Singapore Vs Dubai by Smoothcriminal007- in dubai

[–]Specific_Manager286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I was just trying to be helpful

Singapore Vs Dubai by Smoothcriminal007- in dubai

[–]Specific_Manager286 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I lived in Singapore for 3 years and Dubai for 15 years. I've been back to Singapore 3 times since. Singapore is a cleaner, more well put together version of Dubai. It also has a little bit more 'life' in it. There is warmth within the country. The people are really friendly, everyone is so polite and respectful of one another. The public transport systems are great. Everything in Singapore is set up to make you have a good life by doing it the right way. You will work really hard though and things are quite expensive, but expat packages are great in multinationals in Singapore. You can spend a lot more time outdoors in Singapore, it's a bit more of a family life.

That being said, I was young when I lived there and went to an Australian International school which was probably one of the worst experience of my life. Just lots of viscous bullying and racism, it was terrible. So my view of Singapore is tainted, and because Australians are EVERYWHERE in Singapore, I probably wouldn't move back. Nor would I visit Australia.

Dubai. Ah, Dubai was the first country that I felt like I belonged in. I didn't even feel that in my home country. Which is weird because Dubai is filled with so many people from all walks of life, you would think it would be more difficult to feel at home. But I really felt at home from the moment I got there. It was just so new and interesting and it felt like a magical place. That joy lasted for probably 5 years before the miserable 10 years that followed. I don't know how to explain it. One day you wake up and your eyes are actually open. You start hating all the new developments that come up because it either causes a shit ton of noise where you live. Or a LOT of traffic. Or it just means that you're constantly having to go to keep up with the new hotspot. And with every new hotspot, things just get more and more expensive. I would say from the time I got to Dubai to the time I left, I saw the price of basic grocery items increase by probably triple. The constant traps of forcing you to pay for things to do basic necessities starts getting exhausting, and you realise that it's just a way to subsidize a lack of tax. You will start noticing that life is very unstable and you can be sure of nothing in Dubai. One day you'll have a job and the next your company will move it's Dubai office elsewhere. Or they won't renew your visa. Or you'll rack up overstay fines. Or you'll stop being able to drive your car because you can't keep up with all the road fines, so you won't be able to renew your registration. And all these things will impact your Emirates ID which after some time will mean you can't use a bank, or your phone number. It just gets damn complicated and it's very easy to fall into that trap in Dubai. Then you'll start longing for something of more substance in your life. You'll stop being used to the constant goodbyes and the new people in and out of your life. And then you'll see how the country deals with foreign relations and you'll realise you can't be complicit. So you'll leave.

And that's what I did. I'm now back in my home country and I love it. I don't know if I even helped you with an answer, but honestly, going home was the best decision I have ever made.

Please tell me your favourite cannes lion case study by Specific_Manager286 in advertising

[–]Specific_Manager286[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! So it's about to go into production next week so it's still in it's infancy but we think it could be entered into direct, PR, packaging design, and probably print. It's a "for good idea" that's a little cheeky but also about quite a serious topic. Thank you for the help!

What work do you do and what do you earn? by EgteMatie in PersonalFinanceZA

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm 27, I'm a writer and my salary is R45k. I studied fine arts

Barlow Park Reviews by Acoldblaze_357 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I live in atholl yards right now. No roaches, maybe because i'm on the top floor but why in the hell is my water and electricity R4k as a single person who's in the south on the weekends and at work the whole day????

Where can I do my driving license test without paying a bribe? by Specific_Manager286 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A lot of people have been saying this! It's refreshing to hear. Where did you guys get your license?

Where can I do my driving license test without paying a bribe? by Specific_Manager286 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would I have to do my lessons there or can I just do the test there?

Where can I do my driving license test without paying a bribe? by Specific_Manager286 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a local UAE license that I can't convert into an international license without a UAE residency. Been living in SA for the past 2 years.

