Dubai based mumsnet meet up!

[Starmummy]

Hi

This is an open invite to anyone who would like to join a mumsnet meetup in Dubai.

I know there are a few people, escape, Inthepink, Frogprincess, anyone else you are more than welcome.

Me personally would prefer an evening as I work 8am till 2 pm then collect DS. Not sure where anyone lives but happy to meet somewhere on SZR possibly or anywhere else.

Post your ideas and lets meet before school finishes.

See you soon

starmummy

[Ash80]

Hello,
I would love a dubai meet up. I moved here last year in June and have a 22 month ds.Evenings are good, as i will get my dh to babysit.

Ash80

[Starmummy]

Fab, I would love an evening out. I shall rally the troops on here again and the I know personally.

Where abouts do you live?

starmummy

[escape]

up for anything!
But no car or maid (to alow DH to ferry me) so somehere taxi-able is good
as long as its not Barasti btw!!

[Starmummy]

Barasti waaaaaaaay too hot at the moment, so if you want posh we can go to Bahri Bar down by the Madinat. Alternatively just some where at the madinat, Left Bank, Trader Vics, The Academy etc.

Is evrybody ok for a Thursday or is a weekday better?

[escape]

yes, madinat! cos i've not been yet!
thurs or Fri good for me

[ess]

Hi Ladies- can I briefly butt in? My DH is coming over for an interview soon so we may be joining you!! OK if I keep in touch with you all in case we come out? Probably going to have loads of questions to ask you if you don't mind. I've been on MNet for 4 years, have 2 DDs and am living near Guildford at the mo.

[inthepink]

Hi Starmummy, would love to meet up with you all, will see if I can make it before the end of term but have lots on at the moment, I work too but normally finish about 3ish but we have lots of people leaving so lots of leaving parties to attend and also lots of birthday parties, and trying to fit in a parents dinner for all the parents in ds class. (I'm knackered now just thinking how we are going to fit it all in!!)

If I can't make this one will def be up for September/October one. Please keep me informed and Thursday or Friday is good for me too.

Looking forward to meeting you all soon x

[escape]

Hi ess,
thats great - fire away with the questions!

[ess]

Hi all- I've done a bit of homework but my main questions are about what I'd need to do about moving really. Can anyone recommend a good removal firm. Is it best to use a relocation company or do the firm usually help with paperwork/visas.

Also, DD is 3 at mo and attends nursery 3 afternoons a week. Is it compulsory for them to attend over there or could I wait and sort that once were over?

When do they start school in Dubai. I understand there are long waiting lists. Any recommendations of good English ones. Were hoping to get school fees inluded in DHs package. We wont know where we'll be located until we come over for the interview so I guess we'll go from there.

Are the supermarkets big like the ones here or smaller? Can you get anything delivered?

Also, Ramadan- am I correct in thinking you can't eat/drink/smoke in public during day and do you have to cover arms legs too?

Thanks ladies- all this is a bit in the air at mo but DH seems quite confident this will happen and maybe quite quickly. They've got someone on secondment doing the job at the moment.

Finally- good lifestyle for a while or a long term option? Were going to rent our house out and come with the view that we'll try it for a year. Try and keep everything as open here as I can. Will probably put DDs name down for a school here too as she won't start til next September. Thanks.

[Starmummy]

Hi ess

Feel free to ask away, we shall all do our best.

Lol at all your activities Inthe pink, I know how you feel. If you are here at the begining of July will that suit better?

I think we aim for the Madinat on a Thursday, get the weekend of to a swing. If anyone has a prefered date thats fine by me.

Starmummy

[inthepink]

Hi Starmummy, beginning of July would be good I think everything will be finished once the schools finish for summer, 3weeks 4days and counting

Just let me know when and where, look forward to meeting you.

[escape]

Hi es
firstly, I've got Keys missing so will have to bear with spelling!

Find out NOW from your husband if the pakage will be an 'expat' one. what I mean is, if its anything like DH kompany, they will 'look after you'. IIRK, we had ato get quootes froma number oif removal firms, rekomended by them, and go with the lowest.

They should then have something in hand, someone working on your families behalf on visas medikals etk.

its not kompulsory for the nursery thing - there are LOADS of preskool nurseries, but plases are few. You'll manage something
same 4 skools. the MINUTE you know u are koming, what the finanses are etk, get on to the skools. I'm afraid you are not going to be able to pik and hoose - lots of good options though.

Is your driving lisense british?
I kannot stress enough to find out what hubbys pakage entails and most importantly housing allowanse.

we kame here blind, with a months notise, and its had reperkussions.
I AM NOT on adowner about Dubai - BUT the rental allowanses and skool situation right now, imo is out of kontrol, I would be intersted to know if other dubai girls who have been here longer than me wopuld agree - FOREWARNED is FFOREARMED
I don't want anybody to go through what we have - we are getting there now, but this kould have been avoided with knowledge.
I'd love to help you - keep me posted

[Starmummy]

escape . I couldnt agree more, the situation for schools and rent is waaaaaaay out of control.

es you most probably wont get a choice of accomodation, you will be so pathetically grateful to have found something remotely approaching your budget that you will look past any reprocussions (sp?). I know someone who went with a huge wad of cash to pay the deposit as soon as they saw something they liked.

