CANUK Feedback...

[YFlex]

Anyone out there who moved from the Great White North to that Great Sandy Dune have any feedback on their move?

IE Timmy's withdrawl....:bored:

Regards, Flex

[tbaylx]

Lots of us over here. The move can be a bit of a culture shock depending on how you handle new stuff, alot of the wives/girlfriends had a bit of an adjustment period. Most like it once they settle in.

Bad: No timmy's, expensive beer, it's damn hot/humid for 2 months/year and everything takes about 9 times the effort and paperwork to get done as it does in Canada, the locals make Montreal drivers look good, no Canadian Tire (try finding some stuff over here if you do any DIY, course you don't have to do anything DIY cause labor is so cheap, quality leaves a bit to be desired though),remember ATC that you bitched about in canada/US?...you'll miss them soon enough after flying to Asia a few times, gulf controllers are usually decent though, you'll be appalled at how they treat cabin crew and indians (not the NA kind) and everything is beige...all the time.

Good: You'll be amazed at how well pilots are treated compared to back home, no digging your car out of a 2 foot snowbank after coming home from a 3 day pairing, no deicing, hardly any weather and the runways are all 10000'+ long (easy flying), cheap cars, car insurance, boats, gas..NO TAXES!! and 10 months of the year the weather is great for BBQ's. You can really live a lifestyle you'd never afford to back home. All in all it's what you make of it, some hate it, most love it. i know there is no way i could go back home to make $40k a year at AC.

[CanadaKid]

There's no way I would go home to make $210,000-/year at AC.
Confirmed B/FSA tickets on your vacation, 20% pay raise over last 2 years, remember the pathetic on-time perf bonus at AC - try another months pay at EK - and ALL of it goes into your pocket.
No brainer.

[bus canuck]

What kind of "Canadian" spells CANUCK wrong?:uhoh::ouch:
Maybe by "Great White North" you meant Minnesota?:E

[ironbutt57]

Minnesota's not north it's south Canada eh?? You betcha!!:ok:

[Panama Jack]

The redeeming quality is that you can find good coffee in the Middle East. I think a Timmies addiction is not unlike drinking Budweiser or Labatt's Blue all your life and thinking that it's the definition of "great beer."

[tbaylx]

:ooh: Ban that man immediately!!! He just slandered Timmy's coffee....hmmmm timmy's, damn my addiction is acting up again, thought i got rid of that.

[tbaylx]

Ok there are 2 months of the year that even i don't BBQ...the rest is doable if you're a slightly crazy canuck trying to unthaw after 15 years flying dead moose around in northern canada.

[ironbutt57]

Yeah but that moose is really rosy when it starts to thaw huh??? Never! turn on the heater in ur 185 when hauling the boys out of the hunting lodge NEVER!!! learned that one the hard way!!:yuk::yuk:

[Desert Diner]

But the donuts suck big time out here

[YFlex]

Thanks for the feedback "Ya-All", some good stuff, gimme more.
"Seen" to many of those "Un-fore-seen" 17 hour duty days.."Yep", I did say 17 :eek:
Good old CARs looking out of us "P-Lots" in the "First World"

Flex

My Bad on the "Canuck"...got in from a red, going on a blue eye :}

[dooner]

if you do come "brings yer hockey gear buyz" pretty good league starting up again in a few weeks

What's wrong with BBQ in summer here, just a little humid that's all!! Used to BBQ all year round in the "Big Smoke" of T.O. mind you it was done in the garage in the winter with the door open ansd huddled very close to the closed grill for warmth, but hey anytime was a good time for a BBQ and a frosty beer!!


Dooner:ok:

[tbaylx]

Yeah the hockey is suprisingly good here, some great ice outside of BAH. The bangkok tourny was a blast.

The duty rigs over here are much better than Canada. At least in GF 17 hour days aren't legal..there are a few 12 hour + ones, but overall the rosters are alot better that way. Takes some getting used to only 8 days off a month though...lot less than Canada, howver we get 2 months vacation here so it balances out. Also the flight time limits are lower, UAE is creeping up but still no one has 1200 hours/year yet here. It's really embarrassing to see just how bad the duty rules are in Canada once you see the EU stuff, with the exception of Italy of course.

[Left Coaster]

60 days of vacation? You sure about that? Maybe TOO much Tim's....unless GF has changed the vacation awards and upped it from 40 somethin, I call BS...

