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-   -   I miss my Dubai salary badly (https://britishexpats.com/forum/middle-east-60/i-miss-my-dubai-salary-badly-752544/)

Victor Meldrew Mar 25th 2012 2:59 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 

Originally Posted by seven seas (Post 9971524)
artificially elevated social status?
Even the most chavtastic nobody is treated well in DXB.

I come into contact with literally hundreds of expats on a weekly basis.

The 'fur coat no knickers' types (ie have an artificially elevated status they would never enjoy in UK) stand out and are probably the worst when it comes to thinking they are above themselves.

Norm_uk Mar 26th 2012 5:41 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=rowell;9971481]

Originally Posted by Meow (Post 9971446)
I'm curious. Why did your wife hate Dubai? Had she lived someone other than the UK before?

After 4 half years here my wife has just told me she hates Dubai, how on earth has it took her so long and in my opinion the solution is in her hands, as she said its simply lack of freindships.

Lack of decent friends is a huge problem here.

I'm fortunately to know a lot of really decent people - proper human beings who don't give a crap about where you are from or what you earn...only if you are a tosser or not (which is how it should be!).

N.

Ronnie Biggs Mar 26th 2012 6:16 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=Norm_uk;9972496]

Originally Posted by rowell (Post 9971481)

Lack of decent friends is a huge problem here.

I'm fortunately to know a lot of really decent people - proper human beings who don't give a crap about where you are from or what you earn...only if you are a tosser or not (which is how it should be!).

N.

Spot on. You're losing you're touch man - nobody has called you a Nazi in weeks.

When we lived in Abu Dhabi in 2007-9 the way in which people would suss you out/proffer business cards etc within 1 minute of meeting really grated on me. In Bahrain that doesn't happen and I much prefer it that way. As we will be moving to Dubai in the next couple of months I'm hoping it was just a phase during the boom years and there will be nice people aplenty this time around.

The point about friends is an interesting one. Back in the UK I had loads of good mates but they've been much thinner on the ground since we came to the Middle East. In my opinion it's a lonelier life out here for men as we tend to take a long time to form friendships. Women on the other hand, bond in seconds over a coffee and are telling eachother deeply personal stuff by the end of the first G&T..... :)

commander Mar 26th 2012 6:56 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=Norm_uk;9972496]

Originally Posted by rowell (Post 9971481)

Lack of decent friends is a huge problem here.

I'm fortunately to know a lot of really decent people - proper human beings who don't give a crap about where you are from or what you earn...only if you are a tosser or not (which is how it should be!).

N.

tosser:D

Norm_uk Mar 26th 2012 11:54 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=commander;9972575]

Originally Posted by Norm_uk (Post 9972496)

tosser:D

I'm putting you on my 'dodgy' list for that rude remark...totally out of line ;)

N.

soukie Mar 26th 2012 4:29 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=Ronnie Biggs;9972537]

Originally Posted by Norm_uk (Post 9972496)
When we lived in Abu Dhabi in 2007-9 the way in which people would suss you out/proffer business cards etc within 1 minute of meeting really grated on me. In Bahrain that doesn't happen and I much prefer it that way. As we will be moving to Dubai in the next couple of months I'm hoping it was just a phase during the boom years and there will be nice people aplenty this time around.

If you thought AD was bad for that type of thing wait until you get to Dubai!
Better make sure that you drive the right car and your kids go to the right school!

Norm_uk Mar 26th 2012 4:35 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=Ronnie Biggs;9972537]

Originally Posted by Norm_uk (Post 9972496)

Spot on. You're losing you're touch man - nobody has called you a Nazi in weeks.

When we lived in Abu Dhabi in 2007-9 the way in which people would suss you out/proffer business cards etc within 1 minute of meeting really grated on me. In Bahrain that doesn't happen and I much prefer it that way. As we will be moving to Dubai in the next couple of months I'm hoping it was just a phase during the boom years and there will be nice people aplenty this time around.

The point about friends is an interesting one. Back in the UK I had loads of good mates but they've been much thinner on the ground since we came to the Middle East. In my opinion it's a lonelier life out here for men as we tend to take a long time to form friendships. Women on the other hand, bond in seconds over a coffee and are telling eachother deeply personal stuff by the end of the first G&T..... :)

No one is posting anything about religion or politics anymore - it's so boring here.

A lot depends on your hobbies I suppose. Aside from drinking I am a bit of a nerd and so have found pretty good friends in similar circles but as mentioned I have been lucky enough to meet some really decent people through my work and general socialising.

N.

Norm_uk Mar 26th 2012 4:36 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
[QUOTE=soukie;9973320]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Biggs (Post 9972537)

If you thought AD was bad for that type of thing wait until you get to Dubai!
Better make sure that you drive the right car and your kids go to the right school!

Spent seven years in Dubai before moving to Abu Dhabi...and only keep in touch with the people who aren't bothered by such things (all six of them!).

N.

scrubbedexpat141 Mar 27th 2012 5:25 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
OP, how much did you earn?

Is that all that matters to you? You keep mentioning your family but that wasn't an original concern by the soudns of it.

lullabelle Mar 27th 2012 1:01 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
OP - money really isn't everything. And I'm not saying that from a fur lined lifestyle, whilst sipping my champagne.

I miss my Abu Dhabi Salary (not the Dubai one, that one is tainted by the hell I went through earning it). But I appreciate the other things I now have instead.

