Tallybalt | ExpatWoman.com
 

Tallybalt

Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 15:46
We stayed at the Petra Palace Hotel, which is just a block up the street from the Movenpick and quite handy for the entrance. Paid around $100 USD for the room. The place is pleasant but not as fancy as the Movenpick. We spent four full days at Petra and loved every minute of it, but that's us. We took several long hikes around the vicinity and explored little known canyons and in general just soaked up the atmosphere. However I have to say I didn't care for the bedouins in Petra. The women were ok, but the men were downright annoying and irritating.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 25 September 2011 - 15:43
We're going back to the States. I did one Christmas out here. Both cooked (Christmas Eve dinner) and hotel dinner (Christmas Day) and it was just too warm and sunny and didn't seem real to me. Mind you, the Christmas morning walk on the beach was nice. Still, back to a cold and wet place and no complaints! Heathrow better not screw up our flight arrangements like last year when we got trapped in London for an additional eight days.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 24 September 2011 - 09:42
Landlord are not allowed to raise the rent in the second year of the contract period. He can raise the rent in the third year but it's capped at 5 percent or up to the average rent for the area as established by RERA. If you're in the first year of your contract and he wants to raise the rent, just say no. If he whines, tell him that you've spoken with RERA. Landlords can only kick you out of the villa with a year's advance notice. The exception to this is if a family member is moving in. But if you find out later that he rented the villa to someone else, file a claim at RERA and they will side with you and force the landlord to give you a nice settlement. I don't think he can increase your rent unless the rental income for the property is lower then what RERA say is the average amount for the type of property you live in. Also, unfortunately I don't think a 2 year contract means much as if he wanted you out he could just give you the notice period.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 September 2011 - 16:38
I've seen those. They aren't townhouses (attached) but detached villas. I honestly don't care for them. They're either in full view of Sheikh Zayed (with all the noise of constant traffic) or in full view of what, 9 high rise towers in the Greens with thousands of apartments staring down at you every day. Talk about a lack of privacy. I *think* they're simply called Emirates Golf Course Villas. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 22/09/2011</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 September 2011 - 12:39
Little kids are always saying silly things which shouldn't be taken too seriously. The best reply is to say "don't be silly" and roll your eyes and move on. That'll make the boy feel like a stupid brat. If the child persists, then it does become fair game to complain to the teacher and his parents that he's been saying inappropriate things.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 September 2011 - 11:23
I'd have to agree that this is the company's problem, not your problem. Let your tenant hash out a deal with the compay if he can. The company agreed to offer your tenant one cheque for a year's rent, knowing fully well that there's always the possibility the employee wouldn't work out and would need to leave the company at some point in the year. That's the risk the company takes, and I wouldn't cry for them these days when it's much easier to rent an apartment in 3-4-6 cheques. No company should offer a single year's rent in one cheque at all. The company should do the honorable thing and take over the remainder of the lease or assume the loss. Tell the tenant to deal with the company, and have the company call you and arrange for some kind of termination of the lease. Don't sign any documents or write any letter until you have spoken with all the authorities at the company. Get the company to prepare and sign the documents or a new lease before you even put your signature to anything. So I called ReRA again..First person I talk to said to me : If he paid in one cheque and he wants to leave then What's the problem? :\: Second person I talked to said to not sign or do anything but go there and open a case. edited by Tallybalt on 22/09/2011 edited by Tallybalt on 22/09/2011 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 22/09/2011</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 September 2011 - 09:11
I have the big wagon (the five door). Love it. Fuel isn't the best. I go through a full tank in 7-8 days. But the smaller 2-doors will be more fuel efficient than the 5 doors. One of the best things about Pajeros is that the petrol tank door is on the right (passenger) side of the car. Seemingly 75% of cars in Dubai have the petrol tank door on the left (driver) side of the car, which means pulling into a petrol station and filling up is a cinch, even during the busy periods! I can't tell you all the times I've pulled in and out of petrol stations in only a few minutes while everyone with a left-side tank was left waiting in long lines.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 21 September 2011 - 09:07
Really, what's so complicated? It's only a mix cake. Two minutes to mix, pop into the oven. While it's cooking, make the frosting. Let the cake cool, then put it together. There's no need to spread it across several days!
