Sandier Pastures

Cathay Pacific flight CX900 bound for Hong Kong with connecting flight CX731 to Dubai left Manila at the expected time of departure, without delay, without hesitation and without my mother.

This is going to be a long rant so sit back, relax and get angry. (The amount of anger I poured into this entry is not even half of what I really felt yesterday. I did not have time to write anything yesterday so the timestamped entry.)

I have finished all the paper work last week concerning my mother’s visit visa — temporary visa issued valid for 60 days. The hubby is starting work on the 1st of May and we needed someone to look after the kid after her school hours. My mother was/is always will be a willing volunteer. I got her tickets scheduled for April 30, today. Everything was ready, from her room to the dinner menu we prepared to welcome her.

Plane bound for Hong Kong is to leave Manila at 12:30 pm, Manila time, 8:30 a.m. Dubai time. At 6:30 a.m. my phone rang. I expected good news that she has safely checked-in and is waiting for boarding already. I got a totally different shocking news instead.

Cathay Pacific refused her entry because of lack of documents. She has the copy of her visit visa but they told her without  the:

(1) Original copy of the visit visa — which should be deposited at the Dubai International Airport for safekeeping;

(2) Invitation letter from the sponsor — one of the documents not even mentioned anywhere!!;

(3) Affidavit of support — I don’t even know what the heck this is!! But this is supposed to be a letter I have to get from the Philippine consulate, which is situated in the middle of nowhere and have to be stamped and signed by the consul general to attest that I am financially able to support my mother here. What was the income statement I submitted at the Dubai Immigration for??;

(4) Passport copy and resident visa copy of the sponsor

Without these, she will not be cleared to board the plane by Philippine Immigration crooks officials. These 4 documents are what I submitted when I applied for her visa in UAE Immigration office. The visa was issued, normally, you take a copy, send it to the traveller and deposit the original visa at the Dubai International Airport. She will then exchange her copy with the original, pass passport control section and step out. As simple as that. All the red-tape books says that, the people I know and myself did just that.

But freaking Manila is making a rule of its own. What is nerve-wracking is why they insist that my mother has to have the said documents when she is supposed to be cleared already. She was even escorted out of the airport after being denied boarding because she doesn’t have SUPPORTING PAPERS.

I have never broken down in such a long time as much as I did this morning. I felt extreme hate towards one country and its scrupulous system. Some Filipinos inside the bus just shrugged their shoulders as they told me, “Come on, don’t tell me something you don’t already know, that’s the way it is there and you should have told your mother to prepare for a large amount of money to give to the Immigration officer to clear her.” That just make me my blood boil!

What the officials needed was not really supporting papers but SUPPORTING PESOS to fast-track her travel. One could only imagine the level of anger, dismay, humiliation, sorrow at the thought of this.

The crocodiles working for the government takes whatever centavo they can get from travellers, especially workers going abroad for a living. They think money grows on trees and these crocodiles shamelessly think that they should have a fair share of every peso of every person leaving and entering the international airport!

No wonder, Hong Kong based Political and Economic Risk Council investigations affirm that the Philippines ranks first place among nations with the highest level of corruption. But survey results like this don’t even get through their thick skin. Everyday, everyone leaving and entering the airport have some (cash) stories to tell. 

For formalities sake, I sent the documents they demanded from mother in the hope of her taking her flight safely. Never mind I have to be out of the office the whole day to gather these. Never mind that I have to pay a lot of money for taxi to turn round and round the street looking for the invisible Philippine consulate (they have transfered more than 5 times already and don’t disclose information readily to the poor unfortunate souls) . Never mind that I have to spend a fortune for Fedex to send the documents fast to my mother who is stranded in Manila. (Luckily, a very kind long-time friend agreed to my request to accommodate my mom until her flight to Dubai)

A Filipino colleague told me to send my mom money as well in case they extort her. To be brutally honest, I DON’T WANT TO PAY for something I should not!! Every one should not pay as this only creates a very vicious cycle. Beggars Robbers will continue to beg rob if given ready heist alms on a daily basis.

Updated: I am wrong, these sleazebags are not beggars as they don’t beg to get money out of people, they practically rob them helplessly right there and then.

It’s too hot outside. Dizzying hot. I mean real business hot. I want to write something at the top of my head but I forgot or getting lazy to remember it. The A/C is freezing.

I’ll type when my fingers thaw.

Starting today until May 6, the over-worked Japs will get their well deserved days off. 9 days without work, if you include the usual Sat-Sun off. Isn’t is amazing or what!?

Since nature of my work is coordination with the Japanese market, and no one is there, you go figure: I have one whole week of butt-cramping time spent at the office with almost nothing to do!

