Week 6 of Project 365

Our first full week in the house, a home at last. This week we've purchased and fixed curtain poles/rails and hung all the curtains. I've had to adapt the ones we brought with us to fit the windows and the new over locker had a trip out today as I made curtains for the front window 3.4 meters wide and a 2.7 meter drop and in this heat it was no mean feat. An early night having stayed up late to watch the rugby and I'm aching from head to toe after a sea swim today, it's been a while since I last swam, let alone in the sea.

Day 32 #onedailypositive #onmyplate #fmsphotoaday #sundayroast #snaphappybritmums #project365

Our first weekend in our new home, still unpacking and haven't got round to calling the gas people yet so today's roast was purchased in Waitrose, our local supermarket. Hubby has requested more food prompts as he enjoyed tonights dinner.

Day 33 #onedailypositive #mail #fmsphotoaday #bramleyapple #snaphappybritmums #project

The 3 files on the top left contain every letter received and a copy of every letter sent since we started our expat journey in January 2011. The postal system in South Africa was very poor and I know a lot of cards and gifts, both ways, went missing. Today I'm being positive by reaching out to old friends and family with our new address in Dubai to see if I can rekindle some friendships lost. On my way home from the post office i'll pick up an apple pie and some custard for tonight's dinner, which reminds me I must call the gas people and get the oven connected.

Day 34 #onedailypositive #water #fmsphotoaday #babysleep#snaphappybritmums #project365 

I'm loving these photo prompts. I wanted to buy material to make curtains for our new lounge so headed down to Bur Dubai, although the haberdashery market was on the same side of the creek as the bus stop I couldn't resist a taxi boat over and back again for less than 20p. The closest I got to combining the 2 photo prompts of #water and #babysleep was a picture of my cat in the bath. Although my kids have left home a) there was no water in the bath and b) the cat is an animal and NOT my baby lol

Day 35 #onedailypositive #reward #fmsphotoaday #TheLetterA#snaphappybritmums 

That's it now, everything has arrived from South Africa. Whilst unpacking the A is for Airfreight I came across this jelly tot chocolate bar. My little reward.

Day 36 #onedailypositive #somethingblue #fmsphotoaday #now#snaphappybritmums #project365

something blue today is me. Life as an #expat never gets easier. I'm currently in #Dubai with 6 days remaining on my 2nd tourist visa, despite all of hubbies visas being in place no one appears to be in any hurry to support the wife. When you live as an expat spouse you lose your identity and after 4 years in South Africa it was a constant battle to reinvent myself without small children at the school gates or a job in which to network and socialist. A move to Dubai puts me right back at the beginning again and although I can work here it'll be a while before I do. Right now I'm writing letters home, most will go unacknowledged and that makes me feel down. Also because I'm still without my visa and ID I have to use hubbies work address with his name which strips my identity further. My daily positive is, at least the postal system works here unlike South Africa

Day 37 #onedailypositive #makemesmile #fmsphotoaday #redclothes #snaphappybritmums #project365

Well I shall be smiling when/if Wales win tonight, although now we are no longer in South Africa I don't get the same level of satisfaction wearing my shirt out in public. My daily positive I'm starting to enjoy living in our new house, now we are unpacked and the curtains are up and we can sit down and relax while watching the rugby.

Day 38 #onedailypositive #stripes #fmsphotoaday#party #snaphappybritmums #project365 

party #brunch on the #beach with our South African friends in their stripey swim trunks. @danblake1995 school friend, father and #expat community weekly beach get together. Making friends and feeling happy.

Timeline for an expat move

January 2014

Visit Dubai to discuss potential move.

July 2014

Arrange replacement passports after theft

October 2014

Order online replacement documents online from the UK
Sell car
Obtain quotes for shipping, give notice on house, gym, insurance, banks, utilities, tv and licence.

