Alternatives to Dubai…
I was in Ajman last Thursday a bit frustrated that I was stuck in the area for the whole day. I was coming all the way from the Ajman - Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) and was making my way back to Sharjah for lunch. Sharing taxi was my only option and I was able to get on a cab easily. I was lucky since two cabs stopped and had the passenger transfer to the cab I was riding on. The other passenger was a Filipino and had a good chat with him. He was from Ras Al Khaimah and he says life is better in RAK and I believe him. For all the people who say Dubai is the best place to be in among all the Emirates, I will agree but take in to consideration what you were set to do here, earn a living. Many view RAK as a low income emirate but take into consideration the figures.
Rent: 400Dhs (including water and electricity)
Food: 300Dhs (standard for 1 person)
Transport: 150Dhs
Life is better because life is cheaper. You get a great mountain view and some of the local amenities like a shopping mall and hotels. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of night life there and things can get out of hand with the locals if you don’t adjust accordingly. So even if you are just earning a modest 1800Dhs salary, you’ve got enough to earn and the fact that you eat full meals a day and live in a big room of a villa. You rent a small room in Dubai for 1600Dhs a month, you can practically rent a whole villa and rent it out to other people as well.
You may end up with a pay similar to a waiter and it may not be the best earning job in the world but earning close to 1G isn’t all that bad, I am not saying that all salaries there are 1800Dhs, there are better salaries too lifestyle. You decide, there is always an alternative and you don’t always need to end up as a sad Dubai story.
Hmmn.. compare that to the Philippines. You can practically live for free with your relatives.. hehe. Or get your meals by always eating “pulutan” with your drinking buddies. Transportation? Sabit ka na lang sa jeep then wag ka magbayad. hehe. Nah I don’t think you can get away now with the last one. But if you’re earning 1800Dhs and saving only 950Dhs.. thats roughly 13,250PhP. Is that even enough, especially if you have a family to support back in the PI?
Comment by aufklarer25 — Monday, 14th August 2006 @ 4:12 AM
Tell me about it. Some people don’t even earn that much anymore. They lose their sense of priority and waste it away on “babae, alak at sugal.” It still depends on the person what he or she wants to prioritize. This is just the land of small opportunities compared to what one can make in the US.
Another question, 13259, is NOT enough to support your family in the Philippines, especially when you have another woman in Dubai…
Comment by Makiav3lli — Monday, 14th August 2006 @ 4:19 AM
i agree…when i 1st came here in the uae my sponsor took us together with my cousins in al ain. i have been there for 1 month just waiting for my papers to arrive. my sponsor told us that we cant apply if we dont have papers which in the end we found out it is not true..sadly what we did in our 1st months was just playing cards, eat, net and sleep. living in al ain is like living in a province, it is very silent that if somebody kills you there nobody will notice. my observation there is that there is not much tall bldgs, not much people, no traffic, lifestyle is less actually it is better that RAK as melvs has stated. room there actually a sharing room only costs 250-300 per person, electricity and water is included and 200dhs is enough for your food. bad thing i was really shocked since it was my 1st time in other country i have met these adnoc guys who is seem very nice, i got to know them for a week, observed how they live, and how they loved! if you know the “akyat barko girls” then you’ll know what i mean…one night i slept early since there not much to do. when i woke up at 5:30am i was startled with the noise i am hearing….it was like there’s some voices of ladies inside our room?? knowing that we are all men inside and i am in an islamic country! then i saw these ladies going to each others partners like they were GRO’s sorry for that term…sorry i got carried away, its just very sad when the excuse of Filipino’s here or anywhere i the world is homesick that’s why they’re having some affairs…i cant blame why some nationalities see filipino men as super babaero. sorry for the OT.
Comment by migraineboy — Monday, 14th August 2006 @ 3:23 PM