My Defnitely Dubai Experience- Part 1

This post came a bit late since work has been so busy when we came back from Dubai.

This is my own version of "72 hours in Dubai" , it is basically like the 36 hours series of the New York Times. When you are faced with very little time to tour a place, the best way to go around the city is the hop on hop off tour which will bring you to all the tourist destinations. I have discovered the Hop on Hop off in Kuala Lumpur and again with the Les Car Rouges in Paris, good thing there is the Big Bus Tour in Dubai. It is quite expensive compared to the Metro but it saves you the hassle to decipher the map and it saves time so you can enjoy the place more rather that get lost finding your way.

We chose a hotel that is strategically located near the airport and Big Bus Tour Terminal, and there is only one hotel that satisfies both- The Raffles Dubai. I made a separate post why I chose Raffles for my stress free holiday and you can read it here. 

Of the 21 stations of the Big Bus Tour, only the Wafi Station (where Raffles is located) has both stop for the City Tour and the Beach Tour. The 48-hr ticket for the Big Bus Tour costs 295 dirhams/adult and 130 dirhams/child (under 15 yrs old). You can check their routes, download maps and see other packages on their website.

there is my husband rushing to get a good seat

Our first day was devoted to the blue route or the beach tour. I was so excited to know that Mercato Mall can be accessed in one of the stops. We always see Mercato on TV and it looks very enticing. I was surprised that no one hopped off at the Mercato stop- only "us". The stop was a bit far from the mall and one still needs to cross the road since the mall is located on the opposite side.

The Mercato- An Italian Inspired Shopping Mall

We never regret doing a little walk because Mercato is really worth visiting for. You can check their website to see what the mall has to offer. Mercato is such a lovely place to take pictures.. here are some pics we took inside the mall.

my husband and my lovely daughter having fun

can you see us?

 After our Mercato visit we went back to the Big Bus station across the street. It was very hot since it is almost 12nn and still summer in Dubai. Thank God the bus stations are airconditioned. I was amazed how advanced Dubai is.

Me and my daughter comfortably seated while waiting for the next Big Bus.

Contrary to their advertisements, big bus does not come very 30 minutes, I felt we waited longer. The inside of the waiting area does not inform passengers the time of the next arriving bus unlike in Paris where the time is flashed in every station.  

Our next stop- the famous Burj Al Arab. Here are some of our encounter with the iconic Dubai Structure. The Big Bus stops near Jumeirah beach for a minute to give tourists like us a chance to take pictures

Up close on the other side of the road near Souq Madinat Jumeira.

After the stop at Burj Al Arab it is already lunch time and our stomach is rumbling. We hopped off at another stop called Souq Madinat Jumeira to find a place to eat. The place looks like any other Arab structure from the outside but it was breathtaking on the inside. From here one can ride a boat to tour the Madinat Jumeira River and nearby hotels. One ride costs75 dirhams and will last for an hour.

one of the wooden boats that will bring you through the Madinat Jumeira River

surreal and breath taking

me and my husband on board a wooden boat

We stopped for a while to fill our gastronomic desire and settled at Trader's Vic for lunch we were attracted to the exotic ambiance the place emits hence we dropped down our first choice -Toscana which is an Italian Restaurant located just opposite Trader's Vic. Of course I need to do a lot of bargaining for my daughter since she really loves Italian food so much. You can check Trader Vic's opening hours or book a table here.

finally a treat for my taste buds.

Okay please let me eat first and continue my definitely Dubai experience Part 2. 

Raffles Hotel Dubai & the Many Reasons Why

Vacation is one thing everyone is looking forward to, especially those working here in the Middle East for 6 days a week.  EID Al Adha is set on a fix date unlike the Eid of Ramadan which depends on the moon, so planning your vacation for Eid of Hajj is more feasible.

I searched the all time reliable online booking site Booking.com for hotels. It will be our first time in Dubai and I want our short stay to be a stress free and memorable one.

My criteria for this particular trip are:
1. A Five Star Hotel
2. A Hotel near the airport
3. A Hotel with a bathtub and free wifi
4. Breakfast Inclusion
5. A Shopping mall beside the hotel.

I run search and put all the filters and only 7 hotels appeared on the list. What caught my attention are the Grand Hyatt and The Raffles Hotel so I booked them both. I checked out the pictures of the rooms of both hotels, I refuse to compare the rooms but I guess the pictures in the website will show the differences. However allow me to enumerate the reasons why I chose the Raffles Hotel.

