Monday, 13 August 2012
Tipping
I never know how much to tip in the UK, never mind the UAE.
I have already had an embarrassing moment when the room clearer was still in my room when I came in. He pottered around with some towels for a bit and then came back in, stood there, and said – I have finished your room now Sir. I said thank you and he stood there for a bit longer than was comfortable. He then left, I then realised he wanted tipping but I only had a few Euros with me from the airport. I went out and gave him them and he didn’t really know what to do with them. He smiled and said thanks though.
Taxi Drivers – I asked the opinion of a Taxi driver after I had tipped him 2 AED on an 8 AED fare, he said that people aren’t expected to tip, but usually it is rounded up to the nearest 5 or 10. He may be biased though.
Shopping helpers – This is something I have never seen before, at the checkout in supermarkets, there is a guy that puts your stuff into carrier bags for you. I was advised not to tip as you are not meant to, but after doing a bit of research, these guys are on an extremely low salary and will be struggling. Hell, it’s the worse job I can think of too. I will be tipping these guys in future.
Porters – they are extremely helpful here, they will bring any bags up to your room, they say ‘hello Sir’ and always refill my coffee at the amazing breakfast service. I am lost in these situations. If I should tip at all, how much?
Ill get there in the end
I have already had an embarrassing moment when the room clearer was still in my room when I came in. He pottered around with some towels for a bit and then came back in, stood there, and said – I have finished your room now Sir. I said thank you and he stood there for a bit longer than was comfortable. He then left, I then realised he wanted tipping but I only had a few Euros with me from the airport. I went out and gave him them and he didn’t really know what to do with them. He smiled and said thanks though.
Taxi Drivers – I asked the opinion of a Taxi driver after I had tipped him 2 AED on an 8 AED fare, he said that people aren’t expected to tip, but usually it is rounded up to the nearest 5 or 10. He may be biased though.
Shopping helpers – This is something I have never seen before, at the checkout in supermarkets, there is a guy that puts your stuff into carrier bags for you. I was advised not to tip as you are not meant to, but after doing a bit of research, these guys are on an extremely low salary and will be struggling. Hell, it’s the worse job I can think of too. I will be tipping these guys in future.
Porters – they are extremely helpful here, they will bring any bags up to your room, they say ‘hello Sir’ and always refill my coffee at the amazing breakfast service. I am lost in these situations. If I should tip at all, how much?
Ill get there in the end
Arrival and advice for group 2 teachers
Arrival
Ok, Now that I have my new pawer chord I can update you all on how it is going and my experiences so far in the Middle East.
Beach Rotana Hotel
This is the hotel that I am staying at and it is the most amazing place I have ever stayed, no superlative does justice to the sheer class or the place.
I have a double bed, shower, bath and anything else you want from a hotel. It has a private beach (seriously), a tennis court, two pools and a gym.
Breakfast is the only meal of the day we get gratis so I stock up. They have anything and everything – except pork. You can go to the pancake and waffle bar and get fresh made crepes and waffles, get an omelette chef to rustle you up a create-your-own, there is a ridiculous assortment of cold meats, cheeses, breads and the best part? Unlimited hot steak - for breakfast.
Heat
It is hot. And Humid.
Everywhere is air conditioned though.
Vertigo
Everything is very high up here because most of the buildings are in small sky-scrapers. I have never had vertigo before (I’m used to jumping of huge rocks into rivers) but in the mall yesterday I started to shake and feel really anxious on the top floor looking down to the shops below. I had to leave.
Ramadan
Everywhere is closed and there is no alcohol served at the moment because of Ramadan. The Emiratis fast until 7.15 each day with not even water – in this heat, that is impressive. You have to admire their dedication to their religion.
Disclaimer – the following will be of no interest to most of you as it is about orientation at the hotel. It is mainly for group 2 teachers waiting to come out, or for people next year.
Orientation
Orientation was started on Sunday, we were all put in a huge room and were given a talk by the high-ups from ADEC. There were a lot (possibly too many) of questions from the crowd and they were well answered.
Here are some of the points of the talk.
1. We will get 20,000 AED for our furniture allowance and it will be paid as soon as we get our banks set up.
(the bank set up is brilliant, ADEC have already done it for us before we arrived, all we had to do is sign the end of a long form, and wait for our cards – we also get a credit card. Win!