November 2014

Visit UK to collect documents, get son's new passport and submit to foreign affairs
Hubby arrives in UK
Visit UAE Embassy in London for documents to be attested
Fly to Dubai to submit documents and house hunt
Return to South Africa for farewell party and supervise shipping, meeting 19 year old at airport
Obtain quotation for moving cat and dog and necessary paperwork
(1)Hubby stays in Dubai to submit work visa application

December 2014

Sort hand and checked in luggage, air freight and shipping, distribute donations
Collect 15 year old from airport
Collect hubby from airport
Air freight collected and put into storage in South Africa
Take and collect cat and dog's blood tests, arrange injections, scan all paperwork
Move into Guest House
(2)Close bank and utility accounts, cancel direct debits
Wave bye to cat and dog
Drive to airport
Arrive in Dubai with hubby and 15 year old
Move into hotel
(3)Go to rented house, discover house is not ready for moving into
Collect borrowed car
Meet cat and dog and settle them in after their flight
Take 15 year old to airport
Shipping arrives in Dubai and goes into storage
Move hotels
(4)Open bank account
Travel back and forth to house for pets and to chase builders and landlord
(5)Make arrangements for 19 year old to sleep somewhere
After a lot of shouting medical aid was issued, with a folder, contact made with company to ask for meeting re car, contents and personal cover....NO RESPONSE

January 2015

Builders and cleaners quote for repairs, work starts
Remain in hotel until work visa application is processed and residency visa applied for and in place
Leave Dubai as 30 days will be up on visitors visa and for hubby to process his
Arrange for shipping to be delivered to house and air freight to be sent from South Africa
Apply for my residency visa
Leave Dubai to process it
(6)Take 19 year old to airport



(1) Hubby was informed work visa application would be made on November 29th 2014. On our arrival in Dubai we were informed we'd hear by Christmas Day only to discover that the application made was for permission to apply for a visa and it hadn't actually been done. Expected time scale was  2-3 days for work visa to be stamped and a further 3-5 days for residency visa to be stamped, air freight to be sent and arrive by January 1st to enable 19 year old to move into property. Shipping to arrive January 1st, 3 days to clear customs and enable us to move into house 5th/6th January 2015.
Work visa ready January 13th

(2) Followed guidance from companies as in give 30 days notice to close accounts, but not informed until will closed them that it would be another 30 days before we got final statements for utilities. Bank account still open on January 3rd. TV company took another payment which they are now having to refund. Still waiting for landlord to refund deposit into company account which will then be transferred here. bank accounts closed January 7th Deposit refunded January 13th.

(3) House was rented on December 7th, agency fees paid as was a years rent upfront. Rental agent and relocation company employed to sort this on holiday until January 1st. Landlady and builders passing the buck, endless phonecalls, stress and running around. House cleaned by ourselves after cleaners have been in, ready to move into January 8th

(4) Bank account in Dubai opened, but single account in hubbies name, relocation allowance and expenses, including UK trip from November now claimed. Salary for December in South Africa and deposit from landlord can now be paid. Savings in the UK = ZERO, can't use off shore banking element till my visa is ready and joint account applied for.

(5) & (6) Money is running out, all expenses will be repaid but bank account has to be opened first, in the meantime due to no 1 & 3 above, we cannot afford to put 19 year old up in a hotel so he is sleeping at hubbies bosses house and then moving on to a mates and we have to rebook his flight to return early as we can no longer afford to fly him out to Oman to get his passport stamped to extend his visitors visa. Expenses to date from the UK, South Africa and costs to date in Dubai received on the 16th January.

Peter's residency visa and Emirate ID ready by next week. We notified the agency of his work visa on January 13th who then did the 'typing' there is a special way things have to be done round here. This morning 15th they took him to make his application, filled in forms, blood tests, chest X-rays etc. We are now waiting for his bloods to come back and the residency visa will be stamped into his passport and then the following will happen. This post was published on January 14th. It is the 22nd today and we still don't have the residency visa.

Request made for container to clear customs in Dubai on 22nd January delivered on the 27th January
Request made for air freight to leave South Africa on 30th January delivered on February 4th
Red Card applied for on 9th February
My residency visa and Emirates ID applied for on 10th February, collected on
Driving licences issued hubbies: February 8th Mine:
My bank account opened
Car purchased