Hijrah ke Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Alhamdulillah dah sampai di Jubail, Arab Saudi.

Berlepas dari KLIA tadi pukul 9.30pagi dengan Qatar Airways. Ramai yg datang menghantar ke KLIA. Terima kasih semua. I love you all... Inilah flight aku ke Doha:

Ini menu dalam flight, bihun ayam, roti, macaroni. Sedap gak... Alhamdulillah kenyang.

Sampai di Doha lbh krg pkul12tgh hari (Qatar time) utk transit ke Dammam lak jam 2.45ptg (Qatar time). Alhamdulillah semuanya dipermudahkan. Dari KLIA, dalam flight sampailah di Saudi Imigresen dkt King Fahd International Airport (Dammam).

King Fahd International Airport (Dammam)

Tips untuk korang dapat clearance cepat di King Fahd International Airport (Dammam) korang kena beratur line 2@3 dari kiri untuk first timer nak masuk Saudi. Sbb biasanya org akan masuk line tengah2. Panjang yang amat dahsyat. Kalau silap gaya mau sampai 2-3jam baru boleh lepas. Alhamdulillah sy lebih kurang 45min dah lepas imigresen ni. Kalau lama pun sabarlah, dugaan semua tu.

*So ingat, sampai kat imigresen King Fahd International Airport (Dammam) ambik line ke 2@3 dari kiri. Kiri tau kan belah mana? Jgn tertukar lak kiri dengan kanan.

Kat airport company aku provide transport untuk ke Jubail. Jarak Jubail ke Dammam dalam 80km (1jam). Tgk maps bawah ni utk rujukan:

Yg ambik aku haritu Bangladeshi dah 8tahun duk saudi. Boleh cakap arab dah sikit. Dia ambik aku dan hantar ke Golden Tulip Hotel, Jubail untuk temporary accommodation. Sampai kat hotel dah dekat pukul5lbh. Ni lah hotel aku:

Cantik kan? See ya....

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Step 2: Approval Visa & Travel Date

The husband wrote: 

After came back from Korea trip. I have to submit my original passport for visa approval from Saudi Embassy. Received approval visa from YHA Travel on 4th April 2016. Since the visa has been stamped, I need to proposed travel date to the recruitment agency. 

Proposed travel date: 14th April 2016.
Confirmation travel date: 17th April 2016

Based on my offer letter received before, I have to reporting in Yanbu but, my flight itinerary stated I'll be arriving in Dammam Airport which is company headquarters located.  After re-confirm with the agency, she said that I have to submit all the document required with HR at the HQ before travelling to Yanbu.

Well, I have only 10 days left to packing my stuff. ''phew, neves gak nih.''

Tak sabar nak jumpa kwn2 saya..hihi

Saudi Arabia see you on 17th April 2016! .hehe

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Part 2: Anniversary Trip to Seoul

The Wife Wrote:

After Busan, we spend 5 days in Seoul City. We took ground arrangement trip with IBC Tour (Malaysia).

Travel Date: 22th March 2016 - 26th March 2016
City : Seoul
Season: Early Spring

1. Kimchi Making at Kimchi Academy.
Meet our representative at Incheon Airport. We start our tour to Kimchihi school where we can learn to make traditional Kim Chi. We were so excited attending our very first culinary class. After watching the teacher's demonstration on making kimchi, it was our turn putting chili paste in between every piece of cabbages, and then wrapping it around. Then, we can take pictures while wearing a Han – Bok (Korean traditional costume).
 

Kiri: Hasil si isteri... Kanan: hasil si suami..

Dinner time... We've tried Tteokbokki. It is a popular Korean food made from soft rice cake, fish cake, and the sweet red chili sauce called gochujang. 'biasa2 je rasa, kenyal2 skit'

seaweed soup, tteokbokki, fish cake, scrambel egg.. T_T balik hotel makan megi lg best

2. Mt. Seorak

Sokcho City, in Gangwondo province, is the starting point for most people headed to Mt. Sorak from Seoul. There’s a cable-car that takes you some distance up the mountain so you can enjoy the views without needing to climb too much, making this a suitable place to bring children and the elderly. Of course, the more fit and energetic amongst us can reap further rewards if they do make the hike up.'Part yang best, bila sampai di puncak.. its snowing! Dapat la kami merasa pegang salji..haha.. jakun sekejap. Maklum la, peralihan musim sejuk ke bunga.. mmg akan ada salji di sesetengah tempat. Lagi2 atas gunung.. 

