Tallybalt | ExpatWoman.com
 

Tallybalt

Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 January 2015 - 21:06
I came on here to see if there was anything about a fire somewhere. We can smell it in the garden of our villa in Umm Suqeim. If the fire is over by the new airport, then wow, it must be a raging fire. I hope no one was hurt.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 January 2015 - 20:50
It is becoming a hot topic in the US to the point that many private schools and entire school districts mandate that your child be vaccinated before they're allowed to enroll in schools. For me that's the end of the debate. As someone who studied history and who spent quite some time researching the health issues of the 19th and early 20th century, let me just say, thank God for vaccinations.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 December 2014 - 12:03
I drive a Pajero and I'm very happy with it. It's not a fancy car but the maintenance is a breeze, mileage isn't too bad and it's the perfect car for little kids as you don't have to worry about them scruffing it up a bit. Honestly, it's been possibly the most reliable car I've ever driven, and I drove Volvos before we moved to Dubai.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 December 2014 - 10:51
It's a fun place to walk around in the evenings. Very atmospheric. It's not a typical mall with the range of shops, most of the shops are geared towards tourists with a selection of higher end shops as well. Most people go there to eat and drink and walk around. The restaurants that face outside towards the canal tend to be more expensive, but there are several inexpensive options inside near the main entrance as well as an ice cream stand. If you can still park there, parking is a sheer nightmare. It's best to take a taxi. Alternatively, if you don't mind a brisk 20-30 minute walk, you can take the metro to Mall of Emirates and exit on the opposite side and walk down Umm Suqeim Street towards Madinat Jumeirah.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 December 2014 - 10:46
Do not come to Dubai with a child unless you are married. If it's your partner who's working here he will not be able to sponsor you or the baby, nor will you be able to get health insurance. If it's you who's working, you won't be able to sponsor your partner and most likely not even the baby. Villa rents range from 120,000 for a small compound villa in Mirdiff to 500K+ on the Palm Jumeirah. I'd say the average for a 3 bedroom villa in a popular expat area is between 150-200K.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 December 2014 - 10:42
I have to agree that the construction quality is something to be concerned about if you're interested in buying property here. You can always point at a certain house in the UK or the US and say it's poorly built compared to a brand new house in the UAE, but on the whole houses in the West are much better and more reliably constructed than in the UAE. As Velma says, all one has to do is to drive around the Springs or Meadows to see how poorly the houses have aged. When we first moved to Dubai in 2007 we did briefly consider buying a property but then we saw the Meadows and Lakes villas and many of the windows were already popping out of their frames and kitchens were deteriorating and tiles falling off the walls, and these villas were only 3-4 years old! That's when DH laughed and said forget it. Having said that, Arabian Ranches, especially Savannah/Saheel, does seem to be better built than Emirates Living. Something about the intense heat in the UAE during the long summer months really does wreak havoc on property here. It wears down the property so quickly. Another part of the problem is that most properties are investor owned, which means landlords defer maintenance problems and tenants aren't bothered to respect the property insomuch as if it was their own, so it's a real risk buying a property that has been used as a rental for a long time. By the way, for those of you who haven't seen 7 Days today yet, there's a front page article saying property prices are expected to fall by 5-10%. I was here during the last crash, and at the onset the initial forecasts were also only a 5-10% decline in prices and we know what happened! http://7daysindubai.com/cost-property-expected-fall-according-global-survey/
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 December 2014 - 22:57
I second Prolab. I have my photos printed there. You really can't get better than them in Dubai and most of the local photographers, professional and amateur, use them.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 December 2014 - 21:16