2. Some teachers will be sent to the Western region and there were a lot of questions about that. The speakers made it sound really great, although this is easy for me to say as I will be in Abu Dhabi City. (Perks of the western region were : A higher salary due to the remote nature, A bigger (albeit shared) villa, free amenities and a better taste of Arabic culture. They are also told they will all get the 20,000 AED each (rightly so) so they will have a lot of that left over as they will be sharing the villa.
3. Internet in the hotel is free.
4. There will be a medical test – blood and piss and medical fitness tests!
5. We have to hand in our passports so they can sort out the visas – this will take a maximum of 60 days when our passports will be returned. However, this is worst case scenario and it will probably be a lot quicker than that.
6. We get 20% discount at Homecentre. They will deliver, assemble and clean up the boxes and this is all included in the price.
7. We then get in line for the visa and it takes forever, I was waiting for 4 hours because I dawdled. Do the visa first, and sit near the back of the hall so you can be first out. (You will thank me for this)
That is all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section.
Ok, Now that I have my new pawer chord I can update you all on how it is going and my experiences so far in the Middle East.
Beach Rotana Hotel
This is the hotel that I am staying at and it is the most amazing place I have ever stayed, no superlative does justice to the sheer class or the place.
I have a double bed, shower, bath and anything else you want from a hotel. It has a private beach (seriously), a tennis court, two pools and a gym.
Breakfast is the only meal of the day we get gratis so I stock up. They have anything and everything – except pork. You can go to the pancake and waffle bar and get fresh made crepes and waffles, get an omelette chef to rustle you up a create-your-own, there is a ridiculous assortment of cold meats, cheeses, breads and the best part? Unlimited hot steak - for breakfast.
Heat
It is hot. And Humid.
Everywhere is air conditioned though.
Vertigo
Everything is very high up here because most of the buildings are in small sky-scrapers. I have never had vertigo before (I’m used to jumping of huge rocks into rivers) but in the mall yesterday I started to shake and feel really anxious on the top floor looking down to the shops below. I had to leave.
Ramadan
Everywhere is closed and there is no alcohol served at the moment because of Ramadan. The Emiratis fast until 7.15 each day with not even water – in this heat, that is impressive. You have to admire their dedication to their religion.
Disclaimer – the following will be of no interest to most of you as it is about orientation at the hotel. It is mainly for group 2 teachers waiting to come out, or for people next year.
Orientation
Orientation was started on Sunday, we were all put in a huge room and were given a talk by the high-ups from ADEC. There were a lot (possibly too many) of questions from the crowd and they were well answered.
Here are some of the points of the talk.
1. We will get 20,000 AED for our furniture allowance and it will be paid as soon as we get our banks set up.
(the bank set up is brilliant, ADEC have already done it for us before we arrived, all we had to do is sign the end of a long form, and wait for our cards – we also get a credit card. Win!
2. Some teachers will be sent to the Western region and there were a lot of questions about that. The speakers made it sound really great, although this is easy for me to say as I will be in Abu Dhabi City. (Perks of the western region were : A higher salary due to the remote nature, A bigger (albeit shared) villa, free amenities and a better taste of Arabic culture. They are also told they will all get the 20,000 AED each (rightly so) so they will have a lot of that left over as they will be sharing the villa.
3. Internet in the hotel is free.
4. There will be a medical test – blood and piss and medical fitness tests!
5. We have to hand in our passports so they can sort out the visas – this will take a maximum of 60 days when our passports will be returned. However, this is worst case scenario and it will probably be a lot quicker than that.
6. We get 20% discount at Homecentre. They will deliver, assemble and clean up the boxes and this is all included in the price.
7. We then get in line for the visa and it takes forever, I was waiting for 4 hours because I dawdled. Do the visa first, and sit near the back of the hall so you can be first out. (You will thank me for this)
That is all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment section.
I don't believe this
I will write properly later but just quickly : I brought my iMac to Abu Dhabi with me- lugged it all the way and sacrificed clothing space for it. I only went and left the fucking power chord at home.
No iMac now- will have to search Abu Dhabi for an apple store.
It's great by the way here- I will tell you all about it when I get the power supply.
No iMac now- will have to search Abu Dhabi for an apple store.
