Mail in Dubai

When you buy a home or rent an apartment in the US that is your mailing address. Mail is delivered and picked  up daily (except Sunday) at your home. Not so in Dubai! Here everyone has a Post Office Box. In our case we had to go to the management office; well first we had to find it. Fortunately it is located on The Walk. We found the office located within one of the MANY towers and asked to get a PO Box. As with everything numerous forms of identification (passport, residency visa) and other documentation (lease contract) had to be presented and copies made. We also had to complete an application form. The management office approved us and after paying a $100 AED fee we were given a letter to present to the post office authorities. It is a twenty minute drive to that facility where we were asked to complete another application form. As usual ever ready Jimmy had aleady down loaded and completed the form. The language barrier was the worst we had experienced yet but thier English was still better than our Arabic so I can't complain.  Jimmy was being very friendly with the gentleman helping us; making jokes about himself and cutting up. That helped ease the situation a lot. They accepted our prepared application and after another $275 AED fee were given keys to our very own PO Box. We are fortunate that our building has PO Boxes; of the 6 Rimal towers only four  have them. The mail is delivered and picked up twice weekly here but I'm certain of the schedule. We were also told it takes approximately 2 weeks for mail to be delivered to the US. So my beautiful Ashley, my first born child, not only will I not be there for for your birthday for the first time but your card will be late. I'm so sorry- we really are getting everything established as quickly and as best we can.

Also, in the US most bills are sent via the mail to your home. Even if you pay on line you still get a statement in the mail. Again, not in Dubai! Most all correspondance is done by SMS text or Internet. I was astounded that the bank sent our ATM card PIN by SMS! In the US SMS is what your kids use to communicate- not for business purposes. The upside of how things are done here is that once the account (bank, cable, electricity, etc. ) is established the communication begins almost instantly and the system seems to work pretty well.

So it's anothe picture perfect sun filled day in Dubai. It's beginning to get really hot out there and the worst is ye to come. i think I'll go for a stroll on The Walk while its still tolerable. Have a great day, all! peace, love and happiness- J&M