New job, new location, that means a new bank account. Not a difficult concept or, usually, task. However (I find myself using that word a lot these days), things are a bit trickier in the UAE than they are in the States.
In order to get a bank account I first need to get a residency visa from the Ministry of Immigration and Naturalization. That wasn't terribly difficult because the college handled that part for me. Here I go, with my visa copy, passport copy, and cash to deposit into the account. Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho off to the bank I go.
Upon arrival I discover that in order to open an account I need a letter stating that I do, in fact, have a job that will pay me. I hand the man the letter I was given by the school. He looks at it and says, "Oh, it's in Arabic. I will be right back." He has his colleague read the letter and returns. "I'm so sorry, you need a letter that states your salary and length of contract." I thought the lettter had all that information, but, as you know, I can not read Arabic. Oh well, Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, off to school I go.
I request a letter stating that information to be written in English. Two days later, I get it! Woot! Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, off to the bank I go!
I get to the bank, provide him with the letter and he is more than happy to open my account. I also need a credit card to cover final expenses of shipping stuff here (pets included). He says that I need to wait for three months to confirm that I do, in fact, have employment with the college. (I thought the first, and second letters confirmed that. Silly me.)
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, its back to school I go. I request the "letter of confirmation" from the HR department. Remember that this letter is FOR the bank FROM the school confirming that I am employed. Sounds simple enough. Two days later, I get an email telling me that I need a letter FROM the BANK FOR the SCHOOL. This letter is to confirm that I do, in fact, have a bank account with the bank that they previously gave me a letter to confirm that I am employed and can open an account.
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho back to the bloody bank I go. I see the man who opened my account and tell him that I now need a letter FROM him TO them. He looks perplexed (How do you think I feel?) He gives me copies of all the information that I filled out to open the account, after verification from the college. I need to take this to HR in order for them to get me that "letter of confirmation" that is, thus far, unconfirmed.
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, back to the bloody school I go. I turn in the copies. Things are grand. I need to wait to days to have the papers processed. Do I see the light at the end of the tunnel?
Once the paper is processed, I can access my information online to request a letter that I thought I had in order to open an account that I needed employment confirmation for to get a card that requires not only confirmation of employment, but also confirmation of an account that was confirmed prior. Geez, I don't even know what I just said.
So now I wait for the paper work to be loaded to the HR system.
Remember that bank account that I have opened? It doesn't require a deposit. I have an account, in which there is no money.
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho its off to the looney bin I go...
Again, as they say: Inshalla
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
My MANDATORY Trip To Dubai
I found out that there is an educational conference each year for every member of the HCT faculty. The new teachers, of which I am obvioulsy one, were required to take a bus to Dubai. That's not such a big deal for me since I don't have a car yet. However, the bus left at 6 am and I had to catch a cab. Nothing is on the my street at 5:15 in the morning. So, what would you do? Call the cab of course. The trouble with that is the dispatcher sent the taxi to the wrong address. Remember, I don't have an address and live in the desert on a street with no name... After 20 minutes or so in 90 degree weather, the cab arrives and gets me to the school in the nick of time.
Dubai is about an hour an a half, depending on traffic, or so they told me. Now, picture this: a highway not unlike GA400 heading north. After a while, there are some traffic lights, but not many. What would youthink causes a slow down on a highway?
1) Heavy traffic
2) Construction
3) Traffic lights
4) An Accident
5) Wait for it.....Ready? SPEED BUMPS!
You read that right. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi there are no less than 6 speed bumps on each side of the DIVIDED highway. They don't believe in traffic lights near Dubai. They prefer.... Ready? ROUNDABOUTS!
Roundabouts in the middle of a major thouroughfare! As the locals say: Inshallah.
Later I'll tell you about the conference.
God Bless and take care!
Dubai is about an hour an a half, depending on traffic, or so they told me. Now, picture this: a highway not unlike GA400 heading north. After a while, there are some traffic lights, but not many. What would youthink causes a slow down on a highway?
1) Heavy traffic
2) Construction
3) Traffic lights
4) An Accident
5) Wait for it.....Ready? SPEED BUMPS!
You read that right. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi there are no less than 6 speed bumps on each side of the DIVIDED highway. They don't believe in traffic lights near Dubai. They prefer.... Ready? ROUNDABOUTS!
Roundabouts in the middle of a major thouroughfare! As the locals say: Inshallah.
Later I'll tell you about the conference.
God Bless and take care!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Settling In Process
Hello to all our friends!
The UAE is, in many ways, similar to the US and in many other ways, not so similar.
The retail stores work quite the same way as we are accustomed to, but deliveries... Well that is an entirely different situation. Ramadan, a month-long religious period of atonement, makes it difficult to arange deliveries of large items. Immediately following Ramadan is Eid al fitr. The culmination of the fasting and atonement period. During this time we found it difficult to find lunch! It is forbidden to eat in public during daylight hours. This would not have been a problem if we could have had our fridge in place, but delivery was delayed until AFTER Ramadan!
