Dubai has a huge
expat population. While a lot of foreigners have been packing bags and heading home
in recent times, the city still plays host to people from all over the world. I
caught up with a couple of expats calling Dubai
home and here’s what they say about life in the city.
Amar Singh, a 32 year old Indian consultant weaves his way
through the dancing crowd and tells me… “I love Dubai!
Look at this place… where else can you have this kind of a lifestyle in the Middle
East?” We are in Barasti, a favourite watering hole for
Dubai’s expatriate crowd. This could have been any bar in South East
Asia… the usual 80% - 20% ratio of white men to Asian girls, loud
music and free flowing drinks. “That’s the problem with this place” says
Hitaru, a Japanese friend who’s recently moved to the city as well and
obviously not having as great a time as Amar. “This could be anywhere in the
world, everything seems so artificial. This is supposed to be a desert but it
could just as well be New York.”
A snapshot of that conversation captures the many
conflicting emotions about living in Dubai.
Every time I ask someone what they like about the city, the answer I almost
always hear is ‘The lifestyle.” So what is this lifestyle that has
attracted people from around the world? I asked my American friend Helen who’s
here with her husband to explain further. “See… it’s about enjoying life…
about dressing up, partying and being seen. I used to be the kind of person who
cut my own hair yet here I have my hairstylist on speed dial. It’s also about
shopping. I have a group of friends and we catch up every other week for lunch
and a day of shopping. And of course, there’s a maid to take care of the
cleaning. I can’t even dream ofliving like
that back home.” ‘Jumeirah Jane’ quips another friend as I tell him about
her lifestyle – Jumeriah is a posh part of the city where a number of women
like Helen can be found. There are so many women with luxurious lifestyles
similar to Helen that there’s even a name given to the trend!
Funnily enough, the biggest complaint I get about living in Dubai
is also ‘The lifestyle”. A German friend who previously lived in Saudi
Arabia and recently moved to Dubai
had a pretty interesting view. He and his wife preferred their stay in Saudi
Arabia than Dubai.
The reason? Since there are much fewer options to socialize in Saudi, they
managed to forge much closer friendships within the expat community. In Dubai
however, despite the fact that there are so many things to do and opportunities
for entertainment, the couple feels like they have a smaller chance of building
real friendships.
As for working in the city, this is one area there’s a lot
of consensus in… most of the people I spoke to enjoy working in Dubai.
It’s a multicultural environment and since the city has major ambitions,
there’s much opportunity for people who enjoy a challenge. And of course the
tax free salary doesn't hurt either. As Hitaru put it, “The work’s great, it’s
the lifestyle I need to adjust to.”
This website aims to provide services for those on the move, to help them finding the good vacation package within the multiple services offered by the EasyExpat portal.
We have grouped a selection of big players on holiday package, flights, car hire, travel insurance and our offer of hotels around the world. Information and services are provided both in French and English.
Since being chosen as one of the four Candidate Cities for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games (along with Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janiero, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan), Chicago has had a steady stream of events to showcase its advantages – and make its best appeal for winning the final vote to host the Games, officially known as the XXXI Olympiad.
Chicago won its place as the United States candidate city by beating out four other cities which had hoped to be the American representative for the Games: Houston, Texas; San Francisco and Los Angeles, both in California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It then went on to make the cut for the final four Candidate cities – with Doha, Qatar; Baku, Azerbaijan and Prague, Czech Republic being eliminated in an earlier selection process by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
More than one million people have expressed their support for Chicago’s bid, including celebrities such as Michael Jordan and even President Barack Obama, who lives in Chicago. Many people who support the Games say that the United States needs the positive impact of the Games to repair its tarnished image with the rest of the world after eight years of the Bush administration.
However, along with all the enthusiasm, there are skeptics. A group calling itself No Games Chicago has been campaigning actively to keep Chicago from winning the bid. Many people involved with No Games Chicago say that the city cannot afford the expense of the Games, and that residents of the areas being considered for Olympic venues will be displaced. Others say that there is too much graft and corruption in Chicago for the Games to be a real success.
Nonetheless, Chicago, with the full backing of Mayor Richard M. Daley, has moved ahead with its bid to win the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralypics. Since becoming a Candidate City, Chicago has hosted a number of events to showcase its advantages, and attempt to persuade the members of the IOC.
One of the most important events occurred in April 2009, when Chicago hosted several members of the IOC as they made official visits to each of the Candidate Cities. The weather in Chicago did not cooperate, with gray, cold and inclement conditions. However, the spirit of most of the participants in the various events were high – including a venue tour where demonstrations of several sports were staged for the benefit of the IOC observers.