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2011 - 12:37
The role you describe really isn't part time. The hours are typical for most full time live in maids with a typical expat family. My maid has similar hours. Maids cannot be under anyone else's sponsorship except yours. The only exception are maid agencies that offer either full time or hourly services.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2011 - 11:06
I haven't been to Rome in about three years but you can see St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel without being on a tour. Both can be done in a morning and it's well worth it! The rest of the Vatican City (the bits that's completelys self contained) is restricted access only and I can say I've never penetrated that far. For me the Vatican is simply the basilica and the museum, both of which have direct public access, ie you walk in "just off the street."
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2011 - 10:21
You're advising a first timer to Rome to avoid going to the Vatican? Including the famous museum and the basilica? I think we'll have to politely disagree here. Three days, just do Rome and historic sites don't bother with Vatican city, expensive and a whole day out of itinery.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 20 September 2011 - 09:51
I love Rome! A plus is that it's very child friendly - where else in the world outside Italy where you can legitimately eat nothing but pizza, pasta and ice cream and call it a cultural experience! A good website to look for hotels is www.booking.com. We find it very reliable, especially as the reviews by guests can only be made by people who booked through the system (unlike tripadvisor). Popular places to stay are around the Piazza di Navona, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trastavere. The area between the Forum and the main train station also has lots of hotels but they tend to be on the cheaper side and can be a hit or miss. One of my favorite activities in Rome is to climb the cupola of St. Peter's. Stunning views across the city. The Vatican museum is wonderful (but be prepared for crowds). The forum is a must if only just to experience being in the center of the ancient Roman empire. The city is also filled with many beautiful churches, and while I don't know how interested your children are in architecture, do take them to Santa Maria in Cosmedin (near the Forum) because it has fabulous below-ground archeological excavations that takes you from Renaissance Rome (above ground church) down several levels of excavations to early Roman ruins. Few other sites in Rome give you such a sense of how old and historic the city is and that it's spanned several major periods in human history. Even teenagers should be impressed.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 18 September 2011 - 12:41
Banks have generally honored the rental contract period, although they won't renew the lease if the villa is in foreclosure as the bank will want to sell it quickly. Your friend has no police case worth filing. She just needs to prepare to move once the lease is up.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 September 2011 - 10:34
We more or less stopped eating chicken in Dubai not long after we moved here, although I do occasionally splurge on a whole chicken from the Organics supermarket. On the whole, I find the beef/lamb to be more reliable. These days we buy most of our meat from the Prime Gourmet butcher in the Gold and Diamond souk. It's truly superb and all sourced from proper farms in Australia and not noticebly pricier than Spinney's meats. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 14/09/2011</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 September 2011 - 16:53
Fascinating articles. I'm amused at how everything that's going on right now was so blinking obvious to any observer...two years ago. Everyone knew Greece was going to default, yet governments spent so much money and effort merely to postpone the day of reckoning by a few years and I don't think we're better off for it at all. Better get the shocks to the system over with ASAP and start moving forward. @QF: what broad and unsubstantiated generalizations...it's easy to play expert and pull the "I told you so" card when things go bad, isn't it? In any case, why don't you check some OECD reports issued this year to see which nations work the least (and it isn't Greece by the way). That's right. The problems are more structural. A great article on the greek mess is http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010 and this one takes the other side and looks at Germany - only vanity fair would publish an article in which the Germans' obsession with anality (yes, the bottom) is used to analyze their economic tendencies. http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/09/europe-201109 Happy reading!
