WhiteOrchid | ExpatWoman.com
 

WhiteOrchid

WhiteOrchid
493
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 17:10
As far as I know: Travel insurance can only be taken out from country of residence before departure and lasts for the entire trip. Medical insurance here is for residents. This is actually not always the case. There are insurers willing to cover someone who is already outside of their country of residence. It takes a bit of research to find such a company but they definitely are out there. I believe InterGlobal may be able to help out... worth a try.
WhiteOrchid
493
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 15:19
Hi my kids did E-sports at JBS last year and it was great. It's a 'generalist' camp which suited them (then aged 4 and 6). I think Active Sports is v similar, but I chose ES due to location (Jumeira 1).
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 May 2014 - 15:16
Hi as PPs said, the commute is perfectly doable in that direction. Personally though, I would be more incclined to live in Mirdif/Al Warqaa as it's closer and would take 15-20 mins.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 May 2014 - 21:41
Ah yes ... the joyful experience of the French consulate ... although it is much better now than 10 years ago. I remember spotting a mistake on dd 1st passport as she was entered as "male". The woman shouted at me telling me I must have registered dd wrong in the first place and it was my fault. I was so taken aback ... and also still hormonal so sat there asking them to dig every single piece of paper I brought in and signed until they accepted they made a mistake and agreed to re-issue a new passport for her ... unfortunately not in time for dd residency visa ... lucky us she has double nationality so we used her British passport for that! I am dreading that renewal as I have a 4 weeks window for the renewal but fear it may not be enough ;/ Omg... I feel your pain. I think you must have dealt with the same woman as me! But thankfully we are also Brits so all our visas are on British passports too. Only problem is now dd2's uk passport has been sent off and it's looking pretty tight for our summer holiday. Arrrgh, bureaucracy!
WhiteOrchid
493
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 May 2014 - 18:33
Not sure how long it took but it's important to be pro-active with the French consulate and chase them up regularly. For my ds I didn't do this for a couple of months and when I finally did get in touch for an update (having had no news at all), the woman on the phone told me off! Apparently the passport had been sitting there in a drawer and no-one had bothered to inform me. Not the most professional bunch! <em>edited by WhiteOrchid on 14/05/2014</em>
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 May 2014 - 08:07
Hi Spook, a couple of ppl responded to your thread yesterday: http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/topic222975-ice-dubai.aspx
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 10:00
Hi ICE is owned by the same people as the Lycee Francais Intl (Aflec). Basically it is a more expensive French school based on a 'unique' concept. You can choose between two streams: 1) French curriculum in the morning with French teachers (as at a French school) followed by accelerated English in the afternoon 2) IB program taught through English in the morning followed by accelerated French in the afternoon. It sounds good in theory but I would like to see it put into practice. It is already open but as far as I am aware, many of the pupils are not bilingual (which is the aim of this system). I also find the standard of English on the website pretty average - much of it sounds as if it has been written by a French person with a good grasp of English as opposed to an English native speaker. Having said that, I'm sure the buildings are lovely and apparently the food is prepared by the 5-star hotel next door. Lol.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 12 May 2014 - 09:53
I agree that 8 weeks is a ridiculously long wait for a new passport when you are in a foreign country. If it is not back in time for summer travel, is it possible to request an emergency travel document from the British consulate?
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 18:47
Sorry, I have to agree with PPs... you just have to take the hit and put up with it. I know that it's hard when your wedding is supposed to be small and intimate but tbh on the day you will hardly notice her. And when she sees that you're the only person who is not close to you, she will realise that she made a mistake by inviting herself. I was once dis-invited from a party and tbh it was really upsetting. It was my ex's 21st birthday. I had just assumed I would be going along as we were still on speaking terms, all of our friends were in common and it was just down the road from where I lived. As it happened, he decided he didn't want me there as it was too soon after our breakup (8 months) and he was annoyed that I had been seeing someone else! As I didn't want to stay home alone, I ended up going out with someone I hardly knew for the evening and bumping into a load of people returning from his party on the tube on the way home which was really embarrassing as none of them could understand why I hadn't been there. If this girl has booked her flight then I'm afraid there i nothing you can do.. just put it down to experience!
