I am amazed that people actually still visit this blog! Yes, Mary, as you have said, I am more into FB than blogging these days.
Indeed, there had been some updates in the past recent months. The biggest update is that I have quit my job. I wanted to join hubby as he prepared to relocate to another state for work. I was also tired of being asked to take on work that primarily should be undertaken by colleagues. When a colleague told me that he kept coming to me (for work stuff) because he had been told by 2 senior staff to approach me, if he wants to get things done right and fast, I was not sure to be flattered or upset about it! Even on my last day at work, my big boss said he would have asked me to follow up on a task (which is another colleague's primary work), if not for me leaving (and not being available to follow up after that). Surely there should be some fairness to me? I can only conclude that it is difficult to work happily in a team where your colleagues are either lazy or keep making mistakes at work, plus bosses do not step in to correct the unfairness.
After my decision to quit, hubby's office informed that he would not be relocated to the other state after all. However, there are a few options for him in consideration. There had been talks of him going to that state after all, or to remain in Dubai, or to relocating to another country. Am still awaiting confirmed news on that.
In the meantime, I am enjoying my time catching up on my reading, watching TV and movies, surfing and going out with friends. What was more enjoyable was the Paris holidays I have gone on with hubby right after I left my job.
Well, hopefully good news will come soon from hubby's office. Then, you will see me on blog again!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
1 Year Anniversary
It's been a year since I relocated to Dubai. Yes, my 1 year anniversary in Dubai - if I can call it that way.
Recently I was at the airport to fetch someone. The heat and humility reminded me of the first time I arrived in Dubai, when I stepped out from the airport into the open. This is my 2nd summer here. Time flies.
It's been a while since since I blog! Wonder anyone would still come to this page these days after not seeing any new updates repeatedly. Ha!
The biggest change during the last 6 months is that I am driving on the roads now :) That I would say is probably my biggest achievement in Dubai, considering that even friends with driving licenses in their own countries could not pass the local tests at their first attempt (and some requiring more than 3 tries) while I was able to, by the grace of God, cleared my test at my first try. Thank God too for saving money for me! The day I got my license, it was also my last day of the gek-sim (aka. frustrating) administrative system at the driving school. I can still recall being angry at the verge of tears at the way they do things there.
Dubai is infamous for their accident rate, largely attributed to the high speed and roundabouts. Cross junction traffic lights are rare here. My take is that due to the constant construction, roads get changed quickly and some were managed quite badly, that it appeared designed to create accidents! With the recent implementation of speed cameras, I believe the number of accidents had been reduced. However, today's papers revealed that the count of speed fines in the last 6 months was a 6 digit figure. Still, it beats the 3 digit death statistic caused by traffic accidents within a 6-month period last year.
I thank God for His protection on the roads. Have lost count of how many times He has watched over me! Hubby and I agreed that my driving style has been 'dubaified'. Can't beat them, join them... but safety is still number 1 priority. Losing some face and suffering some indignity is still better than losing your life or money over car repairs. In Dubai, once your car is hit, you have to file a police report by law. Quite troublesome so can pass it.
So, for the last quarter,
No more queue for taxi and enduring of the heat or cold out in the open :)
No more endurance of bad attitude or weird taxi drivers under bo-bian circumstances :)
No more harrassment from bo-liao men while waiting for public transporation :)
Able to listen to my type of music and messages in the car, versus listening to Indian or Pakistani loud music
Able to arrive home earlier! As early as 6.30pm, compared to as late as 9pm previously :)
Hallelujah!!!!!!
Recently I was at the airport to fetch someone. The heat and humility reminded me of the first time I arrived in Dubai, when I stepped out from the airport into the open. This is my 2nd summer here. Time flies.
It's been a while since since I blog! Wonder anyone would still come to this page these days after not seeing any new updates repeatedly. Ha!
The biggest change during the last 6 months is that I am driving on the roads now :) That I would say is probably my biggest achievement in Dubai, considering that even friends with driving licenses in their own countries could not pass the local tests at their first attempt (and some requiring more than 3 tries) while I was able to, by the grace of God, cleared my test at my first try. Thank God too for saving money for me! The day I got my license, it was also my last day of the gek-sim (aka. frustrating) administrative system at the driving school. I can still recall being angry at the verge of tears at the way they do things there.
