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Hierdie maand se nuus is baie min want dit gaan seker baie goed met die Suid-Afrikaners of daar is werklik niks om te rapporteer nie. Ons hoop dis die eerste rede! In die nuusbrief hierdie maand: 1. Die SA Groep - "To be or not to be" ? 2.
Events coming up:
3. Money Matters 4. Classifieds SA
GROUP - "TO BE OR NOT TO BE?"
In
last month's newsletter we called upon all South Africans by means of
an Open Invitation, to discuss the activities of the SA Group, to share
ideas and to give input. Not even one person responded. By the way,
this monthly newsletter reaches approx 600 email addresses in Abu Dhabi.
But what is most important, is that this SA Group needs to be kept going and that we need to approach this in a different way. What we've seen in the past, is that it is virtually impossible for one or two people to entirely run this group successfully. Our SA population here in Abu Dhabi is growing rapidly and we as a Group need to re-assess our current situation so that you, in the long run, will benefit. The Group is here to serve you, to help ease your life here in Abu Dhabi, to communicate events that might be of interest to you, to bring you in contact with other South Africans who share the same interests as you (if you so choose) and basically share the South African vibe. There are many advantages and basically it is up to you if you want to participate or not. So what we have decided on is the following: 1. Appoint a Committee with enough members to represent the different companies where South Africans are working. (Companies where there are only a few South Africans working, will be grouped together). 2. Each Committee Member will be assigned a portfolio and he/she is welcome to form his/her own team of friends that he/she can rely on, to assist in him/her. "Vele hande maak ligte werk !" Now you're probably asking how on earth are we going to appoint a Committee? By asking each volunteer, who is currently helping out with the SA Group, to identity a couple of friends and bring them along to another meeting on Thursday 20 Nov at 15:00 at The Club. So if you have changed your mind and you would like to come along, then by all means, please join us. If you have other ideas that you feel would be a better solution, then also please join. In the end as long as we have someone representing each area/company, then I'm sure we'll be well on our way. We've realised we all need a kick-up-the-butt, we need to shake off old habits etc and make a CLEAN START. You'll soon see …. this newsletter will be a lot more interesting and fun to read as we'll have a lot more input from all our walks of life and I'm sure there'll be a lot more interest shown. We know this whole process will take some time so we're aiming for the beginning of 2004 to get the Group up and running again. What a good way to start the new year ! One important issue that did come up in a previous discussion, is that we would like our SA Group to become a Registered Group in the UAE. This possibility is currently under further investigation. By being registered, it would enable us to legally "receive a monetary donation" from you which would be absolutely optional, if we did decide to go ahead with it. We
will most definitely keep you updated on our progress and the outcome
of the meeting on the 20th November. UPCOMING EVENTS
South African Muslims are invited to an Iftar Buffet at the Bainunha Towers on 10 November 2003. Cost is Dhs 50 per person. If you would like to join, please contact Hannelie Muller at 050 612 9643 or email abudhabi@sagroupuae.com before 8 Nov '03.
This year's Christmas Party will take place on Thursday 11 November 2003 at The Club at 18:00. Tickets are Dhs 70 for adults and Dhs 35 for children. Contact Hannelie at 050 612 9643 for more details.