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 09:35
Mike Embley is a regular contributor to Dubai Eye 103.8's weekly program 'Education Matters'. I *think* it is on every Tuesday between 12pm and 2pm. I don't know anything about NA school but he sounds like a very nice and knowledgeable person.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 09:31
To those of you who disagree with the OP posting her complaint online... a) you don't actually know whether she did complain directly as well (unless I have missed something and she stated that she did not on this thread) and b) I d think it's a good thing to make a grievance public as the airline is then under more pressure to improve their service.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 11 May 2014 - 09:29
We nearly always traveled EK in the past as they are vg with kids. BUT.... this year we're saving 10k by opting for Gulf Air. Fingers crossed it will be ok. Lol :-)
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 May 2014 - 08:34
Thanks for posting - we had one of those canopies until a week ago when we installed bunk beds and it was too easy for my ds to wrap it around his neck from the top bunk. It stressed me out so I removed it. A lot of people have these as decorative features so I hope they see this thread.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 May 2014 - 08:25
She handled it very calmly - I think I would have screamed my head off!
WhiteOrchid
493
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 10 May 2014 - 08:22
2 1/2 years! Must be some kind of record!! No. I've seen kindergarden school kids on the continent still doing this and sorry but it was actually very gross. Are you serious? It is very normal for children to be breastfeeding at 2.5 years. certainly not a "record" of any kind, think you ladies need to get out more, you must have lead a pretty sheltered life to have not seen that before. Are you aware of the current UAE bill to make it mandatory to breastfeed for 2 years? (not to mention that already being recommended by the world health organisation) ....waiting now for the tired (and baseless) old "if they have teeth/are old enough to ask for it/walk/talk then they are too old".... I normally try and post diplomatically, and have no issue with women wanting to stop breastfeeding early, or not even breastfeed at all, everybody has the right to their own body, but I have no time or tolerance for people who feel the need to ridicule or label normal breastfeeding in toddlers as "gross", it is such an ignorant and hurtful thing to say. Absolutely, kiwispiers. You put it better than I possibly could. Thank you.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 22:51
Sarah Cocker you mean? She has left - I was listening on her last morning but did not hear them give a reason for her departure. Too many early starts with a young family perhaps? Lol. SHame as I liked her.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 22:38
I've been here nearly 10 years and have absolutely no wish to leave anytime soon. I came here to work on fantastic project with my dh, then settled down and had 3 kids. My life is totally different to what it was when i first arrived, but I still love it. My kids have been on holiday this week and I've enjoyed taking them to the pool just before sunset. Gazing at the beautiful skyline and hearing the call to prayer is so relaxing :-)
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 22:23
Hi we didn't have a car in Dubai at all until dd1 was 3.5 and dd2 was 1. Until then, I used the maxi cosi for as long as possible (over 10kgs), followed by the Sit n Stroll and then a booster seat. It really wasn't much of a problem. Oh and I took the metro a lot as it stopped right outside our home :-)
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 06 May 2014 - 10:02
Yes, our bmw is insured on a 3rd party basis too as it's older. That's normal here, I wouldn't worry about it.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 14:09
We just received our renewal letter today and thankfully our landlord is abiding by the rera index and not raising the rent. BUT... to all of you who *do* receive rent increases higher than that permitted by the calculator, do respond saying you do not accept it and enclosing a link to the rera website. I did this a few years ago and the landlord backed down. Tbh many are simply trying it on.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 14:02
Hi I agree with sarahlou.... just check out prices online, then approach buildings independently. There should be plenty on Dubizzle too. Good luck x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 05 May 2014 - 10:33
Hi my brother has lived near Orlando (Melbourne and Satelite Beach) for 20 years and loves it. He and his family have a beautiful home and his kids attend a great school - Freedom 7, originally set up for Nasa employees. There is plenty to do other than theme parks - personally I have visited him 6 or 7 times and have never set foot at Disneyland, Universal Studios etc. Plenty of outdoor activities e.g. water sports, team sports, and so on. Tbh life there is similar to Dubai only summer more bearable (if humid). Good luck, it's a great place to live.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 22:34
