Since in Dubai, we found our home at The Greens, a community named after its surroundings. The Greens is supposed to be a very green, and nature friendly community, and for the most part it really is. Lots of people here have little kids and dogs, as the environment is very friendly towards them. We have been around Dubai mostly everywhere, and yet still not found a place compareable to The Greens. From a foreign country, it might look like “just an ordinary complex”, but in Dubai, it is a uniquely green area.
Last weekend while walking Momo, I was shocked to see that the gardeners started to chop the Tree-tops rather agressively, without taking the well-being of the trees into account. My dad has graduated from an Agricultural university in Hungary majoring in Gardening (that is gardening on a higher level), and growing up with him I learned plenty about how to cut branches off, etc. Even to the untrained eye, what happened in the Greens last weekend must seem very strange and wrong. I heard about a lady (German) who was even shouting at the gardener to immediately stop this butchering, but of course he has no intentions on stopping, as he would put his job at risk.
We also have to take the fact into account that the guys chopping the trees are the same ones painting the walls, and washing the cars around the lots. The sense of professionalism is missing by large, and I don’t see a chance to this changing in the future at all. The most important thing is cheap labour and keeping the community as neat as possible. Sure, these trees will look neat in a few months to come provided the excellent weather we have here, but still, it does not justify the agression towards them. Have a look at the pictures.
For more pics, read on…
This is alongways the process, you can see the chopped ones on the left, and the original ones on the right. I dont know what was wrong with them to be honest…..
However, if we put this chopping aside, the community seems rather clean and organized. There are surely 100′s of men working on the upkeep, I see them every day in herds cleaning the streets, gathering leaves and cutting grass.
This is a sign the put in the middle of a sand-pot indicating that there is a change to come. Hopefuly they will plant some flowers, so that it will look decent.
September 1st, 2008 at 22:00
Hello Ben,
I read bits of your blogs with interest…Especially the story of the ‘licence’. (Nagyon vicces lehetett- 4ezer valahany dirhamot kidobni as ablakon)
Thought it might be a good idea to get in touch with you as we seem to be neighbours almost…We recently moved here to the Springs with my 10-years-old daughter. We lived for a year in Qatar (situ is same there re: getting a licence) prior to living in Nepal…
I came to take up a new position as a sustianability development manager and hopefully Mariam should be starting school here in a few days.
But, as it is Ramadan, we will have a fair amount of spare time
and you might want to make new friends?
Our dog is about to be shipped from Qatar, I think it might be good to get your advice how to clear the cargo in the DIY fashion…
(Sokat vagyunk a Greens-ben )
TC
Beatrix
and Mariam
September 2nd, 2008 at 09:22
Sziasztok,
I am glad you found our site and became a permanent reader, I had no ideas other Hungarians are reading it other than my friends from back home and family.
I removed your Phone number right after I saved it to my mobile, so to keep your privacy intact
As for Pet import, I have no idea as we paid an agency to do it for us. The charge was minimal and it gave us a relief from all the stress that goes with it. If you want to, have a look at http://www.dkc.ae/ they were the ones who helped us.
Having said that, I know people who brought their dogs via DIY, and they are just fine, but I dont know anything about the process involved.
I will call you soon,
Cheers
Ben
September 2nd, 2008 at 18:20
Hello Ben, Thanks for the edit, once I actually submitted the reply it dawned on me that it won’t be going to you directly, instead it would be public.
Anyhow, the guys you suggested quoted us to have an import permit done for 850 and a couple of days, imagine when I looked into it a little bit and found that it takes 5 minutes online to register and obtain a permit!! (and it will cost you 200)
What a rip-off. Although, I will have to do much better if I wanna beat your licence scenario.
Egy dolog nem derul kristalyosodott ki- mi a foglalkozasod? Az egyik post-bol ugy hangzott mintha szeszkereskedo lennel
Irni fogsz a varva-vart Ramadan-rol is, az egyik kedvenc temam…?
Minden jot, Bx
September 11th, 2008 at 06:45
Hi,
How are things with the dog? I hope you imported him/her successfuly after all. Like I said, we have a friend who has done it, but he was here in Dubai for a while beforehand, and he know how things are done here etc. Even so, he had a hard time. I felt spending a little extra money to save our dog even 30 minutes in that strange environment was money well spent.
I work as an IT Manager for a Research company here in Dubai Media City, its good fun and l have lots of challenges.
Sorry for not contacting you yet, we have been busy all along. I will give you a call soon,
Cheers
Ben