Frugal Expat

Celebrating Christmas in UAE

December 22, 2009 · 5 Comments

My first Christmas in this part of the world was in 2002 and I felt like an orphan at that time because I was wondering where and to whom I would celebrate this occasion. I come from a country that celebrates exaggeratedly the Festive Season. In fact, Christmas commences as soon as the ‘beer’ month starts. We always refer the months in the last quarter of the year as ‘beer month’ simply because these months end in ‘ber’.

Anyway, as early as September, you can already see Christmas decors and lights in the streets, at homes and occasionally in the malls. By November the Christmas decorations are fully set-up as December is already considered quite late. Then it is marked with ‘Misa de Gallo’ or sometimes known as midnight or rooster’s mass because it starts at four o’clock in the chilly morning of December. It commences every 16th of December and culminates on the eve of Christmas. It is a total of nine days mass celebration in the Roman Catholic Church, a unique tradition in my home country.

Then like in any part of the world, there is the rush gift shopping for family and friends, and the busy atmosphere in the kitchen for the ‘noche buena’, the dinner on the eve of Christmas.

Indeed back home the celebration of Christmas is much anticipated and it is marked with the mood of joy and festivity.

Of course, this scenario is expectedly to be poles apart here. Christmas is still celebrated here and the government of UAE has been very kind to allow such open celebration considering that this is a Muslim country. Generally the hotels host various activities all throughout the festive season. The events stretch from the classic Christmas caroling, Christmas tree lightings, Christmas brunch & dinner and Christmas parties.

Companies which are managed by Western origins generally host Christmas parties for there staff and 25th December is holiday for them. However, for organizations particularly the big ones with staff of diverse origins and cultures, Christmas day means another ordinary working day only. Sometimes the bosses allow Christian staff to leave the office earlier to be able to celebrate Christmas. Others ensure that Christians are scheduled or prioritized for off day on Christmas day.

It is really a give and take relationship among the staff because the same arrangement happens during Muslims holidays.

Anyway for those, who are in shoestring budget and cannot afford to celebrate Christmas in the hotels, typically organize a small gathering at home with their friends. Sometimes when there is no venue to host the party, it is then celebrated in the park or at the beach.

Christmas celebration here is quite simple but still I am personally grateful that we are able to celebrate and carry out our traditions despite of the religious difference among the expats and the host country.

Whatever plans you have for the festive season, I wish each one of you a Merry Christmas!

→ 5 CommentsCategories: City Events · Life in Abu Dhabi
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A Rainy Saturday in Abu Dhabi

December 12, 2009 · 6 Comments

The weather today made me nostalgic of my home country, Philippines. I came out in the office at past five in the afternoon. As I stepped out from the main door, I was surprised that my cheeks were greeted by a gentle chilly breeze.

The weather here has been very pleasant lately as we approach the peak of winter season. Though oftentimes mock by people who are hailed from countries with real winter (means snow everywhere and a temperature of below freezing point), the month of November to March here in UAE is considered to be winter season too in which the temperature ranges between 13 to 29 degrees Celsius. It is indeed far better than the 35 degrees Celsius in August, the hottest period of the year. On worst summer days, the temperature can climb up to 40 degrees Celsius.

Perhaps now it is justifiable to call this as winter season even though the temperature is not below freezing point. If you have been here during the summer months, then you can definitely tell the big difference.

Anyway, back home I always like the chilly breeze after a heavy rain. As Philippines is a tropical country, we experience rain all throughout the year and every time the heavy rain is over, I go out to feel the cold gust of the wind. Then I take delight in watching my Mum’s small garden and the trees around me because they look so fresh and really happy (I know it’s weird!)

It was mid April when I came first in UAE. As summer was already approaching, I didn’t really enjoy going out because the weather was intolerable for a newcomer like me. Then I came to know later that it hardly rains in this part of the globe.

The heavy rain here is only tantamount to drizzle in my country. However, I noticed that the occurrence of rain is more frequent in the past few years especially when winter months are fast approaching or about to end.

Today I can’t help but feel very nostalgic because the light rain just finished when I came out from the main door. I could still see the damp garden in front and a sort of small ponds of water forming on the surface driveway.

