# Coming over 5th October - Nervous & Excited



## mumofHulk&Spiderman (Aug 19, 2009)

Hello everyone, i hope to get to know you all soon. 

My name is Shazia , i have 2 boys 4 and 2.5yrs old. Im 31 and my main concerns about coming to Dubai at present are Finding a school for my 4 year old..and the Driving! Im not the best driver out here in the UK, and i have seen and heard about the driving in dubai, im already having sleepless nights, and i have 6 weeks to wait until i get there lol 

Im currently in Northampton a lovely little town , near Milton Keynes...but am originally from Croydon, surrey. 

I would like to know where everyone learns about , hears about any groups running, where could i take my boys for entertaintment? Like indoor soft play areas etc? Im sure when my husband is at work, and i have the boys until they join a school, im hoping they start Jan 2010 ...i will have to show them around... help them and myself make new friends... 

Also as we dont know where we will be living , can i have some opinions on apartments vs villas. Im more leaning towards a villa, because its like a house we are used to, and more private i would imagine? but my husband wants apartment bcos of the free gym, sauna, swimming pool facilities... i'd like to know everyones point of view, but considering i have a small family and kids to think of, which suits better??? what community is better over others? 

the schools i shortlisted are : Jess, DBS, Gems Wellington and Kings. I will try and find a nursery closest to the school i manage to get into... 

Where is the better area to live? I mean close to shops for me to get to easily and nearer to kids facilities too...
Im probably asking too many questions, but u can imagine how im feeling with 6 weeks left to our move!! yep...all over the place, a bit like this post no doubt lol ...

anyway hope to make friends soon...


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## happyhour (Aug 11, 2008)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hello everyone, i hope to get to know you all soon.
> 
> My name is Shazia , i have 2 boys 4 and 2.5yrs old. Im 31 and my main concerns about coming to Dubai at present are Finding a school for my 4 year old..and the Driving! Im not the best driver out here in the UK, and i have seen and heard about the driving in dubai, im already having sleepless nights, and i have 6 weeks to wait until i get there lol
> 
> ...



Hi Shazia,

So your a mum of Hulk and Spiderman - I am also a mum of spiderman and Bob the Builder. I have 2 boys aged nearly 5 and nearly 2.

I understand completely with how you are feeling and needing so much information. I will help you as much as I can.

Originally I am from Birstol and then moved to the beautiful countryside with my husband. We moved to Dubai last October and it was so different to what I was use to. I really missed the countryside and my friends and family but Dubai really grew on me. I have recently moved to Abu Dhabi so am having to find my feet again!

Firstly villa or an apartment. We had an apartment in Dubai and we now live in a villa both have access to swimming pool, gym etc. You don't have to live in an apartment to have these facilities. The most popular expat/family areas are The Springs, The Lakes, The Meadows, The Arabian Ranches, The Greens, The Green Community and Jumeirah Beach Residence. Single people tend to live in The Marina. We lived in The Greens in a lovely apartment.

Whilst in Dubia I didn't drive. Taxi's are so cheap and accessible. I have only recently started driving after thinking at first I never would and I do appreciate what you say about being a nervous driver. Just take your time and go from A to B innitially and if you can manage without then do so. Lots of my friends chose not to bother having a car. My son was due to to to Regent International School which we could walk to from out Apartment in The Greens.

I have been at home now with my boys fulltime since we arrived and due to the fact that my husband is always working I had to get out and find playgroups and make friends. We went to a playgroup in The Mall of Emirates called Peek-a-Boo and we also went to ANZA playgroup which meets up at Safa Park 2 during the cooler months. There are more groups that I can recommend depending on where you are living. Let me know when you are set up and I will email more.

I must say I had a great time with my boys. We have loved going to the beaches, swimming pool, Zoo, parks and when you arrive from the UK the sunshine makes you smile.

Please feel free to ask me as many questions as you like because I have been in the exact same place as you have.

I will occasionally be popping back to Dubai to see friends so if you would like to meet up for a coffee then I am happy to do so while our spiderman boys play together.