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 September 2011 - 13:56
How much is the average wage per month - 2,000 AED. Started at 1,500. 3 1/2 years later she's up to 2,000. how many days off do you give: Fridays and half Saturday (all she has to do on Saturday is to wipe down the kitchen and do any dishes from our meals). do you do their cooking - No. But I will often offer her a portion of the evening's meal if I've made something in large quantity, such as a lasagna. I often offer to split leftovers with her for lunch. do they have a nice room and en suite bathroom - Yes. We provided a tv and basic Ikea furniture. do you buy their groceries - No. But she is allowed to help from my store of rice, noodles, oil, salt & pepper, vegs, after asking me beforehand. I always say yes. She ends up only buying fish/meat and special condiments. do you buy their flight home each year - Yes. This is required by law, I believe. giving one months paid holiday - Yes. She gets two paid months a year off, when I'm in the States for the summer and DH doesn't want to be alone in the villa with the maid. no baby sitting - No, she does not babysit the boys but she will "look" after them when I pop out to Spinneys for a quick errand. no dog walking - No. But she does clean up after the cats and change their litterboxes. do you hand down clothes and other items so they can make a bit extra - Yes. edited by Tallybalt on 13/09/2011 <em>edited by Tallybalt on 13/09/2011</em>
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 September 2011 - 13:43
Yippie! Then Europe, or Southern Europe at least, will become much cheaper places to travel to! *Fondly remembering the days when one could spend a month in a charming coastal village in Spain or Italy for a pittance.*
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 September 2011 - 12:11
The only way you can legally hire a part time maid is to use one of the cleaning agencies. The typical agency will require a minimum period of 3-4 hours at a time, and charge between 25-30 AED per hour. Full time maids on your sponsorship should start at 1500 AED/month with the one off expenses being the flight home + medicals + visa sponsorship fees and deposit.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 September 2011 - 20:56
Oh, I daresay there's far more Australians and South Africans than Americans in Dubai. We all have to leave at some point. None of us can permanently emigrate here, the most we can look forward to is a few decades assuming you can remain employed the entire time. Moving here isn't the same as moving to, say, Australia where you are given the option of taking up citizenship. Everyone of us will leave at some point, saving those married to Emiratis. I think it's just a numbers issue. It's not really saying that most UK expats who come to Dubai would rather go home, it's more that Dubai has more expats from the UK than many of the other countries. For English speaking expats, I think the largest numbers, in order (I'm guesstimating) are from UK, US, Australia then Canada and New Zealand. I've never liked those one sided whiney columnists. Most of them are full of sh*t yet they get paid by these big publications.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 September 2011 - 16:48
Almost all villas and apartments have tile floors, whether marble or ceramic. That's a large part of what may make a villa feel cold as the floors retain the coolness from overnight. Running around barefooted on cool tiles will cool down your body temperature and make you feel colder. But if you, like we do, have lots of throw rugs around, it's not an issues.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 September 2011 - 16:45
The Majlis gallery in Bastakiya sells artwork by amateur expat artists in the UAE. You may want to google their contact information and find out what are reasonable prices for artwork by amateur artists. I will have to say that I've bought artwork off extremely talented artists with years of training and studying at art schools and an established presence at art galleries, exhibitions and showings. The prices I've paid? Anywhere from $150-$1,000 USD (approximately 500 - 4,000 AED). This isn't meant to discourage you for beauty is in the eye of the beholder and most people who buy art do so because they like the piece in question. Nobody buys art as investment unless you're in the stratospheric range. thanks guys! The painting is acrylic, permanent marker with gold paint on canvas . I will be framing it before display. I have been contacted by a cafe to display my art there. worked on it for a long time and wish i could show you a pic but dont know how... I was thinking anywhere between 2000- 5000 . Honestly no clue since this will be the first time pricing.. Thank you for your input though:)
Tallybalt
654
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 September 2011 - 16:30
Some people say they feel cold during the winter months, which means putting on a sweater. Personally I've never been *that* cold. I'm in shorts year round and winter means throwing on a shawl or pashmina when we go out as we'll dine al fresco in most places. DH always changes into shorts/t-shirts after coming home from work and there's possibly one week out of the year when he'll put on trousers instead of his shorts. Some villas do feel colder than others, which probably has a lot to do with how large the rooms are and if you have grand two story rooms, echoing foyers or acres of marble flooring. Our villa is average sized and compactly organized and we've never been cold in it, not once. I can confidently say I've never seen a portable radiator in anyone's apartment or villa in Dubai. The only time I've ever worn a jumper in Dubai is when we're camping out in the desert or the mountains. It does get quite cold out there at night during the winter months.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 September 2011 - 11:51
We're in Umm Suqeim and our monthly DEWA has never gone above 1500 and that's for the prime summer months. In the winters it drops to as low as 500. I swear, hearing about all these huge bills in the Ranches and Meadows makes me think that DEWA has a secret policy of randomly targeting houses in those communities and stacking them with huge bills. They can't do that in Barsha or Jumeria because a random selection would affect too many locals.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 September 2011 - 09:32
About two weeks. Every year when I return to Dubai, for the first two weeks I can't wait to leave again and even start researching flights and vacation destinations, but after the initial two weeks we're back in the groove and life returns to normal. I start enjoying being back in my own villa, seeing the Dubai friends again and there's something very comforting about the everyday routine.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 September 2011 - 09:18
