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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Before getting and using "Vitamin Wow" or Wasta, you have to be in KSA. Yasuke ? |
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lcanupp1964
Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 381
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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One way to get the wasta juices flowing is to do small favors for people in vice-deans, or higher positions, or to those Saudi admins (like directors/department heads) that will get prompted soon. Make sure the person is a Saudi, or it might be a waste of time because that person may not have enough wasta themselves to help you when the time comes.
Proof a paper for someone that wants to submit it to a journal, or industry show. Better to do extra work one-on-one. If you join a committee to help out, you may get lost within the group. When I first came to KAU, I meet a few key people. As I was leaving their offices, I said, "If you would like for me to look at anything to check, or help proof, please let me know". I only offered my services to about four people. That lead to me doing major rewrites (paid as OT at 150sr an hour) on a few very important documents for both the ELI and the College of Arts and Hum, which lead to a 25% raise and a much better teaching position the following year.
Wasta can also mean to collect favors and to "cash" them in when you need something.
Some people might see it as kissing butt. I see it as selling myself and my skill sets to the people that can better enhance my overall teaching experience. I get something, they get something. |
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Yasuke
Joined: 10 Jan 2014
Posts: 178
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| lcanupp1964 wrote: |
One way to get the wasta juices flowing is to do small favors for people in vice-deans, or higher positions, or to those Saudi admins (like directors/department heads) that will get prompted soon. Make sure the person is a Saudi, or it might be a waste of time because that person may not have enough wasta themselves to help you when the time comes.
Proof a paper for someone that wants to submit it to a journal, or industry show. Better to do extra work one-on-one. If you join a committee to help out, you may get lost within the group. When I first came to KAU, I meet a few key people. As I was leaving their offices, I said, "If you would like for me to look at anything to check, or help proof, please let me know". I only offered my services to about four people. That lead to me doing major rewrites (paid as OT at 150sr an hour) on a few very important documents for both the ELI and the College of Arts and Hum, which lead to a 25% raise and a much better teaching position the following year.
Wasta can also mean to collect favors and to "cash" them in when you need something.
Some people might see it as kissing butt. I see it as selling myself and my skill sets to the people that can better enhance my overall teaching experience. I get something, they get something. |
Is it clear who the people are with Wasta? |
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SirAristede
Joined: 26 May 2014
Posts: 83
Location: Salmiya, Al 'Āşimah, Kuwait
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Yasuke wrote: |
| lcanupp1964 wrote: |
One way to get the wasta juices flowing is to do small favors for people in vice-deans, or higher positions, or to those Saudi admins (like directors/department heads) that will get prompted soon. Make sure the person is a Saudi, or it might be a waste of time because that person may not have enough wasta themselves to help you when the time comes.
Proof a paper for someone that wants to submit it to a journal, or industry show. Better to do extra work one-on-one. If you join a committee to help out, you may get lost within the group. When I first came to KAU, I meet a few key people. As I was leaving their offices, I said, "If you would like for me to look at anything to check, or help proof, please let me know". I only offered my services to about four people. That lead to me doing major rewrites (paid as OT at 150sr an hour) on a few very important documents for both the ELI and the College of Arts and Hum, which lead to a 25% raise and a much better teaching position the following year.
Wasta can also mean to collect favors and to "cash" them in when you need something.
Some people might see it as kissing butt. I see it as selling myself and my skill sets to the people that can better enhance my overall teaching experience. I get something, they get something. |
Is it clear who the people are with Wasta? |
Those with wasta don't exactly wear signs stating, "I have wasta, mashallah...." 
Typically you'll know who the people are that have wasta once you start meeting and networking with people. It's the same as it is in Western society in that by networking you learn who the movers and shakers are. Of course you can't do that until you've actually landed in the country. All else is mere speculation... |
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SirAristede
Joined: 26 May 2014
Posts: 83
Location: Salmiya, Al 'Āşimah, Kuwait
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Rostom
Joined: 16 Apr 2014
Posts: 102
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: Getting, developing, and using wasta. |
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| Yasuke wrote: |
| Something that I haven't seen specifically covered is wasta. I've seen it talked about in terms of students having and wielding it. But, I've only seen one teacher talk about having any. Is there anyone here that feels like they have any? If so, how did you come about getting it or it being given to you? |
Well, my wasta in the Magic Kingdom was with the traffic policeman and hospital consultants.
I remember one day I got speeding ticket, so I contacted my friend the traffic officer who had access to the computer system and deleted the fine from the system. My second wasta was with the hospital consultant, each time I need an appointment with the hospital, I get a special treatment without going through waiting list. |
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2buckets
Joined: 14 Dec 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Middle East
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 1:08 am Post subject: |
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When I was teaching at a small program at the PCA (Presidency of Civil Aviation), we had the electronics department develop a machine we called a "Wastometer" (patent pending). The purpose of the machine was to determine how much wasta a student had.
When new students arrived, we attached the machine to them and if they had a lot of wasta, we simply gave them their certificate and sent them on their way, because they would pass anyway. This alleviated the need to waste time in the classroom with them.
BTW, sent on their way meant they worked at airports as Air Traffic Controllers, Communication Experts, Avionics Electronics Technicians, and Fire and Rescue Personnel.
Wasta trumps all! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| 2buckets wrote: |
When I was teaching at a small program at the PCA (Presidency of Civil Aviation), we had the electronics department develop a machine we called a "Wastometer" (patent pending). The purpose of the machine was to determine how much wasta a student had.
When new students arrived, we attached the machine to them and if they had a lot of wasta, we simply gave them their certificate and sent them on their way, because they would pass anyway. This alleviated the need to waste time in the classroom with them. |
If only...
VS |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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Dear 2buckets,
"When new students arrived, we attached the machine to them and if they had a lot of wasta, we simply gave them their certificate and sent them on their way, because they would pass anyway. This alleviated the need to waste time in the classroom with them."
Yup, gotta hate wasta wasting wastrels. 
Regards,
John |
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rollingk
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 212
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| Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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Is it clear who the people are with Wasta? |
If you're given a final exam a day before your classmates with the help of two attending teacher helpers, then that's a sure sign.
But a couple of questions/observations about that:
1. Was this a fabulous "networking"-wasta-gaining-nod to these two accomodating teachers; or
2. Did I have wasta cause I wasn't ask to do this for the student, who was after all my student, not theirs; or
3. Might they have realized I would have told them to f off if asked, despite the student's family name?
There's a lot of foulness here, and not only by Saudis, and sometimes I add a little to the mix, but some things are just too sleazy to contemplate . . . aren't they? |
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