21 Days in Dubai

I can't believe that I've already spent 3 weeks here!  Time really files and I still feel like I'm a tourist.  Not that I'm really doing a lot of sightseeing but I guess I've not immersed myself fully into my work yet.  I'm still grasping bits and pieces here and there.  Probably I just need more time.  Perhaps 3 months?  I took about close to 3 months to get myself fully aware of what I was doing in my previous role. Moreover, I'd be going back for 2 weeks in Feb, so probably 3.5 months to get myself fully aware?  So my target for full job assimilation: end April 2010.

Many people asked me how long I'd be staying here.  To reiterate again, I'm on a permanent transfer, so the employment contract is open dated.  But if you guys want a rough timeframe, I guess it's about 2 to 3 years thereabout if all goes well.  2 to 3 years is about the average period for a person to work on a role and he/she should take on a new role after this period to avoid being too comfortable and complacent.  After all, work is also about learning new things and improving oneself, so I prefer not to stay too long in a position as after about 2 to 3 years, I would have probably learnt most of the things in my job scope.  It would be about time to move on to another role in search for new things to learn.

So what's nice here?  Hmm... Will I get beaten up if I mention the weather?  Yeah, it's cool and the kind of perfect weather I'm looking for.  But such weather is only around for a short period each year (Nov-Jan).  By the time I return back after CNY, I'd be saying goodbye to this weather and the real hot experience is about to begin.  I'm also amazed at the pace they construct new buildings (and I only mean specifically buildings).  They're slow in other areas of construction (e.g.: the metro).  The opening of the remaining stations of the Dubai Metro red line has been further delayed by another 2 months.  Look at Burj Khalifa, it was done in 3 years!  160 stories in 3 years is equivalent to building 1 level per week!

What else?  Oh yes, I love Sundays.  It's not because it's my rest day but because I can do all my grocery shopping and other sightseeing on Sundays when most of the working population are at work!  I've tried thronging the shopping malls on both Saturdays and Sundays and there's indeed a vast difference between the 2 days.  The malls are virtually empty on Sundays (except for now when the Dubai Shopping Festival is going on which attracts tourists from all over the world).  On the other hand, I go to work on Fridays when everyone else is resting at home.  Not a bad idea actually as there is hardly anyone on the streets on Friday mornings (I guess everyone sleeps in on Friday mornings).  Furthermore, due to such working arrangements, I can dress down on Thursdays (polo tee and jeans) and dress in any way on Fridays (no restrictions - I usually go with a round-neck tee and jeans)!

What's cheap in Dubai?  The cheap stuff can be pretty expensive.  Branded stuff are cheap if you compare with Singapore or UK standards but still expensive if you're like me who goes for cheap and durable rather than the brand.  Gold and diamonds are also cheap but yeah, I won't be buying them as I'm not interested in those precious metals or stones.  Transport is also cheap.  A metro ride can be as cheap as AED1.80 (~SGD0.70) and the average fare is about AED2.50 (~SGD1.00).  Taxis are also slightly cheaper than Singapore as flag-down fare is AED3.00 (~SGD1.20) and it's AED0.50 (~SGD0.20) per 312m.  Fuel is dirt cheap here, AED6.20 per gallon (or SGD0.55 per litre). That's about 1/4 of the price of the fuel in Singapore!  Consider a car?  Well, not at this stage for me.  But just in case those who are curious enough, a Merz SLK is about AED175K (~SGD70K).  You can't even get the cheapest Merz with 70K back in Singapore, or for that matter, even a Toyota Corolla is out of reach!

Wow, I've typed so much for the past half hour.  Ok, this can probably compensate for the lack of updates.  Hopefully I can post another update before I leave for CNY.