View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
|
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
1. Minimise driving
2. Avoid the demon drink
3. Ditto dope
4. Cultivate a hobby that occupies the mind wiothout polluting the soul
Driving is bad eveywhere in KSA. I spend my last two years there in a small tgown in the middle of nowhere,(Hafr Al Batin) The driving there was scarier than Riyaydh or Jeddah. There is no escape from this unless you are RIGOROUS about Rule 1 above. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
al-Californian
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 96
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
cmp45 wrote: |
Joking aside...As John says...there is no secret formula. ...it is hard for most expats, no matter where you are in KSA...if it wasn't...then you really would be nuts. |
Wow, that's real heavy. So if life's easy here, it means I've crossed over to the twilight zone? Yikes |
|
Back to top |
|
|
al-Californian
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 96
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
johnslat wrote: |
Dear al-Californian,
I'd say. Hey, you've got it easy (or easier, anyway) for my first 12 years in Saudi, there was no Internet and no dish TV, just two channels, one all in Arabic, the other in English but mostly religion, football (soccer), and (go figure) American "wrestling. And the "news" on that channel consisted mostly of people lining up for audiences with the king.
It not only could be worse - it WAS.
Regards,
John |
YIKES! Did you suffer all of that alone or with family? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
al-Californian
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 96
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
scot47 wrote: |
1. Minimise driving
2. Avoid the demon drink
3. Ditto dope
4. Cultivate a hobby that occupies the mind wiothout polluting the soul
|
1 is a doozy, especially now that I've learned the driving sucks all over this place.
2&3 don't apply since my now (Amriki)inflated ego is my fix.
4. Think I can find model airplane kits here? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Geronimo
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 498
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
With respect to your point 4 - al-Californian,
there is a vibrant radio-controlled model aircraft
scene in Riyadh...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUvKDGv6NRY
and, as for building one yourself, here is
an instructional video posted by a resident of Riyadh.
It shows you how to build
a model airplane using a kit.
This model plane crashed into pieces...
but, hey, you have to start somewhere...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grHA3xRiTxQ
Geronimo |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Hatcher
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 11:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
I knew it was slow here before I came. I try hard to keep busy including a lot of time in the gym. Not easy at all!
I would suggest KFUPM as they give multiple re entry visas. That way, you can get out when needed. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 4:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Dear al-Californian,
"YIKES! Did you suffer all of that alone or with family?"
Both - mostly alone (10 years) but two with my 2nd wife. It wasn't so bad - you couldn't miss what you hadn't had there. Plus, I like to read, so I got a LOT of that done.
Moreover, for part of of that time, I was the coordinator of the English Language Center - which more or less meant I didn't have much a non-working life anyway.
Regards,
John |
|
Back to top |
|
|
scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 4:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Nowadays with new technology it is easy. 1970-1972 I relied on books (taken with me) and shortwavre reception of BBC and VOA (Willis Conover is King !).
The books went with me because then there wre none available in KSA and shipping them was not practical.
The uspide then was that comparative incomes were much higher than now. I earned 4 or 5 times what i would have had as a teacher back home in Scotia ! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 4:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Dear scot47,
I used to use what the US post office called "M bags," duffel bags that the post office supplied (they've since been discontinued) for shipping. On holidays, I'd visit all the used books stores I could find, stuff the bag with the books I bought (I could usually get over a hundred in one) and get them shipped out in late June/early July. They'd usually arrive in late October/ early November.
Nowadays, of course, with e-readers and the Internet, it's SO much easier.
Regards,
John
Last edited by johnslat on Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:11 pm; edited 2 times in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
al-Californian
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 96
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I knew I should have bought a Kindle at home! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Sheik Yerbuti
Joined: 02 Dec 2012 Posts: 105 Location: the promised land
|
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Pretty sure Amazon will ship you one. Well worth it. If OP really
is here , he /she can afford, down to about 150 bucks shipping
included. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527
|
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
This thread is like the joke about the French Legionnaires stationed in the desert.
As some camels pass by their station they all run outside to grab them. "Why such a rush?" says one of the new recruits.
One of the old-timers says "Well, you don't want to end up with an ugly one". |
|
Back to top |
|
|
cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA
|
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
This thread is like the joke about the French Legionnaires stationed in the desert.
As some camels pass by their station they all run outside to grab them. "Why such a rush?" says one of the new recruits.
One of the old-timers says "Well, you don't want to end up with an ugly one". |
Thanks for the laugh...
...over here we have beauty pageants...oo la la! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
litterascriptor
Joined: 17 Jan 2013 Posts: 360
|
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
I understand that women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia? How can the locals be so awful at driving if this is the case?
please don't kill me, please don't kill me.
(MOD edit for format foolishness) |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|