have you been finding the results, in terms fo weight loss, the way that you look, etc? Snow White - Focus T25 looks fantastic! I want it! My brother is coming over from the UK after Eid so I have asked him to bring it with him. He has also just started it, based on me asking him to buy it for me. He said its's good. Not quite as tough as Insanity but a really good workout, and for me "not as tough as Insanity" sounds about right!
SEY83
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Latest post on 12 June 2013 - 11:42
Try GEMS Wellington Primary School. They have a good special needs program (although my daughter isn't in it so I can't comment from first-hand experience) but it's one of their strengths. I have no idea what the waiting list is like though.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 June 2013 - 08:26
Snow White that is fantastic!!! Reading all of these posts from the new Insanity "victims" is definitely giving me the itch to start again! It will have to wait until September though as I'm travelling in a few weeks time. I am interested in CharLEAN Extreme though - I saw the ads for that at the end of some of the Insanity videos and it looks good, I might try and pick it up whilst I'm in the UK. Im not sure about P90X tho...that looks tough and needs a bunch of equipment! Insanity Asylum should be third on your list though. Onelasttime - I think Piggle is only a few days ahead of you and Notnewintown is around week3. You do stop aching after the last few days, and then for me personally by around the end of month 1 you just feel tired because you have been pounding your body for weeks! The recovery week does help though, its definitely not a walk in the park, but by the end of that week you feel recovered enough for month 2 and your body isnt as tired. Lol month 2 is a whole different story - it makes month 1 look like a walk in the park, but you will be so pleased with the results and with the fact that your body is actually managing to keep up with a lot of it.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 June 2013 - 13:17
I can forward to you the email from Hamilton Aquatics which contains the timetable and details for the summer classes at JPS but also mentionds the other locations. You book by week, and if you book before the 16th June then the week is 250dhs (5 half hour lessons), after that it is 300. Let me know if you want me to email it to you.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 June 2013 - 10:27
Completely agree with Snow White - well done ladies!!! Honeslty all these new faces make me want to restart Insanity. Lol I'm thinking to wait until after I have over indugled over my summer holidays though! Snow White I kept meaning to ask you - did you get down to your size 10 goal and objective to buy a whole new wardrobe?
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 June 2013 - 16:15
Thanks Ladies for your inputs and advises. Apparently many of us are in the same situation... I was wondering if it' will be worth to open a case or not, any idea how much will it cost to me ? You have to pay the Rent Committee 2.5% of your rental contract. If you win the case then the landlord has to pay this fee.
SEY83
943
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 June 2013 - 13:02
Hi, I'm not an expert, but I am in exactly the same situation as you, and I can only pass on the information thaat we have received. We moved into our apartment in December 2012, and the apartment was sold shortly after (I won't get into the details of how we have had moved for the exact sam reason and LL had told us there was no chance of selling before 2 years!! His right at the end of the day but we wouldn't have rented had we known!) So we received a notarized notice from the new owners on the 3rd May which gives us notice to vacate after 12 months. They tried to get us to move out at the end of our current contract but we said no way. So anyways, we asked 3 different real estate agents and all of them had different views as to whether the notice could be given to us in May to vacate after one year, or if notice can only be given after the end of our current contract. What they all did agree on, is in situations where the new owner genuinely proves that they want the house to live in then it can go either way as it is done on a case by case basis. So DH took the notarized notice to the Rent Committee. First of all, they said you cannot open a case until your current contract expires so in our case that would be when we go to renew our contract at the end of November. In your case this might not allow you a lot of time. Secondly, the person that DH spoke to again reiterated that even though they usually rule in favour of the tenant, in sitatuations where notice has been served and the new owner is planning to live in the property and owns no other properties, then there have been cases where the RC rules in favour of the new owner. It's very frustrating for us and obviously you as well. Me and my husband are in disagreement about what to do. I think we should just move next May as we would have to move in November anyways so its doesnt seem worth fighting a battle that the RC have confirmed we might lose. DH is stubborn and wants to fight for his rights. Lol I'm not sure where we will end up but I'm guessing the stae of the rental prices in Oct/Nov this year will be the determining factor. My advice, I know this is easier said than done, but dont get yourself too stressed out about this until you actually get the notarised letter asking you to vacate. Secondly, if you do get the letter, get confirmation from your new LL that the security cheque and old contract has been transferred to the new owner form the old LL. Our agent advised that there have been cases where the security cheque has gotten "lost" (old LL no longer on the scene and new LL claims not to have received it).