Dubai is infamous for their accident rate, largely attributed to the high speed and roundabouts. Cross junction traffic lights are rare here. My take is that due to the constant construction, roads get changed quickly and some were managed quite badly, that it appeared designed to create accidents! With the recent implementation of speed cameras, I believe the number of accidents had been reduced. However, today's papers revealed that the count of speed fines in the last 6 months was a 6 digit figure. Still, it beats the 3 digit death statistic caused by traffic accidents within a 6-month period last year.
I thank God for His protection on the roads. Have lost count of how many times He has watched over me! Hubby and I agreed that my driving style has been 'dubaified'. Can't beat them, join them... but safety is still number 1 priority. Losing some face and suffering some indignity is still better than losing your life or money over car repairs. In Dubai, once your car is hit, you have to file a police report by law. Quite troublesome so can pass it.
So, for the last quarter,
No more queue for taxi and enduring of the heat or cold out in the open :)
No more endurance of bad attitude or weird taxi drivers under bo-bian circumstances :)
No more harrassment from bo-liao men while waiting for public transporation :)
Able to listen to my type of music and messages in the car, versus listening to Indian or Pakistani loud music
Able to arrive home earlier! As early as 6.30pm, compared to as late as 9pm previously :)
Hallelujah!!!!!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Exodus
December had been a slow month. Most of the holidays of the year are 'concentrated' in that month. Being year end, it is also a month when people travel out of the country for holidays. For me, I enjoyed not having to wait long at taxi queues. Nevertheless, I have wondered if the turnaround was solely because of the holiday period or is it due to people leaving the country brought about by poor economy...
Recent local news reported that about 3000 people left Dubai after losing their jobs. Some had abandoned their vehicles at the airport, leaving behind months of unpaid installments. Personally, I have also witnessed more than a few cases of people caught in awkard positions while changing jobs, or being given the termination. Most took it badly. Some portrayed a strong front. Whatever it is, I think it is not easy to face such situations and hope all things turn out well for each of them eventually.
January came. The taxi queue grew longer at times. However, the wait was not that long these days. I was able to arrive back from work for as much as an hour earlier! :D
Traffic at the infamous Sheikh Zayed Road has also been more of a breeze. Not that there is no jam anymore. Jams still happened whenever there road accidents occured. However, it was not like standstill like before.
Guess that's good news for public commuters like me! Taking driving lessons currently. Pray that I can obtain my license in good time!!
Recent local news reported that about 3000 people left Dubai after losing their jobs. Some had abandoned their vehicles at the airport, leaving behind months of unpaid installments. Personally, I have also witnessed more than a few cases of people caught in awkard positions while changing jobs, or being given the termination. Most took it badly. Some portrayed a strong front. Whatever it is, I think it is not easy to face such situations and hope all things turn out well for each of them eventually.
January came. The taxi queue grew longer at times. However, the wait was not that long these days. I was able to arrive back from work for as much as an hour earlier! :D
Traffic at the infamous Sheikh Zayed Road has also been more of a breeze. Not that there is no jam anymore. Jams still happened whenever there road accidents occured. However, it was not like standstill like before.
Guess that's good news for public commuters like me! Taking driving lessons currently. Pray that I can obtain my license in good time!!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Year End Thoughts
Today is the last day of 2008. Yours truly is blogging in the last 2 hours towards 2008.
This year has been a year of huge changes for me. It was also special. In terms of career, I had my sense of fulfillment as I was recognised for my work, which I had been preparing to do in a deeper context for years. Being involved in the transformation of the lives of people was beyond monetary satisfaction. It was also in some ways personal discovery and also appreciation for different aspects which my mind had not conceived of previously.
It was unfortunate that I had only a year to enjoy it. Despite being given the "privileged" green light to continue, I had to make the difficult choice to leave my work behind. It was certainly not easy but yet I know, the right thing to do.
Thus, I uprooted from Singapore and left for Dubai to join hubby, who came earlier to work since April. 6 months had passed and I am still around. Yes, I had my complaints of the maddening traffic and the summer heat. Sometimes, I had came to the stage to laugh about it, even the bad customer service standards here. However, I always thank God and even gave affirmations to those service providers who provided good services. Hopefully, positive strokes will encourage them to keep up the good service and cause a rippling effect?!