Dubai's property market collapsed due to an oversupply combined with an insane bubble in housing and rental prices, which was fueled by cheap and unsustainable credit and inflating oil prices. It would have still collapsed, just as dramatically, had there not been a global recession as the property market wasn't tied to the economic reality on the ground (very high rent levels yet half the apartments in the Marina were empty). We forget too easily that Dubai had well over a hundred billion dollars of debt due to construction projects, and that was only the government debt. As for your claim that businesses would move here from the UK, really? What businesses? Oh, I don't doubt independent consultants in the right place and not tied to a certain location can move easily to avoid taxes, but businesses just don't up and move countries due to an election result. You're also forgetting the that this isn't exactly a free market. Businesses need a local sponsor to trade in the UAE, which is why preciously few companies have relocated their operations or headquarters to Dubai and we're very much a branch office town. It was a global recession. Prices dropped in the US,UK everywhere. Dubai recovered a lot faster than the rest of the western world. If Labour gets elected in the next GE wait and see how many businesses move here from the UK. Anyway, we have made money buying and selling the right houses at the right time, I would always encourage people to buy if they can afford to do so. edited by Tallybalt on 10/12/2014 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 10/12/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 December 2014 - 20:39
If you sold your property in 2009 then you should know that property prices halved, if not more, from the peak in 2008 to 2009. Unless you were one of the lucky few already under contract at the end of 2008 and didn't close till January. You are correct that everyone's situation is different, but the sheer collapse in property prices in such a short time span should be a big factor to contemplate for anyone interested in buying property in the UAE. Why? Because it may very well happen again. Rent isn't money down the drain. Ownership comes at a high cost. When you factor in the interest payments and maintenance fees on a property, then suddenly renting isn't so much of a loss. After all, we still have to live somewhere whether we rent or own so I never think of it as wasted money. Yes I was here in 2002 we bought a house then and sold it in 2009 for a very large profit. I do not see the point in paying rent. I would rather pay off a mortgage, then I am not at the mercy of a greedy landlord. If you can afford to buy, why not. I know people that bought here years ago, they returned to the UK and rent their house out here or they sold it. I also know people that have lived in Dubai for over 10 years paying thousands and thousands in rent when all that money could have gone half way to owning a house outright. If you are only here for a couple of years then renting is obviously a better option. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 10/12/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 December 2014 - 13:40
Oil seems to be heading down to $50 a barrel. This is astonishing considering the high prices for oil not too long ago. All the Gulf countries have their budgets based on oil being at a certain threshold. If oil dips below the threshold, the countries have to dip into their reserves to balance the budget. The UAE may have enormous reserves but also enormous budgetary requirements, partly due to the lavish subsidies the Emiratis receive and the development of the country's infrastructure. If the UAE and the other Gulf countries have to slow down their spending and put projects on hold due to budgetary needs, it will have a knockdown effect on property prices. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 10/12/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 December 2014 - 19:39
Actually I wouldn't mind if the uniforms at many of the schools were redesigned. A lot of them look a bit tacky. The primary years are fine but the secondary year uniforms are often so silly on the students. They look like they're wearing pajama tops. I'm surprised more schools don't do what ASD does and just have everyone in polo shirts with the school logo. So simple, tidy, comfortable and practical for this part of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if its 'Designer' uniforms next. Its all about the money! Sorry for shifting the topic slightly. I'm not surprised at the concept of celebrity school lunches. It is Dubai, after all :) Will they serve sparkling spring water imported from Fiji and served on ice imported from New Zealand and the salads made with produce bought only at Galeries Lafayette and meat from Prime Gourmet? Hmm....since I think about it there could be a ripe market for an entrepreneur....lots of precious princes and princesses deserving only the best from mommy and daddy. edited by Tallybalt on 09/12/2014 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 09/12/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 December 2014 - 12:01
