This ordeal called house hunting is really taking its toll on us especially on Nico. On weekends we'd normally schedule a visit to different properties and Nico would meet property agents after office during weekdays. Add to that the fact that we need to compute and recompute our budget to check if we can afford the rent. As I have mentioned so many times before, we need to make do with our limited housing allowance. Last night as I was reviewing our budget again, it seems a bit stretched already. I have listed the basic expenses like groceries, utilities, transportation, credit card payments and the like. We need to make do with our current income and perhaps I can pursue a part-time, home-based job eventually so we can afford a bit of luxury like shopping and probably Las Vegas vacations. Oh, how I look forward to that day! :)
I realized now that I underestimated the cost of renting a flat in Dubai when I talked about it in my previous post. After two weeks of scanning the daily paper, specifically the properties section which has about one hundred and twenty something pages (of for lease and for sale properties, imagine!), we still haven’t found the right place that fits our needs and our budget, sigh…
Our requirement is simple—we just want an apartment within a community, where there’s a place outdoor where Miguel can stroll in the morning and play in the afternoon. And it must be within our (meager) budget. Apparently, and to my great disappointment, Dubai remains to be a huge plot of dessert land where property developers find pleasure (and profit, of course!) in putting up fancy buildings, forgetting in the process that this part of the world would be a lot, lot nicer with some trees and grass here and there. The typical look of a residential area in the center of this city is clusters of buildings divided by parking lots. So it isn’t surprising to see children playing between parked cars.
There is one development that we found last week to be almost meeting our criteria. It’s a bit far from the center of the city, though, where Nico is working. We’d love to get a one-bedroom apartment here but we just can’t afford it. We’re considering the studio type since it’s what our budget can afford, though it’s still pricey by our standards. It’s a bit small considering we have a little boy who might just bump into every corner of the room but the layout is pretty great. The kitchen has a provision even for a washing machine where both the water inlet and outlet are properly fixed such that I won’t need to get water form a separate faucet. The bathroom is tiled nicely, with a sink that looks like the one normally found in hotels. There are plenty of closets, too. And best of all, there are facilities available to tenants like a pool, and a children’s play area.
I am really hoping we could get this one. The only other remaining consideration is that we heard news that Nico’s office might be transferred to the other end of the city by October, in which case, the location of this apartment won’t be ideal. Help us pray.
Hello peeps, this is just to let you know that we've safely arrived! Miguel was an easy travel companion; he slept just before we took off from Manila and woke up minutes before landing. On our way to Dubai, he was mostly awake during the flight but was busy playing. We landed on time, unfortunately it was too hazy outside that we hurried to the apartment. Anyway, I have lots of stories to tell soon.
We're finally done packing! After so many attempts at cramming everything in three luggages, we've finally succeeded. We've maximized our baggage allowance, both for check-in and handcarry luggages, and I think we even went a few kilos more. I hope the airport personnel wouldn't mind. We had to make do with our luggage allowance as we've decided not to ship the other stuff anymore.
After careful consideration of the value of the items that we will ship versus the amount we will pay the shipper, we find it more practical to just leave most of the items behind and use the money to buy new ones when we get to Dubai. Of course, we can't let go of some items--those with sentimental value, so we opted to avail of DHL's promo box. It's smaller but way cheaper than shipping a regular box. However, this means we will not send any home furniture anymore. Good thing there's a variety of furniture stores in Dubai.
Anyway, I think this will be my last post for quite a while. Our new journey will start the day after tomorrow. I pray we'll have a pleasant one, and that in this new endeavour we'll find more happiness to fill our pockets.
I'll be off for a few weeks but please continue to visit my site and I promise to be back with more stories from the other side of the world. Till then...
If you've seen Aga and Claudine's Dubai movie (I haven't, lol :)), you must have an idea how expensive it is to rent a flat in Dubai. I was told that the movie even shows a situation where several people live in one small studio type flat that's been divided either by curtains or cupboards to make separate rooms. And I think that is not an exaggeration.
I've just checked the net if we can afford to get a one-bedroom flat at least and I was stunned at the rental rates. It starts at around 65k a month, converted--and that is a very modest flat, and goes up to 150k if you prefer something more fancy! Imagine spending that much money for something that wouldn't ever be yours. Of course, I really cannot compare it with the Philippine market but I just can't help but think that in the Philippines, if we can afford to allocate the same amount of money monthly, we can get a house and lot in no time and in a nice location with the help of mortgage lenders. And then I realized that if our jobs here can afford us a house and lot, we wouldn't be going to Dubai, would we? :)
I've just been to Lizzz' site and I read there some posts about birthday and moving to Dubai. And then I realized, we have exactly one week to go before we leave...and nine days before my birthday!
