Tallybalt | ExpatWoman.com
 

Tallybalt

Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 September 2014 - 10:16
If this is your first time on the metro and you don't plan on using it regularly, then just get a day pass. 14 AED is the price and gives you unlimited travel on the metro for the day. You can buy it via the ticket machines or at the ticket desk, and as asd250 said, the staff are indeed quite helpful. The day pass only gives you access to the regular carriages, not gold class. If you're heading towards the creek, the gold class carriage is at the rear. If you're heading towards MoE, the carriage is up front. If you're traveling off-peak (non rush hour) the carriages aren't crowded. Even during rush hour, if you're going opposite the main traffic flow, the carriages aren't bad. There is a women's and children's only carriage right next to the gold class carriage. To go to Heritage Village via metro, you will need to change from the red line to the green line at BurJuman. The closest metro stop to Heritage Village is Al Ghubaiba on the green line. The metro is indeed very nice. Clean and efficient and surprisingly convenient. It's ideal for getting to Bur Dubai or Deira as you don't have to worry about traffic or looking for parking.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 September 2014 - 10:51
The landlord is unfortunately correct. You're staying in the villa for an extra month but still need to pay a two month's penalty beyond your move out date. Those are the standard terms for Dubai. I'm a landlord back home and the rental contracts we issue do have a penalty clause for terminating a lease early. It's not our intention to penalize our tenants but when we sign the leases we do so in good faith that they would be in the property for a year and pay the rent on a timely basis across that year. In exchange we promise not to arbitrarily kick them out or to raise the rent in the middle of the lease. It's a contract, after all. Unfortunately you did sign a contract and you are looking to renege on the contractual terms and conditions. Consider yourself lucky for apparently in Abu Dhabi you wouldn't get any money back! I think you'll need to chalk this up as one of the hidden "taxes" of being an expat.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 September 2014 - 10:38
I haven't been to Spinneys in ages. I do most of my shopping at Carrefour and pop into the Waitrose in Umm Suqeim on Al Thanya for the odds and ends (I dread the parking lot at Spinneys on Umm Al Sheif). I haven't looked too closely lately but Waitrose should still have the usual range of Waitrose brand products along with the other brands. As we all know Waitrose is essentially Spinneys at a slightly higher cost. Take a look in Waitrose and see if your favorite brands are still there.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2014 - 11:00
The OP can notify RERA of her eviction and her suspicions that the landlord intends to rerent the property and mention the calls from the property agency. RERA won't do anything at the moment, but RERA can list the property in some database they have, which will prevent any prospective tenants from registering the property with Ejari and even dewa (I think) for a full two years after the OP has moved out. If the property is being sold, the OP can't do anything about it especially if the new owner tends to move in. But as long as the property is vacant/unsold, the owner can't rent it out for two years. Can OP actually DO anything? Till the LL actually does sell it or have another tenant go into the property whois not a relative, the LL has not actually DONE anythingt. OP suspects it only. And a mind breach is not a real breach. If it was half of the tweeting world would be in trouble for literary crimes. Go on with the organization of affairs as ordinary.Find a new place. And IIF it eventuates that the suspicions are correct, take the LL to RERA for compensation. edited by Londiamond on 20/09/2014
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 September 2014 - 22:27
Rental contracts are for one year only. I don't know where your landlord is coming from with quoting rents for the second and third years in advance! Is he asking you to sign a lease for three years!? Do you even know you'll be in Dubai then? As those of us who lived here through the last property crash, which was not that long ago, rents can very easily collapse in a year. All rental contracts are subject to RERA regulations and the laws of Dubai. Rental increases can only be in accordance to the RERA approved increase rates for your area (unless you privately agree with the landlord, but in reality you have the upper hand as the landlord cannot force you to accept a rent increase greater than what's allowed by the rental calculator). I don't think RERA would recognize the contract proposed by the landlord as legal and valid. They will only recognize the upcoming first year. Any renewal beyond that will be in accordance to the parameters established by RERA, and allowable rental increases in accordance to the RERA calculator. Allright, so I've 1 more question about Greens: Potential home to be is 2100 sqft, 3 bed and an area called study-not a real room actually-2bathroom+1powder room, 5th floor, very well maintained cause LL is living inside himself. LL offered to shake hands on 190 K 3 cq 1st year, 200 K 3 cq 2nd year, 200K 3cq 3rd year and will negotiate for 4th year when that day comes. Do you think that this is a good deal or can you help me understand if you compare others you know. As per my knowledge rentals are xK AED for the first 2 years and then the increase may come in accordance with the market value. But we have this strange offer, is it good or bad? <em>edited by Tallybalt on 14/09/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 September 2014 - 14:47