The MUM is coming next Monday to relieve the hubby’s babysitting chores as he starts working on the 1st of May. We are frantically in need of a bed and a curtain to make the other room more homey. So off we go hunting for a bed and other stuffs. Man, we never run out of activities on my day-off! Gone are the days when I would moan at the thought of not doing anything anything on weekends, at how I will spend weekends after the usual chores, of course we are talking of pre-baby time here, about 10 years ago, haha. So much has changed and much, much is added to the to-do list after P was born.

Thoughts about my mother coming to live with us here in Dubai:

The lack of efficient nursery school with longer times to cater to working moms prompted me to call my mother to ask her to take care of three-year old little girl after she comes home from school at around 12:30 noon. Most of the families here hire maids or the moms stay at home. Since I can’t stay at home as we came here primarily because of my job, there is the option to hire a maid. But how could you totally ask a stranger watch over your daughter while you are out? We can’t hire relatives here in Dubai as maids, at least that’s what the immigration department says. And it is so damn expensive to sponsor a maid. It’s very hard to post an ad to write what you want in a maid: (1) She has to have an experience in childcare, preferably has a child of her own back home — which might mean that there will be times she will get homesick and go back to her homecountry; (2) Must have lots of initiative, especially when emergency cases arise; (3) She must be able to read and write and speak fluent English (I can’t demand they speak in Japanese!!) — she must be educated; (4) She must be clean and tidy at home; (5) Must be trustworthy and honest. With these qualifications, we are not looking at less or non-educated candidates who are just roaming around the streets of Dubai, they should have at least a decent education background — but then people with educational background don’t go looking for maid jobs, you know,  so finding the right person is a hurdle. 

My mom always told me if we needed help, she will just be a flight away, make that a 12-hour flight away (excluding extra time for time difference and changing planes). She is excited at the thought of seeing another country (she has been to Japan a couple of times when we were there). But still, behind that excitement I know there is something else. There is the grandmotherly worry of leaving her other grandchild, my brother’s 1.5 year old son who is in her care, and some other things only mothers would worry at home. My siblings staying in my parent’s house have grown up and could well survive without my mother but still I know that moms will be moms…they will always think of their kids no matter how grown up they become. Then there’s my father who’ll be left behind.

I am happy my mother is expressing eagerness to come here but at the back of my mind, there is that tormenting feeling that I am taking her away from my family back home. Then also the wondering if she’ll not get too lonely as we are without TV and she is used to watching lots of TV especially after she ‘retired’ of babysitting when all six of us led our own lives.

My neighbor was shocked we are using electric stove to cook. She immediately gave me the contact details of the gas company (printed in a sticker and handed-out by the company persons themselves) so we can buy the gas cylinder and use gas which is of course a cheaper option. I almost laughed out loud and am in doubt right now if this is the right company to call:

For all your gas needs, don’t hesistate to contact — AL BOOM GAS, Dubai 04-XXX-XXX

Should I really not hesitate?

Brief and straightforward, is Dubai really tax free?

Yes, Dubai is tax-free, if you live and work in the emirate your income will be paid to you gross and if you buy a house to live in you will not be subjected to property taxes because direct personal taxation is against the law in Dubai.

When they say direct personal taxation is against the law, they are like saying that indirect personal taxation is acceptable.

The salary might be tax-free, but with all the municipality fees and charges, school fees and registration fees and the high rents and all the other bits and bobs they fail to mention when you are being enticed into moving here, you might as well be paying 50% tax.

We got a letter from the school that they are increasing the fees from September to 5%. The fees of my KG1 daughter, even before the increase is equal to or maybe more than what my sister in a fairly expensive university pays every month. My company is paying for half of my kid’s tuition fee, all because my company owns the school, meaning, I could not transfer anywhere without tipping all the contents of my packet and tell the school cashier to help herself. Luckily, P loves her school right now and I could not ask for more. I am contented with the teachers and the curriculum and dear daughter is coming home happy. I just hope it stays that way.

I read Dubai mom’s forum today and more and more parents are cringing at the fact that most schools have announced the increase of fees by up to 25%!!  

How do these schools expect us parents to magic up the extra school fees and all the other additional costs that keep cropping up? Most likely, the schools are doing this because they know that most expat family’s company pays for the tuition fees (part of some expat package). But not all companies give enough money to cover the fees and it is a real pity to move your kid to another school when he is happy with the his old one because of financial matters.

Next…

Housing is a basic essential and the greedy people are abusing this. In the first half of 2005, annual rents in Dubai have shot up by around 40% — possibly the fastest inflation rate in the world for accommodation.

How could anyone implement this kind of crap is so beyond me. There are no particular reason for the increase. No additional facility being built in the apartment buildings, no fancy blings of improvement inside the flats. The landlords just increase it to keep up with the property boom b*llsh*t. Tenants who refuse to pay has to pack up and leave.