Now that I've thought about it, I realized I'll be spending the longest birthday of my life this year. We're leaving Singapore at 3pm on the 19th (my birthday) and we'll be arriving in Dubai at 6pm on the same day. And it's a 7hour flight. So that means I'll have 28 hours of birthday fun, if it's going to be any fun at all! lol :)
Ahhh, the complexities of time zone.
enjoying dirty ice cream with oyo and kuya pei
Kudos to Nico for being able to pack one balikbayan box-full of personal stuff yesterday (holiday). I just got a reply from one forwarding company and they quoted 15k for 2 boxes door-to-port and around 20k door-to-door! Susme, mas mahal pa yata shipping cost kesa sa value ng boxes namen. Pano na ito?!
*allow me to post these photos, minsan lang mkatyempo na parang nagpose talaga ang anak ko...usually, para syang tornado, by the time ma-click ko ang shutter, pwet na lang ang na-capture :)
So far there are 3 luggages awaiting my attention. Hindi ko pa maisara cause there are stuff we're currently using that need to be included. Tapos hihiram pa ko ng weighing scale. Ayokong mag-excess at mapilitan magbukas at maglipat-lipat sa airport.
Di ko pa madecide kung magdadala ko ng duyan. It won't fit in the luggage. I'm thinking itali sya sa luggage. Pgdating sa Singapore and Dubai airports, parang na-announce sa mundo na pinoy ang mayari ng luggage na ito! hahaha! Pakelam ba nila...kawawa ang anak ko dahil nasanay sa duyan. Laking adjustment na nga nya when he wakes up one morning in a totally new environment, seeing totally unfamiliar people, tapos wala pang duyan! I think we'll bring one. Problema lang, pano ko isasabit yun sa hotel? hehehe :)
Yesterday we started packing. I had not realized till then that it could be such an ordeal! As expected, our room was in chaos. Clothes and shoes and all other personal effects were strewn everywhere, there was no space to move. I left the sorting for later as I thought it was just easy. Boy how wrong am I! I couldn't quite figure out the best strategy to pack our things considering we will be dropping by Singapore for two days and then we will be staying in a hotel in Dubai for at least two weeks or until we can find a house. This means I need to sort even the clothes that are frequently used and pack them in one luggage so we don't need to unpack all three luggages (and about three handcarry bags!) while in the hotel!
And then we just found out how expensive it is to ship the other items! Imagine one utility box of personal effects shipped from Manila to Dubai would cost us around 10k?! Airfreight is out of the question since it's definitely even more costly. How then can we afford to send all the small appliances and home furnishings that we have here? Add to that the piles of books that Nico needs for his work and some of mine. I have a few favorites that I'd like to read time and again and I couldn't afford to leave them.
As of today, I'm done filling one luggage-full of rarely used clothes. Next would be to pack the frequently used ones as well as my shoes and bags and Miguel's medicines (I bought stocks good until he turns 2!), food, and other personal hygiene products. Oh dear, the list is endless. I hope we'll be done by Wednesday.
It's official. We're leaving on the 17th. We'll be visiting my nephews in Singapore for two days before we head off to Dubai. I'm having mixed emotions. At times I feel eager and looking forward, and then I'd feel anxious. I'm happy that finally we'll be independent and at the same time sad at the thought of the family that we'll leave behind.
Hay, buhay. I'm having guilty feelings about Miguel missing everyone here at home. The only good thing is that he still cannot verbalize his feelings. Torture sakin yun to hear that he misses them and wants to go back home. Oh well, we've thought and prayed about this a hundred times. I guess no matter what I tell myself, I still won't be comforted by anything until we're settled and adjusted. I hope it will be soon.
Our visas are finally in!
Now we're arranging our itinerary and flight details.
Goodness, totoo nato!
Ang task list ko, andami pang unchecked!!
Panic!
If I haven't been able to accomplish most of the items in my task list, at least I was able to do one last weekend--shopping! It seems the only thing I have appetite to do these days, lol! We stopped by the mall to do some shopping before going home to my in-laws. I have a long list of items to buy and I was able to get most of them. I bought shirts, socks and underwear for Nico and got Miguel additional sleepwear and personal hygiene items. For myself, I bought capri pants and undies. I even considered buying hot lingerie if not for budget constraint, hahaha :).
If you'll look at our closet these days, you'll think that I am perhaps forecasting a steep decline in the value of peso and, thus, stocking up on the basics. In truth, I've been shopping for stuff that we will bring when we move to Dubai. There are very few choices of reasonably priced yet nice items in Dubai that's why we intend to bring everything that we can.
With less than a month left before the BIG move, let me remind myself of the things I need to accomplish...here they are:
1. visit to OB for check up (never had the chance since I gave birth)
2. dental check up (overdue na din)
3. sort mine, nico's and miguel's clothes (those that we will bring and those that can be shipped later)
4. same thing with our other stuff, sort din
5. get Miguel's medical records from doc
6. go for last pedia visit, first week of June
7. sort and print Miguel's photos (since birth!)
8. sort and print Miguel's birthday photos (can you believe I still haven't printed a single bday photo?!)