If you want to save money one of the easiest ways is through finding a cheaper place to live. I certainly don't know the details of your package and your expenditures, but too many people come to Dubai and fall into the trap of wanting the best lifestyle and splurge on the most expensive apartment and the most expensive shops and restaurants. And they leave Dubai having saved next to nothing. It's so easy to do this. We know a couple who moved here on a good package but they elected to rent a very cheap one bedroom apartment out in Silicon Oasis for their first year. They saved so much from their housing allowance and sent all that savings back home. Then the following year they upgraded to a nicer apartment in a more popular location, secure in the fact that they'd already saved quite a lot of money. I find that an admirable strategy. I'm not going to give you a lecture and tell you how to spend your money, but you need to find a balance between what you want to save and the kind of lifestyle you want and be aware that the more expensive the apartment or location, the higher the expenditures are likely to be. Your dewa bill will be higher, you may have additional cooling charges and they can add up to thousands across the year. Dubai is still a small city and it's easy to get around. You're never that far from the beach or the restaurants or the malls. Just decide what's more important to you and make your decision based on that. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 13/09/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 September 2014 - 13:22
Just a couple thoughts: 1. Palm Jumeirah is district cooling, so you have to pay a separate surcharge for air conditioning and it can be quite expensive. Greens is not district cooling, the air conditioning is included as part of your rent. 2. Palm Jumeirah has a lot of holiday lets. Some of them can be quite rowdy, depending on who the current holidaying tenants are. You may end up renting an apartment surrounded by apartments rented out on a weekly basis and have to suffer the unpredictability of people coming and going. Then again you may not. Greens doesn't really have holiday lets, at least it won't attract the partying holidaying crowd, so in this regards it's more stable and quieter. 3. Build quality on the Palm Jumeirah is said not to be that great. It's a Nakheel development compared to the Greens, which is Emaar, and Emaar has always had a much better reputation for quality construction compared to Nakheel. A lot of the apartments, particularly in Shoreline and Golden Mile, apparently have thin walls and it's easier to hear your neighbors. 4. Palm Jumeirah was a bit of desert from a retail perspective. There's now more small shops and bars around but they're mostly quite expensive. The Greens has a small shopping center but you can also easily walk over to TECOM, which has a number of food stores - Carrefour Express, Park and Shop, plus a few bars like Belgian Beer Cafe. 5. Be careful with your beach and pool access on the Palm. For a while there was a big scandal as many landlords hadn't paid their maintenance fees and Nakheel was taking it out on the tenants by restricting access to the pool/beach. So you need to be careful to ensure your landlord is up to date with his fees. All in all, Palm Jumeirah is definitely fancier and attracts people wanting a fancier lifestyle. I know you mentioned the Greens low rises, but the high rises by the golf course have very nicely appointed apartments and fabulous pools, especially the Fairways, and amazing views. If it were me I'd pick the Greens because I like the community feel of the place and it's very popular with young families with babies and toddlers. The Palm has its attractions but I've never really warmed up to it. The Palm may be right on the water, but it's still very easy to get to the beaches or the various parks and sporting venues from the Greens. But if the "fancy" lifestyle is your thing then your heart probably belongs to the Palm. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 13/09/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 August 2014 - 11:59
Maize is pretty much the same as polenta. Ground cornmeal. It's popular with South Africans so you can easily find it at the main supermarkets, along with Park n Shop. If you want a package that specifically says polenta on it, try the food hall at Galleries Lafayette at the Dubai Mall. They carry many specialist items. Oh, and of course! Eataly on the lower ground floor of the Dubai Mall. They must sell polenta. It's a fab store/restaurant/bistro if you haven't been there, selling special food items and cheese from Italy.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 August 2014 - 14:11
I see someone bumped up a two year old thread.... For anyone else interested in buying diamonds in Dubai, it's true that diamonds can be cheaper here. If it's your "forever" ring or jewelry, then, yes, Dubai is a good place to buy diamonds. But you should not buy diamonds here as investments to resell later on in the UK or the US. You will be offered substantially below "face value" for any diamonds you buy cheaply in Dubai, so it's not necessarily the huge bargain or savings as you might expect it to be (unless, of course, it's for life!).
