From Budapest to Dubai

Look up ‘car window tinting’ in Dubai on the Internet and you will get loads of links. When we bought our cars in Dubai, they came completely untinted as the dealerships did not offer this service. They did, however, organize for our tinting to be done by their partner / vendor. In the case of our Infiniti, it was Llumar. Their location was near the dealership. Being new to Dubai, we still had some challenges finding their location as they were tucked away in an alleyway. Once there, we pulled the car in to their garage, left it for about 2 hours and once they called us to announce it’s completion we headed back for pick up. They charged us just over 1000aed and we paid via cheque.

A couple things to note when you are getting your windows tinted. All windows except the windshield can be tinted. Non-Emiratis can only get car windows tinted up to 30%. Emirateis can have theirs done almost to the maximum. Tinted windows does help keep your car cooler. Once you’ve received the tinting service on your car windows, it is important to not open any of your newly tinted windows for 3 days. Llumar was great as they covered our window buttons with one of their paper stickers so that if we forgot, we’d have to go through the sticker to reach the button. Plan wisely as we had an interesting 3 days as we had to open our door every time we needed to use our garage entrance pass.

The other solution for car tinting is having it done in one of the mall parking lots. If you look carefully this service (along with a basic hand wash for 20-25aed) can be found in a section of most of the parking garages around town. The company that I’ve noticed the most is 3M as they are doing a great job at advertising. Most recently I noticed their large presence in the Dubai Marina Mall.

We arrived to Dubai with only half of our personal effects as we have left our family home in Budapest somewhat in tact so our return visits are as comfortable and home-like as possible. With that said, our shopping list (more on that later) is endless!

The first thing on our list that we needed to purchase was a vehicle. In Budapest, we survived on one car as my husband is an avid cyclist and would cycle (or take public transportation) to work. On days he didn’t feel like either, he carpooled to work with me (yes we work together and yes, for reasons unknown, it works… most of the time… but that’s another blog article . In Dubai, public transportation is not very good. There are buses all over that often seem full but are hard to navigate around. As my son pointed out, they don’t get you anywhere faster (like in many cities where public transportation is huge) as there are no special bus lanes. They have to manage to stay on their route and keep up some sort of schedule amongst the continuously changing roads. Not the best solution if you are going anywhere in a hurry…

The metro is incredibly unique. Not only is it above ground – not your typical metro – but it is also very slow and incomplete. It’s a great idea and when finished it may become a popular method for travel. However, most of the stops are not yet open and it only runs alongside Sheikh Zayed Road.

As for bicycling around town, no chance! My hubby wouldn’t last 30 minutes without becoming road kill! So, we had to go car shopping for two family cars. We decided on new, however, I know many people that have bought second hand used cars and there are lots of great options. Start on a site like Dubbizle and search the internet as you will find lots of options.

Lucky for us, we found all the new car dealerships in the same general vicinity on Sheikh Zayed Road. We also were happy to be able to go out on a Saturday car shopping (and this was during Ramadan). When we come over for work, it is hard taking time off to do these personal tasks so we had to spend a lot of weekends and evenings visiting showrooms, test driving, meeting with sales reps, etc. What a daunting, boring task!

We would come home and research the cars we looked at. Many times we were surprised at our findings after test driving and online reviews. My husband is an avid fan of Top Gear and relied on their site for a lot of feedback. I, on the other hand, emailed and asked friends.

Going into our car shopping adventure, we both had decided that after 5 years of driving a 7 passenger vehicle, we wanted to stick to the same body type. Many cars that seemed popular or looked perfect, were unusually tight and cozy inside. My husband and I are both very tall so we needed space! We have 3 kids and wanted to spread them out as much as possible to avoid the ‘He’s breathing on me!’ or ‘Her arm is on my side!’ comments.

After a long, long search, I was very close to buying another Land Rover Discovery. This is my car in Budapest and I love it. It’s huge, safe, easy to drive, comfortable and simply the perfect car for our family. We drive a diesel so it’s not such a gas guzzler as many other cars of it’s size and strength. All in all, I was ready to buy another one. However, there was one indifference. None of the 2010s or the incoming 2011s in the UAE came with built-in media centers. Now, if you are like me, and have grown to adore your built in DVD player – to the point of feeling like it has saved your marriage – you will not be able to ever go back in time to a car with no built in entertainment. Hence, for this reason only, we had to return to the drawing boards!

picking up the new car

Long story short, we have chosen the following two lovely cars: a Toyota Sequoia and an Infiniti (not sure the type but it’s the big one with 8 seats!) They are both great. The Infiniti has so many features that I feel somewhat intimidated as I haven’t had the opportunity to figure it all out. The Toyota Sequoia, my husband’s car, is fantastic. It’s very cool and masculine. I love driving it as it is SO big! My Infiniti is pure luxory.