If you're bringing your DVD player and American DVDs, you can still bring the TVs and watch DVDs as long as you use a transformer to plug into the local volts. But it's unlikely you won't be able to watch local programming. Or DVDs bought locally. It's just easier to buy TVs when you get here. Huge range and quite affordable. Because so many people buy a TV but leave Dubai a year later you can often get excellent prices on barely used TVs here on the secondhand market.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 December 2014 - 21:39
It does seem quite excessive for a four (?) day trip. I'd pay 10,000 for a school trip to Borneo or Africa. But not London, because we have family and friends there and we have plenty of opportunities to see the city at a far lower cost. Is every child getting his/her own hotel room? I'm trying to figure out how the costs are mounting up? When I was on school trips we always tripled or quadrupled up in hotel rooms and took the same coach, so the costs were actually fairly reasonable.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 December 2014 - 18:49
If your husband is working in Saudi, you need to be aware that you still need a UAE residency visa in order to live in the UAE. You can't rent a property or open bank accounts without a UAE residency, and the residency is tied to your local employment status. So is your husband's company providing him with a UAE employment visa even though he's working in Saudi? This isn't unheard of but you just need to be aware of it if you aren't.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 December 2014 - 20:12
Both pet sitting agencies I mentioned are fully licensed. They've been around for years now. I'm only saying this so that there's no misunderstanding. If you are going to use a pet sitting service then you should use Passion4Paws - they are fully licensed with Dubai Municipality and also fully insured for their carers to come into your home. This is not the case with certain other pet sitting services.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 December 2014 - 15:48
I don't know what your situation or what research you may have already done, but you may want to talk to Alison at Dubai Doghouse (google her name and you'll find her website). She does pet shipping all the time and knows all the ins and outs and costs and options for shipping. We know people who shipped their pets for only a few hundred dollars, while others paid thousands. If your pet flies with you on the same airplane he/she can be treated as accompanied baggage and the cost is far, far, far, less than shipping separately as cargo. Our friends who moved back to the US last year took their cats with them on KLM and the cost was only a few extra hundred dollars on top of the regular ticket price. Really do try to take both your cats with you. If it's a little late now, try to find a friend who's planning on flying to the UK and have them take your cat with them and offer to help offset the ticket price.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 December 2014 - 15:43
You can try Dubai Pet Sitting or Homely Petz. I know people who've used both and were very happy. I can see why boarding kennels would be preferable but if in a crunch, these pet sitting agencies may be a good alternative.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 November 2014 - 21:24
Yes. And I'm American. I have been to Toronto in February! I know the pain! I was joking a bit. People often have weather as one of the factors in deciding where to live, and I noticed that most of the countries on the list are generally known for long, cold winters. After living in Dubai for so long I'm not sure if I could face a Canadian or northeastern USA winter again! Tallybalt Have you ever been to Canada?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 November 2014 - 20:23
Ahem...countries 1-9 on the list are....cold. And quite often dark and dreary for months on end. Shudders. All silliness aside, the nicest place to live is the place where you feel comfortable and are surrounded by the things that are important to you and you also take full advantage of them. I don't think there's a magic place that is perfect, it is all about how you organize your life to take advantage of what's available to you. Maybe this wills help with the decision if the OP is looking to move New Zealand comes out best Top 10 Top 10 countries: 1. New Zealand 2. Switzerland 3. Iceland 4. Netherlands 5. Norway 6. Sweden 7. Canada 8. Finland 9. Denmark 10. Australia http://www.socialprogressimperative.org/data/spi
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 November 2014 - 20:49
