Just another manic Monday (but here's it's just another Dubai Day)

Most exciting news? I bought a car today....insha'allah everything works out okay, but I put down the deposit, had it checked out, called for bank loans...so "god-willing" I will be mobile by end of this week!

Just a few comments on the Dubai car-shopping process. First off, I started looking at the auto-souk (which is basically a used-car mall). My first visit was on a Friday (reminder: Friday is Muslim holy day). I went in at around 430pm to enquire about the price of a BMW 6-series that I saw on the lot and found a traditionally dressed salesman (in a dishdash) asleep on the floor amongst floor pillows. I asked how much for the BMW to which I got a prompt response of "huh?" (insert Arabic inflection/accent). Asked a second time. Same response. The third time, I finally got "one-one-eight" - (again, insert that high-pitched sing-songy Arabic accent) but that was it. I then asked for keys....apparently, that was one question too many because the guy was pretty much asleep again by the time I was finished asking. Never in my life have I wanted for a used-car salesman. I mean seriously? Can you imagine how bad "service" must be if you want some bald, cheesy, middle-aged man trying to sell you a lemon? I mean, for christ's sake, try and sell the damned car! Oh well.

My second visit was a few weeks ago, when I found my near-perfect car. I won't mention here what it is yet for fear of jinxing something, but anyhow, found the car, negotiated the price down 10,000AED (which now that i convert, is less than $3000USD). I'd been speaking to the salesman, Raju all week, trying to get the price down, figure out what the protocol for buying a car is. I've been told from everyone that before you buy a car, you have it checked out by a mechanic. I called the dealership to make a service appt. Raju said on Tuesday that I could just come and pick up the car and take it wherever I wanted to have it inspected. I told him the dealer said they'd need it for a couple days and he said "no problem." Silly me, I thought this meant, come to the auto-souk, pick up the car and take it to the dealership. Nope. Today, my housemate (who has so kindly been driving me around on the hunt for a vehicle) suggests that I call and find out the exact procedure, what I needed to bring in terms of paperwork, etc. to get this car. I ring Raju and have the following conversation:

me: Hello, I rang about the car?
R: yes.
me: I'm coming today to pick up the car and take it to Al Nabooda (the dealership)
R: yes
me: okay...what do you need from me? do you need a deposit? passport? bank statement? what?
R: yes
me: not yes, WHAT do I need to bring you?
R: you no take car to Al Nabooda, you no drive.
me: but when I asked the other day about an inspection, you said, just come back and take the car to have looked at
R: yes, but you no drive.
me: ok, so then how do I get it to Al Nabooda?
R: recaubry
me: what?
R: you call recaubry
me: what?
R: recaubry
me: oh...recovery? how do I get in touch with them?
R: yes
me: no, not yes, what-is-their-number?
R: you come, take car
me: but you just said I cannot take the car
R: no you not drive
me: OK then....so how do I get the car to the dealer?
(and here we go on the recaubry/recovery conversation all over again)

after we sort that out, I finally get that I cannot take to dealer, but I can take to the service station just around the corner from them, I start the line of questioning "what do you need me to bring?" to which I get the answer "yes" - and again, here we go on the "no, not yes, WHAT do you need me to bring?" conversation.

Anyhow...so typical days here in Dubai. But the good news is, I think I have a car!

stay tuned for photos!