Job Discussion Forums

GabeKessel · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 150

That's right. Losers by society's standards. So, if you have no place to go and nobody wants you, come on over to Saudi Arabia- you will be in good company. What's more, you will rediscover your dignity as well as save some cash.

How so? OK, I'll give you an example. Let's say you are a glamorous young man aged 20-35, handsome and popular with women. You are a party animal , exercise freak , are quite good-looking and given to flirting with the opposite sex. Or, you are an up-and- coming young executive set on succeeding in the corporate world. Saudi Arabia should be the farthest thing from your mind. Do not come here! You would be nuts if you did.

Now, if you are a balding, paunchy, middle -aged loser, past his physical prime, and with a life full of disappointments in every area, including romantic and financial, with a divorce or two behind you, who is feeling that the world has largely passed him by, come on over- you are going to love it!

By coming here, many things will be working in your favor: you will be one of the few Westerners in a country filled with Third World laborers on low salaries. Your wages will be higher than those of these workers, and most Saudis for that matter. Also, because there is no sales or import tax, everything here is cheap. You can rent a good car for some $400 a month, including insurance. That is , if your company will not give you a car. You can take taxis for next to nothing, if you do not want to drive. Food of all kinds is plentiful and everything else is Chinese-made and dirth cheap. You get SR ( Saudi Riyals ) 3.75 to the dollar. Within the local Indo-Pakistani laborers' economy ( these are the people that provide work force for the Kingdom) one Riyal has an almost the same buying power here as one dollar in the US, or one pound in the UK. If you shop where such drudges shop, which is almost everywhere, you will be able to live the same lifestyle as you would if you had a salary of $10,000-$12,000 a month back home. I mean it.

Tired of seeing the younger generation pushing you out of your job? No more. All people here have individual contracts and jobs assigned to them. Westerners here rarely compete against each other, but are supportive and helpful to one another for the most part. In a place like Saudi, a guy that would cut your throat back home will most often than not become your best friend.

The economy is based on oil revenues, not taxes or credit. Money is rarely a problem. As one of my co-workers used to exclaim with his toothless smile-" Let the petro dollars flow!" And they do flow. You will stop losing your sleep thinking of how you are going to pay your next month's rent. Housing and utilities are usually provided and paid for by employers. Work is easy- no one is worried as much about getting fired for under-performing or not going the extra mile. You can look forward to an enjoyable and rather easy day at work.

Worried about your retirement? I guess you should be as you are not contributing to Social Security here, but, instead, every month at least two thousand dollars is deposited into your bank account back home. After three years, it's a lot of money- buy a house, rent it out, and you can retire somewhere nice.

Fed up with watching all those attractive young couples back home making out in the parks and walking lovey-dovey down the street while you are putting Rogaine on your bald pate and wondering where all those years have gone? No more! There are no such couples here, only married ones, and the wife is covered in black robes, head-to-toe. They are not holding hands or anything like that. Most of the time you do not see women, period, so, that eliminates any feelings of jealousy, inadequacy and forlornness on your part. Everywhere you look, you see male workers from the Indian Subcontinent and the Philippines. How do you fare compared to them socially and economically? Not badly, I must tell you.

You can now dress any way you want, shine your bald spot unto the world and feel just great! You are no longer keenly aware of the fact that women do not pay attention to you anymore- there are no women to pay attention to anybody in Saudi Arabia. You are among millions of lonely middle-aged men here most of whom are happy to be making their $300-400 a month and sending it back home to Bangladesh. Except that now you are seven to ten times richer than they are. A truly enviable position to be in.

As a Westerner ( �Khawaja�- that is how they will call you, my Gringo friend) you are seen as being high-class even by the Saudis, let alone the Third World nationals working here. When you walk into stores, people smile at you and say "Salaam Aleykum". They know that you have power and money- at least they think you do and that is how they perceive your status here-you are a rich ambassador of the West.

When your (paid!) vacations come rolling around, and these are usually at least twice as long as what you get back home, you head for exotic destinations where a man's age does not matter as far as women are concerned. A fat, bald, ageing Western "loser" is a highly desirable boyfriend, husband ( and customer) in many S. E. Asian or E. European countries. Once you hit those famed night spots in Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta or even Kiev, no one will see you as a loser anymore. Not there , anyways.

