{"id":504,"date":"2008-06-25T21:15:04","date_gmt":"2008-06-25T21:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/2008\/06\/25\/the-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order\/"},"modified":"2008-06-25T21:44:39","modified_gmt":"2008-06-25T21:44:39","slug":"the-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/2008\/06\/25\/the-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 20 Reasons Not to Move to Dubai (in no particular order!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Ffulgerica.com%2Fen%2F2008%2F06%2F25%2Fthe-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<div style=\"float: right; margin-left: 10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-via=\"fulgerica\" data-count=\"vertical\" data-url=\"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/2008\/06\/25\/the-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order\/\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.propertyportal.ae\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/dubai-palm-jebel-ali.jpg\" alt=\"http:\/\/www.propertyportal.ae\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/05\/dubai-palm-jebel-ali.jpg\" \/><script src=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/button.js?t=2\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Living in Dubai is not wonderful and glamorous<\/strong>, as many would have you believe.\u00c2\u00a0 <strong>Forget about what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve read, seen, and heard<\/strong>; those shiny buildings and manmade islands are all just smoke and mirrors.\u00c2\u00a0 There are so many things wrong with this place that I have decided to compile a list, a must read if you are considering a potential move to Dubai.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1. There is                   no standard address system making mail-to-the door delivery impossible<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0                   In fact, it makes anything nearly impossible.\u00c2\u00a0 The taxi driver, here                   for only two days, and having learned English from old Beatles albums has                   no clue where your house is.\u00c2\u00a0 He won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell you that of course, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll                   just keep calling and saying, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Okay, okay.\u00c2\u00a0 Yeah, yeah.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 When                   you purchase something that requires delivery they do not have an address                   line, but a box where you are expected to draw a map.\u00c2\u00a0 Not able to                   draw a map?\u00c2\u00a0 Explain like this: I live on the street after the airport                   road, but before the roundabout.\u00c2\u00a0 Go past the mosque and make a U-turn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2. The government                   blocks all web sites that it deems \u00e2\u20ac\u0153offensive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153religious, moral,                   and cultural values\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of the UAE.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to swallow for a freedom                   loving American, but I get it.\u00c2\u00a0 I do not understand, however, why                   all VOIP access and related web sites are blocked.\u00c2\u00a0 I guess the government                   also takes offense to people inexpensively contacting their families back                   home.\u00c2\u00a0 You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re welcome to call using the analog service provided by                   the government-owned telephone monopoly, but it will cost you a whole lot                   more.\u00c2\u00a0 So much so, in fact, your frequency of calls will be greatly                   diminished if you can afford them at all.\u00c2\u00a0 The government says VOIP                   is blocked for security reasons, yet even the residents of communist China                   and North Korea have access to these inexpensive calls.<!--more--><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00c2\u00a0<strong>3. It is really hot outside.\u00c2\u00a0 Not Florida in July hot<\/strong>; Hot as if you were locked in a car in Florida in July with sufficient humidity to make it feel as though you are drowning.\u00c2\u00a0 Hot as in 120 degrees with nearly 100% humidity.\u00c2\u00a0 Do not look to the wind for relief.\u00c2\u00a0 This is the equivalent of pointing a hairdryer on full blast directly at your face.\u00c2\u00a0 Pour fine moon dust-like sand over your head as you do this and you get the picture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>4. There are too few trees, plants,                   and grass \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or living things aside from us crazy humans, for that matter.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0                   Ever see a bird pant?\u00c2\u00a0 I have.\u00c2\u00a0 In my opinion, human beings were                   not meant to live in such a place.\u00c2\u00a0 If we were, there would be sufficient                   water and shade.\u00c2\u00a0 The only greenery around are the roadside gardens                   planted by the government, who waters the hell out of them in the middle                   of the day.\u00c2\u00a0 Thanks a lot!\u00c2\u00a0 Didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you say we should cut down                   on our water consumption because you are unable to keep up with the demand?\u00c2\u00a0                   I have an idea: let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all move someplace where it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not 120 degrees outside.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>5. This country prides itself so                   much on its glitz and glamour that it put a picture of its 7-star hotel                   on the license plate.<\/strong> Yet, the public toilets in the king-of-bling Gold                   Souk district are holes in the ground with no toilet paper or soap.\u00c2\u00a0                   Hoses to rinse your nether regions, however, are provided.\u00c2\u00a0 This results                   in a mass of water on the floor that you must stand in to pee.\u00c2\u00a0 Try                   squatting without touching anything and keeping your pants from touching                   anything either.\u00c2\u00a0 Oh yeah.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 120 degrees in there too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>6. This country encourages businesses                   to hire people from other poor countries to come here and work.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong> They                   have them sign contracts that are a decade long and then take their passports.\u00c2\u00a0                   Even though taking passports is supposedly illegal, the government knows                   it happens and does nothing to enforce the law. These poor people are promised                   a certain pay, but the companies neglect to tell them they will be deducting                   their cost of living from their paychecks, leaving them virtually penniless   \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that is, if they choose to pay them.