Epic frustrations

If you have been reading my blog you know that I experience a lot of frustration and waiting here in the UAE. The last few days have been epic for it, so it’s time to share!

I recently got my residency visa and passport back, which means I can get a UAE driver’s license and be fully insured. I am reallllly tired of taking taxis to and from work and it’s quite expensive, so I decided to tackle the licensing yesterday. There is no “official” information online about what you have to do, or where you have to go and all phone numbers you call are unanswered or out of service. I heard by word of mouth where I needed to go, generally, and then asked a taxi driver to take me there.

First I went to the driver’s licensing office. When I got in, there were about 100 people waiting in chairs to go up. I sighed, thinking it would be a long wait. Luckily, the receptionist told me to go to the “Ladies waiting area” around the corner. I walked in to a small area with two desks and…no people waiting! Sometimes the segregation in this country is a very good thing. I started the process of getting my license and then the woman looked confused, went away and came back and told me I had to come back tomorrow morning to see someone else. Knowing how this country works (sort of) I told them I had to work and pleaded for them to fix the problem now. All it took was a 30 second phone call for approval and we were back in action with my application. I have learned that all you have to do here is ask twice…in most cases. I never did figure out what the “problem” was, but frankly that is none of my business. She processed my application, I paid my money and she told me to wait for my card. She was literally handing me my card when she said….”OH! Where is your UAE identity card?” DAMN! Soooo close. Of course, I don’t have one yet. She told me I would have to go to the Emirates ID centre and fill out an application, bring her the receipt and then I could have my license.

Having heard a rumour that you had to fill out an application at a “typing centre” (which is literally a store that exists to officially type and print applications for things) I asked my taxi driver to take me to one. I waited 20 minutes while she typed out my application, while thinking the whole time- I sure could download a form, print it and fill it out like the rest of the damn world does!- but alas, I paid my 400 dirhams ($107 CDN) for them to fill out my form, having no other choice. I then had to go to the Emirates identity centre. There they sent me again to a “Ladies waiting room” where they took my finger prints, took my picture literally 30 damn times because I kept having red eye (HELLO! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PHOTOSHOP PEOPLE??!). I got my receipt from the ID centre, leaving while barely able to see from all those camera flash dots in my eyes…and went back to the licensing centre.

I finally got my license in hand and was on my way. The funny thing is, I didn’t have to take any tests (not even an eye test) and the license is good for 10 years! No wonder everyone here are terrible drivers. It’s easy to slack or not worry if you don’t have to renew for 10 years!

I have also been waging an ongoing battle with the bank over getting my credit card. I applied for one on my second day here, waited….and it never came. I kept calling and they kept telling me to wait for a phone call. Finally I went back to the main branch of the bank to check into it. Of course, they had no credit application under my name and the girl who filled out my forms (who was there the second time) claimed she had never seen me before in her life. Right. So I filled out another form over a month later and was told to expect a call in 10 days. And oh they did call this time. They called to verify every damn piece of information on my form…but still wouldn’t tell me where, when or how to get my card. I called the bank yesterday after waiting about 2 weeks from the second application and they told me to call the courier who was supposed to be bringing me my card. They apparently had had the card in their possession for the last 5 days. I suppose they just didn’t get around to calling me…

I called them, and they said they had it, but that they do not deliver to my area. They told me to meet the driver at Al Jimi mall today from 4-6pm. They called me back 5 minutes later and told me, no…Bawadi mall, today 4-6pm. So, I am at Bawadi mall today at 4pm and I call to confirm. She tells me that no…the driver already tried to deliver it to me at 3pm at Al Jimi mall. At this point, I lose my frigging mind on this woman and she tells me she will call me back. She calls me back and says the courier is at Al Jimi mall and I should go there now (which is on the other side of town almost). I ask for the driver’s number and call him. He is actually at Al Ain mall and wants me to come there. I swallow my murderous rage, and get a taxi to Al Ain mall. I call him when I get there and he says to wait by the bank, he will be there in 2 minutes. 20 minutes later, I call him because he has not shown up. He tells me 10 minutes more, so I ask him to call me when he arrives so I don’t have to stand next to the cotton candy stand like an idiot anymore. I go and shop for AN HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES before I finally give up and go to eat at the food court. I get my food, sit down and literally raise the food to my mouth and…he calls me. He wants me to come to the front door, two floors down. So I get a take out box, pack my food up and go get my stupid *&$#ing card! To top it all off, it is addressed to Mr. Karen Lake. And that, my friends, is what life is like here every single day.

On the bright side, school is going well still. My colleagues are great to work with and the students are very sweet. Sometimes they wear me out a bit by the end of the day since I have to use my loudest voice to get their attention back when they start talking, but we still have a good time. We have been told we will probably move to our new school building in the new few weeks…Insha’Allah. That will be nice since the rooms at the current school are small and very hot.

Life in Al Ain is good, though all I really do it shop. It’s all there is to do here and it is a culture of shopping. I might run out of things to buy soon though…

Should have internet at home by tomorrow, Insha’Allah. Commmmmee onnnn Allah! Help a sista out?