This year, the government of Dubai has imposed an annual 7% rent cap. Prior to this move, landlords would increase the rents by as much as 70% forcing expats to send their families home as their life here is less than sustainable already. Most people I know live in cramped spaces, usually sharing a small bedroom with other 5-6 people! A small thin partition to give you privacy if you are lucky, sometimes, you only have your blanket.

One lady who stays in the same building asked me how many people live in my flat and I answered that it’s just me, the hubby and the kid. In a two-bedroom (really small) flat. She was in disbelief and told me we were ‘extravagant’ and ‘living in class’!I’d say that is normal but she lives in the same sized flat with 9 other ladies! I didn’t have the chance tell her my company pays for the flat as the elevator door opened to her floor and she got out still with a shocked face.

As reported, rocketing rents in the UAE have forced millions of Asian workers to sleep in their cars or on the streets (it rarely rains and is warm all throughout the year so this option is always there). Foreign labourers mainly from the Indian subcontinent, make up around 85 percent of the United Arab Emirates’ 4 million population.

An oil-driven real estate boom is pushing rents higher in the UAE by up to 50% each year, with an average one bedroom apartment in Dubai costing around 56,000 dirhams ($15,250) annually. I thought Tokyo was supposed to be the most expensive city in terms of property prices? Dubai is definitely taking over that spot in a flash.

Other living costs such as schooling, food, utilities and leisure are also climbing sharply.

Are they trying to push the expat community to the level here? and get us out of Dubai? Because if these things continue to happen, all of us are going to be priced out of Dubai!

I have nothing really meaty to post today and I don’t want to end my day without posting something… So I will be leaving you with a presentation of Dubai, sent by my friend Cheryl. Yeah, I know after you see this you will think I am living in a crazy land. I am! Check to see Dubailandia

Dubai is one big construction site with the skies full of cranes. I am sure it will be beautiful when it’s finished.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

M was not born a Christian and only started going to church and praying when we were dating 8 years ago. Mostly just praying as I am not that much of a church-goer myself but I believe that there is someone way beyond our comprehension who watches over us and guides us.

For the first time last week, I saw my husband knelt and prayed, really hard. All his life he has been provided when we were still in his home country. There was no necessity to “ask” something from above. He graduated and got a job at first try. All the things he had, he felt just came naturally.

He is facing unbelievable stumbling blocks in his Dubai job search. First, there is the language barrier. English is not his native tongue, he knows the language but that part is hidden inside him, lying dormant (as there is no need to use that in Japan). Next, employers would prefer to hire people from India to perform the same job he can do because of wage matters. Employers do not want to spend more when they can spend less, of course. Japanese people had been stereotyped to be “expensive”.

But one company gave him the chance. M is very happy and so am I! He finally got a job! Plus, he will be provided with company car after three months. I am just elated. Yes, we have to brave the hot months commuting to work but hey, all these experiences are important so that we can appreciate life more when it eases. And he has to take the bus going to work and coming home so that we can share terrible bus episodes everyday!

“Sometimes things have to go wrong, so that you will know the difference when things go right.”

Thanks for the goodluck thoughts everyone!!

The little girl is finally out of the house and going back to school, after two-weeks of staying at home-going to the park-playing with the rabbits. She has been looking forward to this day and us to, it’s not easy answering to her question of “Why no school today, mom?” or “What about tomorrow of tomorrow?”

There’s no mistaking that our daughter loves to go to school, although that doesn’t mean she hates home. She has kid-friends there and we as adult company could never provide her the same amount of joy and excitement her only her kid-friends can give her. How do I explain this better?

She even woke up by herself today and changed to her uniforms voluntarily. Boarded the bus at the usual time with the biggest smile. She did not even have time to say goodbye as she was busy attending to her friends inside the bus — I called her attention and she gave me a flying kiss.

Today, I will be out of the office in the afternoon. Someone has to take care of P after her school hours as hubby will be having a job interview this afternoon (fingers crossed!). M had his first interview with the same company last Thursday that’s why I took a break from work and we went to Jumeirah. The interviewer wants to see him again, probably, a work contract is in the works! I know, I know, it’s too early to tell but the employer is giving too many hints already.

Not until 3 p.m. this afternoon, at least. But a job and a car might be in the offing! (Then no more terrible bus episodes to tell! woo hoo) Let’s take a moment and wish M goodluck.

What’s a girl to do when she is heartbroken and down?

She’ll pack up her things and go visit ITALY for a day. Impossible? Really, Italy is just a couple of hours away, veery reachable.

Mercato Mall- - just along Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, UAE