I know I did not give justice to Raffles in this Hotel Facade Pic, sorry I am in a moving cab.

1. A picture paints a thousand words and so they say...the room offered by Raffles are all with private balcony and with enough space. I arrived at Raffles with all my expectations met. Nice wide room, balcony overlooking Burj Khalifa from afar and the Raffles swimming pool down below. A nice corner tub and a separate shower room with candles to set the mood.  An executive desk and a sofa bed, being in this space makes you want to stay there all day and not leave the hotel room.

Executive Desk

Raffles Club Room

Raffles Swimming Pool viewed from our balcony

2. Raffles is interconnected with the Wafi Mall - one of the stations of the Big Bus Tour and the only station that one can access both the Blue Route (Beach Tour) and the Red route(City Tour).

3. The Wafi Light and Sound Show which is one of the highlights of the Big Bus Night Tour can be easily accessed and just a walking distance from Raffles.

4. There is a library inside the hotel, the very first hotel that I have been to with a library, not to mention the SPA, the pool and the gym.

Raffles Library

5. The International Buffet Breakfast at Azur Restaurant offers a wide variety of foods.

6. Lastly and which I consider as Raffles best asset is it's friendly staff who always have a smile on their faces and make you feel at home.

If you book directly at their website you will have an option to choose between hypoallergenic pillows or feather ones, sparkling or non sparkling complimentary bottled water, and your choice of daily newspaper (I chose Wall Street Journal)

There is a complimentary fruit basket and Raffles Signature Toiletries.

I booked the Raffles Club room and some of the perks included is the access to the Club Lounge which serves daily continental breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and canapés which we really enjoyed.

French Macarons, Salmon Ceviche, Mushroom Tarts

enjoying cocktails with the persons I love

and they have the best wines

My rating for this hotel is 5 stars and a 2 thumbs up!!

I will definitely go back and stay at Raffles whenever I am in Dubai.

How to go to Dubai from KSA

Dubai is only 2 hours away from Saudi Arabia and it is the best destination for a 3-4 days vacation. We have been looking forward to our EID Vacation since this is the only time that we can get out of work and live a stress free life.

1. Check Tickets Online - usually tickets are more expensive during Eid. So if you really wanted to pouch through with this vacation, better plan ahead and search for tickets at least 3 months in advance. My favorite site to check tickets online is the sky scanner website. You can also download their apps on your smartphone or iPhone and it look like this

 

 2. Book Hotel- you can book hotel in advance at no extra cost and no cancellation fee, all you need is a credit card to guarantee your reservation. There are many booking sites online that offers this deal but my favorite booking site is Booking.com like sky scanner they also have an application that you can download on your gadgets. Booking.com logo looks like this..

3. Get Visa- the normal process like in getting your Schengen Visa is to have the tickets and booking confirmation first. In UAE however, there are other options. You can get a tourist visa which is sponsored by a hotel or a travel agency which fortunately you can also get online and no need to visit the UAE embassy in Riyadh. You can also have a family sponsored Visa if you have relatives living in UAE. If you are a GCC Resident i.e. you are an expat living in KSA or any other countries under the Gulf Country Council the easiest way for you is to get Visa On Arrival. There are rules in getting VISA On Arrival and you can get it here. The Visa on Arrival for GCC Residents in KSA depends on the profession written on your Iqama, usually professionals like doctors, lawyers etc. and their dependents under their sponsorship can get Visa on Arrival. If you are in doubt you should call the UAE Embassy in Riyadh, The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs- Dubai or directly call the Dubai Airport and get connected with the immigration dept.

What Are the Requirements in Getting Visa on Arrival:

1. Passport valid for at least 6 months

2. Original Iqama

3. Exit Re- Entry Visa

4. Letter of Employement - not required but a very good supporting document in case your Job Description is questioned 

5. AED 220 as payment. 

Procedure in Getting Visa On Arrival:

1. Pay AED 220 at the Foreign Exchange Counter. They will give you a form to fill up.

2. Once the form is filled up queue at the Immigration and present all the above documents.

3. The Eye Scanning procedure is also done in that section.

4. They will stamp your Visa and Passport for a 30 day Visit Visa.  

Then off you go to visit Dubai. 

NOTE: If you think your job is not listed better get visa on advance to save you the trouble of being held at the immigration or being sent where you came from. 

Read My Definitely Dubai Experience on my next post.

Hope this helps...Happy Trip!