As soon as you learn to compartmentalize your international life and see Saudi as a place to work, while other countries as places to have fun and romance, you will have finally understood the formula to success- assign duties to countries and do not wait for countries to assign duties to you. That's what it's all about. Each place should be appreciated for what it's worth- not more, not less.

So, if you feel like a loser back home, and you have let happiness slip away from you; if you feel like you got beaten in the rat race, come on over to Saudi Arabia. You will be able to put your vanquished history behind and start your life afresh among the golden dunes of the Magic Kingdom. Just watch out for those terrorists- they can get quite obnoxious at times.

GabeKessel · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 150

I had a happy childhood,and for many years thereafter, I always longed to be a child again. After all, I did not have to work, all of my needs were provided;I did not have to pay rent or worry about finding a mate. Up until puberty,I lived a life of absolute contentment. I had no sexual urge and all the troubles resulting thereof, and I was simply happy to read my books, travel to new places, or just be alive, walking around the city, admiring architecture,and devoting the rest of my time to hobbies- collecting butterflies, playing with my pet hamster, doodling on a piece of paper or going out with my friends. It was a blissful time which I thought would never come back to me again. Little did I know that it would come back but with a weird twist- in the shape of the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In 1997 I lost my job, a relationship and also suffered severe economic setbacks resulting from unwise investments. Me debts were $27,000 and mounting. A day actually came when, after I had made payments to yet another creditor, I discovered that I had no money left to buy food. This was when I got on the Internet and started doing some serious job searching. A company in Saudi Arabia advertised for a position. I applied and got a call from the recruiter. Within two months I was on the next plane to Riyadh with mixed emotions going through my head. What was I to expect there? Were they going to await me at the airport with daggers and sabres screaming "Death to the Infidels!". You know, the usual stereotypes.

Well, it turned out that the place was actually quite good. We were housed on a military base, all our needs were met- we did not have to pay for rooms or utilities, and food was free. They provided us with clothes and cars, and free gas. The work load was very light- if we had to work 5 hours each day, it was considered a hard day. On some days I did not have to do any work at all, just sit around the office and chat with my friends. After work, we went out in groups, some guys went to the US embassy for parties there, some watched satellite TV, which, again, was free. Some borrowed books from the base library - actually they simply took them with no stubs, no registration; and then, after they were done reading them, they returned them. There were no women around, the weather was nice- it was February, and the air was fresh. In addition to that, there were very few people around, and lots of open spaces.

The absence of women had many good points. I was no longer "on the make" all the time but could chill out and do my own thing. I did not have to worry about looking good. If I did not shave for one day or did not wear nice clothes, it was OK- who would care? I was not thinking about dates and was not planning to have any- hence, the economization of time and money resulting from it was significant- if before, every day I was thinking about where the next date was coming from, this time I was no longer worried about it- I was now looking towards a next walk in the desert to observe the stars, the dunes and other new phenomena.

I also started going into the sandy wastelands around the base and studying local insects and small animals, just like I did when I was a child. I once caught a hedgehog and brought it to the base, and we all had fun with it, especially the Filipinos who had not seen such an animal before. I started taking Tagalog classes with the Filipino guys paying them 10 Saudi Riyals an hour- about $2.60 cents. I am now fluent in teh language, by the way.

Every day was predictable and was very similar to the day before. My life acquired the same rhythmic quality that it had when I was a child. I lived for the present, in the present, enjoying the simplicity of every day.I started noticing the beauty of naturearound me, started listening to the wind, admiring themoon and watching sunsets. The Western people on base were very friendly and we did not have to compete against each other since each one of us had a separate contract and his own duty. The Saudis on base were also quite friendly and very welcoming. Most were big jokers, and always in a good mood. Surprisingly thus, the feeling of happiness that left me at age 13-14, with the advent of puberty, came back full force.

I could now understand how monks could live happy lives, cut off from the opposite sex and the temptations of society. They could obviously see great benefit in living their simple and predictable existences free from constant demands of the flesh. Being in Saudi was similar to being such a monk. And it was just as well.

As months and years rolled by, I paid off all of my debts, was transferred to Jeddah, learned diving, and, if I wanted to date, I was able to do so during my long vacations which took place every five months. If I average my conquests over the years, I did not do so badly- in fact I did even better than back home.