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 August 2014 - 13:42
There's a huge range of hotels in Dubai and not all are expensive waterfront resorts. Try booking.com to see what's feasible. The hotel apartments (as Izzy mentioned) can possibly work as they usually have suites and self catering facilities that can cut down on costs. Another option is a short term let. There are people who rent out apartments for the week or two, catering to the holiday market. If you google holiday lets in Dubai you'll find scores of offerings.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 August 2014 - 10:37
You will have difficulty finding a villa with a private pool in your budget. But most of the planned communities like the Ranches and Springs have community pools, and pretty much all compounds have a compound pool. Having a private pool can be a right headache if you're not used to it. There's the expense of maintaining it, not all private pools have a chiller which means it's hot as bathwater during the summer, and of course there's the child safety factor.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 August 2014 - 12:46
If you want a cheap pool and don't care about the bells and whistles of a hotel resort, then a good value place is the World Trade Centre hotel apartments pool. 50 AED entry for each person, a large 25m chilled pool plus a children's pool and a hot tub, and tennis court and gym facilities. Pool bar available and you get towels on entry.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 August 2014 - 12:44
Dubailand is a construction zone so a lot of the communities aren't finished. Also, it feels "far out" compared to the closer in communities like the Springs/Meadows or the older areas like Jumeira and Umm Suqeim, and you will spend a lot of time driving around, including on humongous highways. I live in Umm Suqeim and have both the beach and shopping within walking distance, and can't imagine living out in Dubailand, even if some of the more completed communities like Victory Heights are quite nice, but that's me personally. When you get to Dubai do drive around and you'll get a feel for the different areas and you'll know what works for you.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 August 2014 - 12:28
Yes, it's a good package especially given that school fees are completely covered and your utilities are also covered. You will only need to fund a second car out of your base 30,000, along with day to day living expenses. I would just be aware of two things: A housing allowance of 180,000 isn't amazing. It should be enough to get you a three-bed townhouse villa. Nothing remarkable but decent enough. If you want a bigger/stand alone villa you will need to pay closer to 225-235 as a starting point. I would ask who would be responsible for paying the 5% agent's fee and the 5% deposit. Health insurance doesn't seem good enough to me. The company has been generous with the other components of the package, so why aren't they providing full coverage for you and the children too? Good quality health insurance isn't cheap in Dubai, especially if you want a BUPA level health insurance. I'd check with BUPA and find out what it cost to cover you and your children, but I'd still go back to the company and ask them to cover you and the kids. We don't know what your current lifestyle is like or what your objectives are, but if you want to save a lot of money, it's definitely doable on your current package offer as long as you're pragmatic about where you live and aren't extravagant with your activities and social life. Then again, it may be entirely insufficient depending on your lifestyle! <em>edited by Tallybalt on 20/08/2014</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 August 2014 - 19:22
Are you willing to convert? Are you willing to raise your children Muslim, and as such, be subject to Sharia law with all its implications? I cannot give you any advice because we're not just talking about two different faiths but two different cultures. Your description of your boyfriend's family suggests a family that is culturally conservative and you have never even met them. Your boyfriend even suggests that you don't meet them until you're actually married. When you have a situation like this, the onus will be on you, not him, to convert into their culture, unless your boyfriend is willing to accept a big break from his family to live a life that they will never approve of. Or even if there is some sort of compromise at the onset, quite often local Muslim men who are open and progressive when young will become much more religious and conservative when they get older, especially once they have children, and their personalities may change and what worked at the beginning of your marriage no longer works. It doesn't happen to everyone, of course, but it's happened enough that you just need to be aware of it. One way or another one of you will have a difficult decision to make, and trying to handle such a decision can end relationships, no matter how happy they were at the onset. I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom, but you will be facing tricky situations and will have some very hard decisions to make.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 July 2014 - 21:15