Hi minamiller You could water down your experience slightly - eg call yourself a customer service mgr. This 'having to make yourself look dumber' thing here drives me off the wall! Hi minamiller, I wasn't actually suggesting you make yourself sound dumb - just less technical and specialized. I know it's a difficult thing to so when you have worked so hard to get where you are, but in this market it will definitely broaden your horizons. I went through the process of removing buzzwords from my CV which sounded v impressive in London but which may as well have been in Japanese for recruiters and mgrs here - they hadn't a clue what they meant! The type of qualities they look for in westerners here are good communication skills, ability to take initiative, problem solve, adapt to change, organize, think strategically. You could always re-jig your CV to highlight qualities such as these.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 15:11
I sometimes think I've slipped back in time and it is really May 2008!! True... although unfortunately the market is still a long way off the 2008 peak.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 04 May 2014 - 09:06
Hi there is another one a couple of streets behind the Lime Tree café in Jumeira 1. It's right next to the mosque near Iranian hospital, alongside Salmin dry cleaners and a grocery store. Actually on the same street at the Ballet Centre. It's just a couple of mins walk from the Lime Tree :-) I think it's called Ali Bin Juma Tailors and Embroidery and they are quite reasonable. The manager also speaks good English. Hth x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 15:54
Hi minamiller Unfortunately I have to agree with skyfall on the nationality issue. I used to work as a (non-technical, business-focused) IT project mgr for software rollouts in the financial sector. I came out here to launch a stock exchange on a very western team, which went brilliantly. But gradually Europeans and Americans left and now the IT dept is completely non-western. Some of my former colleagues who moved onto other countries are now trying to break back into the market but simply cannot. Thankfully, as I am business-focused I have transferable skills and am able to secure work doing process mapping, writing policies and procedures and so on. If you are a service mgr by training you should be able to do this too. I would say the most important thing is to meet ppl face-to-face. Once they get a feel for your personality and competence they will be much more likely to take a 'risk' by putting you in a slightly different role to that which had in your home country. To break into the market, you could easily work as a PA to a very senior person (e.g. western IT director). This may not be what you are accustomed to but at least it would get your foot in the door. You could also do admin work for a company known to hire westerners (e.g. bank in DIFC). Tbh sending your CV out with 'technical support mgr' as your latest position will not get you very far, as ppl are likely to delete it as soon as they see the 'wrong' nationality. You could water down your experience slightly - eg call yourself a customer service mgr. Let me know if you'd like to discuss this further [email protected] Good luck x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 11:14
Ok great, will amend it to residential address then. Cheers x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 10:14
Ok thanks Di. Were they ok delivering to a residential address then?
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 09:36
Yes that makes sense, nicedaynat. I hadn't realized they had moved from Germany to Liverpool. Re: post code... I know this has already been asked but I can't find the answer. What do you put in postcode field if you live in Dubai? PO Box number? TIIA x I just put in zeros, same for credit card purchases too, that always works ok for me. Thanks Di... out of interest, which field do you put the PO Box number in? Just a normal address field?
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 09:22
Thanks, I've actually just put our PO Box number in that field, with a note in the 'Additional comments' field explaining this.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 08:39
Yes that makes sense, nicedaynat. I hadn't realized they had moved from Germany to Liverpool. Re: post code... I know this has already been asked but I can't find the answer. What do you put in postcode field if you live in Dubai? PO Box number? TIIA x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 May 2014 - 07:48
Wow, I am sending off my dd's passport today then! Sorry, haven't read all the responses, but does anyone know what has called all of these delays? Last time it only took me 2 weeks...