It's great by the way here- I will tell you all about it when I get the power supply.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Airport
Can't write a long one now but I am sat at Manchester airport, slightly hungover.
The airport is great, I think it's Matt Damon in Dogma that talks about how superficial all the greetings are at the airport when leaving loved ones or returning back to them. Where nothing before matters and it's all about the goodbye.
As I left my family to go through the gate I experienced an unfamiliar emotion. Deep loneliness, I was alone and off to start a new chapter in a place where I knew no one and had no idea what to expect. It only lasted a minute but it wasn't nice.
It's passed now and the excitement is back.
I was always told when travel writing to leave out the airport bit as its boring. I think you will now all agree.
They are calling my gate now, so must dash.
Write when I'm there and settled.
Bye England
The airport is great, I think it's Matt Damon in Dogma that talks about how superficial all the greetings are at the airport when leaving loved ones or returning back to them. Where nothing before matters and it's all about the goodbye.
As I left my family to go through the gate I experienced an unfamiliar emotion. Deep loneliness, I was alone and off to start a new chapter in a place where I knew no one and had no idea what to expect. It only lasted a minute but it wasn't nice.
It's passed now and the excitement is back.
I was always told when travel writing to leave out the airport bit as its boring. I think you will now all agree.
They are calling my gate now, so must dash.
Write when I'm there and settled.
Bye England
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Possible Destinations
I don’t yet know where abouts in Abu Dhabi I am going to be living. It is between three locations: Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain and Al Gharbia. This blog post is an attempt to work out some pros and cons of each place. (Not factual, just opinion)
Abu Dhabi City
For me this would be my first choice. If I lived here it would be much easier to get around seeing as I don’t drive. I would also be in the hustle and bustle which is what I am used to in London.
If I end up in Abu Dhabi City I will be close to all amenities including the gym and the nightclubs and the sports clubs.
Abu Dhabi goals (If I am there)
1. I would like to get a band together so we can play in front of audiences in bars and clubs. I think it would be a covers band playing really well known pop music that people can get up and dance to, or sing along.
2. There is a programme in Abu Dhabi called Corporate Contender at a gym named Haddins. It is a 9 week boxing training camp (3 lessons a week and unlimited gym time) with a glitzy real fight at the end with someone else who has been training for 9 weeks also. This would be brilliant for me as it combines two of my favourite things – training and showing off. I would have to win though, I don’t think I could live with losing in front of a thousand people. (This starts in September – I really hope im in the city for this)
3. Stand up comedy. My career in stand up is still in its infancy, I have only done 2 gigs. I have been looking online and there are a few comedy clubs in Abu Dhabi, so I will be contacting them when I get there to see if I can get a slot. Maybe that will lead to a regular gig.
4. Get some tennis coaching (so I can finally beat my 58 year old father)
All these are possible in Abu Dhabi City. Fingers crossed I am placed here.
Possible cons include – expensive place to live, tempation of going out every week, not saving much money up.
Al Ain
Al Ain is a much smaller town than AD city but I have heard that it is a nice place to live. It is between AD city and Dubai so it will make trips to Dubai easier. This would be my second choice.
Al Ain Goals (If I am there)
1. Rugby is a big part of the ex-pat community in Al Ain. This would mean that I will join and learn to play. It is a sport I think I could get into playing (although as a spectator sport I find it boring). It will be a good way to make new friends
2. Learn to play the guitar (chicks dig musicians!)
3. Hopefully try to pass my driving test so I can visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai
4. Join a gym and get into shape.
The cons of living in Al Ain would be: I am not in a big city, it might be a long trip (on public transport) to my workplace, there will be less stuff to do on an evening after work.
Al Gharbia
This would be a rural part of Abu Dhabi. It would be my least favourite choice but Im sure I would find something to love about it.
Al Gharbia goals if I am placed there.
1. Write a novel, a play or a screenplay. It is something I have always wanted to pursue and if I have the time, and no distractions, it would be a perfect place to do it.
2. I would learn coding and learn to manipulate google and try and make some money from my blogs.
3. Get into the desert sports such as dune bashing or camel racing.
4. Definitely learn to drive,
The cons would be that it would be hard to get around as public transport is not as convenient here as in the city and due to the spaced out nature, the school could be miles away.
Anyway – Fingers crossed that I am in the city.