The typical compound in Dubai consists of two rows of attached villas with a shared pool in between. Each row faces outwards onto a public street. Your typical compound in Mirdiff and Garhoud are like this. Compound villas are usually cheaper than independent villas as you lack privacy in your outdoor spaces. You may be thinking of "gated" communities, which would be the closest equivalent to the large western expat compounds in Saudi Arabia. They are not identical to the Saudi ones and aren't as closed off, but they do have gatehouses, some shared community facilities like pools and gyms, and token security, but it doesn't make the gated communities any more or less safe or dangerous than the non gated communities. Some families prefer the gated communities because the kids can run around outdoors more easily without worrying about excessive traffic, and there's often community paths and walkways and lakes. The most popular gated communities are probably Arabian Ranches, Victory Heights and all of Emirates Living, none of which are noticeably close to the airport (Ranches and nearby The Villa would be closest). Where you live will most likely be determined by your budget more than anything else. Almost all the popular residential areas in Dubai are under 30 minutes from the airport.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 November 2014 - 20:41
It may not be the same maid. The cleaning agencies don't always send the same maids each time. We use a cleaning agency when our FT maid is on her annual holiday and I do have to watch them each time they come to make sure they do the work I want them to do. Why not reschedule for a time slot during the weekend? You can greet the maid when she arrives, leave your instructions and go out for coffee or errands and return before the two hours are up so you can check on her work. If ironing is important, make it clear that the ironing should be done first, before any other tasks. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 25/11/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 November 2014 - 19:55
This is hardly going to help you but I just do a roast chicken. Organic French chicken so it's tasty. And easier than a turkey. I still make stuffing and vegetable sides and a pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving for us is just the family and DH has to work so I don't make a big deal or dinner out of the occasion.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 November 2014 - 13:14
Almost all independent schools in the UK are not-for-profit.... To be honest my experience of independent schools here and in the UK has been rubbish all talk and take the money but **** education. State schools and not for profit all the way!!
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 November 2014 - 09:54
I agree. I remember seeing a lot more car accidents and burned out cars on the side of highways when we first came here. The speed cameras weren't around then and it does seem to have tamed the aggressive driving somewhat. Somethings are better now, somethings better then. Everywhere changes and evolves so it's good to go with the flow. The traffic maybe more but it's better than when i first arrived, the first year i was here there was some horrific accidents..... Mini busses going up in flames in fog etc.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 November 2014 - 09:14
We've only been here for seven years now and I think I prefer our first few years. We did arrive here during the boom and it was crazy, but at the same time Dubai felt smaller than it does now. Almost everyone we knew lived between the Creek and the Marina, but now people are living "way out" in Victory Heights and RemRamm and that whole side of Dubai has exploded in growth and population, whereas when we first came here only Arabian Ranches was built and people considered the Ranches "far out"! Motor City was under construction but not ready for occupation yet. And even within the older areas of Dubai there's more and more new construction. Al Wasl seems primed to turn into a seemingly endless row of mini malls and shopping centers (geez, aren't there enough shopping centers in Dubai already?). Within Umm Suqeim there were still a few unpaved streets, but now they're all paved over. In other words, some of the old fashioned charms of old Dubai that was still lingering around six and seven years ago has now largely disappeared. But all cities are constantly evolving. Many things are still the same. What's probably more of an impact is watching the constant flow of people coming and leaving. Dubai today isn't the same it was seven years ago because most of the people we knew then aren't here anymore. I suppose I am getting itchy feet, we were supposed to move to Singapore two years ago but that fell through at the last minute because DH's company restructured itself, so we ended up staying. I'd love to have the opportunity to live in Singapore or Hong Kong for a few years.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 November 2014 - 20:12
I know nothing about the school but the website looks like it belongs to a minor company making packaging supplies in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. It doesn't look like a school website at all.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 November 2014 - 11:44
