2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
Jul 28th 2016, 4:53 pm
#17
"Insert witty title here"
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: dxb
Posts: 2,251
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
After living 5 years here I have come to the realization (well got that 3 years ago actually) that the need for camaraderie / friends to hang out with is very strong, especially in a place like this where 8 months of the year, you really cant go out for a walk / outdoor activities / just go to the park etc. I get where she is coming from and can empathize as I make it a point to make sure I go out atleast once a week to keep myself sane 
I think a hobby is important in this case. Anything that can be practiced indoors with a team and by joining a club I guess. Muay Thai? Painting? Gun Club? By the way I would love to join an indoor gun club if anyone can recommend one and also something thats not too far out of Dubai / cost an arm and a leg.
I think a hobby is important in this case. Anything that can be practiced indoors with a team and by joining a club I guess. Muay Thai? Painting? Gun Club? By the way I would love to join an indoor gun club if anyone can recommend one and also something thats not too far out of Dubai / cost an arm and a leg.
Jul 28th 2016, 6:36 pm
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
Back in the 1990s I was with my wife living on a nice compound in Jeddah. She found it very difficult - until she got a job. After that things were much better for her.
Jul 29th 2016, 8:12 am
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Dubai
Posts: 2,843
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
I think a hobby is important in this case. Anything that can be practiced indoors with a team and by joining a club I guess. Muay Thai? Painting? Gun Club? By the way I would love to join an indoor gun club if anyone can recommend one and also something thats not too far out of Dubai / cost an arm and a leg.
Jul 29th 2016, 9:21 am
#20
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
I can't recommend the one in AD (Officers Club?). Took my boys there; we were offered laser clay pigeon shooting because ... they'd run out of bullets. 
Jul 31st 2016, 4:51 am
#21
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,467
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
Dunno about currently but it was the same at Jebal Ali a while back. They were having a hard time getting supplies into the country and so were limiting the shooting range to members only and even then only a set amount of rounds.
Jul 31st 2016, 5:10 am
#22
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2015
Location: Abu Dhabi via Barcelona
Posts: 1,478
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
Sharjah Golf and Shooting club might be an option, unless you're going on an evening you're against the traffic?
Jul 31st 2016, 11:39 am
#23
Bored liberal
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Over there ----->
Posts: 13,713
Re: 2 years here, wifey struggling to make real solid (girl)friends
Hi all - Just joined the forum today.
Just coming to the end of my 2nd year in Dubai and whilst I have enjoyed the experience for the most part so far, the same can't be said for my wife.
I was lucky in that I was dropped instantly into a circle of people through my work when we arrived (through my job that brought us here), but sadly my wife has struggled in finding a solid reliable job and therefore to build friendships with more than a handful of people.
Understandably she doesn't want all our socialising to be done with people from my work (which invariably have an element of 'talking shop'). We have some lovely neighbours and live in a great community, but all the girls have kids (& we don't), so nights out for my wife where she enjoys letting her hair down and partying generally end early (shooting home for baby) with lots of baby talk in between.
I'm just wondering, just like there are "mum" groups, whether there are forums/sites for childless women that aren't full of pervs on the 'lookout'?
I don't want her to stay here feeling miserable and I fear my other half not being able to have downtime to let her hair down socially will end up with her moving back to the uk while I see out my contract here.
Would be interested if its a common thing for the girls/ladies without kids to feel so isolated out here...? And if so, how they've overcome that.
Thanks folks,
S
Just coming to the end of my 2nd year in Dubai and whilst I have enjoyed the experience for the most part so far, the same can't be said for my wife.
I was lucky in that I was dropped instantly into a circle of people through my work when we arrived (through my job that brought us here), but sadly my wife has struggled in finding a solid reliable job and therefore to build friendships with more than a handful of people.
Understandably she doesn't want all our socialising to be done with people from my work (which invariably have an element of 'talking shop'). We have some lovely neighbours and live in a great community, but all the girls have kids (& we don't), so nights out for my wife where she enjoys letting her hair down and partying generally end early (shooting home for baby) with lots of baby talk in between.
I'm just wondering, just like there are "mum" groups, whether there are forums/sites for childless women that aren't full of pervs on the 'lookout'?
I don't want her to stay here feeling miserable and I fear my other half not being able to have downtime to let her hair down socially will end up with her moving back to the uk while I see out my contract here.
Would be interested if its a common thing for the girls/ladies without kids to feel so isolated out here...? And if so, how they've overcome that.
Thanks folks,
S
There are friendly women's groups here. Is your wife on Facebook? If you want to drop me a PM I can give you the links to friendly groups that might be useful. Some are just chat pages, others organise nights out, meet up etc.
There are plenty of genuine women here but they can take a bit of hunting down.
Aug 1st 2016, 3:15 pm
#25
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
