Bss and the kids are gradually settling in and adjusting to the new time here. The kids, especially the two little ones, seem to love the house, though they have gotten lost a couple of times. Patrick especially seems to be having some trouble finding things like the bathroom. You would think that with six in the house, he couldn't avoid them.
On Friday we went to Abu Dhabi, because Bss and the kids wanted to go see Madagascar (My verdict: so-so. The kids seemed to like it thought, and I was able to get the kids to behave at the mall last night be saying "We like to move it, move it" though.) and to look at furniture. So we had a good time until we got back to Al Ain, where I discovered that my wallet was gone. I suspect that I dropped it at a WC we stopped at about 40 km from Al Ain, but when I went back to check it wasn't there. So, I lost my driver's licences (UAE and NC), car registration, university ID, national health card, university insurance card, ATM card and credit card, and about 500 dirhams in cash.
The worst part is that now I have to go back and get all these cards replaced. The university cards will be free, but the UAE driver's license and registration will be 700 dirhams, the ATM card 50 dirhams. I don't know yet about the national health card. I can order a replacement NC license online, from here, for only 10 dollars. Needless to say, I am pretty bummed.
I just hope that whoever found my wallet is putting the money to good use. Since, in the area where I think that I lost it, it was probably found by an Asian laborer, it might have been more than a months salary.
This blog began as a description of our life in Al Ain, UAE (United Arab Emirates). Brn worked at the UAE University Libraries Deanship for three years and Bss homeschooled our four children, D, B, P, and O. After returning to the the USA for five years, we are living in Abu Dhabi now.
6 comments:
if it`s any help you could do what others do here , place an add in gulf news , khaleej times , gulf today , a linear ad. is free for lost and found category ,add in box is paid ,also free ad. in the weekley blue pages, al waseet, al wesal free papers ,state the place most likely you dropped it ,phone no. and maybe suggest those few dirhams as reward ,you never know someone might have found it unless you were pickpocketed .
Shame, what an awful thing to happen. Most important is to cancel your credit card - you will be liable if anyone else uses it. I have heard many stories of lost wallets, mobiles, etc being returned - luckily most people here are honest! Will hold thumbs that you are lucky.
i think to replace a lost health card it is 100 dhs, less than that for driver`s license & car registration maybe 10 dh and 50 dh respectivly but not more than 100 dhs each if i recall , if a labourer picked it up chances are the money and wallet gone but cards chucked so here is chance you might get thewm back ,check lost and found in classifieds section of major newspapers before you get new ones .
For abu dhabi the procedure is as follows,
you take the documents to the traffic department with 100 dhs, pay for a temporary liscence for 2 weeks, when they are over you pay 300 dhs for a new liscence. take a personal picture of yourself with you.
I like your attitude to this little "experience". It's wonderful that you can find some joy in the fact that the money may have been put to good use. And abt all the hazzle of replacing the cards: you'll get through it and afterwards you'll know the ins and outs of soooo many offices. All in all, the money wasn't spent so badly!
Compliments to you for having a big heart. And good luck on the rest!
Well, the good news is that I just got an email this morning telling me I won a lottery that I didn't even enter. All I have to do is send them my bank account info to get my money.
Seriously though, I had already cancelled my ATM and credit cards. Yesterday I requested new ones from the bank and got a new driver's licence and registration.
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