To compound the issue we "live in the desert on a street with no name." Addresses are not very precise. We have to give directions based upon cross streets. We live between Mohammed bin Khalifa and Delma streets. Our main street is Al Karamah. However, off of Al Karamah is 5th street. That sounds easy enough, but Mohammed bin Khalifa St. is also know as 15th St and Delma is known as 13th St. Okay folks, you do the math. How is it that 5th street is between 13th and 15th? Further, we don't live on 5th street, but on the first cross street, which... HAS NO NAME. We are in Villa #9 of the Mushrif Compound (one of many similarly named). UG!
So, we FINALLY get our beds, fridge, washer/dryer, and our cooker. Only one of the deliveries seemed to understand where we lived on the first explanation.
Now, let us discuss the school. I was scheduled for an orientation meeting on September 8. That meeting did not happen because the government declared a holiday. We still aren't sure of the reason. We thought it was to end Ramadan and begin Eid, but Ramadan did not end until Friday night. So, no big deal. Canceled meetings happen all the time, right? True enough, but I didn't find out until I showed up for the meeting that the school was closed and NO ONE was going to be in the building except security and janitorial services. I did find that an email had been sent (to my un-activated email account). So, I show up. I go home. End of the day!
Well, we can't have new hires in a new system without having an orientation for them, right? Right. The meeting is rescheduled for the 15th. Not a big deal except that I have class all day long! I am told to reschedule my classes or find a substitute. Uh... how do I do that? I talk to my supervisor! Uh.. who is that? No one really knows. There is the lead faculty for the maths (yes that has an s on the end) foundations and there is the chair of foundations 1 & 2, and there is the maths chair (yes that has an s on the end). No one seems to know who my direct supervisor is. Ug, again!
I'm almost done! I then find out that I have to be at a university-wide conference on Saturday. No big deal except that it is in Dubai. Uh, how do I get there? I have no passport, visa, drivers license. My passport will be returned when I get my residency visa. I can't get a DL, phone, internet, nor bank account until I get my visa. It turns out they will provide a bus to Dubai. Nifty, but it leaves ar 6:00 am. Now I have to find a cab that is running around 5:00 am to get here for 6:00 am.
As the locals say: "Inshalla" God's will.
The UAE is, in many ways, similar to the US and in many other ways, not so similar.
The retail stores work quite the same way as we are accustomed to, but deliveries... Well that is an entirely different situation. Ramadan, a month-long religious period of atonement, makes it difficult to arange deliveries of large items. Immediately following Ramadan is Eid al fitr. The culmination of the fasting and atonement period. During this time we found it difficult to find lunch! It is forbidden to eat in public during daylight hours. This would not have been a problem if we could have had our fridge in place, but delivery was delayed until AFTER Ramadan!
To compound the issue we "live in the desert on a street with no name." Addresses are not very precise. We have to give directions based upon cross streets. We live between Mohammed bin Khalifa and Delma streets. Our main street is Al Karamah. However, off of Al Karamah is 5th street. That sounds easy enough, but Mohammed bin Khalifa St. is also know as 15th St and Delma is known as 13th St. Okay folks, you do the math. How is it that 5th street is between 13th and 15th? Further, we don't live on 5th street, but on the first cross street, which... HAS NO NAME. We are in Villa #9 of the Mushrif Compound (one of many similarly named). UG!
So, we FINALLY get our beds, fridge, washer/dryer, and our cooker. Only one of the deliveries seemed to understand where we lived on the first explanation.
Now, let us discuss the school. I was scheduled for an orientation meeting on September 8. That meeting did not happen because the government declared a holiday. We still aren't sure of the reason. We thought it was to end Ramadan and begin Eid, but Ramadan did not end until Friday night. So, no big deal. Canceled meetings happen all the time, right? True enough, but I didn't find out until I showed up for the meeting that the school was closed and NO ONE was going to be in the building except security and janitorial services. I did find that an email had been sent (to my un-activated email account). So, I show up. I go home. End of the day!
Well, we can't have new hires in a new system without having an orientation for them, right? Right. The meeting is rescheduled for the 15th. Not a big deal except that I have class all day long! I am told to reschedule my classes or find a substitute. Uh... how do I do that? I talk to my supervisor! Uh.. who is that? No one really knows. There is the lead faculty for the maths (yes that has an s on the end) foundations and there is the chair of foundations 1 & 2, and there is the maths chair (yes that has an s on the end). No one seems to know who my direct supervisor is. Ug, again!
I'm almost done! I then find out that I have to be at a university-wide conference on Saturday. No big deal except that it is in Dubai. Uh, how do I get there? I have no passport, visa, drivers license. My passport will be returned when I get my residency visa. I can't get a DL, phone, internet, nor bank account until I get my visa. It turns out they will provide a bus to Dubai. Nifty, but it leaves ar 6:00 am. Now I have to find a cab that is running around 5:00 am to get here for 6:00 am.
As the locals say: "Inshalla" God's will.
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