Posts Tagged ‘living abroad’

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The Big “Why?”

September 14, 2014

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

stone house ruins in the foreground, hills in the background open lawn area and large deciduous trees
three story building with ice palace restaurant building with scooters parked in front and laundry hanging from the awnings

Both in the United Arab Emirates before our move and in Shanghai after our move, we have been asked “Why?” Why would we want to leave the wondrous UAE? What brought us to China? The answers given depended on how well we knew the person inquiring, but mostly boiled down to “new job, better job.”

The laws regarding libel in the UAE are such that one can be charged with libel for publishing anything negative, even if it is true. Therefore, I cannot do a side by side comparison to show why we chose to move on and out. I can, however, tell you about my new job and new home city.

  • My salary is higher.
  • Housing is provided by the employer and we were driven directly to our apartment without any time in a hotel upon arrival. The internet was already connected and the air conditioning actually works.
  • Not once have I been warned that I could be fired at the drop of a hat for a minor infraction.
  • My coworkers are happy and cooperative and collaborative.
  • My library has a budget. A healthy budget.
  • I have two assistants to help with the workload.
  • Human Resources has been nothing but helpful and truthful.
  • Visa paperwork processes are being handled in a timely manner.
  • HR arranged for the bank and immigration to send representatives to campus for the convenience of new staff.
  • When I put in a request with I.T. services, they respond and get it done.
  • The cafeteria food is not like any cafeteria food I have experienced before. There are at least 6 different choices each day and a salad bar.
  • The curriculum includes multiple languages, music, art, theatre, sports, and character development.
  • The students are motivated to learn and to read.
  • Shanghai weather is lovely and frequently rainy. It varies from day to day. It actually cools off over night.
  • Shanghai people are polite and friendly. They wait their turn in line. Even crowds in touristy areas are polite. (While in Germany, I got so tired of being bumped into. No one made any effort to avoid collision or said “excuse me.” While walking down a crowded Nanjing Road, not once was I bumped into.)
  • Shanghai driving is crazy, but not aggressive, mean, or vindictive.
  • Our utility bills are WAY lower. There aren’t a bunch of hidden fines and fees related to housing.
  • Public transport is cheap and plentiful. (We traveled 20 stops on the Metro and it cost 5 yuan – $0.81 / 3 AED.)
  • We are serenaded morning and evening with music from the park next door. This morning it is lovely traditional Chinese flute music.
  • The cats, Oliver and Bert, seem to be happier here than ever before. They are frisky every day, multiple times a day. Oliver is living without his calming collar. We can’t explain it. We just appreciate it.

Are there negatives, of course.

  • The air quality is poor and sometimes enough to warrant wearing a face mask. (Although that has not yet happened since we arrived here.)
  • The tap water is not safe for drinking regularly, due to the likelihood containing heavy metals pollution.
  • Moving was an expensive and extremely stressful experience. My head might have exploded if it were not for the help of dear friends.
  • We had to leave our many dear friends behind, but they are welcome to come visit us here!

I predict that the thing that will get on my nerves will be the traffic. It is very difficult to safely cross the street even when there are traffic signals and a clearly marked crossing. The pedestrian simply does not have the right of way and you have to be totally aware of what is going on around you. You need eyes in the back of your head.

Posted in answers to questions, Shanghai, work | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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Ni Hao Shanghai

August 9, 2014

Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.

Shanghai skyscrapers seen from the river

We have arrived in Shanghai, safe and sound. The cats were on the same flight. In retrospect, I would not recommend this. It would have been better if they had departed a couple of days after us. We touched down in the late afternoon and were taken directly to our apartment. In the evening, just about the time we are thinking of calling it a day (because I needed to get up first thing in the morning and head off to new staff orientation), we get a communication from our pet relocation agent that there is a problem with Oliver and she is heading to the airport to find out what his condition is. Long story short, our agent was at the airport after midnight having a vet called in to take care of Oliver and he spent the rest of the night under observation and getting medical treatment. Meanwhile, I laid awake most of the night worrying about him. The happy ending is that he survived. Both cats were moved to quarantine and are cooling their heels there for a few more days.

white cat on a metal surface with completely dilated eyes

This is not the face of a happy cat. Poor thing.

We have a lovely little apartment. It is an older building. We are on the second floor. There are two other newbie teachers living in the same building. Our apartment is located in a neighborhood that seems to be “gated.” Outside the gate, along the street is a park. We look out our windows and we see the trees of the park, hear music in the mornings, and see people doing tai chi.

view out the window obscured by trees

We have two bedrooms, a smaller room for an office, living room, bathroom, two enclosed balconies, and a kitchen the size of a postage stamp. (Been there, done that.)

The cidadas are in full “bloom” currently and are astonishingly loud. It is currently raining. We are loving the green, wet, living world we now live in.

