Another post to make up for the lack of them for the last few weeks! So much has happened that it's been difficult finding the time to make videos and post updates. Alas, Spring Break is upon us and I finally have the hours and minutes on my side. So I shall indulge you all with less words and more videos. Hopefully, the pictures and clips speak for themselves the experience I have had here in Abu Dhabi. There has been some bumps along the journey but it's been mostly great if not awesome! Being placed at a school where you feel comfortable, welcomed, and supported does make all the difference in the world. The kids have been manageable and I must admit I'm beginning to adore them, more on some days than others, but I do enjoy working with them overall thus far! I pray that things continue to go smoothly into & throughout the next and final trimester.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Major Update and Tips Galore
I remember the time when I went cliff jumping in Jamaica. I was so scared that I kept tiptoeing to the edge of the cliff, looked down, and then backed up to the wall about 15 to 20 times. I couldn't get over my fear. But as my friends were getting packed up to return to the hotel, threatening to leave without me, I finally convinced myself that it was now or never and my motto "live life with no regrets" came to mind...so I jumped. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had in my life.
The entire Abu Dhabi experience has been like that for me thus far. Every time I feel afraid, doubtful, or anxious...every time I face a challenge or obstacle...I tell myself that "this, too, shall pass" and "I will survive and live to tell the tale". Despite all the ups and downs I've gone through since leaving Chicago, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Before I came here, I read and followed many, many blogs, soaking up as much knowledge as I could, and I've often wondered why people wrote frequently at the beginning, then went on a month-long hiatus, came back, and finally dwindled to little or no updates. I, of course, understood that it was the novelty of everything when the journey first started and gradually & sometimes suddenly the writers got busy, especially when work and life caught up with them, but still I was determined to break the vicious cycle. Well, it does pain me to admit that I became one of those bloggers - I did go on a month-long hiatus because I did get swamped with work-related matters the moment that I received my school placement and was told to report to work. After several weeks of running around like a headless chicken, the dust is finally beginning to settle. Hopefully, I'll be better at updating in the weeks, months, and years ahead here in the UAE!
Tips at Random:
- Clothing: You may have read that it is highly advised to dress conservatively in a Muslim nation. In reality, though, expats/tourists dress in a wide variety of ways, from short-shorts to long skirts, and nobody seem to mind (or at least have not said anything). Now I wouldn't recommend dressing too liberally at government-related, religious, or official, business-type establishments (unless you don't mind drawing some attention), but most people have been fine wearing what they usually wear in their home country at malls, restaurants, and other casual public places. I, personally, enjoy wearing long dresses and shirts and lean more on the conservative side but you must decide for yourself what you're most comfortable with once you get here; whatever you choose you're more than likely going to be fine. However, I do want to leave you with "DON'T OVER PACK YOUR SUITCASES". You can find basically everything here at Lulu's, Carrefour, and malls, malls, malls.
- If you're from the US, your NBAD branch is NBAD Direct. It's no big deal. You just fill out an extra form regarding taxes. Everyone else is another branch because their country's tax laws aren't as complicated.
- Copies of documents: I would bring maybe 5-10 colored copies of the passport and only 2-3 colored copies of the work (entry) visa that the travel agency (Nirvana) sends to you with your travel itinerary. Why only 2-3 for the work (entry) visa? Because it's the STAMPED work (entry) visa that vendors, companies, and agencies accept here. The only way to get the stamp is to arrive at the Abu Dhabi Airport and get it from the immigration officer right before you collect your luggage. This means you will have to politely ask the front desk to make copies of the stamped work (entry) visa when you check in at the hotel. Oh, do have your authenticated docs, originals of docs, a couple copies of those docs, and maybe 5-10 passport-type photos. Honestly, I've only been asked to provide 2 so far but having some extra lying around wouldn't hurt, especially if they give you a peace of mind.
- DO bring 2 passport-type photos in a BLUE background. They're for your school I.D.
