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cosmosmariner
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 34
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 Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 10:20 am Post subject: VINNELL ARABIA_ Questions |
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One hears rumors......Can anyone verify the following about Vinnell Arabia:
1. Their teachers are treated like camel dung.
2. They have to wear dopey-looking army uniforms and heavy combat boots.
3. They ride to work in Riyadh in shared vehicles without airconditioning?
4. The facilities they work in are all broken down.
There have not been any recent posting about them on this forum.
I would appreciate some information about them if there is anyone out there with first hand information. I hear they are looking for more teachers. Thanks |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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Instructors are shackled and there are compulsory classes in Religion.
Come on - is this a wind-up or a serious post ?
Last edited by scot47 on Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:25 pm Post subject: Re: VINNELL ARABIA_ Questions |
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| cosmosmariner wrote: |
One hears rumors......Can anyone verify the following about Vinnell Arabia:
1. Their teachers are treated like camel dung.
2. They have to wear dopey-looking army uniforms and heavy combat boots.
3. They ride to work in Riyadh in shared vehicles without airconditioning?
4. The facilities they work in are all broken down.
There have not been any recent posting about them on this forum.
I would appreciate some information about them if there is anyone out there with first hand information. I hear they are looking for more teachers. Thanks |
You mean they are treated like 'Sadik'? |
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voltaire
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 179
Location: 'The secret of being boring is to say everything.'
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
One hears rumors......Can anyone verify the following about Vinnell Arabia:
1. Their teachers are treated like camel dung.
2. They have to wear dopey-looking army uniforms and heavy combat boots.
3. They ride to work in Riyadh in shared vehicles without air conditioning?
4. The facilities they work in are all broken down.
There have not been any recent posting about them on this forum. |
Here's your update: as of mid 2011:
1.If being treated like camel dung means that you can get in trouble for wearing the wrong colored t-shirt or walking 200 meters from the job site to get a snack, yes, they are treated like camel dung.
2.Absolutely true. I have sworn never to be seen in crap brown/khaki again. And you will be reprimanded for wearing the wrong cap. You can't wear the one they give you that will actually protect you from the sun and 45-degree heat.
3. Again absolutely true. Usually four to six men share a car. They have AC, but if it's broken the vehicle goes out of commission for days or weeks, and the guys crowd into the remaining ones, in which the AC is probably not in the best condition either. I remember several times riding in the said 45-degree afternoon heat going home. But not to fear! There's the company motto: "If you don't like it, you can leave!"
4. Partially true. They moved into a new building in 2009, but I remember toward the end of last fall, the AC in the building, indeed the whole compound broke down, so it was ignored as winter was coming on, but it was still a bit warm indoors. When the weather heated up again the powers that be recalled the AC problem and several weeks later had it repaired.
Adding my own two cents, the head of ESL is a little Mexican bitch. He is always a bit drunk on home-brew and prescription medicine. He can write his own as he is an former doctor. This man takes it upon himself to always have a 'target'. As soon as he manages to get his least favorite man fired, he finds a new whipping boy to endlessly 'write up' reports about. I suppose it gives him something to report to his superiors. They are all ex-military and understand that since the troops are not doing much anyway, they need to keep them hopping by reprimanding them for carrying pens in their shirt pockets or not tying their bootlaces properly. Yes, the work is relatively light with four to six 45-minute sessions a day. However, the guys must report to work at 5:30 a.m, and cannot leave or go anywhere until 2:30. Nine hours is nine hours is their continual mantra. So teachers are mostly confined to one small 'teacher's lounge' where the spare toilet paper and drinking water is also kept. Here, they wait two or three hours until the students arrive. Then they must stay a good two and a half or three hours after the students are gone.
Want to know more? |
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Middle East Beast
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| voltaire wrote: |
| Want to know more? |
Yes, please.
Are they looking for teachers, and if so, why, i.e. because their program is expanding or because more teachers are following the company motto for reasons such as the conditions you describe?
Thanks.
MEB  |
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voltaire
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 179
Location: 'The secret of being boring is to say everything.'
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:55 am Post subject: |
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Yes, they are always looking for teachers for the reasons I�ve mentioned. The �chief instructor� is constantly harassing at least one guy, which is amazing given that on average one of the 20 or so teachers quits each month even without his fussing. Also, there is a high attrition rate among the brand new. I would say one of three leaves within the first two weeks or soon after. They see the living conditions, i.e., quality of life. One is given a nice enough villa, to share with two or three other non-ESL Vinnell employees, bu the compound is under heavy security. It takes 10 minutes to go through the controls. The salary is good, but there is little to do and no where to go after work. Even going for a stroll in the residential compound is no real fun since it is still oven-hot well after dark. The other Vinnell employees are decent enough guys, but usually over 55 and ex-military. So younger men may find it harder to �buddy up�. It being Saudi Arabia, the only alcohol is home-brewed and cannot be taken off the compound (where would you go anyway?)
Girlfriends can be found most easily among the Filipina nurses. So a trip to a hospital, a few smiles and an exchange of phone numbers can start that off, but then the lady must be �vetted�. There is bureaucratic security rigmarole that must be gone through, could take weeks. Then you must find a way to transport her, since it is illegal for you to just be in town with her. You can only meet at the compound.
Wives can visit for up to about 30 days, but somehow the bureaucracy is even more involved to get permission for that! And what sane wife would want to spend the whole day in a big lonely house with no where to go. Women cannot travel about the city/country alone. At home she may be uncomfortable with your roommates around.They are gentlemen, but here is little privacy.