As the taxi drove me home today, I opened the window and felt the gentle chilly breeze on my cheeks like I used to do back home.

P.S. I supposed to be writing now to cope up with my deadlines but can’t resist to blog the weather today.

→ 6 CommentsCategories: Life in Abu Dhabi · Weather
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Supplementing My Income through Freelance Writing

December 5, 2009 · 15 Comments

Photo Credit: www.persistenceunlimited.com

I am always busy to the extent that I limit to a certain time I spend chatting with my Mum. Honestly, I sometimes feel guilty about it because she waits everyday so we can chat together. I know she understands it.

On weekends I sleep late and spend more of my time working in the laptop. This is the only time that I can really wrap up things to meet my project deadlines. The weekdays are generally spent in my full time job and sometimes I still work at home after office though this greatly depends on my day’s workload at the office. If I am really exhausted, I simply spend an hour of research and cope with the writing workloads in wee hours of the morning. It means I get up between 3am to 4am though I always try to be up by three o’clock

I am oftentimes confronted by friends for such abnormal routine and lifestyle. Fortunately, I love every minute I spend in my freelance writing gigs even it means shorter period of sleep. I have never been so passionate and dedicated in life except for my writing.

Beating the deadlines is always a BIG challenge especially if you have a fulltime job.

Anyway, I am happy to have extra income by doing the thing I love most. The fact that I am able to give a full financial support to a college student out from my writing gigs makes it more rewarding.
There is an ocean of available jobs for freelance writers. With such options, the only constraint is the time to allot for writing. I am currently working as freelance writer in one of the local company based in Philippines. There are two things I like writing for this company. There is always constant flow of assignments, in fact there is no shortage at all, and lastly their online system. We have a cyber office (really cool!) where we can interact with my virtual colleagues and bosses. They also have very effective payment method. I am earning while honing my writing skills. If you are interested, let me know (but this opportunity applies for Filipinos only!).

I prefer my other projects to remain private.. Sorry folks, I can’t blog about it!

→ 15 CommentsCategories: Extra Income
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UAE Public Holidays

December 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment

I think end of November and December are the favored months this year for most of us, expats, because of successive public holidays. Few days break is great way to rev up your energy.

So, let’s wrap up the public holidays that took place this December.

Eid Al-Adha
The occasion of Eid Al-Adha was a three day public holiday for private sectors which started on Thursday, November 26 until Saturday, November 28. As the weekend here is Friday and Saturday, the public holidays that fell on weekends were forfeited. Still it was great to be off on Thursday!

By the way, Eid Al-Adha is a three day festivity that takes place at the end of Hajj, an annual pilgrimage of Muslims in Mecca.

UAE National Day
The 38th National Day of UAE was celebrated last 2nd of December and it was marked by a 45 minutes fireworks. It aimed to hold the record of the world’s longest fireworks in Book of Guinness.

As much as I wanted to go out during National Day to witness the various events, I was traumatized in my experience in 2007. Since then I never go out on this particular day.

This event is always anticipated with grand celebration. The streets are adorned with lights and figures which is ‘38’ this year. It represents the number of years since the country was founded. The cars which are dressed up in the color of UAE flag parade in the streets while the drivers keep sounding their horns. Others wave the flags and banners of UAE flag.

The streets are really packed with people and cars.

This was the reason that took me more than six hours to go home in 2007. I was new in Abu Dhabi and I never thought that it would be a nightmare to go out this time. My friend and I could not find any taxi at all. Desperate to go home, we ended up agreeing to pay Dhs 50 per person to a car owner who took advantage of the situation.

It also took us more than an hour to travel from the mall to my home in which in normal circumstances, it is 15 minutes drive only.

Islamic New Year
It is not yet announced but Islamic New Year may take place between December 17 or 18. If it falls on Thursday, 17th December then it signifies another day off for us.

Honestly, I always look forward for any public holidays because it gives me time to write and complete my projects.

