Madam Medusa

[quote=littlejimmy;4541708] We'll see what she thinks after being cooped up inside for 4 months.
quote]
why will she be cooped up inside for 4 months, where are you putting her?

MM, xx

littlejimmy

[QUOTE=Madam Medusa;4541748] On the next plane to Guantanamo Bay for conspiring to commit terrorist atrocities in the kitchen.

Welivehere

Jimmy / Fazzo,

We've been here 3 1/2 years now and for us the frustrations / apathy you are know feeling now tend to be cyclical. Every 9 months or so I have a "I hate this place" month, nothing is good enough and I just want to get out. The first one was about where you guys are now time-wise and it can be a downer. For me it normally signals I need a holiday or a break.

If you can't get away just try to get through it, look to two things:

1) The positives = Weather / friends / activities / standard of living. Then go do something that you can do here but could never do in the UK in March. Camping in the desert, go sit down by the beach, go out for a nice meal and eat outside, basically anything that reminds you of some of the benefits of being here.
2) The negatives = Remember why you came here in the first place and what made you make the decision. Are you ready for that again? Also think about how great it felt when you first got here and try work out what changed. The traffic was still shit, the beaurocracy just as bad and all of the frustration that exist now were all there, you just looked at it differently. Try not get wound up, there is ***** all you can do about it and the only person that gets stressed about it is you. Easier said then done I know but still worth a try.

And if worst come to worst, go by a bean bag, take it home and then kick the bejesus out of it. That normally works for me.....

Don't mean to sound patronizing, but been there and done it normally manage to bounce out the other side ok.... Good luck...

MataHari

I am talking about our expeciences as a family in Dubai. Just because I (we) like it here, does that mean we don't live in 'everyday' Dubai?

W10

Again. I don't mean to sound patronising, but it does mean precisely that.

workaday Dubai is a ****er of a place. An absolute Burj Dubai sized mother****er with brass knuckles on.

And I'm priviledged. I'm in the top 4% of salary earners here. I have a financially comfortable life.

If I earned Dh10k, I'd have been off in 10 mins flat. It's the money innit, nothing else...

fazzo

i am having a bad week :curse: lucky its weekend soon!

anyway, this thread is about jimmy i was just trying to share the load..

littlejimmy

I feel a bit daft for starting this off now, and ultimately there's always someone worse off than yourself. God knows how I'd feel if I lived in Sharjah or in a Labour Camp. On the other hand, these things are all relative. I'm from the UK and am used to a certain lifestyle, so I can't really relate to those other people.

shiva

I work in Dubai does that mean i'm not allowed to like it?


My first job here payed 10K a month all in. a stupid amount less than i was on in the uk, does that mean i have to hate dubai as well?

This is directed at everyone whos pissed off at the moment but You get out of being an expat exactly what you put into it, nothing more or less, if you hate it here then do something about it. new job, move, whatever, instead of ****ing complaining do something about it. Excuses of we cant afford it or its difficult are exactly that. excuses. just get of your arses and do soemthing about it.

W10

I do dislike it here in general. I honestly think you're in the minority regarding enjoying work. Most Westerners are here for the money and lifestyle. I am...as soon as it gets a too expensive/or when I've done the travelling I want to do then I'm gone.

However - the old 'if you don't like it' argument never stacks up. Otherwise we'd all be moving jobs and countries every 6 months. And Europe by rights shouldn't have any muslims living there.

I'm entitled to complain if I don't like something. I have my reasons for being here, and as soon as I don't feel it is worth it I will move on. It doesn't mean I won't express my frustration at things that are wrong.

I've spent a lot of my life living abroad and by and large I find it an enriching and rewarding experience. Here it is mostly rewarding in the material sense.

Also...Dh10k when you arrived and Dh10k now are worlds apart shiva. Try living on Dh10k a month today.

MataHari

That's not what this thread is about though, is it. You keep bringing that into every discussion. It does not affect my families day to day welfare. And yes, we are privileged as well, but that has not just fallen out of the sky for us, my husband has worked hard for that and still does being responsible for hundreds of people. I have worked for 20 years as well, mostly full time and have had 4 kids to look after and I am now enjoying my 'everyday' Dubai...and it suits me just fine.

littlejimmy

I'm complaining and doing something about it at the same time.

Have you never, EVER complained about something?

shiva

I didnt and dont like working full stop whatever the job, frankly i hate it but until i get paid not to work im stuck with it. doesnt stop me enjoying my life outside work though

The argument does stand, why not move? e.g. your not happy here so go somewhere you think you might be, ok it will cost a bit and be difficult, so what if it makes u happier go for it.

dont get the muslim bit im afraid..explain?

shiva

of course frequently

W10

Because - as I said - I'm here for a reason.

When the financial reason is no longer viable then I will move on.

don't tell me you've never worked somewhere you don't like because you were looking at the long term picture?

I've live all over the world, and I will move again. No place is perfect, and I'll complain about every place I live in. I don't believe in utopia and every place I live in I will attempt to make changes.

The muslim comment was a flippant one in reply to the old 'if you don't like it then leave' which is often thrown at us...

Jeeper

I've certianly had my moments when I thought about giving this place the finger and moving on.
The time Security threw out my jeep roof stored in my assigned carpark in the basement because they though it was rubbish.:curse:
The time I got pulled over in sharjah with a jeep stacked with alcohol and had my licence taken off me (although still allowed to drive on - with alcohol in possesion )....it wasn't this that pissed me off...but the 6 months of red tape to get through while trying to pay the stinking 100dhs fine and get my licence back.
The whole changing jobs/banning scene.
The driving! (which is half the cause of the traffic probs).
But at the end of the day (and nearly every day) I wonder if I'd be happier at home or here and for the moment here still wins - albeit marginally and probably mainly because I'm saving a pretty penny which, if I ever have a family, will be good for us all. (and if I dón't have a family one day, i'm going to have one hell of a hangover drinking the savings).
If I was earning same as at home....i'd go.
I still enjoy it here....just as I would enjoy being at home. The difference is really only the cash now.
Sounds materialistic I know but surely it's realistic as well.