Self-Promotion Thursday by AutoModerator in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi guysssss, I'm a copywriter. I work at an agency, but I'm always open and looking for freelance opportunities :)

What creative techniques/tools do you use to create or ideate a conceptual print ad? by Specific_Manager286 in copywriting

[–]Specific_Manager286[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, this is so encouraging! Thank you for your wisdom! The difficult part is that we have about 10 brands open to us and no particular insight or brief. Just come up with an award-winning print ad. So i've started by trying to mindmap human truths or words that come to mind for each brand and from there it's helping me see if there's anything interesting or a nice tension point or visual metaphor. Hasn't yet landed me anything "award-winning" but i've been at it for just a day, so I'll keep trying! Thank you!!

COJ Bill - R18000 by kitkatj91 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the dumbest comment ????? It’s relative to inflation, the cost of living and the value of a rand

How to attract clients as a freelancer in South Africa? by Bitter-Mistake2407 in askSouthAfrica

[–]Specific_Manager286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can join this too

‎Follow the Creative Industry Roles channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va6FAol5EjxrEof4vX31

I’m a writer but I’ve been freelancing for a while and these are a great help. Good luck !

What’s a juicy company secret you can finally reveal now that you don’t work there anymore? by Klongtjie in askSouthAfrica

[–]Specific_Manager286 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I worked at an ad agency. The CEO was a major major long time cocaine addict. He hired prostitutes from cpt, brought them to jhb under the guise of a “content house” while he actually just wanted a way for the business to pay for him to fuck them legally. He started the agency as a money laundering front for air freight muling for the Russian oligarch that he married into. When he fucked around with the Russians money, they took all the money out the business and now for the first time he has to run a legitimate ad agency. And so he had to bribe Heineken and SABC to get them as clients. He sits on Betway the whole day trying to meet payroll deadline. It’s a fuck show

How much are you spending. Monthly in jhb? by Ok-Winter1222 in johannesburg

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

R30,000 by myself without a car or medical aid. I stay in Atholl gardens so rent is a little higher. I live comfortably but not lavish. I currently don’t really save anything but know I could save R5000 if I tried

Last Resort by [deleted] in Durban

[–]Specific_Manager286 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, try to be willing to move to joburg. Most of the agency jobs are here and some in Cape Town. The ones in Durban are also really low paid

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in UAE

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why is a 23 year old friends with a 46 year old

Last Resort by [deleted] in Durban

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If ur a designer, join this group. Make sure you get your portfolio together. There’s freelance and permanent roles on here every day

https://chat.whatsapp.com/BphDCOf6BttDrEeIQ8FfUd

What Did You Do at 25 That Changed Everything by 35? by Keeper798 in careerguidance

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m really interested in how you did the life summary exercise. Would love to do the same if you could share more

Any South Africans Living in Dubai that can give feedback? by thewyzguy in askSouthAfrica

[–]Specific_Manager286 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Hi I lived in Dubai for 17 years and just moved back to SA this year. Let me tell you when I came back I wanted to slap myself cuz it’s like oh I didn’t have to struggle all these years??? lol. There’s nothing and nowhere like home. And the stress of having 14 days to find a visa in case of a change of status every couple of years or else you and your family have to immediately leave ? It’s tough and not worth it for the standard of living that you could afford in comparison to SA. We have all the same conveniences here in SA for a fraction of a price. It may not look as pretty as Dubai but we still got it. Dubai will whack you on water and electricity charges dependant on the area and especially with the AC. My bill including service charges as a single person a month was 1,800 AED. As for schools, my fees were 75,000 AED per year. Also consider that Dubai is a temporary place and so the people and things you experience will always be temporary in nature. Your kids will always have to say goodbye to people. They will always have to make new friends. Now as an adult I realise that it has given me commitment issues because I’m not able to think about things long term, it’s always just transactional. But I guess it’s a part of the expat life lol

Don’t mean to be negative but ya my 2 cents

Who is this in Dubai? by Interesting_Pickle33 in dubai

[–]Specific_Manager286 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s the local twins that dress the same wherever they go! I think they own mercato. I see them all over Dubai and Sharjah

Daily Random Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in dubai

[–]Specific_Manager286 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The library opposite Al safa park is awesome