Job Discussion Forums

[ohman]

These days, the teachers are often on their feet 7 contact hours per day.

They are incredibly short staffed for a reason.

I have been in the Khaleej for almost ten years and I even completed a contract (a multiples of roommates contract) with a dubious contractor in the Eastern province. I was one or two men left standing from that job's hiring of 14. With my experience, I thought I could handle Jeddah, that it would be a cakewalk compared to say, Jubail.

But this Jeddah Job--this SALTS Raytheon job--

There are a few good men there, but the balance between the thinkers and the drinkers, the visionaries and the angry old men is heavily out weighed by the village idiots.

Sort of reminds me of the life expectancy of a second looey in Vietnam--old timers on the SALTS job have months in country. Rare are those who have multiples of years.

When my driver picked me up at the airport in Kuwait (a Kuwaiti Shebab by the way with not so honorable job but a job nonetheless) he asked about Mushkeelas for Amerikis in Saudia. I told him what is my inarguable truth, my subjective opinion based on my experience.

He said, "Not here. Kuwaiti love Ameriki too much".

Wow.

(No need to remind me why, I occasionally read a newspaper or tune in CNN)

I was here five years ago and the growth since then is amazing.
OK--no booze but if that's you're biggest hang-up, get help.

Other than that, the corniche is as lovely as Abu Dhabi's and the skyline now more resembles Dubai. Five years ago when I left (after nearly five years through thick and thin) I posted a message in the journal section here which basically expressed my concern for Kuwait and the region in general, a posting that beat Friedman to the punch by four years--what's to become of the youth who lack opportunity? At the time I imagined them storming the palaces with placards and Molotov cocktails. (they've actually bleeped kocktails?) But then, who could have imagined the angriest young men would have turned the WTC into smoke, fire, dust and rubble in response.

Five years ago, there seemed to be little opportunity, too much inshaillah talk.

But then, I was only vaguely aware that the Sabahs have always been trusted here by the Kuwaitis, even those with more money, to think two or three move ahead. Sheikh Jaber and his family have managed to keep this emirate independent longer than the US has been independent--they even beat off an attack from Abdul Aziz's wahabis in the twenties at Jahra--the Kuwaiti Yorktown--mention the battle of Jahra to a Saudi if you want to see someone hang their head in shame. Mention it to a Kuwaiti and they'll treat you to a shwarma and a Barbicon.

Abdul Aziz had it in his mind at the time that since his family had been exiled here, then here too he had some divine mandate to conquer by sword of steel then sword of flesh. He was thrown back despite outmanning and outgunning the Kuwaitis.

There seems to be some sort of IT and trade causeway which extends from here to the UAE and even over Saudi into the former colonial Arab states, bypassing Saudi Arabia.

The freaking work is bypassing Saudi Arabia. Go there. Live on a 3/4 empty compound--see for yourself.

Saudi Arabia? No need for sanctions, they're offing themselves out of prosperity. Containment? They're working on it without outside help.

The zeitgeist here is that Sheikh Jaber and Sheikf Saud's and all the Sheikhs Sabahs, the Khoraifis and Bebehanis et al and their visions will live beyond Jaber's grave or most likely even be improved upon--he's in his 90s, like Zayed--and like Zayed he has been in power since the day (of mud huts a handful of date trees)/

Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Syria--the old regimes are passing the torch and once again, I see hope for the region after all.

When both Arafatites and the Sharonies go to meet baby Jesus, maybe then, here in Khaleej and over there in the former colonies, the effing wall will come down Peristroika will occur naturally.

[JohnG]

My, my my. Aren't we an angry, bitter person, Ohman? By my username you know who I am and I know who you are because you are the only person who was fired by SALTS this year. You didn't plan it because your deficencies were observed the first day you arrived in country not by the Saudis but by your fellow teachers. I am writing just to say that it is okay to be bitter about your release, but don't lie and throw mud at people who do not deserve it.