Hanie and I at the $2.70 dinner
The dinner - Chicken Khardi - spicy with flat bread and a "salad" (already eaten) (Marcel's dinner was goat w/ rice)
My Pal's -Marcel from Ghana, Hanie from India and Amr from Egypt standing in front of a fruit/vegetable store.
The "Pill " building - was to be the headquarters for the F-1 racing teams - new race track is about 10k up the road on Yas Island. First race is Nov. 1 Looks like a big "Epcot" from a distance but then....
The closer you get you see it is a pill shape. The architecture here is so interesting - People with buckets of money hire the best architects and let them be creative.Hi All,
May Day May 1, 4p
Well this week has been a blur, Started out the week by looking at more villa/town homes and found one I really liked - only down side - no clubhouse in the compound. Yesterday, Wed. went to another compound and they had a wonderful pool w/ lap lanes , gym etc. also is a place where a lot of the doctors I know live - but the price is higher and the construction quality and layout is less "favorable" BUT I think I've decided to stay there and will turn in my papers on Sunday to get the process started. need to get back in the water and start swimming and losing weight - A constant battle.
Well the drivers license story- LUCKILY I am an American - because if you are not the process is quite harder. evidently the UAE thinks we teach our drivers well and the process is straight forward - Well let's start from the beginning. Documents needed - copy of passport , copy of resident visa ( long drawn out process to get this) letter of no objection from your employer - not difficult but a hassle. ( yes your employer can prevent you from getting a license) a photo copy of your American drivers licence- no problem, your drivers license translated into Arabic - OK - but a hassle PLUS all the originals of the fore said documents and a passport photo.
OK got it all , Hanie ( director of patient finance and in some pics above I will post) He's Indian grew up in Kuwait and lived in Atlanta and Houston ( Methodist Hospital in Houston) before moving here. He has Indian passport and US driver's lic.
We head on over to the DMV on Monday and he tells the driver ( hospital provides cars and drivers for us) to take us to Mussaffa - I said we need to go into Murrujh (sp) - No this is a closer place - Ok so we get there and there is this big road course laid out with a control tower and people are taking their driving test in cars that look like a Beeline Courier bumble bee cars complete with blinking lights on top. The driver pulls up in front and there are HUNDREDS of people here - OH Geez - and they are all Paki or Indian - all trying to get a license so they can be a cab driver - ( this must be the training ground for all the NYC cabbies) . We go in and the place is packed - we make our way to an info booth - and are told to go down the hall and be seen there. We get there and I pull out all my papers and the guard says not here -Murrujh and I am now confused - isn't this a drivers license place - yes - but not for me is the final word - But Hanie - with his Indian passport is in the right place even though he has a American driver's license. He must take a class for 4 hours, then take the written test then get scheduled to do the driving test - he's LESS than thrilled.
Our hospital driver has split by the way as he wasn't going to wait for us as he knows the process is agonizing long. So we call the hospital driver back up, he returns and takes me to Murrujh - where I thought I had to go originally( and I was right) He take me into town , drops me off out front and says he will wait for me. OK ( I had asked another expat how this process went so I'm looking for some familiarity in the locale from her description) Lo and behold it's all falling into place. I go in, and go to the reception booth, the woman takes my papers, arranges them and give me a "Now Serving" number and points me to the eye test - I sit there for 3 minutes, they call my number, I go in and in 2 minutes I get my eye test done and pay 20AED ( $5.40 US) and I go back to the reception desk where she hands me another Now Serving number and points me to another area. I wait for 5 min. They call me up, take my papers, ask if I am married, take my cell phone number and I pay 200 AED ( $54 US) and they take my picture. 5 min later they hand me my license ! I'm stunned - fast efficient service. I ask is that it, am I done? She says Yes your done - Go ! I skip out of the building wondering why the rest of the bureaucracy can't be so efficient. The driver is waiting for me and we head back to the hospital as Hanie is still stuck taking a class.
I am now looking for cars to buy or lease. Will probably rent one for a month until I can find what I want.
All's good
Love to all
Scott
May Day May 1, 4p
Well this week has been a blur, Started out the week by looking at more villa/town homes and found one I really liked - only down side - no clubhouse in the compound. Yesterday, Wed. went to another compound and they had a wonderful pool w/ lap lanes , gym etc. also is a place where a lot of the doctors I know live - but the price is higher and the construction quality and layout is less "favorable" BUT I think I've decided to stay there and will turn in my papers on Sunday to get the process started. need to get back in the water and start swimming and losing weight - A constant battle.
Well the drivers license story- LUCKILY I am an American - because if you are not the process is quite harder. evidently the UAE thinks we teach our drivers well and the process is straight forward - Well let's start from the beginning. Documents needed - copy of passport , copy of resident visa ( long drawn out process to get this) letter of no objection from your employer - not difficult but a hassle. ( yes your employer can prevent you from getting a license) a photo copy of your American drivers licence- no problem, your drivers license translated into Arabic - OK - but a hassle PLUS all the originals of the fore said documents and a passport photo.
OK got it all , Hanie ( director of patient finance and in some pics above I will post) He's Indian grew up in Kuwait and lived in Atlanta and Houston ( Methodist Hospital in Houston) before moving here. He has Indian passport and US driver's lic.
We head on over to the DMV on Monday and he tells the driver ( hospital provides cars and drivers for us) to take us to Mussaffa - I said we need to go into Murrujh (sp) - No this is a closer place - Ok so we get there and there is this big road course laid out with a control tower and people are taking their driving test in cars that look like a Beeline Courier bumble bee cars complete with blinking lights on top. The driver pulls up in front and there are HUNDREDS of people here - OH Geez - and they are all Paki or Indian - all trying to get a license so they can be a cab driver - ( this must be the training ground for all the NYC cabbies) . We go in and the place is packed - we make our way to an info booth - and are told to go down the hall and be seen there. We get there and I pull out all my papers and the guard says not here -Murrujh and I am now confused - isn't this a drivers license place - yes - but not for me is the final word - But Hanie - with his Indian passport is in the right place even though he has a American driver's license. He must take a class for 4 hours, then take the written test then get scheduled to do the driving test - he's LESS than thrilled.
Our hospital driver has split by the way as he wasn't going to wait for us as he knows the process is agonizing long. So we call the hospital driver back up, he returns and takes me to Murrujh - where I thought I had to go originally( and I was right) He take me into town , drops me off out front and says he will wait for me. OK ( I had asked another expat how this process went so I'm looking for some familiarity in the locale from her description) Lo and behold it's all falling into place. I go in, and go to the reception booth, the woman takes my papers, arranges them and give me a "Now Serving" number and points me to the eye test - I sit there for 3 minutes, they call my number, I go in and in 2 minutes I get my eye test done and pay 20AED ( $5.40 US) and I go back to the reception desk where she hands me another Now Serving number and points me to another area. I wait for 5 min. They call me up, take my papers, ask if I am married, take my cell phone number and I pay 200 AED ( $54 US) and they take my picture. 5 min later they hand me my license ! I'm stunned - fast efficient service. I ask is that it, am I done? She says Yes your done - Go ! I skip out of the building wondering why the rest of the bureaucracy can't be so efficient. The driver is waiting for me and we head back to the hospital as Hanie is still stuck taking a class.
I am now looking for cars to buy or lease. Will probably rent one for a month until I can find what I want.
All's good
Love to all
Scott
Great pic's Scott, keep them coming. Looks like you have several nice friends too. So are you the "old man" of the foursome? Heehaw!
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