Dubai World Trade Centre hotel apartments on Sheikh Zayed are the only short term serviced places that allow pets that I know of. Worth contacting them. Alternatively there's always the boarding kennels.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2014 - 12:03
I actually haven't found this summer too bad compared to past summers. This summer and last summer felt much more reasonable compared to the summers of 2008-2010. We were at the pool for four hours both Friday and Saturday mornings. Chilled water, lovely temperature in the shade and quite dry, although it did get much more humid in the evenings. I suspect if you spend your time dreading the summer, it will feel awful. But if you embrace it and say, so what, it's hot, life goes on, it's really not that bad. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 13/07/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 July 2014 - 12:00
Al Samadi is delicious. Their baklava isn't too sweet or drenched in too much syrup. They are in Deira but not far from DCC and it's pretty easy to find the shop. It's my 1st choice in Dubai. The last time I was there the basic baklava was 100 AED/kilo and a half kilo got you a nice box's worth of baklava. Another good place for baklava is Wafi Gourmet in the Dubai Mall but it's more expensive. Both Al Samadi and Wafi will box the baklavas in plastic boxes for easy transportation.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 July 2014 - 10:27
Most of the reports of the riots are bogus. The images that were being distributed are from a previous protest last year. If there was a real riot it'd be covered by national medias and so far I can't find any credible stories. Just the usual pictures of crying fans. I don't think Qatar has to worry (assuming the Qatar still has the WC).
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 July 2014 - 08:10
Those are very reasonable school fees, especially for London. The average term fees for London day schools are around 5,000 per term. If you want to research further, a full list of schools are at the following link and each school's website will have information on fees. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Independent_schools_in_London There are excellent state schools and terrible state schools. It will depend on her catchment area and since I know nothing about it I can't comment. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 06/07/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 June 2014 - 15:19
Most places are open during Ramadan. Just not during the day. They'll start serving food when the evening prayer calls ends. This is in the malls, both restaurants and food courts, places like Madinat Jumeirah, restaurants in hotels and even in the traditional parts of town like Karama. And of course the DIFC restaurants are all open even during the day. Lots of Muslim families go out for dinner to break the day's fast. It's generally only lunchtime places like Lime Tree that shut down for the month. It's not dry tonight, it's dry the night before EID Where did you get that from? Most places from tonight are closed for the entire month of Ramadan. Some places might serve, 5 star hotels, but not out in the open. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 28/06/2014</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 June 2014 - 15:08
KLM is your best option. They have an excellent reputation for transporting pets. I'd simply fly to the closest airport to your home that KLM serves (without codeshares just to ensure there's no confusion) and if needed rent a car for the rest of the journey, although you can always find out from KLM if they will transfer your dog from a KLM flight in Amsterdam to either Delta or Air France flights to the US. But if you're leaving in July you need to sort this out ASAP as you must book space in the airline for your pet in advance, even as accompanied baggage. Keep in mind the airline will have minimum crate size for animals. And you also need to organize the export paperwork via the Dubai Municipality, so don't leave it till too late. This will require visits to your vet and the DM pet export office near the airport. I'd get on the phone with KLM immediately and find out what the best flight options to the various cities near you and what days works for your dog, and make sure you get their required crate sizes too. Get on the phone and go! Time's running out. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 28/06/2014</em>