It was not easy to find a similar job here at Dubai. After some vain attempts, I had to adjust my expectations to take on jobs that are not as appealing. Did not quite think that I would be working in a construction sector! Nevertheless, it feels good to know that I am part of the booming construction sector in Dubai... In future, I will be able to tell my children and grandchildren that their mother/grandmother had been a part of Dubai's countless and interesting structure buildings :)
Having said that, I do miss my work prior to coming to Dubai. A lot... :I Well, guess there are seasons in life. I will be back, I know for sure. Someday......
Have taken up driving classes. After some ding-dong-ing due to the frequently wrong and inconsisent information system here, I had at last embarked on my journey towards attaining a driving license! Thank God that my instructor is encouraging and of a good temperament. That makes learning easier.
Today, I encountered yet another episode of crazy traffic. Wanted to return at 4.30pm from a mall (it's easiest to get cabs from shopping malls) but the queue today was incredibly long! Was it due to new year's eve? I detoured to wait for cabs out in the road but in vain. Even for the 2 buses that came, I was unable to board. Mentally and physically exhausted, I decided to go for an early dinner to replenish my energy. Thought the queue at the mall taxi stand would be shorter but boy, it was even longer! Never seen so many rounds of snake queue... Still, I thank God that I had my iPod and book for company, and that the queue was half an hour, not longer... if not, I might have killed someone! >:( The time I finally board a cab was 7.05pm.
The purpose of the 'detour' from today's topic was to reinforce my point: I NEED a license! Really don't wish to be victimised by the traffic situation again. I can pass my driving test... I will pass my driving test... I must pass my driving test! Apart from being freed from the traffic burden here (being stuck in Dubai typical traffic jam is the lesser evil of being stuck in a place where you cannot go anywhere), having a license will be handy in the future.
As for family, I realised that my mom missed me a lot. I kinda feel bad of being away...... *sigh* but I have to be with my husband. Prior to leaving, I know I will be missing the growing up years of my nieces. Nevertheless, am glad that at least I see pictures of their development. Siblings, keep those coming in! My sister's girl is looking more and more like her, whereas my brother's girl is getting prettier by the day.
:)
This year has been a year of huge changes for me. It was also special. In terms of career, I had my sense of fulfillment as I was recognised for my work, which I had been preparing to do in a deeper context for years. Being involved in the transformation of the lives of people was beyond monetary satisfaction. It was also in some ways personal discovery and also appreciation for different aspects which my mind had not conceived of previously.
It was unfortunate that I had only a year to enjoy it. Despite being given the "privileged" green light to continue, I had to make the difficult choice to leave my work behind. It was certainly not easy but yet I know, the right thing to do.
Thus, I uprooted from Singapore and left for Dubai to join hubby, who came earlier to work since April. 6 months had passed and I am still around. Yes, I had my complaints of the maddening traffic and the summer heat. Sometimes, I had came to the stage to laugh about it, even the bad customer service standards here. However, I always thank God and even gave affirmations to those service providers who provided good services. Hopefully, positive strokes will encourage them to keep up the good service and cause a rippling effect?!
It was not easy to find a similar job here at Dubai. After some vain attempts, I had to adjust my expectations to take on jobs that are not as appealing. Did not quite think that I would be working in a construction sector! Nevertheless, it feels good to know that I am part of the booming construction sector in Dubai... In future, I will be able to tell my children and grandchildren that their mother/grandmother had been a part of Dubai's countless and interesting structure buildings :)
Having said that, I do miss my work prior to coming to Dubai. A lot... :I Well, guess there are seasons in life. I will be back, I know for sure. Someday......
Have taken up driving classes. After some ding-dong-ing due to the frequently wrong and inconsisent information system here, I had at last embarked on my journey towards attaining a driving license! Thank God that my instructor is encouraging and of a good temperament. That makes learning easier.
Today, I encountered yet another episode of crazy traffic. Wanted to return at 4.30pm from a mall (it's easiest to get cabs from shopping malls) but the queue today was incredibly long! Was it due to new year's eve? I detoured to wait for cabs out in the road but in vain. Even for the 2 buses that came, I was unable to board. Mentally and physically exhausted, I decided to go for an early dinner to replenish my energy. Thought the queue at the mall taxi stand would be shorter but boy, it was even longer! Never seen so many rounds of snake queue... Still, I thank God that I had my iPod and book for company, and that the queue was half an hour, not longer... if not, I might have killed someone! >:( The time I finally board a cab was 7.05pm.