SEY83
943
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 June 2013 - 08:51
I absolutely love everything about Ant n Dec! They host Britains Got Talent which is currently on in the UK so you can watch them there.
SEY83
943
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 May 2013 - 16:47
Hello Insanity Buddies!! Lol I'm not sure if I'm still welcome here as it's been nearly three months since I completed Insanity. Snow White I have thought about you several times, how is life after Insanity??? I know what you mean about still losing weight because that's what happened with me. Lol I can tell you that I now seem to be stable. I miss losing weight. I have tried to restart Insanity a few times, but it has taken its toll on my neck, and I end up very sore for a few days after, so I'm definitely not going back to it any time soon. Unfortunately I was slipping back into poor eating habits and no exercise so this week I have taken up running again and I have also been doing situps. Tonight will be my third run this week and I am looking forward to it! Notnewintown, congratulations on getting through two weeks! I know what you mean about your knees and ankles. As Piggle recommended, get your self a mat, and I would say go for one that is thicker than your standard yoga mat - this madae a big difference for me. Scroll down this thread to about page 3(?), I'm sure that one of the other ladies that started later complained about her knees but then said it got better. I do agree with Snow White though, Insanity is tough on your joints and it's certainly not for everybody. As I mentioned above I can't go back to it anymore because of the neck pain, which I guess was probably as a result of Insanity :( Piggle - Insanity is all mind over matter! Lol your muscles are going to be screaming and burning all week but somehow you're going to get up and do the workout everyday even though every muscle in your body is saying no. I felt sick after every single workout the first week. However, after the first week your body stops aching, and you look forward to the session. You feel you can do more reps, take less breaks, etc. For the first few sessions do push ups on your knees. That's what I did because I couldn't do push ups either and then slowly you can start doing proper push ups. It better to do some push ups on your knees than none at all. I can still do 20 push ups three months later! How are the other Insanity ladies doing? Did you carry on or give up?? How are you feeling?
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 May 2013 - 09:01
There are four huge recycling bins at the end of the Executive Towers buildings - the opposite end to Spinneys. You can easily park your car just in front of them.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 May 2013 - 10:46
Hi Fairwater, Yes they do what they call the "executive" medical test. It's something like 690 dhs as oppose to the 350 dhs (I'm not sure of the exact figures). I think you can get the results back either the same day or after a certain amount of time or the next day. But if you just do the normal test at the Satwa branch or Al Badae (if you get there early enough and you are within that catchment area) then you receive the results within 24-48 hours anyways. The huge plus of the Safa branch is that there is hardly any queue so you're done very quickly. The others can take upto an hour and thats if you are very early when it is empty. I recently took my maid to the branch in Al Satwa - we were there by 7.40am. There were about 15 people in beofre us and it took an hour and fifteen minutes (the xray took about 40 minuts alone! The rest were easy). By the time we left at around 9am, there were probably 200 people waiting in line!!! The Safa Clinic is on Al Athar Road. If you are coming from Sheikh Zayad Road, take Al Hadeeqa Road towards the Safa park and Union Coop. Turn right at the traffic light facing the Union Coop and then go left at the next traffic light (so you take the road between the Coop and the HSBC, formerly Lloyds TSB). This is Al Athar Street. Go straight at the little roundabout and then the clinic is on your left. If I'm not mistaken it has a blue gate.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 May 2013 - 12:14
Go to the Bustan Centre. There is shop after shop after shop of dress makers (and also ready-made). You can see the standard of quality because they have so many dresses that they are working on and the prices are very very reasonable.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 May 2013 - 16:03
I'm not sure if you mean a microphone as a toy for a toddler/child or a fake microphone that looks like a real microphone but sort of works? If you're looking for the former then how about this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTech-80-78703-Sing-Along-Microphone/dp/B0012XBP5S You can buy it from pretty much any of the toy stores that sell Vtech toys (ELC, Toys R Us, Hamleys, etc). I can't remember where I bought this for my daughter when she was younger, I think it may have been ELC. my Sisters kids drove me mad with these things haha ELC sold them Lol I can say the same for my kids! I bought it for my first daughter and she loved it, and it still works perfectly for my second daughter. Not great for the parents, but in comparison to other toys, this was definitely a better one that we could take out with us and it keeps the child entertained for longer than 2 minutes!!