OP, you may want to check the terms and conditions of your package carefully. If the company is paying for school fees, that doesn't mean they will also pay for additional special help on top of the school fees. Odds are it'll all have to come out of your pocket. Hi Sheila, As many have already said Dubai schools are not well equipped to deal with children who have learning difficulties. I know JPS (British curriculum) have children in the school with learning difficulties (Down's syndrome, Aspergers, Autism) yet the children must have a full time learning support person that works with them. So on top of your school fees you pay a person to shadow your child and support them with their learning. It will cost you around 4500-5000dhs per month on top of the school fees which are around 38,000dhs + per year. We don't want to give you a grim outlook but it isn't easy.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 01 September 2011 - 08:56
The schools out here are private schools so they can and do choose the students they want. The disadvantage to accepting students with learning disabilities is that it's very expensive for the school to provide the special education services that the child needs. That's why in the US almost all special education programs are affliated with public schools and relatively few independent schools offer special ed help for those beyond the most basic learning disabilities (other than private schools that specifically cater for learning disabilities). So, while it's frustrating for parents in Dubai with children with significant learning disabilities, at the same time I can sympathize with the schools not wanting to have to deal with students with learning disabilities as the expense of recruiting qualified staff is quite high and it's also probably exceedingly difficult to keep them from year to year in such a transient place like Dubai. We've watched families with children with autism and severe learning disabilities return to their home countries because they just couldn't get what their child needed in Dubai and what was available paled in comparison to the much higher quality level of special education in the US/UK/Australia. I caution you to carefully do your research and try to visit Dubai before moving out here to scope out all the available facilities and schools and talk with the teachers and support staff about what can be done for your children, long before committing yourself to a move out here. The alternative, which probably doesn't appeal to you, is to find special boarding schools in the US or even the UK that cater to children with autism. London is only seven hours' flight away compared to 14 hours to DC or New York.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 23 August 2011 - 15:32
We got our cards three years ago. Does it mean they're now expired and we need to go through the whole rigamarole process? Or do we just have it automatically renewed by handing it over? I'm dreading the long queues....
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 10 August 2011 - 13:44
I have to laugh. 60K a month works out to $200K USD per year. That's an excellent income in the US and puts you solidly in the upper middle classes. Yes, one can live on that in Dubai. Just be sensible about where you want to live and cap your rent expenditures at 150,000 and you'll be fine.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 August 2011 - 10:36
A UAE bank can sell a "debt" to an UK agency, but the UK agency still does not have the force of UK law behind it when it tries to collect the debt. International debts are not transferrable like that unless there's an agreement between the countries. There's no such agreement between the UK and the UAE. The most the UK collection agency an do is to intimidate the debtor through guilt and fear. When the Dubai real estate bubble burst, it left local developers seriously in hock to major UK banks. Could these banks foreclose on the Dubai properties and seize them? No. Could the banks chase after the debt? No. They had to write them off. What works one way also works the other way. Actually, they do - because now the debt is now owed to that entity. They can take steps to recover the money through the legal system. He still legally owes it, he now owes it to the UK entity. Just because the debt was incurred abroad is not necessarily a barrier to them recovering the money. It can be done, it is expensive for the collector, but if the money is significant and they see a real chance of recovering at least some of the money to make it worth their while, they can do so. edited by marycatherine on 06/08/2011 edited by marycatherine on 06/08/2011
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 19 July 2011 - 17:29
You are not under any obligation to pay the landlord or agency anything to renew the contract or to register the contract with RERA. Simply say no. The landlord cannot kick you out of the apartment if you refuse to pay to renew the contract. They know this and they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes, and you must never believe them when they claim to have someone else lined up for the apartment! Real estate in Dubai is nothing but lies, lies and more lies.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 20:25
You can get 3 bedroom apartments in the Greens where Regents is. Very pleasant neighborhood, and don't underestimate how nice it would be to have your children walk to school.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 16 June 2011 - 13:52
We didn't have a bar at our wedding. It was a sit down reception and wines and champagne were served at the tables by waiters with instructions to go around and fill up on request. No spirits was available, not out of purpose but because I don't think we even considered it. That said, I'm mindful that other than perhaps a single glass of champagne it was very uncommon to have alcohol at most American weddings up till the 1970s/1980s. Most middle class Americans didn't drink wine. Spirits and beer was much more common but wouldn't have been acceptable at a wedding reception. People drank punches, sometimes blended with soda, water, lemonade and, of course, coffee. Providing alcohol for a large party is expensive and weddings are expensive enough as it is. While personally I wouldn't care to have a cash bar at a wedding, I'm not going to get upset if I see one especially as it's now expected that you must have alcohol at a wedding reception. But charging for all drinks is certainly tacky.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 15:43
Just as I suspected. I told our friend to absolutely not pay this extra charge. Hope this isn't the beginning of a long battle for him. I'm off to the States this weekend for the summer so he'll have to sort any problems out on his own, but RERA should help him if needed.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 14:03
They're housemaids, darling. Disposable like kleenexes. Just get another batch off the next flight from Manila. Sad that none of the newspapers even mention the housemaids. I appreciate that children will be the first priority but what happened to the housemaids? *Awful incident and I hope no one has died.