I apologize in advance for sounding rude, but what you said is more reflective of your own attitudes and beliefs than any reality. Whether we call them maid, nanny, help or servant, it's the same thing. If it makes you feel better to call them "help," that's fine but I wouldn't put too much moral weight on it. The woman's visa title is "Domestic Servant", which encompasses all aspects of the home, including childcare. Therefore, the OP has the right to call her a nanny. Domestic servants are the government's answer to childcare for working mothers here. I definitely don't think I'd feel easy leaving a child in the care of someone who only has knowledge of cooking and cleaning ie. not a nanny. As a side note, how awful and demeaning is the title of "Domestic Servant"? Sounds like something from the 1900s. It certainly shows what the country thinks of people who are employed in this line of work :( I don't use the maid for childrearing other than to watch the boys for an hour or so when I need to run out for errands. Or sometimes DH and I like to go for a walk alone and we're comfortable leaving the boys in the villa with the maid. If I had to work and had a baby, I would allow the nanny to take the baby for a walk in the stroller although it would depend on where we lived. A quiet community with parks, no problem. My mother was practically raised by a long time family help who did not have any formal training or certificates but who had helped to bring up a number of children, both her own and other people's, over the years. And my mother loved her. I wouldn't automatically trust every maid but if you hire a nanny who comes with excellent references and has worked with children before, you and the baby will be fine. It is definitely not in the nanny's interest to let anything happen to the baby. At the same time I wouldn't necessarily trust a young chit of a girl straight off the plane from the Philippines or Sri Lanka.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 18:41
Legally they cannot change the number of cheques without your agreement. That's the law. They cannot pass along utilities costs to you. The landlord is responsible for maintenance fees so who has been paying the utilities in the past? I would speak to the rental committee about it. They missed the deadline for notifying you of any changes so you have a good case. They must alert you 90 days in advance of any proposed changes, although it's still within your rights to reject any of them. The only thing the landlord is entitled to is the rental increase as allowed by the rent calculator. He, and the management company, cannot change any terms and conditions from the original contract.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 November 2014 - 18:34
It's just a fluff article based on one person's views. The tram is not the metro. The metro serves several major employment areas and major residential areas. The metro moves thousands of people to/from work because of the location of these residential and employment areas. Marina, DIFC, JLT, Internet/Media City, TECOM, Al Barsha, Al Quoz, Sheikh Zayed, Downtown, Bur Dubai/Deira. The tram does not. It's limited in scope. The Marina is a residential area but not a major employment area. The tram is not particularly handy for Media City or Internet City. It does stop outside Knowledge Village but that seems to be it. Will some people use the tram to get to work, possibly by connecting to the metro? Yes, but given that the Marina is already a high rent district, the number of people willing to give up their cars and the limited areas the tram serves, we're talking about a small number of people. Tourists are going to be the ones using the tram much more than Marina residents.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 November 2014 - 18:24
Judging from the posts below, if your maid is already in Singapore it shouldn't be too much trouble to bring her to Dubai, as long as she doesn't go back to the Philippines first. As for finding work, I don't know what you do, but the I've gathered it's much easier to find work in Dubai than Singapore because Singapore has introduced many restrictions on hiring overseas expats. 90% of Dubai is expat, so that tells you a lot. Hi all, We are relocating from Singapore to Dubai in 2 months time and will surely appreciate advise on this forum regarding bringing our Filipina helper with us... Am I right to assume if she exits via Singapore she will have no issue with the Philippines government? Will it be difficult to get her a work visa in Dubai? Anything that we can do now to start the process? Please do share your experience, as it is I am very apprehensive about moving there... I have to quit a good job here to start afresh, don't even know if it's possible or easy to find work in Dubai for a foreigner...
