and they hit me back. hard. how rude

by Grace on January 21, 2010

Photo for illustration purposes only.

Sometimes I wonder why things just seem to get worse when my mood is low (hormone-caused I’m sure, I’m usually ‘perky’. I think.) or that shit happens because my mood was low in the first place. Thoughts?

Ah, you gotta know a rant’s going to blow when the three words I type in a post starts with Sometimes-I-wonder.

As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve been living in a 2 bedroom flat in an apartment building. The one with the 2 meter width kitchen. I’ve been having a kitchen working space the size of a keyboard. Nope, I’m not shitting about this. So naturally I would love to move out. It’s been three years! I want to bake muffins, dammit. Wheat free-gluten-free muffins by the way but whatever. I want out.

My company pays for my flat, as per the contract I signed with them. I was sunny and perky 4 days ago when I told them, no, I won’t renew my contract in the present building and found some place better (I would even bring the freshly baked muffins to the office if they like). Told them the price (it’s even cheaper than last years!) and that they can issue the cheque to this certain real estate, just what they’ve been doing for me these past three years….then the HR manager cut me out in the middle of my perkiness.

No, the company won’t issue any cheque in your behalf anymore.

It’s like they’re saying, thanks for your muffins but we need to keep the cash at hand. No more bulk payments. Am I fired? No, apparently I’m not since I just renewed my visa and labor card. What’s the deal now? He continued,

From now on, the company can only give you your house rent allowance (HRA) every month along with your salary, just like all the other employees.

No prior notice. Nothing. It was the first time I heard this b.s. and surprise, surprise, the HRA suddenly dropped by 18% compared to last year. Helllllooooo recession!

The huge, huge problem is that, here in Dubai, the city teeming with greedy landlords and shrewd real estate brokers, rents are paid in ADVANCE. Example if your flat rent is 65,000 dhs/year, they will ask you to pay in post-dated cheques (1, 2, 4 or 6 cheques). The new real estate requires 4 cheques so that would mean 3 months rent in advance to be paid in postdated cheques (4 cheques of 16,250 dhs each) or else you live outside in a tent.

And die long before Dubai summer starts.

We cannot issue cheques from our side because we only have a savings account, no cheque books. Had we known this was coming, we would have made arrangements. Now, we can’t cancel the because the real estate broker (the one that breaks your pocket empty that’s why they’re called “brokers”) told me the booking fee is not refundable. I told you they are shrewd creatures.

I’ve fought with my company saying these new policies are inexcusable since it was not in my contract or that I was not notified earlier. Their poker faced reaction? “Well, now you know.” WTF.

The best thing they said? “We will issue the cheque if you won’t move out of your flat.” How moronic.

I sure am aware I could be fired for writing this post if they found out about this one. But I say, “Bring it on!What’s the worse thing to happen? It’s just either I’ll find another job here in Dubai with less idiocy or stay at home let my husband feed me while I cross-stitch the whole day.

Or I (we) could also go back to the mountains of Japan and eat fresh apples all day.

*****

For those living in Dubai and have their companies providing their accommodation, be careful. You’ll never know what they’ll do when your next tenancy contract is up for renewal. Have your cheque books ready and some hefty savings for the advance rent payment. Just FYI.