\u00c2\u00a0 Companies hold back paychecks                   for months at a time.\u00c2\u00a0 When the workers strike as a result, they are                   jailed.\u00c2\u00a0 Protesting is illegal, you see (apparently this law IS enforced).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These people will never make enough                   to buy a ticket home and even if they do, they do not have their passports.\u00c2\u00a0                   They live crammed in portables with tons of others, in highly unsanitary                   conditions.\u00c2\u00a0 The kicker: they are building hotels that cost more to                   stay in for one night than they will make in an entire year.\u00c2\u00a0 Things                   are so bad that a number of laborers are willing to throw themselves in                   front of cars because their death would bring their family affluence in                   the form of <em>diya<\/em>, blood money paid to the victim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s family as mandated                   by the government.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>7. Things are not cheaper here.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0                   I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sick of people saying that.\u00c2\u00a0 I read the letters to the editor                   page of the paper and people say to those who complain about the cost of                   living rising here, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cheaper than your home country or you wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t                   be here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 The only thing cheaper here is labor.\u00c2\u00a0                   Yes, you can have a maid \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but a bag of washed lettuce\u00c2\u00a0 will cost                   you almost $10.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>8. There are traffic cameras everywhere.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>                   I consider this cheating.\u00c2\u00a0 Where are the damn cops?\u00c2\u00a0 I drove                   around this city for weeks before I ever even saw a cop.\u00c2\u00a0 Trust me,                   they need traffic cops here.\u00c2\u00a0 People drive like idiots. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perfectly                   okay to turn left from the far right lane, but speeding even just a couple                   of kilometers over will get you fined.\u00c2\u00a0 These cameras are placed strategically                   as you come down hills, or just as the speed limit changes.\u00c2\u00a0 Before                   you know it\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6BAM!\u00c2\u00a0 Fined.\u00c2\u00a0 Forget to pay the bill and your car                   will be impounded..<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>9. The clothing some of these women                   wear makes no sense to me.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 I understand that as part of your religion                   you are required to dress in a particular way, but a black robe over your                   jeans and turtleneck and cover your head when it is 120 degrees outside?\u00c2\u00a0                   In the gym some women wear five layers of clothing\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6sweatpants and t-shits                   over sweaters with headscarves.\u00c2\u00a0 Yet the men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clothing makes absolute                   sense: white, airy, and nothing underneath but their skivvies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>10. People stare at you.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong> I                   am sick of being stared at.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m stared at by men who have never seen                   a fair-skinned blue-eyed woman before, or who have and think we are all                   prostitutes so it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s okay to stare.\u00c2\u00a0 They stare at me when I am fully                   covered or with my husband, and even follow me around.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s beyond                   creepy and has brought me to tears on more than one occasion.\u00c2\u00a0 The                   staring is not limited to men, either.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m stared at angrily by female                   prostitutes who think I am running in on their territory by having a few                   drinks with my husband at the bar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>   <strong>11. Prostitutes?<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 Oh hell yes,     there are prostitutes.\u00c2\u00a0 Tons of them.\u00c2\u00a0 So, let me get this straight,     I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t look at a naked picture of a person on the Internet in the privacy     of my home, but it is okay to go out in public and buy a few for the night?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>12. Alcohol can only be sold in hotels                   and a handful of private clubs.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 A person must own a liquor license                   to consume in the privacy of their own home.\u00c2\u00a0 To obtain a liquor license                   you must get signed approval from your boss, prove a certain level of salary                   that determines how much you are allowed to buy, and then submit several                   mug shots (aka passport photos) for approval.\u00c2\u00a0 Pay the fee and the                   additional 30% tax on every purchase and you may drink at home.\u00c2\u00a0 Then                   again, you can just pick up a few bottles in the airport duty free on your                   way in to the country, but two is the max.\u00c2\u00a0 Why not just drive out                   to Ajman where it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a free-for-all and load up the SUV?\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s easy                   enough, but crossing the Emirates with alcohol is illegal \u00e2\u20ac\u201c particularly                   in the dry emirate of Sharjah, which just happens to lie between Dubai                   and Ajman.\u00c2\u00a0 Go figure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>13. Not only do you have to get your                   boss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approval to obtain a liquor license<\/strong>, but you must also get the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s                   approval to rent property, have a telephone, or get satellite TV.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>14. Back to the craziness on the                   roads:<\/strong> If I see one more kid standing up and waving to me out the back                   window while flying down the road at 160 kph\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6whatever happened to seatbelts?