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 November 2014 - 18:23
There are a few restaurants, especially in the hotels. I can't comment on how good the food is. But Candidasa is really a small place. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time as long as you're aware how limited the options are. Ubud probably has the best selection of good restaurants in Bali as well as several wonderful coffeeshops.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2014 - 15:07
I have a very good maid so I must be one of the lucky ones. I don't use her for child rearing other than to watch the boys for a few hours if I need to pop out somewhere on errands. I'm pretty strict with how the boys interact with her because I don't want them to come to depend on her. But I've seen enough horror maids elsewhere, and when our maid is on her leave the cleaning company maids can be downright terrible and not worth it. They don't understand your instructions and they rush about the place, skipping the corners or blatantly ignoring the hoover I've left out, or pouring buckets of water onto a small bathroom floor to "mop" it. Quite often their attempt to clean the kitchen means I have to spend more time cleaning up after them!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 November 2014 - 08:16
We've driven through Candidasa. Just be aware that there isn't much of a beach. It's one of the disaster stories of Bali because most of the original beach was dug up to build the hotels, leaving behind a concrete breakwater and a very rocky, pebbly strip of "beach." It's a very quiet place with limited amenities but we did stop at a hotel for coffee. The LP description is pretty much on target: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/bali/candidasa What are you looking for? If you want a place where you can spend hours at the beach every day and have lots of shops and restaurants nearby, Candidasa isn't the place. Sanur, Seminyak or Nusa Lembognan would be better options, although they, like everywhere on Bali, have their downsides too.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 04 November 2014 - 07:00
I don't know why the recruiters told you flat shares aren't common. They are very popular, especially among singles in their 20s and even early 30s as it's a great way to save money. I wouldn't be surprised if half the flats on the Palm Jumeirah and Marina were flatshares. Rents vary depending on the flat and location but you usually pay monthly instead of yearly. Good luck with your job hunt.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 October 2014 - 19:35
I don't know if I'd say this is my closest claim to fame, but it's certainly my closest encounter with a genuine celebrity. About ten years ago DH and I were living in New York and my parents came up one weekend. It was a very cold January Saturday and we went to see an exhibition at the Met. Afterwards we went to E.A.T. on Madison Avenue for a light light. The table next to ours had a man and two women. My mother was wearing a very heavy fur coat and she took off the coat and wrapped it around the chair and started to sit down. The coat was too heavy for the chair and the chair started to fall back, without my mother noticing. She would have fallen on her bum, so to speak, if the man at the next table hadn't immediately jumped up, grabbed my mother and pulled the chair back up. She thanked him profusely. After we'd all sat down, my father leaned over and whispered, "you know, that is Keanu Reeve." And it was.
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Latest post on 23 October 2014 - 11:01
Oohh. Special Ostadi in Bur Dubai, near the Dubai Museum. It's an old Persian restaurant that's been around since the 1960s, I think. Has a loyal following. I won't claim it's the best Persian in Dubai but the kebabs are lovely and the atmosphere is delightful and prices very reasonable. When we want to make an evening of it, we'll take the metro and walk the rest of the way, and head down to the creek afterwards for a bit of a stroll. It's a fabulous way to get out of the "New Dubai" mentality and enjoy something with more character for a few hours. Our favorite Thai in Dubai is actually Ban Khun Mae, in the upper food court at MoE. One wouldn't think so because of the location right next to KFC, but it is very good Thai food and much cheaper than most Thai restaurants. They even have an "authentic" Thai menu alongside the regular one for more adventuresome dishes. It's one of the best kept food secrets at the mall and 100-120 AED will get you a massive takeaway feast for four people. They do not charge extra for the rice! We regularly stop by for takeaway to take home and they will also deliver (or did at one point, I find it quicker to go in myself). For Indian I love Manvaar Delight in Karama. Rajasthani style food. Calicut Paragon is excellent for South Indian/Kerala spicy food.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 10:41
It's possible to do it yourself. You need to get the export paperwork from the Dubai end and permission from the airline to board the pet. There's a lovely lady named Alison who runs a pet import/export operation. You can find her by googling Alison Doghouse Dubai. We know people who've used her and were very happy. Alison can organize the export paperwork from both the vet and the Dubai Municipality and the crate, leaving you to book space for the pet on the airlines. Alison will also tell you everything you need to know and what all your options are. Alternatively, speak to your vet about the various pet shipping options. Note that if the pet flies with you on the same airplane as part of your checked in baggage, it's much cheaper than going the full cargo route where the pet flies separately. But you have to book space for the pet simultaneously when booking your original flight ticket, so you need to call the airline directly for the booking and get permission from them rather than booking online. Not all flights accept pets, Emirates will only take one animal at a time, but KLM via Amsterdam is an excellent option as they have a fabulous reputation for taking care of animals on their flights and during the layover.