- Desert safari: It should only cost you around 120 dirhams per adult (less for kids) if you've gathered a small group of 4-8 people to go and the company picks you all up in Abu Dhabi. The safari should cost less per person if the company picks you up in Dubai (around 80-100 dirhams per adult) because the camps are closer to Dubai. ** Please make sure the company KNOWS you're in Abu Dhabi if that's where you're being picked up. Our first attempt failed because they thought we were in Dubai, which led to confusion, delay, frustration, and cancellation. **
- Places to buy essentials: (1) grocery and everyday products at Lulu's, Carrefour, or Spinney's >> (2) electronics and appliances at eMax [there's one at Dalma Mall] or DG Sharif [there's one at Mushrif Mall] >> (3) furniture at IKEA [Yas Island], Home Centre [one at Marina Mall and another at Dalma Mall], Danube Build Mart [big one at Dalma Mall and small one at Mushrif Mall], Pan Emirates [Madinat Zayed or MZ], and The Living Room [MZ] >> (4) abayas at Blue Diamond near [MZ or Abu Dhabi Mall] >> (5) carpets & rugs at the carpet souk near [Al Mina Port] >> (6) School supplies at The Book Shop near [Al Wahda Mall] or huge bookstores [one at Al Mina Port and one out in Mussafah] >> ** The aforementioned places are only some of the establishments to purchase things at. There are probably many others that offer better quality products and/or lower prices but I didn't have the time or patience to investigate. If you keep your eyes peeled, explore, and do your research, you'll discover some great deals, different places for different things. **
- Cars: Buying is the most economical way to go in the long run but most of us don't have this type of funds when we first arrive. The next is leasing but beware of having debts in this country. Then there's renting - it should run you around 1600 dirhams (more or less) per month for the smallest & least powerful cars but full insurance is included in that amount. Make sure to mention that you're with ADEC. Again, shop around - Hertz, Fast, United, etc. ** Most car rental companies require a credit card to place a security deposit (~1050 dirhams) "hold" on in order to hire one of their vehicles ON TOP OF forking up the amount (1650 dirhams) for the rental, which can be paid with cash, debit card, or another credit card. The security deposit of around 1050 dirhams will NOT be charged or taken out of your credit card at the time of rental but a "hold" of that amount will be on it - this is just in case you damage their car, get a traffic violation while using their car, or run off with their car. Btw, people have said great things about Capital One credit cards that do not charge international or foreign transaction fees. Again, please do your homework before enrolling. :)
- About a week or two after you've gotten your medical check and Emirate ID fingerprinting, email your EMT support or visit the ADEC office in person to inquire about your passport, resident visa, health insurance card, getting school attendance fingerprinting done, getting school ID done, ERP number (which should also be on your health insurance card), and ADEC email since you may or may not get emails about their status of being ready.
- Call the toll-free number (800 number) on your Emirate ID receipt to see if your Emirate ID is ready for pick up. If it is ready, you will pick it up at a post office - the main one in the Madinat Zayed area of the city if you're placed in Abu Dhabi (city).
- Driving License: I'm not sure how it works for other countries but for those of you coming from the US you will need to get your driving license (from home) translated, bring the driving license original, bring your passport original (which should also have your Emirate residency visa inside), bring your Emirate ID (may not be necessary), and then apply for the Emirate driving license. The cost of translation should run you ~100 dirhams (less if you have a hook up aka a translator named Suhail [sp?] that people know from Facebook >> he charges around 60 dirhams) and the cost of the Emirate driving license itself is 200 dirhams.
- If you're placed in Abu Dhabi, do not be surprised if you have to put down 5000 dirhams for a security deposit for housing and another 1000 dirhams for utilities. They are refundable when you close out the accounts but until then you're short up to 6000 dirhams out of your 20,000 dirhams furniture allowance right out of the gate.
- Starting money (US Dollars): Bring $2000-$4000 as a single and $3000-$6000 as a couple/family when you first come over to the UAE. Your furniture allowance and first pay check may or may not arrive after 3-4 or more weeks after arrival in the country. Some people waited longer when they landed at an awkward time in between pay periods.
- Housing: You will be shown and assigned to housing only after you get your furniture allowance. Once you see and get keys to your apartment, you're expected to be out of the hotel within 5 days of receiving those keys.
