Should we stay or go??????????

[fcjb1970]

It is funny when people give positive input, say it is great here and yes jump on a plane and come it is sound advice. When Rossi tries to throw some reality into the mix he is being negative and has a poor attitude.

Originally Posted by lxinuk

pros

Tax free...yes but no retirement or social security
People generally polite...not sure where you are from,
opportunity to be myself...what does that mean? You could not be yourself back home? Strange
No grief from family...I actually like my family
Sun, Sea Sand...yes that is one of the best parts (although 3 months a year it is hard to enjoy)
Opportunity to learn another culture (many cultures)...kind of. But you are not truly living in the culture of this country as it is 80% non-local
Opportunity to see all manner of new things and experience new activities...sure
Meet lots of interesting people...sure
Opportunity to progress In a career depending how hard I want to work (not at the whim of some arse boss)...are you serious? There is no such thing as moving up for an ex-pat. The job you came here for is the job you will have until you leave
Opportunity to travel to places in the region I might not be able to afford from The UK... (USA) Agree 100% and the best thing I can say about living here
More affordable eating out....not sure where you eat, but ya if you want to live on sharma it is really cheap.

Originally Posted by lxinuk

Negs
Um.....accommodation is pricey (bit like London, New York, Hong Kong)
Watching other nationalities being treated badly (because that doesn't happen in the west (yeah right" read; sarcasm)
Um.....drivers are bit looney (like London, New York, Hong Kong)

Only a fool would compare the highways here to London, New York, Hong Kong

UAE roads are among the most deadly: UN - The National

I have never in my life seen the type of crashes that occur here, in the west people get in 'accidents' here are multi-car crashes which end in vehicles on their sides or roofs. And it happens frequently

Rossi did a good start on the negs, but I could go on.

[cairogal]

A friend of mine left here recently after 17 years. I was visiting her in uk, telling stories of what went wrong at work before leaving. She reminded me that they pay us a good chunk of change to put up with crap, and she's right. All the pros stated here are accurate, and all the cons (aka crap) stated here are accurate. It is very likely you will witness practices (professionally and otherwise) that go against your principals. Like most people, you'll stay until the cons outweigh the pros.

[Jynxgirl]

I disagree on traveling. I can go to much cheaper, nicer for much less cost, equally as beautiful and interesting, and closer flights.... back home, then from here. Overall, the flights cost from here is ridiculous. A recent thread about someone going to mauritius I think and it costing 3000 dirhams more from dubai then from england where the flights GOES THROUGH DUBAI is a hint of the issue. Maybe for the uk individuals it is different, but a vacation to france and italy was quite awesome back in the day and didnt get one hounded like the trips to egypt and bali. And plus, I like to vacation with my extended family... brothers, sisters, parents, nephews, nieces, etc. But each their own. I guess if you are more a traveler then a vacationer, then I could see where traveling from here in a way could be a plus... but isnt that big of a plus.

Everyone says the spill about diversity and meeting different cultures, but most western people I meet here, have hardly any arabic, indian, asian, etc friends. The opportunity to meet different cultures is there, but one has to try quite a bit and just doesnt usually happen here in dubai for many reasons.... and I just dont care to even bother writing the same mumbo jumbo again.

The no left turns, the lack of an access road beside the highway is quite annoying, crazy drivers speeding to an extreme, drivers who are scared behind the wheel, the accidents where they just drape a white sheet over the body and the blood just saterates it, and lets not forget that if you get in a major accident, no one wants to touch you just in case you die and they get in trouble so the probability that you will die, is high... Roads are horrible here.

The weather is complete crap four months of the year. An additional 2 to 3 months is still quite hot but is bearable. If my local friends are escaping as early as may from here to colder climates and tend to take long vacations until mid october, I tend to think I am just in going against the grain of the expats who say the weather is nice for 8 months.

Anyhow, I am passing my torch to Rossi and fcjb.... They are doing a good job to balance out the rose tinted glasses expats of dubai.

[fcjb1970]

Originally Posted by Jynxgirl

I disagree on traveling. I can go to much cheaper, nicer for much less cost, equally as beautiful and interesting, and closer flights

The weird cheaper flights thing is the same in the USA. I used take flights to South America through Dulles and pay often pay 2/3 what that same plane originating in Dulles cost. The way airlines figure prices is one of the most impossible to understand things in the universe (the answer I am sure is 42).