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Better Than Pizza Hut

November 27, 2009 · 3 Comments

It was initially a business prospect that led us to an Arabic coffee shop strangely named ‘Moulin Rouge’. As we entered, the place was slightly crowded with people and the smoke from Shisha dominated the atmosphere. 

To get a fresher air, we opted to settle outside. Great that the weather was already pleasant!

While waiting for the waiter, my eyes were busy looking around not for anything but to observe. We thought that it was a small coffee shop only but to my surprise, there was a spacious tent at the back packed with guests.

Every time I visit an Arabic coffee shop, I knew only two items to order – shisha and Turkish coffee. And so I ordered the same in Moulin Rouge.

However, something caught my attention. There was a small booth with glass walls besides the entrance door. The man inside in red shirt was busy swirling on the air a piece of what seemed a white thin sheet. Curious, I stepped closer to the booth. I came to know that the white thin sheet was actually a dough.

With his crooked English, he told me he was making an Egyptian Pastry, one of the sought after item in the menu. I believed him because all the while we were there; people came, wait for 10-15 minutes and left with boxes of his freshly baked pastry.

I interviewed him while observing his baking skill. According to him, it runs in his family for generations. He said it was an Egyptian style pizza and it tasted better than Pizza Hut. I simply smiled because I could not affirm anything for I hadn’t tasted it yet.

He was busy kneading the dough. Then later the cupful dough turned into a very thin sheet after he spinned it on the air. Then it was ready for stuffing which I opted for cheese.

Shortly our order came. Fresh from the oven, it was hot and looked very yummy. After a bite, I was convinced. His pastry was better than Pizza Hut, no doubt about it.  

No wonder that there was constant influx of customers waiting for his pastry.

Price Cost:  It was AED 20 only and the serving was good for 2-3 persons.

→ 3 CommentsCategories: Dining
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How am I Saving 70% of my Telephone Bill?

November 24, 2009 · 7 Comments

Photo Credit: www.freeclipartnow.com

It all started with the YM (Yahoo Messenger) offline messages from my mum in September this year. Through the help of her younger colleague, she learned to open her yahoo account and to send messages to us (I and my brother).

I was ecstatic because I knew Mum. At her age (mid 60s), we can’t expect her to be techie at all. A simple feature in her mobile phone can be extremely complicated for her.

Since she learned to send messages in YM, my brother and I received daily messages. To catch us online, she will rush to her faculty room every break time because by then, we are up already and at work. Then for few minutes we chat.

By the time we have our lunch break, my Mum is already at home where unfortunately she doesn’t have internet. She can only access her YM at her workplace hence it limits our time chat.

So, we decided to purchase her a desktop and also subscribed for internet connection. My sister, who stays and works four hours away from home, traveled and spent a weekend with Mum so she could teach her all the basics in computer from switching on to turning off the machine.

My brother and I were anticipating to chat with her the following week. To our dismay, YM had always a system glitch. Sometimes I was unable to log-in for days for whatever reasons. Then my brother introduced us to Oovoo, a web based free video conference facility.

Since then, we chat every night and weekend. Sometimes due to work demand, I need to stay late and I miss them joining in the video conference. We also demanded curfew for our Mum. With the time difference, we told Mum that she could only stay online until 11.30pm which is 7.30pm in our time. We don’t want her to suffer the next day because of lack of sleep.

On occasions where I miss the video conference with my brother, my Mum would send me a video message. Oovoo is really nice. Rather than leaving offline message at YM, Oovoo has a better option – video messages though it has also a chat facility.

With this, it slashes my phone budget by 70%. I no longer buy phone cards to call Mum and our communication nowadays is even more frequent.

Then yesterday, I discovered the 160by2.com, a website where you can send free sms in UAE, Saudi, Kuwait and few Asian countries like India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore.

So now, I need only a phone card for emergency calls and when I don’t have internet access.

 

Update: I learned from a friend about smsteriod, a site for free sms. It’s actually better than the 160by2 because you can send sms anywhere in the world.

→ 7 CommentsCategories: Bills · Frugal Tips
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Brawling for AED 10

November 5, 2009 · 4 Comments

I commute everyday to my workplace and there are two ways to do it. I can either take a public bus or taxi. You can read more about the public transportation in Abu Dhabi here.