The funny thing is we bought both cars from sales WOMEN. I felt most comfortable with them both and they scrambled to meet our needs. However, keep in mind that they will all scramble while making the sale but it’s after the sale is complete when you will need to really be careful.

After an awkward situation with Curt’s Toyota (car didn’t have all the features we had been promised), we have learned to have a check list. Often in Dubai, you will feel confident with someone’s word. To get things in writing is difficult. Now I know why… Like anywhere, if it’s not in writing it’s one word against another. This is what we were faced with when we realized Curt’s Toyota was missing the entertainment center that was in the showroom car (car we chose) and also the built in cooler boxes. In the end, we managed to get one of the two (cooler boxes will be sorted later) but it was still a lot of work and effort to get this straightened out.

Additionally, when buying a car, a check (or cheque – depending on where you are from) is the standard payment. This will require time as they will need it to be cleared into their bank – sometimes plus 2 or 3 days – before releasing the car to you. We had to follow up daily, hourly to convince them to give us our car as we knew the check had been cleared on our end.

We are now so happy to have our own means of transportation and to be rid of the horrible rental car that we had our first 2 – 3 weeks. I will blog again soon about the additional points of having a new car: Salik card (for the tolls), insurance, window tinting, etc.

Often, international assignees’ big concern when moving to a new, foreign country is will I be able to drive (and be insured) and how will I navigate around my new city. In Dubai, these are both concerns but it’s multiplied by the style of driving here as well as the lack of GPS support. Try your GPS, it may appear to work but more than likely it may have you u-turn into oncoming traffic like ours did our first week here. Or, it will take you somewhere else other than the point of interest that you have selected. You have to allow time before you figure out the roads in Dubai. But, don’t relax at that point either as roads seem to be constantly changing and / or under construction here.

As for the style of driving here, it is FAST! Drivers often do not indicate when changing lanes, they signal with short beeps, and they drive very close together. Also, the left lane is not used for taking over slower cars. Drivers here, in general, over take on both sides.

I took a few photos yesterday while driving on Sheikh Zayed Road with my husband. Don’t worry, I was in the passenger seat. It just amazes me at how closely they tail each other. These cars must have been going about 120 kmh and there is less than a 1/2 car space between the two of them.

As many people know, this city is modern in so many ways. You will find that all of their tunnels are kept clean, nicely tiled and decorated with images.

For more tips on driving in Dubai, check out Move One’s Driving Tips Video.

The first time having to enter a filling station in a new country is always an interesting experience. It’s usually more of a challenge when there is no common language. In Dubai, the attendants understand the basic English petrol talk and offer a full service allowing you to remain inside your car during your fill up. However, be prepared as it is CASH only! There are bank machines at almost all the petrol stations but it’s better to have cash in hand.

I was pleased to learn that it was not expensive to fill up my Toyota (rental car) and there was a Costa man that came up to us while we were waiting to take our orders for coffee.  Note: to fill up my car from 1/4 of a tank to a full tank on the cheapest fuel was less than 100 dirhams (27USD). This is refreshing after living in Budapest and having to spend almost 4 – 5 times this amount to fill up. I was also so happy to see the Costa man at my window and delivering straight to my car! I took a video after we filled up and he returned so that you believe me… And, there was no surcharge. It was the same exact price as if I went into Costa myself to buy my coffee latte.

Recently someone told me that after they arrived to Dubai, they were depressed for 1 month. Naturally, I thought it had to do with the settling in, leaving friends behind, starting over, etc. etc. etc…

This was not the case. Instead, they told me it had to do with the sky and not seeing the sky in Dubai. I hadn’t thought about this but once they described this, I thought VOILA it is true, Dubai often has a haze over it. Everyone seems to have their theories about why but the sky is almost never, ever blue here! Rarely can you ever spot a cloud. People DO miss the sky here! Even if they don’t realize it, I think it effects your psyche somehow.

After this conversation, I went back and looked at some of my Budapest photos and found one of my favorites of my husband kite flying with our daughter in the field across the street. Clouds and blue skies! Oh, how I miss them so much!

Recently I had a conversation with a friend about grocery shopping in Dubai. After living in Eastern Europe for so many years, shopping here is a huge improvement. However, if you speak to someone who just arrived from North America, it can be a disappointment.