Traffic is interesting, but nothing compared to the reckless driving of the United Arab Emirates. Everyone just seems to patiently navigate around each other with a small amount of horn honking. Pedestrians step out and trust that they won’t be run down. Most of the time, it works out. Bicyclists, scooters, and motorcycles travel down the sidewalk, honking at pedestrians. It is a short distance from our apartment to the school, so I may just get a bicycle. The school provides a bus to transport us to work, so I will get there one way or another.

For more photos, click here.

Posted in moving, Shanghai, travel adventures | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

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The Bad Thing About Living Abroad

January 12, 2013

Posted by Kanga.

bright yellow trumpet shaped flowers

The bad thing about living abroad is the transient nature of the expatriate community. One makes friends and then some of them move away, either going back to their home country or to another country. We’ll miss them when we gather with friends at our favorite restaurants. They will miss out on board game tweet ups. We’ll be watching for their cat and baby photos on Facebook. Consolation comes from the fact that we still have friends who have been in country so long that we can count on them staying.

The good thing about this is that we now have friends in multiple countries that we can visit during our vacations.  I wish we had more vacation time.

Posted in living abroad, moving, socialization | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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A Balance of Patience and Persistence

October 31, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

Part of me wants to sing the praises of health care here and say it is much better than back in the States, but that isn’t true. It is just different. It has different challenges and different advantages.

The big advantage is being able to be seen right away or at least same day. You may have to wait awhile, but they will get you in. This is in contrast to the States and having to call for an appointment, that, if you are lucky, is a week away or waiting until after 6 pm so you can go to “urgent care.” (Nothing quite like having a urinary tract infection and they want you to wait a week to see the doctor or having a lump in your breast and having to wait two weeks before you can get a mammogram to determine whether it is benign or killing you.)

The most prominent challenge is that you have to be both patient and aggressive to get what you need. In the States, clinics and hospitals are very structured and have built in barriers to keep the patients contained and controlled. There are several layers of employees between you and the doctor and their job is to make sure you stay in line. It is very clear where the “public areas” of a clinic are versus the inner sanctum of the exam rooms, labs, etc. There is a certain organizational benefit to this structure. Patients wait their turn, get treated equally, and know their place. There’s a certain comfort in that. It involves a great deal of patience and NO aggressiveness. Aggression is frowned upon.

There is a semblance of this structure here, but not the reality. There are receptionist desks, waiting rooms, nurses, etc., but none of them pose a barrier to waltzing into the exam room unannounced. In fact, the receptionist might tell you to go straight to the radiology department and ask them to perform your test without a doctor’s involvement. Of course, the radiology department will send you back to the receptionist, because you don’t have a health card and they can’t do anything until you have a health card or a number in their system. The doctor may examine you, then send you off to radiology and the lab for tests and tell you to just come back after you finish there and she means “just come back to the exam room and come on in.” I knocked and waited, because some habits cannot be shed so easily.

There will also be a dearth of signage, directions, and clear communication. When sent back to radiology for the third time to insist on getting the test done today, not next week, and dropping the name given by the doctor of the person who said the test could be done today, you may be waved on in a general manner down the hallway with no real indication of where to find this person who will do the test. So, after knocking on doors and asking random people, you join the collection of patients waiting in the makeshift waiting area and hope for the best. When someone new comes along and starts shaking hands and maneuvering for his wife to be next, you have to step up your game and make sure you get in next. After the test is done, don’t expect the technician to politely tell you that the test is done and that you can get dressed now, but she will act surprised when she finds that you are still laying on the table because she hasn’t told you. When you ask if there is paperwork that you should wait for, she will give you a vague answer which leaves you waiting outside the door hoping that it is not for naught. When you go to get your blood drawn for tests, there won’t be good signage or a reception desk. You are supposed to just poke your head in the rooms until you find someone willing to take your blood.

Then it is back to the doctor for the wrap up. Finally, you are given medication prescriptions and can call it a day. It only took from 9:00 a.m. to 12:33 p.m.

We had to go to the government run clinic because the private hospital didn’t have the staff on duty (holidays) who could do the ultrasound, so our insurance didn’t count. Out of pocket expenses: 200 AED to get a number in the system, 80 AED for the blood tests, 100 AED for the ultrasound. ($103.50) Prescriptions purchased at a RX across town – 187 AED ($51.00). I am fairly certain you could not get all that for $154.50 in the States.

black and white blurry images

The upshot is that there is no deep vein thrombosis, only a minor infection. Back to business as usual.

Posted in Fujairah, medical care | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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The Elusive Blanket

September 23, 2012

Posted by Kanga.

When you move to another country, especially one half-way around the world from your home, you expect that there will be some things you are used to that will now be difficult or impossible to obtain. I was concerned about salmon sushi. What is really difficult to obtain? A common bed blanket.

