Photo for illustration purposes only.
Sometimes I wonder why things just seem to get worse when my mood is low (hormone-caused I’m sure, I’m usually ‘perky’. I think.) or that shit happens because my mood was low in the first place. Thoughts?
Ah, you gotta know a rant’s going to blow when the three words I type in a post starts with Sometimes-I-wonder.
As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve been living in a 2 bedroom flat in an apartment building. The one with the 2 meter width kitchen. I’ve been having a kitchen working space the size of a keyboard. Nope, I’m not shitting about this. So naturally I would love to move out. It’s been three years! I want to bake muffins, dammit. Wheat free-gluten-free muffins by the way but whatever. I want out.
My company pays for my flat, as per the contract I signed with them. I was sunny and perky 4 days ago when I told them, no, I won’t renew my contract in the present building and found some place better (I would even bring the freshly baked muffins to the office if they like). Told them the price (it’s even cheaper than last years!) and that they can issue the cheque to this certain real estate, just what they’ve been doing for me these past three years….then the HR manager cut me out in the middle of my perkiness.
No, the company won’t issue any cheque in your behalf anymore.
It’s like they’re saying, thanks for your muffins but we need to keep the cash at hand. No more bulk payments. Am I fired? No, apparently I’m not since I just renewed my visa and labor card. What’s the deal now? He continued,
From now on, the company can only give you your house rent allowance (HRA) every month along with your salary, just like all the other employees.
No prior notice. Nothing. It was the first time I heard this b.s. and surprise, surprise, the HRA suddenly dropped by 18% compared to last year. Helllllooooo recession!
The huge, huge problem is that, here in Dubai, the city teeming with greedy landlords and shrewd real estate brokers, rents are paid in ADVANCE. Example if your flat rent is 65,000 dhs/year, they will ask you to pay in post-dated cheques (1, 2, 4 or 6 cheques). The new real estate requires 4 cheques so that would mean 3 months rent in advance to be paid in postdated cheques (4 cheques of 16,250 dhs each) or else you live outside in a tent.
And die long before Dubai summer starts.
We cannot issue cheques from our side because we only have a savings account, no cheque books. Had we known this was coming, we would have made arrangements. Now, we can’t cancel the because the real estate broker (the one that breaks your pocket empty that’s why they’re called “brokers”) told me the booking fee is not refundable. I told you they are shrewd creatures.
I’ve fought with my company saying these new policies are inexcusable since it was not in my contract or that I was not notified earlier. Their poker faced reaction? “Well, now you know.” WTF.
The best thing they said? “We will issue the cheque if you won’t move out of your flat.” How moronic.
I sure am aware I could be fired for writing this post if they found out about this one. But I say, “Bring it on!What’s the worse thing to happen? It’s just either I’ll find another job here in Dubai with less idiocy or stay at home let my husband feed me while I cross-stitch the whole day.
Or I (we) could also go back to the mountains of Japan and eat fresh apples all day.
*****
For those living in Dubai and have their companies providing their accommodation, be careful. You’ll never know what they’ll do when your next tenancy contract is up for renewal. Have your cheque books ready and some hefty savings for the advance rent payment. Just FYI.
Finding Backroads 
Wow, that really sucks Grace. 😦 I guess you had found a nicer apartment that wasn’t too close to a mosque? How long does it take to set up a checking account there? We could get one here in a couple of days so I guess that might be a problem there?
Good luck!
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That’s nonsense!
if they can issue a cheque for your present apartment why not for the new one, Crazy people!
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Wow, that is rough! Good luck! And yes, I think crappy things happen when a person is already in a negative state. I think it’s something with negative atrracting negative or something.
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enjoyed your journey..
.-= bee´s last blog ..Powerful Earthquake has Destroy Haitian Country =-.
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Wow! That’s crazy, what an experience and opportunity. Where are you from originally? Just curious. 🙂
.-= Chris´s last blog ..Bridgestone Motorcycle Tires =-.
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?Well, now you know.? ……asta ko naulit ani!
Makasuya…i hope everything will be settled and you can transfer to a new flat.
I am always reading your blog…kaso now lng naka react.hehe
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Oh sweetie! This is beyond ridiculous. They can hook you up if you continue to stay in your little flat? Good Lord! I hope things turn for the better soon. The idea of eating lovely apples in the mountains does sound appealing though. 🙂
.-= Kelly B´s last blog ..Repost from My Day Job =-.
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Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, I’d love to do the eating apples marathon again sometime soon. I miss the fruits in Japan as all fruits we have here in Dubai are all imported and have travel far to reach. Yuck.
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ate G, i can feel your irritation as i read your blog. i hope you’re feeling better now. breath in, breath out.
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Aw, Grace, I don’t blame you for being pissed off!
That is just so damn sleazy of your company to do-Unfortunately there is more and more of that these days due to the recession. Instead of all for one and one for all like we SHOULD be doing, it’s every man or woman for themselves.
Good luck with this! I hope you find a good middle ground with your company that satisfies both you and your work.
.-= Kayla´s last blog ..I’ve Been Featured! =-.
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I hope everything will be all right, Just go ahead towards your destination.
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Oh no – hope you get it sorted soon.
.-= janmary, n ireland´s last blog ..Lessons Learned – wrong on so many levels! =-.
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You know what, there is a saying that the worst things always come hand in hand.
So it is quite usual bad things happen at the same time when you’ve got bad mood or in bad health. It is just like that.
Your experience remind me of my life last year. It was a huger mass, but you see, I survive it anyway, tough though. What can I say, that is life.
Don’t waste too much of your time and energy being upset and angry. It won’t help anyway.
Cheer up and be strong. Face it positively. Handle things calmly and have faith in your heart that the worst things will go and the best is yet to come.
Wish you all the best.
.-= You Know Where You Are´s last blog ..It is The Real Ring =-.
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Thank you very much for your kind words.
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That is total crap!
The mountains of Japan and those apples are sounding better and better to me!
.-= Maribeth´s last blog ..You Will Not Believe This! =-.
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wow. that’s beyond ridiculous. They should have to give some sort of notice or something.
.-= Randomness´s last blog ..Neil Young singing the ?Fresh Prince? theme song =-.
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You have to stay put because maybe someone high up in your office owns your building and doesn’t want to look for new tenants.
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For someone from the Philippines, that kind of rent is ridiculous! But in places like Dubai (and other expensive cities)- mao naman giyod na ang usual rate— makapatay pud na nga rent ba…
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OH, Grace, I feel so bad for you… That is a horrible thing that your company is doing to you. I wish I could do or say something to make it better for you, I don’t know if there is anyone higher in the company that you can appeal to, but I would suggest you try to do that because your points are valid! They gave you no notice prior to changing the way they paid for your living arragements and that is just wrong!! I hope it works out for you, you are just to sweet to be treated so poorly. However, staying home with Pristine sounds like a really great proposition. 🙂
.-= Lorie Shewbridge´s last blog ..Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday All Rolled into One =-.
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hai, Grace, It took me sometimes to understand what happened (my english is not good so you know). Well the condition is always changes whether we keep our mind. But not all things goes bad, there is good too. Try to find it. the same to me.
good luck
.-= good luck´s last blog ..flowers =-.
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This is this kind of terrific source of information that you choose to be giving you so you give it at a distance for totally free.
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