Just Breathe Desiree..Just Breathe

Today I lost my patience to a patient named Afrah...I explained to her 4x how to use an oral contraceptive pill. She came in on first consult asking why she is bleeding after coitus, she is newly married and asking for OCP.  The consult took so long because she has so many questions which was pretty understandable. I did some vaginal exam and run some tests she came back after 30 minutes for result  of her labs, the relaying of the result normally lasting for 5 minutes lasted for 15 minutes as she was asking about OCP. After her turn I saw patient No. 30 when patient no. 30 came out she came knocking at my door again asking if she can have contact with her husband and ask about OCP again as a doctor i felt the need to make her understand and I asked if she understood she said yes then she came back 5 minutes before the end of my duty together with her husband, again asking about how to use OCP. I flared up I knew blood run through my face, my eyes opened up so big, my voice a bit loud and my hand flying everywhere, I told her I spent so much time explaining to you and you never understood you should've brought your husband along so I explain one time not repeatedly....Oh my !!!  I know I shouldn't have lost my patience with her because patients are like publicity " good or bad "  it  is still publicity. I prefer to be known and publicized as a kind doctor rather than an impatient doctor but with what happened I know it will affect my identity...and there is a chance this patient will not come back but I swear to God I tried to keep my cool but tonight is one of those bad days for me. 

Because of the incident my mood was so bad, I even shouted at one of the medreps, yelling at him not to enter my clinic, he stayed outside my door until I told him to come in. Pity him because he was just doing his job yet he felt my rage.

I even left the paperworks that I have to do tonight which added to my stress I also was not able to go to my mudeer who called for me since yesterday.

Then at the grocery I even told the cashier to hurry up and not to talk too much because he is talking too much with the bagger. 

I told my husband and he scolded me because he is really against argument with patients even before when I was in the Philippines he told me to extend my patience to patients. 

I dont know why Im hoarding all this guilt. I know I hold on to my patience as long as I could but...what I did with Afrah is still in my conscience. I felt sorry for having treated her that way but I am just human I also have my limits. My husband opened up my eyes that even if I think I'm right I am not in a position to treat the patient that way. He reminded me that I am in a foreign land and when I argue with a Saudi National I am always at a loosing end. I suddenly remembered the incident wherein the receptionist fought with a patient and the patient went up to the Mudeer and the Mudeer scolded the receptionist. They can always make a story to make you look and feel bad and that you are out of reason. I learned my lesson. I will try my best to be more patient and accommodating even if my patient is nerve-irritating. May God give me the strength. 

What's with women and bags?

Three weeks ago I visited the NineWest store in Al Nakheel Plaza in Buraidah that  was before the Eid of Ramadan. We bought 2 bags and 2 espadrilles.

I usually wait for sales to maximize the value of my money but whenever I see a design that I love I buy it immediately. Like this one which I bought from Charles and Keith at 429SAR.

Charles and Keith Shoulder Bag

I know I made the right decision in buying this one because some of my patients love this bag and asked me where I bought it. One patient told me there were no more stock when she went to the store 😔. 

When I was in the Philippines, I seldom buy bags, I indulge in shoes, the reason is because I receive lots of bags from patients whom I delivered pro bono. My first NineWest Brown Hobo Bag was a gift from my cousin Joey and Espie when I delivered EmJay. My First Charles and Keith Grey Tote bag was a Christmas Gift from my sister in law Kit and my second one which is a Brown Tote Bag with matching Make up kit was also a Christmas gift from my Pedia friend Glecy last 2012. My Blue Mango Satchel Bag was a gift from my cousin Ronald and Grace Carlos when I delivered Xyle..and many others follow. 

Now, I admit I indulge a bit more. I left all my bags in the Philippines all well kept and secure when I came here and when I came back during my vacation I gave them all away..

Since I came here last year March of 2013 I have collected a total of 15 bags. My first LV Handbag was a gift from my husband which he bought at 3500SAR, that same bag was my companion when we went to Paris last January of this year.

LV Monogram Satchel

When I came back, I got myself my first Burberry Tote Bag at 400€ which then became my companion when we went on vacation to the Philippines.

Burberry Shoulder Bag

Then one bag came after the other like a storm. My very first Michael Kors Bag is a crossbody bag which was another gift from my husband for my birthday this year. 

MK Signature Logo Crossbody Bag

My next piece of MK I bought online at 1480SAR

MK Signature Logo Shoulder Bag

I also bought one for my sister at roughly the same price as I promised her a birthday gift for 2013.