This may sound crazy, but do you count your blessings at night? I do this regularly. Not in a "thank you god for x and y" way but I just focus on what is around me that makes me happy. My son almost died two and a half years ago at the age of six and I find that puts EVERYTHING into perspective. So the rest of life is a bonus in my mind.

Life at home isn't easy - I've only got one kid in a school and I'm playing domestic goddess/teacher until the other one is sorted (could be september -
joy) which means money is tight as I'm the the bigger earner. No car, can't get back into our own home (again not untilSeptember)... But, well - it's not THAT bad is it? we spent five weeks in India when we left Dubai and seeing people living in shacks and on rubbish dumps and kids running around in rags... Being rich is just about perspective isn't it? I feel pretty rich most of the time because my family are safe and well. yes it's a cliche to say all this but it's true.

Good things are all around: spring is in the air: the daffs, magnolia and tulips are out and the sun is shining all week which makes everybody so SMILEY - I'd forgotten that. All the walking about means my kids are rosy cheeked and healthy, my husband is back at work and thriving again... AND THERE IS A BLACKBIRD BUILDING A NEST IN MY HEDGE.

Mind you, I'm not so happy about the price of booze - bloody hell they've been hiking the tax on spirits. Gin is so expensive! Gin!

commander Mar 27th 2012 8:46 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 

Originally Posted by lullabelle (Post 9974862)
OP - money really isn't everything. And I'm not saying that from a fur lined lifestyle, whilst sipping my champagne.

I miss my Abu Dhabi Salary (not the Dubai one, that one is tainted by the hell I went through earning it). But I appreciate the other things I now have instead.

This may sound crazy, but do you count your blessings at night? I do this regularly. Not in a "thank you god for x and y" way but I just focus on what is around me that makes me happy. My son almost died two and a half years ago at the age of six and I find that puts EVERYTHING into perspective. So the rest of life is a bonus in my mind.

Life at home isn't easy - I've only got one kid in a school and I'm playing domestic goddess/teacher until the other one is sorted (could be september -
joy) which means money is tight as I'm the the bigger earner. No car, can't get back into our own home (again not untilSeptember)... But, well - it's not THAT bad is it? we spent five weeks in India when we left Dubai and seeing people living in shacks and on rubbish dumps and kids running around in rags... Being rich is just about perspective isn't it? I feel pretty rich most of the time because my family are safe and well. yes it's a cliche to say all this but it's true.

Good things are all around: spring is in the air: the daffs, magnolia and tulips are out and the sun is shining all week which makes everybody so SMILEY - I'd forgotten that. All the walking about means my kids are rosy cheeked and healthy, my husband is back at work and thriving again... AND THERE IS A BLACKBIRD BUILDING A NEST IN MY HEDGE.

Mind you, I'm not so happy about the price of booze - bloody hell they've been hiking the tax on spirits. Gin is so expensive! Gin!

Happy days!

Desert Dubliner Mar 29th 2012 6:12 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 

Originally Posted by klaus3974 (Post 9970222)
I apologize if I came as arrogant. The problem is how to control people expectations. We did not buy a penthouse in London. The house cost us less than GBP 120K. Gosh we saved every single dhs when we were there (Satwa and Deira were our treat on a weekend out). Maybe that is why we hated Dubai... we did not make the most of it. Looking back we should have stayed one or two years more, to save for the house AND the rainy days. Its is bloody hard to make enough to sustain a family these days in Europe. I guess that is why you see people asking in the forum if 9K dhs is a good salary.

Agree. Did Bahrain 2007-2008 to save up for a deposit for a house. Went back to Dublin and then the arse fell out for the Irish economy so here I am back in the ME. Even before the crisis Ireland was an expensive place to live. When the ***t hit the fan the taxes went up so missus and I struggled to keep up even though between the two of us we had a decent gross salary into six digits. But by the time we paid taxes, childcare, mortgage, insurances and groceries not much was left.

When we came back I felt the same you feel now. Should have stayed two years more, should have traveled a bit more and I did miss that entire gross landing at my account every month. Most of all I missed the lifestyle and the tightly knitted expat community. Back in Dublin we both had to work our arses off at work and then some more when we got home. There were no champagne brunches with cigars by the pool, no maid, no car-wash for Euro20 all month long, wife was pissed off for having full time work and small kids and I was pissed off surrendering more than half of my income to the taxman. A E100 to fill the tank on my SUV?? Well that did it for me.

My research shows that people coming back to the Middle East for the second time stay for the long haul. So this time I am much less strict about saving and will enjoy it more. Certainly now that I have tried European middle-class struggle the stuff that annoyed the c**p out of me in Bahrain before doesn't bother me that much.

clouseau Apr 8th 2012 9:39 am

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 
hi there.reading all of the comments on life in dubai. currently considering the move to dubai. can anyone elighten me..what activities are there for weekend and nightlife. we enjoy restaurants abars but wht about concerts, movies? where do ou go to the gym? thanks a lot for any helpful replies

Robajob Apr 9th 2012 6:26 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 

Originally Posted by clouseau (Post 9994597)
hi there.reading all of the comments on life in dubai. currently considering the move to dubai. can anyone elighten me..what activities are there for weekend and nightlife. we enjoy restaurants abars but wht about concerts, movies? where do ou go to the gym? thanks a lot for any helpful replies

Are you for real?

OleJanx Apr 9th 2012 6:45 pm

Re: I miss my Dubai salary badly
 

Originally Posted by Robajob (Post 9996713)
Are you for real?

No, he's just a dream(er)....


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