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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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 Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:52 am Post subject: |
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Was that supposed to be helpful? Come on NCTBA!! 
Setesuta... do a search here for RAK and you will find some info. Type in Ras al Khaima RAK and then choose "search for all terms." That should get you some reading.
VS |
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:15 am Post subject: |
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Some Carrefour carry fresh turkey breast (and giant drumsticks) on a hit or miss basis year round - as VS says, it's readily available around Christmas.
However, it is expensive because it is fresh from France - a turkey breast can set you back 20 - 25 USD. You can buy frozen whole turkeys for about AED12/kilo (about USD1.50/lb) in most supermarkets. |
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setesuta
Joined: 01 Mar 2010
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:03 pm Post subject: Teaching in the United Arab Emirates |
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Thank you for all for your help.
Best wishes to all,
Setesuta |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
Was that supposed to be helpful? Come on NCTBA!!
Setesuta... do a search here for RAK and you will find some info. Type in Ras al Khaima RAK and then choose "search for all terms." That should get you some reading.
VS |
All tongue-in-cheek, VS. My message was that whilst RAK can be tolerable for some, to many of my colleagues, it can be as exciting as watching paint dry...
NCTBA |
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adorabilly
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 430
Location: Ras Al Khaimah
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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NCTBA.
Watching paint dry can be very exciting. And sometimes more so than RAK in general. 
But I kid.
Set... We live in RAK, ask any questions and I'll be happy to answer. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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That's why I couch my words...CAREFULLY! I know that you are having a dickin's of a time...to each his/her own... 
NCTBA |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| veiledsentiments wrote: |
Was that supposed to be helpful? Come on NCTBA!!
VS |
All tongue-in-cheek, VS. My message was that whilst RAK can be tolerable for some, to many of my colleagues, it can be as exciting as watching paint dry...
NCTBA |
Your tongue might have been in your cheek, but even I, who knows your odd sense of humor, hadn't the foggiest idea what concept that post was supposed to convey. It certainly hinted at nothing about the tolerability of RAK... or not. Be kinder to the newbies... 
VS |
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adorabilly
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 430
Location: Ras Al Khaimah
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:56 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching in the United Arab Emirates |
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| setesuta wrote: |
Your answers are very helpful and greatly appreciated!
In fact, they are very encouraging for me to come forward with more questions (and to warn you, these questions are pretty random):
-can you trust food labeling? (we are struggling with food allergies)
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Unless you an read arabic or french usually you won't be able to read the labels. (unless you are buying US foods which are more expensive)
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-can you find turkey breast in stores? (our son is hooked on this one soup I make); we love slaughtered fresh chicken as long as it's not me beheading and de-feathering it
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You can find frozen turkey in spinneys outside of RAK. OR you can try to get it in the carrefour, but expect to pay through the nose for it. LIke getting pumpkins... 30 AED per kilo.
Frozen turkey is rather cheap (at spinneys) about 18 to 22 AED per kilo.
You can easily get fresh and frozen chicken.
This is the UAE, not some third world country. Your options are limited mainly by your inability to ask for what you want. If you don't speak arabic, hindi or urdu getting specific help in stores can be hard, but not insurmountable.
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-are bed bugs a concern in the UAE? Apparently here in the US it's an increasing problem; I'm asking in case we end up buying second hand furniture
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You worry too much. Don't get second hand beds. Buy them new. They are cheap enough and if you are coming wiht HCT, they will give you 30,000 AED to furnish your home with. You can get lots of second hand stuff and new stuff too.
PM me when and I'll happily give you my phone number and email and brief you on what is in RAK and even show you guys around when you get here if you like.
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-can any appliances, like a washing machine, be expected with unfurnished accommodation or should that be part of negotiation?
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it depends on which villa compound/villas you get. Some come furnished with the "white" items (refridgerator, washing machine etc... some are completely unfurnished.
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-are we to get driver licenses there or will our US DLs be accepted?
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Before you can get your local DL you need to get your viasa's. Is your spouse working too, or being sponsored by you?
If they are also working, then you will get your visa within about 4 weeks and then can get your local DL.
With that said you can rent a car using your US DL for a short time (until you get your visa)
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-what company does one use to ship stuff? Our stuff should be rather minimal but would definitely include books and books, some DVDs, CDs and maybe an all region DVD player?
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1. any applicances you send will not work here unless they ahve universal power as the UAE uses 220 volt power.
2. Why ship anything? Almost everything you would ship, you can get here cheaper and easier than shipping.
3. you can easily get dvd's, cd's etc here cheaper than shipping.
4. Buy a cheap dvd player here for about 100 AED, and it will be region free. Don't waste the money in the US and ship it...
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-do you like the bread you get there?
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It isn't bad, it is bread. Some places have better, some have worse. But get used to bread getting mold after 4 days. You can even get bread makers...
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-is biking around an option?
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as it to get around town? Not really. It does depend on which villas you are in as to how bad traffic is, but unless you are used to the high heat and humidity, it is really not much of an option for travelling around town.
I know of a few folks to ride their nice offroad mountain bikes to school, but they then need to shower off and change before teaching. But then again, I know a guy who jogs to work each day. But we are close (under 3 miles).
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I know it's a lot of questions. It would be just nice to be less clueless than we feel right now.
Thank you. |
We all were before we came. You learn by asking and by doing.
Feel free to ask questions openly or via PM and I'll answer them truthfully.
Last edited by adorabilly on Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:15 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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adorabilly
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 430
Location: Ras Al Khaimah
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Dear adorability,
Wow - so rather than "watching paint dry", RAK is life in the fast lane (so to speak.)
Regards,
John |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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I get you, brother. I had the same thing happen to me in AD! It ended in me being put into cuffs but until the miscrenents failing the "Wa'alla" test that is all empowering! |
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:51 am Post subject: |
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If such a thing should happen to you, do what a friend of mine did. He immediately drove to the nearest police station and reported the dangerous driving and attempt to cause an accident.
Because he filed his complaint first, when the idiot driver showed up, the police were waiting for him and asked the idiot to explain HIS behaviour. Perhaps too, the guy had a reputation (if only in unpaid traffic fines) already with the police?? I don't know.
However, this took place in Dubai where the police are more evolved than in the other Northern Emirates. |
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PC Parrot
Joined: 11 Dec 2009
Posts: 459
Location: Moral Police Station
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:54 am Post subject: |
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They can say you raised your finger even if you actually raised nothing.
I've had plenty of middle fingers from locals. Once even from a young women who, to make sure I could see the gesture, wound down the tinted-window - thus exposing her uncovered hair.
Perhaps, feeling herself to be a modern-day-medusa, she also expected the sight of her 'naked' to mesmorise me into driving into the nearest ditch.
Beware. It's a jungle out there. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| helenl wrote: |
If such a thing should happen to you, do what a friend of mine did. He immediately drove to the nearest police station and reported the dangerous driving and attempt to cause an accident.
Because he filed his complaint first, when the idiot driver showed up, the police were waiting for him and asked the idiot to explain HIS behaviour. Perhaps too, the guy had a reputation (if only in unpaid traffic fines) already with the police?? I don't know.
However, this took place in Dubai where the police are more evolved than in the other Northern Emirates. |
Thank you, helenl! I did this as well. It does one well to lean in this environment. I was in "catch and release' mode a few days later after I had cooled down.
Think, "Karma"...
NCTBA |
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