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 May 2013 - 15:59
I'm not sure if you mean a microphone as a toy for a toddler/child or a fake microphone that looks like a real microphone but sort of works? If you're looking for the former then how about this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VTech-80-78703-Sing-Along-Microphone/dp/B0012XBP5S You can buy it from pretty much any of the toy stores that sell Vtech toys (ELC, Toys R Us, Hamleys, etc). I can't remember where I bought this for my daughter when she was younger, I think it may have been ELC.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 May 2013 - 13:58
My daughter did FS1 at nursery and then moved to FS2 at school. I applied for three FS2 schools as soon as she start FS1 (so about a year earlier). She got an assessment at one school but then got put on a waitling list, the second school she didn't even get to the assessment stage and then with the 3rd school she got accepted really easily. It worked out well for us because the third school was my first choice (lol even though I have just listed them down in the wrong order!). My reasons for keeping her at nursery for FS1 were as follows: 1. I had just had a baby and changed our maid so I didn't want there to be too many changes in her life at the same time. 2. I liked the fact that the nursery is small both in terms of total students and class sizes. I felt she wasn't ready to go to "big" school yet. 3. The nursery I sent my daughter to offered 3 classes per week of Arabic or French and 1 class of Islamic studies (which was optional) whereas even now in FS2 she only does half an hour of French a week My daughter is now at Wellington Primary School and they had 5 FS1 classes, but I think it is 12 FS2 classes. Jumeirah Primary School also had additional classes but the waitlist is a nightmare so I wouldn't even bother (this was the school that happily took my money but then didnt even offer an assessment). Honestly, I think you should think about what is best for your child at this point and then worry about places and the rest of it later. You don't want to rush your child into school just because you are worried about placements because I have found that often it does work out at the last minute. Plus you seem to have already begun the search and put your child's name down on some waiting lists which gives you a better chance.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 11:31
He managed to sell the property anyways, and five months after moving in we have been asked to vacate and have been given 12 months notice :( I just want to check that you know your rights here: it's not 12 months' notice from 5 months' after you moved in (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 17 months), it should be 12 months from the end of your original 12 months (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 24 months). Yes this is what we are contesting now. We are waiting to receive the official notarised document to say that we have to vacate and then we're going to the rent committee. We spoke to them without this and they said that we should win the case as whether the new owner wants it for personal use or not, we're allowed to two full years. Fingers crossed it goes well because I HATE moving :(
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 08:54
You don't have to let anybody into the house, even the landlord. I let my previous landlord show people around the house. Honestly we were getting frequent calls from the agent so we had to arrange the viewing times and quite frankly I'm not convinced that any of them were serious buyers (although we were told that they all were before they came...). Then people show up, walk around your house (which you feel obliged to make spotless before they arrive), open cupboards, sit on your couches, have discussions, etc. Honestly if it was just two or three times then fine, but I have found if you are too lenient then people take advantage. After we moved the house got sold. We then moved into our new property and within two months the landlord put it on the market. We told him outright that we're not going through what we did last time and we won't allow viewings (he had told us that the property would not be sold for at least two years). He managed to sell the property anyways, and five months after moving in we have been asked to vacate and have been given 12 months notice :( My suggestion is two tell your landlord that you will allow two or three serious buyers to view the property but you won't entertain people showing up every week.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 May 2013 - 15:14
Do they mean 20kg plus 10kg carry on perhaps? don't know - she said 30 kgs baggage allowance - I don't think there's a weight for carry on, just 20 kgs in economy... For carry on it says handbag/briefcase, coat, umbrella and duty free shopping lol I have just had a look and 30kg is for business class passengers yes I know, hence why i'm asking... I know it sounds trivial but a difference of 10 kgs is not insignificant to us if we are going to have to travel with RB (company don't care of course, they just need to save money...) We booked Royal Brunei, Dubai to London. Although initially it said 20kg baggage, once we got our tickets through it says 30kg allowance. These are economy tickets. I can confirm that Royal Brunei flights are 30kgs for economy tickets if booked from the UAE. I booked the flights last week. I was booking for me and my children and it worked out 8,645 for all three of us (it was cheaper to select flexi + than flexi because the children's fares on flexi + are cheaper so keep that in mind if booking with children). My