- School placement: Everyone's experience has been vastly different from one another. Mostly positive and some negative - it didn't matter which region, which cycle, and whether it's at an all-boys or all-girls school. It's the luck of the draw and it comes down to your school's culture, support from administration and colleagues, your attitude, and resources. Ultimately, it's what you make of your situation, good or bad. Just don't make assumptions and psych yourself out just because you get placed at an all-boys school, wrong cycle, and/or wrong subject area (expertise). You may be pleasantly surprised.
I hope you find my mega update helpful. I do apologize, though, if you find this post less picturesque but maybe the video below makes up for the dryness. Enjoy!
The entire Abu Dhabi experience has been like that for me thus far. Every time I feel afraid, doubtful, or anxious...every time I face a challenge or obstacle...I tell myself that "this, too, shall pass" and "I will survive and live to tell the tale". Despite all the ups and downs I've gone through since leaving Chicago, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Before I came here, I read and followed many, many blogs, soaking up as much knowledge as I could, and I've often wondered why people wrote frequently at the beginning, then went on a month-long hiatus, came back, and finally dwindled to little or no updates. I, of course, understood that it was the novelty of everything when the journey first started and gradually & sometimes suddenly the writers got busy, especially when work and life caught up with them, but still I was determined to break the vicious cycle. Well, it does pain me to admit that I became one of those bloggers - I did go on a month-long hiatus because I did get swamped with work-related matters the moment that I received my school placement and was told to report to work. After several weeks of running around like a headless chicken, the dust is finally beginning to settle. Hopefully, I'll be better at updating in the weeks, months, and years ahead here in the UAE!
Tips at Random:
- Clothing: You may have read that it is highly advised to dress conservatively in a Muslim nation. In reality, though, expats/tourists dress in a wide variety of ways, from short-shorts to long skirts, and nobody seem to mind (or at least have not said anything). Now I wouldn't recommend dressing too liberally at government-related, religious, or official, business-type establishments (unless you don't mind drawing some attention), but most people have been fine wearing what they usually wear in their home country at malls, restaurants, and other casual public places. I, personally, enjoy wearing long dresses and shirts and lean more on the conservative side but you must decide for yourself what you're most comfortable with once you get here; whatever you choose you're more than likely going to be fine. However, I do want to leave you with "DON'T OVER PACK YOUR SUITCASES". You can find basically everything here at Lulu's, Carrefour, and malls, malls, malls.
- If you're from the US, your NBAD branch is NBAD Direct. It's no big deal. You just fill out an extra form regarding taxes. Everyone else is another branch because their country's tax laws aren't as complicated.
- Copies of documents: I would bring maybe 5-10 colored copies of the passport and only 2-3 colored copies of the work (entry) visa that the travel agency (Nirvana) sends to you with your travel itinerary. Why only 2-3 for the work (entry) visa? Because it's the STAMPED work (entry) visa that vendors, companies, and agencies accept here. The only way to get the stamp is to arrive at the Abu Dhabi Airport and get it from the immigration officer right before you collect your luggage. This means you will have to politely ask the front desk to make copies of the stamped work (entry) visa when you check in at the hotel. Oh, do have your authenticated docs, originals of docs, a couple copies of those docs, and maybe 5-10 passport-type photos. Honestly, I've only been asked to provide 2 so far but having some extra lying around wouldn't hurt, especially if they give you a peace of mind.
- DO bring 2 passport-type photos in a BLUE background. They're for your school I.D.