I usually take taxi because the nearest bus stop is 15-20 minutes walk from my home.

Then last night the old taxi driver told me he would charge me AED 20. It was a blunt rip-off because for an old taxi, it generally costs me an average of AED 7 from my workplace to home.

Quite furious, I told that I would complain to the police and to my surprise, he didn’t care at all. No signs of being threaten.

At this time, I really wanted to go home and I could not spare another half an hour to wait for taxi. On the other hand, I was not really keen to give in to his blunt rip-off. Most of the times I let this kind of thing pass without any fuss because I evade stressful argument especially if the driver is kind and polite.

Unfortunately, last night’s driver was rude. So after he stopped in front of our gate, I paid him AED 10. He reacted and insisted for AED 10. At this time, I already made up my mind that I would not pay for another AED 10.

I encouraged him to call the police because I didn’t pay the extra AED 10.

He again urged. This time he became aggressive and violent, trying to hold my bag. I raised my voice and informed him that I would scream if he would ever touch me. Then I stepped out and slammed the door.

I know that it is just a small amount to fight but what I am contesting is the thought of being ripped off. For sure this taxi driver will do the same thing to other passengers.

It was unfortunate that I didn’t get his car plate number. It would have been better if I raise the complaint in the local authorities.

The old taxis will be totally phased out soon. Actually, the phase out has started already but there are still old few taxis roving around. I personally prefer to take the new taxis because the drivers are polite and they will really take you to your destination without any fuss.

If you face any misbehaving drivers, you can always call 600 535 353 to register complaints.

→ 4 CommentsCategories: Transpo
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Frugal Expat’s Budget Birthday Road Trip

October 22, 2009 · 2 Comments

This post is somehow off the topic grid of Frugal Expat but I am keen to share beautiful and perfect getaways in the neighboring places of Abu Dhabi.

My friends decided to opt for a birthday ‘budget’ road trip last August. It was really fun and a grand celebration despite of our limited vacation funds. Our meeting point was Dubai and from there, we headed north.

First Stop – Ras Al Khaimah. It is also commonly referred as RAK (Ras Al-Khaimah), another Emirate of United Arab Emirates and approximately 90 km from Dubai. A beautiful and newly opened Cove Rotana Resort, an ideal place for weekend break, is situated in this quiet borough.

No doubt, it is beautiful and elegant property with great swimming pools and daytime view. Thanks to my friends who worked in this local hotel chain, we managed to get a really good room rate. We stayed for two nights before heading to our next stop.

Cove Rotana

Cove Rotana

Second Stop – Fujairah. The fifth largest and only mountainous Emirate of United Arab Emirates, the trip was shorter than we expected. This time, and again thanks to our friends who worked with Rotana, we stayed for a night in Fujairah Rotana.

Fujairah Rotana

Our stay in Fujairah was a sort of transient because we were actually headed to our most awaited destination, Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay in Oman.

Anyway, in the mid day we drove around Fujairah and despite of the scorching heat of the sun, we visited the 300-year old fort. Then after late lunch, we started to navigate our way towards Dibba, the northern coastal region of UAE. From there, we would cross the border of Oman and navigate our way to the arrival area of Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay.

Third Stop – Oman. Our birthday road trip was well documented from happy and awkward moments. Since none of us has crossed the Oman border, we were really looking forward to this particular destination. We took videos and pictures everywhere which almost led us to minutes of heart attack.

We were trying to find our way to the border. So we were delighted the moment we saw the signage ‘Welcome to Oman’, which was behind the big concrete arch. While capturing our moment to enter the border, the Omani Police signaled to park our car beside their station.

My friend’s partner who luckily speaks Arabic had quite a long discussion with the Omani Police. While fearfully listening, we were trying to decipher what was the problem. We didn’t have any clue at all of what they were talking.

Later we came to know that it was prohibited to take photos and videos in the border. So we were instructed to delete the video file and any photos taken prior to our entry in the border. All the files were deleted in front of the Omani Police. Then another police, whom we believed was the chief, came and wanted to confiscate the memory card of the video.