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Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 10:30
I can't imagine the new bridge being completed in a year! (or six months in each direction). When I think of highway bridges and flyovers under construction back home, while the main highway was still in operation, it took years, not just one. Even the big flyover by the Dubai Mall took several years. People working in DIFC/Sheikh Zayed may want to start taking the metro.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 October 2014 - 09:21
Just about everyone we know who shipped their belongings back to the US from the UAE had their container searched by US Customs. It's supposed to be a random selection of incoming containers but the reality is that most if not all containers from the ME are being searched. They did have to pay a few extra hundred dollars but the shipping company is supposedly responsible for swallowing most of the bill, from what I've gathered. Look carefully at the terms and conditions of your contract with the shipping company. Our friends who used MoveOne highly recommended them for quality of packing and safe delivery.
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Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 22:38
Vienna is truly magical at Christmas. All the little markets (and some not so big) scattered throughout the city are a real delight. Each market has its own personality. And the Christmas lights strung along the Inner Stadt. The food and cakes in the restaurants and coffeehouses! I would gladly go to Vienna every weekend in December if I could. Nuremberg is the biggest Christmas market in Europe and all the German cities have their own glorious markets, but I do think Vienna is special and it's much more convenient to fly to from Dubai than most of the German cities as Austrian Airways often has quite reasonable flights.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 October 2014 - 12:19
I've known quite a few teachers over the years and the one thing they dread is the Christmas gift tradition. My first house share after university was with two other teachers and I remember sitting down at the table with them and going through the gifts they'd received on the last day of school before Christmas, and 90% of it was thrown away. As much as they love and appreciate the effort from the students, there's only so many cheap chocolates, scented candles and small bags of cheap toiletries one can put up with. And you also need to be careful about baking cookies or cakes for teachers. Odds are it'll probably be tossed away too. The teachers I knew would have been just as happy with a handmade card. Ever mindful of that I just contribute to the class kitty and let the PTA organize a special dinner or event for the teachers. But I do agree that 250 per child is quite a lot. Think about it, if a primary year teacher has 24 students and they each chipped 250 AED, that's 6,000 AED, or 12 high end brunches! 100 to 150 sounds perfectly generous to me. edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 19/10/2014</em>
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 October 2014 - 19:07
There's Jasmine Moon and China Garden. We've only had takeaways from there. They're fine. Just don't expect the same Chinese you may find in your home country. It's slightly different and you won't find traditional standbys such as pork dumplings.
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 October 2014 - 22:36
I'm not entirely sure what you're saying. WhiteOrchid is correct. Up through WWII live-in household help was commonplace among upper middle class Europeans, and in the US the practice of having home help lasted into the 1960s. Both my parents grew up with a maid up through the mid 1960s. By the 1970s the maids had mostly disappeared to be replaced with cleaners. If you grow up in an environment where home help is commonplace you do develop the instincts for appropriately managing the employer-employee relationship within the private household, which is quite different from most work environments. Because servants are not commonplace in the West today, most western expats have limited exposure to that kind of management skill, which is where a lot of the problems western expats have with their maids stems from. Most western expats (certainly not all but at least those I know) prefer a more egalitarian relationship with their domestic help, similar to how we relate to our bosses. He/she may be the boss but we're still "equal" and as such we expect similar respect from each other. Unfortunately the maids often don't view it the same way. In areas where servants are still very common (and as was the case in the West in the past) there is a clear class divide between the employer and employee, and in those places people still expect a certain deference and level of respect based on their class status. You'll find that there's a whole level of understanding over what's expected and is acceptable from both the maid and their madam and the idea of what constitutes "respect" is different from the Western respect based on equality. That kind of thinking is rare in the West today and is widely rejected. As much as I hate to admit it, I find the most successful maid-madam relationships are the more traditional ones because the boundaries are clearly set and clearly understood and the relationship becomes more symbiotic. It largely has to do with that no matter how much we want to pretend otherwise, the home environment is never an equal one. It is not an office. The traditional households know this. I don't think we can debate the subject honestly without going down the nationality route and that can never end well... Personally, I take exception to the assumption that Westerners are new to employing help...a crass thing to say, imo. Well, historically, westerners did employ full time help (until WW2). After that it became very expensive to do so, and the invention of white goods made them pretty much redundant. So the *current* generation of Europeans do not have experience of having 'staff', and grew up in much more egalitarian (if not classless) societies. This is why Western expats see helpers as a real luxury and, for the most part, wish to treat them as equals. Personally, I cannot for the life of me think of a single reason not do treat someone with respect. Really ? where did you get this idea from ?