A few weeks later, the weather was much better for Chicago’s celebration of Olympics Day, which took place in cities across the United States on 23 June 2009. The skies were blue and the air was warm as athletes participated in a range of events to be featured in the Games – a total of 21 sports, including a Fun Run, basketball and boxing. More than 30,000 young people and 1200 adults participated in the Fun Runs, with another 3000 athletes participating in the other sports.
Several Olympic and Paralympics athletes made appearances in Chicago during Olympics Day to show their support for Chicago’s bid, including Mike Day, Paul Hamm, April Holmes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The day ended with a concert on the beach, with two local bands: Elevation, a U2 tribute band complete with a Bono lookalike, and the Freddy Jones Band. An estimated 20,000 people showed up to watch the various events.
The selection process has reached the home stretch, with less than 100 days remaining before the full IOC meets in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2 October 2009 to announce its decision for the winning city.
Audrey Henderson Freelance writer based in Chicago
Planning your summer holiday? From teaching orphans in Zambia to learning how to surf, here are some unique and memorable ways to enjoy your vacation responsibly.
Cultural holidays
These are opportunities that will make you go beyond the touristic taking pictures of natives. By embarking on a cultural holiday, you’ll have the chance to make real connections with people in local communities and learn about cultures and beliefs from around the world. Leave the hotels behind… try home stays or village stops. Not only will you have an experience that’s way off the beaten path, you’ll also have one that’s richer and more meaningful.
Volunteer holidays
Giving something back to the world can be a highly rewarding
experience. And you don’t need to take a whole year off or break a bank
to do it. Volunteer travel can be an ideal way to turn a volunteering
stint into a meaningful holiday. There are loads of ways in which you
can make a difference. From conservation projects in Galapagos Islands
to volunteering with orphans in Zambia, jungle conservation research in
Peru to marine conservation in Honduras, pick the one that’s closest to
your heart and make your holiday count.
Active nature holidays
For the sporty, there is a huge range of activities to choose from. Hiking, biking, sailing, kiting, kayaking, surfing, mountain climbing, cave exploring, diving, skydiving, white water rafting, horse riding, sand skiing… the list is endless. Pick or combine your favourite activities or use your holiday to learn a new sport. And keep nature loving companies in business.
Wildlife and conservation focused holidays
By picking a holiday which aims to protect the flora and fauna of the native country, you are automatically contributing to its betterment. Pick something close to your heart. Whether it’s the conservation of gorillas in Rwanda or orangutans in Borneo, whale watching in New Foundland or safaris in South Africa, the money you spend in a natural park or game reserve goes a long way to keeping its residents secure.
Learning holidays
Here’s a great way to enrich yourself while giving back to the local community. The coming holidays could be a fun way to learn a new skill or pick up a new hobby. Once again, go with your heart. Pick the one you think you’d enjoy the most or have always wanted to learn but never had the time for. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started… Yoga in India? Salsa in Spain? Kitesurfing in Morocco? Painting in Ireland? Polo in Argentina? Cooking in Thailand? Wine tasting in France?
Here are some interesting websites to check out before choosing your eco vacation. Happy holidays!
LesEuronautes.eu is a website aiming at informing young people about opportunities of mobility in Europe and encouraging them to take advantage of it. The project (initiated by the European Union and the French government) is managed by Touteleurope.fr, a company which aims at giving to the citizens as much information as possible about EU, its organisation and actions.
Company - City - Country :
Les Euronautes, Paris, France (H.Q) All over Europe
Can you talk a bit about your company/project?
Touteleurope.fr is a company which aims at giving to the citizens as much information as possible about EU, its organisation and actions. At the end of 2008 we launched a new website, leseuronautes.eu.
LesEuronautes.eu is a website aiming at informing young people about opportunities of mobility in Europe and encouraging them to take advantage of it.
Even if LesEuronautes.eu is a French-speaking website, and therefore more suitable for French-speaking people, it is open for everyone.
Can you talk about the project?
This website provides practical information about the programs set up by the European Union and enabling young students or workers (aged between 15 and 25) to experience mobility in Europe; not only on the programmes (Erasmus, Leonardo, European Volunteering, etc. ), but also the accompanying facilities (scholarships, recognition of diplomas, European CV, etc. ). It offers also advice on how to move, study, and work abroad. It is a fully interactive place, enabling members of the community to exchange on their experiences, ask questions and share tips or good memories of a given city.
What is the status of the project?
Leseuronautes.eu is completely free from any kind of commercials and is of general interest.
In which way your services are different to other companies/projects?
As we do not depend on any kind of advertisement resources, we can focus on the quality of our contents, our goal being to provide youngsters with the best information regarding opportunities of mobility in Europe.
For example, the internships/jobs and accommodation offers published on the website are deemed to be adapted to youngsters with a limited work experience and budget.
What services/information/help do you provide to other companies/individuals?