So the social life is limited. You can use the ESL Cars but must compete with the other ESL guys signing them out for two or four hours at a time.
You can go to Carrefour in one mall or another. Drink coffee, served by Filipino men. You must not be seen even speaking with a woman, even if you know her. I have heard of guys who were seen by the 'religious police' simply exchanging greetings with another Vinnell employee/ acquaintance's wife at he supermarket cashiers. They were given the choice of imprisonment or deportation. Guess which they picked? |
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voltaire
Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 179
Location: 'The secret of being boring is to say everything.'
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:30 am Post subject: |
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And I forgot to mention that children are not allowed into the residential complex at all. It is considered by Vinnell Arabia to be too great of a security risk - to the children of course, not from them.  |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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| voltaire wrote: |
| Quote: |
One hears rumors......Can anyone verify the following about Vinnell Arabia:
1. Their teachers are treated like camel dung.
2. They have to wear dopey-looking army uniforms and heavy combat boots.
3. They ride to work in Riyadh in shared vehicles without air conditioning?
4. The facilities they work in are all broken down.
There have not been any recent posting about them on this forum. |
Here's your update: as of mid 2011:
1.If being treated like camel dung means that you can get in trouble for wearing the wrong colored t-shirt or walking 200 meters from the job site to get a snack, yes, they are treated like camel dung.
2.Absolutely true. I have sworn never to be seen in crap brown/khaki again. And you will be reprimanded for wearing the wrong cap. You can't wear the one they give you that will actually protect you from the sun and 45-degree heat.
3. Again absolutely true. Usually four to six men share a car. They have AC, but if it's broken the vehicle goes out of commission for days or weeks, and the guys crowd into the remaining ones, in which the AC is probably not in the best condition either. I remember several times riding in the said 45-degree afternoon heat going home. But not to fear! There's the company motto: "If you don't like it, you can leave!"
4. Partially true. They moved into a new building in 2009, but I remember toward the end of last fall, the AC in the building, indeed the whole compound broke down, so it was ignored as winter was coming on, but it was still a bit warm indoors. When the weather heated up again the powers that be recalled the AC problem and several weeks later had it repaired.
Adding my own two cents, the head of ESL is a little Mexican bitch. He is always a bit drunk on home-brew and prescription medicine. He can write his own as he is an former doctor. This man takes it upon himself to always have a 'target'. As soon as he manages to get his least favorite man fired, he finds a new whipping boy to endlessly 'write up' reports about. I suppose it gives him something to report to his superiors. They are all ex-military and understand that since the troops are not doing much anyway, they need to keep them hopping by reprimanding them for carrying pens in their shirt pockets or not tying their bootlaces properly. Yes, the work is relatively light with four to six 45-minute sessions a day. However, the guys must report to work at 5:30 a.m, and cannot leave or go anywhere until 2:30. Nine hours is nine hours is their continual mantra. So teachers are mostly confined to one small 'teacher's lounge' where the spare toilet paper and drinking water is also kept. Here, they wait two or three hours until the students arrive. Then they must stay a good two and a half or three hours after the students are gone.
Want to know more? |
Several years ago, I applied to Vinnell and got an offer from them that they told me not to disclose to others. When I saw it, I could understand why they wanted to keep it secret as it was really low relative to other contractors in the area. I had to pass.
Sadebugo |
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Middle East Beast
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Sadebugo wrote: |
Several years ago, I applied to Vinnell and got an offer from them that they told me not to disclose to others. When I saw it, I could understand why they wanted to keep it secret as it was really low relative to other contractors in the area. I had to pass.Sadebugo |
Would I be too squirrelly if I asked you if you could discuss it now?
MEB |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Middle East Beast wrote: |
| Sadebugo wrote: |
Several years ago, I applied to Vinnell and got an offer from them that they told me not to disclose to others. When I saw it, I could understand why they wanted to keep it secret as it was really low relative to other contractors in the area. I had to pass.Sadebugo |
Would I be too squirrelly if I asked you if you could discuss it now?
MEB |
I can't remember the exact amount now but it was rougly half of what I received from the job offer I eventually accepted.
Sadebugo |
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Cole Katz
Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:28 am Post subject: |
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Yes, everything everyone has said in this thread is true about Vinnell Arabia.Absitively Posiament�.  |
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It's Scary!
Joined: 17 Apr 2011
Posts: 823
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:08 am Post subject: |
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| Cole Katz wrote: |
| Yes, everything everyone has said in this thread is true about Vinnell Arabia.Absitively Posiament�. |
THIS, plus M. Ge-are-are-ity??? God Help you there!
It's more that I could manage working with "him"! |
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revilo
Joined: 05 Oct 2013
Posts: 181
Location: Mos Eisley
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:22 pm Post subject: I gots offer |
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Vinnell Arabia sent me email to apply for their
Saudi Arabia National Guard Modernization Program. SANGMP
Does this mean I have to modernize 11th Century minds to 18th Century? |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| National Guard is hard. Even the trainee Air cadets are easier to teach ! |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 6:31 am Post subject: |
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| revilo wrote: |
Does this mean I have to modernize 11th Century minds to 18th Century? |
A more realistic statement would be modernizing an 8th century mind with the ability to drive a car to say what ever century they should be modernized to. Any modernization requires a Fatwah from the head religious people that do the best to keep it in the 8th century. Lots of luck. |
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