MK Signature Tote 

My first Gucci Bag, I also bought online at 3100SAR

Gucci Monogram Tote 

Then I hoarded a lot of NineWests and Charles and Keiths. This one below is my very first Red Bag which I bought on sale at 175SAR, the original price is 299SAR. The keychain is not included, I bought that keychain from Eiffel Tower Souvenir Shoppe.

Nine West Red Handbag

This one below was definitely not my style but I love the soft leather so I bought it, price is at 195 SAR (original price at 499SAR) 

Nine West Beige Shoulder Bag

I used this bag for 3 weeks- its the longest duration that I never changed bags. I used to change my bag every week or two. 

This one below, I also bought on sale at 175SAR. 

Nine West Black and White Hobo Bag

I have discovered that stores here in Saudi Arabia usually go on sale when the people has no money at all and that is the 3rd week of every month. So if one wants real value for his money they just have hold on to their salary a bit longer and wait for the sale. 

Today, I was suppose to go on grocery like my husband and I usually do on Wednesdays then we saw this NineWest guy at the grocery store and he remembered us he told us they have big sale today. So after buying stuffs at the supermarket we decided to drop by the store and along the way we saw the Charles and Keith store and yes I got 2 bags from there which are both last pieces and I am so happy it was the last piece. I got both at 195SAR each, the original price is 499SAR each. Then, I got 4 bags from NineWest at a total of 690SAR and all of them last pieces except for the purple one which is one of three.

My Latest Collection

I love buying bags and get heaping discounts. I know  I can't prevent  someone from having the same bag since it is on sale and a lot can afford to buy it so I make it a point to have the last piece as much as possible.

So that's my bag story, what's yours? 

How To Deal with Difficult Co-Workers- My Own Experience

Of course you wouldn't expect me to tell my most kept secrets. Suffice to say that I escaped the claws of colleagues who undermine my capability as a doctor and as a person and all of them who did wrong to me are now out of the picture. I believe that when you lift everything to the Lord He will pave the way for your success plus you need a little bit of pixie dust.

I am already 1 year 5 months and 4 days old in Saudi Arabia and I will tell you all my struggles when I first arrived here. 

When you land in a foreign country the first thing you should do is learn their language. I know that I will be put in a difficult situation because most of my colleagues are native speakers of Arabic. So i told myself learning the language by heart would be my most strongest weapon.  I dont do shortcuts in learning a particular language, when I was employed before by a Japanese company I studied basic Nihonggo by enrolling in a certified Japanese language school. I believe that learning another language is both an investment and an asset. I was able to pass that course with a winning Japanese essay written in Kanji.

Basic Japanese Course 1 Certificate

When I trained in Italy for lasers, I learned Italian language through self study and some books and CD's I rummaged, until now I haven't forgotten the language. So when I came here I am determined to learn Arabic not only because it is the second most widely spoken language in the world but because it would be the most precious armamentum that I will use in my practice.

My efforts paid off, I month after I arrived I can confidently speak Arabic( thanks to the help of some friends). I am proud of myself for not having a translator or interpreter and for not relying on my nurse to speak to patients on my behalf. It was hard at first to know how to ask a patient about her concerns and when they started talking fast the more you were sent to oblivion. My most difficult challenge is memorizing the Hijri Calendar

Hijri Calendar

because I need it in knowing the menstrual cycle , age of pregnancy and delivery dates. Everyday until now I learn a word or two...and I also started learning to read and write the Arabic alphabet. Thanks to my Egyptian friends who help me once in a while. 

My gut feeling was right because the previous OBGyne doctor used the language against me. She tried wooing patients by telling the reception to tell patients that I dont speak arabic well. So obviously I get all english speaking patients ( Hindi, Filipinos and Pakistanis) I discovered this when one Saudi patient fortunately chose me because of the long queue in her clinic. She told me " Dra stikbal kalam anti mafi malum Arabi, keyf anti kalam kwais arabi mia mia ( dra the reception told me you dont know how to speak arabic, why you speak arabic good ) "kam sana mawgood hina?"( how  long have you been here?) I repied 3 months and she said mumtaz( excellent) 

Another thing I learned is how to deal with difficult co-workers, no workplace is without these kind of people and they come in variety. 

When you arrive everyone will be friendly with you, trying to befriend you and win your trust, and because you are so naive you will think that they are "the" nice people. Then your treatment with other people will depend on the information that these people feed you. Lots of them have something to say about other people and most of them are false informations. My advice: gather the information but get to know everyone else before judging them, by time you will be able to sift those who are worthy of your friendship. 

If people try to pull you down just hold your ground and do your best to excel, those people who have done you wrong will face their own karma and you will be surprised that karma acts too soon.