TTFN

Happyhour


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## mumofHulk&Spiderman (Aug 19, 2009)

Hiya thanks for your reply, i appreciate that... I would love to keep in contact and get information that you have already aquired... i have set it in my mind that i will just get my husband to show me the way to a couple of malls from the area in which we live so i can atleast take the kids out ...weekends he could drive us all to new locations... realistically i only do shopping runs, school runs and taking kids to play groups or in door play or maybe the beach ... thats it...lol 

so you have a spiderman fan too... its very lively in my house, he watches spiderman 3 almost everyday - sometimes many times a day!! he wants to be Venom more that spiderman... and wants everything with venom on it, which is very hard to come by....as mostly spiderman stuff has the red spiderman! lol 

May ask with your boys where did you take them for haircuts? they have a lovely hairdresser here, named jenna they have both gone to for almost 2 years and i hope i can find another place where the boys will "happily" get there hair cut. 

If you dont mind maybe you could pass on your email address, i will save it until i have located a place to live and then could ask about local play groups etc...where is this information available anyway? websites or a local magazine? 

We are thinking of moving to a villa in springs, there doesnt seem to be any in meadows or lakes available.... arabian ranches seem really out the way of things? 

anyway thank you for your offer of advising me through the initial settling in period... did it take you very long to settle? im gonna allow myself 6mths atleast - i know i will be homesick and then i may begin to like our new home i hope!! 

What schools would u reccommend? or heard any thing about in particular, good and bad!!


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## Mayapatel (Apr 8, 2009)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hello everyone, i hope to get to know you all soon.
> 
> My name is Shazia , i have 2 boys 4 and 2.5yrs old. Im 31 and my main concerns about coming to Dubai at present are Finding a school for my 4 year old..and the Driving! Im not the best driver out here in the UK, and i have seen and heard about the driving in dubai, im already having sleepless nights, and i have 6 weeks to wait until i get there lol
> 
> ...


Shazia

Hi there, I would love to meet up with you when you arrive as how you are feeling now is exactly how I am feeling now. We moved to Dubia over a week ago now and am living in the Tecom area which is around the corner from the Greens. I have two Girls same ages as your boys 2.5 and 4.5 We had real big issues with the schools and short-listed exactly the ones you did, however for some reason the schools are so over subscribed that Jess if told me no places for the next few years. We ended wasting lots of money just to be on waiting lists and even while i am here i have been phoning every day but they have no spaces for my daughter for Sept 2009.

We finally got into Regent School - the only school that has a space and judging from views of other people its not to bad. The way we are looking at it is out daughter is still young if need be we can move her next year. We visited the school and my daughter loved it. The good thing it is only around the corner from me.

Driving - i am still have sleepless nights. My husband only had a week to take me around to be honest i am just so scared i need so much more practice, like you not the most confident driver in the UK, the furtherst i travelled on my own was Coulson, Surrey which is where my sister lives - near your home towm. my husband has had to go away from work this week so i am at home with the kids and just wish i could get out and about. - gonna try the shops round the corner on my own. Keep saying it but got to do it tommorrow.

I have lots of info on groups extra as that's what i have been spending my time doing. Are you on Facebook.

Speak soon 

Maya


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## mumofHulk&Spiderman (Aug 19, 2009)

Mayapatel said:


> Shazia
> 
> Hi there, I would love to meet up with you when you arrive as how you are feeling now is exactly how I am feeling now. We moved to Dubia over a week ago now and am living in the Tecom area which is around the corner from the Greens. I have two Girls same ages as your boys 2.5 and 4.5 We had real big issues with the schools and short-listed exactly the ones you did, however for some reason the schools are so over subscribed that Jess if told me no places for the next few years. We ended wasting lots of money just to be on waiting lists and even while i am here i have been phoning every day but they have no spaces for my daughter for Sept 2009.
> 
> ...



Hi maya, nice to hear from you. where about are you from, you mentioned coulsdon etc Oh that is not very good news about the schools....i am also having similar back up plan to yours, either get him in whereever i can and then change him to a school i really wanted or im thinking keep him in nursery equipped for his age till next year im not sure what i should do really.... are you living in apartments near the greens? we are going to try get a villa in the springs - seems to be more pros for that than apartments, with kids ... but i dont know - im still not sure - its all too much stress at the moment! lol 

i am on facebook yes... whats your i.d i could look you up?


