Hi everyone,
I've been reading over the forums, trying to make sure that I don't post a question that's been answered over and over again.
I will be moving to Dubai in a few months. For my job, absolutely everything is taken care of--food, utilities, travel, housing, car and driver, etc. In addition, I will be making about 734Dh per week (US $200)--not much, I know, but it's for a part-time job. I'll also have opportunities to make extra money should I choose. But, just for argument's sake, say I chose to simply work part time. How would I do on that amount of money when I will only be using it for entertainment? Take shopping, for example. Are clothing prices similar to those in the U.S.? What might a pair of jeans--not super designer, just around the Banana Republic level, perhaps--cost in Dubai? A novel?
Also--is it work the transformer trouble to take things like hair dryer, curling iron, etc., or should I just plan to buy them there? As far as a computer goes, I'd like to bring my laptop. But after an experience with an exploding hair dryer in Rome, I'm somewhat wary of converters. My laptop is a bit more expensive and I'd hate to overload it and kill it. Any thoughts? I certainly can't afford to buy another computer. Does anyone have any reassuring US-to-UAE-transformers-used-with-computers stories?
And finally--I'm a young and blonde, and I've found in my travels in Italy and Central America that my coloring and appearance often attracts unwanted attention (staring, "hey blondie," "hey Barbie," touching my hair and face, etc.). Is this likely to be a problem in Dubai? Staring I can deal with--should I prepare myself to be verbally harassed?
Thanks so much!