Waitrose's fruit and veg section

There are so many different grocery stores that, like anywhere, you have to work out the one – or few – for you. We have spent a lot of time shopping at Waitrose, which is the nearest grocery store to our temporary serviced apartment. One of the things I love about Waitrose is the freshness of their products. The fruit and veg, meats, bread, fish, etc are all incredibly fresh. They have a great selection in both the Dubai Marina Mall and their bigger location in the Dubai Mall. However, be prepared to spend money as they are not cheap.

Also nearby is an Al Maya Grocery Store. This is much, much cheaper than Waitrose. I believe Al Maya is a Phillipinno chain so there are some unique products but as far as every day things that I need, they had a lot stuffed into a small store. It was like a scavenger hunt but I enjoyed it as I found some great things – that I wasn’t even looking for.

I’ve blogged before about some of the other popular supermarkets in Dubai. Recently I had to enter a Union Coop store in Jumeirah to visit the RTA office for my driver’s license application. With a few minutes to spare, I decided to walk through the aisles as I am still in search of a few essential food items that no other stores here seem to have in stock. I was surprised by the low prices and think this could be a monthly stop for household items like paper towels, toilet paper, etc. From the looks of the other customers, it seems that it is a popular choice for the locals.

Carrefour is also great for those household essentials. The big Carrefour in Dubai seems to be in the Mall of Emirates. So, if you are disciplined and can get in and out of Carrefour for your grocery shop then you can be a budget conscious shopper. However, if you are like me, you will be distracted by other shops prior to or after your Carrefour visit. Carrefour has been a regular stop for us as they carry all our children’s unique school supply essentials. I was so please to recently see that they now offer an online shopping solution. Once we get into our home, I may just have to start using this shopping tool. I think it’s a great idea and hope that it works out to be a success.

Life has been on overdrive lately. Moving to Dubai, living in a serviced apartment, house hunting, car shopping, furniture shopping, taking care of 3 kids, working full time and trying to set up a life here has been extremely exhausting. Every time I open my blog to write about the millions of things I have on mind, I end up getting distracted. Now, it is Friday night, and after a long day – and a very late night with some wonderful friends that we have known for years – I have a few minutes of quiet to sit on my laptop.

Shopping, as I mentioned, has been a big focus of mine lately. We only brought over some of our personal effects (to arrive in a week or so) and are in desperate need of some essentials like beds, linens, kitchen things (this is a large area from pots and pans to appliances), rugs, etc. I don’t want to make any hasty decisions so I am shopping around. With the size of Dubai, this is not an easy task. The main stores I want to visit are all spread out. Here is what I have visited so far for furniture and liked:

• Q Home Decor – I liked it better then Home Centre, however, Home Centre has some good things too.
• United Furniture – this was not my taste but I did find a very basic, nice bed that was on sale at an incredible price. We couldn’t resist and bought it for our son.
• Crate and Barrel – there are very few Americans that dislike this store filled with lovely pieces of furniture and home accessories. I visited the Mall of Emirates location – there is also a store in the Mirdiff City Center – and found several things I may go back for soon.
• Natuzzi – lovely sofas
• And So To Beds – dream mattresses and beds, however, we needed one in a few weeks and their’s are special order with a 2 – 3 month waiting list.
• Marina Exotic Home Interiors – they have several locations including the Mall of Emirates, Madinat Souk and a few others. They have very lovely pieces of furniture that will make your home look like you’ve been collecting furniture from around the world for years.
• Dwell – lovely sheets and towels. I bought a great set of sheets for my 4 year old in the store in the Dubai Mall. I noticed they also have a location in the Oasis Centre.
• Index Living – I popped in here while in the Dubai Mall recently and found lots of inexpensive kitchen things, a stepping stool and a few other goodies. They have everything and it reminds me of IKEA a bit.
• @home – I have blogged about them before. It’s a great shop for home accessories!
• The Dubai Mall has loads of home furnishing homes. They even have them all listed out nicely on their website. However, I fell in love with Irony Home on the Lower Ground floor. The furniture is gorgeous and they only have a few of each piece so you end up with something quite original. The salesman was so lovely and helpful and the store smelled gorgeous as they had lit candles on many of the tables. Everywhere I turned my head, I saw something else I would love to have.

