Job Discussion Forums

[clyde]

People often ask me about my time (3 years) in Saudi. The conversation inevitable wanders towards what the worst part of living there was. The obvious guesses are the threat of violence against foreigners, or the barbaric mentality of the people there. Some people think that it is maybe the harsh climate or maniacal driving. For me it was the soul-destroying boredom. Saudi is literally the worst place on the planet for this kind of thing. Towards the end of my time, after I had been to each mall over 100 hundred times, I would just stay home, watch the walls and drool on myself. I live in Salalah Oman now. It is a fairly small little town, with only one mall, but there are many things to do. The people (natives and expats alike) are generally more pleasant and upbeat. It is by no means a roaring metropolis, but little things like seeing a movie, or walking on the beach, or, God forbid, having coffee with a girl, are perfectly normal things to do. Saudi reeeeeally needs to get its act together in this regards. You may think me capricious here, but the boredom is probably a big reason for many of the other unpleasant things about the Sandbox.

[cmp45]

There's no excuse to be bored. Sad, yes. Angry, yes. Depressed, yes. Crazy, yes. But there's no excuse for boredom, ever.”

[nomad soul]

[johnslat]

Instead of "introverts," I think I would use the terms self-reliant and having a low need for outside distractions to provide one's entertainment.

Even before the Internet arrived in the Kingdom, books kept boredom at bay for me. After the Internet arrived, boredom was "virtually" impossible .

Regards,
John

[scot47]

Clyde,
Why should KSA change to suit you ? They have enough problems there without trying to accommodate a bunch of petulant Westerners with their unreal demands !

[Randall]

I once worked and lived with a young EFL teacher fresh from grad school. We worked nine hour days and rode the same van back and forth. We were together from 5:30 am to 3:00 pm. When we got back to the villa, I just wanted to be left the hell alone and check my email. One day, he appeared at my doorway at 3:05 with the stimulating question, "Wassup?" He was the type who always had to be doing something, going somewhere, or playing a video game. He could not stand to be alone with his own thoughts (if any). He didn't last long. Don't go to KSA if you are that type.

[auhruh]

[natsume]

Sounds like a very good place to go to work on an online degree.

Or write a novel.

Or study a language.