 

dapat gak pgg salji..haha tapi salji halus2 je. during winter, salji besar2

Subhanallah, cantik kan?

3. Everland Theme Park

Everland, which is located at the Everland Resort in Yongin happens to be South Korea’s largest theme park. The moment We stepped inside, we were immediately overwhelmed by the place.There’s just so much to see and explore.It seems like an entire day isn’t enough to truly experience everything that Everland offers.We absolutely enjoyed everything that Everland had to offer.One particular attraction we really enjoyed was the Amazing Safari where they tour you around a vast area using an amphibious bus showcasing a variety of cool animals.

Best oi, mcm ni la zoo msia ptt buat. Rasa dekat gn binatang2 ni.

Comey tak dia tido?? mcm nak peluk2

See, sampai kepala masuk dalam bus..

 

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Part 1: Anniversary Trip to Busan

The Wife Wrote:

If you've been reading our blog for awhile now, you'll know that this is our 2nd trip to South Korea. Why South Korea again? Cheaper flight ticket i guess..haha 

Travel Date: 20th March 2016 - 22th March 2016
City : Busan
Season: Early Spring
Hotel : Mirabell, Busan

Let's talk about Busan. Busan is the 2nd largest metropolitan area in South Korea. We could have easily spent a week exploring and relaxing in Busan, and we will no doubt return, but two days was a perfect getaway for the weekend.

We've arrived Incheon International airport at 3.05pm (local time). To get to Busan, we decided to ride the KTX express that made the five-hour trip via bus or regular train down to a little more than 2.5 hours. Honestly, it costs quite a lot, but I promise that it’s worth every Korean Won.
We've booked the KTX express ticket a week before the travel period via KORAIL website. Upon arriving at Seoul Station (Subway Line 1 or 4, Exit 1), we heading to the Information Center to exchange the voucher(e-ticket) for a real pass. Btw, the weather in Seoul was freaking cold! 

Enter to the train boarding area

 

Inside the KTX Express. Free WiFi!!

We arrived at Busan Station at 10.33pm. Find the hotel and rest! (penat, cuaca sejuk..Zzz).

What to do and see in Busan in 48 hours 

1. Gamcheon Cultural Village

Just outside of downtown Busan lies a curious village. Lego-like houses, painted in a rainbow of pastels hug the hillside and spill down in colorful chaos. The colorful scenery of houses reminds you of Santorini in Greece! We went there and spend the most time as we went around literally the whole village as there are a lot of photo zones (such as the little prince) which you can visit. Just a watchout though that you'll be extremely tired from all the walking especially going up and down the hill and you'll get lost going back as you need to take a different bus going back to the city (look for bus station). But definitely a must visit for you if you visit Busan.

Legoland.. comey je rumah2 di Gamcheon Village. Padat & BERSIH!

We bought a map at the village entrance for 2,000 won. In addition to guiding us around the town, it also served as a place to collect stamps from 9 featured locations around the village. We made our way through the labyrinth of narrow alleyways, past murals and obscure statues, exploring this charming and quirky little town. 

Gigih Makcik ni terang Map kat aku..Ckp Korea lak tu..Angguk2 Geleng2 je la..haha

Entrance

How to get there?

Ride subway and alight at Toseong Line 1 Exit 6. Upon alighting, go to the intersection and turn right at the corner. Walk straight for about 5 mins until you reach the hospital on your right. There will be a bus stop located and take bus 2 or 2-2 until you reach the village. The bus ride will take 15-20 mins and it will be very uphill ride as you'll go up until the top of the mountain.

2. Jagalchi Market

If there’s a photogenic grit or raw edge to Busan, the wharf area of Jalgachi Fish Market hits a memorable note. Key word- rubber rain boots! (You’ll see a lot of them here)  Ajummas and ajosshis are the working population here and you’ll see fish in a way you’ve never seen them before.  Whether dried and hanging, toothpick splayed, skinned or live, I’m convinced there’s an art and pride to the fishes on display.