The purpose of the 'detour' from today's topic was to reinforce my point: I NEED a license! Really don't wish to be victimised by the traffic situation again. I can pass my driving test... I will pass my driving test... I must pass my driving test! Apart from being freed from the traffic burden here (being stuck in Dubai typical traffic jam is the lesser evil of being stuck in a place where you cannot go anywhere), having a license will be handy in the future.
As for family, I realised that my mom missed me a lot. I kinda feel bad of being away...... *sigh* but I have to be with my husband. Prior to leaving, I know I will be missing the growing up years of my nieces. Nevertheless, am glad that at least I see pictures of their development. Siblings, keep those coming in! My sister's girl is looking more and more like her, whereas my brother's girl is getting prettier by the day.
:)
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Desert Safari
December is a slow month in Dubai, cos most of the holidays in the year are 'concentrated' in that month. In fact, I am blogging this on a holiday! During a previous 3-day holiday period, hubby and I went on a Desert Safari tour. It's a must-do for anyone who have stayed in a desert area (or so-called... for Dubai, i guess).
Earlier, all I know about Desert Safari is that you get to experience driving around and being out in the real desert. Instead, it exceeded my expectations! I must say it felt different being surrounded by just sand, minus the real roads in far sight. Wasn't quite prepared for the rollercoaster like jerks as our guide drove his 4x4 wheeler skillfully up and down each sand slopes... We actually went on this tour with another family. The little girl was initially scared and kept quiet most of the time, whereas her older brother was enjoying himself, evidently :)
For me, it was quite fun. However, I started to feel a bit nauseous after a while. Somehow, after coming to Dubai, I realised my body can't take well to the repeated jerks whilst in car and being stuck long in traffic jams. After 15 minutes of solid safari, the driver drove onto the main road and headed toward the camp where we had dinner and night entertainment. He told us that it would be only 2 last minutes of safari. Within a minute of safari driving, the little girl threw up! Believe me, at that moment, I was trying hard to hold back too! The driver pulled over and allowed the little girl to alight with her parents and recovered. Thank God that I was able to hold on well... :p
The evening was an overall pleasant experience. Though sitting on a camel was scary at times (when it suddenly got up or kneel down to let me 'alight'), I am glad that I had done it! Ha! ;) There were the traditional dances performances as well. There was one where the male dancer had this flying saucer like skirt that lighted up when he danced with it... There were some good sports who volunteered to take that to dance with it. I must say that the turning around over and over again is not easy... Don't they get dizzy? And of course, how could I not mention the sensual belly dancing by the female dancer? The MC had to repeatedly urged the guys to sit down and not block the people behind (who are cosily seated at their tables) from viewing the entertainment. Even hubby and I had to step up to tap the shoulders of those guys to be more considerate.
It was indeed very cold out at the desert at night, especially now the winter season has just set in. Our guess was that it was 16 degrees celsius or below?! I thank God that I brought my gloves along, and of course, my jacket.
Alright, previous attempts to post pictures at this site had been a problem. Here's yet another of my attempt, though not sure how successful it will be!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Rain indeed.......
A few days ago, i witnessed rain while travelling in my company transport. It wasn't just rain but downpour. Somehow, my workplace area tends to be more prone to rain... I attribute it to the more plentiful water supply there. It's a man-made marina place... and close to the beach... well, whatever.......
Today, I became a victim of the rain. They say it tends to rain in Dubai for not more than a week in a year. Well, I have heard that flooding can be a problem. I have seen for myself the great jam the poor drainage system had caused. 2 out of 7 lanes being unusable is quite a big deal, not to mention the frequency of road accidents here given the higher speed limit and the way of driving here.
Just to clarify, I wasn't referring to being stuck in the jam in being victimised. It was kind of worse than that. This morning, I entered my office to find that my department area is flooded. The carpet is wet. Not a big deal for me. The documents being wet was some of a deal for me. Perhaps I should give thanks that my workstation is largely intact i.e. PCs still usable, whereas another department was virtually drenched by water......