We started out with a comforter, then moved up to a feather duvet. But, despite the constant airconditioning, these were too much. Too warm. There are cheap fleece blankets, but these are not enough and get all wonky once they are laundered. So, we began a search for a run-of-the-mill blanket.

store display of animal print fleece blankets

The problem is that run-of-the-mill blankets don’t seem to exist here. When you walk into a store and ask the sales person if they have blankets, they say “yes, sir” then show you the duvets. We said that wasn’t what we were looking for and he asked what a blanket was. Seriously.

Throw blankets exist and I actually considered buying several and sewing them together. We have finally found a quilted bedspread. We’ll see how that works, or not.

Sheets can also be somewhat challenging. When we first arrived I bought packages expecting a full sheet set only to find a single flat sheet and two pillow cases, no fitted sheet. If you go to Ikea, it’s the other way around – one fitted sheet with no flat sheet. So, I ended up combining the flat from one store and the fitted from the other. I get excited when I find a complete set. It’s the small pleasures in life, they say.

Posted in Shopping | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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At Your Inconvenience

October 22, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

I really miss American residential laws that require that a tenant be given 24 hour notice before the landlord or any repairmen can enter the apartment. We have been having a long string of disruptions as additional duct work, wiring, etc., related to the air conditioning is done. Apparently, it must all be done in separate phases. Add to this the fact that the workmen just show up at the door and expect to come in and make a mess and break your stuff.

salt and pepper shakers shaped like birds and a salt shaker shaped like a slice of bread

[White Love Bird salt shaker became collateral damage of the last repairmen visit. Now Pepper Bird has taken up with Toast salt shaker who was widowed in our emigration. Toaster didn’t make it onto the ark.]

Never mind that today we were planning on going into Dubai to visit friends and I had a long list of errands I wanted to do. We had no way of knowing how long the workers would be doing whatever it is they were doing today. They finally left at 7:30 pm. We should never have answered the door.

Posted in construction | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

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Happy at Last!

August 14, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

This is the only form of social media that I am allowed to access at work, so instead of expressing my joy on Twitter, Facebook or Google+, I’m doing it here.

My visa transfer and new employment visa are FINALLY completed. It has been over two months of misery, frustration, and financial precariousness (or is it precariousity? spell check says “no”).

Of course, I may be crowing too soon, since my final paycheck from June has not actually hit the bank account, yet. There is no reason that it shouldn’t, but if there is one thing this whole process has taught me is that there is always room for a catch-22 and it is more “probable” than ‘possible.”

So, again, for any readers looking for “living abroad” advice – NEVER DO A VISA TRANSFER!

Posted in living abroad, red tape, United Arab Emirates | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

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The Long Bathroom

July 1, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We are now the proud renters of the world’s longest bathroom. Okay, probably not, but it is certainly a contender.

long, narrow bathroom, toilet & sink

We had many trials and tribulations in getting our moving arrangements ironed out, but in the nick of time, things fell into place. We still don’t have our new electricity account set up, so further trials may be in store.

If Americans change jobs, first of all, they do not also have to change where they live. They do not have to cancel their phone/internet line a month ahead of time. They do not have to go back to the phone company five times to get a clearance certificate to satisfy their employer. They do not have to give their government id cards to their employer. They do not have to turn in their health insurance cards. They do not have to give their employer money to cover their final electricity bill. They don’t have to cancel or transfer their residence visa. They also don’t have to wait weeks or months for their final paycheck. In fact, if one were to do some of this in America, it could be done with a phone call. Suddenly, I miss America.

American rent is also paid one month at a time. The worst case senario is that you will need first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a security deposit. The rent in the UAE is usually paid in one annual lump sum. At best, one can pay in four payments.

So, Americans count your blessings.

On Tuesday, the nick of time, we were able to finalize the apartment and on Wednesday at 8 am the movers came. We had packed up much of our belongings ourselves, but the movers finished packing everything else (including stuff I would have thrown away) and dismantled the furniture and wrapped it in plastic or pads. Once they arrived at our new apartment, they reassembled the furniture. I think is was about 7 pm by the time they finished.

I had left Dubai in the morning with the cats in the car. Oliver vocalized his distress all the way to the car, but settled down during the drive. He again howled horribly during the elevator ride to the new apartment, but once there, went nearly catatonic and didn’t loosen up until after the movers had left. Bert was distressed and wandered around the empty apartment meowing piteously when he wasn’t hiding in the litter box. As I had hoped, once the familiar furniture and belongings arrived and they inspected everything and every room, they have adapted. Oliver is back to his overly vocal self.

white cat laying on floor

As Oliver demonstrates, moving is very tiring.

Now, for those who want the details, we have a 3 bedroom, 3 1/5 bath apartment with a kitchen, living room, two small storage rooms, and a maid’s (cat’s) room. It is a nice layout. More pictures will follow. Perhaps after we get things unpacked and arranged.

kitchen

Posted in Fujairah, living abroad, moving, UAE ID | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments »