# Expat Husbands



## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

I understand there's a fare amount of "stuff" that expat wives have on the go. But what about expat husbands? 
I came as a package deal with my wife's work but with the present down turn can't find a job myself - so what do expat husbands get up to?
Is there any "stuff" happening around the traps?

Tony


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

Mack said:


> I understand there's a fare amount of "stuff" that expat wives have on the go. But what about expat husbands?
> I came as a package deal with my wife's work but with the present down turn can't find a job myself - so what do expat husbands get up to?
> Is there any "stuff" happening around the traps?
> 
> Tony


This would be the major issue if I were to move away from home. Basically going to cinemas and shopping malls won't do it for me as the main pass time for me is hanging about with like minded people. So I will be watching this thread with great interest to see what people have to say!

******


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

well I guess that if you are a sporty person you could just hit the gym? alternatively, a group of boys here organise a weekly footy game so that's also a possibility...


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

bro you are out of luck. It seems that you and me are the only ones in Dubai who stay at home and are male. Seriously. Only girls stay home around here. The guy we bought our landrover from about had a corinary when we told him I was the stay at home parent and my wife was the one who works. He just couldnt fathom it.
So you could try hanging out with the women here in Dubai who stay home during the day but then your wife will accuse you of sleeping with each of them. lol I speak from exp...
So if you want to come over and play Wii,ps3, smoke shisha, or just hang out give me a shout.


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

dizzyizzy said:


> well I guess that if you are a sporty person you could just hit the gym? alternatively, a group of boys here organise a weekly footy game so that's also a possibility...


Hi dizzy,

The problem is I'm not as young as you think I am, although I admit sometimes I act like I've just turned 17 

However, I do enjoy playing games like badmington or snooker. Also, used to go racing when I was living in UK.

Something I'd really love doing is going to fashion shows. Is there any of this in Dubai? 

***


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## grasshopper (Aug 12, 2008)

From where I'm currently sitting being a Jumeirah Joe sounds rather fun. It'd mean I could finally master the pile of PS3 games gathering dust next to my TV... You're living the dream boys!


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

bigdave said:


> So you could try hanging out with the women here in Dubai who stay home during the day but then your wife will accuse you of sleeping with each of them. lol I speak from exp...


Hi Dave,

The idea of hanging with the women is a great idea especially that I am a single guy so won't have to worry about any wife stuff etc. 

****


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

grasshopper said:


> From where I'm currently sitting being a Jumeirah Joe sounds rather fun. It'd mean I could finally master the pile of PS3 games gathering dust next to my TV... You're living the dream boys!



So why come to Dubai ....?  


****


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## grasshopper (Aug 12, 2008)

Rod007 said:


> So why come to Dubai ....?
> 
> 
> ****


I only came for the money really  And the experience isn't so bad either..


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

grasshopper said:


> I only came for the money really  And the experience isn't so bad either..


So tell us about the experience then (excluding the games of course) 

****


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

bigdave said:


> bro you are out of luck. It seems that you and me are the only ones in Dubai who stay at home and are male. Seriously. Only girls stay home around here. The guy we bought our landrover from about had a corinary when we told him I was the stay at home parent and my wife was the one who works. He just couldnt fathom it.
> So you could try hanging out with the women here in Dubai who stay home during the day but then your wife will accuse you of sleeping with each of them. lol I speak from exp...
> So if you want to come over and play Wii,ps3, smoke shisha, or just hang out give me a shout.


Yeah that would make an interesting dinner time conversation. "I had coffee with the girls today, how was your day?"..........silence was the answer!

Now that I've started holding one sided conversations with the cats, I'm seriously thinking of looking for short term contract work either in the UK or Australia.
Haven't told the wife yet

T


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

Rod007 said:


> Hi dizzy,
> 
> The problem is I'm not as young as you think I am, although I admit sometimes I act like I've just turned 17
> 
> ...



Yep, the last time I was in a Gym I was still in the Navy and that was something like 20 years ago. And my knees still hurt!
Snooker sounds more like it - any clubs around? What about in the big hotels? 

T


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## Rod007 (Jan 7, 2009)

Mack said:


> Snooker sounds more like it - any clubs around? What about in the big hotels?
> 
> T


Sorry Mack don't live in Dubai. I just visit the forum. Dubai doesn't seem my cup of tea by the sounds of it 

******


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Mack said:


> Yep, the last time I was in a Gym I was still in the Navy and that was something like 20 years ago. And my knees still hurt!
> Snooker sounds more like it - any clubs around? What about in the big hotels?
> 
> T


I can't think of any places that play snooker, but several places have pool tables if that is close enough.

