Avpilot,
1. Unmarried women living with a man if forbidden. Does it happen, of course. Just keep it quiet, don't get into other trouble and it will likely not be an issue. Technically female friends cannot stay but of course that too happens. Who is going to find out anyhow.
2. Take option 2. 8K USD will not cover your costs but it is a lot better than getting the typical EK furnishings which you will grow to detest over time. You will be out of pocket another 8K I would imagine but at least you will have nice furnishings. Here is an extremely rough estimate..... Flat screen TV 5000dhs, entertainment center 3000dhs, stereo and speakers 3000dhs, bed with mattress 4000dhs, decent couch and chairs 5000dhs, appliances 15000dhs, and miscellaneous..... 10000dhs.
3. Cost of living is still less here I think. It is going up at a fast rate though. Dinners out used to be so great. A nice dinner for two would probably run you 200dhs at least. Internet is a ripoff here. 250dhs a month for pathetic service and a great deal of restricted access (although that can be overcome if you are computer savvy or know someone who is) VAT is coming by the way. Salik, the road toll is likely going to be a burden in the future, if the rumblings of more sites are true.
4. Internet is censored big time. Moreso than in other countries that most would consider to have bigger censureship issues. VPN's are the only way around that. Satellite options are limited and very expensive too, with poor service as well. You can access US programs but they are usually older sitcoms. Sporting options are generally football (soccer), rugby, cricket and of course the ever popular Iran vs Kuwait netball matches..... with some US football options as well. I think you will find communication issues here in the UAE are a problem. Mobile phones and landlines are very expensive but work fine.
5. I have no idea what a Stby costs to US. I would guess about 1500dhs return economy but the issue of availability ie. getting a seat, should be the one to worry about and not the cost.
6. No coverage for elective surgery. LASIK is at your own risk and prior approval is required, but if it goes wrong, you are out of a job. Otherwise medical coverage is good and they do look after their people who have encountered long term, but recoverable health problems.
7. All laws apply to all people in theory. In practice that is not the case. If you happen to run over a 'local' you will be in serious trouble. If it was not your fault, you will still suffer at least some heartache. Blood money is still something that is applied in this country, much to my amazement. If you are unaware of this practice it essentially means that if you inadvertently injure or kill someone, say in a car accident, you are liable for whatever the courts decide you have to pay that individual's family in compensation. In the past, and I think in the present, whether or not it was your fault does not have an impact on the judgement. I do not recall any example of an EK pilot who has gone thru this though. In my experiences in Dubai, it is the idiot running YOU over that you have to worry about on a daily basis.
Injustice here is something you have to accept. You or I cannot change that so the only option is to 'avoid' things that will bring you to the attention of the police. If you do avoid problems, which the vast majority of us do, then you will not notice much difference from home........ other than of course the driving insanity.
As an example, a blacked out landcruiser (local) will never be stopped for driving past you at 140kph on the shoulder of the road, or jumping the line at every opportunity, or double parking behind you when you return to your car, or driving around in a car with windows so heavily tinted that they can't possibly see anything around them at night. The authorities recognize the issues, talk a lot about fixing it, but will never do anything to fix it. It is all about perception and if people around the world 'perceive' that things are changing, then that is all that counts.
8. Accomodation is a big issue with new joiner, single pilots. It is very common to be put up in 'temporary' accomodations, some ok... some terrible... for as long as 8 months. After that point you stand a very good chance of getting an apartment with windows that do not open, in the same buildings as the cabin crew. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your age and relationship status. I have recently flown with a number of relatively new, single pilots of all ages and it has become clear that 'temporary' accomodations are now the rule rather than the exception. I do not forsee this changing in the next 2 years. The disparity in accomodations is huge. You either get lucky and get a nice place or you get shafted. I have no doubt whatsoever you were not told about this in the presentation.
Last edited by mensaboy; 15th Dec 2007 at 07:46.