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Latest post on 16 June 2014 - 08:53
Most families will hold either US or Canadian passports. But there's quite a few mixed families with dual nationalities and families originally from outside North America that picked up a North American passport along the way. It's still a very international environment compared to a typical North American school.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2014 - 21:51
I loved the line about the red carpets. I wonder how many miles of red carpets he's walked in his life? I didn't realize he was passionate about the environment. Now I can see where Prince Charles gets it from.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2014 - 21:14
There's a lovely woman named Alison who runs her own pet importing business, based in Dubai. It's called Dubai Doghouse, which you can find by googling the name. She's worked with a number of our friends in importing/exporting pets. She organized the export permits and vet information and provided the appropriate crates, but left it to the client to book the space on the airline, so as a consequence she's much cheaper than a full fledged pet export service. I'm sure she can help you with the import paperwork on the Dubai end so your pet doesn't arrive unattended at the airport. It's much cheaper if the pet flies with you on the same airline as accompanied baggage. KLM is excellent with animals. The one thing to consider is if you're being put up in a hotel apartment for a while is that almost all the hotel apartments won't accept pets. I can only think of one that does, and that's the World Trade Centre hotel apartments.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 11 June 2014 - 07:46
If they get visa on arrival (which they should) there's no issues exiting the airport for a few hours. So many people transitioning through Dubai have long layovers and they pop out to see the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall and any other sights they can see. Four hours isn't long, but they should be able to clear customs and meet you for 1-2 hours in an airport coffee shop. You can track the flight status online and go to the airport when the plane has arrived and wait in the post-customs area (where all the men holding signs with passengers' names wait) and watch for your friends. Afterwards they can take the escalators up to the main level and enter the airport via security screening. They won't need to check in again as long as they have their boarding documents, but go straight through security and customs to the gate.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 June 2014 - 10:15
Is your son also your husband's son? If he's from a former relationship you will need to get official permission from his father to bring him to the UAE. Where you live will be largely determined by your budget. The good news is that G&D Park is in a fairly central location, giving you access to a wide range of communities. My personal preference is (if you can afford it) Jumeira or Umm Suqeim. Close to the beaches, lovely character, lots of retail choices. Others will prefer the master planned communities. But once again, it comes down to your housing allowance/budget. Dubai housing is very expensive.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 June 2014 - 10:03
Rather arrogant of the landlord. They can't dictate rental increase amounts. It must be legally in compliance with RERA regulations. Go to the RERA calculator and see what kind of rent increase you're legally entitled to. our apartment renewal is in Sept. They sent us the contract yesterday, a whooping 15% increase !!!! AND no negotiations are allowed LOL, at least as per what's written in the letter we got!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 June 2014 - 09:58
Most of the Iftar buffets serve your standard Arab/Lebanese fare. Lots of grilled meats, hommous, rice dishes and so forth, the same food you see at any Lebanese restaurant. I've never been to an Iftar buffet that impressed me, although the one at Momo at the Mall of Emirates was quite good as it included a number of Moroccan dishes. And yes, a huge amount of food is wasted. Some of my Muslim friends don't approve of the Iftar buffets because the point of Ramadan fasting isn't to fast during the day only to stuff yourself silly in the evenings. Many companies have an Iftar night for the staff. DH's company always does although oddly enough few Muslims on staff participate as they usually prefer to be home with their families. Ramadan is not like, say, Christmas. It's not a month-long holiday. It's a private, personal time for Muslims and they celebrate Iftar in the evenings