Something that amazed me was the work culture here. I have heard of such stories but today, I am a real witness to testify. Instead of going to where the action is i.e. pumping out the source of water leakage, a total of 10 over workers assembled at the worst hit area in the office, awaiting confirmation to move the office stuff so that they could change the carpet.
Goodness. Didn't they see that the water was still dripping down?!? I find the question quite incredulous as I told the foreman to coordinate with the party responsible to fix the leaking roof first, before thinking of moving any stuff. He then proceeded to call some other parties.
What a Saturday. Thought I could at last start doing some non-urgent work for today's half day of work. Blame it on the rain.
Today, I became a victim of the rain. They say it tends to rain in Dubai for not more than a week in a year. Well, I have heard that flooding can be a problem. I have seen for myself the great jam the poor drainage system had caused. 2 out of 7 lanes being unusable is quite a big deal, not to mention the frequency of road accidents here given the higher speed limit and the way of driving here.
Just to clarify, I wasn't referring to being stuck in the jam in being victimised. It was kind of worse than that. This morning, I entered my office to find that my department area is flooded. The carpet is wet. Not a big deal for me. The documents being wet was some of a deal for me. Perhaps I should give thanks that my workstation is largely intact i.e. PCs still usable, whereas another department was virtually drenched by water......
Something that amazed me was the work culture here. I have heard of such stories but today, I am a real witness to testify. Instead of going to where the action is i.e. pumping out the source of water leakage, a total of 10 over workers assembled at the worst hit area in the office, awaiting confirmation to move the office stuff so that they could change the carpet.
Goodness. Didn't they see that the water was still dripping down?!? I find the question quite incredulous as I told the foreman to coordinate with the party responsible to fix the leaking roof first, before thinking of moving any stuff. He then proceeded to call some other parties.
What a Saturday. Thought I could at last start doing some non-urgent work for today's half day of work. Blame it on the rain.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Rain in Desert Land
Weather is changing... Gone are the gruelling days of summer when temperature could hit a merciless 48 degree celsius :( Now, winter is coming!
Yes! Winter! I never knew that in such a desert land, there is such a thing called "winter"! Not to mention about rain :) Have heard that it rain here once a year! This morning, I stepped out, expecting the usual cool wind. I got more than that... I realised that the ground are wet. It seemed more than dew.
Some colleagues said it is dew... Some said it is rain. My guess is it must be rain.... if not, how to explain the puddle of water at the side of the road? Whatever it is, I am looking forward to the rain! =D
Yes! Winter! I never knew that in such a desert land, there is such a thing called "winter"! Not to mention about rain :) Have heard that it rain here once a year! This morning, I stepped out, expecting the usual cool wind. I got more than that... I realised that the ground are wet. It seemed more than dew.
Some colleagues said it is dew... Some said it is rain. My guess is it must be rain.... if not, how to explain the puddle of water at the side of the road? Whatever it is, I am looking forward to the rain! =D
Taxi Adventures
Somehow, my previous posting did not get published. Hope this won't turn out to be a double-post! This is not a grumpy post. Rather, it's quite funny, though it is potentially worrying at the same time.
A kind colleague who drives alighted me near my place after work today. Thank God that I am spared the enduring wait of public (and crowded) buses. I proceeded to take a taxi from my alighting point but no taxis stopped. I “detoured” for 20 minutes to buy some essentials at the mall. Still, when I returned to the mall taxi stand, the queue was still equally long. I decided to wait, since my earlier wait elsewhere was fruitless.
When my turn finally came, I was thankfully pleased that this driver was very polite, friendly and spoke good English (easier to communicate). Again, I was mistaken as a Korean, if not, Japanese. Hmm… that means I am still pretty fair in complexion after almost 6 months in Dubai…
5 minutes into the journey, the first adventure occurred. A sudden hit! I thought the taxi was hit at the side by oncoming vehicles (the driver was turning out from a small road). Or did it hit the curb? The driver excused himself and exited the vehicle to inspect his damage. It was only when I turned around then I realised we were hit at the back by another car.
Oh… Why am I so “lucky”? I thought my journey would be even further delayed.
