I believe that this could be missleading and you need to change the title to perhaps... "life in the U.A.E." because most of the things that you mention have nothing to do with EK or any airline. This are rules that everyone living here must follow regarding your job or position.
[ Prices in Dubai are very high for everything. Shopping is good here but it is all made in China if you check the label, so considering we have 5 layovers in China a day will you go to a shopping mall to buy a blouze to spend 10 times more for it than in PVG? So drop this point if you dream about good shopping in DXB. ]
And this is EK problems because?????
[ Accommodation - 1 br in International City - middle class - 45-50 000 a year + water electricity add another 15 000.
1 br in Dubai marina - 95 000 + 20 000
1 br in Sharjah - neighbour emirate - 35-40 000 + 15 000 + 2 hours in traffic every day you have a flight. ]
Thats why you are given a fully furnished apartment, if you don't like it it's too bad because the allowances are not that high, many people that moved out wish they hadn't.
[ Taxi - no taxi driver speaks good english. All smell bad. Everybody is trying to cheat you. Average trip on an average distance - 30-40 AED. If you are drunk in the taxi some drivrs threaten to call police and report you if you dont give them tip. Difficult to catch. ]
So EK is also guilty that about the taxi drivers now.
[ 2. What crew do in their free time -
a) sleep, and unfortunatelly most dont know how to manage their sleep;
b) Go to gym, swimming pool and other recreational facilities;
c) have relationships with various nationalities untill they have ticked all countries or at least continents;
d) Read and watch movies, chat on the internet and write e-mails to friends
e) going clubbing and getting drunk
if you do only those above you will find the life boring and not worth of living, your thoughts of going to your family and resignation will reach you in Grade 1 or so.
Here is other stuff crew do:
f) Open their own business - illegally ( hard to explain why illegally - there are certain provisitons of EK contract and Dubai Labor Law and Residence law)
g)working part time as personal fittness trainers, private teachers, guides, safari drivers, models - illegally( for the same reason illegally)
h) studying online or distance learning
i) running family life with kids etc
j) Going home for their days off with staff travel tickets if there is a seat.
having these activities will decrease your amount of free time but witll either lower or improve your cash in your pocket.
k) Buying and selling property ]
And EK dictactes what you are meant to do with your spare time right?.
I guess that I could go on and on but whats the point?, it's all EK's fault that's why people should
consider all your very valid points before JOINING EK.
As I said, please change the title and thanks for your "expert"
advise, I'm sure that you have made your point now, let the rest decide and discover by themself.
PS: you made me lough about the first boyfriend though !!, sooner or later most gets "lebanized"
(I know tht I'm going to get fried because of this), SORRY !!!!