with family and friends. If you're not Muslim and fasting, it's easy to feel quite removed from Ramadan and it's immediate impact will be no food/water in public during daylight hours. Most cafes and restaurants will be closed but otherwise everything else, including supermarkets, are open. The hotels will continue to have food and beverage in selected areas, particularly around their pools and beachfronts. Many coffeeshops are still open but for takeaway only. The atmosphere in Dubai does slow down during Ramadan, partly because of the shorter working hours. Roads are quieter, malls less busy during the day, and because Ramadan has overlapped with the summer months in the last few years (and will continue to do so in the future), fewer tourists are around and many families are away on holidays. Dubai does become quieter and that's not always a bad thing :) At the end of Ramadan there will be a three day public holiday, but once again don't expect huge public festivals and parades and fireworks that you might expect with, say, National Day. edited by Tallybalt on 09/06/2014 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 09/06/2014</em>
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Latest post on 06 June 2014 - 15:21
Hmm. Interesting. The comparisons are a bit misleading because in Dubai you have to pay school fees, whereas in most countries they are optional and as such, not factored into the comparison charts. If Dubai had free state schooling acceptable to Western expats then the place wouldn't feel quite as expensive as it does (leaving rents aside).
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EW GURU
Latest post on 05 June 2014 - 14:35
Three months is not a long time. It'll go by in the blink of the eye. The danger is burning bridges when you leave your company. Will you need to rely on them for references? And there's the EOSB as mentioned. I'd try to negotiate 60 days if you're genuinely unhappy but once the company knows you're leaving you may be surprised at how things change. Especially as the next three months include the typically slower summer months and shorter Ramadan hours.
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Latest post on 05 June 2014 - 13:42
Is this an indoor pool? Open to the public? How much are the entry charges? I can't find a website anywhere. Hi all, where is the indoor pool? It's in the street behind Al Tayer Motors. Almost opposite where you enter the Ford Service Centre. Close to Times Square.
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Latest post on 03 June 2014 - 23:00
Do you actually have a place at Gems Wellington? I'd make sure I have the school place before renting a villa. Barsha villas aren't going to be as expensive as you might expect. These villas were built for large Arabic families and they're generally cheaper than the smaller detached villas in the Meadows or Arabian Ranches. Other communities would be Motor City (the villas), JVT and Victory Heights. You may be able to find a standalone in the Lakes as well. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 03/06/2014</em>
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Latest post on 03 June 2014 - 22:57
I second Barista at MoE. It's where I fuel up before tackling Carrefour. Raw Coffee in Al Quoz has fabulous coffee. They also supply other places with their beans.
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Latest post on 03 June 2014 - 10:21
There was a French inspired B&B in Jumeira once, serving lovely breakfasts. But they eventually shut down because of sudden changes to the licensing requirements. It's a bit of a shame as there's massive villas that would be perfect as B&B operations. there is no bed or breakfast places here unless you are talking about "hotels". lol
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Latest post on 03 June 2014 - 10:19
AirBnB is based on faith and trust. You're not obliged to take anyone who wants to book your spare room and it's up to you to research into the person's background and decide if you're happy having them stay with you. I wouldn't ever participate in AirBnB but I've read a few articles about it and most of the hosts enjoyed doing it and had no problems. The typical guest and host are young people and it's a cost effective way to travel for those on a small budget, as well as to make money on the side, although when I looked at the Dubai options many of them were not what I would call cheap, even for the basic spare room or sofa bed. AirBnB started out as a way for people to rent out a spare room, but now has many permanent holiday lets advertised on it. But some municipalities, not just Dubai, are cracking down on AirBnb. Other cities don't like it because it operates outside the legally regulated accommodation industry (in other words, no tax revenues!).