husband's ticket was 2,800ish because he was flying different dates. When I got the tickets I was surprised to see the 30kgs as the website says 20kg so I called up to check as I always have extra luggage flying back and wanted to know the correct amount. The lady on the phone said RB's policy for economy is 20kgs except for flights booked form the UAE which are 30kgs for economy both ways. As for whether the airline is any good or not. I flew them about 8 years ago and we thought they were great. i haven't flown with them recently though. To be honest, as I told my husband I don't really give a toss about how good or bad the airline is as long as they get it gets me to London and we're saving 9,000dhs for the whole family compared to Virgin or Emirates! Btw Virgin has very cheap rates for some dates, others are very expensive, I'm guessing due to availability.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2013 - 08:51
My daughter is in WPS but FS2. I can't compare it to any other school but honestly I'm very happy with the school and the standard of teaching. It's a great community and my daughter is very happy there.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2013 - 08:50
Sharon Alder - if you're interested for some Insanity buddies then chek out the other Insanity thread "For SEY83 - Insanity". There are a few of ous on there doing it :)
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2013 - 08:48
Well done ladies for sticking it out! I'm so happy that you're all seeing results now! Fairfield - I'm guessing that you didn't read all the posts on this thread because my reaction to Recovery Week was exactly the same as yours. I was expecting yoga type stretches and some very light cardio, low and behold when I did the first Recovery Week session I was not happy!!! All I wanted was something very relaxing after month 1! It does get easier though and by the end of the week I actually quite enjoyed recovery week. Just wait for month 2...it really is a whole other level :-( You will appreciate the fact that recovery week was too easy in the end! From what I know about the 5:2 plan I can imagine why you are finding it difficult to do with Insanity. I'm not really sure what the accurate calaorie burn is (Snow White are you still wearing your monitor?) but my guess is it can be anywhere but 300-400 calories for month 1 and then 400-600 for month 2 and I have read on forums people quoting even higher calories counts than that. Basically my point is if you're only eating 500 calories then you are not giving your body enough reserves to workout and it will work against you rather than for you. I definitely think you need to up the calorie intake in month 2.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 April 2013 - 14:01
Hahahahaha point taken! In Arabic you say "order" and I guess it has been a literal translation for me. I don't like to say "hire", even though thats technically what it is, because when you go through the agency process you really don't know what you're getting! <em>edited by SEY83 on 25/04/2013</em>
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 April 2013 - 10:51
This happened to me about 2 months ago. I must have called about 20 deifferent agencies, including the ones that do live ins, I was happy to pay any rate, but not one company could provide me with a maid from 9am - 5pm every day. It was a complete disaster as I also work full time. I had to bring my mom over to help out with childcare and then part-time maids twice a week to do the cleaning. I also had a very understanding boss at work! The good news is that I ordered a new maid from indonesia through Al Ahliya and she arrived in 18 days from when I paid the deposit until she arrived. I was very impressed with that and so far she has been great.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 April 2013 - 09:15
2. Try NEXT for off-season woolly pjs. They were having a sale last week I think - mostly last season's clothes. I was going to say the same thing. I was at Next in Mirdif City Centre and also one more branch but I can't for the life of me remember which branch. They had a row full of woolly pyjamas, although they're the full all-in-one body suits, the ones with the closed feet, but there were lots of big sizes. Also Carrefour at MOE has Abayas - in fact I'm pretty sure all Carrefours do, but I'm not sure if they have ones for children. The other option if you're adventurous is to go to the Central Souk - the blue one that looks like a train station - in Sharja, because there is abaya shop after abay shop on the ground floor, although not sure which side.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 April 2013 - 09:09
Hi Snow White...lol @ you being deranged...I might be inclined to agree a little bit! So I restarted on Monday night and did the month 1 plyo as I can't be bothered with the fitness test, but then I didn't work out yesterday. My aim is to do four days a week because I really struggled with the 6 days a week thing. Or to word it better, I plan to do as much as possible but not stick to the strict schedule. I'm basically looking for something sustainable to keep doing, rather than the tough regimented two months that I can't wait to finish...does that make any sense at all?? The good news is that 6 weeks after completing Insanity I can still do push-ups!!!! The bad news is that I had bad stitch :( My muscles are a little bit sore, but a million miles off how I felt after completing my first Insanity workout the first time around! So how has your body been changing from Day 1 the first time until now? And what is your next plan? Pepito/Rocketeer - what are your results like? Are you loving/hating it?
