Housemaids

The UAE does not offer equality for housemaids that come here to work. The laws here reek of oppression and remind me that while Dubai may seem "Western," it most certainly is not.

- Housemaids must be a national of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Phillipines, Ehtiopia, India, or Indonesia.

- The minimum salary is determined by the country of origin...and is usually around 1000 dirhams per month ($270) for a full time live-in. Maids from the Phillipines must make at least $400 per month, and cannot be hired until they turn 25.

- Housemaids must be sponsored by their employer (family). This means you must pay for their visa and entry costs and are responsible for them. You must provide accomodation, medical insurance, and one trip to their home country every 2 years.

- Working part-time as a housemaid is illegal. If you sponsor a maid, she can only work for you. If she is found working for anyone else, YOU will be fined 100,000 dirhams! Maids are often caught working part time on the off-days from their regular employer...even if they live with the employer.

- Housemaids must live in a maid's room, and cannot stay in a "normal" room of the apartment/villa. So, if you have a 3 bedroom apartment, only use 2 rooms, and don't have a maid's room...you can't have a live-in maid.

- A bachelor cannot sponsor/employ a live-in maid. Sometimes, single mothers with children can sponsor maids.

- You cannot sponsor a maid of your nationality unless you get special approval to prove you are not related.

- If your maid absconds, you can place a travel ban on her so that you will be notified when she tries to leave the country. Then, she cannot return for a set amount of time as punishment.

- Also, if the maid absconds, she loses all legal rights in the UAE.

- If you move away, the maid is sent back to her home country unless she is under a transferrable visa. If so, she can attempt to find another employer. If she cannot, she will be sent back.

- The alternative to sponsoring a maid is to hire one through an agency, paying hourly. The cost difference is huge! You will pay 35-40 dhs ($10-11) per hour at a four-hour minimum to hire through an agency. Cleaning generally costs less than babysitting, but the same housemaid does both.

Dubai Polo Club

We had a fun time today at the British Polo Day - The Princes Cup Middle East. It was held at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club near Studio City. It was my first ever polo match.

 Here's our little group. Joe looks like security in this picture.

 The polo field...you can see the horses way in the back.

 And the guy with the white hat? That's Flo Rida, the rapper. No big deal. He and his entourage sat in front of us during the match.

 Colin & Daddy watching the horses.

 Interviewing one of the riders.

 A pretty sunset.

 Keith and Cade wanted to finish Flo Rida's champagne after he left.

 Simone and I after the match. It was really a nice, relaxing evening, and of course the weather was perfect!

Garlic Herb Vinaigrette

Here in Dubai, pre-made products are hard to find, expensive when you can find them, and don't taste quite the same as the products sold in the US. I learned how to make this salad dressing from scratch and it's definitely my favorite now! It's really easy to make. You just need a 2-cup measuring cup, a tablespoon, a whisk or fork, and a salad dressing bottle.

Ingredients:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Dried Oregano flakes
Dried Thyme (not ground!)
salt
2 cloves of garlic, or the equivalent in pre-minced garlic
Olive oil

 First, pour 1/2c of the apple cider vinegar into the measuring cup. I make the entire dressing in this cup.

 Add garlic (I used a garlic press to crush the cloves)

 Add 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard.

 Rinse out the tablespoon and dry. You will put equal parts of thyme, oregano, and salt into the same spoon...so about 1 tsp each.

 Dump that in and give it a whisk.

 Then add olive oil until the 1 3/4c mark on the measuring cup.

 Pour the whole thing into the salad dressing bottle.

 Shake well, and it will look like this:

 I love it on a salad with fresh feta! Not that Athenos flavored crumbled stuff...the creamy stuff you get at the deli.

It takes no time to make this dressing! It stays good for about 3-4 days if you refrigerate between uses. The olive oil tends to congeal so you may need to pull it out about 30 minutes before you're ready to eat.

Here's the recipe:

1/2c apple cider vinegar
2 gloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1 tsp dried thyme - not ground thyme
1 tsp salt
Approximately 1-1 1/2c olive oil, depending on taste

Measure cider vinegar in 2c measuring cup. Add garlic, mustard, thyme, oregano, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add olive oil to about 1 3/4c mark on measuring cup. Pour into salad dressing bottle and shake well to combine. Refrigerate between uses.

The awesome thing about this recipe is that you can vary ingredients based on what you have. I've added white vinegar when I didn't have enough cider vinegar. You can use lemon juice instead of dijon mustard, or use 1 tbsp of each. You can also reduce the mustard to 1tbsp if it's too strong for you. Oregano and thyme can be used without the other, or you could try another herb. I've used a pinch of black pepper which was also good. As for the olive oil, most vinaigrettes call for 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but I like a little less oil in my dressing.

I hope you like it as much as we do!

Wafi Mall & Khan Murjan

Before our Atlanta trip, we went to Wafi Mall as part of our staycation. The mall is part of Wafi City, which is an Egyptian-style development in Dubai. The mall has stained-glass pyramids on the top, and sculptures of pharoahs outside.

This is a stained glass atrium in the mall...

I thought it was really beautiful! Other than the structural and design elements, the mall is really boring. Joe and I really liked the instrumental Christian hymns they were (probably unknowingly) playing over the speaker. Nothing like humming along to "How Great Thou Art" in a Muslim country :)

This was a fancy gourmet food store in the mall  called Wafi Gourmet.

They have lots of dates, of course.

They also have fresh veggies...

A large assortment of olives...

And I believe these are tea leaves...although they look like potpurri.

Some shots outside of the mall...

We did find something interesting in the mall...well, below it. The Khan Murjan is the first souk we've visited in Dubai. A souk is basically an Arabian market. The original Khan Murjan was "an ancient subterranean souk in Baghdad that inspired all who laid eyes on it; with its handcrafted marble-floors, intricate wall friezes and magical coloured ceiling, it swiftly became the subject of legends." The souk we visited in Dubai has used it for inspiration.

The souk has over 150 different stores, filled with Persian rugs, Middle Eastern pashminas, Dead Sea cosmetics, traditional Islamic and Arabian art and decor, and of course, Dubai keepsakes for tourists.

Dubai - The Can Dos

I recently read a thread on ExpatWoman.com about what you CAN do in Dubai that you CAN'T in your home country. Some I've done, some I would never do, and some I've never experienced. Here are a few to enlighten you....

1. Marry more than one woman if you are a Muslim man.

2. Have an outdoor restaurant dinner with your children at midnight on a school night without judgement. Families here eat dinner really late, and stay up late in general.

3. Drive around with an unrestrained child of any age in the back seat or front seat.

4. Ladies only lines, taxis, bus seats, metro cars.

5. Getting your groceries delivered for free 20 minutes after you call and order them.

6. Swim and sunbathe in the winter months.

7. Sit in the car while someone pumps your gas.

8. Get a car wash in the parking deck while you shop without having to track anyone down. They come to you!

9. Pay for fast track at the hospital/clinic without completely blowing your budget.

10. Have friends from 5 continents with fantastic accents.

Staycation at Safa Park

I took the boys back to Safa Park to play for part of our pre-Atlanta staycation.

 We sat on the dock so Colin could watch the boat in one of the lakes. Safa Park is really gorgeous!

 There is a fountain in the middle, but I think he was more interested in that boat.

 It warms my heart to see Colin with his Daddy. Even though I see it almost everyday, it never fails to make me smile.

 I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but it's crazy!

I'm planning to spend some more time at the park while the weather is still nice. Hoping the stifiling heat holds off for a few more months!