I love traveling in the good ole US of A, but I have done a lot. Spent a couple large chucks of time driving across the west living out of a truck and in the woods. Here I get to go places that are a day or more travel from home and do not have a time change that can screw up the first couple days of a holiday. Things like skiing the Alps are tough from the US and I have already skied the Rockies (live there), Utah and Tahoe. Plus my job is located here, because I can be places in a day that are difficult to mobilize and get someone to from the USA.

[Mr Rossi]

Originally Posted by claredoc

I'm sorry, but if I felt like you do about Dubai, I would no longer be living there....understand you have financial ties, but money isn't everything when you ate obviously so unhappy.

I'm not unhappy, just unstimulated and often frustrated.

[claredoc]

I can agree with you on the frustration side that's for sure! If anything Dubai teaches you patience, which I don't have a lot of ;0)

[lxinuk]

Originally Posted by fcjb1970

It is funny when people give positive input, say it is great here and yes jump on a plane and come it is sound advice. When Rossi tries to throw some reality into the mix he is being negative and has a poor attitude.

Tax free...yes but no retirement or social security
People generally polite...not sure where you are from,
opportunity to be myself...what does that mean? You could not be yourself back home? Strange
No grief from family...I actually like my family
Sun, Sea Sand...yes that is one of the best parts (although 3 months a year it is hard to enjoy)
Opportunity to learn another culture (many cultures)...kind of. But you are not truly living in the culture of this country as it is 80% non-local
Opportunity to see all manner of new things and experience new activities...sure
Meet lots of interesting people...sure
Opportunity to progress In a career depending how hard I want to work (not at the whim of some arse boss)...are you serious? There is no such thing as moving up for an ex-pat. The job you came here for is the job you will have until you leave
Opportunity to travel to places in the region I might not be able to afford from The UK... (USA) Agree 100% and the best thing I can say about living here
More affordable eating out....not sure where you eat, but ya if you want to live on sharma it is really cheap.

Only a fool would compare the highways here to London, New York, Hong Kong

UAE roads are among the most deadly: UN - The National

I have never in my life seen the type of crashes that occur here, in the west people get in 'accidents' here are multi-car crashes which end in vehicles on their sides or roofs. And it happens frequently

Rossi did a good start on the negs, but I could go on.

Thanks for the name calling.
I've been around the world most of my adult life...I embrace change, I embrace difference and I embrace challenge. I choose to live abroad and all the pros I wrote are pros for me. They are my experiences and my opinions.

Have yet to read a negative that would put me off here, or that is different to where I've been most recently. Every where has its challenges and it's up to you where you live.

[fcjb1970]

Originally Posted by lxinuk

Thanks for the name calling.
I've been around the world most of my adult life...I embrace change, I embrace difference and I embrace challenge. I choose to live abroad and all the pros I wrote are pros for me. They are my experiences and my opinions.

Have yet to read a negative that would put me off here, or that is different to where I've been most recently. Every where has its challenges and it's up to you where you live.

I just gave my opinions of the same things, which are different.

The OP wants to know what people think about taking a financial and career risk to move here. To me that is a poor idea, this is a place to come to make money. It is not a utopia to move to be because you will love living here.

Where I am from...

People are not polite, they are downright friendly. You have conversations with your neighbors.

I find eating out here expensive.

etc.

I recently decided to stay here longer, there are things I like about it here and I do have a rare career opportunity. I am generally happy because I make the best of the situation. But someone from the west taking a risk to move here, to me is a poor decision, but I wish the OP luck if she does

[lxinuk]

Originally Posted by fcjb1970

I just gave my opinions of the same things, which are different.

The OP wants to know what people think about taking a financial and career risk to move here. To me that is a poor idea, this is a place to come to make money. It is not a utopia to move to be because you will love living here.

Where I am from...

People are not polite, they are downright friendly. You have conversations with your neighbors.

I find eating out here expensive.

etc.

I recently decided to stay here longer, there are things I like about it here and I do have a rare career opportunity. I am generally happy because I make the best of the situation. But someone from the west taking a risk to move here, to me is a poor decision, but I wish the OP luck if she does

You opinion is always welcome. Its a public forum. You are supposed to give opinion. You are not supposed to name call or be derogatory. Something seen here too often,

[BedouGirl]

Originally Posted by lxinuk

You opinion is always welcome. Its a public forum. You are supposed to give opinion. You are not supposed to name call or be derogatory. Something seen here too often,

Actually if you read back, I don't think you will find that FJCB did any name calling.