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Latest post on 26 May 2014 - 13:50
I've never liked the smaller Carrefours either. The produce never looks as good or fresh as in the main hypermarkets and the bakery goods are almost always stale. And the prices are slightly higher. One gets the impression that what doesn't sell in the main hypermarkets gets dumped in the smaller markets to wither away till they're snapped up by unsuspecting buyers in a hurry as they're on the way home from work. I think its the rossterie chickens.... They make me wanna puke. Ours smelled like rancid fish. Not sure if that's how chickens make stores smell!
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Latest post on 20 May 2014 - 12:18
Adding to the chorus here. A good tenant is a tenant you want to keep. As long as the rent covers the mortgage and other property expenses and taxes, I'm happy. We have two rental properties back home and the tenants are paying about 10% below current market rents but they're excellent tenants and I don't want to risk losing them earlier than I have to. Remember, if your tenant leaves, you may be legally required to repaint and improve the property, plus you have to handle leasing out the property and there's always a gap before the new tenant moves in when you aren't getting any rent.
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Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 10:15
JLT will give you more shopping and restaurant options, but keep in mind that JLT is a big area and it's not always practical to walk from one side to the other. JLT is all very tall towers (40+ floors). It's a completely different vibe to the Greens, which is primarily low to medium-rise and a row of towers discreetly to one side. The Greens feels cozier because it's more compact and due to the street grid layout, it feels more like a proper neighborhood. The landscaping is lush and very attractive. JLT is closer to AD but the Greens is only another 5 minutes down Sheikh Zayed, if that. Once you're on ground do visit both areas and you'll know right away which works best for you. By the way, while JLT will be cheaper than the Greens, JLT is district cooling which means you pay a surcharge for your AC usage, while in the Greens the AC is included as part of your rent. District cooling bills can be quite expensive.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 09:41
I have to admit I'm not wildly enthusiastic about all these wedding websites that have become ubiquitous these days. While they can be useful for the guests they also run the risk of being too public and offending other people who wonder why they weren't invited to the wedding, and there will always be those people. I have a cousin who got married last year in a small destination wedding attended only by the closest family and friends with fewer than 50 guests and she gathered the relevant information about hotels and schedules, put it in a word document and mailed it to everyone along with the invitations. This, I think, is the best way to handle it for if it's an invitation only wedding, then the details shouldn't be made available to all and sundry. The other way to handle it is to have the wedding website locked and only give access to those with the password. I see, that makes things a little more complex if its all done online these days, perhaps then it would have be good to have used e-invites in as well as or instead of the printed ones when using a wedding website so that this sort of situation could be avoided. edited by Di@DXB on 12/05/2014
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 19:53
It seems that every wedding has that one guest who doesn't quite belong there but was invited for whatever reasons. In your case it's too late to back out. Even if you don't want her at the wedding, would you feel any better disinviting her, embarrassing her and causing her to potentially lose a lot of money in airfare/hotels? Do you want that on your shoulders? The best thing to do is to just smile and laugh it off and focus on having a wonderful time. This is one of those moments when being a gracious hostess really matters or you'll end up ruining not only your guest's experience but your own experience too. Welcome her to your wedding, make sure she has someone to talk to and then just let the evening take it's course.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 12:26
I've been booking flights to/from Dubai for years and for whatever reasons they are more expensive this year than in the past, whether Emirates or Delta. It is still surprising that Emirates airfare for this summer is double compared to what we paid last summer. The typical price for a US bound flight, either to Washington or Atlanta or New York used to be consistently around $1,000-$1,200 depending on the airline but suddenly this year they're all up at $1,400-1,800, even during the summer months, which should be the cheapest time to travel in/out of Dubai. Not really. Traditionally Dubai - USA flights have always been expensive June-August and in December and Thanksgiving Week. They are typically cheaper in September and February through April.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 11:39
