Driving in Dubai

One important part of the process of moving to any new city is to be able to drive in the new place which includes having the necessary permit, getting the car you like, the relevant insurance on it etc etc. A 'short' recap of what I did to get my license:

• My husband and I were stuck in an odd situation the last few months here since I was on a residential visa but did not have the appropriate license whereas my husband had the license but not the visa. The first few months were luckily very pleasant and we make-did (does that work?) with walking and the metro. 
• We did rent a car as a temporary measure since March though. For all of you stuck in a similar situation, I highly suggest taking a stroll through Karama and get negotiating with some of the local car dealers. You should be able to hire a Toyota Corolla (2010 model) on a monthly contract for about Dhs 1500-1600. We rented a Mazda 2013 model for for Dhs 1800 and were very happy with the services.
• Not having a choice about giving the test despite my British licence, I registered with Emirates Driving School at the Internet City branch where the staff helped me a lot. My training was to take place at Al Qouz. I went with EDI purely on the basis of recommendations and online research. All the driving schools offer pretty much the same services. At the top they are owned by the same management (the government of course). EDI differentiates itself on its supposedly high passing rate and the ‘crowd’ it attracts in general. Since I am a UK license holder, I wasn’t required to take any classes but needed to pass the theory and road tests in order to obtain the license.
• I registered for a manual license since I have only driven manual cars in the past and I am not used to my left leg just sitting idle and observing the rest of my body drive the car. I did register for a few classes to get the hang of the school cars and to ‘prepare for the test’ with special tips and on the exam route etc.
• My journey with EDI started with two theory lectures and the theory exam was really nothing to worry about especially if you have been driving for some time. Without exaggeration, I was done in 8 mins and passed with 95% score.
• Next up for me was the practical two hour class. My instructor was Fatiha, an experienced lady originally from Africa. I really enjoyed training with her because apart from her knowing her stuff, she showed confidence in me and gave me honest advice for not needing any more classes and continue with giving the test on a manual car.
• The test was scheduled for the morning at 8.30 which was convenient as I could continue with my day without any disturbance. The test was taken by a pleasant female examiner.
• The test barely lasted 3 mins on the practiced route and it was really not difficult to maintain focus for that duration (compared to 40 mins in UK!). The only problem I faced was to give the exam in a car I hadn’t practiced on and so the gears kept getting stuck and the examiner asked me about it too. But in the end she said, “Good driving, Pass”. That’s all I needed to hear J
  
  

My major grouse with the whole system is that its a pure money making exercise not leaving any small loophole free in terms of registering, attending, changing their schedule or even collecting pass certificates or licenses. It is extremely frustrating but the sooner you make your peace with it the better.

I had to go collect my licence the next day and now I am a proud owner of three licenses (from India, UK and now UAE) on manual gearbox!

P.S: I have been told the only manual cars I would come across here in Dubai would be sports cars..never say never ;)

Review: Naked Pizza

If you know me then you probably know that I am very big on the Natural/Organic phenomenon in the food I eat and the products I use.

In that spirit, Naked Pizza was on the top of my list for food joints to try. I happened to try it finally only a couple of days ago and may I say I absolutely loved it! It is not for the thick, greasy and cheesy (read American) pizza lovers. It has all the usual and unusual options for crusts and toppings. Absolutely delicious in my opinion if you are in the mood for healthy junk food ;)

The 'Cheap' Side of Dubai

This post would be very applicable to all those who find Dubai an expensive place to enjoy.

I went for a birthday party at Safa Park last weekend, even though I used to work in that area I had never been there before. It is a Dhs 3 ticket to a Green Oasis in the middle of the Concrete desert of Dubai. It was full of activity with families lounging on sheets spread in different corners of the park, some setting up a BBQ, kids playing to their heart’s content- you get the picture.

It is pretty big in area, in that there are 5 gates to enter and if you are joining someone inside, there is a small chance that you won’t find them at all if you don’t know which gate they are close to. In from Gate no. 5, there is also a lovely Library cum cafe called The Archive, a local to the designer types in Dubai, I am told. I had a great time meeting some very interesting people there.

Not far from Safa park is also the Jumeirah Beach Park which is a paid public beach. The entry is Dhs 5 per person. Again you would find a lot of families around hovering over BBQ stations. The further in you go towards the beach the quieter it gets. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas for a nominal charge of Dhs 5-10 too. There are basic changing and toilet facilities available. I went on a Friday and it was full of people. It is quite nice if you want to have the convenience of washroom facilities nearby when you want to spend the day at the beach.

The only negative to these lovely and (almost) zero cost ways to enjoy is that they are heavily dependent on the weather. I can imagine that not many people including myself would consider the options during the summer months. Still, they are options well worth remembering :D

Re-cycle your Clothes

A few months ago, I went to the Emirates Towers recently for a lovely event called My Ex Wardrobe at the Ivy.

It is an enterprise started by three friends from the UK. I received the recommendation to go to the event from a friend and I thought why not give it a go. Since I have moved to Dubai, I have been so busy with the chores (and fun) associated with moving that I haven’t really been able to experience Dubai life in this way.

Emirates Towers firstly, is an impressive venue. The inspiring entrepreneurs had hired a function room as part of the Ivy (a British style pub) for the event.

The beauty lies in the concept being so simple yet profitable by the looks of it! The company accepts used clothes from sellers like you and me, it doesn’t pay anything upfront but provides you with a majority percentage of the earnings from any sale of your items. I was impressed and inspired by the power of a simple idea. They made a nice event out of it with free massage and pedicure services.

So all you ladies (and men- equality bleh) struggling to dodge and duck the stacks of clothes tumbling down every time you open your wardrobe, get ready to give some of it up and the best part- also earn out of it!

On the flipside, those looking for bargains on designer-wear which you know you won’t wear more than twice (or once!) in your life, get yourself to the next event!

Win-win :)

http://www.myexwardrobe.com

Culture in Dubai

Even though the music/theatre/art scene in Dubai may not be apparently visible, I know from participation in many events that there is more than enough going on to satiate all types and forms of ‘creative hunger’. I will attempt to include a lot more posts of activities that I attend.

This year, like the last year I believe, Emirates NBD has sponsored a series of Indian music concerts at DUCTAC. Shubha Mudgal, L Subramaniyam and Rashid Khan have performed as part of the series and stalwarts like Shiv Kumar Sharma and Pt Jasraj are expected to perform in the next few months.

What is sometimes a lot more heartening than the performances themselves is the deep interest that people breed in their hearts for culture. To see elders and youngsters participate, enjoy and applaud performers in a city often blamed for its non-existant cultural spectrum is truly impressive.

Apart from this series, I have also recently attended the Cirque du Soir and The Illusionists events and have really loved the shows.

So before you join the ‘complainers’ next time, I encourage you to check events at popular websites and give it a go :)

Shubha Mudgal Concert at DUCTAC

Krishna Das

And Let Us Begin :D

Welcome, Bienvenue, Ahlan, Sawasdee, Namaste to all of you, A very big welcome to all of you on my journey of making Dubai my home.

Introductions first - I am from Delhi, have lived in UK for a few years and before moving to Dubai now. I work in my dream company and enjoy life on the side.

It has been a year since I am in Dubai now and I am absolutely loving it! I believe it really offers the best of East and West.

The name of the blog Dubai Doodles means to set the tone right - casual and fun. Look forward to sharing my experiences in the city relating to food, culture, events and the mundane with you all.

P.S.: A small but important disclaimer, I write about products/ shops/ restaurants in this blog purely for the joy of making good recommendations and do not receive any freebies/publicity fees to do so.