After 4.5 years in Saudi I was a changed man, in good humor, with a sizable bank account and with a good, warm feeling towards mankind. However, things changed with the wars and the coming unto the scene of many terrorists who were targeting the thousands of Westerners residing in the Kingdom. So, I left. Now, when I look back, I recall those years as happy ones. As happy as the years of my childhood. I can now rightfully say that I had a second childhood in Saudi Arabia, without the accompanying senility, of course.

running dog · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 37

Nice one, Gabe. "What oft was thought, though ne'er so well expressed" All old Saudi hands will recognize the truth of these sentiments, although most would be loth to admit it, so full marks for your courage. We can't wait to get out while there, counting down the days to final exit visa, flee to the airport, promising ourselves that this time - yes, THIS time - the Kingdom can finally kiss our asses goodbye and ...... 6-8 months later we're back, wiping our brows and looking forward to a good night's rest for the first time in weeks, untroubled by worries over money or marriages gone sour. You mention a return to childhood. Old army vets or prison lags also know the score. Or the early saints who realised just how perfect a refuge the desert was against the World and all its snares.

Mark100 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 441

Funny thing about Saudi it always seem to look better in retrospect.

I have been out for 6 months now after spending a good ten years in Kingdom and i find that i look back with some nostalgia on my Saudi days.
Sometimes i have the inkling to return but then i start to recall a lot of the reasons why i had enough and wanted to leave. e.g. the mindlessness of the place, the heat, the lack of colour, the always looking into the future and the next holidays aspect and not enjoying the moment, the lack of women, the driving etc.

The main reasons why i liked Saudi were the money and the lack of urgency and lack of work ethic.

I make the same money now so that is not an issue but the laid back and laziness of the place still have appeal.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

What I like is the Saudi work ethic. Someone could make money teaching stressed-out westerners how to look on things the way the Saudis do !

GabeKessel · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 150

If those Westerners had oil propping up their economies the way oil is propping up Saudi economy. they'd be just as relaxed.

mezdupa · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 11

running dog · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 37

Maybe Gabe could make a career in comedy but, going by this kind of comment, you might as well forget the idea, pal. Then again you've probably got more serious things on your mind. Which reminds me, not for the first time, of the standard type of male EFL instructors who fetch up here in the Gulf over and over again. While there's always going to be some overlap between the various categories, observation and instinct tells me that they're pretty much unchanged since the first oil industry training centres were set up after WWII. For my money, you probably belong to category 1.
A. The guy with "a plan": He's typically in his early to mid-thirties, possibly married or in a relationship but often not (he's never made enough money up until now to attract or keep a partner). He did his degree later than most, after three or four years post high school in dead-end jobs, and then wanted to "live" and have some adventure, TEFL being the easiest way to travel to and live in exotic locations. After five or six years of earning a pittance in Europe or Asia, he now decides its time to get serious (buy a house, set up his own business) so he reckons a few years in The Gulf is the easy way to make the necessary shekels. He saves every penny he can, is always careful in what he says and does and who he hangs out with, and everyone agrees, if they notice him at all, that he is the greatest bore since staying at home every weekend watching the wallpaper was invented. Some of these guys realise their dream, some don't but - what the hell! Probably the most appreciated kind of employee where Gulf companies are concerned.
B. The failed "writer": Typically older than the above, in his forties or early fifties. Usually has at least 3- 4 "novels" tucked away in a closet somewhere and even though his ex-wife/wives couldn't get through the first chapter (they returned in record time from agents and publishers with comments like "You're kidding, right") he just keeps doggedly ploughing on. I mean, nobody recognized the genius of Kafka or John Kennedy O'Toole during their lifetimes either. Usually twigged to during class breaks as he's the guy always seen reading "The Canterbury Tales" or whatever other masterpiece the local bookshops deem innocuous enough to fall into Arab hands. Don't worry! He'll only attempt to thrust his own work in progress onto you after a drinking session during which he slobbers out frighteningly inaccurate renditions of Wallace Stevens.
C. The "Loco": Boy! Is this guy furious! What's eating him? From the moment he shows up on the compound/ apartment block, he's spoiling for a row, if not a full-blown fistfight. He insults everyone and everything. You, the country and its inhabitants of course, and, above all else (you guessed it), women. The very few successful members of this breed manage to gather a small cohort of like-minded instructors around them and then they swagger about like a miniature S.S brigade trying to outdo one another in their put-downs of everyone and everything in sight. Most, however, quickly manage to insult the trainees or (on a less dangerous level) the management and they rarely last longer than 6-8 weeks.
D. The Drunk: In his forties though usually not later (he either cleans up his act or he dies) and stone alco, he often doesn't make it as far as the compound. Arrives off the plane comatose and is put on the first flight back by the appalled agent. If he manages to stay dry a week or two, is guaranteed to lock himself into his room on all subsequent weekends. Passing by his door, you will hear sobbing, raving, the sound of furniture falling over or being wantonly destroyed. Shows up in the school or training centre on Saturday mornings sporting black eyes and bandages where he has been assiduously beating himself up. Usually lasts a couple of months at most.
E. The Convert: Typically even older - early to mid-fifties. He's tried them all: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, crystal worship - even did a spot of camping out near Roswell airforce base in the late sixties watching for passing UFOs. Now he's decided Islam is the final divine revelation and he wants to live in the Holy Land.
F. The Party Animal: Quite often younger than most (late 20s) and very often West Coast or Irish. Stuck for a year in the Desert? Forget it; any place can be good time heaven if you work at it. There's hot, hot party time ahead. Where are the nurses? Who's got a Hot Rod? We can set up our own disco, can't we? Spends most of his salary the minute he gets it on electronic goods and other cool paraphernalia. When down, indulges in fantasies about surfing on the (waveless) Red sea or dirging out Rebel songs. Does a runner during the first vacation.
The Homosexual: One of the least closely guarded secrets in TEFL is that the Gulf is Gay Disneyland. Still, after a year even he gets fed up with all the myriad anonymous encounters and wants true love. And who can blame him?
Anyone I've forgotten?

