Shoutout from Dubai

I started on my new job April 10 this year. Have accepted this job/role as a Senior QS for Dubai Festival City LLC Commercial Management Services. I hope my previous job as Project Controls Manager (Intel Corp) and the experience/learnings I got from that, would help me perform satisfactorily here. My role would be heavily engaged in contracts administration/management and blended with the construction finance/project controls element of managing projects for the Owner.

DFC is part of the Al Futtaim Group of Companies...who's into property, construction, retail brands, etc.

I am part of the Commercial Team (Hospitality) where our small group of 3 Sr. QS and 1 Portfolio Commercial Manager (PCM) will manage the ongoing and proposed Hotel developments; its a multi-cultural team of Pinoy (me), the other Sr. QSs are a Briton and a Malaysian, and the boss PCM is Australian.

Great hotel brand names like the completed Crowne Plaza, ongoing Intercon and upcoming W Hotel and the Four Seasons. I would be involved with the Four Seasons Hotel and Residential Towers Development (ballpark half-million $ in Total Cash Development Budget). See artist's perspective above.

As a first timer Pinoy Expat/OFW, I would consider myself blessed (thank you Lord God - the Ultimate Master Project Planner of our lives) or fortunate because the package was above industry.

I've spoken to some of our Consultants here and it is still the industry rule of thumb -- if you haven't been to the Middle East or haven't got the international exposure, you're considered normally "zero" work experience. But again there can be exceptions -- me and my "batchmates" were all 1st timers OFWs -- but we got a little bit better packages than average, I believe.

I do know some other friends or former colleagues who got even better packages -- mostly those involved in Oil and Gas industry or lucky enough to land jobs with big name firms like Shell, Qatar Petroleum, etc. Their family status benefits for example provide for free schooling for the Expat's children in international schools. In my case, the kid's school fees would come out from my salary and not as a "top-off" benefit.

I guess that would do for starters. As I said, I consider myself lucky enough as it is.

The only other tough part of being away -- is being AWAY!

Homesickness can be pretty hard to dispel...and as we changed plans for the timing of my wife/kid's transfer here (we decided for CJ to complete the schoolyear in Phils until April next year). When I take my annual vacation, I'd be coming back to Dubai around May 08 with family in tow...and then Dubai school year starts off in September 08. I may get them to visit around December this year (nice time of the year in Dubai...cool weather then, and many promotional sales for shopping).

Some pics from CJ's shool recognition...he placed top # 1 across 300 grade 1 students...wow, parang "300" the movie, CJ is Little Leonidus...but the battle is in the form of the pencil (academics)...these pictures and great news truly quell homesickness pang (or perhaps makes it worst and makes me want to go home now?)

(L-R) Cousin Tin-Tin, Lola Inah (Baby's mother), CJ, Baby, and Lola Cris (my mom)

Next time...I'd post some pics from Dubai, our office, and the site...