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In the heat of the moment
Joined: 22 May 2015
Posts: 393
Location: Italy
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 Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| I imagine teachers in Saudi are a very diverse bunch, politically-speaking as well as in a host of many other traits. Generalising would be futile, especially as the turnover of staff is so high. |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 8:11 am Post subject: |
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| Certainly turnover is high, but one can see the 'same' type walking in year and year out, plus they're younger, due to KSA's inflexibility to have teachers over the age of 56. The 60-63 olds are there but not that many, so the 'diversity' isn't that great. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| No sex ? How do they reproduce ? |
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In the heat of the moment
Joined: 22 May 2015
Posts: 393
Location: Italy
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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You could say the same about teachers anywhere; where is there a large number of teachers working into their 60s and 70s? Saudi is one place where the oldies are often respected.
CANDLES, what 'type' would that be? You can break down a person's personality in many ways so I'm just curious which aspect you're concentrating on? |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| The 'type' that think they can change the world especially the Arab world and who find lots of faults with the society, but are not prepared to accept certain aspects which cannot be changed except from within. |
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Gulezar
Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:43 am Post subject: Re: Are foreign teachers primarily conservative minded here? |
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| brnrd wrote: |
I'm liberal minded,and I have a strong feeling that disproportionately I'll find most Western FTs will be conservative(notice lower case "C")
Would you agree ?
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I would agree that those who have been in the Middle East for a number of years and have chosen to stay in the Middle East, have learned that it is best to keep their political views private. It is not the kind of place where you could expect to have an open forum on any number of topics. Behind closed doors, you will find a cross section of both "Western and Eastern" societies, in whatever manner one might define these wildly diverse populations.
I would say that both "conservatives and liberals" have to learn how to temper their political jargon in KSA. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| I had never met Americans with extreme right political views until I went to KSA. Generally it is best to avoid discussion of this sort of thing. Gentlemen do not discuss Politics, Religion, Sex or Football ! |
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RustyShackleford
Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 449
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 7:27 am Post subject: |
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The most borderline nazis I've met have probably been in Japan. KSA, I've heard everything on all sides, although compared to some of the social values here, everyone is practically a screaming bra-burning hippy dippy liberal.  |
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buravirgil
Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:42 am Post subject: |
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| CANDLES wrote: |
| The 'type' that think they can change the world especially the Arab world and who find lots of faults with the society, but are not prepared to accept certain aspects which cannot be changed except from within. |
emphasis mine
I was surprised by some that conflated cultural relativism with moral relativism. Perhaps it's glib and specious, but I expected more sensibility along the lines of Star Trek's Prime Directive. I grew to have little patience with arguments that asserted western values should be exported, usually buttressed by observations about how completely backwards any culture in question could be. And these were people with secular educations.
Any observation about the necessity of struggle for change was dismissed out of hand. The prevailing argument was people didn't know what was best for them. |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| So what did I just say? |
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buravirgil
Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:59 am Post subject: |
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| I failed to relate: I agree with your take on a too common "type" working in the KSA. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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In my experience, the most conservative I ever encountered were the "Western" converts (VS hates the word reverts  ).
Even the Saudis avoided them as much as possible. I recall one who used to always make sure the Saudi director was heeding prayer call, fasting, etc.
Regards,
John |
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CANDLES
Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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| Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2015 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, one of them resides in PNU as a 'director'.
What a nightmare! |
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bigdurian
Joined: 05 Feb 2014
Posts: 401
Location: Flashing my lights right behind you!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| tony87 wrote: |
I'd use the word 'boring', rather than 'conservative'. I mean who willingly goes to a place where there's no sex, no booze, no nightclubs, and you can't even step outside your apartment because of the blazing heat.
The answer: those strange folk who are happier to sit at home reading a book or knitting rather than going out and having a good time. |
Tony, you seem to have some real issues with people in KSA and the country itself, and yet it's a place you've never been to, but presume to know much about.
I'd stay in China if I were you. |
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myohmy
Joined: 31 Jul 2013
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 2:14 am Post subject: |
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| Tony is not the only one on the forum who knows all about Saudi without ever setting foot there. |
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