The best place used to be the Palm Hotel but that has closed down now. Country Club Hotel (Players Lounge) has a table, as does Time Cafe (nr Maktoum Bridge) & Aussie Legends (Rydges Plaza Hotel). There must be more but I can't think of them right now.

Suggest you get a copy of Time Out (in fact, get it every week) and have a look for events/shows/etc around town. There is loads on but you have to make a bit of an effort to find things. 

-


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

there is a snooker club in karama.
I dont know the exact location but its very close to all teh shopping.
just googled it and found it

DetailsLocation: Karama, Dubai 
Tel: 04 337 5338 
Travel: Maktoum Bridge, behind Dubai Printing Press


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

Elphaba said:


> Suggest you get a copy of Time Out (in fact, get it every week) and have a look for events/shows/etc around town. There is loads on but you have to make a bit of an effort to find things.
> 
> -


Thanx for that - my wife gets the Time Out. I'll have a squizz.


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

bigdave said:


> there is a snooker club in karama.
> I dont know the exact location but its very close to all teh shopping.
> just googled it and found it
> 
> ...



Thanx bigdave. I googled it this morning - might check it out.

The other thing I thought of was ten pin bowling. I often go to the alley in the Mall of the Emirates during the week just to knock over a few pins and the place is deserted. Don’t think they do league bowling though. But there are others around.


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

Mack said:


> What do expat husbands get up to?
> Is there any "stuff" happening around the traps?




I had a brain snap this morning and came up with volunteer work. Does anybody do or know of anybody doing volunteer work? Not even sure of what type if any is done in Dubai.


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

Mack said:


> I had a brain snap this morning and came up with volunteer work. Does anybody do or know of anybody doing volunteer work? Not even sure of what type if any is done in Dubai.



Try any of these:

Welcome to DubaiKidz.Biz

There are plenty of places that would love an extra pair of hands.


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## Lenochka (Apr 19, 2008)

Ten Pin Bowling...that's what I like. is the MOE lane a dry place or can one get a beer/drink while playing ? Anybody know if any bowling alley serves booze ? The one at Al Nasr Leisureland maybe ?

Thanks for your help
L.


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

Lenochka said:


> Ten Pin Bowling...that's what I like. is the MOE lane a dry place or can one get a beer/drink while playing ?
> Thanks for your help
> L.


Nup - dry as a bone and very noisy. My understanding is that unless a venue is attached to a hotel it's not allowed to sell alcohol. ******!


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## rosco (Dec 22, 2008)

I been staying at home for the last 10 weeks, 

we have moved now but used to walk down to the beach with a paper and a book. 

Also seen loads of movies and box sets, then there are the games and internet to mess about on. 

other than that I am bored waiting for my visa to come through and start my job. 

missus takes the car most days so do end up at the mall alot too.

Big Dave you on the internet on the Wii? you got mario kart?


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

rosco said:


> I been staying at home for the last 10 weeks,
> 
> we have moved now but used to walk down to the beach with a paper and a book.
> 
> ...


actually playing mariokart right now. lol
nope havent gotten on the internet with it yet. i havent even looked into it. does it have built in wireless or do you have to go out and buy a card for it? i guess i will google it.


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

cool

The unit can connect to the Internet by utilizing its 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, which is built in, for wireless connections or via a USB-to-Ethernet adaptor for DSL connections

will test it out here in a minute. also need to connect my ps3 online too.


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

rosco said:


> I been staying at home for the last 10 weeks,
> 
> we have moved now but used to walk down to the beach with a paper and a book.
> 
> ...



Wish I could walk somewhere to get a paper etc. I'm on Palm Jumeirah and security is so dam tight here I can't even walk around the block. I do have the beach though - no community spirit at all!

I've been buying box sets from Amazon, mostly Brit comedies to keep sane. I've applied for a gizillion jobs, but my skillset is not in demand here. I'm an information designer/manager, but the locals don't know what that is and even less inclined to spend money finding out.
Come back Sarbanes Oxley all is forgiven!


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## rosco (Dec 22, 2008)

ITs difficult to walk anywhere safely in Dubai anywhere to be honest. 

nice quick response andy for Mario. 

once you get setup on the internet I will give you my code to add you as a friend to race against on line.