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>15. When is the weekend again?<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0                   Let me get this straight: the weekend used to be Thursday and Friday, but                   no one took off all of Thursday, just a half day really.\u00c2\u00a0 Now the                   government says Friday and Saturday are the weekend, but some people only                   take off Friday, others still take a half day on Thursday, but some might                   just take a half day on Saturday instead.\u00c2\u00a0 Anyway you slice it, Sundays                   are workdays and little business can be accomplished Thursday through Saturday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>16. There are few satellite television                   operators:.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 The movie channels play movies that are old and outdated.\u00c2\u00a0                   Many of them went straight to video back in the States.\u00c2\u00a0 Every sitcom                   that failed in the US has been purchased and is played here.\u00c2\u00a0 Old                   episodes of Knight Rider are advertised like it is the coolest thing since                   sliced bread.\u00c2\u00a0 The TV commercials are\u00c2\u00a0 repeated so often that                   I am determined NOT to buy anything I see advertised on television here                   just for thee principle of it.\u00c2\u00a0 When I say repeated often, I mean                   every commercial break &#8211; sometimes more than once.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>17. The roads are horribly designed<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0                   Driving ten minutes out of the way to make a U-turn is not uncommon.\u00c2\u00a0                   People are not able to give directions most of the time (remember reason                   #1), and the maps are little help because most have few road names on them,                   if any.\u00c2\u00a0 Where is interchange four?\u00c2\u00a0 You just have to hope you                   got on the freeway in the right place and start counting because they are                   not numbered.\u00c2\u00a0 Miss it and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll likely end up on the other side                   of town before you are able to turn around and go back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>18. Taxi drivers are dangerous and                   smell.<\/strong> Taxi drivers work very hard here to earn a living because travel                   by taxi is still relatively inexpensive, even though the cost of living                   is not (see reason #7).\u00c2\u00a0 Because of this you may have a driver who                   has had little sleep or the opportunity to shower for several days.\u00c2\u00a0                   Many of these drivers have just as much difficulty finding their way around                   as you do, but add to this a third-world country driving style and extreme                   exhaustion and, well, remember to buckle up for safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>19. Speeding is an Emirati sport                   and Emirates Road is just an extension of the Dubai Autodrome.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong> I                   know I keep mentioning the roads, but really, much of this city\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s issues                   are encompassed by the erratic and irrational behavior displayed on its                   streets.\u00c2\u00a0 Visions of flashing lights on even flashier, limo-tinted                   SUVs haunt me as I merge on to the highway.\u00c2\u00a0 Local nationals are somehow                   able to get the sun-protecting dark window tint denied to us lowly expats                   and use it to hide their faces as they tailgate you incessantly at unbelievably                   high speeds, their lights flickering on and off and horn blaring repeatedly.\u00c2\u00a0                   It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter that you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get over, or if doing so would be particularly                   dangerous, they will run you off the road to get in front of you.\u00c2\u00a0                   Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even think about giving someone the finger; the offense could land                   you in jail.\u00c2\u00a0 Tailgating is, unbelievably, legal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>20. Dubai is far from environmentally                   friendly.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 Ever wonder how much damage those manmade islands are doing                   to the delicate ocean ecosystem?\u00c2\u00a0 Coral reefs, sea grasses, and oyster                   beds that were once part of protected marine lands lie choked under a barrage                   of dredged up sea sand.\u00c2\u00a0 Consider the waste that occurs from erecting                   buildings on top of these sand monsters and from the people that occupy                   them coupled with the lack of an effective recycling program and you have                   an environmental disaster on your hands.\u00c2\u00a0 Add to this more gas guzzling                   SUVs than fuel-efficient cars on the road and the need for 24-hour powerful                   air-conditioning and its evident that the environment is not high on the                   priority list of the UAE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So while I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure there are benefits                   to living in Dubai, tax breaks, multi-cultural environments, and beautiful                   buildings aside, reconsider your plans to move here if any of the above                   mentioned reasons strikes a chord within you.\u00c2\u00a0 Dubai is a city caught                   in an identity crisis.\u00c2\u00a0 Struggling somewhere between its desire to                   be a playground for the rich and its adherence to traditional Islamic roots,                   rests a city that lacks sufficient infrastructure to support its delusions                   of grandeur.\u00c2\u00a0 Visit if you must, but leave quickly before you are                   sucked into its calamitous void.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/efam\/94\/art_20_Reasons_Not_Move_to_Dubai.html\" target=\"_blank\">By Tia O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Neill<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Ffulgerica.com%2Fen%2F2008%2F06%2F25%2Fthe-top-20-reasons-not-to-move-to-dubai-in-no-particular-order%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tweet Living in Dubai is not wonderful and glamorous, as many would have you believe.\u00c2\u00a0 Forget about what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve read, seen, and heard; those shiny buildings and manmade islands are all just smoke and mirrors.\u00c2\u00a0 There are so many things wrong with this place that I have decided to compile a list, a must read [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,14,15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fulgerica.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}