9. buy scrapbooking materials (mukang limited ang supplies nito sa Dubai)
10. sell the remaining stuff that we can't bring
11. buy clothes for the three of us, mas expensive dun e
12. buy miguel's basic meds and food that we can bring
13. box all the things we need to ship
14. Nico to get police clearance from Nigerian embassy
15. request for disconnection of my internet account
16. pay credit card bills (hopefully i have enough money to pay in full!)
17. meet with friends to say goodbye
When I look at it this way, it doesn't seem overwhelming. But the fact is that these are just the headings and below each one is a long list of sub-items that need my careful attention. Hay, goodluck to me!
We're excited about the impending move to Dubai. Among many things, I'm looking forward to having my own house. It seems in the past weeks that we keep accumulating stuff and I don't know where to put them now. Our bedroom is so cramped. We need space!
If there is one thing Nico and I agree upon, that is, we both want cozy and functional home, where everything has its own place. And I am particular about having a spacious bathroom. I'd like those vanity items well-organized. Perhaps, it would be good to find one that has pedestal sinks as these types allow for bigger floor space.
We're given a month to find a house. Big challenge, I know. But I hope we'll be able to find the ideal one on time, as I wouldn't want to settle for something that wouldn't be comfortable. We're talking long term stay, afterall.
I've finally identified the stuff we need to sell as part of Project Relocation. I'm thinking of getting an ebay account to fast dispose of these items but I really haven't got around to doing it. Anyway, I'm posting some of the items here, in case any of you are interested.
(ps. in love ako sa organizer na ito that's why pina-ship ko pa from dubai, but it's too impractical naman to have it shipped back so we're selling it here and we'll buy a new one when we get there)
5. Ashworthy Walker, very slightly-used, Php1,500
6. Coffee Table from Ikea, chic, fit for functional homes, P1,200
The month's almost over and we have just accomplished a few things for Project Relocation. Nico's passport has just been released yesterday, took them almost 10 days to process the renewal. We've submitted the required documents for visa processing and they came back with a few other requirements. But the biggest bummer so far is that Nico's resignation was declined. The boss tried to negotiate but finally realized that we're set and all he could do was to bargain for an extended stay. So instead of the initial May 23 effectivity, he'll be staying with the company until June 15. This means we won't be travelling until mid June.
***
I've sorted out most of our stuff, at least on paper. I've categorized them and soon I'll be posting here a few items for sale. There are some good stuff I wouldn't want to let go if I have my way, but it would just be too impractical to have them shipped. I'm thinking of getting an ebay account to help me dispose of these items. Anybody who's had experience selling on ebay? Tips, please.
The drama starts now. Here goes...
I look forward to...
-having our own flat (by own I mean it'll just be the three of us, not necessarily own it, haha :))
-choosing every piece of furniture that goes in the flat (though I don't think we can afford much kaartehan this time; we need to baby-proof the house)
-being the chef in my own kitchen (goodluck to us!)
-visiting Ikea for some home improvement shopping
-shopping at Rituals, love their shower gel and whipped body cream :)
-bringing Miguel to the park (though this is not until October, after the summer heat)
-going on a desert safari (wasn't able to do this last time)
-visiting Wild Wadi (kelan kaya 'to)
-and attending VCF service every friday
I'm sure gonna miss...
-our early morning walk round the neighborhood-Miguel's warm morning greetings to the neighbors (oh, he'll be missed for sure)
-Nanay, Miguel's source of comfort when Mommy fails him
-Kuya Pei and other playmates
-the comfort of our home
Haaay, life.
My biggest worry about our decision to relocate is the possibility of Miguel getting bored with just the two of us at home most of the time. He's used to having lotsa people around. I've been thinking of ways to entertain him especially during the first few weeks, the adjustment period. And I'm worried he might not have the opportunity to develop his social skills with our new set-up.
So I went online today to check if there are play schools in Dubai. And I was super happy to find there's Gymboree that's very near the area where we plan to stay. Yipee! There's even a Music Institute where children can learn to play musical instruments but it's located at Knowledge Village, very far from our place. Ok nako sa Gymboree for now. :)
The reality has just set in. We're relocating in a month's time! Do I sound surprised? Oh well, I am a bit. But it's not that we haven't really prepared for it. In fact, we've been praying for this for months now and we've discussed and thought about it a hundred times. Perhaps the realization of the many things we need to accomplish before we leave is what I am fussing about.
Project Relocation has started. Job offer has been accepted. Contract has been signed. Now we need to submit the required documents in order to secure a visa. We're targetting the first week of June to be in Dubai, but that's all dependent on how soon we can get a visa.
While Nico's handling the documentation part, I need to focus on the smaller yet equally important part of this move. That is, sorting and categorizing our stuff--those that will be shipped, sold, and disposed of.
And I need to talk to Miguel's pedia as well for some advice; ensure all his medical records are with me. And Nico and I will have to go for a medical and dental check up...and we need to do some shopping...need to do some research...and we need to say goodbye.