Stores I would still like to visit before I rush into any major decisions or investments:

• Laura Ashley – my favorite bedspread and sheets growing up were Laura Ashley. There things are so pretty. I just learned from a friend last night that they are here in Dubai. Then, another friend whose home I was visiting today told me she bought 2 of her beds in Laura Ashley in the Mercato Shopping Mall. I will be there soon. I have yet to even visit the Mercato Shopping Mall so it’s an experience that I hope will be happening in the next couple of days. I just need to find the time!
• Roche Bobois – I have been dreaming of a sofa from Roche Bobois for almost a decade! They didn’t have a showroom in Budapest, however, I visited some of their showrooms in other countries (literally I’d seek them out whenever / wherever we were on vacation) and love, love, love their beautiful furniture. I’m thrilled that they are located here very near our office on Sheikh Zayed Road.
• Pottery Barn – another American favorite and they have a store in Mirdif City Centre. Pottery Barn Kids is also there!
• Ligne Roset – another store I saw while driving down Sheikh Zayed Road. Maybe I may find a place in our new home for their gorgeous TOGO sofa that I have always loved and admired!
• Western Furniture – I have only driven by (again on SZR) but I may have to pop in sometime. I tried to find a link to their store but couldn’t find it. However, I found another great site called Modern Living. I didn’t have time to find their showroom on their site as it seems they maybe more of an online shopping experience with amazing Danish and Finnish products.
• idDesign – we had this store in Budapest and I have bought so many things from the years for both our office and our home.  I have yet to visit their store here but I know it exists.
• ModaCasa – who can resist good quality Italian furniture. I will have to explore their show room here sometime soon.
• The Rug Company – I cannot believe they are here! For years I have loved their products that filled the pages of my Elle Decor mags!  Now I will actually have the opportunity to see them in real life… Maybe I will even be able to take one home.
• Ace Hardware – this may sound funny but they have everything from Fat Boy beanbags (I will be picking these up for the kids once we move into our home) as well as great outdoor furniture.
• IKEA – everyone can use a little IKEA in their home! I have yet to visit their store here in Dubai but I have the catalogue marked up with all the things I desire.

I’m sure this list is only partially complete. After all, this IS Dubai! As I slowly make my way through this list, I will try my best to keep you updated on the must sees, must haves and must skip…

Good night my friends and I promise my posts will return to a more regular schedule.

On my way to school I saw these lit up signs several times while driving on Sheikh Zayed Road. What on earth could it possibly mean? ‘Schools Without Accidents’.  I’m going to try and ask around and figure it out…

It is so hot here (40s every day) and humid that every time I walk out of the office and put on my sunglasses, they fog up. The drastic change from the indoor cool air conditioning to the high outdoor heat just causes condensation. It happened the other evening on our car’s windshield too. Such a funny thing. I’ve never been anywhere where it was this hot and these things happened.

Believe it or not, I’m okay with the heat. I’ve always liked heat. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to be doing road work outdoor all day in this heat but all in all, it’s okay. The humidity the last few days has been really high and when having to stand outside for a while, you cannot help but perspire.

At school pickups for the kids, everyone gravitates towards the shade. The other very odd thing is the number of cars in the parking lot that are left on running so that the A/C is on. I’ve never seen this before and it makes me nervous all these cars just running in the parking lot. It feels like an accident waiting to happen

waiting for their dad and big brother outside Ski Dubai

Okay, the reality of us living here is slowly hitting us. Having my 2 girls registered into a weekend program certainly has helped. They began the Kids’ Theatre Group on Saturday, September 11th and will continue to do it every Saturday morning. Thankfully, another Dubai expat friend referred me to this group and after one day, my 2 girls loved it!

friends leaving dance class

Our little Ali, who is 4 1/2 years old, is in the Teeny Show Stoppers group. On their first day, their teacher started easy so they could get to know each other and play games (ie musical statues) that they were familiar with. Ali had a great time and enjoyed getting to know several other kids in her group.

Mia, who is 7 1/2 years old, is in the next group up called the Mini Show Stoppers. She was completely excited, made several friends and is over the moon with joy about performing Mamma Mia!

Active Living's dressing room

They are both attending the class in DUCTAC in the Mall of Emirates. I think they will both do really well. We had to purchase some essential dance wear and found the best spot for this was Active Living behind the Mall of Emirates. Belinda, the owner, made sure our little ones were properly dressed with the required jazz shoes and clothes. She had everything they needed and, in fact, knew what we needed as soon as we told her they were with the Kids’ Theatre Works group. It worked perfectly. The  best part, for my girls, was when they had to try something on. Belinda did such a fantastic job of her dressing rooms. Making them very stylish with pink glittery carpet, gorgeous wallpaper and sparkle everywhere. I think my 7 year old even squealed when she discovered it. Active Living has only opened up earlier this year so their website is yet to be up and running. However, you can easily find them through Facebook. In fact, try this link to their September newsletter.

In order to not leave my 9 year old out of the weekend fun, he got to go to Ski Dubai with some of his friends while the girls danced. He even stayed on longer so he could get in a full 2 hours (10am-noon). It was just what he needed after so many hot Dubai days…