Job Discussion Forums

[mishmumkin]

[GlobalDawg]

Quite possibly 135K is steep for Banyias. In that I recently returned to the UAE after spending the past 5 years out of the country and I'm reacquainting myself, don't speak Arabic well enough to negotiate, was engaged with an unscrupulous real estate "mediator," was looking forward to getting out of the residence hotel, and the cost was within my housing allowance budget, once I saw the place I was ready to move in. It works well for me in that the place is spacious and new and my drive into work is only 12 minutes from home.

As for the commute from Baniyas into AD, it probably is 45 minutes. During the time that I was living in the hotel, I commuted by bus from AD to Shawamak (sp?) and indeed it did take 40 to 45 minutes. As I indicated, from Baniyas to Marina Mall in the evenings or early mornings on the weekends takes about 20 minutes--I may be stretching real-time by 5 to 7 minutes or so, but generally it's a quick trip. Or, maybe I've unconsciously clocked it only to Al Arabia Al Kaleej (sp?)�it�s still a quick trip to the mall via the Intercontinental Hotel. On a few occasions I've left work at midday to go into AD and it has also been a breeze. However, a few days ago I learned that a new LuLu's shopping center has just opened in Mussafha (sp?) so that will be one less weekly trip into AD for me.

I love listening to the roster, in the villa next door, crowing and the birds chirping in the mornings. I'm just not fond of traffic jams, rude drivers, horn blowing master-blasters, the impoliteness of people hailing taxis, crosswalk body-bumpers and uncouth sidewalk spitters. So, if the going price had been 15 to 25K more, I still would have said, "OK!"