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Latest post on 22 April 2013 - 09:05
I have definitely seen Silent Night sold in Debenhams here in the past, although I can't recall seeing them recently..but then I haven't been looking for them either. I know that the MOE Debenhams sold the beds on the third floor at the back, near where the entrance to Starbucks is.
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Latest post on 21 April 2013 - 16:42
Hahahaha Pepito! I actually like Shaun T, i feel like he is encouraging but not annoying like other fitness instructors! I was given Jillian's Full Body Revolution and was considering doing that instead of repeating Insanity. I actually started the 30-day squat challenge but hated it! It only works one area of the body and to be honest after doing Insanity, 100 squats felt like I had done nothing! I tink Insanity is calling out to me though, I will start this week!
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Latest post on 21 April 2013 - 16:39
Hi Fairfield, I have to admit that your post surprises me! I completed Insanity about 6 weeks and I have to admit that it was the most intense weight training I have ever done. My muscles have never been more defined or have I felt stronger than I did doing it. Altho, to be honest I could barely do a push up at the start of it! There are a few of us ladies that are doing/have done Insanity on another thread - just search "Insanity" and you will find it. I think the subject is something like "Insanity - for SEY83". I found month 2 so much harder than month 1. The workouts are much tougher, Shaun T combines exercises and really does push you to the limit. If you aren't seeing a difference from month 1 thne I am sure that you will appreciate month 2. Definitely go through with Month 2. I'm actually debating whether to repeat Insanity or do Jillian's Full Body Revolution - I'm worried that Jillian won't be as challenging to be honest and so I'm leaning towards repeating Insanity but dreading having to do month 2 again! Hope this helps!
SEY83
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Latest post on 21 April 2013 - 12:45
What about Fun City in Oasis Centre? The good thing about it is you pay 40 dhs which lets them play for the whole day. It's a big play area and my 5-year old happily plays there. They also have a section for under 4s where they can draw, dress-up, and do other activities which maybe more suited to the 1-year old. Not sure which metro station is closest though.
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Latest post on 18 April 2013 - 15:51
Rocketeer - yes she is the lady in the fit test! Lol don't worry soon you will be on a first name basis with all of the people in the video!! Lol if after one week you want to kill her then just wait until you get towards the end! Secondly, don't worry at all about the way that you are feeling. Insanity is hard core, way more than boot camp and it's your first week. Even by the end of month 1 I still could not get through a whole workout without having to break sometimes. But, you get so much better as the days go by it really is about persevering and "digging deeper". Insanity is intense on your joints, so make sure that you do additional stretches if you need to, but if the pain is too intense then just stop. I took four days out for a neck injury and Snow White took a few days off for a head injury. You shouldn't push your body if you don't feel right about it. Even the recovery CDs are a workout in themselves, I could not get through the lunges routine on the Cardio Recovery CD without taking breaks. Put it this way (about to quote you Snow White!) even the people on the video take breaks, and they have probably been practicising for months! Shaun T encourages breaks! Even with breaks you are going to see amazing results I guarantee it :)
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Latest post on 17 April 2013 - 13:50
Hahahahaha Snow White! I know exactly what you mean about Tina, I couldn't stand her either. I'll bet all the other people in the video hate her too! It's her grin the harder the exercise is, the more she grins! Plus she's definitely Teacher's Pet :D I'm not surprised at all that you are finding Month 2 easier, it's definitely because you did month 1 twice. Lol I'm thinking of doing month 1 on repeat and not doing month 2 at all, I struggled with the longer, tougher routines and kept comparing them with month 1 which was a breeze in comparison! Ok Insanity restarts today! Although defintiely not 6 days a week!!!
