Keep moving

I returned to Dubai in April facing the not fun task of finding a new apartment and moving, all to be done before our lease expired in early May. We did not want to move--we had settled into our place at Tiara on the Palm, installed window treatments, hung pictures, bought three bedrooms worth of furniture and gotten all the kinks out of the plumbing. But our landlord, a Russian investor, would not renew our lease so we had no choice. Meeting with other Americans living on the Palm, I discovered that quite a few were in the same predicament. Being tenants, many of us have found that the owner/landlords do not want to renew the leases. So moving seems to be a built-in part of the Dubai expat experience.

It did not take long to find a new place. But this time we made sure not to rent from an individual owner who might not renew. We couldn't have asked for a better landlord or location--the sister of Sheikh Mohammed, who owns a set of beautiful low rise apartments right on the beach off Jumeirah Beach Road. Moving was also easily arranged, after getting bids from several companies who were all anxious to undercut the others. The hassle of moving and connecting utilities, along with the expense of having to sacrifice the furniture and curtains we couldn't use from the old place while needing to buy curtains for the new place, were the primary aggravations. The Dubizzle website is a great way to buy and sell things but the buyers are looking for extreme bargains so it's hard to do well as a seller. When moving day came, I was happy to find someone who would take the stuff off my hands so I didn't have to move it.

That should be it for us, we hope, unless we get ambitious and decide to try villa life. Since we are away so much, it didn't make sense for now, and we could scarcely fathom all the work needed to make a villa and garden look presentable. And we love the amenities of our new apartment--walkway to the beach, gym, pool, and sauna. There's even a shopping mall next door with cafes and stores, which we can walk to from the parking garage without going outside, especially nice during the summer.

Y'all come now, y'here!