Variety of Kimchi.. Musim sejuk belum abes lg.. Kimchi wajib ada. (maap, tekak kami laki bini mmg takleh terima) T_T

Mcm2 jenis ikan... yang tak penah tgk pun ada..

Other than marveling at the vast array of seafood sold here, visitors can choose their fresh seafood and have it cooked and served at the many restaurants on the first floor of the market. The market opens from morning till night, but come early to get your hands on the freshest catch.

3. BIFF (Busan International Film festival) Square

BIFF Square is the place where all the film festival in Korea is held. It's an area with all the Korea movie stars' hand printing, and during movie festivals, all Korean stars will fly to Busan to attend the event at BIFF. When there is no festival, the place is basically a street surrounded with hundreds of stores and cart food. We love how clean the street is and how the air is so fresh with no pollution!

Food Must Try: Hotteok (Pronounce.. Hot-tok (Hotak ang!...haha saja tambah)

If you would ask me what to eat in Busan, it would be the Busan famous hotteok. I know that Busan is famous for its seafood but this hotteok was the best one we’ve had. So what is a Hotteok? It’s a filled fried korean pancake, a popular street food usually eaten in the winter. This version in Busan had a variation of sunflower seed, nuts, honey and a bit of cinnamon as filling. We actually just paid for one at first but I was like maybe we should get more since we’re already here. So we decided to get another one each. It was so good though. It is perfect for the cold weather. "Sedap baq ang.. En. Husband mula2 tamau, skali pekena, mau lagi..hihi'

 

Kena beratur...panjang lak tu..

 

Nila Hotteok.. Bapak sedap..serius, aku mmg teringat2 sampai kt Malaysia.

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Husband-Wife Decision Making

The wife's wrote:

Remember these past 2 days that my husband has accepted an offer from M***? The offer was too good to pass up. However, there was one problem. What about me? 

Well, we have discussed about it yesterday.

My husband need to know that I'm behind him when he's making choices for the both of us

How my husband convince me?

I let my husband express his opinions, concerns, and ideas about his plan. This process can help me develop a mutually-agreeable plan and then support his need for ongoing success. 

It was all planned out.

There was a lot to consider. First of all we have to decide how many years we want to spend in Saudi Arabia. 3 years? 10 years? Is it was long enough to see the country, visit neighbouring countries, and save up money?

Quit Job.

According to Saudi Law, womens are NOT allowed to work if living there as part of their husband’s visa. So, I have to quit my job in order to follow my husband.

Rent out the house

Then, we decided to rent out the house instead of selling it and have someone to take care of our furniture while we were away. ''kena cari penyewa yg lembut2 lah, tak rosak brg umah aku". That way we would return to our life when we came back.

Selling Cars

We need to sell 2 out of 3 cars that we have. "simpan satu yg dh nak abes byr". 

Sponsorship
My husband need to pay all my commitments with bank. Because, I will be unemployed for a very long time. "hehe..tak byk pun". 

InsyaAllah, dipermudahkan :)
 

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Faktor Penting Sebelum Buat Keputusan Kerja Di Luar Negara / Crucial Criteria Before Decide To Work Oversea

Sekadar perkongsian FAKTOR atau aspek atau kriteria aku sebelum buat keputusan untuk kerja di luar negara. Lain orang mungkin ada kelainan dari segi keutamaannya (priority). Kriterianya adalah:


1. Gaji kalau setakat lebih 10%-50% dari gaji sekarang, baik tak payah. Paling kurang dapatkan 2 kali ganda dari gaji semasa di Malaysia. Itu pendapat aku lah. Sebab yang dapat kerja ini seorang shj. Pasangan anda mungkin kena berhenti kerja. Fikir-fikirkan. 

2. Gaji - bersih ke ada cukai. Kalau bebas cukai memang terbaik lah. Kalau ada cukai tengok pulak berapa gaji bersih selepas tolak cukai. Ada negara 30% cukai pendapatan bagi orang asing, ada sampai 40%, ada juga yang lebih tinggi lagi. Subhanallah... Kalau kurang dari situasi no.1 di atas baik tak payah. 2 kali ganda. Ingat tu!

3. Gaji - berapa target minimum saving? Sebab kat Malaysia korang ada KWSP. Caruman dan simpanan untuk hari tua. Majikan korang bayar caruman . Secara tak lgsung gaji korang lagi besar dari gaji pokok tu. Majikan kena contribute minimum 12% dari basic. Klu setakat dapat keje luar gaji mcm situasi no.1 gak baik tak payah. 2 kali ganda. Ingat tu!