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## Mayapatel (Apr 8, 2009)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hi maya, nice to hear from you. where about are you from, you mentioned coulsdon etc Oh that is not very good news about the schools....i am also having similar back up plan to yours, either get him in whereever i can and then change him to a school i really wanted or im thinking keep him in nursery equipped for his age till next year im not sure what i should do really.... are you living in apartments near the greens? we are going to try get a villa in the springs - seems to be more pros for that than apartments, with kids ... but i dont know - im still not sure - its all too much stress at the moment! lol
> 
> i am on facebook yes... whats your i.d i could look you up?


I am from Crawley which is near Gatwick. Believe me the whole things is stressful, but once you get out here it really is a different kind of life to back home. I have never relaxed and spent so much time with the kids. We are living in a service apartmentm which has a swimming pool(the kids love it) and a Gym. I don't think the springs is very far from me. I live in tecom, round the corner to greens. May be when you come here we can take the kids out together. Like you only want to learn to drive to go to the mall and take kids out.

The harderst part here is making friends, but you have given me some hope. On facebook you can find me under Maya Patel.

Keep in touch 

Maya


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## Mayapatel (Apr 8, 2009)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hi maya, nice to hear from you. where about are you from, you mentioned coulsdon etc Oh that is not very good news about the schools....i am also having similar back up plan to yours, either get him in whereever i can and then change him to a school i really wanted or im thinking keep him in nursery equipped for his age till next year im not sure what i should do really.... are you living in apartments near the greens? we are going to try get a villa in the springs - seems to be more pros for that than apartments, with kids ... but i dont know - im still not sure - its all too much stress at the moment! lol
> 
> i am on facebook yes... whats your i.d i could look you up?


Oh forgot to mention i am the one with hubby in a purple dress. If that helps


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## mumofHulk&Spiderman (Aug 19, 2009)

Mayapatel said:


> Oh forgot to mention i am the one with hubby in a purple dress. If that helps


Hey , yes it helped. lol Found you... Yeah would be nice to have a friend or an aquaintace atleast - do u know other families or family in dubai? We dont. What are your girls named? I havent heard of Tecom, is that where u will reside permanently or you still looking for place...cos i know when we come over we will be put up in a hotel or apartment until we find what we want...? what are the benefits of apartments? you think? cos we all know a villa is like a house , so that we are used to ! whats it like in apartments for u? and with little ones! 
How old are you, im 31. did i mention? im on xxxxx as well so i forget what i have been writing where ...lol i was gonna buy a house in crawley before we decided to move to northampton... i know it, a nice town... 

how long u been out in dubai? and how r your girls finding it?


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## Mayapatel (Apr 8, 2009)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hey , yes it helped. lol Found you... Yeah would be nice to have a friend or an aquaintace atleast - do u know other families or family in dubai? We dont. What are your girls named? I havent heard of Tecom, is that where u will reside permanently or you still looking for place...cos i know when we come over we will be put up in a hotel or apartment until we find what we want...? what are the benefits of apartments? you think? cos we all know a villa is like a house , so that we are used to ! whats it like in apartments for u? and with little ones!
> How old are you, im 31. did i mention? im on xxxxx as well so i forget what i have been writing where ...lol i was gonna buy a house in crawley before we decided to move to northampton... i know it, a nice town...
> how long u been out in dubai? and how r your girls finding it?


I am 33, i have no family and no friends as of yet. All the groups which are easy for me to get to at the IBN Mall start after Ramadan, so i have contacted xxxxx so that they know i will be coming. My girls are called Esha and Leah and would appreciate the company too. In the last two days the girls have made a few friends, one girl is coming over today to play - which will be nice.

Been in dubai 1.5 weeks now.

We are staying here for the first year. Actually my husband was out here for two monts before us sorting out apartment etc, as i didn't want to be going around in the heat with the kids. Saw all the places by webcam and chose this one. Tecom is new, at the moment it looks like a construction site but perfect for me as school is 5mins away and and so is the Greens Village shop, which sells everything from back in the UK.