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 October 2014 - 18:14
It's not Emirates but KLM will transport pets as accompanied baggage. We know people who took their cats back to the UK by flying KLM and they checked in their cats at the airport, along with the luggage. But you must make sure you have all the appropriate exit paperwork and permission from the airline. You can't just rock up to check in with a pet. If you google Alison Doghouse Dubai, it's a pet export/import agency run by a very lovely woman. Our friends used her and it was surprisingly reasonable compared to using the cargo route. She will certainly be able to tell you everything you need to know.
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 October 2014 - 21:15
My aunt and uncle did the crossing a few years ago, from Southampton to New York. It took about a week and they had a wonderful time. It is very much an older crowd and while there's activities and lovely food, plan on reading a lot! It does help to get into the spirit of things and always be aware that you're on a boat in the middle of an ocean. They said the highlight was entering NY harbor by water and that it was magical.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 02 October 2014 - 10:48
All the malls will attract residents, of course. But in the case of DCC, there are a lot of hotels in Deira. They may not be fashionable among western or more affluent tourists, but Deira is zone 1 for Russian/Central Asian tourists and quite a few shops on the streets and even in the mall will have Russian language signs. It's a real melting pot of nationalities down there, which never fails to surprise me. Even MoE has a burgeoning hotel cluster in Al Barsha. As residents we're probably surprised at the sheer volume of visitors, but as others have said, Dubai is an international crossroad due to the airlines and location. The whole world seems to pass through here. DCC and MoE has always been packed with obvious tourists, even before they were connected to the Metro. Not sure what these two malls offer that is not available in others, so I cant understand what makes them especially popular with tourists. Dubai Mall has lot of must-see attractions so that's understandable.
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 October 2014 - 08:51
So many of the shoppers in the malls are actually tourists. Dubai Mall is apparently one of the biggest tourist draws in the world (so I'm told). Dubai is a now a big tourist destination, partly because Emirates is very good at encouraging long layovers. A lot of visitors from India, Central Asia, Africa and even Europe come to Dubai to shop. I imagine it's probably why Festival City has struggled compared to the other malls. It's not accessible by metro so most tourists ignore it, whereas MoE, Dubai Mall and Deira City Centre are packed.
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 October 2014 - 12:21
Joke or not, it's a very realistic list of duties for a maid, except perhaps for the shoe bit! If the maid's working eight hours a day, five days a week, most of these chores will only take a few minutes as you're only touching up something that's already pretty clean. My maid has a similar list and she does it all in under eight hours a day.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2014 - 14:54
To add to the confusion, the one family one villa policy only applies to certain areas, such as Jumeira or Umm Suqeim. Apparently it doesn't apply to Mirdiff or any of the freehold areas. I remember this quite well when the municipality had a big crackdown on shared villas back in 2008 and various officials were "clarifying" where the policy applied. As it is, it can't be illegal to share with the same gender. Just look at all the shared accommodation for workers, including Emirates crew! Mixed gender flats are illegal. And I think there's also a legal cap on how many women can share a flat (four, maybe?).
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2014 - 13:18
World Trade Centre hotel apartments are the only hotel apartments in Dubai that take pets. Alternatively you can book your pets into a boarding kennel and find a cheaper short term let on Dubizzle. Boarding kennels aren't ideal but you could stop by regularly to walk and play with your pets.
 
 
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