4. Pakej (single@family) & Elaun2 lain (rumah, kereta, hardship, telefon, kelab rekreasi dll)

5. Tiket balik tahunan. Berapa kali dorang bagi utk 1thn? Berapa org boleh tanggung? Ada bagi duit poket balik bercuti tak?

6. Yuran sekolah anak. Berapa org yg ditanggung? Ada limit ke tak? Setakat mana yg ditanggung sampai universiti ke sampai sekolah tadika je.

7. Medical, hospitalization, dental ada optical gk lagi terbaik.

8. Lokasi negara tersebut. Sbb klu nak balik byr sendiri harga tiket mungkin mahal. Contoh: Kalau dapat yang dekat dgn capital city lebih bagus seban byk flight yg ada. Tapi kalau smaller city yg kena transit biasanya tiket mahal. 

Contoh: 

a. Jeddah-KLIA-Jeddah dlm SR1500/pax dah boleh dapat. 

Tapi kalau Dammam kena transit dulu. Jadi perjalanannya Dammam-transit-KLIA-transit-Dammam plg murah SR1900/pax tapi normal time dlm SR3000/pax. Raya beli last min mau smpai SR7000/pax.

b. Muscat-KLIA-Muscat dlm OR160/ pax senang2 boleh dapat. 

Tapi kalau Salalah kena transit dulu kat mana2 airport sebab takde direct flight ke KLIA. Jadi route nya Salalah-transit-KLIA-transit-Salalah yang paling murah dalam OR300/pax.

9. Job security. Berapa lama dorang bagi kontrak? 1thn? 2thn? Tetap? 

10. Pengalaman yang tak boleh dibeli dgn wang ringgit. Priceless.

English version:

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The day just arrived!

The husband's wrote:

This is it! Today is my face to face interview (2nd interview) with Saudi Arabia Company. The M***. Again! I've got butterflies in my stomach. At 10.20 am, starts the engine and drove to JW Marriot Hotel, Kuala Lumpur where the interview was conducted. Need to go earlier to avoid traffic jammed. "taula kan KL punya traffic jammed pagi2". My interview's schedule was at 1.45pm to 2.20pm. Reached JW Marriot at 11.06 am. It's too early, and I've met a few candidates from morning session which is came for an instrument engineer position. "diorg ni ada dtg dr TNB, Aker Solutions, Petronas dll."

Image from google

At 12.30 pm, the morning session interviews already done. The candidates are waiting for the results. As far as I know, M*** will give the offer letter to the successful candidates on the spot. From 7 candidates, there are 4 who is successful in these interview (for morning session). But, not all accept the offer. Some of them reject the offer due to some reasons. "mungkin sbb low pay offer atau tak meet diorg punya exepectations".

At 2.30 pm, the afternoon session has started. I am the first candidates to be interviewed in the afternoon session. There are 3 interviewer, one of them is Mr. Franck (represent Jerry Varghese company) from France. He introduced the company background and told that they have 4 years balance JV with M****** and M***. But, they already applied 8 years extension with these 2 companies. "Kalo ada rezeki boleh la duk Arab Saudi 12 tahun, InsyaAllah". Overall, the interview went well. They want to know what are my 5 years and 10 years goal in the future. 

At 5.50 pm the results session begin and guess what?? ALHAMDULILLAH! I'VE GOT AN OFFER!! But, the salary did not meet my expectation. The benefits was okay. They gave me a family package "sng nak bawak keluarga", inclusive of A+ coverage, tuition fee for 2 childrens, return flight to hometown, 22 days annual vacation and other normal benefits. I told them, the salary was too low and I'm trying to negotiate with them. At 6.15pm I was then asked to wait outside, to allow them to discuss about it.

At 6.22 pm, they called me and offer the salary which is higher than before. ACCEPT & SIGN! "aku pn terus je la sign, tak ckp byk dah..hehe ALHAMDULILLAH. 

I am expected to report duty on 15 MAC 2016. But, it depends on approval of my VISA application. Maybe it takes 2 months from today. 

Yanbu, here I come!! :)

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