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Latest post on 17 April 2013 - 10:56
I've just signed up my daughter for one of the classes at the Dubai International Arts Centre. The class I chose starts on the 25th April. I've never been there before though so I have no idea if it's any good. I will keep you posted! The course is 8 weeks and 2 hours each.
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Latest post on 17 April 2013 - 10:54
I signed up my 5 year old daughter for an arts and crafts class at the Dubai International Arts Centre near Mercato. It's on Thursdays from 4pm-6pm and starts on the 25th April. the cost is 830dhs I think for members or 25% more for non-members. To become a member you pay 300dhs which has her as a member for a year. So it's not much more than the full non-member price plus if you register for another class within the year then you save money. Let me know if you want the details and I can email them to you.
SEY83
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 April 2013 - 10:44
When I was a teenager I had a boyfriend who gave me a week long birthday one year. He remembered little things I'd talked about. How I wanted a Melissa Etheridge cassette tape, how I really needed to make time to read The Catcher in the Rye, how I'd never been to a laser light shows..etc etc. I just talked about those things and he remembered. He bought me the book, the tape, we went to a laser show. I can't remember the rest. It was the most thought anyone has ever put into anything for me. Looool and you split up why?!?!?! Although it seems like your husband isn't far off!!!
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 16 April 2013 - 10:40
Call us crazy but we sleep without the AC on all year round. Yes on occasional nights we may wake up hot and one of will switch the AC on - I guarantee within an hour that they AC will be switched off again because we're not used to it! I do think it's all about getting used to it. When i first moved here I struggled the first summer because of the heat but my husband couldn't sleep with the AC on. I did eventually get used to it though. Now I wake up stiff and I'm more prone to illness if there is a night where the AC is left on for a long time. The last couple of years we have moved to a house that is hotter though so we can't sleep with the AC completely off anymore. What we do is keep the AC on in the living room all night long and leave the doors of the bedrooms open which we find sets a good temperature plus you dont have the AC hitting your body directly. Maybe that could be an option? Also my daughters don't cover at night and I do reduce the clothing they sleep with at night as it gets hotter. In the summer they probably only sleep with a short and t-shirt and no cover.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 15 April 2013 - 12:30
Hello ladies! It's so nice to know that our numbers are growing!! I have been so busy at work lately that I haven't had a chance to even log on let alone respond! I have now been done with Insanity for about 5 weeks and I miss it! I am getting the Insanity itch again...lol I think I miss it cuz my muscles have begun to deflate lol plus I seem to have fallen into bad eating habits again. The shocking thing is that I have actually continued to lose weight but that is probably as a result of the muscles deflating :( I'm now down 3.5 kgs from when I started, and the compliments are still rolling in! Snow White how is month 2 going?? I definitely DO NOT miss month 2 but I think I would really enjoy month 1 again. I randomly did a video a couple of weeks back until half of my family descended on me (again!!!) over the school holidays. I'm planning to restart over the next few days, but I'm not going to stick to the 6 days a week - that was too tough! I have proven to myself that I can get through the whole program and do it as ordered by Mr. Shaun T, but now I want to do it with less pressure. Rocketeer and Pepito - how are you both getting on? Rocketeer definitely don't worry about your fit test results - you will get so much better and like Snow White said that results are amazing! Pepito - definitely don't beat yourself up about missing a session. I missed a couple and my brother's words to me were "you're not a ****** olympian athlete" lol that resounded well with me! Put it this way, whatever you are doing is better than what you were doing before. Just try not to quit completely.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 15 April 2013 - 12:17
Kidzania do costumes and I would assume that they have a pilot one as that is one of the biggest attractions there. Maybe call and ask them first? I think their costumes are around 175 dhs.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 11:12