Emirates flights to/from New York have nearly doubled. You used to be able to get an Emirates flight for around 1200-1400 to New York as that's what we paid last summer, but for this summer the same flights are nearly $3,000. All the other airlines have gone up substantially too. The typical price for a US bound flight, either to Washington or Atlanta or New York used to be consistently around $1,000-$1,200 depending on the airline but suddenly this year they're all up at $1,400-1,800, even during the summer months, which should be the cheapest time to travel in/out of Dubai.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 08 May 2014 - 20:30
You also need to get a pet export permit, properly certified, by the UAE authorities before the pet can be loaded onto the plane. There's a lovely woman named Alison who runs a pet export business and can help arrange for the pet export permit as it requires visits to your vet and the Dubai Municipality vets. I think her business is called Dubai Doghouse and you can find your contact info online.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 11:01
You could always ask your neighbors about the new people who moved in after you left. Or the building management. You could also keep an eye on the real estate listings. If you have a two bedroom apartment in a certain building, and see adverts for 2-beds in the same building just after you've moved out, call the agent number and find out what the apartment number is. If the number matches up, arrange to view the apartment yourself to make sure it's the same place, and if it is, file a claim. Yes, it does require some work. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it. It seemed impossible to find out if he re-rented the place, and it would have made much more sense if there was a form online at RERA you could fill out when you received your 12 months notice, and then RERA would be responsible for making sure he didn't re-lease the apartment. Sorry not very helpful :/
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 09:09
Just a few observations about buying books in Dubai. Kinokuniya is the cheapest bookstore around. Books are usually 10-20 AED cheaper than at Magrudy's or Borders. If you're ordering from Amazon, order from the .co.uk website as shipping from the UK is much cheaper than shipping from the US. If you're not after a specific book, then the feline friends book sale is a fabulous bargain.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 April 2014 - 12:42
A lot? I've been pouring over the British papers and can't find evidence of "a lot" of violent attacks on wealthy people or visitors in London. Even a few of the articles on the hammer attack in the hotel said it was unusual and unprecedented. I too have lived in London. All cities have their petty crime and burglaries. If I had to guess anything these families were victims of a gang or syndicate that's targeting very specific types of wealthy overseas visitors and not an act of terrorism (as implied by another poster below). This is happening an awful lot in London, it is not specifically Arab people who are being targeted. its any wealthy area. Scary !
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 23 April 2014 - 12:18
It isn't terrorism. It appears to be a carefully planned and organized theft/attack on certain people. Not randomly done. So far I haven't seen anything in the British papers to indicate a pattern of wealthy people, whether foreigners or British citizens, being attacked in their London properties. A gang of seven men going after one family is pretty dramatic. Both this and the previous attack happened to UAE families. My guess is there's more to the story than we know. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 23/04/2014</em>
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 22 April 2014 - 11:32
Not just housing. School fees are going through the roof too. When we first came here in 2007, ASD's fees were lower than a good quality private school in the US. Now it's higher. They've gone up a clear 10,000 USD for incoming families in the last five years Just because RERA is saying it doesn't know anything doesn't mean it's not about to happen, of course. And you're right, it would be a bloodbath. Large rent rises combined with an insistence on paying in a single cheque will make it impossible for many expats to afford to stay here any more.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 19 April 2014 - 20:54
South Bali is crowded, whether you're in Kuta or Seminyak or Sanur (on the east side). Of the three, Sanur is quieter and far less hectic (and less trashier than Kuta, which is....well....trashy, plain and simple). Kuta and Seminyak do have the sunsets. All these areas are filled with hotels near the water and have lots of cafes and restaurants and bars within walking distance. If you want to be in South Bali and want someplace quiet, then consider Nusa Lembongan. It's a small island off the coast of Sanur and the ferry ride is about a hour. The island itself isn't necessarily much to write about but the water is lovely and there's some decent snorkeling, and since the resorts/villas on the island face the mainland, they get the wonderful sunset views. The trade off is that your selection of restaurants and cafes is limited. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 19/04/2014</em>
 
 
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