Whew! You can never imagine how nervous we were at that time!
Anyway, the issue was settled and we were allowed to go. It was a bit dark when we reached the arrival area of Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay. It was awesome and the staffs were very accommodating. They served Turkish coffee, dates (a local fruit) and towels to freshen up.

Half an hour later, our friend came in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Then shortly we drove towards the rough road in the mountainous area and it was an amazing experience. It reminded me a lot about my long trips before in the mountainous areas of Southern Philippines.

It was dark already when we reached the hotel but the beautiful interior of the villas didn’t escape our senses. It was amazingly stunning!

Living Room - Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

Living Room - Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

The Sandy Beach - Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

The Sandy Beach - Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay

And in the day time, the place was just breathtaking. If you want to escape for weekend or few days from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is the perfect place to go.

More so, their internet connection is very fast so no worries, you can still take your work with you while enjoying the sandy beaches and panoramic view.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Travel
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Formula 1 Fever in Abu Dhabi

October 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Abu Dhabi is struck by a strong current of F1 fever! It is the first ever Formula One event in the United Arab Emirates and everyone is looking forward to it! It is an occasion that shouldn’t be missed by F1 enthusiasts!

The city is now in F1 fever until 1st November 2009.

Here are the highlights of the events during Formula 1 starting October 30th to November 1st.

• Packed with back to back concert – Beyonce’s concert on 29th October, Jamiroquia on 30th October, Kings of Leon and 31st October and Aerosmith on 1st November.

• Amber Lounge – F1 fans will definitely wish to attend this ultimate party experience with lots and lots of booz and face-to-face meeting experience with famous celebrities.

• The sophisticated and state-of-the-art Yas Marina Circuit is opened for the first time for the 2009 Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The ticket price ranges from AED 1600 to AED 2500. The tickets are for three days access to the circuit and including the concerts.

Join the fun!

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Surviving the Tough Economy: Extra Source of Income

October 16, 2009 · 13 Comments

Money..MoneyWith the rising cost of living and the shrinking value of our salary, it is just apt to start living frugally at the same time scouring opportunities for extra source of income.

My pursuit for extra income was a heaven sent, a referral from a friend. Luckily, it is a part time job that I love to do.

It is a local company that hires part time mystery shoppers. Wish it is a real shopping activity. LOL! Service oriented companies such as banks, mobile shops, restaurants, hotels and occasional government sectors hire consultants to gauge their employee’s level of service and product knowledge.

So you go to the your assigned shop or office, pretend to be a potential customer, ask the staff with series of questions and once your mystery shopping is completed, fill up the report and that’s it! You will be paid afterwards.

In my case I started in July and so far, I completed 5 assignments. There was a bit constraint of the timings in my part. Most of the available assignments have the regular office working hours which is similar to mine. Basically, I can hit only shops in the mall because it is open after my work or banks because it is open on Saturdays.

It is an interesting job but deep inside I felt somehow bad for fooling the staff in front of me. You give them hard time by asking tough thorough questions, trying to extract as much information and in return, they do (most of them) their best to please you as a customer.

Anyway, the payment is not much really though it is not bad too rather than wasting your time.

I personally admire the level of professionalism of this mystery shopper company. They are prompt in replying to your queries and in rating your reports. The specifications for each mystery shopping job are very clear and specific. You will need a sharp memory though because there is detailed information that you need to remember while mystery shopping and this info will be asked in the report.

Also, it is an internet based job. Once you become a member, you will be given log-in details and you can check available assignments and complete the reports online.

The company has very limited time frame though you can choose according to the options given in the site. Some assignments need to be complied within the next two days while others will give you 3-5 days.

If you are a neophyte, you are allowed to take one assignment only then after that, you can take more.

It is an ideal part time job but here is the hitch! The payment process takes time. You can only request for payment a month after the completion of your assignment and the company process the payment every first week of the month only.

So, it will likely take 45-60 days before you receive your payment.

If you are interested to be a part time mystery shopper, PM me and I’ll send you the details!

Cheers!

→ 13 CommentsCategories: Extra Income · Finances
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