[point8four]

52 Days LC - and if you chat nicely to the guys you might score 1 or two days either side -

[Left Coaster]

Way to go guys! I only got 46 :{:p Glad to see the increase for ya! Do they still split it, and still only give you one free ride "home"? They also used to embargo at a moments (or none) notice, I've seen stranded employees who were left behind when travelling on a positive space leave ticket (We had that lovely experience once ourselves) On a good note, we were treated extremely well by the cabin crew at all times. GF had that down pat!
Cheers, LC

[ironbutt57]

The 46 was because being UAE based it didnt include the public holidays which BAH apparently has more of....no increase but the cabin folks got theirs sorted finally....now back to barbeques...used to pry mine open every day I had off in Northern Michigan, (south Sault ste Marie) light it let it de-ice a bit then while it was doing that grab a cup of coffee, sit on the back deck, and choose which deer I was going to shoot to get my year's quota, put down the coffee pop the deer, then finish the barbeque hot or cold, there's always a way to have a good outside griilin":ok:

[YFlex]

Here's To the Life...
Popping the garage door at minus 30c-Opening a case of half frozen Blue-Firing up the "Q" with the boys on a October weekend
Awwww, i'll miss those times.

..WAIT..I got a tax AUDIT in the mail :D

Save some space on the dunes for Flex

[gimmesumvalium]

Sounds like PARADISE. Here I come!

[JoeCo]

Seeing as how we are on the topic of BBQ's, lets not mention how much the bloody things cost over here. However, my recommendation is to have a set of electric padals on stand-by to help you kick start your heart after you see the price. If you can get over that, you'll be set. OR have one shipped with your belongs if you decide to move over.

As for the 2 months that it really isnt nice BBQ'ing wx, here's what I do. Begin by hydrating. Pop, fizz, bubble bubble, glug glug glug. You get the idea. Run (walk fast) out side for the 1 minute it takes to whip off the cover and light it. Wheel BBQ to side window, in my case, the window beside the kitchen. Run back in. re-hydrate. Then from the comfort of your airconditioned kitchen, prepare meat. Open window, place meat on BBQ. close window. re-hydrate. repeat when the meat needs to be turned. repeat as required. serve. ...simple really!

However, all of this is useless information unless the wife can handle the sand pit as well. No matter what you say, if she doesnt like it, you aint coming. Seen it happen more times then i thought I would.

Other then that, lots of CanuCk's over here which makes for good social events. Plus a "club for canadians" which hosts Canadian related events for Canadians. Hell I even won some Timmy's at an auction one time. Its good and I'll drink it because i am Canadian eh, but over here i prefer Starbucks.

Otherwise, everything the rest of the lads have said regarding the quality of life you can afford over here is bang on. There's no way I'd be able to afford half the things I do here if I was earning a Canadian wage. I'm not saying its all roses or that the cost of living is low (I.e. rent - but lets not get side tracked with that) but my favorite part is that a dollar earned is a dollar kept and that makes for a huge difference.

Good luck. With an opened mind you will enjoy the change.

[Mugwump]

On the topic of bringing a BBQ from home....
Maybe a silly question, but do they use propane tanks or natural gas hook ups? Can you easily buy the small 1lb propane tanks for portable BBQs?

[Trader]

In Bahrain you can get either propane or natural gas. Nat Gas being easier to find. Not sure about DXB but I would guess both would be available.

[JoeCo]

Propane is available but it just a bit more complicated to get. You have to drop the tank off at the special store and collect 2 days later. Not so good when you are in the middle of a cook-out and your flame dies. Most of the guys I know keep a second tank and rotate the tank thru as required.

The gas in the orange tanks which I am quite sure is Butane, or cooking gas as they call it here, is easy to get. Just a phone call away. You just need to get the adaptor. Problem with Butane is that is has a higher moisture content then propane and will rust out your burner much faster.

[dooner]

As JoCoe points out about the rust issue, don't spend too much on a new BBQ, neighbour bought a top-of-the-line stainless steel rig from Sears and had to replace all his burners and a portion of his grills the first summer he was home, despite reassurances from the retailer that it should not have happened.

I replaced all my burners the first summer as well, on my 3rd set of "stainless steel" ones, now I just live with the fact they are rusted-out. Have tried to find new grills the last couple of days but can't find them anywhere, so they too will have to wait til I go home sometime next year or a trip to New York.

The big orange cylinders burn very hot as well not like the LPG. Was BBQing the other day and the point regarding hydration very important, have the cooler next to you and you will probably need a shower after you are done because what you take in goes right back out.

As for the hockey in Dubai, here is the website:

www.dubaimightycamels.com

Enjoy

Dooner:ok: