Relocating to the Gulf

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#3472269 21-Mar-2026 17:56

Good to hear. Always glad to see the daily posts from you as it means you are ok. The doggie situation may be difficult and I hope you find a solution.
I suspect there are a lot of expats searching for jobs far away from the furore so you’re lucky to have some choices.

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#3472271 21-Mar-2026 18:07

Eva888:

Good to hear. Always glad to see the daily posts from you as it means you are ok. The doggie situation may be difficult and I hope you find a solution.
I suspect there are a lot of expats searching for jobs far away from the furore so you’re lucky to have some choices.

Thanks. To quote a fun movie I have a particular set of skills that are always in shortage globally and a lot of experience.

It's not whether I can get a job but whether I can get one that works for our family in a place we want to live. I am very fortunate that we are from New Zealand, it's still a great place to live relative to many places in the world.

Rikkitic

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#3472387 22-Mar-2026 13:46

I would like to add my best wishes for you and your family. We have had our disagreements here but that is nothing compared to being in a place at war. I get that you are not directly impacted by it but it still cannot be good for everyone's anxiety levels. I am glad you got your family out okay. That is one less big thing for you to worry about. I hope you also manage with the dog. Dogs are also family members, of course. Best of luck with everything and best wishes for your continued safety and security.

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#3472461 23-Mar-2026 01:23

Rikkitic:

I would like to add my best wishes for you and your family. We have had our disagreements here but that is nothing compared to being in a place at war. I get that you are not directly impacted by it but it still cannot be good for everyone's anxiety levels. I am glad you got your family out okay. That is one less big thing for you to worry about. I hope you also manage with the dog. Dogs are also family members, of course. Best of luck with everything and best wishes for your continued safety and security.

Thanks and I very much appreciate it. The amount of support I’ve received from family, friends colleagues from all over the world has been humbling. I’m reminded in difficult times that most people are fundamentally good people and want to help each other.

Things will work out. Bella is a rescue who spent years in foster care and was a broken dog when she came to us. She’s now a lovey family dog, although still a total head case and not good with strangers. She’s not being abandoned again, one way or the other we will come with us.

As we had been planning to leave we have had here rabies test done already so the major obstacle to her coming with us is out of the way.

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#3475237 29-Mar-2026 19:12

I’m sitting on a plane at DXB waiting to taxi. I’m spending this week in Singapore and then having a week in Auckland seeing the family.

Things are much the same in Dubai as they have been since the end of the first week of the war. We did have a week of rain which was a massive drama. I’m in a brand new house that leaks like a sieve so there is pretty extensive damage that will need to be repaired. Waterproofing on new builds can be pretty rubbish here and our place it certainly was. I’m pretty glad that the family is away as it would have been a much bigger deal.

I’ve just about finalised my contract with Singapore, I should sign it next week. It’s a pretty significant bump but it’ll all be absorbed by tax, schools and rent. The UAE is expensive for both but Singapore is next level. Each kid will cost NZ$40k to NZ$75k for school and rent will be something like NZ$2000 a week.

I’m not fussed by that, it’s just a fact of expat life. You aren’t a local so you don’t get access to local benefits like housing board flats and local schools. That’s entirely fair, they exist for the benefit of locals and PR holders, not guest workers like myself.

I’m looking forward to seeing Mrs Handle and the mini Handles. It’ll be a month since we sent them home and it’s not been a fun month. While I’m not really personally impacted by the war it’s tiring. I was talking to a colleague and the said they are exhausted by mid afternoon. It’s a pretty common story.

tdgeek

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#3475258 29-Mar-2026 20:43

Mrs Handle and the mini Handles.

Love that! All the very best.

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Handle9

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#3475266 29-Mar-2026 22:00

tdgeek:

Mrs Handle and the mini Handles.

Love that! All the very best.

Cheers. It’s not really accurate because the mini handles are taller than Mrs handle now.

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#3475269 29-Mar-2026 22:27

It's probably something everyone does, but when I spend a length of time at a new location I imagine myself living and working there and wondering what life would be like. Singapore struck me as very appealing. Once you get over the car thing and see how amazing their public transport is, I think you'll be set.

I've been wondering if there are any GZ's in the middle east. We don't hear much about how people are coping there.

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Handle9

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#3489214 9-May-2026 17:14

I'm on the plane heading back to Dubai from Singapore this morning. I've been out for the week and Mrs Handle came out for a few days. We did some school visits and looked at apartments which was really good.

We've sorted a school out and decided on a general area to live so I feel like we've made some really good progress this week. I start work on the 1st of July so have one more visit to Singapore before I move permanently. Mrs Handle and the girls will follow a week or so later once school finishes.

We are slowly getting rid of our junk, we will need about half the stuff we have now as our apartment will likely be around 130 sqm while our house in Dubai is around 250sqm with a garden and garage. It'l be a big change but it'll be a good change. It'll be a very different life style but that's part of the appeal of Singapore - it's a new adventure. We are both really looking forward to the move and excited to get going.

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#3489219 9-May-2026 18:30

Handle9:

I'm on the plane heading back to Dubai from Singapore this morning. I've been out for the week and Mrs Handle came out for a few days. We did some school visits and looked at apartments which was really good.

We've sorted a school out and decided on a general area to live so I feel like we've made some really good progress this week. I start work on the 1st of July so have one more visit to Singapore before I move permanently. Mrs Handle and the girls will follow a week or so later once school finishes.

We are slowly getting rid of our junk, we will need about half the stuff we have now as our apartment will likely be around 130 sqm while our house in Dubai is around 250sqm with a garden and garage. It'l be a big change but it'll be a good change. It'll be a very different life style but that's part of the appeal of Singapore - it's a new adventure. We are both really looking forward to the move and excited to get going.

Thats awesome Handle and Mrs Handle and the mini Handles

As the oft used cliche says, a new door opens

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#3489298 9-May-2026 23:52

I've lived in Singapore for almost four years now, if you have any questions let me know :)

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Eva888

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#3489371 10-May-2026 13:41

Singapore is so much closer to home as well, half the flight to most places. Are you able to take the dog with you?

Handle9

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#3489372 10-May-2026 13:48

The dog made of gold is coming. it’s costing around $10k for her to come but that’s the deal when you get a dog. We’d planned for that cost.

Rikkitic

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#3489373 10-May-2026 14:10

What is Singapore like for dogs? It is a pretty urban environment. I also found the heat and humidity impossible to get used to. I am usually pretty good with that kind of thing but I could not bear being outside air conditioned environments for more than a short time.

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#3489375 10-May-2026 14:57

Rikkitic:

What is Singapore like for dogs? It is a pretty urban environment. I also found the heat and humidity impossible to get used to. I am usually pretty good with that kind of thing but I could not bear being outside air conditioned environments for more than a short time.

It’s pretty good depending on where you live. Singapore has a lot of parks and plenty of spaces to walk. It’s a very pedestrian friendly environment which is all we need.

Bella is good with the heat, she chooses to go and lie in the garden now when it’s 40 degrees. She’s a desert mix so adapted to a hot desert environment.

The desert dog has webbing between their toes to make it easier on the sand and a fine coat that means they don’t overheat easily and sand doesn’t stick to their coats. They are very well adapted for hot environments.

The humidity will be a change for her but she’ll be ok. She’s previously been fostered in apartments so nothing new there.

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