It was not so, thank God. Though the taxi driver did not manage to get any compensation (the other party refused to pay, he said), he proudly declared that his taxi was still in good condition, unlike the other driver’s car.
So, the journey continued. Only a few minutes of interruption.
I am thankful that this driver has a good temperament. I told him that it would be wonderful if most taxi drivers here are like him, since I had encountered quite a number of rude drivers. He agreed and added that he had learnt about customer service back in his country of origin.
Good – I thought.
In Dubai, it is common that taxi drivers asked questions, like where you come from, etc. I do likewise, in order to be build rapport and communication, so that I can give directions easier.
Towards the end of the journey, this driver asked me a common question: Is my family also here? I replied yes. I can’t believe what he said next! He actually said that if I were single, he “would not let me go”. Good grief!! My heart almost stopped. Was I hearing things???
The last gesture confirmed that I was not hallucinating. (No, I wasn’t molested – just in case your mind drifted). When I arrived at the villa and was due to pay the fare, I deliberately asked the driver to turn on the lights so that I can see my notes clearly. How else can I stop him from asking or saying crazy stuff?!
As I was short of smaller change, I told him to return me just 10 dirhams and keep the balance 4 dirhams. It is not uncommon here to leave the change for taxi drivers. My reason to let this driver keep the change was not just to quickly “get away” but I genuinely felt he deserved the “tips” since the journey was overall pleasant (minus the car bump and his unexpected expressions towards the end). The driver expressed his thanks for the tips. However, I tried really hard to suppress my laughter when he kissed the 10 dirhams note and gave me a big grin as he returned me the note.
What am I to make sense of that? Tell me! Hubby said I should sue him.
A kind colleague who drives alighted me near my place after work today. Thank God that I am spared the enduring wait of public (and crowded) buses. I proceeded to take a taxi from my alighting point but no taxis stopped. I “detoured” for 20 minutes to buy some essentials at the mall. Still, when I returned to the mall taxi stand, the queue was still equally long. I decided to wait, since my earlier wait elsewhere was fruitless.
When my turn finally came, I was thankfully pleased that this driver was very polite, friendly and spoke good English (easier to communicate). Again, I was mistaken as a Korean, if not, Japanese. Hmm… that means I am still pretty fair in complexion after almost 6 months in Dubai…
5 minutes into the journey, the first adventure occurred. A sudden hit! I thought the taxi was hit at the side by oncoming vehicles (the driver was turning out from a small road). Or did it hit the curb? The driver excused himself and exited the vehicle to inspect his damage. It was only when I turned around then I realised we were hit at the back by another car.
Oh… Why am I so “lucky”? I thought my journey would be even further delayed.
It was not so, thank God. Though the taxi driver did not manage to get any compensation (the other party refused to pay, he said), he proudly declared that his taxi was still in good condition, unlike the other driver’s car.
So, the journey continued. Only a few minutes of interruption.
I am thankful that this driver has a good temperament. I told him that it would be wonderful if most taxi drivers here are like him, since I had encountered quite a number of rude drivers. He agreed and added that he had learnt about customer service back in his country of origin.
Good – I thought.
In Dubai, it is common that taxi drivers asked questions, like where you come from, etc. I do likewise, in order to be build rapport and communication, so that I can give directions easier.
Towards the end of the journey, this driver asked me a common question: Is my family also here? I replied yes. I can’t believe what he said next! He actually said that if I were single, he “would not let me go”. Good grief!! My heart almost stopped. Was I hearing things???
The last gesture confirmed that I was not hallucinating. (No, I wasn’t molested – just in case your mind drifted). When I arrived at the villa and was due to pay the fare, I deliberately asked the driver to turn on the lights so that I can see my notes clearly. How else can I stop him from asking or saying crazy stuff?!
As I was short of smaller change, I told him to return me just 10 dirhams and keep the balance 4 dirhams. It is not uncommon here to leave the change for taxi drivers. My reason to let this driver keep the change was not just to quickly “get away” but I genuinely felt he deserved the “tips” since the journey was overall pleasant (minus the car bump and his unexpected expressions towards the end). The driver expressed his thanks for the tips. However, I tried really hard to suppress my laughter when he kissed the 10 dirhams note and gave me a big grin as he returned me the note.
What am I to make sense of that? Tell me! Hubby said I should sue him.
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