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 01 May 2014 - 22:11
How very sad... and to think that her last article was about how happy she was in her new mumsy life, having turned her back on her old partying ways... very strange.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 01 May 2014 - 22:02
I have to say I did think the 14k thread might be a wind-up...
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 April 2014 - 18:08
Sounds like I need to get my skates on if I can get my dd's passport in time for our trip home this summer!
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 April 2014 - 18:06
Hi my parents often fly with them as we have a relative based in Istanbul. They are vg value and absolutely fine. If it saves you a lot then I'd go for it. We recently booked on Gulf Air back to Paris as it worked out half the price of EK (with whom we've been flying for 10 yrs).
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 April 2014 - 15:51
Hi jenny, sorry to hear you're finding it hard to settle. Could you let us know a bit about your interests, hobbies etc? Also, do you know EW run coffee mornings - check out What's On page :-) Don't worry, everyone has been in your position at some point.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 April 2014 - 15:36
Thanks a lot for your advice, ladies! Went to Ikea this am and got some.. fc they will assemble well.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 April 2014 - 23:02
Great thanks gingercat. I also saw the Mydal which looks good: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20102451/ And you can purchase extra 'low' beds to go under high single beds and turn them into bunks, which is good news.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 April 2014 - 18:56
Was just in IKEA- several bunk bed options were available. Thanks to everyone for your responses. Gentle, are you sure the ikea bunks had beds on the lower level? Sorry that may sound daft but online I could only see 'high' single beds with seats or desk underneath. TIA x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 April 2014 - 22:56
Hi I saw Steve Richardson, osteopath at GMC Jumeira this week and he is FAB. Went from having debilitating stiff neck to feeling almost 100%. He is off for 2 weeks now but worth the wait.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 April 2014 - 22:39
Hi check out the Paras Creations fb page... or call 0553397445. Hth!
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 April 2014 - 22:33
Hi I bought a couple of Frozen dolls at Hamleys in MCC about to weeks ago. They were 'young' versions on Elsa and Anna. I also got a Frozen lunchbox in C4 MCC. Hth x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 April 2014 - 22:31
Hi cibacibute, I have posted on the board and will let you know if someone responds :-)
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 17:18
I had 3 of 4 kids at AFLEC school year 12/13 and this year all 4 are at Georges Pompidou (CP, CM2, CM2, and 5eme). I am also quite happy to answer any questions. We can take it off line if this forum isn't the right place. If you read french you can join the email yahoo group francodubai. Not much to the website but you will get emails daily about all things french, all written in french. I made the mistake of replying to one email question and got quite a talking to because I wrote in english. They take themselves a bit too seriously, not nearly as amusing as the conversations on this site. Hi ToutSweetParis, could you please email me? Thanks x <em>edited by WhiteOrchid on 26/04/2014</em>
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 17:15
I agree with LT. And I have to admit I do find the entire sequence of events rather 'unusual'... Hope all turns out ok for you, celesti.
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 12:54
Hi I posted about something similar yesterday... http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/topic222079-driver-to-collect-3-children-from-school.aspx
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 09:53
Hi the principal of NA school regularly speaks on 'Education Matters' a weekly program on Dubai Eye 103.8. I think it is on Tuesday at around lunchtime. If you check their website you should be able to 'listen again'. He sounds very nice and knowledgeable and does talk about the school quite a bit. Hth x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 09:50
Hi there is a lady who makes them in Dubai. Someone posted her details on the British Mums Dubai fb page... you could try asking on there. We have an Elsa dress but my dd is *very* attached to it. Lol. Hth x
WhiteOrchid
493
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 24 April 2014 - 09:49
Hi I have 2 (soon 3) kids at the Lycee Francais International de Dubai, aka Aflec. Happy to answer any questions you may have.
 
 
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