Tallybalt
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 13:59
Sharjah is not the same as Dubai, so any preconceived images you may have about Dubai really won't apply to Sharjah (other than the weather! Same here, same there). Sharjah does get a bad rep primarily because of a few factors: large parts of it is quite ugly and has a lot of light/heavy industry, traffic is absolutely horrendous and it is more conservative than Dubai. But it does have a lovely waterfront corniche area and while Dubai marketed itself as the emirate of flash, Sharjah marketed itself as the alternative and regularly has arts and culture festivals which are mostly held in several lovely venues near the corniche area. The conservatism in Sharjah will mostly affect you by the lack of alcohol and pork, but otherwise as a western expat you won't be expected to wear the abaya, cover your hair or anything like that. Just don't strut around in public in a bikini, except perhaps on the beach. That said, Sharjah does require a bit more of an adverturesome spirit than living in Dubai does. Dubai's lifestyle is very much geared towards the affluent consumer and most western expats fall into this category, so life in Dubai with all its malls and shops and restaurants and bars and recreational opportunities can be easy to slide into. Sharjah won't have the same levels of amenities. But on the other hand, you will be living in a place much more removed from Australia than Dubai and that in itself may be a virtue worth enjoying. Personally, at the end of the day I would look at living in Mirdiff and commuting to Sharjah. Do you know where your husband will be working? If he's over by Sharjah airport area, it's actually easier to commute there from Dubai than from central Sharjah/corniche area. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 14/06/2011</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 June 2011 - 08:34
Paris and the South of France will be very crowded during the summer months, especially July and August. Don't forget that France can get quite hot as well (nothing like Dubai, but still hot enough) so double check that your hotels/apartments have air conditioning. It's not a given. We had a lovely trip through Normandy and Brittany two years ago, visiting the D-Day battlefields and staying in charming towns along the way. We stayed in Bayeux, a historic town near the battlefields (do go to the American military cemetery), on Mont St. Michael (fabulous!) and spent a few days in St. Malo (an old walled port city and a classic French seaside resort). Lots of lovely seafood, ciders, cheese and apple pastries. While the water is indeed a bit on the cool side the beaches at St. Malo were still full of people and the boys loved splashing around in the sea. Another place to conisder is Strasbourg in eastern France and only a few hours from Paris. Beautiful cathedral and a lovely historic city center with good museums and other historic sights. Nearby is Colmar, which is very quaint and charming. You could easily do a trip with one week in a rented apartment in Paris and then rent a car for the second week and leisurely travel through Normandy/Brittany or to Strasbourg and the surrounding regions of Alsace Lorraine. Southern France is very popular but it comes with the additional crowds and heat that Northern France won't have.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 12 June 2011 - 10:24
A visit to RERA does seem to be in order if he can't get through to the landlord in the next few days. As regards renewing the contract, he emailed me a scan of it and I noticed that in the Period of Tenancy it states "One year only" and in the Observations at the bottom it also states that "This tenancy contract is valid for one year only," but the observations continues on the second page to further say: "2 months prior notice should be given by Landlord/Tenant for renewing ior vacating the apartment," and "in case if tenant fails to give a two months notice before the expiry the tenant has to pay one month penalty." The language here is a bit tricky. I'm assuming that the "one year only" in the period of tenancy refers to the duration of the contract period, not preventing it from being renewed for a second year? After all, the remaining observations implies it can be renewed? If he has a renewable contract then he can renew. Has he sent something in writing and can he prove that? I would pop down to the rent committee and ask them for their advice. go in person with his tenancy contract. I think you can lodge your rent cheque with the rent committee - so when he re-surfaces he cal tell the LL that his signed renewed contract is with the rent comm together with his rent cheque.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 09 June 2011 - 10:46
Don't get your hopes up. Our friends tried dumping ice blocks into their unchilled pool. The ice melted with no change to the water temperature. The kids did have fun hanging onto the ice before it disappeared. You're better off waiting for cooler weather.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 June 2011 - 20:10
