Emirates - Commuting from Oz
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: sandbox
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mociamIII,
I feel your pain! I moved a wife and 2 kids here in 2003. We do here what we would do at home. School activities, sports, church on Fridays, recreation and homework. We have school soccer, private soccer,baseball in the winter, piano lessons, art lessons, horseback riding lessons, swimming,drama after school. Some are free, some have a small fee and some are expensive. (anything having to do with a horse, bring the bank with you)! We go to movies, bowling, camping. Basically we do what we would do at home. I play alot of golf! It is not cheap at times and it is not easy with the rotating bid groups. It is hard to get weekends off in the bottom 3 groups. But in the top 2 groups I bid only ULR trips and work either 9 or 12 days a month. Those months we play.
My kids school has at least 30 after school activities each term. Anything from swimming to balet to science camp and anything in between. These are very low cost and give the kids some extra activities. Your kids will be able to make whatever they want to out of the time in Dubai. Plus, for a fee, there are cricket camps, soccer camps, rugby camps, boy scouts. There is plenty here to do, but unfortunately most of is has a fee. I will also tell you that as a F/O I could barely afford one or two of these activities. The fo salary then barely covered your basic expenses, especially if you have kids in school and paying out of pocket, and if you are sending money home. I am not sure about the fo salary now with the flight pay. One of the fo's may be able to help you.
As you have read on these forums for years, Dubai is what you make of it. I would rather be home, there is no doubt. But that is not an option, so here I am. We enjoy living here, but we enjoy going home for the summer (the family anyway) even more. I wish I had cheaper golf, and more salary, but that will come with time I hope. Traffic is terrible, construction is every where and not planned, food prices are very inflationary, as are school fees. But all in all I enjoy living here. Your kids will thrive in the international environment.
You are right about the areas around Dubai. Oman is one of the most beautiful and friendly places I have ever been. We love going there. Al Ain is great with a great Zoo. Anywhere you can drive to from Dubai has something to offer.
In the mean time I am off to the winter choir concert at the high school tonight, my daughter is singing a solo! She gets it from her mother.
Hope it helps,
330 man
I feel your pain! I moved a wife and 2 kids here in 2003. We do here what we would do at home. School activities, sports, church on Fridays, recreation and homework. We have school soccer, private soccer,baseball in the winter, piano lessons, art lessons, horseback riding lessons, swimming,drama after school. Some are free, some have a small fee and some are expensive. (anything having to do with a horse, bring the bank with you)! We go to movies, bowling, camping. Basically we do what we would do at home. I play alot of golf! It is not cheap at times and it is not easy with the rotating bid groups. It is hard to get weekends off in the bottom 3 groups. But in the top 2 groups I bid only ULR trips and work either 9 or 12 days a month. Those months we play.
My kids school has at least 30 after school activities each term. Anything from swimming to balet to science camp and anything in between. These are very low cost and give the kids some extra activities. Your kids will be able to make whatever they want to out of the time in Dubai. Plus, for a fee, there are cricket camps, soccer camps, rugby camps, boy scouts. There is plenty here to do, but unfortunately most of is has a fee. I will also tell you that as a F/O I could barely afford one or two of these activities. The fo salary then barely covered your basic expenses, especially if you have kids in school and paying out of pocket, and if you are sending money home. I am not sure about the fo salary now with the flight pay. One of the fo's may be able to help you.
As you have read on these forums for years, Dubai is what you make of it. I would rather be home, there is no doubt. But that is not an option, so here I am. We enjoy living here, but we enjoy going home for the summer (the family anyway) even more. I wish I had cheaper golf, and more salary, but that will come with time I hope. Traffic is terrible, construction is every where and not planned, food prices are very inflationary, as are school fees. But all in all I enjoy living here. Your kids will thrive in the international environment.
You are right about the areas around Dubai. Oman is one of the most beautiful and friendly places I have ever been. We love going there. Al Ain is great with a great Zoo. Anywhere you can drive to from Dubai has something to offer.
In the mean time I am off to the winter choir concert at the high school tonight, my daughter is singing a solo! She gets it from her mother.
Hope it helps,
330 man
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SAJungle
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Thank you 330 Man and L1011
Your inputs are about the best input I could have on the environment. So scratch commuting and decide if Dubai can be our final destination and it does have some scary aspects from our perspective! But than I suppose that is standard.
On the staff travel issue, does one make use of it and is it worth planning for that sort of adventure or more of a pipe dream?
Enjoy your daughter's concert.
Your inputs are about the best input I could have on the environment. So scratch commuting and decide if Dubai can be our final destination and it does have some scary aspects from our perspective! But than I suppose that is standard.
On the staff travel issue, does one make use of it and is it worth planning for that sort of adventure or more of a pipe dream?
Enjoy your daughter's concert.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Thanks to all of you who have kindly answered the questions that us "potentials" have. One last one from me is, how much per month would a single bloke have to budget on to live a "reasonable" life in the pit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I would be required to send money home every month. Thanks.