One of the most interesting features of the website is the “Club” area, which hosts the “Euronautes” community. This interactive part of the site enable the Euronautes to exchange good deals concerning their trips or stays in various European cities, share an experience of mobility, and most importantly, meet other “Euronautes”.
We will provide soon a research engine for jobs/internships offers provided by companies/NGOs in Europe. We will soon extend this service to accommodation offers in Europe (flat sharing all over European capitals). You are also going to find a GoogleMap to localise not only members of the Club and the good deals they have posted, but also the jobs offers available through the search engine.
What is your activity on the Internet?
Leseuronautes.eu is an entirely on line activity. Our goal is to propose fitted information and advice to young people, and to provide them with a virtual place to share videos, pictures, thus fostering a specific social network.
What advantages/discounts could you offer to our readers?
As expatriates, back from a foreign country or future expatriates, your readers will find on leseuronautes.eu all the practical and updated information on travelling to, settling in, studying or working in the 27 EU member states. They will also learn everything about the programmes set up by the EU to enable students or workers to move in Europe.
Taking advantage of our "club" section, they can find other "euronautes", ask questions and find answers, or share experiences among nationals from different European countries.
This is a hot new accessory. These easy-to-carry, nylon-coated pillows are made of the same material wetsuits are made of so you’ll never have to worry about wet towels under your head and sand in your hair again. They’re also super-easy to use. Just open the hook, fill with sand and close the hook for your own comfy sand pillow. Perfect for any beach holiday.
Now you can splash around in the pool and still answer your calls. This fully submersible cordless phone is designed to withstand the elements. Its outer shell protects it if dropped in water or exposed to rain, and the handset floats – perfect for those of you who love to make a splash in the water and the social scene.
It keeps getting better. Not only can you talk on the phone while you’re in the water, with the Aqua Tune, you can also listen to your favourite music. Aqua Tunes is a small water tight case designed for mp3 players that you can use as a belt around your waist. Perfect for any watersport – you can now surf, sail, swim or snorkel without compromising on your music.
Kindle
Why carry 10 books when you can carry a Kindle? Kindle can be a perfect summer holiday accessory. This wireless reading device lets you read any book, anywhere. Just buy the book and it’s delivered wirelessly to your Kindle in less than a minute.
Waterproof playing cards
Enjoy your all time favourite card games in your all time favourite water spot. Whether you’re out by the pool or on a camping holiday, you can enjoy your game of cards without worrying about getting them wet and mushy.
Beer opener Shoe
This is perfect for those of you whose two main loves are the beach and beer. These sandals make sure you’re always prepared for that chilled bottle of beer. Just get your slippers off your feet, use the back to open up your bottle and start drinking. Works great as long as you don’t mind using your slippers as a bottle opener.
Bug off patch
Headed off on a tropical holiday? Here’s a simple way to keep the bugs away. This convenient, bug off patch is an easy way to keep insects and mosquitoes away form you. No smelly sprays and no chemicals. Just a simple, natural patch that can be used anywhere at any time… and a single patch works for 36 hours.
Gorilla pad
This is no ordinary tripod - the gorilla pod is designed with the serious photographer in mind. With over two dozen flexible leg joints that bend and rotate, the Gorillapod will firmly secure your compact digital camera to virtually any surface — anywhere and everywhere. The perfect accessory for photographers on the go.
Sport radio pillow
Lie down and listen to your favourite music station. This innovative AM/FM is touch activated and has volume and channel controls. Just don’t turn around too much… you might swap channels if you do.
Pet beds
Taking your pet along? This is a great way to keep your best friend comfy and your car clean. The pet bed or Dog Hog features a thick cushioned fleece bed that’s warm in winter and cool in summer and can be used indoors or out and about. What’s more, it’s also got outer pockets to store treats, toys, grooming items and other stuff you'll need to keep your pet happy.
As we have just changed the design of EasyExpat, you will find bellow some print screen of the previous versions (you can also comment on the forum)
2001 - EasyExpat was called EasyAbroad: static website
2002 - Just before to become EasyExpat: dynamic... hmm trying to be serious in grey
2002-2007 - Except the colours, with the expansion of city guides, most of the changes are internal with new services, new sections...
2007-2009 - as screens got larger, the design enlarged its columns. The map has changed to show who is connected in the world; and always more services.
Expat talk – what the expatriates say about living in Dubai
27 July, 2009 12:07
Dubai has a huge
expat population. While a lot of foreigners have been packing bags and heading home
in recent times, the city still plays host to people from all over the world. I
caught up with a couple of expats calling Dubai
home and here’s what they say about life in the city.
Read the article about a 
Since being chosen as one of the four Candidate Cities for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games (along with Madrid, Spain; Rio De Janiero, Brazil and Tokyo, Japan), Chicago has had a steady stream of events to showcase its advantages – and make its best appeal for winning the final vote to host the Games, officially known as the XXXI Olympiad.