My favorite part of Vietnam was Sapa up in the mountains of north Vietnam. We had fabulous hikes through the local ethnic villages and it was a real eye opener to an entirely different world. We also enjoyed Hoi An and Hue, which are historic towns in central Vietnam. I did not like Hanoi as its very loud and congested, but it is certainly an interesting place, like Deira on steroids. Halong Bay is lovely. Food is very good and very cheap. Hotels are also cheap but as with most places the more you pay the better. But in Vietnam $50 a night gets you a very nice hotel. The issue for me is taking young children. I wouldn't be comfortable taking my boys to Hanoi, but outside Hanoi I wouldn't have a problem. But keep in mind that Vietnam is not like Thailand, and Vietnam doesn't have much in the way of child friendly resorts. It can be a difficult country to travel though so some patience is required.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 14:10
My cousin pays about 15,000 GBP (5,000 GBP per term) per child for schooling at two excellent London private schools. It's more expensive than most Dubai schools but school fees in London will vary widely. Are you looking at fee paying schools or state schools? If the former it shouldn't be too difficult to find information online by googling London area prep schools that offer specialist support and then taking it from there. But bear in mind that private school fees, especially in London, will be about 3 times more expensive than the most expensive schools here. Or so I'm told by my friends in London.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 June 2011 - 13:47
Are you looking at fee paying schools or state schools? If the former it shouldn't be too difficult to find information online by googling London area prep schools that offer specialist support and then taking it from there.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2011 - 15:51
Get separate bank accounts and separate credit cards and make sure you're not liable for any of his debts. It's his life, his pay check and his decisions. Harsh, perhaps? But I've observed enough that either couples have a truly joint relationship where they see all the financial decisions as joint and all incomes and savings as joint, or they have completely separate finances with mutual agreements on how much to contribute to housing and living expenses. Whichever road you go down will be dependent on the personality of your husband and how realistic it is for him to change his spending habits.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 06 June 2011 - 08:28
Oooh! Royal China on Bayswater does fabulous dim sum! Will this new branch do the same? More importantly, do they have a pork license? It's hard to imagine dim sum without pork!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 June 2011 - 14:29
If he has children, he should be classified as a "family man," not a bachelor, and he should be able to sponsor a maid. Alternatively he could get a live in maid that's sponsored by an agency, not himself. A quick visit or phone call to immigration should clarify the issue.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 31 May 2011 - 13:29
I just want to point out that the Bloomingdales in Dubai is not the same as the Bloomingdales in New York. The Al Tayer retail group bought the rights to use the Bloomingdale image, name and branding, but the actual store itself is not owned by Bloomingdale, which isn't a surprise given how different the Dubai store is from the New York store. You can try contacting the New York store but I doubt they'll be able to help you in Dubai. If you bought something from the New York store, that's a different story.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 14:19
We have the 5-door Pajero 3.0. Yep, just like half the families in Dubai. A full tank of petrol cost about 130 AED and lasts me anywhere from 7 - 10 days, including school runs, shopping and general errands. I average around 400 kilometers a week. So it's not bad, at all, and I imagine the 2-door will be more efficient as it's a smaller car. Pajeros are very reliable and we're happy with it, but DH's Prado admittedly has a better air conditioning unit.
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 11:12
In addition to the below: Glenalmond College Loretto Gordonstoun Kilgraston St. Leonards Dollar Academy Stewart Melville and St. Georges in Edinburgh are mostly day schools but they also have boarding houses Strathallan
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 30 May 2011 - 08:26
In the West we have developed a very strong understanding of what's acceptable behavior around children, especially young children. These unwritten rules are now ingrained into our cultural sensibilities, but many other cultures simply don't have these behavioral rules. I imagine the men in question are probably South Asians? Odds are they're only attracted to a reasonably priced cafe in the vicinity that happens to be inside Mini Monsters, and as for the noise, well, if you're from a crowded South Asian city, the noise of children running around is going to be the least of your worries. I'm sure it's never occurred to the men that they're posing an awkward situation (at least I hope so!). <em>edited by Tallybalt on 30/05/2011</em>
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 26 May 2011 - 15:53
It's like applying to universities. You can't take the rejections personally. They can't possibly take everyone. And life will turn out just fine. (Yes, I know it can still hurt!)
Tallybalt
654
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 26 May 2011 - 09:37
As DH said, something is rotten in the state of Denmark....
 
 
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