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shebab
Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 168
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 6:25 am Post subject: University of Qatar |
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These people are hiring for next academic year 04/05...any word on what this place is like? |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 3657 Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 11:44 am Post subject: |
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I saw that too.
Money looks good - over $3,000 a month. But would that compensate for living in what is widely believed to be the dullest city in the Gulf - and that's dull!
Their deadline is Jan 1st - they're planning early! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
Where did you see this ad? I didn't see anything on the jobs board here.
I'm surprised at the $3000 number. I was approached by them in the US back in '98 and their pay was lower than Oman - less than $2000, so I didn't bother to apply (having heard too often of the boredom level there). They must be having problems getting faculty.
VS |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397
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Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2003 10:01 am Post subject: |
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Rumour is they are having a big shake up. all the old staff have to apply for their old positions. the money is apparently correct.
BTW Doha isn't that bad. If you're not a shrinking violet then there is a good social scene. There's great shopping and loads of sport facilities.
It's tax free and cheap |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 3657 Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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I can't imagine Doha could be much more dull than Riyadh, though life is full of surprises!
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Qatar is the variety of pronunciation foreign news reporters concoct when uttering the word "Qatar".
Who can forget US news anchors during the Iraq invasion?
"We bring you the latest painfully objective briefings from our state of the art news facility in Cuttar/Cudder/Kaddar/Cootar"
I don't think I ever heard one of them approximate what my Saudi students have said is the correct pronunciation, something like QAAH-ter.
I think. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2003 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
Yes, Cleo - I have always been quite appalled at the US news readers complete inability to pronounce even a simple Arabic name - like Saddam - though I have often felt that the use of Sodom was an intentional demonization system. I at least got my two local channels to correctly pronounce his name and they also learned that there is no such country as eyerack. Now the problem of the letter 'qaf' in Arabic is understandable, as it takes some training to pronounce it correctly - whether at the end of Iraq or the beginning of Qatar. The most common mangling of that word that I hear is Gutter. Personally I would am thrilled the 1% of the time that I hear them begin the name with a 'k' sound as it is at least close. Not that it is an easy name for a non-native speaker.
But, back to the topic of living there --- Besides the low pay, the lifestyle there rather put me off. Having flown in and out of Doha a number of times, it looked kind of spread out and empty down below. I recall a woman who described their social life as a series of 'progressive dinners.' For those of you who don't know, it is when start at one house for drinks, go to the next for appetizers, next for main course, etc--- She did mention that there were very few singles and described it as not too bad if you are married - especially married with children. It sounds as though the money has improved, but I expect it is still a pretty dull place for those of us who find shopping boring and sports - umm - even more boring. Perhaps good for working on that distance degree??
Does anyone know anything about the housing for teachers at the uni?
VS |
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guty
Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Why the downer on Doha?
It has a shop where you can buy real alcohol, places where men and women can sit together, my wife would have the freedom to walk unaccompanied along the corniche, and she doent have to wear a binliner outside my walled residence.
Riyadh would have to have some fantastic architecture or whatever else is considered fun and lacking in Doha to better those small freedoms. |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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@Guty. Did you ever imagine that one day you/we would be sticking up for Doha? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 1:58 am Post subject: |
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Hey Guty
I think most of us are thinking of Doha in comparison to Oman or the Emirates, not Riyadh. (our Cleo has only worked in Riyadh so far) But, our OP has been in a couple of Gulf countries.
So, can you enlighten us on the university housing, Guty? Is it on campus or spread around town?
VS |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 3657 Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 10:54 am Post subject: |
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BTW, I forgot "Catarhh".
Above posts make Doha sound strangely like Riyadh: all that "bad for singles but OK for marrieds" dinner party scene.
Personally, I can very happily live without nightclubs and bars,but I do like to socialize with like-minded (?) people. From what I've heard, Cudddar is second only to KSA in it's conservatism. Again, I can live with that, don't even mind wearing the headscarf and abaya, but what would put me off would be the thought of letting myself, a single woman, in for more of the same isolation and boredom of KSA.
Anyway, back to the job. Do they pay an extra month's bonus salary at the end of each year? Are classes segregated? Is it an OK place to work?
PS, Do I detect a faint note of interest from you, VS...? |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 3657 Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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BTW, Guty, aren't women free to walk unaccompanied in KSA?
I for one, did it all the time!
Pleasant - not neccessarily. Legal - certainly. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Cleo
Interest? only in that I like to know if people ask me later. My theory is why work if one can afford not to?
BTW, I know that the classes are segregated there. But, expats are not affected by the conservatism of the locals as in Saudi - no mutawas enforcing dress code on all. Living in Qatar is probably more like Muscat (without the scenery) than Riyadh. Or at least so it seemed from people that I have talked to.
VS |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 3657 Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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And what's all this about having to send "copies of credentials" and "references"? Yawn!!! And I haven't even got a scanner! Maybe I'll tell them they're in the post...
Do you think they mean the names of referees or actual letters of reference? |
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guty
Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Can we differentiate between
It is boring, there is nothing to do there
and
I dont like to do what is on offer there
of course Doha is boring if you dont like what you can do there, but the same can be said for Paris, Beijing, Bangkok etc etc if you dont like what is there |
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guty
Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Surely the
"Most boring town in the Gulf"
would have to be more boring than all the other towns, or am I being pedantic and defensive? |
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