Liwa Hotel is offering the SA Group a special introductory offer at a phenomenal rate, over the Christmas period 25-26 December 2003. The cost is Dhs 150 per room per night (two people per room) and it includes a Braai on the evening of the 25th, then breakfast and lunch on the 26th. Hierdie uitnodiging is aan almal of jy nou alleen is of met jou familie hier is, of jy nou kuiergaste het, bring hulle saam! Kom geniet die Kersfees by Liwa. Daar is 'n bus wat vertrek vir dié wat nie vervoer het nie. Die bus is gratis maar daar moet 'n minimum van 10 mense wees. As jy nie die bus wil gebruik nie, kan jy nog steeds met jou eie vervoer ry. Die bus vertrek die oggend ongeveer 9:00 / 10:00 die 24ste en kom terug rondom 15:00 /16:00 die volgende dag. Hierdie is werklik 'n uitstekende aanbod! Daar is ook 'n "Desert Safari" en dié kos Dhs 170 (minimum 4 pax per trip) - kinders 50% afslag. As jy wil bespreek, kontak Hannelie by 050 612 9643 voor 15 Nov 03. Read
this news article about Liwa:
This will be at Zadiat Island, departing from the Tourist area. The cost is Dhs 400 for two people and includes Dinner on New Year's Eve, accommodation, breakfast and lunch on New Year's Day. There are only 12 double rooms available so book now with Hannelie if you haven't made any plans yet. MONEY MATTERS
So
what is it all about in the UAE? What are the rules? Who is responsible
for payment? Where do I go for treatment? What is this health card all
about and how does it work? Many questions that need answering. Can
I get private Healthcare - if so where and how much? Should I keep my
SA med scheme? Health card: There
are two responsible bodies in the health industry in the UAE, "The
Authority" and the "Ministry of Health". It is an objective
to ensure that companies provide health insurance to all staff over
the next couple of years. The latter is generally responsible for policy
and procedure over the entire Emirates i.e. Federal Law and the former
is responsible for the provision, and overseeing of the service within
the respective Emirates. My family's experience with some of the government hospitals when we first arrived here, are that they have been fantastic, yes you may have to wait, but once you're in, they really are super people and they spare nothing to solve the problem. You are permitted to hold both a Health Card and a private Health Insurance Plan. Depending on the provider the Ministry is happy to accept their health plan as proof for renewal for the visa (save a bit of money Mr. CFO).
There are upwards of 15 health insurance providers in the UAE, ranging from - Local cover only, to GCC - to world cover including / excluding USA and Canada. " Sooo look around before you buy" !!! Payment can be monthly / quarterly / half yearly or yearly - all payments other than yearly attract an additional fee. ( See table below). Each provider offers generally three options: 1.
A basic plan: Inpatient only.
The attached table gives you an example of the annual costs for groups of people from 7 companies in Sterling. Premiums can be paid in Dollars, Euros, or Dirhams. Column JBI is a special group that looks after Teachers. No more space, lot more to talk about. Hope it helped. If there is anything specific you would like to know, please address the questions to Hannelie. Next month's newsletter: Wills Phil Graham
Classifieds Alexandra Fisher is a qualified Career Guidance Counsellor, registered with the SA Health Professions Board, with many years experience at the NIPR (National Institute for Personnel Research) and in private practice. Students (Year grades 10 to 12) who wish to gain some idea of which career direction to follow or are wishing to make subject choices, are offered Career Counselling based on Interest and Personality Profiles. Highly respected and well-researched tests are used. During the month of November the service will be offered for AED 300-00. Please
contact Mrs Fisher at (02) 6812017 or e-mail talefish@emirates.net.ae
for further details. Are you looking for a place in SA to enjoy a lovely holiday? Marhaba Chalets is just the place. It's on the beach in the scenic town of Hibberdene. Visit their website www.marhaba.co.za. A 5% discount will be given to South Africans booking from the UAE.
Jeep
Grand Cherokee Laredo (2001 model, Silwer) And finally …. something to smile about ! South Africa is a great country because ……. 1. You can eat half dried meat and not be considered disgusting. 2. Nothing is your fault. You can blame it all on apartheid. 3. You get to buy a new car every 3 months and the insurance company even pays for it. 4. You can experience bad service in eleven official languages. 5. Where else can you get oranges with 45% alcohol content at rugby matches? 6. It is the only country in the world where striking workers show how angry they are by dancing. 7. You're considered clumsy if you cannot use a cell phone (without car kit), change CDs, drink a beer, put on make-up, read the newspaper and smoke, all at the same time while driving a car at 160 km/h in a 60 km/h zone 8. We have a great accent!!! 9. If you live in Johannesburg, you get to brag about living in the most dangerous city in the world. 10. Burglar bars become a feature and a great selling point for your house. 11. You can decorate your garden walls with barbed wire. 12. The police are the first on the scene for most major crimes without being called. 13. Votes have to be recounted until the right party wins. 14. Illegal immigrants leave the country because the crime rate is too high. 15. The police ask you if they must follow up on the burglary you've just reported. 16. A murderer gets a 6 month sentence and a pirate TV viewer 2 years. 17. The prisoners strike and get to vote in elections! 18. The police stations have panic buttons to call Armed Response when they are burgled. 19. Police cars are fitted with immobilisers and gearlocks!
Groetnis |
Health
Insurance, this is quite an extensive topic, and I will try and illuminate
it for you on one page. One thing for sure, it is a major concern for
us all, especially when we are away from home.