Our Apartment is very big and the girls like the fact that they can go swimming downstairs everyday. We get it cleaned and as if something goes wrong we just call the reception and they sort it out. I can even call the shops and have my shopping delievered. The downside is we have no garden, but we will perhaps something we will consider next time.

There are lots of parks and places and all the malls have something for the kids its just knowing your way round. Who does your hubby work for? What are your boys called.

Gonna venture to the shops today - been thinking about it all night - will let you know if i actualluy do it.

M


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## happyhour (Aug 11, 2008)

mumofHulk&Spiderman said:


> Hiya thanks for your reply, i appreciate that... I would love to keep in contact and get information that you have already aquired... i have set it in my mind that i will just get my husband to show me the way to a couple of malls from the area in which we live so i can atleast take the kids out ...weekends he could drive us all to new locations... realistically i only do shopping runs, school runs and taking kids to play groups or in door play or maybe the beach ... thats it...lol
> 
> so you have a spiderman fan too... its very lively in my house, he watches spiderman 3 almost everyday - sometimes many times a day!! he wants to be Venom more that spiderman... and wants everything with venom on it, which is very hard to come by....as mostly spiderman stuff has the red spiderman! lol
> 
> ...



My old neighbour and good friend in The Greens is a very good hairdresser. She can come round to yours or you can go round to hers. She is good fun and would be very welcoming and a good person to get lots of info from. There is also a childrens hairdressers by Fun City in Ibn Battuta.

Villa in springs will be fine for you and your family. We had a 3 bed plus maids room in The Greens and it was lovely. The view from our balcony were stunning. I also liked the fact that we had no stairs for my at the time 1 year old to fall down etc. Now we live in a villa and don't have the views etc but I do like having a garden. We looked at the Arabian Ranches and it was nice there but I to felt it was too far out. Jumeirah Beach Residence is lovely too - they have The Walk which has lots of shops, beauty salons, cafes etc and the beach across the road. If I had my time again with my family I would probably choose this place.

School places are difficult to find. I was happy for my son to go to Regent International however and he would of done if we hadn't of moved. Wellington International is also supposed to be a good school and I think the Springs would provide a bus service there.

Where abouts will your husband be working? Traffic can be bad, bear that in mind.

As far as settling in is concerned I will be honest it did take me a while. I was so excited at first and felt like I was holiday for the first 4 weeks. Then reality kicked in but I just got myself out there. My parents came to visit after 2 months which was great but did set me back a bit when they left and then my best friend came out with her daughter (my sons girlfriend) and we had a brilliant time, lot of wine, fun days out with the kids everyday, chatting all night on the balcony, manicures, sunbathing, shopping, sunbathing and a few mad nights out and more sunbathing. We just had such a great time and the kids enjoyed being together. She made me appreciate what I had and I haven't looked back since. I love the beaches, the weather, meeting people from all over the world and living in such a different place and it is nice not to have to worry about money etc. Having said all that my neighbour felt at home and settled the moment she arrived!

I am also on Facebook and have lots of photos of Dubai you can take a look at etc. I will send you a private message.

Happyhour


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## Mayapatel (Apr 8, 2009)

happyhour said:


> My old neighbour and good friend in The Greens is a very good hairdresser. She can come round to yours or you can go round to hers. She is good fun and would be very welcoming and a good person to get lots of info from. There is also a childrens hairdressers by Fun City in Ibn Battuta.
> 
> Villa in springs will be fine for you and your family. We had a 3 bed plus maids room in The Greens and it was lovely. The view from our balcony were stunning. I also liked the fact that we had no stairs for my at the time 1 year old to fall down etc. Now we live in a villa and don't have the views etc but I do like having a garden. We looked at the Arabian Ranches and it was nice there but I to felt it was too far out. Jumeirah Beach Residence is lovely too - they have The Walk which has lots of shops, beauty salons, cafes etc and the beach across the road. If I had my time again with my family I would probably choose this place.
> 
> ...


Hi Hope you don't minde but would you be able to pass me the details for the hair dressser, would be useful for my girls. Nearly two weeks in, still feels like i am on holiday, buti can see that this will wear off, if i don't make friends.


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