Let me share to you one short story in my workplace...

There was one doctor here who was so boastful but such a disgrace. He felt so very proud of himself and he feels like he is above everyone else. He tells everyone that he is the only real consultant in the clinic and another internist and that he is a fellow of his society. It turned out that both of them are not yet diplomates. I personally verified this information with their corresponding societies in the Philippines. It is good listening to lies when you know the truth.

He was sent home because he created an act against Islam (aside from his low income). He told people that he will have an emergency leave and will come back after two weeks. Why the need to lie when almost all of the clinic know the reason why he is being sent home urgently after his 5 months stay? After he left, issues surfaced. Those rumors that has been simmering came out and people talked, and the truth came out ,some were shocked but those people who knew the truth like me were never taken aback. My advice: always speak of the truth because the truth will always come out in the end. 

My mom told me that if you are successful you will have lots of enemies. Because people are always envious of other people's success. She told me to pursue and never be discouraged because their reaction does not define me but them. She said stars don't shine without darkness. These negative people are your darkness they allow you to shine. 

I know sometimes I also belong to the category of difficult people to deal with simply because I choose my friends carefully, I may add someone in facebook but if his/her posts are offending I wouldn't want to hear from that person again so I remove them in my newsfeed. I would not unfriend them because I am not that rude and I believe that meeting those kind of persons somehow teach my life a lesson. I would rather have few true friends than tons of fake ones. 

So that's how I survived my first year in KSA and some lessons I learned. 

Movenpick Hotel Buraidah

No one knows how monotonous a doctor's life can be so I really treasure some time  with my family. I always make it a point to plan our vacation but planning vacation for Eid Elfitr ( the holidays after the Holy month of Ramadan) is a bit difficult for me since we all know that the start of Ramadan and the Eid depends upon the appearance of the moon. So planning this holiday is a bit difficult because of its uncertainty.

We planned to go to Riyadh but because we have no transportation vehicle and the air fare is so expensive(since it is a holiday)we decided to stay in Buraidah and choose between two 5 star hotels in Qassim: The Movenpick and The Ramada. 

We chose The Movenpick due to the unavailability of our clinic driver to drive us to Bukariyah where The Ramada Hotel is located.

The hotel was gloomy at the entrance, the same ambiance I experienced when we stayed in Marriott Riyadh. Fortunately, the receptionist is fluent in english making transaction very easy.

Movenpick Reception

We stayed in the 8th floor, the view overlooking Central Buraidah.

View from our hotel window

The hotel amenities like indoor pool and gym (which is only for the males) bathtub, Flat screen TV, hair dryer, hot and cold shower coffee maker was at par with other 5 star hotels.

Indoor Pool

The hotel freebies include disposable unbranded bedroom slippers, toiletries by EcoM Malaysia, coffee, tea, bottled water and a fruit basket.

During our 3-day stay, we ate in both restaurants located inside the hotel. The Al Dayaa Lebanese Buffet Restaurant in the 9th floor and the CIAO Italian Restaurant in the 12th floor. 

I admit I was not very happy with the buffet menu for lunch on our first day. My daughter agreed that it is not worth the 145 SAR per plate, but my husband really enjoyed the roasted lamb so somehow it paid off. 

Al Dayaa Lebanese Buffet Lunch

The breakfast buffet which was included in the hotel fees also did not meet my expectation. I saw a corner for breads, salad, cold cuts, yogurt and milk, egg station, chicken, sausage (one kind), and the dessert corner. For the entire 3 days that we stayed there the menu is the same. Well, it did present some variety, maybe I was not just satisfied with the taste. 

Al Nakheel Buffet Breakfast

The wonderful part I loved and enjoyed the most is the hotel's Italian fine dining restaurant. Me and my daughter really loved the Risotto and the antipasti buffet. 

CIAO Anti Pasti Buffet

@ CIAO Italian Resto Dining Area

We also enjoyed the room service menu, it saves one the trouble of brushing elbows with people clad in black and just be yourself( you dont know how hard it is to eat with a face cover on, believe me you will not enjoy your food)

Room 805

Our overall experience with this hotel is good. I will give it a 3 stars rating. Ciao resto I will give it 4 stars bcoz of the lovely risotto and the friendly staff. For the breakfast buffet why dont you try it and maybe you could help me with the rating. 

We will definitely come back and visit Movenpick again because of CIAO and we also would like to try the seafood dinner buffet every Thursday night maybe it will lift my ratings up. 

Ciao ciao! Buona notte