I think these absconding maids know not to steal anything from the sponsor's home. Running away from your sponsor is not a crime and they know that they will not get in trouble for that, yet they would be apprehended if they stole something. SEY83, do you have her husband's number to tell him that his wife is having an affair and that the police are looking for her? I honestly think these poor ladies get completely brainwashed by these men that convince them to run away for love. My guess is most of them end up in prostitution. If the guy wanted them to steal then he would have convinced her. I actually think she had very high morals in terms of stealing though which is why she didn't do it. She could have walked off with my safe!!! I have a couple of her relatives on facebook and skype who she would talk to through me. I sent a message to them to tell them that she had run away to be with a man and was no longer living with me. Also, if she spoke to them that they could tell her that her passport is with the police. I'm very interested to know if she is still in touch with her family or not. She could easily tell them that she is still living with me and has decided to extend her stay here and not go home - she could pull that off for years! I wanted them to know she isn't with me and for her to ultimately take responsibility for her actions. They tried to call me a few times on skype but I was at work, I told them to send me their phone number and I will call them back to answer any questions that they have but I haven't received anything. They might not even believe me.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 11:07
Its happened to me too and I also felt the same way months after it happens. we havnt had that ' call' to say that she is caught and our old maid is still in the UAE working away. the worse thing is, she took photgraphs of my son. If I sit and think about what ' she could do' I will give myself an ulcer ! she is the one in the wrong and if your paths cross just hand her over to the police. But what if you ran into her in a shopping mall or something? What would you do? No word of a lie but this is what I was told : Talk to her and tell her that she left some stuff behind in our house and lets go and pick it up. Sit her in the car and then drive her straight to the police station ! I dont think id be able to do that to be honest ! ha ha ! but this is the advice I was given at DNRD. I could no way do this. I would probably pretend I hadn't saw her. I honestly hope I never see my maid again. If I do get the call that they have found her then I definitely do not want to confront her. I was hurt and betrayed by what she did and the turmoil that she threw my life into with my kids and work. When she left, she put my little one to sleep and opened the door and went. My husband was at home, but didn't even think that anything wasa wrong as he saw my toddler asleep and assumed she was in her room. My mother-in-law was also planning to get dressed and leave but only called out for the maid after she saw the house so eerily quiet. I dread to think what would have happened if my mother-in-law had left the house and my toddler was at home alone. My maid lived with us for about 20 months. My 5 year old wanted to know why she went without saying goodbye - how do you explain that to her? You could say that she went home and act like all was good, but what if it's my children that spot her out somewhere and they run off to see her and she harms them? I have warned her that if she ever does see her then she goes nowhere near her because she is bad.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 10:59
Does anyone who has ever had an absconding maid worry about that maid still being in the country and knowing everything about your family? Most illegal maids are caught up in criminal activities and with bad people so it is an unsettling thought. Do the police not care about this? Me! My maid ran away about two and a half weeks ago, I can't tell you how unsettled i have been. I just had this feeling of dread deep down that I didn't like her out there and that she was/is going to come back and either arrange some mass robbery or try and harm my family in some way. until now every time I open the front door, I half expect her to be sat outside waiting. Lol I sound psycho paranoid! Everyone around me keeps saying that was she planning anything bad then she would have done it already, she's not going to come back as she has too much to lose and could get into big trouble. We changed the locks immediately. Honestly, her absconding was completely out of the blue for me. I later found out from a relative's maid that she had a lover of some sort and ran off to be with him. When and how this relationship developed went completely over my head making me feel like a fool, plus she has a husband and child back home. I feel bad for her because I know that she will eventually regret leaving, because who knows what illegal activites she has been conned into after thinking that she was absconding for love. She only had three or four months left until she went home. We treated her well, and she seemed happy, up until about 2 months ago when she just seemed off, attitude and left my house to be filthy :( Have you heard from her, SEY83? What nationality is she? She is Indonesian. I haven't heard from her at all. She switched off her phone immediately. She left most of her clothes and didn't take a thing from us. All she took was the mobile phone that I gave her