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Uncannily accurate, running dog. I'm definitely a category A.

Hod · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home

GabeKessel · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 150

The Rogaine did work but not well- it just created a peach-like fuzz where hair was supposed to have grown. And then, they kept asking me to buy more. Then I have discovered that there was a highly advanced tupee industry in some Asian countries and it's been a baldness-free life from then on.

As far as the above categories: sometimes people in category "A" can be older- they can include 'divorcees' in late thirties to early forties.

H. There is also the Philippine/Thai or some other cheap country expat resident, a guy who went through a bad divorce in his homeland and now has a girlfriend/wife in the Philippines/Thailand/Russia/Colombia whom he supports with some SR700 a month, while he is saving to retire there. He is stashing away cash to buy a house either in the West, so that he could rent it out, or in the country where he is a defacto new "citizen". Typically 40-55. A good employee and is liked by both the Western managers and the Saudis as he works hard, keeps a low profile and is happy to be making money that is a fortune in those countries, and where he and his wife/girlfriend can have great time on his long vacations. Eventually, he is planning to retire in those places once he has saved up enough money for a business, or whatever there. His stay? 3-15 years? Sometimes even longer.

I. A Sex Tourist. Divorced and/or unlucky in love. Age? 30-60. He is making money in Saudi and traveling to erotic flesh-pots in S. East Asia. He is not interested in settling down or having a home. Addicted to hookers, he blows most of his money on them. He stays on his job a long time and gives no trouble to employers or staff who are actually quite happy to listen to the tales of his exotic escapades. Every time he has to take an AIDS test for his visa, it is understandably a big and nerve-racking ordeal for him. His stay? 3-5 years until he gets serious and becomes "H".

J. A US community college system refugee with an MA but no PhD. He is tired of picking up part time work and not making any serious money. He has no Doctorate required for the tenure at a University; full time Community College jobs are hard to come by, and he thinks that it is better to stay in the Gulf till he has enough money to retire. Age- 30-50. Stay? 5-15 years. A good and serious employee for the most part.

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

You forgot the alcoholics,who go to the Gulf to stop drinking and end up drinking more than they've ever drunk in their lives.

GabeKessel · Joined: 27 Sep 2004 Posts: 150

I believe the alcoholic type has been mentioned above, but he was called "the drunk". I do understand you have a variation on the theme. So, maybe we can fuse those two.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I for one am glad to be back in the Oasis. Aty least there is water here !

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

You prefer the desert to the company of Mrs 47 and the Scotlings???