We used Crown to move, they were intially more expensive but I told them I wanted yto use them and how much Pickfords were charging and they came back just over the Pickfords quote. Great job, nothing broken or lost!! Maid to clean the house at this end, a man to do all the little jobs like pout the light biulbs back and stuff whiolst the others unpacked and put together all my Ikea flat pack. (We have Ikea here sadly I know this from experience). Find where hubby will be and we can advise from there re location and schools.. escape is right regarding schools, there are lots and places are limited you just have to hold your nerve. People will be registered at a number of schools.

It def helps if the co. can help with sorting things, everything in Dubai works on Inshallah time (ie very slowly). There is a new nusery opening in Um Suqueim in September, taking from babies upto 4. The lady is lovely and the whole place looks fab. If that helps?

Supermarkets, like home but smaller, Spinnys sells stuff from Waitrose! We do have M&S food but not much choice. No delivery to speak of but the man does pack your bags and put them in the car, while the other man washed your car ;-) DS misses Birds Eye chicken pies and Walkers crips. Otherwise you can get most stuff including PG tips etc. If you ahve anything you think you couldnt live without tell us and we will let you know.

Ramadan, is all of September this year. School hours are shorter to cope with the fasting, it will above 40. You dont have to fast, just not eat in public in daylight. shopping malls and hotels have screened off areas for you to eat behind. Because of this all the shopping malls stay open till gone midnight to encourage people to come out and shop! Generally I cover up in the mall as it is sooo cold but people do wear beach clothes like see through dresses and stuff. wholly inappropriate IMHO. Just be aware that if you do dress wskimply people will stare. Labourers for example may not have been home for yearws, it just provocation. I wear city shorts or longger shorts, linen trousers, crop trousers, strappy tops, I just try not to bust out all over. But you will see people wearing all sorts of things.

Good lifestyle for a while I think. We are using it as a staging post for travel. Middle East, Far East and Australia.

Ask away with anything else no matter how trival.

starmummy

[Starmummy]

Hi

Sorry I've been absent for so long, you know hat its like with school hols and things. Aanyway if any of you are still on for a meet up, how does next Thursday 17th July sound? We couid meet at say 8pm at the Agency in the Madinat. Let me know if you will be there or would prefer a different day.

Starmummy

[escape]

just seen this Starmummy -
still on for meeting up, but have plans for this THursday (typical , don't exactly have the most exciting social life!)
ANy other time is fab
only away 29th july to 5th August

[Starmummy]

hi escape

no worrie, I think everyone else is away as no one has come back to me. So enjoy your night out on Thursday and we can meet anytime. Ds is in UK, he flew back by himself on Sunday. I am feeling very sorry for myself at the moment. especially as both the goldfish died yesterday. makes me feel like a really bad mother. sigh.....

[inthepink]

Hi Starmummy, like escape have just seen this, don't come on computer as much these days, would still love to meet up but will have to be late August if that's okay,(we are away till 21st August) if I can't make the 1st one add me to the list for the next, am looking forward to meeting everyone too.

Just hope our goldfish are still alive when we get back home

[Starmummy]

Hello

Inthepink, as it now work finishing time here 5pm exactly (spooky coincidence) I think I wont be going by myself because no one has replied who can come tonight. Never mind September it will be, allbeit manic in the evenings with Ramadan. Good luck on the goldfish front and enjoy the hols.

[inthepink]

Look forward to meeting you in September, and one of the goldfish died yesterday so now down to 2!!

[Starmummy]

Sympathies with the goldfish ;-)

I have also seen ther are at least two others here or on their way. Morgan appears to live here, and Brocili Spears is on her way, so more the merrier come September.

[inthepink]

Hi Starmummy,

Did you ever get to have your meet up?? Are you planning to do another now that Ramadan is over, please let me know as would love to meet up with you all, especially now the evenings are getting cooler (hopeful smiley).

Evenings are good for me and don't mind where.

Inthepink

[escape]

bumpity bump

[barbie1]

is anyone still on this tread?? can i join? dh has just been offered a job in dubai and i could do with some help/ advice thankyou

[escape]

go ahead, Barb, ask away...

[barbie1]

thanks escape to be honest so many questions but have found an expat forum on line so got most of the answers there last night. Im a beauty therapist, trained for 10 years with salon manager experience....im wondering if any of you know of an english based salon/ spa which would be good for me to enquire about jobs too? tbh i would be interested in anything office, real estate etc etc. No children yet, just had a mmc at 12 weeks but will be ttc as soon as my body is back to normal...did any of you have children while in dubai? is the medical good? sorry for so many questions! any other advice would be great.

Im just relieved that you can still get mn over there, im addicted!