Crazy Rent! Crazy Construction! Crazy Traffic!

that's the three things i dislike about dubai (and sharjah)... let me tell you why...

can you imagine bedspacing for AED 600/ month or $163 or P 7,500???? that is bedspace in a room with six to eight other girls, double deck. or can you imagine renting a modest 2BR flat for AED 10,000/ month or $ 2,700 or P 125,000??? and if this isn't bad enough, yearly they can increase their rent to as high as 100%! landlords can pull off the biggest surprise of your life when they offer you your lease renewal. and since many cannot afford living in a flat of their own, they would do sharing between 2-3 families, each family occupying one room. and when we thought again that that was the end of the misery, there comes the municipality driving people out saying that sharing is not legal, cutting electricity and water services if they do not comply. and man, if you only know the hassle of transferring here and there, it'd really drive you crazy!

as to construction, maybe this is one thing we'd have to embrace as long as dubai is in its teenage state of progress. it used to be nice when the world all over was hailing dubai for its construction wonders and having almost 90% of the world's cranes. but it comes to a point that it is not so cute anymore, especially if week after week, you'd go thru your normal route just to be blocked by a sign that says "constuction. detour ahead". it's like a daily puzzle to me as a driver. i like the adventure, but it is just too much to handle for now.

and yes, as a consequence of the constructions, detouring, more people owning cars and avoiding Salik toll gates--> traffic congestion! i admire the patience of people coming from sharjah going to dubai who brave thru the 1 to 2 hours traffic of what used to be just a 15-min drive! and yes, the patience too of all others living in this place who have to face this toil everyday, sometimes even to the tune of a 48-degrees-centigrade weather! good thing, gas is cheap (AED 6.25/gal or $ 1.70/gal or P 20/liter).

but then again, no amount of complaining nor whining can achieve reversal of all of these. so everyday, i just ask God for enough grace to sustain me the whole day thru ;)