What will I miss about the UK?
My ticket has arrived. I fly from Manchester airport on Friday the 10th August which is in one week and one day. It has certainly sunk in that I am leaving and I have been doing nothing but watching videos about Abu Dhabi on youtube and I even watched Sex in the City two (set in Abu Dhabi) which I found actually quite offensive. Not only to the culture of Abu Dhabi but also to gay people. The world doesn’t need more stereotypes.
I digress. I have been so caught up in the future that I realised that there will be a lot of things that I will miss about England. In no particular order, these are the things I will miss most.
1. Pubs
I know, I know, there are bars and nightclubs in Abu Dhabi but I am not sure if there will be any British pubs. When I say this, I mean the pubs that have an open fire, giant Yorkshire puddings and a mat to wipe your wellies on when you enter. A place where you know everyone in there and in the summer, you sit on wooden benches outside. I will miss the community spirit and cohesion of English Pubs.
2. British Summer
Of course it will be summer in the UAE all year round. But it is not just the heat that makes the British summer great. It is the beer gardens, (man, im really going to miss pubs) the London parks, the girls wearing next to nothing and looking really, really good. It is the slightly rubbish, but no one minds, ice cream cones from an ice cream van and fighting to get on the tennis courts when Wimbledon is on.
3. Yoga Pants
The person that invented yoga pants should be knighted. I have never seen a girl look bad in them. It almost like they look naked. (Sorry)
4. Cycling
Mainly around London, I used to love flying around the roads on my single speed bike. There is no better feeling than being slightly drunk, cycling as fast as you can over Tower Bridge. Or the noise the millennium bridge makes as you dodge pedestrians going over the slightly loose planks that make up the pathway. It is apparently too hot to cycle in Abu Dhabi anyway, but also I hear that the roads are not as safe.
5. Sunday Dinners
Beef, Yorkshire puddings, Roast potatoes, mash, carrot and swede mix and homemade gravy. I have never had a Sunday Roast (the capitals are there because they deserve to be) I did not like.
6. The domination of football
As I have said in a previous post, I will be able to get the games. But I will miss the back pages of the paper being about just football, I will have to share the screens in the sports bars with American Football and Basketball. Not everyone will like football there.
There many more things that I cannot think of right now. I have left my friends and family of the list as it is obvious I will miss them. Anyway, the countdown is on. 8 days to go.
I digress. I have been so caught up in the future that I realised that there will be a lot of things that I will miss about England. In no particular order, these are the things I will miss most.
1. Pubs
I know, I know, there are bars and nightclubs in Abu Dhabi but I am not sure if there will be any British pubs. When I say this, I mean the pubs that have an open fire, giant Yorkshire puddings and a mat to wipe your wellies on when you enter. A place where you know everyone in there and in the summer, you sit on wooden benches outside. I will miss the community spirit and cohesion of English Pubs.
2. British Summer
Of course it will be summer in the UAE all year round. But it is not just the heat that makes the British summer great. It is the beer gardens, (man, im really going to miss pubs) the London parks, the girls wearing next to nothing and looking really, really good. It is the slightly rubbish, but no one minds, ice cream cones from an ice cream van and fighting to get on the tennis courts when Wimbledon is on.
3. Yoga Pants
The person that invented yoga pants should be knighted. I have never seen a girl look bad in them. It almost like they look naked. (Sorry)
4. Cycling
Mainly around London, I used to love flying around the roads on my single speed bike. There is no better feeling than being slightly drunk, cycling as fast as you can over Tower Bridge. Or the noise the millennium bridge makes as you dodge pedestrians going over the slightly loose planks that make up the pathway. It is apparently too hot to cycle in Abu Dhabi anyway, but also I hear that the roads are not as safe.
5. Sunday Dinners
Beef, Yorkshire puddings, Roast potatoes, mash, carrot and swede mix and homemade gravy. I have never had a Sunday Roast (the capitals are there because they deserve to be) I did not like.
6. The domination of football
As I have said in a previous post, I will be able to get the games. But I will miss the back pages of the paper being about just football, I will have to share the screens in the sports bars with American Football and Basketball. Not everyone will like football there.
There many more things that I cannot think of right now. I have left my friends and family of the list as it is obvious I will miss them. Anyway, the countdown is on. 8 days to go.
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