to use and I know that has photos of my kids on it as well that she took of them playing. Two days before I left I had words with her to tell her that I wasn't happy with the state of my house because she was doing the bear minimum in terms of cleaning and the house was dirty. She just looked at me with empty eyes and didn't say a word. Honestly, I was so fed up of her attitude that I was considering sending her home early myself. The maid who told us she had a lover said that she told her she was planning to run away. In reflection, she very much distanced herself from me and my family in the last few weeks which i I didn't pay much attention to at the time. My youngest daughter adored her - she has been with us since my daughter was three months old. Before my little one would spend a lot of time with her and the maid showed her so much affection. In the last few weeks she wouldn't go to her room anymore and since she has left she hasn't even asked me about her. I do feel like a fool for not picking up the signs. I have had family constantly at my house since about October so I don't think she was sneaking out or bringin anybody home. I don't even recall once seeing her talk on her phone or send a text!! Plus she had talked a lot about going home in the few weeks before she left. I'm glad she's gone now, but I have a new maid coming and I'm filled with so much apprehension.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 10:33
Does anyone who has ever had an absconding maid worry about that maid still being in the country and knowing everything about your family? Most illegal maids are caught up in criminal activities and with bad people so it is an unsettling thought. Do the police not care about this? Me! My maid ran away about two and a half weeks ago, I can't tell you how unsettled i have been. I just had this feeling of dread deep down that I didn't like her out there and that she was/is going to come back and either arrange some mass robbery or try and harm my family in some way. until now every time I open the front door, I half expect her to be sat outside waiting. Lol I sound psycho paranoid! Everyone around me keeps saying that was she planning anything bad then she would have done it already, she's not going to come back as she has too much to lose and could get into big trouble. We changed the locks immediately. Honestly, her absconding was completely out of the blue for me. I later found out from a relative's maid that she had a lover of some sort and ran off to be with him. When and how this relationship developed went completely over my head making me feel like a fool, plus she has a husband and child back home. I feel bad for her because I know that she will eventually regret leaving, because who knows what illegal activites she has been conned into after thinking that she was absconding for love. She only had three or four months left until she went home. We treated her well, and she seemed happy, up until about 2 months ago when she just seemed off, attitude and left my house to be filthy :(
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 09:58
Unfortunately we just had to do this. It's a very simple process. If she absconded and has stolen or harmed you in any way then you have to firstly go to the police station to report her. Then you need to go to immigration with her passport (if you have it) and cancel her visa. Immigration will take her passport from you so you are no longer liable for her actions. I don't think you have to pay anything (but could be mistaken as my husband did this) but you do lose your 2,000 security deposit which you paid when you first processed her visa. If they find her, then you will get a phone call so that you can pay her flight home, after which you are entitled to your security deposit back. If she just absconded then you just need to go to immigration to cancel her visa - no need to go to the police station. As per the law, her passport should be with you. If your maid absconded and she has her passport then you could be fined 5,000dhs. I know that the authorities don't always apply this fine so it depends on you and your luck. For future reference - make sure you keep her passport. You can give her a copy of it, or a copy of her residency and labour card to keep with her but she shouldn't have her passport.
SEY83
943
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 27 March 2013 - 09:12
Ha! I went on a school trip to Scarborough once :) Did anyone else get coach sick? I did and threw up all over my best friend who was sitting next to me, poor thing! And yes to the gift shop tat - always came home with some cr@ppy rubber or keyring or pencil for my mum! I also went to Scarborough! It was where my primary school took all of the year 6 students as the final trip before primary school. Fortunately i did not get coach sick! I do remember us staying in a disgusting B&B type hotel where we were three or four to a room, there was only a sink in the room and the bathrooms were shared with other rooms... Our kids are going to demand 5 star luxuries their whole lives :-(
 
 
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