Job Discussion Forums

CANDLES · Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:46 pm Post subject:

I nearly got posted there, but resigned. There's already enough drama about without me getting involved with Saudis and Yemenis on the border!

Sheik Yerbuti · Joined: 02 Dec 2012 Posts: 105 Location: the promised land

The above = wrong, inaccurate, baseless, not indicative of the truth on the ground. Trust me , I know.

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

There was a brief flare up on the Saudi/Yemeni border there back in 2009. Basically, nothing to worry about if you're in SW Saudi now. It's really a question of a) Getting there, and b) Getting paid. Although very simple requirements, a and b may not be so easy to achieve in practice. Good luck if you're headed in that direction.

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

Just to let you know that a friend of mine received an email from PINZ to the effect that their Jazan/Aramco project has stalled... What's interesting is that as of today PINZ continue to advertise for this project on TEFL.com Make of this what you will, but don't hold your breath for a September start because that's not happening.

gorkomi · Joined: 24 Aug 2009 Posts: 142

I asked four Saudi friends about that specific town in Jazan and here are their replies:

"Bishah !!!!! Noooo maaan wallah it's the most dangerous and boring place in saudi arabia ."

"No big malls or place to go. No Tamimi. I don't know if gym, but defnately not gyms like Riyadh. Culture similiar Yemen."

"No man! Stay hell way from there! The people there are 100 % bedouins and the civilization there is -100 bedouins%"

"You got to be kidding. Come to Dammam or Jeddah. Why you want suffer? Not even Saudis feel comfortable in that area. Man, you like to choose the s*** place."

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

Why do we go to KSA? For the money. I never understood the "this place is better than that place" discourse on this forum--the whole of Saudi Arabia is effectively an open prison, and you won't feel any better in a big city. You will feel better if you get paid well.

That said, there was/is a big problem with working in Baish, i.e. you have to drive 70km to get there, EVERY WORKING DAY. This transport requirement is going to wear you down, if not end your life. It's the main drawback to working for PINZ there.

johnslat · Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:53 pm Post subject:

Dear spillthebeans,

"I never understood the "this place is better than that place" discourse on this forum--the whole of Saudi Arabia is effectively an open prison, and you won't feel any better in a big city. "

I think many will disagree with you about this. Even in Dante's inferno, there are nine levels:

http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv

Dante's Inferno Test - You Have Been Judged

Your fate has been decided....
You are one of the lucky ones! Because of your virtue and beliefs, you have escaped eternal punishment. You are sent to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!

And I know that I'd MUCH rather live/work in Jeddah, Riyadh or Dhahran than in, say, Buraidah or anywhere else in AL Qassim Province, for example.

Regards,
John

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

All things being equal, you'd be better off in living and working in Jeddah, Riyadh or Dhahran than in, say, Buraidah or anywhere else in AL Qassim Province, I agree. But all things are not equal. PINZ are, or were, offering very good pay to work in Baish. Whether it's worth it or not...?? Notice how those who work there have kept quiet.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Baish or Bishah ? Different places ! Or maybe Baha ?

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

There are many ways of transliterating Arabic into English--Jizan, or Jazan?

Baish, shall will call it, is about 70km north of Jazan City in Jazan Province, a dusty outpost basically. That's where the Saudi Electric Polytechnic is located, for whom PINZ recruited last year, and recently recruited again in their drag-net, line 'em up, way. The major drawback here is the ride to work every day.

The other, new, and unconfirmed PINZ project is with Aramco, somewhere in Jazan: "ESL Trainer for a Saudi Construction Skills Training Centre Starting Aug/Sept 2013 SAR20,000+/month". You won't be starting in September!

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

@johnslat For what it's worth, I scored "Very High" on Dante's Inferno Test, making me a Heretic, consigned to Level 6 of Hell. Knew it all along, LOL!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I was referring to the popst above where the poster quoted hios Saudi friends ---------------------------

"I asked four Saudi friends about that specific town in Jazan and here are their replies:

"Bishah !!!!! Noooo maaan wallah it's the most dangerous and boring place in saudi arabia ."

"No big malls or place to go. No Tamimi. I don't know if gym, but defnately not gyms like Riyadh. Culture similiar Yemen."

"No man! Stay hell way from there! The people there are 100 % bedouins and the civilization there is -100 bedouins%"

spillthebeans · Joined: 10 Jan 2013 Posts: 27

You got your answer, anyway.

gorkomi · Joined: 24 Aug 2009 Posts: 142

Scot... thank you. I wrote "BAISH" to all 4 of them. I noticed how that one spelled it differently. So I verified with one of them and he said "It's what first came to my mind, too, because Baish sounds like Bishah. I dont know about Baish, but its certainly gotta be boring. But Bishah is in Aseer, 200 km away."

spillthebeans... don'ta make-a me-a laugh. Hahahahahahaha.

Every part of Saudi Arabia the same. Hahahahahaha.

I was quite content in Riyadh, being a member of a modern gym that played terrible music (Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake). Tamimi had all the organic import food from California that made me feel somewhat at home.

Is there even a coffee chain in Baish?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Chainss on sale in the ironmongers and coffee beans in the Bakalla ! Seriously is the availability of "Starbucks" a factor in where we go to work ?

The confusion about place names reflects the fact that 99 percent of Sauids only know the place they work in and their tribal homeland. Invariably they are ignorant of the rest oif the "Watan" and regard strange places as hostile and barbarous. Some of them are !