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

Ok mack, how did you get amazon to deliver here? 
I went to look at blu ray movies last night and there is no way I am going to spend over 80 usd a movie when I can get them from the states or amazon for 15-25usd.... so explain it all to me. time it took, the price, ect..

thanks


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

bigdave said:


> Ok mack, how did you get amazon to deliver here?
> I went to look at blu ray movies last night and there is no way I am going to spend over 80 usd a movie when I can get them from the states or amazon for 15-25usd.... so explain it all to me. time it took, the price, ect..
> 
> thanks



Very uncomplicated, placed order through Amazon UK (Amazon.co.uk: low prices in Electronics, Books, Music, DVDs & more). Cost about £30 for to 2 box sets of DVDs which arrived in about 10 days at my wife's work. Interestingly, the order actually came from Amazon France - go figure! 
My wife and I often use Amazon UK for books, DVDs etc and never experienced any probelms.

Gotta go, gotta take the cat to the vet - wooo hooo big day out!!


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

rosco said:


> *ITs difficult to walk anywhere safely in Dubai anywhere to be honest. *
> nice quick response andy for Mario.
> 
> once you get setup on the internet I will give you my code to add you as a friend to race against on line.


Not everywhere.  Those of us that live in the older parts of town have wide pavements and shops on our doorsteps. 

-


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

rosco said:


> ITs difficult to walk anywhere safely in Dubai anywhere to be honest.
> 
> nice quick response andy for Mario.
> 
> once you get setup on the internet I will give you my code to add you as a friend to race against on line.


I am very surprised to read that it is not safe to walk anywhere in Dubai.
I always imagined it to be a very safe place. 
What makes it unsafe?


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## irishxpat (Nov 17, 2008)

rosco said:


> I been staying at home for the last 10 weeks,
> 
> we have moved now but used to walk down to the beach with a paper and a book.
> 
> ...


how do you get online play on the wii mine is connected to the internet not as easy as ps3 or xbox


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## bigdave (Oct 22, 2008)

Veronica said:


> I am very surprised to read that it is not safe to walk anywhere in Dubai.
> I always imagined it to be a very safe place.
> What makes it unsafe?


not crime.. getting hit by a car


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## Mack (Oct 1, 2008)

Veronica said:


> I am very surprised to read that it is not safe to walk anywhere in Dubai.
> I always imagined it to be a very safe place.
> What makes it unsafe?


I think the term unsafe probably needs to be clarified here. A statistic in this mornings paper states that 26 pedestrians have been killed in Abu Dhabi this year alone. I think Rosco was probably refering to the state of the driving - it can be pretty bad although not as bad as some mid east countries.

I walk all over the place and don't feel unsafe, but I'm pretty wary of the traffic!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Mack said:


> I think the term unsafe probably needs to be clarified here. A statistic in this mornings paper states that 26 pedestrians have been killed in Abu Dhabi this year alone. I think Rosco was probably refering to the state of the driving - it can be pretty bad although not as bad as some mid east countries.
> 
> I walk all over the place and don't feel unsafe, but I'm pretty wary of the traffic!


Thanks Mac that explains it. I though the unsafe bit was about getting attacked or something.


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## rosco (Dec 22, 2008)

irishxpat said:


> how do you get online play on the wii mine is connected to the internet not as easy as ps3 or xbox


ive only got connected using mario kart, not sure if you can play on the internet with other games.


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## rosco (Dec 22, 2008)

Veronica said:


> Thanks Mac that explains it. I though the unsafe bit was about getting attacked or something.


it does depend where you live for walk, if you live in JBR then its fine but some places you can walk then the pavement will disappear and your walking on a main road.


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## irishxpat (Nov 17, 2008)

rosco said:


> ive only got connected using mario kart, not sure if you can play on the internet with other games.


susseed it out every game has a specfic code for online play no voice chat though sucks abit xbox is good you get abuse from 12 year olds lol


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## irishxpat (Nov 17, 2008)

rosco said:


> ive only got connected using mario kart, not sure if you can play on the internet with other games.


sorted found it on mario kart my name is stifmyster code 5155-8656-7347
lets race


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## rosco (Dec 22, 2008)

irishxpat said:


> sorted found it on mario kart my name is stifmyster code 5155-8656-7347
> lets race


finally got round to doing it

my code is 4640-1661-4204

rosco


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