- Desert safari: It should only cost you around 120 dirhams per adult (less for kids) if you've gathered a small group of 4-8 people to go and the company picks you all up in Abu Dhabi. The safari should cost less per person if the company picks you up in Dubai (around 80-100 dirhams per adult) because the camps are closer to Dubai. ** Please make sure the company KNOWS you're in Abu Dhabi if that's where you're being picked up. Our first attempt failed because they thought we were in Dubai, which led to confusion, delay, frustration, and cancellation. **
- Places to buy essentials: (1) grocery and everyday products at Lulu's, Carrefour, or Spinney's >> (2) electronics and appliances at eMax [there's one at Dalma Mall] or DG Sharif [there's one at Mushrif Mall] >> (3) furniture at IKEA [Yas Island], Home Centre [one at Marina Mall and another at Dalma Mall], Danube Build Mart [big one at Dalma Mall and small one at Mushrif Mall], Pan Emirates [Madinat Zayed or MZ], and The Living Room [MZ] >> (4) abayas at Blue Diamond near [MZ or Abu Dhabi Mall] >> (5) carpets & rugs at the carpet souk near [Al Mina Port] >> (6) School supplies at The Book Shop near [Al Wahda Mall] or huge bookstores [one at Al Mina Port and one out in Mussafah] >> ** The aforementioned places are only some of the establishments to purchase things at. There are probably many others that offer better quality products and/or lower prices but I didn't have the time or patience to investigate. If you keep your eyes peeled, explore, and do your research, you'll discover some great deals, different places for different things. **
- Cars: Buying is the most economical way to go in the long run but most of us don't have this type of funds when we first arrive. The next is leasing but beware of having debts in this country. Then there's renting - it should run you around 1600 dirhams (more or less) per month for the smallest & least powerful cars but full insurance is included in that amount. Make sure to mention that you're with ADEC. Again, shop around - Hertz, Fast, United, etc. ** Most car rental companies require a credit card to place a security deposit (~1050 dirhams) "hold" on in order to hire one of their vehicles ON TOP OF forking up the amount (1650 dirhams) for the rental, which can be paid with cash, debit card, or another credit card. The security deposit of around 1050 dirhams will NOT be charged or taken out of your credit card at the time of rental but a "hold" of that amount will be on it - this is just in case you damage their car, get a traffic violation while using their car, or run off with their car. Btw, people have said great things about Capital One credit cards that do not charge international or foreign transaction fees. Again, please do your homework before enrolling. :)
- About a week or two after you've gotten your medical check and Emirate ID fingerprinting, email your EMT support or visit the ADEC office in person to inquire about your passport, resident visa, health insurance card, getting school attendance fingerprinting done, getting school ID done, ERP number (which should also be on your health insurance card), and ADEC email since you may or may not get emails about their status of being ready.
- Call the toll-free number (800 number) on your Emirate ID receipt to see if your Emirate ID is ready for pick up. If it is ready, you will pick it up at a post office - the main one in the Madinat Zayed area of the city if you're placed in Abu Dhabi (city).
- Driving License: I'm not sure how it works for other countries but for those of you coming from the US you will need to get your driving license (from home) translated, bring the driving license original, bring your passport original (which should also have your Emirate residency visa inside), bring your Emirate ID (may not be necessary), and then apply for the Emirate driving license. The cost of translation should run you ~100 dirhams (less if you have a hook up aka a translator named Suhail [sp?] that people know from Facebook >> he charges around 60 dirhams) and the cost of the Emirate driving license itself is 200 dirhams.
- If you're placed in Abu Dhabi, do not be surprised if you have to put down 5000 dirhams for a security deposit for housing and another 1000 dirhams for utilities. They are refundable when you close out the accounts but until then you're short up to 6000 dirhams out of your 20,000 dirhams furniture allowance right out of the gate.
- Starting money (US Dollars): Bring $2000-$4000 as a single and $3000-$6000 as a couple/family when you first come over to the UAE. Your furniture allowance and first pay check may or may not arrive after 3-4 or more weeks after arrival in the country. Some people waited longer when they landed at an awkward time in between pay periods.
- Housing: You will be shown and assigned to housing only after you get your furniture allowance. Once you see and get keys to your apartment, you're expected to be out of the hotel within 5 days of receiving those keys.
- School placement: Everyone's experience has been vastly different from one another. Mostly positive and some negative - it didn't matter which region, which cycle, and whether it's at an all-boys or all-girls school. It's the luck of the draw and it comes down to your school's culture, support from administration and colleagues, your attitude, and resources. Ultimately, it's what you make of your situation, good or bad. Just don't make assumptions and psych yourself out just because you get placed at an all-boys school, wrong cycle, and/or wrong subject area (expertise). You may be pleasantly surprised.
I hope you find my mega update helpful. I do apologize, though, if you find this post less picturesque but maybe the video below makes up for the dryness. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)