Dubai

[trulymadlydeeply]

Am moving out to Dubai (from rural France!) in 3 weeks to start a new teaching job. DH and 3 DCs will follow in August.

Can anyone give me any tips about what I'll need to get by in the first week? Is there anything people wish they'd taken (pics, photos, books etc.) to make a new house feel more like home?

Don't even know what questions to ask ...

Thanks, everyone.

[rosbif]

Sorry no tips, but just wanted to wish you all the best.

[foxytocin]

if you love to cook, take a decent set of knives. just about anything else is easily found out there.

[Lawks]

You can get everything out here. Often it's more expensive though (despite what some people insist).

There is a lot of red tape when you first get here. You will find it useful to have a large stash of passport photos of yourself and your family (however many you think a large stash is, double it). Also, we keep a folder of 10 or so photocopies of all our documents because every time you want to do anything you have to provide copies of everything. It's useful to have copies of everything to hand.

Have you got a laptop and skype set up for calling home?

Do you know where you'll be living yet?

Good luck with it all.

[escape]

Hi there,
Good advice from all above,
i would say, that if you have plans to buy household stuff when you get out here, buy towels and bedlinens before you come.
Debenhams for example is well over double the British prices and M&S doesn't have that much choice.

For e.g.. DD wanted a Hannah Montana double Duvet cover (I know I know) 50 quid here = 15 via amazon etc..

Rental prices are back to what they were 18 months ago, so less of a worry and still to come down further.

as a hijack - do any of you Dubai ladies post on EW??

[foxytocin]

yes in stall skype on a laptop before you get out there and ship out whatever from your house you already own and don't want to duplicate as the prices for stuff is rip off.

we didn't have to buy sheets towels bedlinen but when i saw the price for run of the mill things i considered buying, typically take the UK price and add 20% on average.

i am talking about abu dhabi but i can only assume the same for dubai.

[foxytocin]

lol about the passport photos. true.

[trulymadlydeeply]

Thanks so much for this. I've been told I'll need 24 passport sized photos just for school stuff (for me!).

Was thinking about taking bedlinen just for a sense of it being home. Would love to transport my bed as well - who knows if we'll ever come back to France, and don't want to feel as though I'm living a transient life for ever more.

Thanks for the good wishes. After the terrible year we've had, I'm just glad we're back - hopefully - on an upward spiral again.

xxx

[Lawks]

I do Escape. But only for practical things. I don't chitchat.

[barbie1]

hi truly having moved here myself only in the last few months i can honestly say it all comes together once you are here, take time to get to now your local area once you move and im sure you will find everything you want over here. I had all my passport pictures ready before i came here, along with at least 5 photocopies of passports, wedding licence etc etc as trying to photocopier over here isnt that easy i was lucky enough to bring almost everything with me and thankgod i did as most is v. expensive here.
Good luck with the move, im home most of the time while looking for a job so if you want anything just yell, i can give you my facebook name and email if you want a contact. Any idea of where you will be living?

[barbie1]

escape what is ew?

[Lawks]

EW = Expat Woman.

[barbie1]

lawks thanks for that
should of known that as im looking at it every bloody day in the vain hope that i can find a job!

[trulymadlydeeply]

Hi, barbie,

I've heard I'll be living in Discovery Gardens until August. When DH and 3DC come out, I think we'll be moved somewhere else.

Thanks for all the info so far - I feela small shopping trip coming on for sheets and towels before I fly ...